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CHAPTER ONE

THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATIONA TWELVE-STEP GUIDE

The Sivananda Book of MeditationThe Sivananda Yoga Centre

£14.99Gaia BooksISBN 1-85675-124-4

In this issue of YogaLife weare previewing excerptsfrom The Sivananda Bookof Meditation by theSivananda Yoga Centre,recently published by Gaia Books.

We start with basicguidelines for thebeginner in the section‘Starting Out’.

Swami Vishnu-devananda would say, as mentioned in ourintroduction, that it is not possible to teach someone how tomeditate, any more than it is possible to teach them how tosleep. Sleep overtakes us only when we detach our mind from

its concerns. Meditation also cannot be forced, but unlike sleep, it is aconscious state. We need a degree of willpower to remain in the state ofheightened awareness that occurs when we meditate. However, at thesame time we need to relax, letting go of all expectations and desires.This subtle balance between the effort needed to sustain concentrationon the one side and detachment from all distractions on the other is theart of meditation. We learn to focus the mind without struggle, yetmaintain enough control to avoid a drift into reverie.

To attain this state of relaxed awareness we need to prepareourselves, and there are several steps that will help us. It is important toreiterate that meditation is a process, and as such, takes time. Be gentleand patient with your mind; do not expect miracles. The more care andattention you give to the preparation, the more positive the results.

1 THE PLACE It is best to have a special room for meditation, but if this is impossible,as it is for most of us, try to separate off a portion of a room, reserving itsolely for your practice if you can. Maintain it as a space to be used onlyfor meditation, clean and tidy, free from distracting vibrations andassociations, and allow only those who respect its sacredness to enter.

The place of focusSet up a little table as the focal point of the room, with a candle, or betterstill, a small oil lamp, light being a potent spiritual symbol. Gazing at thesteady flame before you start your meditation practice will bringconcentration and introversion of the mind. This gazing is actually aconcentration exercise in its own right, as explained later in the book. A flower or vase of flowers will enhance the atmosphere and fill themind with joy. Burning incense in the morning and evening has astrongly purifying effect on the energy of the space. Use natural (notchemical) incense such as sandalwood, with its calming and coolingeffect on the mind, or fragrances such as rose or frankincense.If you are of a religious nature set up an image of an uplifting spiritualsymbol, such as the OM symbol, the Cross, or the Star of David; or apicture of Christ, Krishna, the Divine Mother, or Buddha. Choose what

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speaks to your heart and soul and helps yourmind to turn within, away from worldly concerns.The powerful vibrations from repeatedmeditation practice will remain in the room,creating a magnetic aura, and within sixmonths the peace and purity of the atmos-phere will be quite tangible. In times of stressyou can sit in the space, practise for half anhour, and experience great comfort and relief.

Which direction to faceSitting on a clean mat (a folded woollenblanket or cotton mat are excellent for this) infront of the table, face north or east to takeadvantage of favourable magnetic vibrations.These directions are considered to be themost conducive to spiritual concentration.

Meditating in natureIt scarcely needs mentioning that naturalenvironments are much more favourable tothe practice of meditation than cities, wherepollution from noise, traffic, electronicmachinery, and the high stress levels of manyof the people around can make it difficult toconcentrate. If you can, try to take advantage

of any opportunity to meditate in nature – ona beach facing the ocean, on a peaceful riverbank, under a tree, on a mountain, with therising or setting sun. You will find themeditation qualitatively different. If like mostof us, you have to meditate in the city, you canstill create a protected and sacred environmentand it is certainly better to meditate in a citythan not to meditate at all!

2 THE TIMEThe most effective times for the practice ofmeditation are at dawn and dusk, when theatmosphere is charged with special spiritualforce. The most desirable time is brahmamuhurta,the hours between four and six a.m. In thesequiet hours after sleep, the mind and atmos-phere are clear and unruffled by activities ofthe day. Refreshed and free of worldly concerns,concentration comes without effort. If this is notfeasible, choose a time when you can retreatfrom daily activities and calm your mind. In theevening around sunset is also a good time orjust before going to bed. With the mind freedfrom the tensions accumulated during the dayand tuned to a higher state, you will quickly fallinto deep sleep after meditating. At whatevertime you choose, make sure you know you willnot be disturbed by outside distractions.

3 THE HABITIt is important that you maintain consistency inyour practice as well as meditating at the sametime each day. The subconscious mind needsregularity to develop the habit of settling downand focusing easily. Start with fifteen to twentyminutes’ daily practice and gradually build upto an hour. If you can’t manage this, aim forthirty minutes daily. It is better to meditateevery day for thirty minutes than once a weekfor two hours.

Even when you travel, meditate every day.As you establish the practice, you will actuallyfeel the need to meditate every morning; ifcircumstances prevent you from practising,you will experience an inner discomfort,similar to how you feel if you start your daywithout washing. You will realize thatmeditation is a mental cleansing, necessary formental wellbeing. You will find you do notwant to miss even a single day of practice.

Above: SwamiVishnu-devanandain meditation

‘Be gentle and patient with your mind; do not expect miracles.The more care and attention you give to the preparation, themore positive the results’

Face north or eastto take advantageof favourablemagnetic vibrations

N

E W

S

continued overleaf

4 THE SITTING POSITIONSit in a comfortable steady posture, with spineand neck erect but not tense. The psychiccurrent needs to travel unimpeded from thebase of the spine to the top of the head,helping to steady the mind and encourageconcentration. A comfortable cross-leggedposture provides a firm base for the body, butit is not necessary to place the legs inpadmasana, the classic lotus posture. You maywish to sit in siddhasana, the half-lotusposition, or in any simple cross-leggedposition. Sitting on a cushion will help thethighs relax and bring the knees closer to theground. In these sitting positions, a triangularpath is created for the flow of energy,containing it rather than allowing it to dispersein all directions. Metabolism and breathingslow down as concentration deepens.Elderly or less able people may wish to sit on acomfortable chair, with ankles crossed. Lyingdown is not recommended because you relaxcompletely and may find it almost impossibleto ward off sleep. The mild muscularcontraction necessary to hold the back uprightin a sitting position keeps you alert. Try to relaxthe rest of the body as much as possible,especially the muscles of the face, neck andshoulders. The chest should be open, with therib cage lifted to encourage abdominalbreathing.

Initially you may find it difficult to keep theback straight for more than a few minutes. Thepractice of asanas (yoga postures) for as littleas thirty minutes a day will strengthen yourback, making it easy for you to sit comfortablyover a long period of time. The actual purposeof asanas, according to the classical texts, is tobe able to sit effortlessly and without fatiguefor prolonged stretches. Patanjali, author of themost significant treatise on raja yoga, says thatthe meditation pose should be “sukhamsthiram”, pleasant and firm. Swami Sivanandasays one should feel as steady as a mountainoutwardly and as flowing as honey within. Your body will be at ease and will require noattention; a little like a vehicle that has beenparked and can be forgotten about. You will beable to disconnect from the sense of being thebody and focus on the deeper aspects ofconsciousness. It may take a few months tomaster the meditation posture; however theconfidence and satisfaction gained fromtraining the body is well worth striving for. Thisfirst achievement in your practice will give youmuch joy and the confidence to overcomehigher obstacles.

5 THE BREATHConsciously try to relax and make the breathrhythmic. Begin with one minute of deepabdominal breathing to bring oxygen to thebrain. Then, slowing the breath down to animperceptible rate, inhale and exhale rhythmically,for approximately three seconds each. Thebreath becomes light and completely silent.This technique is a pranayama (breath control)exercise that steadies the prana (breath) andthereby quietens the mind.

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There arevariouspossiblepositionsfor thehands:

1 Placed on yourknees in the chin-mudra position

2 The right handcupped in the left,with palms turnedupwards

3 Hands claspedloosely byinterlocking thefingers.

1

2

3Above Swami Sivananda in meditation

6 THE MINDFor your meditation practice to succeed, it isimportant to transform the suffering andnegativity of the mind by welcomingheightened awareness, broad vision, joy, andcontentment into your life. The degree towhich you are successful in your practice willbe in direct proportion to your commitment tothis goal. There must be an earnest desire torefrain from “sleeping with open eyes”, asSwami Vishnu-devananda would say. Ourminds love ease; we love to be on holiday,doing what we want when we want, with nosense of responsibility. We feel free with all

options in our life possible. However, theseoptions remain only potentialities, meredreams, and without effort nothing in our liveschanges. For real change to occur we need tounderstand that commitment is not a limitationof freedom, but, on the contrary, an assertionof the freedom to choose the direction inwhich we want our lives to go. Meditation allows us to see things as they are,without the masking veil of our likes anddislikes, without fear or hope. Start everymeditation session asserting this willingness toface reality without escaping into imagination.It is not easy to do this, and initially you may tryto take refuge in familiar defence strategies.But be patient, and over a period of time,gently coax the mind away from thesedestructive thought patterns. Gradually youwill grow aware that you need to stop escapinginto distraction whenever difficulties arise.Detachment from hopes and fears protectsagainst suffering. By making the commitmentto your wellbeing at each and every practicesession, by gently commanding the mind to bequiet for a specific length of time, by focusingonly on the present moment, your life will beimmeasurably enhanced.

7 CHOOSING A POINT OFCONCENTRATIONTry to select a focal point on which the mindcan rest. The mind needs a point of anchorageto ground itself as it usually spends much ofthe time daydreaming, disconnected from thepresent moment. This is partly achieved bybringing the awareness to the posture and thebreath. But it can be further strengthened bybringing the attention to a specific point in thebody. There are energy points in the body thatare particularly appropriate and helpful tofocus upon. These points are called chakras, orenergy centres. This knowledge belongs to abranch of yoga called kundalini yoga, aspecialized branch of the path of raja yoga.Kundalini yoga focuses on these energycentres in order to release the energy stored inthem and bring about an expansion ofconsciousness. There are seven major chakrasin the body and many more secondary ones.They are located in the astral body (a body ofenergy that is like a subtle etheric double ofthe physical body), along the spinal column.They correspond to the different levels ofconsciousness, or the different levels ofexpression of our inner energies. The threelower chakras correspond to the more basicdesires of the mind, the desire for security, forpleasure and for the expression of our

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‘Meditationallows us tosee things asthey are,without themasking veilof our likesand dislikes,without fearor hope’

COMMITMENT

The commit-ment we needto make is tolive in thepresentmoment, togive up living inthe past,daydreaming orworrying aboutan imaginaryfuture. In shortit meanscontrolling thetendency we allhave to live in afantasy world, aworld in whichwe use theimagination tocreate adefence againstsuffering.

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individuality. The fourth, the heart chakra,corresponds to the expression of our energyas love; the fifth, the throat chakra, is thecentre where consciousness expands toencompass knowledge of past and futureincarnations. The sixth energy centre, locatedat the point between the eyebrows, is thecentre for intuitional knowledge. The last, onthe top of the head, corresponds to a state ofunion with cosmic consciousness.

Swami Sivananda recommends that wefocus either on the heart centre (anahatachakra) or the centre between the eyebrows(ajna chakra). According to the science ofkundalini yoga, one can meditate on any oneof the chakras. However, the masters warn usthat we must be ready for the energy releasethat is produced if we do so. Energy of courseis neutral, and will empower whatever it is withwhich we identify. If the mind still stronglyidentifies with the instinctive desires, thenewly released energy will feed these desires,strengthening them, and preventing us frombringing our awareness to higher states ofconsciousness. Until the mind is thoroughlypurified, it is safer to focus on the higher chakras.

Swami Vishnu-devananda advises peoplewith a more emotional type of personality tofocus on the heart centre. This centre is idealfor those who find it easy to relate to othersand the world at large through their feelings.They will find it easy to invoke devotion to anideal, since this part of their personality isalready active. Focusing on the heart centrewill help to channel emotional energy andallow it to manifest as selfless love. The heartwill expand.

If your personality is predominantlyintellectual – if you tend to trust your thoughtsmore often than your feelings – you will find iteasier to focus on the point between theeyebrows. This is the centre for self-awareness.Focusing on this centre will uplift the intellectand will gradually free it from its narrow andselfish vision. Eventually the doors of intuitionwill open and you will perceive reality withoutthe limited screen of the intellect. This state isoften referred to as the opening of the third eye.

Obviously everyone has both an emotionaland an intellectual side to their personality, butone aspect is usually predominant. Neitherpoint is better than the other. Concentratingon either of these points will lead to the sameresult: an expansion of consciousness. The mainpurpose here is to train your energy to stabilizeon one point. Once you have chosen a point,keep to it for the rest of your life. If you change,the energy will become unsteady again, which

will make the mind wander. The mind consistsof energy. The energy has to be trained to flowin a harmonious way. You cannot stop theenergy from flowing, but you want the flow tobe steady and quiet, like pouring oil from onevessel to another, so that you feel nomovement and the flow is uninterrupted.

Try not to confine your mind when youfocus on your chosen energy centre. This mayseem paradoxical, but focusing is a springboardfor concentration, allowing the mind to expandinto infinite space. Meditation is not merely anact of will, but more a commitment of the heart.Where your heart goes, your mind goes, andwhere your mind goes, your life will follow.

8 CHOOSING AN OBJECT OFCONCENTRATIONYou will find that you need to stabilize yourmental energy even further. The mind nowneeds to be trained in the art of concentrationitself and for this you need to give your mindan object on which to focus. All previous stepsare actually a preparation for this purpose –keeping the mind on a single object for morethan a few seconds. Concentration issupported by a firm posture, a quietenedbreath, and focus on an energy centre. This isstill not meditation. Meditation is a statebeyond concentration, which is reached onlyonce the mind is perfectly concentrated.

Yoga considers the use of mantras (wordsof power) as an essential tool for concentration.The practice is simple: repeat the mantramentally and synchronize this repetition withyour breath. It will help if you can feel thevibration of the mantra emanating from yourconcentration centre. The breath, theconcentration centre and the sound of themantra become one point. However, themantra can also be repeated out loud,especially if you are becoming drowsy. Youcan also start the practice by repeating themantra aloud, gradually lowering your voice toa whisper, then reducing it to the mostpowerful method, mental repetition. Alwaysuse the same mantra; the mind will attuneitself to the sound and rhythm and will focusmore easily. A mantra is a powerful tool,channelling two aspects of the mind – thedesires to see and to hear – which can interruptthe flow of concentration when not properlydirected. As you repeat the sound, you listen toit and at the same time visualize its form.

You can also repeat a mantra and visualizeany symbol of an uplifting nature. The symbolcan be abstract or concrete. You can focus on

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Christianity Buddhism

Hinduism Islam

Jainism Zoroastrianism

Confucianism Judaism

Bahai Shinto

Taoism Sikhism

The majorworld religionshave their ownsymbols, any of which canprovide apotent focus for meditation.

‘The mindconsists of energy. The energyhas to betrained toflow in aharmoniousway’

light, the sun, or the sky, or on a symbolconnected to your religious belief if you haveone, such as Christ, Krishna, or Buddha; or theStar of David, the Cross, or OM. You can alsofocus on a positive quality like love orcompassion, relating to it, not as an abstractconcept, but as a living entity that you want tomanifest through your actions and words.

Make sure that the object of yourconcentration is of an uplifting nature: it shouldhave the inherent power to take your mind tothe infinite. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjaliexpands this idea even further by advising usto focus on anything of an agreeable nature,allowing unlimited scope for choice.

9 GIVING SPACE TO THE MINDAllow the mind to wander at first – it will jumparound, but will eventually settle intoconcentration, along with the concentration ofprana. Initially, in your eagerness to control themind, you may be too forceful with it. If youfocus too hard a headache may develop. Relaxdeeply into the breath and focus more gently.We are often unaware even of our mostobvious psychological habits and the powerthat they have over us. Be patient. There is anatural tendency to want a quick fix, but thereis no easy way to bring the mind to a permanentstate of silence and contentment. It needs tobe freed very gradually from its many layers ofemotional agitation. If the release is too sudden,there is a danger of being overwhelmed by theresulting reaction and you may decide toabandon the practice. Change has to happenconsciously, progressively, and steadily to havea lasting effect.

So give yourself space. Be both firm andgentle with the mind at the same time.Educating your mind is similar to educating achild. Both love and strength are necessary.Arm yourself with patience. Develop a healthyrelationship with yourself, avoiding both over-indulgence and harshness. Realize that what youare attempting to accomplish is not easy and feela healthy pride when you make a step forward,however small it may seem. As the BhagavadGita says, become your own best friend andfeel compassion for that part of you which isstruggling to regain a sense of wholeness.

As you give space to your mind, keep itunder close observation, like walking a dogwith an extended leash – the dog retains asense of independence, but is quicklyreminded that its freedom is limited when itwants to wander off. During the first fewminutes of your practice, develop a

relationship of trust with your mind by beingpatient and compassionate. Then you will findthat the part of your mind that resists beingtold what to do will cooperate more readily.

10 DISASSOCIATING FROM THE MIND If the mind persists in wandering, simplydisassociate from it, and watch it objectively, asthough you were watching a film. Sometimesthe mind is resistant and continues living in itsworld of imagination. To start with, you mayfind this a little frustrating, even discouraging.If this is the case, try another approachsuggested by Swami Sivananda – the attitudeof non-cooperation. Watch your mind with thefeeling: I am not the mind, I am only thespectator of my mind. If you find you arecaught up in your own emotions and cannot letgo, this practice of detachment or ofwitnessing will help. If you can sustain thismode of thought even for a few minutes, yourmind gradually slows down. You stop feedingyour emotions and thoughts with yourconsciousness and, since consciousness giveslife to everything, the emotions and thoughtswill simply have no energy to live, and will losestrength and intensity. Powerful discriminationand a good level of emotional strength arerequired to maintain a distance from yourthoughts even for a relatively short time andmay prove demanding for a beginner.However, try to practise a little each day, and apowerful new habit will gradually develop.

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The stillness andcalm of natureacts as a perfectsetting for thepractice ofmeditation

11 PURETHOUGHTSustainedconcentration leadsinto meditation. Thisoccurs after manymonths, and in mostinstances, after manyyears of practice.

12 SAMADHISustained meditationleads into samadhi, a state we enter whenwe have trained themind to find absorp-tion in consciousnessitself. Samadhi is thehighest state ofmeditation and theeighth step in the rajayoga system. Here, dualitydisappears and youenter thesuperconscious state ■

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Est. 1957 Swami Vishnu-devananda

YogaSIVANANDA

COURSE DATES

Curriculum■ Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga■ Sanskrit■ Anatomy and Physiology■ Advanced Asanas and Pranayama,

Mudras and Bandhas■ Study of Prana, Nadis, Chakras and Kundalini■ Advanced Meditation Techniques

Adynamic, compelling and authoritativefour-week course taking the student

deeper into the study and practice of thefour paths of yoga. Open to graduates ofthe Teachers’ Training Course.

Apotent and formidable two-week programmebased on the traditional yoga practice that

Swami Vishnu-devananda himself followed during his period of sadhana in the Himalayas.Open to graduates of the Teachers’ Training Course.

2004Neyyar Dam, South India February 15 – March 14Val Morin, Canada August 8 – September 5

Above: In seclusion – Swami Vishnu-devananda stands outside his flimsy kutir

in the Himalayan forest, where hepractised intensive sadhana for up to

fourteen hours daily

Swami Sivananda Swami Vishnu-devananda

‘The purpose of Yoga is to give your life a boost, to put your

spiritual progress in first gear’– Swami Vishnu-devananda

SADHANA INTENSIVE

COURSE DATES

2003Netala, Himalayas October 23 – November 5

2004Netala, Himalayas May 20 – June 2 Val Morin, Canada June 13 – June 27

Curriculum■ Basic and Advanced Asanas■ Intense pranayama■ Study of:

Viveka Chudamani by SankaracharyaSrimad BhagavatamHatha Yoga Pradipika

■ Mudras and Bandhas■ Mantras and Meditation

ADVANCED TEACHERS’ TRAINING COURSE

PROGRAMMES FOR GRADUATES OF THE SIVANANDA YOGA TEACHERS’ TRAINING COURSE

Contact your local Sivananda Centre or visit www.sivananda.org