Meditation - What, Why, How and When?

What is meditation?

Meditation is a way of consciously internalizing our consciousness, and focusing it on our soul. During our waking hours, we are constantly involved with using our five senses of sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing. These senses tell us about what is going on around us, and help us in protecting ourselves. There is however a downside to it.

All senses connect to our mind and constantly send inputs to it. This overloads the mind and results in fatigue, even when we do no physical work. Overloaded mind loses its connection with the universal consciousness and comes to think of our existence as limited by our environment. It becomes like a server with too many computers attached to it. As the number of transactions between computers and server increase the processing speed goes down. In other words its performance suffers.

The Hindu philosophy hypothesizes the concept of soul, Causal body, Astral body and Physical body. They superimpose successively. Soul is contained in Causal body which is contained in Astral body which in turn is surrounded by physical body. Let us define each of these terms.

Soul

This whole universe which is contained in a sphere with a radius of at least 12 billion light years is a tiny expression of the desire of the universal consciousness. Astronomers tell us that the universe started with a big bang which sprang forth from just a point in empty space. That immense explosion created a stupendous amount of energy which later got converted to gases, then solids and finally liquids. They do not tell us how the big bang came into being. Who started it, and why.

Every thing that we see around us is a manifestation of that primal energy. That includes all living beings from amoeba to humans. The tiny speck of the infinite universal intelligence that is at the very core of our being is called a soul.

Causal Body

It is the idea of an entity in the electrical form. An electrical impulse is all it is. Causal body envelopes the soul and is held together by the energy contained in soul. Since it is just an idea it has no dimension.

Astral Body

If causal body is the idea of an entity, Astral body is the next and more developed form of that idea. The idea now has detailed blueprint. It exists in two dimensions. It is just one step away from manifestation as a 3D object. Astral body is electromagnetic in nature and is impervious to the effects of time.

Physical Body

Is the three dimensional flesh and bone body that we all have and which we leave behind when we make our transition. Physical body is made of matter which decays with time. That is why we grow old and then die. Lets us say that I want to build the house of my dreams and I have unlimited money at my disposal to do so. Now, I know exactly what I want. I want five bed rooms, a large living room, five bath rooms, a big kitchen, a swimming pool, a porch, a large garden and so on.

I picture the house in my mind and when I have visualized every detail I go to an architect to put my dream house on paper. He constructs everything - on paper. The building, the wiring, the plumbing is all there. Every detail is worked out. Everything I wanted in my house now exists - on paper. I am now ready to build. At this stage I take the blue print to the builder and ask him to convert the blue print to reality. The builder takes six months and a large sum of my money. At long last my dream house is a reality.

The house took shape in three distinct stages. In the first stage it existed only as my thought pattern. An electrical impulse in the brain is all it was. The consciousness of house existed but it could not be felt by the five senses. This was the causal body stage of my home.

In the second stage my house consciousness took a more visible shape. Everything I wanted was constructed on a sheet of paper. The house existed but not in the physical form. It was in an intermediate stage. This was the astral body stage of my house.

Finally in the third stage, the builder converted the blue print to reality and I had a home that I could see, touch and feel. This was the physical body stage of my home.

The causal, the astral and the physical bodies are stitched together at seven points. These points are called Chakras. These Chakras are also the points where the Prana coming down from Medulla (oblongata) gets distributed in the body and nourishes the body organs. Chakras have an important role to play in the process of meditation. They are the pit stops in the upward journey of Kundalini as it rises from Mooladhar Chakra and travels to Sahastrara. But more about it later.

Ida Pingla and Sushumna Nadis

The astral body has a total of 72000 Nadis or channels that distribute cosmic energy to every nook and corner of it. The most important of these are three Nadis called Ida, Pingla and Sushumna. If one closes the right or the left nostril with a finger and then tries to breathe, one finds that usually either the right or the left nostril is open. There are some times when both the channels are open but these times are rare.

Each of these Nadis when in operation influence the chemistry of our body in a different way. Our left nostril is known as Ida or Lunar Nadi. It produces alkaline secretions and tends to cool down our system. The right Nadi known as Pingla is the solar channel and when operational heats up the body. It causes our body to produce acidic secretions.

Ida and Pingla are connected to the left and the right hemisphere of our brain. Our nose too is connected to hypothalamus at hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPTA) axis. Our breathing therefore has a direct bearing on our emotional nature and body chemistry.

When we breathe through the left nostril we influence the right side of the brain more than the left and vice versa. These right and left hemispheres of the brain have different but specialized functions. The right hemisphere is connected to our feminine, lunar, emotional, visual and largely peaceful activities. The left hemisphere, connected to our right nostril influences our masculine, solar, rational, verbal and more energetic activities.

Sushumna Nadi directly connects the Mooladhar Chakra to Sahastrara, and passes through all the chakras in between. It becomes active only when both Ida and Pingla are operational and we are breathing through both nostrils. On its own it happens for about thirty minutes every day. This thirty minute period is extremely important because it signifies the time when our Kundalini is ascending to Sahastrara on its own. This is the only time when we make spiritual progress. As we can see, half an hour in a day is snail's pace when it comes to our spiritual development. At this rate it will take thousands of births to find union with our soul.

Meditation then, is all about increasing the speed of this process manifold. Our fore fathers, the ancient Yogis have left behind detailed instructions on how to do it. Meditation means the control of our breathing and using this to control our body chemistry thus facilitating increasing periods for Sushumna to operate.

Practical meditation

The posture

The proper posture for meditation is to sit cross legged on the ground or in a chair so that the spine is straight and erect. The chin should be parallel to the ground. This posture facilitates easy and deep breathing which allows proper oxygenation of blood. Straight spine also allows the Kundalini or the coiled energy to move upwards without any obstacles.

Breathing exercise

First exhale, completely expelling all air from the lungs. Make a "huh"-"huh" sound if that makes it easy. Then inhale to a count of twelve. Hold the breath to a count of twelve and then exhale, also to the same count. Twelve is not a number set in stone. If you are more comfortable with another number, that will do perfectly. The idea is to have the same count for inhalation, holding and exhalation. Your comfort is very important. It is pointless and potentially harmful to hold the breath to the point of becoming breathless. The function of breathing is to provide Prana and oxygen rich air to the lungs. Our aim is to control this process without going to extremes. Breath is the cord that ties the soul to the body. Control over breath provides us several advantages.

• It sets the soul free from the bondage of breath.

• It reduces the metabolism and reduces the noise of body functions.

• Slowed metabolism slows cell decay and facilitates a healthy life.

• As heart beat slows down, the life energy or Prana gets disentangled from the five senses. This Prana is used by mind to connect with the universal consciousness. The result is a lessening of distractions and increase of concentration.

Once we have done the inhaling, holding and exhaling exercise a dozen times, it is time to go to the next step.

The Hong-Sau technique

Hong and Sau (pronounced Hong and Sau like in saw) are two sacred Sanskrit chant words which have a vibratory connection with the incoming and out going breath. These words have a great calming effect on the mind and help it a great deal in focusing at the point between the eyebrows.

Sit with an erect spine, half close your eyes and tense and then relax the whole body a few times. Fix the gaze at the point between the eyebrows. Let the breath move in and out of lungs naturally. Do not force the breathing in any way. As the breath is inhaled, mentally chant Hong. As it moves out chant Sau. The chant of both words should be for the duration of breathing in and breathing out. Do not disturb the rhythmic flow of breath by the chant. Chant must fit the breathing. Not vice-versa. It helps a great deal if you adopt the role of a silent observer who is watching a human being breath in and out to the chant of Hong Sau.

This wonderful meditation can be done any where at any time. Once you get the hang of it, you will be rewarded with a pleasurable tingling along the spine. It is important that gaze remains focused at the point between the eyebrows and does not move downwards. If that happens, the relaxation will put you to sleep.

One can start with a session lasting fifteen minutes twice a day and then increase the duration slowly. It is a very pleasurable process and quite easy to do.

If your gaze is focused properly at the point between the eyebrows, you will experience the slowing down of breathing. If you normally breathe at the rate of 18 breaths a minute (which is average), you will see it becoming less and less as the time passes. Incidentally it is also a test of your technique.

Hong Sau is a great way to meditate. It optimizes how we use Prana and rejuvenate our body and mind. After only a few sessions one begins to notice a sense of calm and peace descend on the mind. Hong Sau slows down the catabolic process and helps the cells to live longer.

One remarkable effect of this meditation is on the heart which begins to beat less frequently during sessions of intense concentration. Heart beat and breathing rate are intimately related. A slow beating heart causes the breathing rate to go down as well. This directly reduces the free radicals floating in our blood. Free radicals are the chemicals that speed up our aging process. Slower breathing thus equals slower aging. One can thus literally meditate one's way to eternal youth!

It is a good idea to set up a personal space for oneself where one may sit and meditate everyday. The best way to do it is to fold a woolen blanket twice and spread it on the ground. This is called Asan. It is better if one sits facing the east or the north direction, as the energy flowing around us in these directions helps in our concentration during meditation.

Over a period of time the energy of the person meditating regularly at the same spot begins to permeate that place and imbues it with peace and happiness. During times of stress, the mere process of sitting on the Asan begins to calm us down.

A word about diet

Tomatoes, grapefruit, bananas, lemons, oranges, apples, carrots, whole wheat bread, olive oil, nuts, lettuce, eggs, milk, butter and cream are valuable foods for the body. Eaten in moderation and judiciously they provide a wholesome diet to the body rich in all vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. The Yogic way of eating is to fill half the stomach with food, a quarter with beverages and a quarter left empty. Starchy foods should be eaten sparingly.

Animal proteins especially of the red meat type need to be avoided as our body wastes a lot of Prana digesting these. Another downside to eating red meat is the toxic byproducts formed during digestion. These toxins increase the unwanted cholesterol in the blood while decreasing the desirable one and lead to clogging of the arteries. Beef is the single biggest culprit as far as diet is concerned.

A dinner consisting of red meat causes a decidedly fouler breath the next morning compared to a diet of vegetables and lentils. Any one can judge that for oneself.

And one about exercise

Exercise is as important to our body as eating and drinking though we don't often realize it. Exercise keeps us fit and keeps our internal processes running optimally. Any physical activity that causes perspiration is exercise. It should be done for at least thirty minutes every day.

One of the better ways to exercise each muscle and organ of the body is to have a set routine of Yoga exercises for at least twenty minutes. Yoga gives an added benefit of preparing and priming the body for meditation.

The Om technique of meditation

Preparation

Have several pillows and a low bench or table ready before starting the daily routine. The height of the bench or table should be such that it comes up to your chest level when seated in the lotus posture (cross legged) on the Asan.

The best way to do Aum meditation is to first start with the simple breathing exercise and then practice Hong Sau for ten minutes. After this is done proceed to do as below. Draw the table towards you and put your elbows on it so that your hands can reach your ears without any problem and without any stress on your shoulders. It is important. The posture should be such that when you reach for your ears, your spine is straight and vertical to the ground. Some experimentation will be needed before all conditions are met. You may have to slide your legs under the table.

Just as our eyes have eyelids, our ears have 'ear-lids' the only difference is that unlike eyelids we have no control over their movement. These are the cartilaginous flaps midway on the external ear opening. Medical science actually has a name for these and are called Tragi. Tragi should not be confused with the earlobes which are fleshy things hanging at the lower end of the ear.

Use your thumb and gently push the Tragi inwards so that they stop the sound from reaching the inner ear. The pressure should be gentle and just sufficient to stop all sounds. It should not cause any discomfort to the ear. Simultaneously, fix the gaze at the third eye and use the little finger of both hands to gently press the outer corners of both eyes. This will inhibit the movement of the eyeball and keep it pointing at the third eye.

It is important not to lean on the elbows otherwise they begin to ache after a while. The idea is to close the ears without straining the elbows and shoulders. When this is accomplished keep focusing on the third eye. It is okay to dispense with the Hong-Sau chant at this point. Breath evenly and start a chant of Aum.

It is important not to lean on the elbows otherwise they begin to ache after a while. The idea is to close the ears without straining the elbows and shoulders. When this is accomplished keep focusing on the third eye. It is okay to dispense with the Hong-Sau chant at this point. Breath evenly and start a chant of Aum.

The Aum Chant needs to be done mentally. Scriptures tell us that Aum is a very high frequency sound and can not be reproduced by our speech system. It can only be imitated. What we aim to do during meditation is to tune in to the all pervading Aum sound and merge our consciousness into it.

Hindu philosophy talks about loud chanting, in which there is an audible sound heard by everyone in the vicinity. Most hymns and mantra chanting falls in this category. This followed by whisper chanting in which no sound comes out of the mouth but the lips move to form the words of the chant. The third type of chanting is the mental chant in which the mind focuses on the mantra or a seed sound and becomes one with it. This becoming one with the mantra can happen only, when one reaches the state of super-consciousness. This is that wonderful and beatific state of existence when body is absolutely still and mind is at one with the universe.

Compared to the left ear, the right ear has more energy available to it. It is for this reason that the right ear is more sensitive to sounds than the left one. A dying man has the hearing ability in the right ear available until the very end.

When we shut off the sounds by pressing Tragi against the outer ear and focus the gaze on the third eye, we first hear the sounds of our body. The heartbeat and sound of blood flowing through the body is clearly heard. We need to focus on this sound and slowly it will be replaced by other sounds of the lungs, diaphragm and stomach etc. After a period of time, the duration of which is determined by the intensity of our effort, we can hear the musical sounds emanating from the seven cerebro-spinal centers or chakras.

The five lower Chakras control the elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether. The frequency of these different sounds is distinct and can be clearly heard by a meditating person. The first Chakra called Mooladhar or earth center produces the sound of bumblebee. The second called Swadhishsthan or water center has a sound like a flute. The Manipur or fire center has a sound resembling a harp. The Vishuddh Chakra emanates a sound of rushing waters. The symphony of these sounds is together heard as the roar of Aum.

This admittedly is not easy. One has to first get over the sounds of the physical body and then of the astral body before one can hear the sound of Aum. Some lucky people will accomplish this process rather early because of the good Karma brought forward from the past lives. Some others will take a little longer.

How to know if one has achieved the goal?

When one hears the sound of Aum, the body vibrates like a huge drum. One hears the roar of an ocean. There is complete bliss and one can hear the cosmic music of the universe. It is quite possible that one may hear the roar of the ocean or the drum sound right away. If that happens just merge yourself with the vibration and become one with the creator of the universe.

Benefits of contacting Aum

Wondrous things happen when mind becomes super-conscious. All desires can be satisfied and actions performed using mind power alone. One does not need the agency of the human body to perform actions. Seemingly impossible feats can be performed through mind power alone.

Contacting Aum also enables the mind to unwaveringly focus on any subject whether physical, mental or spiritual and immediately know the real truth behind it. This is not done through intellectual process, it just happens. One becomes omniscient.

Rajiv Sethi

http://indian-vedicastrology.com

Phone 011-919899589211, 011-91-1141574587

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