Yoga Meditation

This is it...

Yoga meditation is what this whole system of yoga is all about.

Meditation means FOCUSED THOUGHT. It is a steady, unwavering focus toward one thought for a period of time.

Meditation is NOT thinking; and it is NOT focusing, or concentrating.

Yoga meditation implies that your mind is already focused on ONE thought. It means Perfect Concentration.

Yoga meditation uses techniques common in the system of yoga (as opposed to other meditation traditions such as Buddhism).

When the mind is perfectly poised and focused on ONE thing, there's no noise, mental chatter, or confusion.

There are no thoughts.

There's only one thought - your meditation technique.

No stress occurs.

No tension accumulates.

No worries present.

No pain felt.

The meditator experiences the feeling of inner harmony and well-being. The mind is harmonized with a healing meditation technique, and the body responds with physical harmony.

With regular meditation practice, before you even get to that ONE-POINTED focus, you'll begin to notice a lot of positive changes in your life. See the side bar for all the benefits.

Don't be surprised to want to switch to a more meaningful career, or start exploring other ways to improve your health.

Interesting Fact: Meditation and SAMADHI are at opposite poles of the same spectrum. Yoga meditation is extreme one-pointedness of mind. SAMADHI is extreme dis-identification from the mind (no focus on any one thing, but every thing at once).

Yogi Mir's Secret: Scroll down to the bottom to see it.

There are no SAMADHI techniques. Only meditation techniques.

So before we get to SAMADHI, we must train the mind to be in our control.

We have to be able to focus the mind on one thing for an extended period.

We have to learn to enjoy the process of concentration, the step that precedes the one-pointed meditative state.

Preparation:
1. Find a good time of day with little distractions. Maybe in the morning before breakfast, or at night before bed.
2. Be realistic. Start with 10 minutes.
3. Start a meditation journal. Write down what you focused on, if anything, and how you felt.

Step ONE: Begin with sitting comfortably: in a chair, or a cushion. Lean against a wall if you wish. It's best to sit up, without lying down. Why? Because you want to remain alert. When your body is horizontal, the brain receives the messages from the nervous system to release the 'sleep' hormones.

Step TWO: Become aware of your breath. Witness the breath without control at first. Then, naturally, encourage it to lengthen and deepen.

Up until this point, it's already a great practice if you can get it going on a regular basis.

Step THREE: Pick your focus. It MUST BE uplifting, interesting to your mind, and very specific, or crystal clear what you would like to focus on. Then, stick with it. Your mind will get distracted. That's OK. It's natural. Gently, without tension or force, bring the mind back to your focusing technique.

Common Yoga Meditation Techniques:

Contact Yogi Mir through Surya, for more personalized yoga meditation techniques.

The Spiritual Stepladder

As mentioned above, concentration precedes meditation, and meditation leads to SAMADHI.

There are Eight Steps in total.

In Sanskrit, "Eight Steps" are "Ashta Anga". Hence, the term "Ashtanga Yoga".

1. Yama, rules of social conduct (go to Yoga Lifestyle for more details);
2. Niyama, rules of personal conduct;
3. Asana, steady and comfortable posture achieved through regular practice;
4. Pranayama, control of energy though breath, energy locks, and visualization;
5. Pratyahara, withdrawal from sensory distractions;
6. Dharana, concentration!
7. Dhyana, yoga meditation!
8. SAMADHI

See, it's a natural step-by-step progression. Yoga is a science, after all, with you as the scientist and the explorer.

Message from a Master

Training the mind through yoga meditation and preparing for SAMADHI can be done anytime, anywhere.

You don't have to sit down to practice at home or in a yoga class.

Sitting-down practice is important, but it will be benefited by focusing the mind whatever you do.

Swami Satchidananda on training the mind: “Do one thing at a time. When you read something, apply the entire mind to that. When you eat, see that the mind is concentrated on your eating. If you train your mind all throughout the day, it becomes easier for you to fix the mind when you sit to meditate. When you meditate, always select something holy to focus on, something that can elevate you, something that can make you go further toward the goal. That degree of concentration is possible when you practice focusing the mind in the ordinary life also. Slowly train the mind in such a way that it is always under your control, and, whenever you want, you will be able to make it still."

Yogi Mir's Secret About SAMADHI

Relax. You are already there.

You are what you are searching for.

SAMADHI is our true nature.

SAMADHI is a natural state of being that all of us have experienced many times.

The mind works as a veil and distracts us from knowing this truth.

The reason to practice yoga meditation is not to reach SAMADHI, but to work with the mind, to control the mind, and to thin the veil that keeps us from seeing the truth.