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Below you'll
find a very simple meditation technique you can learn in 5
minutes.
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"Meditation
is one of the most natural and yet most profoundly rewarding
of all human activities. It connects you with your own inner
powers of vitality, clarity, and love. When done deeply,
it also connects you with God and His infinite joy".
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Make yourself
comfortable, sitting upright, with a straight spine. With your eyes
closed, look at the point midway between the eyebrows on your forehead.
Inhale
slowly, counting to eight. Hold the breath for the same eight counts
while concentrating your attention at the point between the eyebrows.
Now exhale slowly to the same count of eight. Repeat three to six
times.
After
inhaling and exhaling completely, as the next breath comes in, mentally
say Hong (rhymes with song). Then, as you exhale,
mentally say Sau (rhymes with saw). Hong-Sau means
"I am He" or "I am Spirit". Make no attempt to control
your breathing, just let its flow be completely natural. Try to
feel that your breath itself is silently making the sounds of Hong
and Sau. Initially try to feel the breath at the point where
it enters the nostrils.
Be
as attentive as possible. If you have difficulty feeling the breath,
you can concentrate for awhile on the breathing process itself,
feeling your diaphragm and chest expanding and contracting.
Gradually
as you become more calm, try to feel the breath higher and higher
in the nose. Be sure that your gaze is kept steady at the point
between the eyebrows throughout your practice. Don't allow your
eyes to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your
mind has wandered, simply bring it back to an awareness of the breath
and the mantra.
As you become
calmer, be more aware of the breath itself, higher and higher
in the nose. Be sure to keep your gaze steady at the point between
the eyebrows throughout your practice. Don't allow your eyes
to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your
mind has wandered, simply bring it back to an awareness of the
breath and the mantra.
By concentration
on the breath, the breath actually diminishes; its gradual refinement
leads naturally to an interiorized meditative state.
Practice this
technique as long as you feel to. As a boy, Paramhansa Yogananda
used to practice it for hours at a time, withdrawing ever more
deeply into the spine until he found himself without breath
altogether. He had ascended into soul-consciousness . . . and
a higher reality took over…
Some Tips to
Help Your Meditation
Controlling
Your Breath. At no time during the practice of this technique
should you make any effort to control the breath. Let it flow naturally.
Gradually, you may notice that the pauses between the inhalation
and exhalation are becoming longer. Enjoy these pauses, for they
are a glimpse of the deep peace state of advanced meditation. As
you grow very calm you may notice that the breath is becoming so
shallow (or the pauses so prolonged) that it hardly seems necessary
to breathe at all.
How Long
to Practice. The amount of time you practice is entirely
up to you, but end your practice of the technique by taking
a deep breath, and exhaling 3 times. Then, keeping your
mind focused and your energy completely internalized, try
to feel peace, love and joy within your self. Sit for at least
5 minutes enjoying the deeply relaxed state you are in.
Where to
Meditate. If possible, set aside an area that is used only to
meditate. This will create a meditative mood. A small room or closet
is ideal as long as it can be well ventilated. Your area can be
kept very simple-all you really need is a chair or small cushion
to sit on.
Posture
for Meditation. 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.
Eye Position. Focus your attention at the point between the
eyebrows. This area, called "the spiritual eye", is a center of
great spiritual energy. Your eyes should be closed and held steady,
and looking slightly upwards, as if looking at a point about an
arm's length away and level with the top of your head.
Would
You Like to Know More?
This is an
abbreviated explanation of the Hong-Sau technique of
concentration taken from Lessons in Meditation from
the Ananda Course in Self-Realisation. It is a technique using
the mantra Hong-Sau
and has been practiced by students of yoga for millennia. Such
techniques have a scientifically proven effect on the brain and
body, and are also spiritually very helpful.
For additional
instruction on this technique and the art and practice of meditation,
see:
• The
Art and Practice of Meditation
• The
Hong-Sau Technique
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