“Meditation is turning inwards....quiet observation, reflection and awareness of oneself...it means to be conscious of consciousness, to be a detached observer of the stream of changing thoughts, feelings, drives and visions until we recognise their nature and origins.”

Lama Govinda in 'Teach Yourself Meditation'

Meditation is not relaxation. Relaxation helps us to separate from the busy, external world and can be a pre-requisite for meditation, helping us to calm and control the breath and let go of tension. But the inner state of meditation we are seeking is a very conscious and aware state, and meditation techniques exist to help us enter directly into a meditative state, where we can observe ourselves with detachment.

What the Ancients Said

Svetasvatara Upanishad

These prescriptions were set down in the Upanishads almost 3000 years ago, and the same philosophy has carried through the ages in other sacred texts and through Masters and teachers so that this is still what is taught in classes today.

The Bhagavad Gita, 6:10-11

The principle condition for meditation is to find an environment which is clean and calm ~ away from distractions such as the phone, computer or television. It can be useful  to make a special place in the home which remains tranquil and, psychosomatically, brings you easily to a place of calm before you begin.  But this is not always possible so another option is to have familiar things around you – maybe a certain candle, image, piece of music, crystal or incense ~ which, again, bring a sense of calm to you as you commence your practice…..and unplug or switch off the phones!

 In time, with regular practice, it is possible to switch off anywhere, but initially, as a conscious practice, it is important to find this place of quiet, using an external environment which promotes calm.  

The Bhagavad Gita 6:16-17 continues

“Yoga is a harmony.  Not for him who eats too much, or for him who eats too little; not for him who sleeps too little, or for him who sleeps too much.  A harmony in eating and resting, in sleeping and keeping awake; a perfection in whatever one does.”

It is advised that meditation is done on an empty stomach, so that the energy of the body isn’t busy digesting food.  But largely we can see that this statement above is a case of prescribing moderation jn all.  And if we are enslaved to our senses (the wild horses mentioned above), we cannot find the peace of mind to concentrate and meditate.

The 8 limbs of Yoga, in the Yoga Sutras, prescribe Pratyahara (sense withdrawal)  as a pre-requisite to meditation practice.  Learning to restrain our senses in this way “..when the mind is able to remain in its chosen direction and the senses disregard the different objects around them..” we can more easily “..follow the direction of the mind.” Yoga Sutras 2.54

Mantra Meditation and Self-Realisation, Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahansa, 2003

It can be seen that withdrawal from the senses is an outcome of meditation, as well as a pre-requisite for it.  While enslaved by our senses, we cannot achieve the harmony or liberty of mind as described in the ancient texts.  And once we have achieved this liberty, we are no longer enslaved.

“When all desires are in peace, and the mind, withdrawing within, gathers the multitudinous straying senses into the harmony of recollection, then....let the seeker quietly lead the mind into the Spirit and let all his thoughts be silence...thus joy supreme comes to the Yogi whose heart is still, whose passions are peace and who is one with Brahman.”

The Bhagavad Gita 6:24-27

Meditation is essentially sitting still and stopping ~ dropping into the silence of the mind. And it doesn't matter how long we can do this for - be it 5 minutes or  50 minutes. It is about learning to have control over our mind, rather than the other way around “..stilling the thought waves of the mind” Yoga Sutras 1.2.

This should be simple but we are slaves to our senses and are led by them, from one thought to another.  We also have a lifetime of emotional baggage, issues which we have locked away in the sub-conscious, and to quiet the mind may mean these resurface, so we prefer to keep our minds busy and block them out.

We’re All Doing Time, Bo Lozall

Meditation cannot be taught, as such, because it is a state of mind, but what we can do is teach the techniques for achieving this calm and stillness, for opening and emptying the mind, and entering our deepest state of awareness. For this reason, meditation techniques tend to have one point of attention so that whatever comes up, we can return to this one point, be it an object or the count of our breath, to  “...direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distractions.” Yoga Sutras 1.2

It is common to try and resist the distractions and thoughts that come up, but this itself takes up energy and more thoughts, so an important element is to release and not resist  - to allow the thoughts but know they no longer have any power and allow them to dissolve.

In the Bhagavad Gita 3:43, it states man can only find peace in the infinite, not the finite, or in the Spirit rather than matter – matter including emotions as well as physical objects.  It advises to “.....kill desire, the powerful enemy of the soul.”

Postures

As well as a specific place to meditate, it is important to find a posture to suit you. In order to achieve the upright head and body, as prescribed in the ancient texts, yoga posture work is essential to keep the spine flexible and strong, as well as other joints in the body, so that it is possible to sit quietly and comfortably for a period of time.

The primary practice of Yoga was originally meditation and the postures came later as spontaneous expressions of the mental state. The postures themselves give us renewed energy and serve to keep the body flexible. “these asanas in themselves are not practice; rather they are fundamental conditions upon which the real practice is based.  The Yoga of Light 3:21

The ancient texts discussed the best positions for meditation, looking at those which were the most comfortable, but also those which had some activating effect on the root and throat chakras which help to clear the pathways of the subtle energy channels, and awaken shakti energy.

The main thing is comfort and a posture which lifts the spine straight.  For this reason, a triangular pose, i.e. any cross-legged pose, is ideal for attaining the feeling of the tailbone lifting.  For people who are less supple, sitting in Sukhasana (easy cross-legged pose) is preferred, and sitting against a wall and/or on blocks or a meditation stool can aid the posture, in order to maintain the hips above the knees.  Only in this way can the torso be prevented from slumping and constricting the lungs and diaphragm.  The elderly and people with certain conditions preventing them from sitting on the floor may sit upright on a chair with both feet planted and the sacrum firmly placed into the back of the chair.

The use of a hand mudra can also help to focus the attention whilst meditating, as well as enhancing the breath. Jnana Mudra is probably the most frequently used, connecting thumb and index finger to unite Brahman and Atman – the universal with the individual. The hands can rest upward on the thighs to open awareness, or downward to calm the mind.

Sogyal Rinpoche in Teach Yourself Meditation

Tools for Meditation

The technique of Pratyahara (sense withdrawal) helps us to withdraw from the objects of our senses,so that we are not controlled by them. Conversely the use of the senses can be a technique for learning to concentrate or focus on one single area.  Drawing all our attention into i.e. a flower, its colour or fragrance, and learning to see it with our mind’s eye.  The difference is between allowing the sense organs to disturb the mind, and using them to focus the mind, bringing them under the control of the will.

Techniques using sight, sound or smell involve conscious awareness to bring our thoughts to one single spot, we learn to focus on something specific, and become absorbed by it, before allowing ourselves to expand out from it into the infinite. 

Breath awareness also is both a pre-requisite for meditation as well as being facilitated by the practice of meditation.

“The regular practice of Pranayama reduces the obstacles that inhibit clear perception....and the mind is now prepared for the process of direction toward a chosen goal.” Yoga Sutras 2.53

Listed below are some techniques which all serve to focus the attention and direct the thoughts to a single point of concentration.  From here you can allow the mind to expand beyond the object.   Not everything works for everybody, so find what suits you and stick with it.

Sight

• Concentrated gazing on an object followed by closing the eyes and focussing on the visual imprint made on the mind.  

• Objects could include a mandala, a pebble, a flower, waves, a statue. Internal gazing focused on the heart or 3rd eye.  Candle gazing, although this should not be practiced if you suffer with migraine, have MS or epilepsy.

• The aim is to internalise visual symbols, allowing them to imprint on the mind’s eye, gradually allowing the image to dissolve, and the individual consciousness to dissolve, leading to a point beyond differentiation between subject and object.

• The mind’s eye is directly related to the seeing eye and use of it helps alter our perspective of our external reality, heightening our subtle awareness of it, and bringing with it a detached observation.

Sound

• The use of sound again helps us to focus the attention, and, in particular, repetition of i.e. a mantra or a drum, heightens our concentration.  

• Techniques include: Recital of a mantra or AUM; Singing Bowls ; listening to the breath, an instrument or sounds of nature.

 Breath

• Techniques using the breath also serve to focus and allow us to concentrate. 
  
• Many techniques should be learned only with the guidance of a teacher but effective techniques for practice at home include:-
  
• Observation of the regular breath pattern ~ just watch the breath
• counting the breath
• visualizing the sending of the breath into different parts of the body, or breathing up the back and down the front of the body
• breathing in breath as a colour, or as an emotion such as love or joy.

Enjoy finding this time just for you ....!

Julie Hand 2009