mantra for meditation

Many cultures and religions make use of mantras. One does not need to be a Hindu or a Buddhist
to make use of a particular mantra. Devotees of Christ may use the name Jesusor Hail Mary, or Mother of Jesus. Parsis, Sikhs and Muslims may select a name or mantra from the Zend Avesta, Granth Sahib, or Koran respectively. Their importance is to focus and concentrate the mind and to invoke the deity or healing power within the mantra.
Mantra  is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘the thought that liberates and protects’. Mantras are mystical combinations of sound that were realised by sages and rishis during stages of deep meditation. A mantra
is a word or group of words that contain powerful healing vibrations within the syllables of the words. It is
usually in the sacred language of ancient India, Sanskrit, but may also be in any language.
The chanting of mantras activates and accelerates the creative spiritual force, promoting harmony in all parts of the human being. The devotee is gradually converted into a living centre of spiritual vibration, which may be directed for the benefit ofthe one who uses it and for that of others.
During the early stages of Yogic practice, the chosen mantra has to be repeated over and over again with effort of will and full awareness. This  awareness and concentration prevents the mind from thinking of other things. Eventually after continuous and dedicated practice, the mantra is repeated automatically without strain or effort. The mantra spontaneously manifests itself and becomes an integral part of the mind. The mind vibrates with the sound  of the mantra. It becomes an integral part of the individual’s being and needs absolutely no conscious effort. It repeats itself spontaneously with every breath, day and night. This is a very powerful way  of approaching meditation states, for the mind is rendered calm and concentrated. The mantra acts as  a pathway between normal states of consciousness and super consciousness.
When using a mantra, repeat it mentally and co-ordinate the repetition with the breathing. If you
do not have a personal mantra, speak to your Yoga instructor, or Om may be used. Although mental
repetition is stronger, the mantra may be repeated  aloud if you become drowsy. Never change the
mantra unless instructed to do so. Repetition will  lead to pure thought, in which sound vibration joins
with thought vibration and there is no awareness ofmeaning. The following is a small selection of
mantras commonly used in the Himalayas:
Om -  Creator of the universe, this individual human spirit is one with the universal supreme
consciousness.
Om Ah Hum -  From the hearts of all the holy beings, may we receive thy blessings on our body, speech
and mind.
Om Mani Padme Hum - We pray for love, wisdom and compassion and may we all reach self-realization
like the jewel in the lotus.
Om Namah Shivaya- Salutations to Lord God Shiva, the seat of pure consciousness.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
Glory to the Lotus Sutra.
Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum -  Salutatons to great guru Padmasambhava, by your blessings and gifts
may we reach perfection and enlightenment.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram, Ram, Hare Hare
Through my deepest devotion to the Lord God Krishna, may I be free from karma and reach
enlightenment.

asana yoga

According to Maharishi Patanjali, asana is the third limb of Raja Yoga. In his famous work, The Yoga  Sutras, Patanjali gives a concise definition of asana: ‘Sthiram sukham aasanam’, meaning ‘that position which  is comfortable and steady’. In this context, asanas are practised  to develop the ability to sit comfortably in one position for an extended period of time, an ability necessary for mediation. Therefore in Raja Yoga, Patanjali equatesasana to the stable sitting position for meditation.
However, in Hatha Yoga it means something more. Thehatha yogis found that specific body positions open
the energy channels and psychic centres. They foundthat developing control of the body through these  practices enabled them to control the mind and energy. In theHatha Yoga Pradipika, Swami Swatmarama states thatasanas are tools to higher awareness, providing the stablefoundation necessary for the exploration of the body, breath, mind and higher states and should therefore be practiced first on the path towards spiritual progress.
Asana are basically a series of physical stretchesand steady postures that have been inspired by meditation
and the close examination of nature. Asanas work onall levels; physical, mental and spiritual. The body, mind and spirit can all become steady with the practice of asana. When held for sufficient periods of time, with deep concentration and awareness, they help to direct prana (vital life-force energy) to different parts ofthe body depending on which asana is being practiced. If practised regularly the whole system can be toned and  revitalised, resulting in radiant health.
Asanas exercise every part of the body, stretching  and toning the muscles and joints, the spine and the
entire skeletal system, working, not only on the body’s frame, but also on the internal organs, glandsand nerves, restoring all systems to radiant health. This also  allows the student to sit comfortably and relaxed for extended periods of time, promoting deeper meditation. Although many people practice asana only for physical health, they are primarily intended to prepare the body to sit in meditation, so that you can sit quietly and comfortably without pain or discomfort from the body. This allows you to focus the mind with one-pointed concentration.
A large part of the art and skill of asana, and your yoga practice in general, lies in sensing just how far to
move into a stretch. If you don’t go far enough there is no challenge to the muscles, no intensity, nostretch, and little possibility for opening. Going too far, however, is an obvious violation of the body, increasing the possibility of both physical pain and injury. Somewhere in between these two points is a degree of stretch that isin balance:
intensity without pain, use without abuse, strenuous without strain. You can experience this balance  in every
asana you do.
This place in the stretch is called your “edge.” The body’s edge in yoga is the place just before pain, but
not pain itself. Pain tells you where the limits ofyour physical conditioning lie. Edges are marked by pain and
define your limits. How far you can fold forward, for example, is limited by your flexibility edge, to go any further hurts and is actually counterproductive. The lengthof your stay in an asana is determined by your endurance edge.
Your interest in an asana is a function of your attention edge. The ideal state for practicing asana is to be as  willing and relaxed as possible, as non-resisting as possible, so that one part of you is not in opposition toanother.
You can then comfortably press you edges open. This practice becomes one of being relaxed and willing at your deeper edges, and this isn’t necessarily easy. It’s difficult to stay relaxed in the midst of a high-intensity stretch.
Erich Shiffmann suggests that sensing where your edges are and learning to hold the body there with
awareness, moving with its soft subtle shifts, can be called “playing the edge.” This is a large part of what you will be doing in your practice. Your skill in yoga has little to do with your degree of flexibility or where your edges happen to be. It about how sensitively you play your edges, no matter where they are.
This is a very freeing idea. Normally we have an idea of how the asana should be. We have a rough idea of
how deep we should be able to go into a stretch, what we should look like while we are there, and how  long we should be able to stay. We are often more aware of where we aren’t than of we where we are. This gap produces a feeling of conflict and frustration, that where you are and who you are is insufficient, and that if  you were truly doing yoga properly and were a good and evolved person, then you would be somewhere other than where you are. If this is the case, your yoga practice will be permeated with the effort of going somewhere else. It will be future orientated, the present being only a stepping stone to the future. And you will miss being present.
The main thing to understand is that there is no such thing as a completed or ideal position. Each posture
is an ever evolving, constantly moving energy phenomenon that is different form day to day, moment to moment, and person to person. The process of sensitively flirting with your edges and achieving perfect energyflow is not merely the means to achieve the pose, it is the pose. This is what the physical aspect of yoga is fundamentally all about. Your body is limited in its movement not only through its genetic makeup, but also through the conditionings that have accrued through the years.  Yoga is a way of exploring these limits. Your edgesand limits will change as a by-product of this exploration, you will change.

About Pranayama

The Sanskrit word pranayama literally means ‘control and regulation of the life force’. Prana or vital life-force is found in all forms, from the lowest to the highest, from the ant to the elephant, from an amoeba toa man, from the elementary form of plant life to the developed  form of animal life. It is prana that shines in your eyes. It is through the power of prana that the ears hear, the  eyes see, the skin feels, the tongue tastes, the nose smells, the mind thinks. In the smile on the face of a child, in the radiance of a fire, and in the fragrance of aflower, from the digestion of food to the melody in music, all theseand many more have their origins in prana.
Prana is supplied to human beings by food, water, air, solar energy, etc. The supply of prana to the body
and mind is particularly abundant in the breath andis received by the nervous system and nadis. The excess of prana is stored in the brain, chakras and nerve centres and is supplied to the body as required. prana is expended by thinking, talking, moving, writing, loss of semen, and so on. prana is the link between the physical and astral bodies.
When prana is cut off or absent, the astral body separates from the physical body resulting in death.
The prime purpose of pranayama is to absorb and store up as much prana as possible by the regular
practice of specific pranayama techniques, just as  the storage battery stores up electricity by regular charging.
The man who has in his store an amazingly large supply of prana radiates vitality and strength all around.By pranayama you can also increase mental energy and develop thought control and thought-culture. It is therefore extremely important to learn and perfect the techniques of controlling prana. This is achieved by the control ofthe breath with specific breathing exercises. If you can control the breath you can control the prana. If you can control the prana you can easily control the mind. This is because there is an intimate connection between the breath, the mind and prana.
If the breath is unsteady, the mind is unsteady. If the breath is steady and calm, the mind is steady  and calm. A steady mind is the prerequisite for concentration, meditation and spiritual evolution. However, just as it takes a long time, patience and perseverance to tame a lion, tiger or elephant, so to will you have to tame this prana gradually.
It is recommended that when visualizing the flow of prana, to feeling it as a stream of silver liquid,cool and
smooth. Feel its life-giving energy revitalizing and strengthening your mind, body and spirit as it travels around your entire being.
Patanjali Maharishi defines pranayama as follows: “Regulation of breath or the control of prana is the
stoppage of inhalation and exhalation, which follows after securing the steadiness of posture or seat.” But you do not have to wait for complete mastery of asana before practising pranayama. You can practice pranayamaand asana side by side. Each pranayama exercise consists of three distinct processes;
PURAKA  Inhalation of the breath
KUMBHAKA  Retention of the breath
RECHAKA  Exhalation of the breath
The ratio of puraka, kumbhaka and rechaka varies according to the strength and capacity of the
practitioner. Beginners should start very slowly increasing gradually over periods of months and years.

Suray Namaskar – Salutations to the Sun

The Sanskrit word surya means sun, and the word namaskar means salutations or worship. Therefore this
practice is known as salutations to the sun. It is  first mentioned in the Riga Veda and Yajur Veda, the ancient
scriptures of India. Surya namaskar is a dynamic sequence of twelve rhythmical and symmetrical positions that are
synchronized with the breathing. It is neither an asana nor a part of traditional Yoga. But because it is such a
wonderful practice it has been adopted into the techniques of Hatha Yoga by many teachers and gurus.
The sun has been adored since time immemorial. Ancient people worshipped the sun with awe, knowing
that the sun generates the heat and light necessaryto sustain life. They new that without it there would be no life.
But the sun was not only worshipped because of its  material nature and power. The sun itself is a symbol. It
symbolizes spiritual illumination, wisdom and knowledge, the light in the darkness of ignorance. It represents the essence, the spirituality which exists in all material things. The sun is a symbol of rebirth into spiritual consciousness and immortality, just as the sun dies each evening  so it is reborn each morning. The twelve cyclic positions of surya namaskar represent the twelve phases of the sun each year as it passes through each of the signs of the zodiac.
Recognising the symbolism of the sun is a stepping stone to spiritual awareness and peace.
It is recommended for practitioners to include surya namaskar as an essential and integral part of their Yoga
program. This is because it revitalizes the whole body, removes all signs of sleep and is excellent for preparing the body and mind so that maximum benefits can be derived from the subsequent asana, pranayama and meditation practices. It loosens all the joints, flexes all the muscles of the body, massages the internal organs, activates the respiratory and circulatory systems, as well as helping to tone all the other systems of the body, harmonizing the whole mind-body complex.

about kundalini

Latent cosmic energy known as Kundalini rests in the mooladhara chakra at the base of the spine, and is
symbolised by a sleeping snake. When all the nadis  are purified, when all the chakras are open, and when prana is flowing freely up along the sushumna nadi and throughout the body, this latent cosmic energy, also known as Shakti – primordial creative energy, may be awakened with  specific advanced yogic techniques. It rises through the other cha on top of the head and joins with Shiva – the seat of pure consciousness. When Shakti is permanently united with Shiva in sahasrara, it stimulates the dormant areas of the brain, resulting in the experience of higher planes of consciousness which is normally unobtainable. But the path of Kundalini does not stop here. However, Kundalini Yoga is beyond the scope of thishandbook. It has only been necessary to include this additional information in order for the student to  fully understand the ultimate goal of all yogas, which is self-realisation and union with the Divine.
After several years of practising Hatha Yoga serious spiritual students may wish to work towards the
awakening of Kundalini and spiritual enlightenment.This is a very difficult process, requiring extreme discipline and proper guidance from an experienced teacher. It could take several lifetimes to achieve. Kundalini Yoga is for advanced students only and should never be attempted without guidance from a qualified instructor.

Meditation - yoga

Yoga is a practical system for personal development that helps you return you body and mind to health, and promote harmony in your daily life. This is achieved by developing a personal discipline so sure and a spirit so true that one can afford to be utterly spontaneous. By reaching such a state of deliberateness without effort, one can permanently be in the present moment, completely mindful of all thought, speech and action. The philosophy of yoga teaches that with this profound awareness and devotion to the goal of enlightenment and nirvana, we can release ourselves from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth and transcend to the
higher levels of existence. Meditation is an important part of this process and should always be practiced at the end of your yoga session. Meditation is awareness. The main difference between the different meditation philosophies and therapies around today is the object of concentration that allows us to develop this awareness. A yogi may use Om or a candle, a Buddhist may use the breath, Zen uses contemplations on nature and emptiness to discover the ultimate truth. These basic concentration and awareness techniques allow us to notice the qualities of the mind and how it works. We discover for ourselves the subtleties and impermanence of this mind, this body, this life, this universe. We realize that the mind is made up of wants, desires, judgements, plannings, measurings, etc. Seeing the scope of our wanting shows us how deeply and subtly dissatisfaction has created our personal world, and this seeing frees us from much grasping, from thinking that all our wants have to be satisfied, that we have to compulsively respond to everything that arises in our mind. We see that things can be a certain way without needing to be acted upon or judged or even pushed aside. They can simply be observed. When there is wanting in the mind, that moment feels incomplete.
Wanting is seeking elsewhere. Completeness is being right here, right now. When we experience the depth of wanting in the mind there follows a great joy. This is because we see how wanting obscures the present, with its reaching and desiring forthat which we do not have now. When we let go of this wanting we realize that there does n’t need to be anything to grasp for, or
hold on to. We can simply be. To realize that there is nothing to hold onto that brings lasting satisfaction shows us there is nowhere to go and nothing to have and nothing to be – and that’s freedom! Allowing us to strive towards our goals and dreams with wisdom and love, without expectation or attachment to the outcome.
When you are hurrying around too quickly, there is a part of the world you can not see. If for example, you
are taking the wrong direction in life, it is only  when you stop and look at things clearly that you can revise your direction and take a more proper course. In order to find ourselves, we’ve got to learn to stop.
This is meditation. Training the mind to liberate itself from wanting and desire, to be content in themoment,
with non-attachment, accepting the ever changing universe as it is. This is inner peace. Being mindfulin the present moment, experiencing each and every moment with full awareness. This is true happiness. This is true health. And this you can not buy with all the money in the world. This you must experience for yourself, with regular training and the daily practice of techniques such as yoga and meditation.
Traditionally, Hatha Yoga is based on the principle that one can become aware of higher states of mind by
manipulating the different forces and systems in the physical body. Any stimulation or manipulation of the nervous system will surely have an effect on the mind, for  all the nerves in the body are directly or indirectly connected to the brain. The concentration techniques of Hatha Yoga are aimed at purifying and preparing the mind for the higher stages of meditation attainted through other forms of yoga.
In yoga, the aim of practicing meditation is to awaken the dormant areas of the brain. Initially meditation
brings peace and calm to your life. But perseverance and dedicated practice will lead to a deep sense  of self-awareness, super-conscious and a super-human state of illumination and enlightenment.
You have within yourself tremendous powers and latent faculties of which you have never really had any
conception. If want to you awaken these dormant powers and faculties you must practice Hatha Yoga for  many years, in order for sushumna nadi to flow. You must develop your will and control your senses and mind. You must purify your whole being and practice regular meditation.
Meditation begins with the withdrawal and emancipation of the mind from the control of the senses. This
is known as pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses.  The next stage is concentration exercises known as  dharana. Concentration is holding the mind on to a particular object for a defined length of time. Concentration merges into meditation. This stage is called dhyana. Meditation is the unbroken flow of thought of the object. During meditation all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. With regular practice the layers of the mind are peeled away, allowing you to discover for yourself deeper realmsof consciousness, transcending the mental and physical worlds.
These techniques take you to the inner most recesses of the soul. The fruit of meditation is pure consciousness and complete absorption with the Divine. This state is  known as Samadhi, where there is no separation, no  duality between You - the individual human spirit, and the  Supreme Universal Spirit, known as God. You are One with the Universe.

Origins of Yoga

A long, long time ago in the Himalayan kingdom of Tibet, legend has it that the goddess Parvati
was so distressed by all the human suffering in theworld that she climbed to the top of Mount Kailash, to
the abode of the snows, where Lord Shiva was seatedin deep meditation. She pleaded with him to teach
her the divine science of self-realization, so thatshe could then teach and help the suffering, ignorant and
evil people of the world. Thus Lord Shiva gave Parvati the first teachings of yoga - the path to
enlightenment and liberation. This ancient wisdom was recorded in the Tantric and Yogic Shastras, sacred
text of the Vedas, giving guidance for peaceful, holistic and spiritual living. It was passed down from guru
to student for thousands of years and on to our present day teachers. Yoga is the oldest personal
development system in the world, encompassing mind,body and soul.

Introduction to Yoga

            Yoga is a practical system and universal philosophy designed to help you return you body and mind to radiant health, promoting peace and harmony in your daily life. This is achieved by regularly practicing yogic techniques in a systematic and progressive way. Under the guidance of an experienced yoga instructor you can develop a personal discipline that trains the mind  and body to become healthy and live in balance and  harmony.
Most of the yoga styles taught today throughout the western world are variations of Hatha Yoga which involves stretching, breathing and relaxation techniques. This purifies the mind and body in preparation for meditation, which can lead to enlightenment.
             Modern yoga was influenced by the great yogi masters Sri Tirumalai Krisnamacharya and Swami Sivananda Saraswati. Born in Mysore, India in 1888, Krisnamacharya is considered the father of modern yoga and is responsible for pioneering the refinement of postures sequences combined with breath control. B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois both studied with Krisnamacharya as well as his own son T.K.V. Desikachar, going on to develop their own famous styles.
             Swami Sivananda was born in Tamil Nadu, India in 1887. He became a medical doctor and served in Malay. After receiving yogic instruction from a wandering  monk he set up hospitals for the sick and needy in Rishikesh, as well as ashrams for the study of yoga and Vedanta. Two of his most famous students Swami Vishnu-Devananda and Swami Satyananda Saraswati later went on to expand  the philosophy of Sivananda Yoga forming their own  yoga centres and universities around the world.
            Although popular belief is that the Sanskrit word  yoga refers to union between body, mind and spirit,the traditional acceptance is union between the jivatman and paramatman, that is between one's individual consciousness and the Universal Consciousness. Therefore, yoga refers to a certain state of consciousness as well as to methods that help one reach that goal or state of union with the divine. The true meaning of yoga is to bring about this change using systematic purification of  the mind and body through moral, spiritual physicaland mental discipline. There are many techniques that can help you to attain this goal (read Bhagavad Gita, Dhammapada, Upanishads, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Bible, Koran,etc) and therefore as many different yogas, e.g. Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raj Yoga which includes  Tantra, Hatha, Asthanga, and Kundalini. Swami Sivananda recognized that every human being possesses and identifies with each of the following elements in different ways:
Intellect, heart, body and mind. He therefore advocated everyone to emphasize the practice of certain  yogas over others, combining Hatha Yoga other forms of yoga such as Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga, in accordance with individual temperament and taste.
                T.K.V. Desikachar states that each of us has a different starting point depending on temperament,
constitution and capacity. We begin where we are and how we are, and whatever happens, happens. We should not compare or compete with others. We should celebrate our individuality and accept our personal starting point. The actual practice of yoga takes each person in a different direction. Each of us is required to pay careful attention to the direction we are taking, so that we know were we are going and how we are going to get there. This careful observation will allow us to discover something new about ourselves. When we gain more understanding of ourselves and reach a point we have personally never been before, that is yoga. The more we progress, the more we become aware of the holistic nature of our being, realizing that we are made of body, breath, mind, and more. If we are to become complete human beings we must incorporate all aspects of ourselves, emphasizing all aspects of human life, including our relationships with others, our behavior, our health, our breathing, and our meditation.
Progress on the path of Yoga depends on various physical and mental qualifications in an individual that have to be gradually cultivated and awakened. All these qualifications are listed in a yogic text called the Gherand Samita. They are; body purification, steadiness of the body, determination, patience, lightness of the body and mind, direct perception, detachment, and to be unaffected by the woes of the world and life. These practices and experiences are the means to achieve perfection. Yoga helps to develop these required qualifications in the aspirant, enabling him or her to progress along the path to perfection, allowing men, women and children of all ages to reach their full potential. This may objective may only be achieved if there is balance and harmony between mind and body. Swami Sivananda taught that to live harmoniously the mind, body and spirit must develop in a balanced  way according to individual temperament and capacity. This all helps to make the purification process deep-rooted and ensure success. Swami Vishnu-Devananda summarized the vast science of yoga into five points: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet and proper thinking and meditation. Following these simple points will make a positive change in all areas of your life.
Yoga is an evolutionary process and, like nature, if you study it long enough, you will come to understand
that change is not a choice, it happens, and over time you are different. With patience, gentleness and
determination yoga can make this change a positive  one. Yoga introduces us to ways of seeing that create
opportunities for us to recognize ourselves better.Yoga helps each of us to attain what was previously unobtainable. Therefore practice yoga everyday, if possible under the guidance of a qualified yoga instructor. Yoga  is a journey of self-realization and self-discovery that cannot be  bought by the hour. It must be earned through diligent self-practice. It cannot be given in a book or lecture; you must experience it for yourself.