Introduction to meditation admin, June 23, 2024June 24, 2024 In yoga 3 last steps of Patanjali Yoga Sutras dedicated to meditation. Usually we understand meditation as practice when we sit with crossed legs, straight back and do concentration to object. Meditation it is hard work with our mind when we try to relax our mind and go beyond mind level. Dharana = to focus, concentrate to object.Dhyana = to keep this concentratino for long time. By doing meditation you can reach higher states of mind. It can help you to deal with physical, mental and spiritual problems. You can reach states and experience your true self. You can remove a lot of negative habits, addictions, that are inside of you. Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha – yoga – it is stopping fluctuations of mind (stopping thoughts, work of mind). Meditation it is main practice of yoga system. Usually people react to situations spontaneously, impulsive, emotionally and those emotions control people lives. By doing meditation you learn how to focus, understand your inner emotions, feelings, separate what’s good, bad. You start to control your inner states of mind. Mind can be calm, mind can be very active: I want this, that, go there, see there. Imagine horses: they can be calm and you will easily direct them wherever you need.And horses can be very active, they don’t listen to you and do whatever they want – you will never reach your destination point, and it is problem. So mind acts similar. Active mind creates a lot of problems in our life. It uses our energy, time resources. Goal of meditation is to reach clear consciousness that are inside of us. It is primal clarity of consciousness. Please imagine clouds and sun. Clouds covers sun. Sun means clear consciousness. Meditation it is practice that can help you to change negative tendencies, habits, addictions that leads to suffering, change them to good. What is mind Mind it is collection of conscious and unconscious ongoing processes, thoughts, experiences. Main task for mind is to process and systematize information that we get from sense organs (Taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing). We usually understand it as intellect, that can remember and systematize gained experience. Mind can analyze in basic level based on experience and information to make conclusion. Mind it is instrument that help to perceive, experience and analyze this world. In most east countries people considers mind as an enemy and they try to control, master, remove, calm down mind. Mind has 4 main instincts: reproduce sexually, eat, sleep, be safe. Mind is limited and dual: split experience to good and bad, like and dislike, pain and pleasure, happy and not happy, tasty and not tasty. It limits our experience of understanding this reality. Mind always egoistic, selfish and seeks to get something valuable and seek pleasure for person. Mind tries to get only what he likes and avoid everything that he dislikes. There are mind and higher mind. Higher mind can separate what is good, what is bad. Higher moral level, wisdom, higher goals – to do good things for others. Sage Patanjali in Patanjali Yoga Sutras says: “When activity of mind stops, yogi knows himself who he really is.” “Then seer establish himself in his personal nature”. In order to know yourself we need to learn fully stop our mind. Meditation it is method that allows to do it. When we see this life through level of mind – it is limited level of experiencing reality. Thoughts, thinking processes it drains your energy, time resources. When you control our mind you can direct it and form reality that you want and need. For example, there are intuition – higher level of understanding reality. Please remember that if you live on level of mind, you limit yourself. In some period of evolution, mind can be very good friend but after some time mind become real enemy because it’s very hard to control him. Meditation help you to remove those limits and expand consciousness. Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi When your mind is concentrated, you have very strong power.When your mind is distracted, you can not be very effective in life. All greatest people from history were able to reach high concentration of mind that gave them ability to create greatest works, for the benefit of all humanity. Today we’re going to talk about 3 last steps of yoga Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Dharana – concentration of mind to one object.Dhyana – maintaining concentration.Samadhi – state of Enlightenment. Let’s talk more about each one. Dharana it is training of mind when we learn to fully focus on one object. For example breathing. You learn how to focus your attention to breathing and fully concentrate only on breathing without distracting your mind. In the beginning it is easy practice but on advanced levels it is quite hard work. In dharana we use focus and power of will and it makes our mind stronger. When you have strong concentrated mind you make your own decisions. When your mind is distracted you jump from one object to another, from one task to another. How to practice Dharana 1) Concentrate on breathing.2) Do Trataka.3) Chant mantras.4) Concentrate on deity or saint person. Your mind and body should be relaxed when you do it. Next step: Dhyana – it is maintaining concentration for longer period. Buddha said: “Focused mind see things as they really are”. When you maintain concentration for longer period, your state of mind changes. For example: There are no thoughts, no feelings from senses, no pain, maybe not even feel your body. It’s like switching to different state of being. By doing that you go beyond mind level. And then happens Samadhi – state of Enlightenment. Pure state of being. It unites Jivatma with Paramatma (Individual soul with Higher Self Atman). It is experience that is beyond words and understanding. Beyond senses, beyond time, beyond body, beyond mind and thinking. It is very high level of practice. There are different states of Samadhi: 1) Savikalpa Samadhi – when in process of concentration to object you experience absolut a little. It can happen many times. 2) Nirvikalpa Samadhi – when yogi fully united with absolute they are one. Swami Sivananda says that when this state happens, yogi goes beyond birth and death. 3) Sahaj Samadhi – yogi fully united with absolut and do not loose this state even in life. By reaching and experiencing those states you experience your True Self. Meditation techniques There are different meditation techniques in various schools. All meditations are good for certain people, so there are no bad meditations. Beginners do beginners meditation, advanced practitioners – advanced meditations. There are no point to give advanced meditations for beginners. Everybody should start practice on their own level. Most popular meditation techniques: 1) Trataka – concentration to flame of candle (or dot on the wall).2) Concentration to breathing.3) Concentration to external object, diety, guru, saint person.4) Concentration to inner object, diety, guru, saint person.5) Mantra Chanting (for example Mantra OM). Usually yoga masters gives meditation techniques, now there are a lot of meditations on the internet. It’s always better when there are teachers who can explain. If you live active life in society it will always give you certain problems with energy. And meditation, as personal practice can help you to restore yourself. Will meditation work for you? It depends on your past lives. If you were practicing in your past lives certain techniques, so by practicing those techniques now you will have good result. How to start doing meditation 1) Find teacher who can give you technique and learn how to do it. Simple one: observe breathing. 2) Find calm place in home or outside. No animals in the room. 3) Posture with crossed legs, straight back, eyes closed, body relaxed. 4) Time: from 15 minutes to 1 hour for beginners. 5) Better time early in the morning or evening before going to sleep. 6) Regular practice it’s a key. 7) Empty stomach. 8) You can use additional mudras. What difficulties can come 1) Pain in the legs, body, back. It’s normal.2) Very active mind.3) Hard to relax.4) Hard to practice regularly.5) Hard to find motivation. It is very important to have altruistic point of view when you want to help others. Basics of Meditation Meditation Basics of MeditationMeditation techniquesWhat is meditation