Yoga every day (part 3- meditation)

Meditation is the best Medicine. This is something my Guru says often, and I believe him! It takes almost zero effort for me to enter into meditation when he guides me, and with some discipline, it transcends me beyond time and space. Sometimes I see colors. I might see tingling (yes, I see it) like explosive patterns of bright white light. 

Sometimes I see “The Third Eye,” which mostly appears to me like a purple blob (more than a triangle with an eye) and afterwards, I ALWAYS feel at peace. ​

​Meditation can be seen as the goal of the previous 4 limbs of yoga (1. Yama - Moral conducts, 2. Niyama - Right actions for the self, 3. Asana - Postures, 4. Pranayama - Breath control) and it includes the remaining four of the 8 limbs of yoga:

5. Pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses, or as I call it “creating your personal force field,” is an important step which grants you the ability to zone- in to yourself, regardless of your surroundings. I got serious practice with this in India where things are NEVER quiet!

6. Dharana or Focused concentration. This is where a lot of new yogis start getting a little fuzzy. It basically means that you bring the majority (as much as possible) of your awareness/focus/concentration/mind activity to one object, suggestively something good (specific mantra, god, love, your third eye/center of control etc.) 

It is in this step that yoga gets really hard. The mind likes to think. Something like tens of  thoughts a day. It likes to create and process both the past and the future, making it almost impossible to think of just one thing (or being present for that matter, squirrel!). So, for sure, it is a practice, and it’s totally cool to spend years only almost achieving this step. Together with the previous steps, one is already tapping in to some incredible human optimization. Few things are as enabling as a methodical focus on something good. 

7- Dhyana - Absorbed focus/concentration. The concept of Dhyana is quite abstract and difficult both to understand and attain. In Dhyana, one no longer has to continuously control the focus, but the object of concentration starts to simply flow and “just happen.” It's a pretty sweet reward after so much work, but it's illusive, and if you try to take too much note of it or get too excited about it, it might vanish quicker then it appears. Even a quick unveiling of this experience will leave one with faith in the collective consciousness and a peaceful conviction of the superiority of good. ​

8 -Samadhi - Bliss, or a total merger with the Universal Energy.​ Many, including myself, hesitate explaining this last step of Yoga, simply because it's pretty rare to arrive here. My own experience is limited and some would argue that had I truly achieved Samadhi, I’d no longer feel the need to partake in the regular mundane world. I would be questioned as to why I’m not living in an Ashram (Yoga school/temple) and dedicating my whole life towards meditation. However, I have transcended in samadhi (if you know, you know) and I chose to stay in the regular world to share yoga that is attainable for everyone. My encounters with Samadhi have been amazing. They usually come in small glimpses where any and all dualities of the world become obsolete, time is irrelevant and suffering transforms into bliss. Just like Dyhana, you have to refrain from chasing it, approach the experience with zero expectations and just allow it to flow into you. Experiences vary greatly for different people but one thing remains true to most, Samadhi resolves suffering, ie, meditation is the best medicine as it can be done by anyone with an able mind, at no charge and with no negative side effects. 

My top 3 tips for Meditative success is 

1. Start to sit, as in, practice sitting (I like the floor but any spot without backrest is good), and try, just try to quiet your mind (note your thoughts but don’t engage in them).
2. No expectations  (humbly surrender).
3. Trust your own experience (it might be vibrant or subtle, you might shake, vibrate, sing, speak in tongues, see and feel things you can’t explain).​

Meditation keeps bringing me closer to the innocent little girl I once was, and simultaneously keeps growing me into my most optimized true mature self. It is magic. If my endorsement isn’t enough, conduct a quick google search on “successful people who meditatie” and see what you find!

Hari OM