MEDITATION

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MEDITATION BY AMLAN ROY CHOWDHURY
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A SHORT HISTORY

• The history of meditation goes back many
  thousands of years into antiquity itself. As part
  of the system of Yoga the principles were
  divinely received by the Rishis, (illumined sages
  of India) as a means of self salvation, allowing
  man a path back to union again with his divine
  creator, God.
• According to Patanjali Yoga Sutra, MEDITATION is
  the seventh step towards spiritualism, and the
  eighth step being the samadhiUnion with the
  creator

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SO WHAT IS MEDITATION ?

• Meditation is a practice of concentrated focus
  upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath,
  movement, or attention itself in order to
  increase awareness of the present moment,
  reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance
  personal and spiritual growth.

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SO, IF YOU ARE WONDERING, WHY DO WE ..?
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Video by QuakerVille via YouTube
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Video by 101408blogspot via YouTube
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BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

• 1.Meditation benefits people with or without
  acute medical illness or stress
• .2. People who meditate regularly have been shown
  to feel less anxiety and depression.
• 3. They also report that they experience more
  enjoyment and appreciation of life and that their
  relationships with others are improved.

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BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

• 4. Meditation produces a state of deep relaxation
  and a sense of balance or equanimity.
• According to Her Holiness MAA SHREE "Meditation
  cultivates an emotional stability that allows the
  meditator to experience intense emotions fully
  while simultaneously maintaining perspective on
  them." Out of this experience of emotional
  stability, one may gain greater insight and
  understanding about one's thoughts, feelings, and
  actions. This insight in turn offers the
  possibility to feel more confident and in control
  of life.
• 5. Meditation facilitates a greater sense of
  calmness, empathy, and acceptance of self and
  others.

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BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

• Increases situational awareness
• Reduces stress
• Makes you more positive in attitude
• Teaches to be more objective
• One is more energetic, mental faculties are
  sharper,
• Problems dont seem problems anymore. Attitude
  changes.

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• DETAIL BENEFITS WILL BE DISCUSSED LATER AFTER
  EXPLAINING THE PROCESS OF MEDITATION.
• THE RELEVANCE OF THE BENEFITS WILL THEN BE EASY
  TO GRASP.

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RELEVANCE OF MEDITATION
RELEVANCE
BENEFITS
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TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION
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108 Meditation Techniques
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MANTRA MEDITATION

• Mantra, literally meaning 'revealed sound', means
  a sound or combination of sounds which develop
  spontaneously. In mantra meditation, specific
  sounds are repeated (japa) to achieve a
  meditative state .
• Transcendental Meditation (TM) introduced by
  Maharshi Mahesh Yogi is also a form of Mantra
  Meditation where the participants are provided
  their personal Mantra.
• AUM, as a word, is a beautiful and wonderful
  mantra as it has a resonance which immediately
  transports oneself into a meditative state.

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STEADY GAZE ( TRATAKA ) MEDITATION

• Trataka ( to gaze steadily) has been followed by
  most religious systems including Christianity and
  Sufism. In Trataka, a steady gaze is performed on
  an object. While, it strictly comes under the
  category of a yoga cleansing technique, effective
  trataka practice takes one to the shores of
  meditation..
• .
•  

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Method In this a regular candle is used, however
any other object of choice can be used. The
candle is set up at an arm's distance, level with
eyes, and steady gazing is first done with the
eyes open. After some time, the eyes are closed,
and the after image of the flame is 'gazed at'
with eyes closed at the eye brow center. Try not
to move through out the practice. Relax your
breath , let it lengthen, deepen
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VIPASANA MEDITATION

• It is usually done in a course of 10 days, when
  the participants refrain from reading, writing,
  and even talking (except discussing difficulties
  faced during meditation with the teacher). Set
  aside 15 minutes. Find a quiet place. Sit down
  cross-legged on the floor or a chair with a
  straight back. Become aware of your breath. Take
  a mental note of whatever feeling you are
  experiencing. Open your eyes slowly after 10 or
  15 minutes and get up gradually. Do not worry if
  you do not get any great insights in your first
  session. Try to be aware of your senses and
  emotions and their impact on you.

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ZEN MEDITATION
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Sit on the forward third of a chair or a cushion
on the floor. Arrange your legs in a position you
can maintain comfortably. In the half-lotus
position, place your right leg on your left
thigh. In the full lotus position, put your feet
on opposite thighs. You may also sit simply with
your legs tucked in close to your body, but be
sure that your weight is distributed on three
points both of your knees on the ground and your
buttocks on the round cushion. On a chair, keep
your knees apart about the width of your
shoulders, feet firmly planted on the floor.
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Take a deep breath, exhale fully, and take
another deep breath, exhaling fully. With proper
physical posture, your breathing will flow
naturally into your lower abdomen. Breathe
naturally, without judgement or trying to breathe
a certain way. Keep your attention on your breath
whilst practicing this zen meditation. When your
attention wanders, bring it back to the breath
again and again -- as many times as necessary!
Remain as still as possible, following your
breath and returning to it whenever thoughts
arise.
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Be fully, vitally present with yourself. Simply
do your very best. At the end of your sitting
period, gently swing your body from right to left
in increasing arcs. Stretch out your legs, and be
sure they have feeling before standing. Practice
easy Zen meditation every day for at least ten to
fifteen minutes (or longer) and you will discover
for yourself the treasure house of the timeless
life of zazen -- your very life itself.
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THE ACTUAL EASY PROCESS

• First, Sit Upright
• Relax the Body
• Breathe Evenly
• Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Hold the
  breath for eight more counts, then exhale slowly
  to the same count. Without pausing, inhale again
  hold exhale, each to the count of eight. 
• This is called the Measured Breathing
  Exercise. Repeat it three to six times.
• You can vary the count according to your
  lung capacity, but always keep it equal during
  inhalation, holding, and exhalation. Finish your
  practice by inhaling deeply, then exhaling
  completely.

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The AUM Technique of Concentration Now wait
for the next breath to come in of its own accord.
When it does, mentally say AUM pronounced as
OM. This time, dont hold the breath, but exhale
naturally. As you do, mentally say AUM
again AUM is an ancient Sanskrit mantra
(a mantra is a word, syllable, or group of
syllables, which can convey spiritual power when
pronounced correctly, often with repetition).It
is the primordial sound signifying the universe.
It means I am He or I am Spirit. Try to feel
that your breath itself is silently making the
sounds of AUM
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Make no attempt to control your breath. Simply
observe it as it flows in and out naturally. In
the beginning you may be mostly aware of the
physical manifestation of the breathing process
as your diaphragm and chest expand and
contract. As your breath grows calmer, however,
try to become aware of its flow in the nostrils,
then gradually transfer your awareness higher and
higher in the nasal passages. With the eyes
closed, turn your gaze upward to the point midway
between the eyebrows within your forehead.
Concentrate there. This is the seat of spiritual
consciousness in the body, also called the
spiritual eye, or Christ Center. In time, try to
feel the flow of the breath near the spiritual
eye within your forehead. Keep your gaze steady
at the point between the eyebrows throughout your
practice. Dont allow your eyes to follow the
movement of the breath. If you find that your
mind has wandered, gently bring it back to an
awareness of the breath and the mantra.
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PRAY

• Begin your meditation with a prayer. This will
  help you remember why you are meditating! You
  will also be inviting the Divine, or your Higher
  Self, to help you in your practice.

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SIT PERFECTLY STILL

• Moving your body even slightly sends the energy
  into the muscles. The purpose of yoga is to
  withdraw that energy inward and upward, to the
  brain. Thus, any physical movement during
  meditation will counteract your meditative
  effort.
• To keep yourself from fidgeting, try to think of
  your body as a rock solid and unmoving. Refuse
  to move for the first five minutes of meditation,
  and you will find that your body will grow calm
  of its own accord.
• Your physical and mental restlessness will
  subside the longer you sit still. A glass of
  muddy water will become clear in time if its
  undisturbed. The same is true for us!

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DO NOT CONTROL YOUR BREATH

• After the preliminary breathing exercises, you
  should cease any effort to control the breath.
  Let it flow naturally. You may notice that the
  pauses between the inhalation and exhalation are
  gradually becoming longer.
• Enjoy these pauses, for they are a glimpse of the
  deep state of advanced meditation. As you grow
  very calm, your breath may become so shallow, and
  the pauses so prolonged, that it hardly seems
  necessary to breathe at all.
• Do not be alarmed. This is good!

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HOW LONG TO MEDITATE

• It is entirely up to you. Make sure, however, to
  allow enough time after the aum practice to sit
  still and enjoy the calm meditative state.

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WHERE TO MEDITATE

• If possible, set aside an area that is used
  exclusively for meditation. In time it will
  become saturated with spiritual vibrations. A
  small room, a corner of your bedroom, or even
  closet can suffice, as long as it is well
  ventilated.
• Keep it simple. All you really need is a chair or
  small cushion to sit on, and perhaps a small
  altar. Face East if possible, and place a wool or
  silk blanket on the floor to insulate your body
  from the subtle magnetic currents of the earth.

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PROPER MEDITATION POSTURE

• In addition to sitting on a straight-backed
  chair, there are other ways of sitting that are
  appropriate for mediation. You can sit on the
  floor in any of the several poses cross-legged,
  half-lotus pose, or full-lotus pose.
• Two things, however, are essential your spine
  must be straight, and you must be able to relax
  completely without slouching.

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BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

• .
• PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS
• PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS
• SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

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PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS

• 1- It lowers oxygen consumption.
• 2- It decreases respiratory rate.
• 3- It increases blood flow and slows the heart
  rate.
• 4- Increases exercise tolerance.
• 5- Leads to a deeper level of physical
  relaxation.
• 6- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the levels
  of blood lactate.
• 7- Decreases muscle tension
• 9- Helps in chronic diseases like allergies,
  arthritis etc.

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PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS CONT

• 10- Reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome symptoms.
• 11- Helps in post-operative healing.
• 12- Enhances the immune system.
• 13- Reduces activity of viruses and emotional
  distress
• 14- Enhances energy, strength and vigour.
• 15- Helps with weight loss
• 16- Reduction of free radicals, less tissue
  damage
• 17- Higher skin resistance

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PHYSIOLOGICAL.

• 18- Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk of
  cardiovascular disease.
• 19- Improved flow of air to the lungs resulting
  in easier breathing.
• 20- Decreases the aging process.
• 21- Higher levels of DHEAS (Dehydroepiandrosterone
  )
• 22- prevented, slowed or controlled pain of
  chronic diseases
• 23- Makes you sweat less
• 24- Cure headaches migraines
• 25- Greater Orderliness of Brain Functioning

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PHYSIOLOGICAL.

• 26- Normalizes to your ideal weight
• 27- harmonizes our endocrine system
• 28- relaxes our nervous system
• 29- produce lasting beneficial changes in brain
  electrical activity
• 30- Cure infertility (the stresses of infertility
  can interfere with the release of hormones that
  regulate ovulation).

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PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS

• 31- Builds self-confidence.
• 32- Increases serotonin level, influences mood
  and behaviour.
• 33- Resolve phobias fears
• 34- Helps control own thoughts
• 35- Helps with focus concentration
• 36- Increase creativity
• 37- Increased brain wave coherence.
• 38- Improved learning ability and memory.
• 39- Increased feelings of vitality and
  rejuvenation.
• 40- Increased emotional stability.
• 41- improved relationships

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PSYCHOLOGICAL..

• 42- Improved relations at home at work
• 43- Able to see the larger picture in a given
  situation
• 44- Helps ignore petty issues
• 45- Increased ability to solve complex problems
• 46- Purifies your character
• 47- Develop will power
• 48- greater communication between the two brain
  hemispheres
• 49- react more quickly and more effectively to a
  stressful event.
• 50- increases ones perceptual ability and motor
  performance
• 51- higher intelligence growth rate
• 52- Increased job satisfaction

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PSYCHOLOGICAL..

• 53- increase in the capacity for intimate contact
  with loved ones
• 54-decrease in potential mental illness
• 55- Better, more sociable behaviour
• 56- Less aggressiveness
• 57- Helps in quitting smoking, alcohol addiction
• 58- Reduces need and dependency on drugs, pills
  pharmaceuticals
• 59- Need less sleep to recover from sleep
  deprivation
• 60- Require less time to fall asleep, helps cure
  insomnia

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SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

• 61- Helps keep things in perspective
• 62- Provides peace of mind, happiness
• 63- Helps you discover your purpose
• 64- Increased self-actualization.
• 65- Increased compassion
• 66- Growing wisdom
• 67- Deeper understanding of yourself and others
• 68- Brings body, mind, spirit in harmony
• 69- Deeper Level of spiritual relaxation
• 70- Increased acceptance of oneself
• 71- helps learn forgiveness

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SPIRITUAL.

• 72- Changes attitude toward life
• 73- Creates a deeper relationship with your God
• 74- Attain enlightenment
• 75- greater inner-directedness
• 76- Helps living in the present moment
• 77- Creates a widening, deepening capacity for
  love
• 78- Discovery of the power and consciousness
  beyond the ego

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PRESENTATION FROMTHE POWER WITHIN YOU BY AMLAN
ROY CHOWDHURY

• WISHING YOU ALL A HEALTHY,PHYSICAL,PSYCHOLOGICAL
  AND SPIRITUAL LIFE