To get started it is important to choose proper place and time. Although in principle any place is good, a quiet room in the house or a quiet corner in a room is desirable. Even for seasoned practitioners it is difficult to meditate in a noisy environment. As to the time early morning is the best period when the body and mind are rested and fresh; evenings are the next choice. As with exercises it is better to do meditation before eating. Once the time is chosen meditation should become a daily habit and be observed with strict regularity. After sometime it will become a part of everyday routine like brushing teeth or taking shower. The next thing to choose is the body posture. Sitting is the most logical choice but there are varieties of sitting posture that can be adopted. Each posture has its distinct influence on the state of the body and mind. Some may deride the significance of postures but the body is a complex electromagnetic system and each posture characterizes a different state of this system. However, for beginners the main consideration should be to keep the body erect and muscles relaxed. No external support should be used; the essence of meditation is self-support. The energy channels in the body run along the spine so the back must be straight in order for these channels to be unobstructed. A simple posture is sitting with crossed legs with the hands placed one over the other. But any posture can be chosen; the important thing to remember is to keep the back straight and feel comfortable. Anytime we read or hear about meditation the word relaxation comes up as a corollary. Relaxation and peace of mind are sometimes stated as outcome of meditation and we seem to get into a dilemma as to which comes first. The prerequisite for meditation is the relaxation of the body, the muscles. Relaxation as a benefit of meditation is of the entire self. As a beginner one need not even make a conscious effort to relax the body. As the practice continues the relaxation extends into the daily life beyond the minutes spent in the actual meditation sessions. In order to feel relaxed it is necessary to immerse the entire being into the process of meditation. Most of our worries and anxieties are related to the limitations of space and time. We think of the past and the future, of where we have been and where we will be. We rarely grasp the present or what is. To meditate is to be aware of the present every moment. Everyone at sometime or other has experienced the enchanting power of the beauty of nature - a beautiful sunset, a serene sunrise, or even flowers in open fields. At these times we go beyond the confines of space and time because we become detached observers. This is exactly what happens and should happen in meditation; the time is not fleeting, the space is not confined, since you are watching the present and have created an infinite mental space. The object of meditation, whether it is a part of the body or just breath going in and out, is just an object to observe. Meditation starts with awareness and concentration. Everyone has these qualities, they are needed in day to day life. In meditation these are honed and developed to their optimum level. All forms of meditation first rely on some object of concentration, which need not be physical. A common one for beginners is the breath. Breathing is the focal point of our existence and the most basic experience of life. Yet it is extremely subtle as it reflects the state of the body as well as of the mind. The awareness of breathing brings in the awareness of our whole being. As we sit down for meditation we focus our attention on breathing by observing the sensation produced by it - the sensation of air coming in and going out of the nostrils or the rise and fall of the abdomen. We observe the process as an onlooker. Initially it may be helpful to count in and out breath up to five or ten and keep repeating. Soon this watching of breath becomes an awareness exercise. Contemplation of breath is the first step to any healing exercise. It helps to calm ourselves and develop concentration, which enable us to regulate the flow of energy needed for healing. Any activity in life requires concentration. Although everyone has the ability to concentrate, it requires constant practice and training to develop it to a high degree of efficiency. The mind has a natural tendency to wander, thoughts are constantly passing through it. When we try to focus it on something, for example, breathing, it does not want to stay there. It is best not to force it back, since this produces a sense of conflict instead of harmony. Try to work on it to bring it back slowly and gently, eventually it will stay there. Another way of developing concentration is to make the mind blank devoid of any thought. It is like watching a blank screen or vast open sky and gives a feeling of expansion and ultimately of merging with the infinite. When we develop concentration the mind is no longer analyzing and discriminating, it is just observing. We then learn to live in the present moment by moment. This implies giving ourselves entirely to whatever we are doing and it brings confidence. Self-confidence is especially important for healing since it helps to develop a positive outlook in regard to the problem. Our perception of things as good or bad is created by the mind based on our background and conditioning. The attitude that we develop towards a thing or event depends on that perception. However, we can recondition the mind to change the attitude, to look for positive in negatives. Even disease and suffering have their positive aspects; they make us recognize our strengths and weaknesses. Nothing in life stands still, everything changes. If we learn to view change as positive, we can use our inner resources to overcome any adversity. The problem of turning negative into positive is not a matter of the mind only. We must feel the transformation. When we see beautiful scenery it is not the visual sensation that enthralls us, it is the feeling in the heart that does it. It is the same way with healing meditation. The object of healing should not be just seen or visualized but felt; the thinking mind takes back seat to the feeling heart. As we visualize the imagery, we must feel the process with our heart and watch the progress. Any progress, however small has a positive contribution. If we learn to recognize and appreciate it, it becomes a stepping stone to further progress. Everyone possesses physical and spiritual energy in abundance; it is the capacity to awaken and harness this energy that differs from person to person. In meditation we try to visualize this energy as concentrated at some point in the body and direct it to the other parts as needed. The visualization can take any form consistent with the image of the energy source. In the case of a normal healthy body the energy is directed uniformly to all parts, in case of an abnormality it is directed primarily on the part to be healed. This is the approach followed in kundalini yoga. There are other approaches equally appropriate and beneficial, the details can be obtained in many books on healing meditation. Even in kundalini meditation the visualization may differ depending upon personal preference and background. Some prefer to see the energy centers as point sources of light or heat, others may identify them with basic elements like air, water, fire etc. Matter, energy, force - these are all interrelated concepts. We are constantly immersed in force fields and our very existence depends on them. Gravitational field and electromagnetic field in the form of solar and cosmic radiation are all around us. The energy within us is derived from and is a part of this vast external source. Thus the power of the mind and the energy available to it is, in principle, unlimited. Exercises. In the context of yoga as therapy the exercises are an extension of meditation. Breathing exercises in particular follow the same pattern and are meant to keep the body healthy, which is a prerequisite for a healthy mind. As in meditation the exercises can be used to correct physiological disorders. Earlier we discussed the question of posture in connection with meditation. The posture assumes a much greater significance in exercises. The body is a highly complex electromagnetic system with myriad of electric and magnetic current elements interacting with each other. Any subtle change in the body position alters the configuration of these elements. There is no way of making physical measurements to prove or disprove this statement but based on experience it seems reasonable. The postures for breathing exercises are more diverse but in the context of therapy the sitting posture is the most common. Even in sitting posture there are variations in the position of the arms, hands, and fingers; they all make difference. The exercises described here are the ones I have been doing for years introducing modifications as needed for healing or otherwise. Years ago when I first came across the statement that yoga is a living science, I did not comprehend its significance. Later when I started modifying them to suite my purpose, I realized what it meant. Within the general guidelines it is possible to introduce variations in these exercises for specific needs especially for correcting physiological disorders. The basic exercise consists of inhaling, holding, and exhaling; exhaling should always be complete and slightly longer than inhaling, holding is momentary in most of these exercises. The recommended posture is sitting in a kneel-down position with the seat resting between the heels but not touching the floor; the knees should be about six inches apart. In this posture the back is naturally straight. However, if this posture cannot be maintained, any comfortable sitting posture is good as long as the back is kept straight. The hands are placed on the knees. For the first three exercises the hands are spread with palms up. Begin with all fingers stretched, then make a loop with the tip of the fore finger and the thumb touching in each hand while the other three fingers remain stretched. Do the breathing exercise in this position at least five times. Next move the tip of the forefinger to the first joint on the thumb; the exercise is repeated the same way in each variation. Then move the tip of the forefinger to the base of the thumb. For the next set of exercises make the palms face down. Again make a loop with the forefinger and thumb as before. Next with the loop still in place close the other fingers forming a partial fist. Then form a closed fist with the thumb under the other fingers. In all these three variations the palm faces down and stays on the knee. In the last variant put the fists back to back in the lap with the palms up. The breathing should be deep but relaxed and the duration should be stretched as much as possible. These exercises are not at all strenuous. The first modification that can be introduced is pulling up the anus while inhaling and relaxing it while exhaling. This exercises the sphincter muscles and also has other benefits. The next modification involves regulating the airflow into the lungs. When you start these exercises you soon realize that it is possible to direct the air intake predominantly to one lung or the other. If the air is directed primarily to the left lung during deep inhaling, the heart gets subjected to a massaging action. This can be beneficial as a preventive measure or even as a therapy. The other modifications take us back to kundalini and the energy centers. For disorders in the pelvic region locking of the lowest energy center during inhaling and holding is very helpful; in this case the breath should be held for a few seconds before exhaling. At the same time contract the muscles around this center and pull them up towards the navel, which makes the exercise somewhat strenuous. As one progresses the feeling of strain diminishes. The next stage of modification combines an element of mediation with the exercise. While the center lock is in place visualize the kundalini rising successively through the centers and finally to the highest center below the crown; during exhaling visualize the reverse process of the energy descending through the centers down to the one in the navel region and make it stay there. The channel for this downward flow of energy is different from that for the upward flow. These exercises are general but can be adapted to a specific disease by spending more time on the center that supplies energy to the affected part of the body. The breathing exercises are good for anyone and for general physical well being. The energy center lock is beneficial for any disorder in the pelvic region for both men and women. These exercises can be effective both as therapy and as preventive care. Although we may not exactly know what causes a particular disease, it is reasonable to assume that any measure that can cure an ailment should also be able to prevent its occurrence. However, apart from major diseases there are many minor ailments that make people miserable, men and women alike. Arthritis is a perfect example. Commercials for pain relievers for this disease seem to flash on the TV screen all the time. But the medicines do not cure arthritis; they only lull the mind into believing that there is no pain. Yet there are simple exercises that can cure arthritis without any side effects, as is invariably the case with drugs. These exercises can even prevent the onset of the disease and they take only a few minutes per day. All persons beyond a certain age are susceptible to arthritis and a few minutes of exercise a day can keep it away. Of course exercises cannot cure the disease if it has progressed beyond a certain point; one has to act well before that. Meditation and exercises can go a long way in keeping the body healthy if a person has the will power to perform with consistency and regularity. |
