Meditation and Yoga

Query: Is this asceticism? The answer is - No, there is a stage beyond this as well.


Word meaning: tat - that; pararn - different asceticism, which; pusrushkhyte - when meets with the person; gunavetrushnam - the thirst is quenched.

Summary: It is the highest stage of asceticism, which is relieved from satva, raj and tama qualities when the soul meets with its self.
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Visualization of the Divine in the Heart Center

The aspirant should assume his meditative posture, close his ...

Tasmin sati svasaprasvasayor-gativicchedah pranayamah—“Regulation of breath or the control of Prana is the stoppage of inhalation ...

“The illusory Samsaric Vasana that has arisen through the practice of many lives, never perishes except through the practice ...

Kapalabhati

‘Kapala’ is a Sanskrit word; it means skull. ‘Bhati’ means to shine. The term ‘Kapalabhati’ means ...

Varieties of Pranayama

“Bahya-abhyantar-stambha-vritti-desaa-kala Sankhyabhih patidtishto deergha-sukshmah.” ...

Three Bandhas

There are four Bhedas (piercing of divisions) viz., Surya, Ujjayi, Sitali and Basti. Through ...

Those who are of a flabby and phlegmatic constitution only, should practise at first these six Kriyas to prepare themselves ...

Five things are necessary for practising Pranayama. First a good place; second, a suitable time; third, moderate, substantial, ...

Ida and Pingala

There are the two nerve-currents one on either side of the spinal column. The left one is called ...

Pranayama is an exact science. It is the fourth Anga or limb of Ashtanga Yoga. “Tasmin Sati Svasa prasvasayorgativicchedah Pranayamah”—Regulation of breath or the control of Prana is the stoppage of inhalation and exhalation, which follows after securing that steadiness of posture or seat, Asana. Thus is Pranayama defined in Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Chapter II-49.
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Laya yoga is the absorption of the mind in sound. The goal of this practice is to alter one's normal awareness of self by focusing on hearing an internal, mystic sound. The mind will become steady and absorbed in the sound on which it focuses. In space, sound is produced by the movement of sound waves in the air. So, too, in the body, there are currents that flow and produce sound when one practices pranayama.
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By keeping the attention fixed on a certain idea or by making the mind blank for a sufficient duration, an outgoing of both ideas and will result. The will can thereby inadvertently bring about its own extinction when it is intent upon the extinction of something else, such as an idea. By the repetition of such a mental action, the consciousness of that action grows less, until at last it is performed quite automatically and unconsciously.
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The cultivation of the shadow man is another method of concentration. To do this exercise, stand in the sun when the sky is perfectly clear so that your shadow appears clearly and distinctly in front of you, approximately five to ten feet in length. Focus your attention on your shadow at a point at the base of its neck. Hold this view with the eyes steady, the lids slightly opened, for as long as you can. When the eyes become tired and begin to tear, close and open them a time or two, and then raise the head to look into the clear sky. There you will see a figure, a full shadow which is capable of appearing in many colors. ...

Trataka is an external concentration practice in which one gazes steadily at some small object without blinking, while the eyelids are held slightly more open than usual. The practice is continued until the eyes strain and water. They should then be closed and the eyes rolled gently a few times, followed by rinsing them carefully and gently with cold water. Another method of relaxation involves contracting the muscles around the eyes and then relaxing them. The purpose of this practice is to coordinate the impulses of the sensory and motor nerves, which assist in producing a state of calmness and tranquility necessary for concentration. Trataka preserves and maintains good eyesight, and provides immunity from diseases of the eyes.
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The process of linking oneself with the Supreme is called yoga, which may be compared to a ladder for attaining the topmost realization. This ladder begins from the lowest material condition of the living entity and rises up to perfect self-realization in pure spiritual life. According to various elevations, different parts of the ladder are known by different names. But all in all, the complete ladder is called yoga and may be divided into three parts, namely, jnana yoga, dhyana yoga and bhakti yoga. The beginning of the ladder is called the yoga aruruksa stage, and the highest rung is called yoga arudha.
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