Meditation

Prayer is when the mind is one pointed and man talks to God. Meditation is when the mind becomes totally clean and receptive and God talks to man. Yogi Bhajan

Meditation is fundamental to Kundalini Yoga. The pranayama and kriyas (exercise sets) work to prepare you for a deeper experience of meditation. The movement in time with your breath, the rhythmic repetition of the mantra ‘Sat Naam’, all work to bring your mind into focus. When you sit for the purpose of meditation you take this one step further by stilling the body and concentrating solely on meditating deeply.

The ancient yogis developed their minds to be their servant, not their master, through meditation. First you still your body and in that stillness your mind will begin to jump about. This is where patience is needed, aided by posture, concentration on the breath and mantra, to allow the mind to go through whatever antics it will while remaining firmly planted. Here you will experience something. That ‘something’ is different for everyone, but it will be an awakening of the self.

Meditation is the art of breaking habits, to purify the mind and to take care of day-to-day things. Yogi Bhajan

Elements of meditation

Posture – it is important that the spine remain straight during meditation, whether you choose to sit on the floor in easy pose or in a chair. It is important for the spine to remain straight to allow the Kundalini energy to flow unrestricted.

Breath – Most meditations have a specific breath. If none is specified then the breath is allowed to flow naturally. Breathing deeply and consciously will affect you both physically and psychologically.

Mental Focus – During meditation there is usually a focal point of concentration. The most common focal points are the Third Eye (point between the brows at top of nose), the Heart Centre and the Navel Point (Nabhi). Other points include the tip of the nose the chin, known as the moon centre, and the crown (also known as the tenth gate as it is seen as teh gateway to the Infinite)

Mantra – many meditations use silent or chanted mantras. When you use mantra you are using a consciously chosen thought. By substituting the mantra for other thoughts, there is simply no room for other thoughts.

Mudra – is a position of the hands that locks or seals and guides energy flow and reflexes to the brain. Each area of the hand connects to a certain part of the body or brain, making the hands the keyboard to your mind-body energy system.

Meditation is usually practiced for a specific time. for those who are new to meditation 3 minutes is a good starting time. With practice times can be increased to 11, 22, 31, 62 or even 2 ½ hours.