Meditation and Breath

I hope the blogs on Niyamas were enjoyable and easy to follow. As we progress in yoga, there are a few concepts that need to be understood to attain a thoughtless state of mind. It is important first of all to understand that breathing and thinking are related to each other. The heavier we breathe, agitated our mind is. The way we breathe therefore, impacts our meditation. Sometimes, it is impossible to still the mind as endless thoughts keep coming up on closing the eyes

So the first step towards silencing the mind is to regulate our breathing.

Here we come across two yoga terminologies prana vayu and apana vayu. Prana vayu is the subtle energy motion in our body. It is concentrated in the upward part of the body with brain being its centre as well as the third eye and chest area. Apana vayu is dominant in the lower part of the body with its seat in the root chakra. Apana vayu enables us to eliminate waste from our body as its movement is downward and outward. This vayu is dominant in women as it is required for childbirth and menstruation. 

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However, we cannot see any of these vayus as they are in form of subtle motion. In yoga philosophy, it is believed  thoughts are produced by the movement of prana and apana vayu. When the prana vayu is disturbed mind becomes unsteady. There are times when we have a chaotic state of  mind whereas at other times it is calm and peaceful. Similarly, when thinking becomes intense it is called rajasic state, when thinking is passive; it is called tamasic state, which is a lethargic state, but not conducive to spiritual progress. For spiritual upliftment, one needs to reach a satvic state which produces bliss, thoughtlessness and allows concentration in meditation. 

In Normal course prana vayu and apana vayu are moving through left (ida) and right (pingala) nostrils. In meditation, the yogi has to endeavor to direct the prana and apana vayu towards the central channel, which runs through the spinal chord. This subtle channel is called Sushumna. When prana and apana vayu move through this central channel, mind becomes still, devoid of thought waves and the satvic state or bliss can be experienced.

The control of this subtle prana can be achieved by regulated or rhythmic physical breathing pattern.  When the breath is regulated then mind becomes calm, energy is burnt slowly, health and youth is achieved and one can live longer. This seems very simple but it takes ongoing practice to reach that state; so the first step would be to learn some basic rhythmic breathing exercises or pranayama. Pranayama recommended at the initial stage is called Anulom-Vilom pranayama: which is breathing through alternate nostrils in the pattern of inhale-exhale at the early stage and inhale-retention-exhale at intermediate to advance stage.

(Caution: people with heart or any other medical condition should not follow this breathing exercise as self help. Please work under strict guidance of remedial yoga therapist so that you do worsen your medical condition.)

 For a normal healthy person:

At first stage: for one month

1.   Sit comfortably with back straight

2.   Put your thumb on the right nostril press the right nostril and exhale through left nostril

3.   Keeping the right nostril pressed, inhale through the left nostril (4counts), press the left nostril with ring and little finger, and exhale (8 counts) the breath from the right nostril removing the thumb.

4.   Now repeat the process with the right nostril, inhale…press the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril removing your ring and little finger

5.   Continue this for atleast 10-15 mintues

In the intermediate stage

Inhale-retention of breath –exhale with alternate nostril.

This is anulom-vilom pranayama and in a few months as breath becomes rhythmic, mind will be able to still down better during meditation. It is recommended to do this rhythmic breathing before starting to meditate.

Once the breathing is regulated, mind will calm down allowing  inward focus during meditation. 

Reference:

Hathayoga Pradipika: Yogi Svatmarma (author) commentary  Swami Vishnudevananda, Motilal Banrasidass , 2008.

Learn to enjoy the silence of mind 1

We live in challenging times. On one hand human intelligence has enabled us to make huge technological advancements. The modern life is comfortable compared to the olden days. There is constant endeavour to improve the ways to live the physical existence whereas hardly ever a thought is spared for spiritual development. Often the word spiritual rings wrong bells and it is always associated with religion. However, Spiritual development is our connection with our inner self. It is our ability to establish a rapport with our inner self to contemplate on existential questions such as who am I? Why I am here? Our understanding of our self is limited to our name, title, professional degrees accumulated over the years, social status  in the society etc but no effort is ever made to question why this existence.

We are preoccupied by associating I am Mr.ABC or Ms XYZ, name, social role, and job position but ill concerned that beyond that outer personality there is inner consciousness. We go about our life planning for achievements in terms of income; home etc which is not a bad thing but the reality of our existence is whatever external things we accumulate we will  have to leave them in this world when death knocks our door. Therefore, while planning investments and working towards its achievement, there should be a plan to walk on the path to reach the inner self. It is an investment without cost. There is no need of a broker or expensive schemes. This path to inner world does need not any cash investment, neither mastercard  nor visa card nor interest free terms. It is free; it is open to all without any distinction of religion, race or social status. It is absolutely free and that’s the best part of it.

It is just investment of time from our daily life which take us long way.

Establishing this connection with the inner self at an early age is extremely important as it will lead to a balanced life, success in education, career, relationship and most importantly finances. There is too much attraction to the external world. It is lucrative, it can be felt; it gives a sense of life but only when the focus of mind is taken from outwards to inwards it will make the mind still.

Once this rapport with inner self is established, it yields unbelievable results. To mention a few: peacefulness, better anger management, improvement in food habits, contentment, deep sleep, stress management, reduced consumerism, more connectivity to people around without the need of gadgets. Moreover, it will lead to better health conditions, ability to appreciate simple life, to love and discover nature. Wow isn’t it tempting.

Just a daily practice of 15-20 minutes of sitting in silence is required. This silence is so addictive that none of the mind altering drinks or drugs can give that pleasure and the effect is it enables to function in an uplifted state.

Everyone should meditate. Meditation is not about being a Hindu or a Buddhist. It does not require you to shave your head, wear saffron robes rudraksha beads or marks on the forehead or become vegetarian. Meditation is all about connecting to the higher self. It is just an art of stilling the mind. We can sit still physically but our mind cannot sit still easily. In our modern life we have stress due work, rising cost of living, lack of rest which manifests in health problems such as migraines, indigestions, backaches, knee aches, heart diseases and cancer. We relax physically by sleeping or taking a day off work but de we ever relax our mind or relax internally. Have you tried any tricks to relax your mind?  So meditation is an art to relax internally.

 

Here are a few ways to get this practice started:

You can do this at night time before sleep or early in the morning:

Sitting down comfortably by supporting your back against a wall. Keeping the body loose breathe in gently count up to 4/5/6 counts as you inhale and exhale to double count of 8/10/12 for about 10 minutes.

Closing the eyes, keeping the body relax, let the vision turn inwards. Keep breathing in gently and breathing out gently. While the process of breathing goes on let the attention be focussed on rise and fall of breathe in the abdomen. If thoughts disturb or mind gets into thinking, focus the attention back  on breathe. As the attention begins to focus on the breathe, mind will stop wandering. The very moment attention is focussed on rise and fall of breathe in the abdomen, inner connected is established. Try it for 15-20 minutes at least and gradually increase the time

 

Initially, the focus will be shorter but with perseverance, it will get better. Remember any medication or fitness regime needs regularity to show   results. Mind has to be trained to behave itself. Once a habit of mind is developed it will stop wandering and turn its focus inwards.

 

Bye Bye from Australia

This is just a beginning….12 years of Spiritual Exile

All of us are on spiritual path of self-realisation. Once we choose this path we have to keep walking as turning back is unlikely. It is not an easy task as it sucks the life out of you. Some stages are challenging than the others. I embarked on this journey around 2009. Before that my practice was basic just lighting a lamp every evening  in a little puja room and on Thursday offering bhog  to Swami Maharaj. However, before 2009 every morning I used be awakened by Swami’s appearance in dream of which I never bothered to find out any meaning. Then Mukund kaka came in my life which began my real spiritual practice encompassing agnihotra, rudra abhishekh and Naamjaap meditation. Then onwards many sincere seekers such as Rucha, Vandana, Nirupa, Shefali, Puru and Deepak came into my life. Each one of them was at different level of spiritual maturity.

On this spiritual path,  I have realised one has to have open mind and be unbiased of different traditions. During this journey, Swami Maharaj will bring into your life people from different traditions who will try to teach you something new. Please be open to any new learning that you come across as it is good for your progress. Do not be stubborn with the idea that such and such medium or guide is my only learning source  and rest I don’t care.

We all are fortunate to have  Mukund Kaka  as our guide, he is the strength  of our practice. But there will be others too who will enhance your learning. Just like in a school or college situation you have to study languages, mathematics, sciences, history-geography to qualify for year 10 or 12 exams. Similarly to reach self- realisation these encounters with various experts adept in different areas is extremely important. All these experiences are necessary  for  all round development of our mind. Believe me it will not take you away from Swami, on the contrary, it will bring you closer to Him.

On my spiritual path, Mukundada Kaka laid the foundation stone, then I met Chattre Maushi (householder yet immersed in complete devotion from her I learnt many valuable things),  Didier Hector and Ware Kaka (both Kriya yogis), Lisa  (Clairvoyant of kabala tradition), Rene Morlet(Buddhist yogi), Dr. Dhekne (Swami Bhakt), Kalibaba( Aghori kali Bhakt), Hugh Gurney (Shakitpath and Shaivism scholar),  Aai Aarolkar (Devi Bhakt) and my dear friend Nirupa who is spiritually very mature who guided me during difficult moments, now it is Latkar Kaka(Swami Sanchar). All these people came from different traditions of spirituality. They taught me different ways. All this learning was necessary. From the Kriya yogis, I learnt the Omkar Sadhana of Mahaavtar Babaji which benefitted the chakras in the body, kali baba taught me the importance of Devi upsana as Devi is Shakti Swaroop, her worship as kula devata or mahamaya is necessary as she gives fuel to the fire of Sadhana. Although Swami has shown Devi roop, He has asked us to not ignore the importance of Kula Devata. In our Rudra practice we do Shree Sukta as well because the highest union is that of Shiva and Shakti. Then the Buddhists have a very advanced practice which teaches us to live in present with mindfulness meditation. Lisa acted as a medium and channelled my energies in right direction.  Hugh Gurney a friend I met in Melbourne by chance at a temple had Shaktipath experience once in my house when he was visiting us. He looked at Swami’s photo and Swami gave him Shaktipath through His eyes. From him I learnt mysteries of Shaktipath and Kashmiri Shaivism. Now I am moving back to India to my home to begin a new life. I am not the same person who left India 12 years ago. This does not mean and please do not misunderstand me I have not realised the self as yet. I am nowhere near there as I am still troubled by fluctuating chitta-vrittis. It is just a beginning. It is long way it might take a few more births but at least it has started.

So my friends persevere hard, I am sure some of you must be already very advance experiencing more delightful things,  nevertheless, keep making progress on the path you have chosen. All these varieties will enrich your life and bring you closer to our beloved Swami Maharaj……

Silencing the monkey of mind 4

Om Shree Swami Samarth

 

Silencing the monkey of mind 4 (Please refer to other blogs in the series to understand the context of this one)

Svadhyaya is the fourth Niyama or discipline of the yogic path.  Svadhyaya means self-study but this translation does not give the real depth of its meaning. In true sense Svadhyaya is study of consciousness. In the western context self-study is equivalent to psychoanalysis which encompasses study of thought, feeling, behaviour etc. However, Svadhyaya has nothing to do with our external personality of being ABC or XYZ  or being introvert or extrovert, angry or shy. On the contrary, Svadhyaya leads us to deep introspection on mysteries such who we are? Of what  importance is our existence? Or why are we here?

As we progress to this level this element of Svadhyaya   connects us to the inner sheath of our self. We delve deeper beyond our existence of being ABC or XYZ into our higher self which layman’s word is also God. God is nothing but our shinning inner self. This can be achieved by meditation. Nevertheless, to be successful at this level we need to be accomplished sadhaks of Saucha, Santosha and Tapas (refer other blogs for these Niyamas). Arduous training and habits of mind   will allow us to be thought free to connect to who we really are.

 

Thus, to reach to our consciousness we have to meditate. The goal of meditation is to connect   to our inner self, to dive deeper and deeper into our inner world which is full of bliss unattainable in the external world. To reach this bliss however, we have to have the ability to calm and silence the thought waves of our mind. Once all thoughts are banished, the road to see the inner light is clear. As long as thoughts  keep resurfacing  this path will be foggy preventing us to see  our clear self. But once the agitations of the mind are silenced, the fog will also clear and then unlimited joy follows. This inner contact is also called realisation of who we are.

Although, this seems easy but in reality is extremely difficult. Our mind indulges in thinking, tempting us to wander from one pleasure to another  but the ultimate pleasure is never found. Delight is found only when we can direct our mind to our inner self.

There are different pathways to do  Svadhyaya. These steps can be helpful

1. Learning a few yoga stretches from a local yoga centre will be beneficial as this will enable the body to maintain correct posture without any discomfort during meditation
2. Pranayama or breathing exercises are good way to calm the thought waves of mind. Routine of breathing in four counts and breathing out eight counts in slow and gentle manner, focusing on the breath could become a part of this process. Focusing on our breath allows us to create awareness of our body in turn calming the ongoing thought processes of our mind. If this practice is established, there will be moments when a stage of thoughtlessness arrives. Once this happens we can start connecting to our consciousness.

Nonetheless, the process of establishing inner connection can be fast tracked if mantra jaap meditation is followed along with every in-breath  and  out-breath. Mantra or chant has an amazing energy to retain our focus and dissolve the thought waves. Mantra can be from a scripture of any religion or even some self-affirmation phrases such I am the higher self or I am that self… works well.

 

 

For those on the path of Swami seva can use  OM Shree Swami Samarth  which  is extremely effective but divine Names of other faiths  are equally potent.

The goal is not which  divine name  to chant, the goal is silencing the monkey of our mind which leads us to distress, war, crimes, hatred, jealousy and vices of all kinds.

Living Link

Shri Sharad Lathkar from Aurangabad is one the living links with Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj. He is such an advanced yogi that Swami Samarth uses him as his medium to pass on knowledge to uplift the human consciousness. Click on the link below and listen to Akkalkot Swami's real voice in Hindi during once such Sanchar or Trance like discourse when Lathkar kaka was used as a medium. Hope all you listeners benefit from this and find the path of self realization through this
"हम गया नहीं, जिन्दा हैं । "
या श्री स्वामी समर्थांनी दिलेल्या वचनाचा प्रत्यय आणणारी ही अत्यर्क घटना आहे.
श्री स्वामी समर्थ यांनी त्यांच्या अनेक भक्तांवर कृपा केली आहे आणि गेले ८०० वर्षे करत आहेत. त्यांचे असे की भक्त आहेत कि ज्यांना living link म्हणता येईल. ते त्यांच्यातर्फे, आपल्या भक्तांना मार्गदर्शन करत असतात. श्री शरद लाठकर यांच्या मध्ये श्री स्वामींचा संचार होतो आणि त्यांचा आवाज बदलतो.
या अगम्य अशा लीलेमध्ये, श्री स्वामी समर्थांनी दिलेला संदेश त्यांच्याच आवाजात ऐकण्याची सुवर्ण संधी आपल्याला मिळाली आहे. श्री स्वामी शुद्ध हिंदी मध्ये बोलतात. त्या संदेष्याचे रेकॉर्डिंग खालील ठिकाणी ऐकता येईल.
हा महत्वाचा संदेश ऎकताना, एका जागेवर बसून शांत चित्ताने, मनामध्ये कुठलाही विकल्प न ठेवता ऎकावे, एवढे आपण करू शकतो.
आपल्यला आवडले तर जरूर आपल्या मित्र मंडळींना पाठवायला विसरू नका कारण याचे प्रसारण सर्वाना व्हावे असा श्री स्वामी समर्थांचा खूद्द आदेश आहे.
http://swamisamarthaspeaks-usa.org/play-audio-list.html?file=http://swamisamarthaspeaks-usa.org/message/swamimessage28-apr-2013.mp3&img=img/swami-speaks.png

A Glimpse of Divinity: Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj of Akkalkot by Dr. Mukund Hanumante has a French version

Chers lecteurs français je vous présente Le Grand Siddha du dix-neuvième siècle: Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj d’Akkalkot. Profitez-vous de cette chance de comprendre la philosophie et l’enseignement d’Akkalkot Baba. C'est une traduction d'un livre anglais, "A Glimpse of Divinity: Shri Swami Samarth Maharaj of Akkalkot". Shri Swami Samarth est le seul Maître Divin qui vous mènera vers la voie intérieure du soi…… Vénérez-Lui avec une foi inébranable et  un sentiment sans réserve.

Tous les chercheurs seraient reconnaissants de cette célèbre bénédiction de Shri Swami Samarth :

Ne craignez rien, Je suis toujours avec vous !

«Absorbez-vous dans le doux chant du nom de Shri Swami Samarth et demandez sa grâce. Avec Sa dévotion votre vie sera complètement transformée et un jour Il se matérialisera dans Sa forme radiante dorée devant vous ». (Shakatai Agate)

Ce livre est disponible sur les sites Amazon, google play, itunes, kobo comme un livre électronique.

French readers will now have an opportunity to understand the philosophy and teaching of our beloved Akkalkot Maharaj in French language. I am indebted to Swami Maharaj to give me this opportunity to make his Divine Leelas accessible to wide audience. In today's troubled time only Swami Maharaj is our solace. He can lead the whole humanity to peace and connect every human to his inner self. Please spread the word dear seekers, let everyone benefit and experience inner connectednes. This book is available as e.book on Amazon, itunes, kobo and google plus.

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