Meditation and Patanjali's Yoga

In this topic I will give you details on

1. What is Meditation?
2. What is Yoga?
3. How to do Meditation?
4. Best time to do Meditation
5. Obstacles to Meditation etc.....

I will give you all these step by step, so please wait

These meditation techniques are from India, my motherland. These were written by Patanjali, an ancient sage
of India.

So let us start....

What is Meditation?
Dhyana is intense mental concentration. It is also called MEDITATION
It is seventh step in Patanjali's Yoga.....

Patanjali's eight-step discipline to Yoga

1. Yama: Restraining harmful thoughts and impulses.
2. Niyama: Cultivating good habits.
3. Asana: Learning sitting postures suitable for prolonged contemplation
4. Pranayama: Learning the technique of rhythmic breathing.
5. Pratyahara: Withdrawing the senses from thier objects of enjoyment
6. Dharana: Fixing the mind on the object of contemplation
7. Dhyana: Uninterrupted contemplation, also called meditation
8. Samadhi: Total absorption of the mind in the object of contemplation.

The First 2 steps, Yama and Niyama, purify and strengthen our minds through
moral and ethical exercises.

The 3rd step, Asana is assuming postures that allow us to sit comfortably and
meditate for at least an hour.

The 4th step, Pranayama, is a breathing technique to control our mental and physical energies.

The 5th step, Pratyahara, is withdrawing our minds from all objects other than the objects of meditation.

The 6th step, Dharana is holding our minds with great concentration onthe objects of meditation.

The 7th step, Dhyana, is a more mature form of Dharana.

And the 8th step samadhi, is concentration par excellence.


This post has been edited by xpress: Oct 30 2008, 04:53 PM

Meditation is an inner path and one must understand, the only obstacle in this inner path is "You" yourself.

What do you mean... "You". "You" here I refer to as the primordial ego. The mind in itself is blind. It cannot reason things to be good or bad. Its like a blank hard-drive and all it learns is stored and its knowledge and understanding is purely based on the previous stored data.

However, the quality of "wisdom" cannot be said to have been originated from this previous stored data or even say "experiences". Because the main quality of ego is that it claims itself responsible for everything. However, looking at the creation and assuming the "Divine Plan" of God to be true, all the actions can be said to be the will of God (atleast the ones which go by your will as well). Gods flexible, If you do something against his will, he accepts it and changes things accordingly so that no one but you is made to pay the consequences. WHETHER good or BAD. Its only that his plans and calculations float in the space in time with such great patience .. as the UNIVERSE (creation or God) is really in no hurry to screw you. If matter can neither be destroyed or created and it only changes form.. we all being made up of matter might just change form after death BUT the energy we feel in us is never gonna die

Coming back to the Meditation part and its obstacle. So, like I said, our ACTIONS are nothing but the DATA we put in our BRAIN. So, when we meditate and actually try to get deep within ourselves, this MIND which had gathered momentum with respect to thoughts from the point of its birth will keep hammering in you.. irrespective of your will.

Using Meditation, We realize and then understand the science of creation and existance. These bombarding thoughts are manifested spark of energy and your only weapon to destroy DISSOLVE them is by surrendering and letting it go. Each thought hits on your inner mental state and the stronger you will to fight the thought the harder will it hit..as these thoughts get energy from your MENTAL TIME spent on it... What do you do???? then.... Perhaps one after giving up with the STRONG mental sparks of thoughts simply prays and SURRENDERS. He detaches himself with all the connection he feels as he accepts the "DIVINE PLAN".


So.. What happens ??

3. Asana: Learning sitting postures suitable for prolonged contemplation

You first sit with a good posture. There are many ways of sitting that are equally good. You can sit either in a straight-backed chair, or on the floor in any of several poses. Two things, however, are essential: Your spine must be straight, and you must be able to relax completely.

4. Pranayama: Learning the technique of rhythmic breathing.

Then you concentrate on your body and the Self ONLY and not whats there in InBoX. Make the experience more plesant by feeling all the motions and vibrations inside your body. Feeling your hold over your body and letting them go by gently exhaling and relaxing.

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawing the senses from thier objects of enjoyment

Once you get attuned to the natural rhythm of breathing and your body hardly bugs you when your inhaling/exhaling.. the existence you feel now is your life energy and will energy. Using this, you can withdraw your mind from your SENSES (eyes, nose, tongue, skin, ear and yes.. private parts)

6. Dharana: Fixing the mind on the object of contemplation

Now that the energy is withdrawn from the senses, you now march for the quest of self discovery.

This part holds the start of your spiritual path. Its from here, keeping your mind FIXED, you discover and feel the SOUL.

7. Dhyana: Uninterrupted contemplation, also called meditation

Here, you realize that the only thing between GOD (the SUPREME SUPER-CONSCIOUS existence) and YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS is the COVERING of the mind... which is nothing but "I". The "I" which claims to be the REASON for everything it has done. It believes that it knows the RIGHT and WRONG with its own UNDERSTANDING and KNOWLEDGE. It believes that it is the controller of its heart born emotions and its brain.

It is in this STATE, one finds his ACTIONS and his KARMA bounding him to this Creation he perceives.

BANG BANG BANG!!...

Someone bangs the door.. and there.. your EFFORTS of planning of ALL the ABOVE stages are.. gone.. POOF!!!

Don't think of throwing that phone or Cutting the doorbell or Running off to wilderness for meditating.

And now do not get FRUSTRATED because you cannot do the above.. One must realize, his WILL of finding GOD is true and is perfectly alright. But GOD looks up everyone equally and regardless of NOW that you have realized his existence, he is not going to APPROVE 2 year paid-leave from your office. You can attune to him and enjoy his inner ecstacy.

Its because of this, THE FIRST 2 STEPS come in picture.

1. Yama: Restraining harmful thoughts and impulses - (abstentions)

1. Ahimsa (non-injury),
   
2. Satya (truth),
   
3. Asteya (non-covetousness),
   
4. Brahmacharya (continence)
   
5. Aparagriha (abstinence from avarice)

2. Niyama: Cultivating good habits - (observances)

1. Saucha (purity),
   
2. Santosha (contentment),
   
3. Tapas (austerities),
   
4. Svadhyaya (study)
   
5. Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to God).

Last but not the least... comes the 8th Part. My only knowledge about this PART is : the object of meditation, the meditator and the act of meditation become ONE....

the rest I got here is from answers.com (because, I really do not know...)

samadhi (səmä'dē) , a state of deep absorption in the object of meditation, and the goal of many kinds of yoga. In Buddhism the term refers to any state of one-pointed concentration. In Hinduism it signifies the highest levels of mystical contemplation, in which the individual consciousness becomes identified with the Godhead.

-shree

I am learning meditation. And I am giving details here refering to many books, and I am giving only very important details by skipping very hard practices.

This post has been edited by xpress: Oct 30 2008, 02:27 PM

Caution:

1. Do not practice meditation when you are ill or when your body feels lazy and tried.

2. You should not meditate when your mind is extremely upset or grief-stricken.

3. Avoid meditation when you are hungry.

4. You should not meditate with a full stomach because it will impair your digestion. After a heavy meal
there is more blood circulation in the stomach to assist digestion.

In all these situations it is hard to concentrate your mind.

Ideally, your stomach should at least be half-empty when you meditate.

hi xpress and opaque, are u both love meditation?
its my hobby too. do you guys have some weird occurence during meditate?

Hi innosia. Yeah. I like meditation. But never had any weird experience.
Do you have any? If so what is that? Share with me. And where are you
from?

This post has been edited by xpress: Sep 1 2008, 05:00 PM

hi xpress
I have once meditate and feel my body is spinning to right side of my body, and i open my eyes to see if my body is actually spinning but not, but the feel of body is spinning. And at other time i feel my body is levitated but some part is stuck like a ballon will a string. And sometimes i see light though the room which is very dark. I have consult it to my teacher and he has given me some answer, but rather i like to hear your opinion about that. I am from indonesia