crash course on meditation

Meditation-Dhyana Yoga

Crash Course on

Meditation (Dhyana Yoga) A Practical Manual

Dedicated to

Sri Rama Bhaktaagresara, Bhakta jana paripaala, Aashrita  jana vatsala

Sri Anjaneya Swamy By

Bhakta Paramaanuvu Sudhakar V.Rao MD.

Abridged from a previous 7-day course authored and hosted  by The Author .

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Preface In 2009, at the request requ est of a few friends, I gave a crash course on Meditation consisting of seven sessions at my home. The course included power point presentations, practical lessons and demonstrations. Every session was followed by e-mail communication to all  participants of what was covered. In 2010, at the request of the AAPI and its President, the well-known patron of arts and a scholar, Dr. Veeraiah Choudary Perni, the e-mail texts were combined into a book form with some modifications and additions. The book was published with a presentation at the AAPI meeting. The book was also uploaded to Internet for free download. Due to increasing number nu mber of requests from readers, it was decided to bring out a second edition with more details. My dear dea r friend, Sri Ramakrishna Kajuth, a certified yoga instructor himself, offered several editorial suggestions for this second edition and here it is. I hope the readers will find this second edition useful, readable and practical. Any constructive suggestions to improve the book will be appreciated.

My grateful thanks to: Dr.Subhadra Rao, who puts up with m y idiosyncrasies and odd timings, day in and day out and is my first listener, reader and critic; Sri Ramakrishna Kajuth who is a dear friend and a scholar for his editorial suggestions; AAPI and Drs. Veeraiah Choudary Perni and Lakshmi Perni for making this publication possible. Sudhakar V.Rao, MD.

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Getting Started: Meditation, also known as Dhyana yoga is best achieved in eight steps. These eight steps described by Sage Patanjali constitute Ashtanga yoga. They are considered as the eight rungs of the ladder to reach the pinnacle of meditation called Samadhi. The eight limbs as described in the Yoga sutras (aphorisms) of Patanjali ar e: 1) Yamas (universal morality towards self,) 2) Niyamas (morality towards others), 3) Asanas (physical yoga poses), 4) Pranayama (control of prana through breath), 5) Pratyahara (control of senses), 6) Dharana (concentration and stillness), 7) Dhyana (meditation), and 8)Samadhi (enlightenment). The Yamas and Niyamas are a way of behavior modification, necessary for success in meditation.

The Five Yamas are : Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (Truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (Celibacy), and Aparigraha (non-covetousness).

The Six Niyamas (universal morality towards towards others) are: Shaucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapa (Austerity), Swaadhyaaya (selfeducation), and Iswara Pranidhaana (meditation on the Divine).

Session 1:Preparation. The first step is to decide the exact place and time for meditation in your own homes. Fix a place, fix a time and stick to it! This is the first step for success in meditation.

Setting up the atmosphere: Light up a diya or a candle. If you wish, you can choose a picture of your ishta devata (favorite form God) or any picture as the object on which to meditate. This helps concentration.

1.Tuning Oneself for Meditation : Sit down and relax all the muscles starting from head all the way down the feet. Close your eyes and breathe deep and slow. Inhale slowly, hold the breath for a few moments and exhale slowly. There are various methods described to do this. I would recommend that you inhale slowly, hold your breath as long as you comfortably can, and then exhale slowly. The terms used in Sanskrit are: Pooraka  Poorak a meaning inhalation  Kumbhaka, meaning holding the breath in and filling up your lungs with inspired air; a ir; Kumbhaka, your lungs as long as you can comfortably, and Rechaka,  Rechaka, meaning exhaling slowly. This is done with both nostrils open. So this is different from the pranayama that you will do later.  The idea is to oxygenate your blood so that you feel relaxed and light. Do this about five times concentrating on the breathing. Let all the muscles relax. You will feel and hear your heart beat slow down.  I want to stress stress once again, again, this is different from from the  pranayama  pranayama that you will will do later. later.

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2.Stretching Exercises:  Now that your body and mind are relaxed, you should stand up and do some stretching exercises to warm up the muscles. Start with stretching the lower limbs holding on to a chair or some support. Then put your hands on your hips. Bring your feet together and gently rotate on your lumbar spine towards right right and left. Next, gently bend down with stretched hands and try to touch your feet.  Important  Important caution: If you have dizzy spells or high blood pressure, do not look up. Try to look down and do this gently. It might be a good idea to have some one watch you in the beginning. Do not push yourself to the point of  pain. Do only as much as you can comfortably. comfor tably. The idea is to stretch the muscles. Gradually you will be able to increase the stretching. The key is  persistence  persistence and sticking sticking to the routine. routine.  The idea is to be conscious of your entire body and especially the spine. A check up by your physician may be a good idea.

3. Do the Surya Namaskars (Salutation to Sun): Surya Namaskara, like most asanas, should be done on empty stomach. Therefore some recommend a gap of at least two hours after eating and before performing the namaskara. It is generally practiced in the morning before breakfast or in evening. Again be careful not to hurt yourself. In the beginning just do only one or two cycles. See the picture below. Caution: Do not overstretch, especially in the second step when you bend backwards with arms outstretched and palms held together: Again if you suffer from dizzy spells or high  blood pressure, it is advisable to have some one watch you and help you.

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4. Sit down and relax. If you can sit in padmasana (lotus pose), it is good. Otherwise just sit up with spine straight, so that the Kundalini Shakti (power) will travel upwards easily. Keep the neck straight. str aight. Start breathing slowly in and out.

5.Find the frequency of the "Om" (!) or the sound given to you by a Guru. You can find this frequency by the sound you hear when you close your ears, eyes, nostrils and mouth. You will hear the sound of blood flow in a particular frequency. Chant Om/sound in that frequency with closed eyes and try to concentrate in between the eyebrows. Five to ten times is fine. You can do more if you have the time. Make sure your chant arises deep from the belly button and stretches as long as you can do so comfortably. The sound of “Om” when chanted with peaceful mind increases your sense of tranquility.

6.Do the Pranayama. The breathing exercise you did in the beginning was only for preparation. Although it had the three components of pranayama, it was done with both nostrils open. In this exercise, with relaxed mind and closed eyes, you close the right nostril and slowly breathe in through left nostril. Then hold the breath and close both nostrils as long as you can do so comfortably. Next, close the right nostril and open the left nostril simultaneously and breathe out slowly. This is one cycle of pranayama consisting of  Pooraka (breathing (breathing in), kumbhaka kumbhaka (holding (holding the breath breath with both nostrils closed) and rechaka (breathing out slowly by . ) Next, repeat opening the opposite nostril  ) repeat the cycle cycle starting with left nostril . Breathe in through left nostril and exhale through right nostril. The number of cycles recommended differs. Some have recommended 14 cycles; two for warm up and rest with the right measure measure of breathing and timing. You will feel warmth in the lower back and you will also perspire some. This is normal and this means your you r pranayama is  Relaxing all the successful. If not you may have to work at it. Relaxing muscles and keeping up the spine straight while paying attention to t o breathing is the secret!

7.Think of a word or a mantra and start repeating in low tone or whisper 108 times or mantra from longer. This is called Japa.  It is recommended you get a suitable mantra  your teacher .

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Try to focus your attention between the eyebrows where the Aajna chakra is located. The Mantra recited out loudly or mentally, elevates us to a telepathic state and beyond, which is transcendental. Mantra recitation harnesses the mind’s energy and directs it to become one-pointed and focused. There are four kinds of Japa or Meditation: 1.Vaikhari: reciting mantra aloud. 2.Upaamsu: whispering or humming. 3.Maanasika: the mental repetition of the mantra. 4.Likhita: when mantra is written 108 times or in multiples of 108 times. Beginners should use chanting in low tone (Vaikhari type). As a rule the practitioner receives a Mantra from a Guru (a spiritually liberated individual  ). Beware of impostors who charge you enormous enormous with sublime thoughts ).

amounts of money or ask favors!!)  It is important to adhere to one one mantra. Do not keep changing this.

Japa is an exact science. For this purpose, one can use a mala, a string of prayer beads like a rosary. It consists of 108 beads. You may use one with only 54 beads, but I recommend one with 108 beads. be ads. Using one with 108 beads is easier and marks the end of one cycle of repetition. This will increase the stage of Dharana (one-pointed concentration of mind)

8.As you increase dharana you will automatically stop whispering. You will utter the mantra or the word mentally, while your concentration is in between the eyebrows and your eyes are closed. The muscles are relaxed and the heart rate slows down.

9.Then you will enter the stage of dhyana (meditation).

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Session 2: Asana The seven sessions are meant to give us an insight into the eight steps of Patanjali Yoga. A recapitulation of the eight steps might be relevant here: Yamas (universal morality towards self,) Niyamas (morality towards others), Asanas (physical yoga poses), Pranayama (control of prana through breath), Pratyahara (control of senses), Dharana (concentration and stillness), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (enlightenment). The first class was an overview so that you could have something to practice and be steady on the path of Dhyana yoga or meditation.

Remember, sticking to the routine and commitment is the secret of success. Please note:  As discussed in the first session, the practice of the yamas and niyamas is very important for success of meditation. Without regular conscious attention paid to

the ethical observances, little real spiritual advancement will come from one's yoga practice. There are many individuals, even well-known yogis, who have attained the mystical heights of Samadhi, but yet have fallen from grace due to lack of observance of one or more of the yamas or niyamas. Regular review of them and how they they  practically apply in one's life is worth daily perusal. One strategy is that at the end of the day, take stock of all of your actions and compare them to the desired ends that a more conscious and disciplined approach to any of the yamas or niyamas may have yielded.  In  fact, regular regular study of the the yamas and and niyamas niyamas is perhaps perhaps one of the most neglected neglected areas areas of contemporary yoga / meditation training today and perhaps the most important  prerequisite.  prerequisite.

Aasana: After being in practice of yamas and niyamas, the asana or the posture is the third step. It is the third rung on the ladder of practice of yoga. Asana also means a seat and this is appropriate because you have to sit before going into meditation. The muscles are all relaxed and if you stand, you tend to fall and if you lie down, you tend to sleep. A proper  Meditation is asana helps you to be conscious and yet be in meditation. Remember, Meditation heightened choiceless awareness where one is totally open to the mediating influence of the Divine. Asana is the initial step in Yoga, whereby the bodily structure is set in unison with the cosmos. . Most important step in asana is to sit comfortably. There should not be any discomfort,  pain or tightness of muscles. But there are some minimum requirements, although there are some allowances.

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ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING :

1.You should not sit on the bare ground, because the earth is a conductor of electricity and the energy liberated during meditation may dissipate, and this may become a reason for the temptation to discontinue your sadhana or practice. A non-conductor of electricity is good material to spread on the ground. In olden days a dry grass mat was used, called

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the Kusa Asana over which a deerskin, and a cloth, both non-conductors of electricity, were spread. You don’t have to spend a lot of of money buying these. An ordinary thick  piece of cloth or cotton mattress will suffice. 2.The Gita prescribes that the seat should not be too high or too low. You may fall down if the seat is very v ery high, and if it is too low, there is the likelihood of insects and reptiles creeping into the seat. 3.The spine, too, should be kept straight. It should be at right angles to the base. One should not be leaning against any support or be bending forward. The reason is that if the spine is straight the nerves get relaxed and the whole body feels to be in equilibrium. The flow of Prana through the nerves is smoothened. There is a free movement of energy in the body when the whole system is in a state of relaxation. This also helps the Kundalini Shakti travel upwards through the Sushumna nadi easily. 4.When you sit down, the legs could be positioned in one of three or four ways. These are Padma-Asana, Siddha-Asana, Swastika-Asana and Sukha-Asana. The following  pictures illustrate the posture and the accompanying text will explain how to correctly sit in the posture. Choose the one most comfortable for you.

Sukhasana.

Padmasana.

Siddhasana

Swastikasana.

Sukhasana : means “a pleasant pose”. Sit with spine and neck straight with knees flexed and legs crossed. The hands are on the knees, with index finger and thumb touching each other. This is called Gnana mudra. Padmasana : means “lotus pose”. Sit in sukhasana. Then, place one foot, then the other, atop the opposite thigh. The heel should be as close to the abdomen as possible with the sole facing upward. Both knees are in contact with the ground, and the pelvis is tilted slightly forward. A cushion or mat may be used to provide support. Siddhasana: means “perfect pose”. From a seated position, bring one heel is to the opposite groin. Then bring the opposite ankle and place it over the first leg with the toes and heel of the second foot resting in the fold made between the thigh and calf c alf of the first leg beneath it. The spine is held erect. Then, keep hands in gnana mudra. Swastikasana: Sit down on the floor. Stretch out your legs in front. Hold the ankle of the right foot and place it in between left thigh and knee. Likewise put the left foot in between

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right thigh and knee. Keep your neck, head and back erect. Put the palms on the corresponding knees and arrange your fingers in gnana mudra. What if you have trouble with the knees ? You can then sit on a wooden chair with a flat cushion and a straight back . In the beginning you may rest your spine on the back of the chair but not lean on it. The back of the chair should be straight and not curve backwards.

The purpose of a fixed Asana is to enable e nable the mind to slowly forget that there is a body at all. The body will attract attention, somehow. But the mind cannot, in meditation, afford to remain conscious of the body. body. You will gradually lose sensation of the limbs. You forget that you are seated, that you have a body or limbs. The first sign of successful practice in Asana is a sense of levitation . But this takes time time and depends on how often often you practice sitting in the pose daily. The Prana is so harmonious that it does not create sensation in the  body. It is disharmony that creates sensations of things. When the highest harmony is reached, there will be no external sensation.

With extremities locked; with thumb tips approximated against the tips of index fingers, and rest of three fingers stretched out, in gnana mudra, with spine straight; head, neck and spine in one line, and at right angles to the base of the body; the Asana is perfect. The Asana should be effortless . If you have trouble with asana, sit in the pose and then take long deep breaths and relax all the muscles while contemplating on the object of meditation, your ishta devata (beloved form of God.) Close your eyes and concentrate between the eyebrows. This technique invariably works well. This is my trick and has helped me immensely in the beginning stages of dhyana several years ago. Choose the seat facing east or north. As we learned in the earlier class the magnetic forces of earth, according to Vaastu help the body immensely. The correct time to do this is early morning. Ideal time is between 4 -5 am. This is called “Brahmi “ Brahmi muhoorta and is supposed to be most auspicious. The room temperature should be comfortable, not too hot or too cold. There should be no other noises or distractions. Do not use a timer. Close the door of the room. When you sit in the proper pose, with a calm mind, there is harmonious flow of the Prana through the nerve-channels. You are at the gates of meditation. While in Yama and  Niyama you are in preparation, in Asana the gates of Reality are reached, though they are yet to be opened. The soul is there ready to meet the Sovereign of the universe. This is the first step in actual Yoga.

Session 3:Pranayama In this session, we will learn about Pr!"!y!ma:( "extension of the life force".) The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prana meaning life force, or vital energy, particularly, the  breath, and "ay!ma", meaning extending or drawing out. The oft seen translation translation “control of life force” is incorrect. Because the Sanskrit word is Ayama, not yama.

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The practice of Asana and Pranayama go together. There are different types of Pranayama. We need to learn only one method, which is easy and beneficial towards achieving our goal of learning meditation. Prana or the vital energy acts as the medium between the mind and the body. It pervades the entire physical system and is subtler than the body but grosser than the mind. It can act but cannot think. The body without this energy is in the th e state of tamas (laziness, mode of ignorance igno rance or darkness) and needs the energy to become active. active. Being the medium between mind and  body, it is restless like the mind. Prana is always in state of Rajas (mode of passion). Controlling Prana therefore helps in controlling the mind and puts the body at ease. For  practical meditation, we need not know all the details of the 5 kinds of Prana .

Here are the t he practical steps you can follow to establish a basic pranayama procedure. procedure . After the initial preparation of relaxing the muscles and sitting in the asana you learnt, once again, clear your mind of all thoughts and tensions. Take slow deep breaths relaxing all the muscles, starting from head and neck all the way down to the toes. Your posture posture should be steady which is best accomplished in a seated  position either in a comfortable comfor table asana asa na or sitting sit ting in a straight-backed straight-ba cked chair. c hair. You must free your mind from emotions. Your breathing should be natural and calm. The  breathing should be mild, so that it does not produce any sound. Concentrate your mind on o n breathing. breat hing. One should should not sit for for Pranayama Pranayama in in an unhappy mood  because a grieved mind creates unrhythmic breathing. No Pranayama should be practiced when one is hungry or tired. When everything is calm, then one may start the Pranayama. Be seated in one of the asanas you are comfortable with hands hand s in gnana mudra, relaxing the shoulders, arms, forearms and hands.

Gnyana Mudra.

 In the initial few minutes, just breathe breathe regularly and slowly, with intention of  slowing down your rate of breathing There should There should be no retention of the

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breath, but only deep inhalation and exhalation. Concentrate on breathing slow. The Prana has first to be brought to accept the conditions that are going to be imposed on it, and hence any attempt to practice retention should be avoided. The next stage is going through the three phases of Pranayama . These are: Pooraka, Kumbhaka and Rechaka. Pooraka is the intake of air as much as you can comfortably  by deep inhalation. . The next stage is Kumbhaka, retaining the air in the lungs as long as you can without becoming uncomfortable and without a sense of suffocation. . The third stage is Rechaka or slowly exhaling out.

Here is how it is done: 1.Exhale with a slow and deep breath . 2.Close the right nostril with the right thumb . 3.Inhale slowly through the left nostril. 4.Close both the nostrils with the thumb and finger. 5.Hold the breath as long as you can. 6.Then release the right thumb from the right nostril, and exhale very slowly through the right nostril. 7.Then, reverse the process commencing with inhalation through the right nostril. This is one cycle of Pranayama .

The proportion of inhalation, retention and exhalation is supposed to be 4:16:8 . If you take four seconds to inhale, you take 16 seconds to retain, and 8 seconds to exhale . . There should be no haste in increasing the time of retention. Whether you are comfortable during retention or not is the test for the duration of retention . There should be no feeling of suffocation in retention or headache or tightness in chest etc. The rule applicable to Asana is valid to Pranayama, also. They both should be Sthira and Sukha, (easy and comfortable,) without strain or pain of any kind. They both should be slow and gradual in progress. The length of pranayama should be increased gradually over time as you become more adept. Pranayama is not to be done on heavy stomach. It is better done before food, on empty but not hungry stomach. No ssound ound should be produced during inhalation inhalati on and exhalation. As explained earlier, sitting, facing the East or the North is beneficial . There are certain signs, which indicate one's success in Pranayama. These signs cannot be seen in persons pe rsons who practice the technique for a short while, or are inconsistent or do it with skepticism. A luster in the body and an d face, new energy, unusual strength that cannot be easily diminished by fatigue, and absence of heaviness in the body, are some of the indications of progress in Pranayama

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Session 4: Pratyahara. This is an important component of ashtanga yoga. This deals with control of senses, which are like tentacles of consciousness. They run in different directions trying to see, hear, and feel everything around you. This practice deals with withdrawing those tentacles, like a tortoise withdrawing its limbs into its shell.

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much is written about this subject except in Sanskrit slokas of Patanjali etc. Most teachers do not like to talk about it and most students of yoga do not like to hear about it. This is because it is in deed difficult to explain. Another metaphor will help us understand pratyahara. The senses are said to follow the mind in the same way as bees follow the queen bee. Wherever she goes, they will follow. Similarly if the mind truly goes inward, the senses will go inward racing behind. Mastering the control of senses allows one to achieve the ability to see in subtle and the subtlest layers of multidimensional space, as well as to exit from the material body bo dy into them and settle in them, accustoming oneself to their subtlety, tenderness, and purity. Controlling senses means gaining mastery over the senses: Our senses seem to drag us around in the external world, whether pursuing material objects, food or circumstances related to professional, social, or economic life. Through routine practice of pratyahara at daily meditation time, we gradually gain positive control over the mind preventing it from being drawn obsessively towards all those objects and related thoughts.

Pratyahara (Prati+Ahara) (Prati+Ahara) means withdrawal withdrawal of food. The food or ahara in yogic thought is considered at three levels. Physical food nourishing the body, impressions nourishing mind and associations; and people nourishing the soul. Withdrawal or  pratyahara  pratyah ara can therefore be withdrawal withd rawal of wrong foods, fo ods, wrong wron g impressions impressi ons and wrong associations, with simultaneous access to right food, impressions and associations. The pratyahara for practical purposes can be of four types: 1)Indriya pratyahara=control of senses, 2)Prana pratyahara=control of prana (breathing) 3)Karma pratyahara=control of action 4)Mano pratyahara=control of mind.

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Among these, control of senses (Indriya pratyahara) is most important and this is the aspect we do not like to hear about. Consider the following two points: 1.The problem is that senses are like untrained children, having their own will, which is largely instinctual in nature. They tell the mind what to do. If we do d o not discipline them, they dominate us with their endless demands. We are so accustomed to ongoing sensory activity that we do not know how to keep our minds quiet. We have become hostages of the world of senses and its allurements and we have forgotten the higher goals of life. "# $%&& '()*% +,-*(./() 012/1-(# $,&/ ,3 1& &133(- 3-,' &(.&,-4 ,5(-2,%)6 /7( -(&12/ ,3 0,.&/%./ 8,'8%-)'(./ 3-,' 9:6 -%)*,6 0,';1/(-&6 .(