Awareness of body. Meditation technique

It can be used instead of shavasana.

It is important to maintain full awareness throughout the practice. This is not so easy because one tends to fall asleep, or become involved in the continuous stream of thoughts that invade your perception. But whatever happens you must not create more tension by trying too hard or suppressing thoughts. Let them arise but be aware of them Awareness of them is sufficient in itself to help redirect your attention back on to the practice.

Posture

One can either lie flat on the back in shavasana, or sit in a meditation asana such as sukhasana or vajrasana. It is easier to relax in the lying position, but it is also easier to fall asleep. Unless it is performed prior to sleep at night it is important to remain awake and aware. With practice a sitting position will become comfortable and there is less likelihood of falling asleep. However, the choice is left up to the practitioner.

If you sleep every time you do this practice then you should wash your face with cold water before starting and should certainly practice in a sitting position.

Practice

Take a comfortable lying or sitting position.
Cover yourself with a blanket if necessary.
Relax your whole body and adjust yourself if you feel any discomfort.
Close your eyes. For a minute or so be aware of your whole body.
Completely relax, but remain aware.
Then become aware of the heartbeat inside your chest.
Feel each beat pumping blood throughout the entire body.
Try to feel the whole body pulsating with each beat.
If you find this difficult don’t worry, with practice it will become easier and easier.
The heart continues its duties without rest day and night throughout your life. We are rarely aware of it.
Now for a change become aware of this organ and realize that it never ceases its beating, pumping action.
Transfer your awareness to the pulse in the wrist of either arm.
Again this may be difficult at first but it will become easier with practice.
Soon you will hear the pulse and heartbeat like a drum being beaten.
Be aware of the pulse.
If you cannot feel the pulse don’t worry.
Now try to simultaneously feel coordination between the heartbeat and the pulse and feel them occurring as one.
After some time try to feel the pulse in different parts of the body: the neck, the head, the legs, the abdomen and any other place you can think of.
At first this may be a little difficult, but it will definitely become easier if you persevere with your practice.
Eventually you will be able to become aware of the pulse in any part of the body at any time you wish.
Be aware of your body pulsating in harmony with your heartbeat.
Let this absorb your whole attention.
After some time be aware of your breath.
Feel the air entering the nostrils.
Taste the air. Imagine it is the first time you have ever breathed.
Respiration, like blood circulation, never stops.
However, because it is possible to consciously control breathing to a degree one is more often aware of it than of the heart and blood circulation.
Feel the air flowing in and out of your nostrils.
As you breath in mentally count 1.
As you breathe out mentally count 2.
Continue counting in this way to a count of 40.
Your breathing should be natural, don’t breathe deeply or slowly.
Throughout the practice maintain awareness of both the breathing and the mental counting.
When you counted 40 transfer your awareness to the throat.
Feel the air moving in and out of the throat.
This might be a little difficult at first but try. When you can feel the breath moving in the throat then start to mentally count each inhalation and exhalation. Inhale – 1. Exhale – 2. Inhale – 3 and so on.
Count to 40.
Be aware of the breath and the counting.
Now transfer your awareness to the chest.
As you breathe in feel the expansion of the ribcage.
Simultaneously feel the air being squeezed out of the lungs like air from a balloon.
Do this for a minute or so and then start to count each inhalation and each exhalation in the same way as previously explained.
Count up to 40 with continual awareness of the expansion and contraction of the chest and the feeling of air entering and leaving the lungs.
After this become aware of the abdomen.
Feel the rising and falling movements of the belly (the rectus abdominal muscles).
Breathe normally, don’t try to force the breathing by making it deeper or slower if any effort is required.
Merely breathe as your body dictates.
As you breathe in try to feel the air being drawn into your body.
As you breathe out feel the unused waste products being expelled from the body.
When you are ready start to count the inhalations and exhalations as already explained. Inhale – feel the expansion of the abdomen – mentally counting 1.
Exhale – feel the abdominal wall drop – count 2.
Continue in this same way up to the count of 40.
Be aware of the breath, abdominal movement and counting throughout.
When you have finished this slowly become aware of the surroundings.
Gently move your body and open your eyes.
This is the end of the practice.

If you have managed to remain aware of all the different aspects of this practice then you should feel totally relaxed.

Duration and time of practice

This practice should take about ten minutes. It can be lengthened and shortened according to the time available simply by increasing or decreasing the number of times that you count the inhalation and exhalation.

It can be practised after asanas and pranayama in the morning or evening or at any other time during the day. We recommend it when you feel tired or tense. If you have any problem sleeping then you can do it before going to bet at night.

Instructions

This meditation is a reasonably long practice and it is very easy to fall asleep or lose track of the practice. If you have a friend who is also interested in yoga ask him or her to act as your yoga teacher using the instructions that we have given as a guide. Take it in turns to act as the instructor.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati