Learn a
Simple Meditation Technique Online
Below you'll find a very simple meditation technique you
can learn in 5 minutes.
| "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". |
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
• More Instruction
on the Hong-Sau Technique
Related
Kriya Yoga
Meditation and
Kriya Yoga Classes at Ananda Sangha
Ananda Online Course
in Self-realisation
Free Meditation Support