Swami Satchidananda - Teachings

 

The Body Reflects the Mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQUeZXCLzFc

You Are Not Your Mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R0x_6fwArk

Remedies for Negative Thinking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziIpuRd3o94

How to Gain Mastery Over the Mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGiwnEkf8-k

How to Develop Willpower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfILv8TylBE

How To Heal Yourself 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDjIXYseu2I

How to Deal with Difficult People

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M41G3LpbGtg

Mastering the Mind By Re-training the Senses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muzSqKTKdHk

Mastering Your Emotions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZm9o357ac0

 

Breath: The Subtle Connection

src: https://integralyogamagazine.org/breath-subtle-connection/

Often in life, we overlook the value of the simple and familiar: a kind word, a helping hand, a timely smile. Such everyday gestures impart meaning and a sense of connectedness as we wend our way through time and space. Similarly, the breath is our constant companion, yet seldom do we realize the pivotal connecting role it plays in our existence and the great power and mystery that lie hidden in its effortless flow.

All life on the planet is connected through the breath. We dwell within a common atmosphere, which we continually draw into ourselves, process, and then give back to. We exchange molecules and partake of one another through this flow of energy. Perhaps some of the molecules that were within a butterfly a few moments ago, or were part of the Buddha over 2000 years ago, are now circulating as our own body or mind. The simple act of breathing renders us all intimately connected, and not separate, distinct entities. As Swami Satchidananda used to say, “We are cells of one universal body.”

Breath is our very life. In the Bible we read that God formed Adam out of inert matter and breathed life into him. Approximately fifteen times per minute, or 21,600 times a day, the Higher Power continues to do so in each of us today. With each exhalation, we are on the brink of “expiration.” If it didn’t return, we’d die. Yet, without any forethought on our part, the Higher Power keeps sending it back as long as there’s more for us to do.

When we inhale, along with the air, we take in prana, the vital energy that sustains all creation. While we can live for minutes without air, we wouldn’t even survive a moment without prana. We also obtain prana from the sun, water, and food we consume. It is the life force that permeates and animates every particle of the universe. Wherever there is movement on any level—from the most outer, gross, physical movements to the most inner, subtle, mental ones—it is powered by prana.

The movement of the earth through the heavens, the wind blowing through the trees, the ebb and flow of the tides, the gasoline that powers a car, the electricity that charges a computer, the physiological processes that maintain the life of an organism—are all expressions of prana. Even the passage of thoughts through the mind is made possible by prana. It is prana that causes all the movements within an individual—both physical and mental. So, by controlling the pranic currents within, we can optimize our physical and mental well-being.

The goal of Yoga is to still the mind so we can experience the supreme peace and joy that is our true nature. This is the most challenging task, one that has been compared to trying to tame a drunken monkey that has been bitten by a scorpion. While it may be very difficult to directly control the mind, if we can regulate the energy that moves the thoughts, we will have found an indirect route for achieving our goal.

The control of the prana is accomplished through the yogic science of pranayama, which involves regulating the breath. We focus on the breath because it is a grosser, external manifestation of the prana. By controlling it, we gain control of the subtler prana within.

Additionally, among all our physiological processes, the breath is unique in that it can be either voluntary or involuntary. Our entry point is voluntary control, and this, in turn, gives us access to controlling the so-called involuntary functions within. Adept yogis have demonstrated that even the heartbeat and brainwaves can be altered, or even stopped, if one knows how to direct the prana.

When we learn how to control the prana within, we gain mastery over the cosmic prana as well. Our bodies are a microcosm of the universe. The same laws that govern the prana within our bodies pertain in the macrocosm as well. Picture a group of scientists who wish to learn about seawater. It would be impossible for them to bring the entire ocean into their laboratory. Instead, they analyze the water in a small beaker, with the understanding that the water in the ocean would be the same. Similarly, within the laboratory of our spiritual practice, our bodies are like little beakers of the cosmic prana. We learn about the cosmic force within ourselves, and it is the same force that is functioning on other levels throughout the universe.

There are three basic ways we can relate to the breath: Through pranayama, we regulate it. For pain management and pranic healing, we visualize and direct it. As a meditation practice, we observe it.

Regulating the Breath

The science of pranayama offers techniques that can energize, strengthen, detoxify, relax, and heat or cool the body. There are methods to calm, balance, fortify, focus, and uplift the mind. Through regular practice, the dormant spiritual energy within, known as kundalini, is awakened leading to an expanded state of awareness. All this is possible simply from working with the breath.

Sri Gurudev was once asked if it was better not to do pranayama in cities where there was a lot of pollution. He responded that even if the air was polluted, the prana always remains pure. And, he added, that is why we continue to be able to live in such challenging environments.

In speaking to a group dealing with HIV, the main practice Sri Gurudev recommended was to incorporate the basic three-part, deep, diaphragmatic breathing, known as dirgha svasam, throughout the day in order to rebuild the immune system. This simple technique, the foundation of all the other breathing practices, fills the lungs to capacity and empties them thoroughly, supercharging the system with oxygen and prana. The lymph system, which detoxifies the cells, is activated by deep breathing, so elimination of poisons and wastes is enhanced. The movement of the diaphragm also produces a gentle massaging action that improves the functioning of the heart and the various organs in the abdominal cavity.

For healing, in general, Gurudev recommended working up gradually to three, 30-minute pranayama sessions per day. Unless contraindicated by one’s condition, a routine that involved three to five rounds of rapid diaphragmatic breathing (either kapalabhati or bhastrika), followed by five to ten minutes of alternate nostril breathing (either nadi suddhi or sukha purvaka), would be ideal. Your choice of technique would depend on whether or not you were ready to include retention in your practice.

Regulating the breath can also be a powerful tool for managing stress. The body, breath, and mind are the same stuff at different densities or rates of vibration—like ice, water, and steam. The breath is the intermediary level. As such, it is the link between the body and mind. Everything that is happening within, both physically and mentally, is expressed through the flow of the breath. And the reverse is also true: By controlling the breath, we can affect what’s happening within.

When faced with stressful situations, we move into a pattern known as chest breathing. Unlike deep diaphragmatic breathing, our breathing tends to become shallow, unsteady, and localized higher in the chest. This pattern is part of the “fight or flight” mechanism. At such times, if we take pause, observe the breath, and then consciously make it slow, steady, and deep as in dirgha svasam, we can induce a relaxation response. In a more relaxed state, we will be able to more skillfully deal with the situation at hand.

When stressed, we can also get stuck in that mode of functioning, or side of the brain, that is dominant for us. An experiment was done that demonstrated that when the breath flows through the left nostril, there is an increase in blood flow and electrical activity to the right side of the brain; when it flows through the right nostril, there is a corresponding reaction on the left side of the brain. Given these findings, alternate nostril breathing could potentially be helpful for regaining balance and enabling us to see a fuller range of options in stressful situations.

Intuitively, we know that the breath and mind go together, and employ this principle regularly in daily life. If someone is angry, for example, the breath becomes correspondingly agitated. Our common advice is to tell the person to take a few deep breaths. As the breath becomes slower, deeper, and more regular, the mind, too, calms down.

Because of the correlation between the mind and the breath, regulating the breath figures prominently as preparation for meditation. The best preparation for meditation is pranayama: three to five rounds of rapid diaphragmatic breathing, followed by five to ten minutes of alternate nostril breathing. The rapid breathing energizes the system and makes the mind very alert; the alternate breathing then harmonizes and balances the energy. This combination gets the mind into optimal condition to focus well and go deep.

Directing the Breath

Directing the breath is an effective technique for pain management. Simply send the incoming breath to the area of distress and release the pain with the exhalation. Once a young child was nearly hysterical with an intense itching rash. Together, we focused on bringing in cool, soothing air, directing it to all the “itchies,” and then sending out the “itchies” with the breath. Within ten minutes, the child was totally calm and went outside to play.

I’ve had numerous experiences that attest to the benefit of this practice. Years back, I underwent a colonoscopy. I did not wish to have any anesthetic and asked to be positioned so that I could view all the monitors, which displayed heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen perfusion levels of blood. I asked the doctor what the proper range was for each. Whenever I felt any pain or saw an indicator go out of range, I focused two or three breaths on the problem area, and the situation quickly resolved.

I became so absorbed in this experiment that, at one point, I blurted out, “Far out!” This was followed by the doctor softly intoning, “No, far in.” He was so intrigued by my enthusiasm that he offered to extend the tour so that I could see my appendix. As interesting as the experience was, I was eager for it to be over. But not wanting to disappoint him, after a slight hesitation, I was able to agree.

Consider using the breath to cope with any discomfort at your next dentist appointment. Inhale and send the energy of the breath to the painful area. Feel the breath surround, fill, and absorb all the painful sensations. Then, release them with the exhalation. It can work surprisingly well in those trying circumstances.

Whenever you direct your thoughts to an area, you also send the prana there. You can use this principle to effect tremendous healing. Sri Gurudev used to say: “All that you need to heal are prana and mantra”— divine energy and vibrations.

You can visualize prana flowing into the body with the breath. Or, you can visualize prana in another form—such as light, sound, fire, or water—and imagine it entering through the top of the head, flowing down the body, going to the area in need, and doing its healing work. For example: you can visualize fire burning up any toxins, or water washing away the impurities. Then, visualize all the problems exiting through the soles of the feet. All forms of touch for health, psychic healing, or distance healing—knowingly or unknowingly—use this principle of mentally directing the pranic force.

Observing the Breath

Observing the breath is a wonderful approach for formal meditation and for maintaining peace in daily life. Consider the three levels of our being—body, breath, and mind. The body is mostly the product of the past. The mind fluctuates between the past and future, landing on the present moment intermittently as it whirls about. The breath, however, is always in the now. When we link our attention to the breath, our awareness becomes established in the present moment. We spiral out of control due to memory and anticipation. We can summon an enormous capacity to cope simply by staying in the moment. The mind becomes concentrated and gains power.

There are various ways to meditate on the breath. You can observe the movement of the abdomen, the airflow at the nostrils, the pauses at the bottom of the exhalation and the top of the inhalation, or the corresponding energy movement along the spine. You can listen to the sound of the breath as it flows in and out. Whichever approach you choose, the breath will lead you to a deeper state of awareness and stillness. When the mind becomes very calm, a subtle inner heat is generated. This warmth then awakens the kundalini—the storehouse of cosmic prana within. Once that is awakened, our consciousness expands; the body, senses, and mind come under our control, culminating in realization of our true nature.

Messages in the Breath

The resounding message of the breath is: connection. The breath is the subtle thread that runs throughout creation. It is our primary connection to life. It connects our inner world with the outer. It is the link between the body and the mind. It is a gateway through which our everyday consciousness can enter higher awareness.

Additionally, the breath can either be voluntary or involuntary. It’s as if another message has been encoded in our system, a constant reminder in the flow of the breath, telling us that we have a choice: We can function in an unconscious, involuntary way, or we can exert proper effort and gain control and mastery. In other words, bondage or liberation is in our hands. That is the message that lies hidden in the breath.

How to Cultivate Self-Mastery Sri Swami Satchidananda

 

How to Cultivate Self-Mastery

Once you become the master of your body, mind, and senses, you truly become the master of everything. If you are unable to curb a negative thought, at least try not to speak the thought. And if you can’t control the thought or the speaking of the thought, control the action. If you have had a thought that might hurt someone or yourself but then you are able to have a more positive action, that is what is meant by skillfully mastering the mind. You realize, Well if I can control my action, why not just control my speech as well, and if I can control my speech, I might as well just control the thought to begin with.

Another way to master the mind is to control the senses because your thinking comes through the tongue, the eye, the ears, and through the nose. You will smell some nice vegetarian curry being cooked, and even if the stomach isn’t hungry, the nose makes you want it. If you can’t control the senses directly, then even if the nose tells you there is some nice cooking being done in the kitchen, then control the legs by telling them, No, don’t walk into the kitchen, sit here quietly. That’s it!

So to control the mind we begin from outside by controlling the body. To learn that kind of control you practice Hatha Yoga. It is with this purpose that we practice Hatha Yoga so that, ultimately, you will become the master of our own body. And after that it’s easier to become master of your own senses, and finally to become the master of the mind. Then you really become an M.A. Not Master of Arts, but Master of All!

Self-mastery begins at home. Once you understand the secret, it is easy to regulate anything and everything outside. You can control your business, your studies, your very life, and even your society. You can become the ruler of the nation. But if you don’t know how to govern yourself, you should not try to govern others. That is why we say that the Yoga practices are very helpful for people who make important decisions that will have an effect on others. If all the politicians and leaders practice Yoga there will be a yogic nation, a nation filled with peace and joy.

There is a Sanskrit proverb that says, “As the king, so the citizen.” When a king does something, all the citizens want to follow. If a well-known and respected person does something, we all want to do the same. So if that luminary is practicing Yoga, others will want to learn Yoga. Then, there would be peace everywhere.

Yoga is progressive; it is spreading and that makes me so happy. I have great hope. Know that you are not just following something new or something that is practiced only by a handful of people. You are following an ancient tradition, a system which is appreciated all over the world and which is the essence of all spiritual practices, religions, or philosophies. So plunge into the practice of Yoga, whatever way you want, and express that peace and mastery in your life. By your own example, inspire others to follow the path of Yoga.

By Sri Swami Satchidananda

Questions & Answers on Meditation with Swami Satchidananda

 src: https://integralyogamagazine.org/questions-answers-on-meditation-with-swami-satchidananda/

Question: What is the difference between meditating on something like a mantra and meditating on nothing at all, that is, on no particular mantra, thought or phrase? Will there be different results?

Swami Satchidananda: No. But you have to teach me, how to meditate on nothing. I don’t know who asked this question, but I’d like to learn from that person how to meditate on “nothing.” How would you meditate on nothing? You simply sit there: “I’m meditating on nothing, I’m meditating on nothing.” Is this how such a meditation would go? See? You’re meditating on nothing. Unfortunately, you can’t meditate on nothing. You cannot meditate on nothing, because the mind has to be stuck on at least one thing.

We’re meditating on many things at the same time in our daily lives. That’s why none of this “meditating on nothing” bears good results. Because our concentration is dissipated, the meditation loses its power. If you meditate on one thing, that object of meditation gets all the power of the mind. So, if you meditate on one thing at a time, you can get whatever you want. To quote the ancient South Indian scripture, the Thirukkural, “Whatever you want, you will get if your want is so powerful, so concentrated and with your totality of the mind.” Sure, the mind has that kind of power, it can create anything. It can give you anything. But you have to want whatever it is powerfully, strongly,  deeply, collectively and without any dissipation. Then, the next point is that you should decide what you want.

As an example, you can meditate on a monkey. What will you get? You’ll get monkey. As you think, so you become. Think deeply on monkey, you become monkey. Think deeply on hatred, you become hatred. So, if you’re going to practice and think deeply and get what you want, you should know what to think about to make you comfortable and happy. That’s the next point. Therefore, select what you’re going to think about. It’s for this reason that we say to think of a mantra. That mantra has two purposes: one purpose is to make your mind strong, clear and collected; the next one is that when you concentrate on the mantra for a long time, it slowly dissolves and you’re no longer repeating the mantra. Finally, even that goes away, and your mind becomes still.

This means that your mantra, with your mind, is collected to one point, to one thought at the cost of all other thoughts. Your final goal is to make the mind “thoughtless,” but you start with that one mantra, and then the mantra brings you the real benefit: it slowly dissolves. That is to say, the mind becomes thoughtless, free of disturbances. We can call that mantra a catalytic agent, something like soap. Why do you use soap? You use it to get out all the dirt from a cloth, right? What is soap, after all? Soap is also a dirt; it’s good-looking,  good-smelling “dirt” that’s been given a good name like “Palmolive, Dial, Ivory” and this and that. You buy that soap like you “buy” your mantra.

Apply the soap to the dirt, and when the soap gets mixed together with all the dirt, how does it get mixed up? All the dirt, when it sees new dirt coming in, in the form of soap, gathers to welcome the new dirt. “Oh! Where are you from? How are you? What’s your name?” The dirt that’s already there receives the new dirt called soap. The laundryman knows the right moment, and he dips the cloth in the water and then takes it out. The cloth comes out of the water free of all the dirt, and the new dirt that we call soap, stays in the water. When you pick up your laundry, do you say, “No, no, no. I paid for this dirt, so it should remain in the cloth.”? No, because it has served its purpose. In the same way, your mantra is soap. Apply that soap well, so that all the dirt gets involved in the mantra; and, then, they all leave you completely free.

That’s why you use a mantra. You cannot meditate on nothing. Even meditating on nothing is a mantra: “Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing.” Anything is a mantra. Mantra need not be only Hari OM, Ram, this and that. Anything can be a mantra. Actually, there were mantras like that.

Once upon a time, a saintly person saw a hunter in the jungle, and he saw him going around and killing animals. The saint felt pity on the hunter, and said to him, “Why are you unnecessarily killing all those animals? God will not forgive you. But if you repeat God’s mantra, the name, it will save you from all these sins.

“I don’t know anything about mantras or anything like that.”

“What kind of sound do you know?” asked the saint.

Just at that time, a pig ran by.

“I can make a sound of the pig. Here: Hrmmm!” cried the hunter.

The saint replied, “Okay, that is your mantra.” This sound became a Hrim mantra.

Another saint, with another hunter, wanted to give him the mantra of “Ram. Rama, Rama, Rama.”

The hunter said, “I don’t know any ‘Rama’“

“Okay, what is that over there?” asked the saint, pointing to a tree.

“Well, that’s a mara.” (Mara means “tree.”)

“Okay, repeat ‘Mara, mara, mara.’”

So, the hunter began repeating “Mara, mara, mara, mara, mara, mara, marama . . . Rama.”

We can use any trick to give one thing as an object to focus on so that the mind will dwell on that alone. Why? Because you can’t meditate on nothing. Stick to one thing, and that will take you to nothing. That’s why, something is better than nothing. Then, ultimately, nothing is better than everything.

Question: What should we do about intruding thoughts and desires during meditation?

Swami Satchidananda: One way is to treat the thoughts as an unwanted visitor. To give you an example, you’re in your room, and you’re doing something intensely. All of a sudden, somebody walks in without any appointment. You look at him through the corner of your eye and realize that this is not the time to see him. How will you deal with him? There are three ways to deal with this intruder. One way is to respond immediately: “Why do you come without an appointment? Get out!” If you do this, he won’t go out happily. Instead, you’ll make an enemy. He might bang the door behind him and even stand outside and shout. You can’t force him out. That would be a terrible thing to do. Likewise, don’t try to force intruding thoughts out of your meditation. You’ll only create tension.

The second way is: you know he’s there and you don’t even look at him. You seem to be very busy, deeply involved in something. Even if he calls to you, your ears don’t hear him. He’ll wait and wait, eventually coming to this realization: “I see that he is very busy; I’ll come again.” Then, he’ll walk out.

On the other hand if he becomes adamant and ends up taxing your patience, then you say, “All right. Yes, sir? What can I do for you?” Here, you use the third method: analysis. Let’s examine the third method within the meditative situation. You’re sitting and meditating and a desire to eat or to go to the cinema comes into your mind. If you can’t ignore or avoid that thought, take it and analyze it: “All right, you want to take me to the cinema? Fine; how many films have you seen all these days? With what benefit? What is going to be different about this one over the others? What will benefit me more, the cinema or this meditation?” Analyze, question the desire, and educate the desire itself.

“Well, I doubt that I’ll get much benefit from the cinema.”

“Okay. Then why can’t you wait? I’ll certainly oblige you later. Let me finish meditating. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the cinema.”

Give in a little. Don’t be adamant. It’s necessary to give in a little, but not always. Treat your mind like a child who is naughty and wants this and that. Use your intelligence. Don’t just give in to everything.

Pranayama: The Breath of Life - Swami Satchidananda

 

Pranayama: The Breath of Life

July 29, 2015

http://swamisatchidananda.org/pranayama-breath-life/ – By Swami Satchidananda

For breath is the life of beings and so is called “the life of all.” —Taittiriya Upanishad, 11.2

Prana is the vital force that makes up the entire cosmos; it is the Parashakti or cosmic power. When we breathe, in addition to the oxygen, we also take in a lot of prana. The oxygen gets diffused in the lungs and then gets into the bloodstream, while the prana goes throughout the body. It enters into every area—physical, vital, and mental. Every cell of our body vibrates with new life. We get prana from food, from the sun and from the air we breathe. We can live for many weeks without food, days without water, minutes without air, but not even for a fraction of a second without prana.

Pranayama is the regulation of the prana, or life force. Breath is the external manifestation of the prana. By regulating the breath, we can gain mastery over the prana within and without. When we gain mastery over the prana, we have mastery over the inner nature, too, because it is the prana that creates all the movements in an individual—physical and mental. We try to control the inner nature, because it is the nature’s movement that causes a lot of disturbance in the system and makes it impossible for the Light within to shine in its true, original way. The body is the microcosm and the universe outside is the macrocosm. So by the regular practice of pranayama, we are able not only to control and direct the prana that functions within us, but the universal prana as well.

Yogic Breathing
With proper pranayama we begin to use the entire lungs. We can take in much more than our normal quota of oxygen and prana. It can be measured in laboratory tests. In a normal breath, we inhale five hundred cubic centimeters of air, and then breathe out the same. After an exhalation, the lungs are almost empty, but still there is residual air in the lungs. After we breathe out our normal five hundred cubic centimeters, if we pull the abdomen in slightly, we can exhale some more air, which has been measured as sixteen hundred cubic centimeters.

After this type of full exhalation, if we begin to inhale, we first breathe in the air that we squeezed out (i.e., sixteen hundred cubic centimeters). Then we inhale our normal five hundred. Then after that, we can inhale some additional air. If we inhale more deeply, we can take in another sixteen hundred cubic centimeters. So after a complete squeezing out on the exhalation, we can inhale thirty-seven hundred cubic centimeters. Instead of our usual five hundred cubic centimeters—more than seven times as much as in a normal breath. In every breath we can take in seven times more air, more oxygen, and more prana if we do the pranayama regularly.

Benefits of Pranayama
During pranayama we are literally drinking in gallons and gallons of vitality and immunity. We supercharge the blood with extra oxygen. When we retain the breath, we literally inject more oxygen into the bloodstream. Oxygen is life, so that means we are enriching our blood with the life-force. And not only do we take in more oxygen, but along with the air we take in more prana. Every cell of the body vibrates with new life. At that point no virus can even think of coming near. As soon as it comes near, we burn it out. That is the beauty of pranayama. Oxygen is a great panacea; prana is the best tonic—the best medicine for all kinds of poisons and viruses. Proper breathing can heal.

Pranayama also purifies the nervous system and eliminates toxins from the body and blood. It produces lightness of body, alertness of mind, good appetite, proper digestion and sound sleep. It helps in curing asthma and other respiratory disorders. With proper breathing, we can eliminate excess mucus which causes most hay fever and sinus discomfort. Pranayama can be used to bring heat to the body when it is cold or to cool it off when there is too much heat. We can exhilarate the blood circulation and stimulate the entire body quickly.

The quickest way to regenerate forces during the work day is through proper relaxation and deep breathing. Pranayama will even help improve athletic performance, because it charges the body with extra energy and builds stamina and endurance. It can help vocalists, because it expands the chest and lung capacity. For those who wish to lose weight, pranayama can help reduce physical food consumption. You won’t feel like overeating, because you get all the nourishment you need from the prana itself. For those who are trying to stop smoking, pranayama is the ideal practice. It helps eliminate toxins from the system, reduces the craving for nicotine, and revitalizes the lungs and body by the increased intake of oxygen.

Pranic Healing Visualization
Adepts and highly evolved yogis have observed that the breath reflects the condition of the mind and it is a very accurate gauge of one’s mental state. When agitated, for example, our breathing will be very shallow and quick. In the face of fear we often breathe heavily or even hold the breath. When sad or depressed, there will be a deep, sighing breath. It was discovered that by changing the breathing patterns, the mind was also affected and changed. We can direct your prana with our thoughts. The breath and the mind are so intertwined that wherever one goes, the other follows. By sending our thoughts to an affected area, we send our prana. That is the secret behind self-healing.

When you do the deep breathing, feel that you are inhaling a lot of prana, a lot of vital energy. Hold your breath for a few seconds, while thinking that the prana is going directly to the place that aches and is building it up by removing the dead or diseased cells and tension. Then when you exhale, feel that you are throwing out all of the illness. You can feel that with the inhalation fresh energy comes in, and with the exhalation the collected toxins are thrown out. By doing this, you may be able to cure many of the aches and pains in the body, as well as long-standing illnesses. Prana has that power.

You can create your own imagery. Choose whatever feels comfortable. Visualization is a form of meditation, because whatever you visualize, your entire mind will focus on. You can achieve tremendous things with visualization. As you do your pranayama practice you can visualize light or energy. It can be energy from the sun, the stars, the moon, the ocean or from God. The energy can be in the form of light or air or cool water. Feel that you are inhaling energy or light, and feel that flooding into your system. Feel the healing vibrations—healing energy flowing in and through your body and mind as you breathe deeply. You can visualize light or energy in the form of streams of water or the ocean, flowing in and out cleansing every part of the system. Feel the water come in through your head as you inhale, and then visualize the energy going directly to the needed areas. As you exhale see the toxins or any negativity all being collected and washing out. See the water washing in and washing out. See light and prana being infused and your entire system built up. Then as you exhale, imagine that all the unwanted things are being flushed out. As you inhale and exhale, your entire system is being charged with new energy.

Another visualization you can try is to imagine a divine being, your favorite saint or your own Higher Self. Visualize the image of that divine being standing in front of you, blessing you. From their palms, energy is pouring toward you. As you inhale, draw in that energy and allow that divine blessing to infiltrate every cell of your system, and then while you exhale feel gratitude and thankfulness. Feel the flow of divine energy throughout your system. Feel you are surrounded by all the great saints and sages; they are gazing at you and showering their energy and blessing upon you. Take this in through your breathing.

You can also combine your breathing with the silent repetition of your mantra or any holy name. As you inhale, you can repeat the entire mantra and exhale the same. Or you can divide the mantra between the inhalation and exhalation. For example, you can repeat OM as you inhale and shanti as you exhale. When you repeat the mantra, feel that it has a lot of beautiful vibrations that are resonating within you and producing tremendously healing sound vibrations in you. Imagine that just as sound waves are used to clean jewels, the sound vibrations of the mantra are cleansing the body and mind. You can try repeating the affirmation: “These holy vibrations are flowing through me and are transforming me.” You may choose whatever visualization is most appealing to you and utilize that in your regular practice of pranayama. Align yourself with the Cosmic Energy, the prana, the Cosmic Consciousness and allow yourself to be filled and revitalized as you drink in literally gallons and gallons and gallons of vitality. Prana is a tonic, an elixir that builds up your physical, mental and spiritual strength. Pranayama can be a master key in unlocking the gateway to the subtle

“You can direct your prana. If there is any problem in the body, you can inhale and send the prana there and hold it there to deactivate the problem and then exhale. You are mentally directing the prana.”

How to Meditate by Sri Swami Satchidananda

 

Whenever you feel in a peaceful state of mind, meditate. Just close your eyes and relax, even if it’s only for a minute. If you wish to deepen your meditation, then schedule some time for this practice daily. Meditation needs the cooperation of both the body and the mind. Prepare the body with the asanas, Yoga postures, and pranayama, the breathing exercises. Learn to keep the mind fully occupied on one thing, but don’t let that thing or concept bind you.

Stick to one object of concentration, don’t change continually. It’s best to be regular when practicing meditation—try to have two sittings daily. The scriptures recommend the times when day meets night or night meets day for meditation—dawn and dusk. It’s neither day nor night and thus very conducive. If this is not possible, sit as soon as you wake in the morning and at night before retiring.

If you get up after the world is already awake, it’s probably best to quiet yourself by first doing the Yoga postures and some breathing practices. Then go on to your meditation. In this way you go from the physical to the mental, and from the mental to the spiritual. It’s easy to go from gross to subtle. If you wake very early in the morning, before dawn, it is already very sattvic or peaceful. Don’t disturb this with any physical practices; begin your meditation immediately.

Even in the midst of Hatha Yoga asanas, you may sometimes feel so very peaceful that you can simply stop doing the postures and enjoy that pleasant meditation. When you’re actually trying to meditate, be very gentle. Training the mind to stay on one point is something like training a horse. If the horse doesn’t want to go into a particular lane, you can’t force it because it will revolt. A trick trainer will say, “All right, where do you want to go? This way? Sure, turn. You let the horse go on a few yards that way, and then slowly you take him around. The horse is pleased: “Ah, I had my way.” Very soon the trainer will say, “I’ll have my way now.”

Your mind is something like that; just bring it around. Otherwise, the mind will build a block of tension, and from the moment you even think of
meditation, it might create psychosomatic illnesses. You might feel a little headache or stomachache. The mind has that power. You shouldn’t force the mind up to any level, but at the same time don’t give it too much rope either. It’s kind of a middle path. Be firm and at the same time gentle.
You should choose a nice clean place for your regular sitting, on something that is a nonconductor of electricity. You may have heard of Yogis in India
who sit on a wooden platform or on a certain grass that does not conduct any electricity. This more or less acts as insulation from the gravitational force of the earth. Have you seen pictures of Yogis sitting on animal skin? They used what was available. For forest Yogis it was natural to use a dry, tanned skin, like the nonconducting gloves you might wear when handling electricity.

Often they chose tiger and deerskins. It is believed that if you sit on a deerskin and meditate you will acquire all the aesthetic beauties, the charms of life, and liberation too. If you sit on a tiger skin, you get all the siddhis or attainments and supernatural powers. Tiger skin brings power because the skin has its own vibration. If the animal has died naturally, the skin will still have the quality or the nature of the animal. If you use a deerskin, you get the soft or gentle nature of the deer. Even if you wear a dress with the pattern of a tiger, you walk like a tiger. Immediately you feel you are a tiger yourself. It’s thought association.

Unfortunately, those old practices have descended to a low level today. Many people want to meditate on an animal skin, and this has been propagated by the people who are selling the skins. Certainly you can’t get helpful qualities from animals that have been slaughtered. I personally don’t like to use a skin for meditation. I don’t know whether the animal has been killed or died naturally. If I buy it, I will be encouraging people to kill more. I would suggest a clean white sheet, folded over a blanket or carpet. Use this only for your meditation practice and it will build up wonderful vibrations.

Preparing your body for meditation is also important. In meditation you are trying to keep the mind steady and one–pointed without shaking too much. To do this, begin by making the body steady. This is possible only if you make a firm decision. Just tell the body and the limbs, “I’m not going to move any part of the body until I finish the meditation.” Every cell in your body will hear the decision you make. If the decision is very strong, the body will obey you without complaining. Imagine your mind and body as little children. If you want them to obey, you must be a little firm. It’s best to sit in a cross-legged posture. Sit straight. Keep the spine erect, but not stiff. Spread the chest well. Beginners may find this position easier if they sit on the edge of a firm cushion. If this isn’t possible, it’s alright to use a chair, but keep the spine free by not leaning back on it.

It’s normal to feel some pain in a cross-legged position when you begin. Slowly, slowly you will get over it. The minute you feel the pain, change the position of your legs. Sit some other way that’s more comfortable for you, and continue your meditation. This doesn’t mean you should avoid sitting and meditating. Each day sit to that point where you feel the pain, then shift to another position. You can even get up while meditating and walk around a little; then, sit awhile longer. Once you find the real center of gravity (your equilibrium) you’ll have a victory over the position and be seated in a steady and comfortable pose. Build your meditation little by little.

How long should you sit? If it’s a deep meditation, five or ten minutes are enough. If it’s not deep, stay longer. Begin by sitting for fifteen minutes. In fifteen days you can easily sit twenty minutes each time. Twenty will become twenty-five then thirty. Nothing is built in one day. Everyone who has learned to meditate has gone through these same steps. If in meditation you are sometimes bothered by intruding thoughts or desires, the best thing to do is to meditate on the desire itself. Of course, you can first try to ignore it. But that might not work. A simple example: You are in a room and you are doing something intensely. All of a sudden somebody walks in without an  appointment. You look at him out of the corner of your eye and realize that this is not the time to see him, or he is not desirable now. You could say, “Don’t come in without an appointment—get out!” Then he won’t be going away happy. You are making an enemy. He might bang the door as he leaves and go outside and shout. If you reject a strong desire it won’t go away, but will wait for another opportunity to pounce on you when you are a bit weak. Don’t force it out.

If you know someone is there, don’t even look at him. Seem to be very busy—deeply, deeply interested in something. Even when he says, “Sir?” You do not seem to hear him. You are very busy. Get even more involved in your conversation. He will wait some time, then say, “I see. He seems to be very busy. I will come another time.” Then he will walk out.

On the other hand, if he’s persistently waiting for your attention—even beyond your patience—then turn to him, “Yes, sir, what can I do for you?” Analyze the desire. If you can’t do what he wants right away, tell him. “Yes I will certainly do that, but not just now. Come again another time.” By analyzing it, you can either dispose of the desire or settle the matter quickly. Suppose you are meditating and you feel the desire to eat or to go the movies, which you can’t ignore. Then face it: “All right, you want to take me to the movies. How many films have you seen lately? With what benefit? What’s new today? Will this be greater benefit than that from meditation?” Analyze, argue and educate the desire itself. “Well, I see the benefit from the film is not so great,” it will say. “Then why can’t you wait? I will certainly oblige you sometime later, maybe tomorrow.” Don’t always be so adamant. It’s necessary to give in a little now and then; but you can’t give in for just any and everything. Be gentle with yourself and give in on occasion to your desire.

It’s like giving in to a little coffee once in a while. I usually advise people not to drink coffee and tea because of the stimulant in them. But if someone feels a coffee desire in the morning, he can still have a little. “You want coffee? All right, I’ll give you some.” The mind is satisfied it had coffee.
Treat your mind like somebody who is a little naughty and wants this and that. Use your intelligence. Educate your mind; argue with it, don’t just give in to everything. These tricks are very useful in training the mind.

As you continue your practice you will experience different degrees of accomplishment. In Hindu scriptures, the Lord says, “Fix your mind on Me alone. Let your thoughts dwell on Me. You will hereafter live in Me alone.” That’s perfect Yoga and the highest form of worship. If you’re not yet able to fix your mind one– pointed on God, then when the mind wavers bring it back again and again to Him. This is the next best practice —concentration—that leads to steady meditation. If you’re not able to practice this, just keep doing things, but while doing them, say, “I’m doing them for you Lord.” When you get the results, at least give a little to Him.

If you can’t sit and meditate, don’t despair. Get up and do something. It’s like trying to sleep when you can’t seem to fall asleep naturally. Don’t just roll around in bed. Get up and do something until you feel sleepy. Then when you go to bed you’ll sleep easily. Not everybody is interested in sitting and editating. Many active people can’t do it. That’s all right. There’s still a meditation for them. It’s called Karma Yoga, meditation in action. Even when you’re physically doing something, you can be meditating. After all, what is meditation but focusing your entire mind on what you are doing. If you think of your friend or your business when you wash a dish, the dish can’t be washed clean. You might leave a spot on it. So, doing one thing at a time and doing it well is a form of meditation.

Sitting is a mental meditation. You allow the body to relax while you sit and do everything with the mind. Sit quietly; focus the mind on the object you have chosen, or just repeat a mantra; do nothing else; forget everything. To hear the inner sound, close your ears, eyes and mouth and listen to the sound of life within. Don’t open your eyes, but try to feel something vibrating within you. You don’t need to do anything. Instead, be completely still and watch what’s happening within. You’ll enjoy that.  You may combine repeating the mantra with the breath in any way that is comfortable, either splitting the mantra sounds on the incoming and outgoing breath, or doing one repetition with the inhalations and another with the exhalations. If you watch carefully, you can feel the breath saying the mantra. Then you can stop repeating it and just listen for that. This needs the complete attention of an indrawn mind.

As the breath comes in, feel it go deep to strike at the base of the spine. Then as it comes out, feel it roll upward through the spine to the crown of the head. Don’t feel the breath flowing out the nostrils. In the beginning it might be difficult to follow the breath up and down the spine; you may only just feel it coming in and out of the body. But after a few months’ practice, you will be able to follow the breath along the spine. As your meditation gets deeper you can feel the breath and energy moving upward to strike at the top of the head. If you carefully observe the path along
the spine, you will be able to feel a very mild heat or gentle warmth; which is very pleasant. Try not to miss that. Once you feel it, put your entire attention on it.

The purpose of following the breath is to become conscious of the psychic energy traveling along the spine, passing through the chakras or spiritual centers. These nerve plexuses located along the spinal column can be used as a focus for your mental gaze during meditation. However, it’s inadvisable to keep the mind focused on the lower chakras. If you become aware of warmth there, feel it but don’t allow the mind to become fixed there. Bring the mind to one of the higher centers, such as the heart or eyebrow center. Draw the energy upward.

All the psychic nerve centers meet at a place between the eyebrows—not outside, but deep within, almost at the central part of the skull; to be precise, at the location of your pineal and pituitary glands, which are called Siva and Shakti in Yogic symbolism. They have the bull as a vehicle; the thyroid gland. Siva rides the bull, so we say he is the Commander-in-Chief, since the thyroid commands the whole system. It is a replica of the whole body itself. You may choose to focus your meditation either in the loving heart center or at the central tower between the brows, which is the location of the holy of holies or sancta sanctorum.

Sometimes in meditation you may hear a subtle humming sound. But when you try to hear it better, it disappears. It’s like a lover, if you see her, she won’t see you. But if you keep on doing something, she will look at you. When you hear that hum, that’s the sign of true love. The sound of the God in you loves you when you are not aware of it. It’s not that you shouldn’t be aware, but the moment you become aware you become a little excited or frightened and disturb the serenity out of which the hum is generated. It’s like seeing your face reflected in a large basin of water. If there is excitement or anxiety there is disturbance. As it happens you won’t be excited or anxious to have more, both of which disturb the mind. So, know what might happen in meditation. When it happens you won’t be excited or anxious to have more, both of which disturb the mind.

You may wonder, is this the cosmic sound I am hearing? Even if it’s your imagination, there’s no harm in that. Even if it’s an illusion, it’s better than other illusions. You are not imagining a demon, but something nice. It’s good to imagine something nice. Ultimately, you become what you imagine. Until you actually see or hear something, you have to begin with imagination. Later it will come by itself—maybe a little different than you imagined it. Don’t think these experiences are illusions.

To come out of meditation, slowly increase the duration of your inhalation and exhalation. Make the breath longer. Feel the air flowing out through your nostrils. Inhale and exhale deeply a few times.

(Sri Swami Satchidananda, from the February, 2005 IYTA Newsletter)