Five Points to Note

According to Swami Vishnudevananda, proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking are the five points that can help you reap the benefits of Yoga to the fullest.

Samadhi

This is the final stage of yoga when a person attains trance-consciousness. He remains motionless and there is a momentary suspension of the life force. It is a moment of perpetual bliss and eternal peace when one is laid to rest in both body and mind and "can see into the life of things".

Dharana and Dhyana

This method starts with concentration and progresses to a ceaseless flow of meditation. The mind is withdrawn within and an effort is made towards an achievement of a pure body and mind, the ultimate goal being Kaivalya or the consciousness absolute.

Pratyahara

It is a technique of abstraction or dissociation of the mind from sensory fetters by controlling the senses both external (bahiranga) and internal (antaranga) thereby bridging the hiatus between the body and the mind. The process involves relaxation, centralization, visualization and introversion.

Asana and Pranayama

Postural training or the various physical exercises form a part of Hathayoga, which is essential to first enable one to keep fit, if s/he is not. These body-control instructions should be followed methodically and meticulously. The next part of Hathayoga is the respiratory control. The life-sustaining bio-energy can be regulated to attain a kind of immunity from natural elements only if one is able to acquire a mastery over his breath.

The Steps of Yoga-Yama and Niyama

The first tenet of yoga is daily practice till the ethics become a part of life. One has to believe and pursue a categorized course of training from anuvrata to mahavrata and subject oneself to a series of lessons in positive and negative principles, the observances (niyama) and the restraints (yama).

Science and meditation

A three-day international conference on ‘Science and Meditation’ was held in November 2002 at the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences (founded by Swami Rama) located on the Rishikesh Dehradun highway. The conference was organised by the Sadhana Mandir Trust (Rishikesh).

The conference saw a good gathering of spiritual leaders, social scientists and psychologists from India, America and Germany.

The present spiritual guide of the trust, Swami Veda Bharati, described meditation as: ‘‘The unaltered state of consciousness or superconsciousness. Con-sciousness is constant. Our wakeful experiences, dreams and fears are the alterations.’’ Underlining the benefits of meditation he said: ‘‘With the awareness of who I truly am, I rediscover my own brightness. In this brightness, you can see more clearly.’’

The highlight of the conference was understanding the essence of meditation as practised by different religions—Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism—all pointing to the need to connect within for a truer understanding of God.

Speaking at the conference, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan said: ‘‘Meditation is the science of spirituality, a unique kind of journey from darkness to light, chaos to conviction, seeking to finding, nothing to everything.’’

There were also many psychologists who came with their papers involving years of research work. What emerged was the scientific basis of meditation and a growing evidence of the benefits derived from meditation, especially for psychological disorders.

Sherrie Wade, a mental health counsellor in Florida, stated: ‘‘Most of the psychological problems originate from a lack of knowledge of the self. Meditation tunes us to that which is beyond the mind. In that cessation you experience the purity that you are (asampragyat), a samadhi beyond the name, form and meaning—beyond the relative state of existence.’’

An international conference of this kind suggests the growing relevance of meditation in our lives.

Mudras in meditation

Mudra
Mudra is the science of hand and fingers posters. It can help to cure bodily aliments in a wonderful manner. It affects the body's energetic system and the flow of life within it. There are about two mudras- ABHAYA MUDRA and GYAN MUDRA.

Abhaya means fearless. Abhaya mudra represents peace, protection and dispelling of fear.

Gyan means knowledge. It is the gesture of knowledge. This mudra represents the intelligence and wisdom.

BODY SCAN MEDITATION

BODY SCAN MEDITATION

Body Scan Meditation is often used by people who want to try a more formal type of mindfulness without attending a yoga or tai chi class.

1. Lie on your back with your legs uncrossed, your arms at your sides, palms up, and your eyes open or closed, as you wish.
2. Focus on your breathing, how the air moves in and out of your body.
3. After several deep breaths, as you begin to feel comfortable and relaxed, direct your attention to the toes of your left foot. Tune into any sensations in that part of your body while remaining aware of your breathing. It often helps to imagine each breath flowing to the spot where you're directing your attention. Focus on your left toes for one to two minutes.
4. Then move your focus to the sole of your left foot and hold it there for a minute or two while continuing to pay attention to your breathing.
5. Follow the same procedure as you move to your left ankle, calf, knee, thigh, hip and so on all around the body.
6. Pay particular attention to any areas that cause pain or are the focus of any medical condition (for asthma, the lungs; for diabetes, the pancreas).
7. Pay particular attention to the head: the jaw, chin, lips, tongue, roof of the mouth, nostrils, throat, cheeks, eyelids, eyes, eyebrows, forehead, temples and scalp.
8. Finally, focus on the very top of your hair, the uppermost part of your body. Then let go of the body altogether, and in your mind, hover above yourself as your breath reaches beyond you and touches the universe.

WALKING MEDITATION

According to Jon Kabat-Zinn Director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, one simple way to bring awareness into your life is through walking meditation. "This brings your attention to the actual experience of walking as you are doing it, focusing on the sensations in your feet and legs, feeling your whole body moving, " Dr. Kabat-Zinn explains. "You can also integrate awareness of your breathing with the experience."

To do this exercise, focus the attention on each foot as it contacts the ground. When the mind wanders away from the feet or legs, or the feeling of the body walking, refocus your attention. To deepen your concentration, don't look around, but keep your gaze in front of you.

"One thing that you find out when you have been practicing mindfulness for a while is that nothing is quite as simple as it appears, " says Dr. Kabat-Zinn. "This is as true for walking as it is for anything else. For one thing, we carry our mind around with us when we walk, so we are usually absorbed in our own thoughts to one extent or another. We are hardly ever just walking, even when we are just going out for a walk'. Walking meditation involves intentionally attending to the experience of walking itself.

SIMPLE MEDITATION

This meditation process is good to induce relaxation response. Plan to make meditation a regular part of your daily routine. Set aside 10 to 20 minutes each day at the same time, if possible. Before breakfast is a good time.
1. Choose a quiet spot where you will not be disturbed by other people or by the telephone.
2. Sit quietly in a comfortable position. Refer to the section on postures for recommendations on sitting positions.
3. Eliminate distractions and interruptions during the period you'll be meditating.
4. Commit yourself to a specific length of time and try to stick to it.
5.Pick a focus word or short phrase that's firmly rooted in your personal belief system. A non-religious person might choose a neutral word like one, peace, or love. Others might use the opening words of a favorite prayer from their religion such as 'Hail Mary full of Grace', "I surrender all to you", "Hallelujah", "Om", etc.
6. Close your eyes. This makes it easy to concentrate.
7. Relax your muscles sequentially from head to feet. This helps to break the connection between stressful thoughts and a tense body. Starting with your forehead, become aware of tension as you breathe in. Let go of any obvious tension as you breathe out. Go through the rest of your body in this way, proceeding down through your eyes, jaws, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, chest, upper back, middle back and midriff, lower back, belly, pelvis, buttocks, thighs, calves, and feet.
8. Breathe slowly and naturally, repeating your focus word or phrase silently as you exhale.
9. Assume a passive attitude. Don't worry about how well you're doing. When other thoughts come to mind, simply say, "Oh, well," and gently return to the repetition.
10. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. You may open your eyes to check the time, but do not use an alarm. After you finish: Sit quietly for a minute or so, at first with your eyes closed and later with your eyes open. Do not stand for one or two minutes.
11. Plan for a session once or twice a day.

Psychological Benefits of Meditation

Meditation can help most people feel less anxious and more in control. The awareness that meditation brings can also be a source of personal insight and self-understanding. Dr. Borysenko notes that "meditation may lead to a breakdown of screen memories so that early childhood abuse episodes and other traumas suddenly flood the mind, making the patient temporarily more anxious until these traumas are healed. Many so-called meditation exercises are actually forms of imagery and visualization that are extraordinarily useful in healing old traumas, confronting death anxieties, finishing 'old business', learning to forgive, and enhancing self-esteem."

"Meditation frees persons from tenacious preoccupation with the past and future and allows them to fully experience life's precious moments", says Daeja Napier, founder of the Insight Meditation Center and lay dharma teacher of insight meditation in suburban Boston.

"Many men and women tend to live in a state of perpetual motion and expectation that prevents them from appreciating the gifts that each moment gives us," says Napier. "We live life in a state of insufficiency, waiting for a mother to love us, for a father to be kind to us, for the perfect job or home, for Prince Charming to come along or to become a perfect person. It's a mythology that keeps us from being whole.

"Meditation is a humble process that gently returns us to the now of our lives and allows us to wake up and re-evaluate the way that we live our lives," says Napier. "We realize that the only thing missing is mindfulness, and that's what we practice."

Spiritual Benefits of Meditation

The longer an individual practices meditation, the greater the likelihood that his or her goals and efforts will shift toward personal and spiritual growth. Many individuals who initially learn meditation for its self-regulatory aspects find that as their practice deepens they are drawn more and more into the realm of the "spiritual."

In her work with many cancer and AIDS patients, Dr. Borysenko has observed that many are most interested in meditation as a way of becoming more attuned to the spiritual dimension of life. She reports that many die "healed," in a state of compassionate self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Healing Power of Meditation

Research has shown that Meditation can contribute to an individual's psychological and physiological well-being. This is accomplished as Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state, which is a level of consciousness that promotes the healing state.

As discussed in the section "How Meditation Work?", there is scientific evidence that Meditation can reduce blood pressure and relieve pain and stress. When used in combination with biofeedback, Meditation enhances the effectiveness of biofeedback.

Patricia Norris, Ph.D., Director of the Biofeedback and Psychophysiology Clinic at the Menninger Foundation, reports: "In our practice at Menninger we use meditative techniques to enhance immune functioning in cancer, AIDS, and autoimmune patients. We also use meditation in conjunction with neuro-feedback to normalize brain rhythms and chemistry in alcohol and drug addiction, as well as other addictive conditions. Almost all of our patients use meditative techniques in learning self-regulation for disorders such as anxiety and hypertension, and for stress management. We consider meditation a recommended practice for anyone seeking high-level wellness."

In addition to the growing body of research literature on meditation, physicians, psychotherapists, and other professionals are increasingly adding meditative techniques to their practice. Over six thousand physicians have begun the practice of Transcendental Meditation and regularly recommend the TM technique to their patients. Dean Ornish, M.D has demonstrated that heart disease can be reversed with a comprehensive program that includes meditations. Many physicians consider meditation a key element of an integrated health program

Meditation and beauty

Research has shown that stress and negative thoughts are major factors in skin problems. As meditation can significantly reduce stress so meditation as well as visualization can help recover from skin disease. Several researches have shown that meditation can help recover from a range of skin diseases including psoriasis and dermatomyositis.
While you are meditating, you take deep breath by which you enter huge amount of Oxygen in your body. Oxygen makes you fresh as well as makes your skin softer and smooth. And a healthy skin is the first step to beauty.

The path of freedom

False beliefs and notions always limit our infinite capacity and potential. Even though every human child is born with infinite possibilities, s/he gradually becomes caged by the false beliefs and ideas prevalent in his familiar, social and national surroundings. He thinks what his environment teaches him to think and does what it tells him to do. The human child who could have been a ground breaking scientist, a fearless explorer, a selfless hero, an immortal author, a great leader or a liberating sage instead turns into a failed, frustrated, passive coward, trapped by false beliefs and notions.

Think positive, act positive and meditation all together make one free from all distress and frustration. Meditation brings our mind to the present. It frees us from the weariness of past failures and the anxiety about future ones, and adds new dimensions to every moment.

The health benefits of yoga

* Stress reduction. With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws your focus away from your busy, chaotic day and toward calm as you move your body through poses that require balance and concentration.
* Increased fitness. As you learn and refine new poses, you may enjoy improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. And this means you're less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or in your daily activities.
* Management of chronic health conditions. Yoga might help with a variety of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, by helping with sleep problems, fatigue and mood. Yoga also can help reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
* Weight loss. If you're overweight or have binge-eating disorder, yoga may help you make the healthy lifestyle changes necessary to gain control of your eating and drop those extra pounds.

While you shouldn't expect yoga to cure you or offer 100 percent relief, it can help some health conditions when combined with standard treatment. And if you already enjoy good health, yoga can be an enjoyable supplement to your regular fitness routine.

Yoga- Part of Meditation

Yoga is considered a mind-body type of complementary and alternative medicine practice. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety. Traditional yoga philosophy requires that students adhere to this mission through behavior, diet and meditation. But if you're just looking for better stress management — whether because of life's daily hassles or a health problem you're facing — and not an entire lifestyle change or way of life, yoga can still help.

Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. Hatha yoga, in particular, may be a good choice for stress management. Hatha is one of the most common styles of yoga, and some beginners find it easier to practice because of its slower pace and easier movements. But most people can benefit from any style of yoga — it's all about your personal preferences.

Relaxation Meditation

This technique will help you relax and is a meditation of the body. Be aware that if you are already sleepy, this practice may put you to sleep. If that is not your goal, be mindful of drowsiness.

Lie down on a bed or yoga mat. Get into a comfortable position and relax your body. Then move through a simple procedure of 'stretch and relax' of parts of your body.

* Start with your toes. Slowly curl your toes in tightly while inhaling and then gently stretch your toes, fully extending them while exhaling. Then relax that part of your body fully. Give it a full breath and imagine all tension from that part of the body leaving you with your exhale. If you still feel tension in that area, repeat this entire for that body part.
* Move up your legs and tighten and then stretch your calves. Make sure to synchronize your movements with your breath, tension with inhale, relaxation & stretching with exhale.

Continue with the rest of the body moving up

1. Toes
2. Thighs
3. Hips
4. Lower back / stomach
5. Upper back / shoulders
6. Upper arms
7. Hands / Lower arms
8. Neck
9. Face (you may have to open your mouth or even say “Ahh” as part of the relaxation).

You may repeat these processes as many times as needed to become fully relaxed. You may also change the order and move from your head down to your toes. When the whole of your body is relaxed, only your mind remains active and from here you can continue to a different meditation.

Meditation of Breath

Go to your meditation location and sit comfortably on a small pillow or folded towel. Keep your back “straight”, meaning do not slump. Keep your head up and straight. Relax your eyes. If you wish to close them, do so. Try to clear your mind of everything besides yourself sitting, breathing, and relaxing.

Breathe deeply through the nose for a count of four. Feel the air enter your nose, move down to your chest and fill your lungs. Hold your breath for a count of four. Then exhale slowly for a count of four. Feel as the air leaves your lungs and goes through your nose. Some also hold their breath for a count of four at this point. Try it and see if this helps you. Repeat this for the duration of your meditation. You should be thinking about your breath the entire time. Feel the air enter you, filling you with life giving oxygen, and then leave you with waste gases. Contemplate the fact that you breathe every moment of your life and almost never think about it. This is the time to be thinking about it. Feel how your body moves when you breathe.

An important part of this meditation is concentration. As your mind clears, thoughts will come up. As this happens, just note to yourself that you were thinking and bring your mind back to your breath. Don't get upset that you let your mind wander. It's a good sign, a healthy reaction from your personality trying to reclaim your mind. As you let yourself be in control of your mind most of the time, meditation is the time where you let your mind be empty. You may note that the faucet in the next room still drips every so often, or that people drive by with loud radios, but you let your attention to them just be noted and return your thoughts to your breath.

This can be helpful at random times in life when circumstance gets you stressed out. You are still breathing and can divert your mind for just a few moments to your breath and reclaim the calm of meditation.