What is Meditation?

The fundamental purpose of yoga is “moksha” or liberation. This can only be achieved when we have learned to manage the mind.

The Yoga Sutra’s of Patanjali are the foundational text of yoga, believed to have been written around 2,000 years ago.  The second sutra defines yoga – it states “yoga citta vritta nirodha”. The generally accepted translation is ‘yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind’, or more generally, the purpose of yoga is to clear the mind.

It is often described this way:  “When the surface of a lake is still, one can see to the bottom very clearly. This is impossible when the surface is agitated by waves. In the same way, when the mind is still, with no thoughts or desires, you can see the “Self” this is called Yoga.”

In many ways meditation is simply the ability to concentrate, to gradually let go of thoughts, and focus on a single thing (or on ‘no-thing’).

We generally have that natural ability, but we have learned to focus the mind externally.  For example, most of us had the experience of time disappearing as we focused on a particular a task or activity. The difference with meditation is that we learn, through practice, to turn that attention inwards upon the ‘self’.

The Difference Between Yoga Nidra and Meditation

In yoga nidra, the emphasis is relaxation, using physical sensing to leave the conscious waking state and achieve complete detachment. Whereas in meditation the emphasis is on connection, using one-pointed concentration of the conscious mind to connect with the ‘self’. In yoga nidra we try to maintain lucidity while entering into a state replicating deep sleep.  In meditation we access and direct the resources of the conscious, waking mind.  They are different, but complementary practices.  Both are useful and work on the psyche and subtle body in different ways.

Meditation Method

While you cannot learn to meditate, any more than you can learn to sleep , the Sivananda Yoga tradition provides these 14 points to give guidance to creating the right conditions for meditation to occur:

(Taken from https://www.sivananda.org/teachings/fivepoints.html#meditation):

The 14 Points of Meditation

• Regularity of time, place and practice are important. Regularity conditions the mind to slow down its activities with a minimum of delay.
• The most effective times are early dawn and dusk, when the atmosphere is charged with special spiritual force. If it is not feasible to sit for meditation at these times, choose an hour when you are not involved with daily activities, and a time when the mind is apt to be calm.
• Try to have a separate room for meditation. As meditation is repeated, the powerful vibrations set up will be lodged in the area; an atmosphere of peace and purity will be felt.
• When sitting, face North or East in order to take advantage of favorable magnetic vibrations. Sit in a steady, comfortable, cross-legged position with spine and neck erect but not tense.
• Before beginning, command the mind to be quiet for a specific length of time. Forget the past, present and future.
• Consciously regulate the breath. Begin with five minutes of deep abdominal breathing to bring oxygen to the brain. Then slow it down to an imperceptible rate.
• Keep the breathing, rhythmic, inhale for three seconds and exhale for three seconds. Regulation of breath also regulates the flow of prana, the vital energy.
• Allow the mind to wander at first. It will jump around, but will eventually become concentrated, along with the concentration of prana.
• Don’t force the mind to be still, as this will set in motion additional brain waves, hindering meditation.
• Select a focal point on which the mind may rest. For people who are intellectual by nature, this may be the Ajna Chakra, the point between the eyebrows. For more emotional people, use the Anahata or Heart Chakra. Never change this focal point.
• Focus on a neutral or uplifting object, holding the image in the place of concentration. If using a Mantra, repeat it mentally, and co-ordinate repetition with the breath. If you don’t have a personalized Manta, use Om.  Although mental repetition is stronger during meditation [for the accomplished practitioner], the mantra may be repeated aloud if one becomes drowsy. Never change the Mantra.
• Repetition will lead to pure thought, in which sound vibration merges with thought vibration, without awareness of meaning. Vocal repetition progresses through mental repetition to telepathic language, and from there to pure thought.
• With practice, duality disappears and Samadhi, or the superconscious state, is reached. Do not become impatient, as this takes a long time.
• In Samadhi one rests in the state of bliss in which the Knower, the Knowledge, and the Known become one. This is the superconcious state reached by mystics of all faiths and persuasions.

The Benefits of Meditation

The benefits of meditation are well documented, with many yogic traditions focusing almost exclusively on this element of the practice, and many well-known, successful people extolling its virtues.

Thirty minutes of daily meditation can impact positively on a range of mental and physical including blood pressure, insulin levels, stress and anxiety.  It has also been shown to assist learning, creativity and memory as well as slow the ageing process.

But from a yogic perspective, its benefits are primarily spiritual.  Meditation enables the meditator to tap in to the universal energy, open the door to inituitive knowledge and experience peace and eternal bliss!