Meditation
MEDITATION means to look within your mind, to feel the bliss. Bliss is the ESSENCE OF YOUR EXISTENCE. Bliss is within you, within everybody, and within everything.
Meditation is an essential tool for self-transformation and spiritual development
Meditation actually begins with the subconscious mind and it is an advanced practice of yoga
In regular classes for beginners and intermediate students of yoga, only the first three limbs of Patanjali´s Ashtanga Yoga are practiced
The remaining five are taught only to serious students at advanced levels
PRATYAHARA – the 5th Limb of Patanjali´s Ashtanga Yoga – withdrawal of mind, withdrawal of the senses
Is important to withdraw the mind first before we practice meditation. Because our senses our moving outward (we are seeing things, hearing, tasting, touching….)
The mind is taking out, to take back what was given out, that´s the meaning of the word pratyahara
That is why the posture for meditation is ESSENTIAL! Limbs should not be stretched out! It will be not helpful for pratyahara.
The Lotus pose is the best pose for meditation, do not force it tho, is dangerous! That is also why we practice asanas, to be prepared for sitting in meditation – for example, hip opening poses, preparing for lotus pose.
OBSTACLES IN MEDITATION
- the 1st obstacle in meditation is your body – it will hurt, ache, pain, itch…
- the 2nd obstacle is the mind and thoughts, in the beginning, it seems like we have so many thoughts, but we do not, we are just aware of them, is like cleaning a house
DHARANA – the 6th limb of Patanjali´s Ashtanga Yoga. Dharana means concentration, focusing on the chakra, on the mantra, and is required for the next step – dhyana, preparation for dhyana
DHYANA – the 7th limb of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga – meditation in the real sense of the term
SAMADHI – the 8th limb of Patanjali´s Ashtanga Yoga – absorption in the object of meditation, oneness, and sameness, to be the same as consciousness
Samadhi is not a practice, is a final result, the final goal of previous practices
SAMADHI IS A STATE OF YOGA, A STATE OF UNION
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