Yogic Meditation
Mastery of the Mind
The mind is like a lake, its surface broken by ripples of thought. In order to see the Self which lies beneath, first you must learn to still these ripples, to become the master of your mind rather than its servant.
Of all the forces that agitate the mind, it is the senses that most often disturb the concentration, giving rise to fantasies and desires. Of all the senses, sight and hearing are the most powerful, endlessly drawing the mind outward and wasting valuable mental energy. For this reason meditation uses either sounds (mantras) or images (in Tratak).
Yogic meditation teaches us that we possess a source of joy and wisdom already inside us, a fund of tranquility that we can perceive and draw nourishment from when the movement of the mind is still. If we can channel this desire for contentment inward instead of attaching it to external objects that are by nature ephemeral, we can discover how to live in peace.
Witnessing the Play of Thoughts
During meditation you experience the mind as an instument. Just by concentrating for a short period each day, you start to see how much movement exists in the mind, and how little you live in the present. From this brief encounter with a different mode of perception, you can learn to observe and thus change your way of thinking.
Meditation in Daily Life
You are unlikely to suceed in taming the mind in your brief session of meditation if you allow it free rein the rest of the time. The longer you spend with the mind concentrated, the sooner you will be able to focus when you sit down to meditate.There is much you can do to keep your mind centred. While walking, try to synchronise your breathing with your footsteps~~~inhale for 3 steps, exhale for 3. Breathing slowly and with control quietens the mind down too. When reading a book, test your concentration by stopping at the end of a page to see how much you can remember. And don't restrict japa or mantra repetition (see, side panel) to your session of meditation, repeat your mantra on the way to work. Most important of all, keep your thinking as positive as possible. When your peace of mind is shattered by anger or unhappiness, you can calm yourself by focusing on the opposite emotion~~~countering feelings of hatred with love, doubt with faith,...By using these simple techniques you will slowly accustom your mind to a state of concentration.
The Types of Meditation
In yogic meditation there are 2 types ~~~Concrete or Saguna ("with qualities") and abstract or Nirguna ("without qualities").
In Saguna meditation you focus on a concrete object on which the mind can easily dwell~~~on an image or visual symbol, or a mantra which brings you to unity.
In Nirguna meditation, the point of focus is an abstract idea, such as the Absolute, a concept that is indescribable in words.
Saguna meditation is dualistic--the meditator considers himself separate from the object of meditation, whereas in Nirguna meditation the meditator perceives himself as one with the object. The techniques given here are predominantly Saguna, since it is harder to hold the mind to an abstract concept. But, for those of you who can, there is included 2 Niguna mantras~~~Om and Soham.