yoga meditation: the supreme guide to self-realization

YOGAMEDITATION

YOGAMEDITATIONSTILLYOURMINDANDAWAKENYOURINNERSPIRIT

STEPHENSTURGESS

ThisbookisdedicatedtomyguruParamhansaYogananda(1893–1952),whobroughtthesupremetechniqueofKriyaYoga

meditationtotheWest.

“Thewholeheartedpracticeofmeditationbringsdeepbliss.Thisever-newblissisnotbornofdesire;it

manifestsitselfbythemagiccommandofyourinner,intuitive-borncalmness.Manifestthisserenity

always.”

ParamhansaYogananda

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

WHATISTRUEHAPPINESS?TheYogaofMeditation

KriyaYogaandtheImportanceofMeditationTheJourneyWithin

CHAPTER1

THEEIGHTLIMBSOFYOGAIntroductiontotheEightLimbs

Yama–self-restraintsNiyama–fixedobservances

Asana–yogaposturePranayama–regulationoflife-forcethroughthebreath

Pratyahara–withdrawingthemindfromthesensesDharana–concentration

Dhyana–meditationSamadhi–divineunion

CHAPTER2

THEINTERNALENERGYSYSTEMTheThreeBodiesandFiveSheaths

ThePhysicalBodyTheAstralBody

TheCausalBodyTheChakras

CosmicEnergyTheSevenChakras

TheNadisSushumna

IdaandPingalaKundalini

CHAPTER3

PREPARINGFORPRACTICEPreliminariesforPractice

TheArtofSittingforMeditationMudras

Bandhas

CHAPTER4ASANAPRACTICE

WarmingupSunSalutationSequence

EnergizingMorningSequenceRelaxingEveningSequence

CoolDownSequence

CHAPTER5PURIFICATIONPRACTICE

NadiShodhana:AlternateNostrilBreathingAgnisaraKriya:ActivatingtheDigestiveFire

Kapalabhati:Skull-shiningBreathAshviniMudra:HorseGesture

CHAPTER6

PRANAYAMAPRACTICETheCompleteYogicBreath

UjjayiPranayama:VictoriousBreathBhastrikaPranayama:BellowsBreath

BhramariPranayama:Bee-breathingTechniqueKundaliniPranayama:NadiShodhanaandOmMantra

CHAPTER7

MEDITATIONPRACTICEFocusingthemind

BreathingVisualization

MantrasandChantingSteadyGazing

MahaMudra:AwakeningEnergyinyourSpine

ChantingtheBijaMantras:AwakeningtheChakrasChantingtheHumMantra:IncreasingPrana

HongSauMeditation:IamHe,theAbsoluteNaviKriya:AwakeningPranaintheNavelCentre

JyotiMudra:AwakeningtheInnerLightTheSignificanceofOm

OmMeditationUltimateBlissYogaMeditation

CHAPTER8

DEVELOPINGYOURPRACTICELivingwithAwareness

MakingYogaMeditationADailyRealityMorningRoutines

EveningRoutines

FurtherreadingAcknowledgments

WHATISTRUEHAPPINESS?

Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all seeking lasting happiness: a sense ofcalm,balanceandcompleteness, truejoyof totalfulfilment,andfreedomfromsuffering,painandsorrow.Yetwecan,attimes,feeloutofsync,lackinginjoy,overwhelmedbylifeorhaveasensethat“somethingismissing”.Wemayhaveallthematerialcomfortsthatlifecangiveus–ahouse,acar,

beautiful clothes, the latest technology, a good marriage or relationship, sex,family, friends, a successful career and good health – all the things that arebelievedbymostpeopletobringhappinessandsecurity.Buthappinessmaystilleludeusorfeelalltoofleeting–overshadowedbymomentsofworry,discontentor self-doubt.Andwhat good is success in the externalworld ifwe have notfoundcontentment,innerpeaceandtruejoywithin?Through not understanding the distinction between pleasure (an attribute of

the senses) and happiness (an attribute of themind),we often try to give ourlivesmeaningandpurposebyturningourmindsoutward.Hencewefillourtimewith external events, activities and objects – pursuits that can bring onlytransitoryhappiness.If,ontheotherhand,wechoosetoturnourmindandsensesinwardthrough

thepracticeofYogaMeditation,asoutlinedinthisbook,wehavethechancetotranscend the everydayexternal limitationsbywhichweareheldback andbeunitedwith our true, innermost, joyful Self.This is known inSanskrit asSat-Chit-Ananda:ever-conscious,ever-existent,ever-newbliss.Byencouragingthethinkingmindtobecomestillthroughmeditation,wewillallowthelightofthetrueSelftostarttoshinefromwithin.Assuch,wecanrealize,andstarttobecomeestablishedin,theawarenessof

whatisoftencalledinyogictermsourowndivinenature,whichrecognizestheunionof the individual self, or consciousness,with theAbsolute, orSupreme,Consciousness.Thisallowsus toexperienceasenseofunderlyingunity in theworldandvibrantconnectednesswitheverything.Wheneverythingwedo in life is anexpressionof this inner divine stateof

bliss, we regain our balance, freedom and joy, and experience true happinesseveryday.Assuch, it isawise investment todevote some regular time to theYogaMeditationpractices in thisbook, as theywill guideyouon thispathofemotionalandspiritualdiscovery,calmingyourmind,heighteningyourclarity,

enhancingyourjoy,awakeningyourinnerspiritandallowingyoutorealizeyourfullestpotentialforcreativethoughtandaction.

WhatisYogaMeditation?TofullyunderstandYogaMeditation,itisusefulfirstlytogainanunderstandingofyogainitstrue,broadsenseratherthaninthecontextofthelimitedphysical,“onthemat”practicethathascometobeassociatedwiththetermintheWest.ThewordyogacomesfromtheSanskritrootyuj,whichmeans“toyoke,join

orunite”.TheultimatemeaningistheunionbetweentheindividualselfandtheUniversal Self. It is establishing oneness between the finite and the Infinite,between the inner being and the SupremeBeing. So, aswell as helping us toattainoptimumhealthandacalmandpeacefulmind,yogacanalso leadus toself-realizationandultimatelyspiritualliberationandasenseofonenesswiththeSelf.

“Divinejoyislikemillionsofearthlyjoyscrushedintoone.”

ParamhansaYogananda

THEYOGAOFMEDITATION

In this book the emphasis is on what is known as Raja Yoga – the yoga ofmeditation–whichisprincipallyconcernedwiththecultivationofthemindbylearning toquietenormaster itsmanyfluctuations inorder toexperiencedeepstillness,joyand,ultimately,enlightenment.However,thepagesthatfollowalsocontainphysicalpurificationpracticesforthebody,breathandmindthatderivefrom Hatha Yoga – the wider practice of yoga as defined in Hatha YogaPradipika.SuchphysicalpracticesarealsoanessentialpartofRajaYoga;HathaandRajaYogaareinterdependent.OnewaytothinkoftheinteractionbetweenHathaandRajaYogaisthatthe

physicalpracticesofHathaYoga–asana,purificationandpranayamapractices(seechapters4–6)–representthecleaningofthetemplewindows(thephysicalbody andmind) in order for the spiritual light of RajaYoga – themeditationpractices(seechapter7)–toshineintotheinnersanctum(theinnerSelf).Afterall, your physical body and mind are your primary tools for all spiritualpractices. Sowithout a strong, healthy body andmind, it is difficult to attainspiritualjoy.

TheteachingsofRajaYogaRaja Yoga teachings can be traced back to around 200 BCE when they weresystematized by a great sage called Patanjali, who formulated them into 196

aphorisms called the Yoga Sutras, quotes from which you will see scatteredthroughout this book. Somemodern translations give the number of sutras as195duetotheinterpretationthatoneisanexpansionofaprevioussutra.Patanjali’s ancient guidelines give instructionon the actionshebelievedwe

needtotakeifwewanttoregaintheexperienceofourtruedivinenature–fromsocial and personal disciplines through yoga postures, breathing control andsensewithdrawaltoconcentrationandmeditationtechniques.

StillingthemindPatanjalitellsusinhisYogaSutrasthatwhenthemindisstillandturnswithin,weperceivetheself in its true, divine, ever-joyful nature, free from any obstacles that were previouslyobscuringthis:

“Yoga(theexperienceofunity)resultsfromtheneutralizationofego-feelings(vrittis)thatproducedesires,attachments,likesanddislikes.”

YogaSutras1:2

“Thentheselfabidesinitsown(eternal)truenature.”YogaSutras1:3

“Atothertimeswhentheselfisnotabidinginitsowntruenature,therearisesfalseidentificationwiththeego-feeling(vritti).”

YogaSutras1:4

TheSanskritwordvrittimeans“whirlpool”and it is these swirlingvorticesof feelingarisingfromtheego–desiresandattachments,likesanddislikes,feelingsandmemories–thatcauserestlessness of the mind. Yoga is simply the stilling of such feelings, and therefore of suchmovements, akin towaves gently stilling on the surface of a lake, bringing about a sense ofcalm.

KRIYAYOGAANDTHEIMPORTANCEOFMEDITATION

In1861,theancientscienceofRajaYoga,whichhadbeenlostforcenturies,wasrevived as KriyaYoga by theHimalayan yogi-masterMahavatar Babaji. In asuccessionofgreatmasters,BabajifirsttaughtKriyatoLahiriMahasaya(1828–1895), instructing him to teach it to sincere seekers of truth. Lahiri’s spiritualdescendent was Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855–1936), who then instructedParamhansa Yogananda (1893–1952), author of the spiritual classicAutobiographyofaYogi(1946).In 1920, Paramhansa Yogananda was one of the first teachers to bring the

teachingsofyogatotheWest.HisKriyaYogateachingsemphasizeddirectinnerexperienceof thedivine,whichhe called “self-realization”.The ideaofKriyaYoga, which, along with Raja Yoga, is the basis for the invaluable YogaMeditation practices in this book, is that it interiorizes the practitioner’sconcentration,reversingtheoutward-flowinglife-energy(orprana)ofthesensessothatitmovesinwardandupwardthroughtheenergycentres(orchakras;seepages34-41) in the body,magnetizing the spinewith energy and encouragingdivineself-awareness.

Sowhatismeditation?It is important to consider for a moment what is really meant by the term“meditation” within the description of Raja, or Kriya, Yoga as the “yoga ofmeditation”. Meditation is simply stilling the mind and liberating it from itsrestlessemotions,thoughts,ego-feelingsanddesiressothatawonderfulfeelingofwholenessandbeing“atone”canbeattained.As human beings, we are a complex of body, mind and consciousness. In

Western thought, mind and consciousness are sometimes used synonymously,which often causes misunderstanding to those who are new to Indian yogaphilosophy.Inyogaphilosophy,theconceptsofmindandconsciousnessindicatetwodifferentthings:themindexistsonlywhentherearethoughts.Inthedeep-sleepstateno thoughtsexist,and therefore there isnomind.You,on theotherhand–thatistosayyourinnerself–areconsciousnessitself,whichiseternallypresent in thewaking,dreamandsleepstates. It isonly the lightof theselfor

consciousnessreflectedonthemindthatenablesittohavepowersofcognitionandfeeling.Yetwealltoooftenfallintothetrapofthinkingthatitistheminditselfthatisthe“knower”andthe“light”inoureverydayexistence.Thepracticeofmeditationallowsyou(yourconsciousness) to recognize the

twoentitiesasdistinct through theactofobservingyourmind(your thoughts)justasyouwouldobserveanexternalobject.Insodoing,youcometorecognizethatyouarenot,infact,thesumofyourthoughtsandthatitisonlyonceyourthoughtsquietenandyourmindbecomesstillthatyoucanrecognizeandfeelatone with your true joyful self or consciousness, rather than continuallyassociating with the ego, or external self, by which we are most oftenpreoccupied.

EverydaybenefitsofYogaMeditationAs well as its underlying spiritual goal, Yoga Meditation brings a wide range of everydaybenefits,enrichingyourlifeinallmannerofways.Forexample,it:•givesyouvaluabletimeoutforyourself•helpstoeasestressandanxiety•increasesyourinnersenseofcalmandpeace•boostsyourcopingpowerinlife•strengthensyourbodyfromtheinsideout•heightensconcentrationandclarity•enhancespowersofcreativity•allowsyoutofeelmoreatonewithyourselfandtheworld•encouragesjoyandhappinessineveryaspectoflife.

THEJOURNEYWITHIN

Itismywishthatthisbook,aswellasenhancinghowyoufeelwithinyourownbody – healthier and more vital – will also help to guide you on your innerjourneytorediscoveryourtrue,peaceful,joyfulnature–thedivineandeternalSelf within – which is the level at which you connect with supremeconsciousness.Thisjourney–bothhealth-enhancingandspiritual–canbeginhereandnow.

It will be your own personal journey – one that requires not only yourawareness, willingness and effort but also sincerity, patience, self-discipline,perseveranceandfaithinyourself tosucceed.Don’tworryabouthowfarfromthat state you currently feel: even a lotus needs to grow fromwithin themudtowardsunlight.Trueknowledgecomesthroughdirectexperiencesoitisimportanttopractise

regularly,even if it isonly for ten to15minutesaday.Althoughmorningsoreveningsarebest,youcanscheduleyourYogaMeditationpracticeanytime.Theonly limitation is that you should not have eaten for at least two hoursbeforehand. If you suffer from asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure or heartproblems,orarepregnant,youshouldnotpractisewithoutexpertguidancefromaqualifiedteacherormedicalpractitioner.Beforeyoubegin, it is important tounderstand that thepractices that follow

arenotthegoalinthemselves.TheartofYogaMeditationisnotmerelydoingtechniques,fortheseareonlyvehiclestohelpyouonyourinnerjourneytoattainthe goal of yoga, or spiritual union. The techniques and practiceswill simplyhelpyoutowardyourgoalanditisfromthismeditativestatethattruehappinesswillunfoldfromwithin.It takestimeanddedication.Thisiswhythepracticesonthepagesthatfollowhavebeenorderedinthewaytheyhave–sothatyouprogressstepbysteponthisjourneytoacalmer,happier,morefulfilledlife.Sorelaxandenjoy!

HowtousethisbookFirstly,findaquietandpeacefulplacetositandreadtheintroductionandchapters1and2todeepenyourunderstandingoftheyogicphilosophybehindYogaMeditationpractices.

Next,readchapter3(“PreparingforPractice”)sothatyouknowthebasicsofhowtositandwhatfactorstotakeintoconsiderationduringyourpractice.

Then,readthroughthetechniquesthemselves–asana(seechapter4),purification(seechapter5),pranayama(seechapter6)andmeditation(seechapter7)–sothatyougainasenseofthemallandwillhaveanideaofhowtodothemwhenthetimecomes.

Finally, decide which of the Yoga Meditation routines from chapter 8, made up from thetechniques throughout thebook, you candomost comfortablyona regularbasis, and enjoyintegratingthosepracticesintoyourlife.

“Onattainingthepurityoftheultra-meditativestatethereisthepureflowofspiritualconsciousness.”

YogaSutras1:47

CHAPTER1

THEEIGHTLIMBSOFYOGA

THESUPREMEPATHTOINNERFREEDOMANDJOY

Beforeyoubegintoexplorethepracticalexercisesandmeditationsinthisbook,itisusefultounderstandtheconceptofthe“EightLimbsofYoga”,called ashtanga yoga in Sanskrit (ashta means eight, anga means limb).Theseeight interdependent limbs,putforwardby thesagePatanjali inhisYoga Sutras (c.200BCE; see page 11), prepare us for the inward journeyfrom our limited consciousness of outward identification with our body-mind, to a subtle, higher state in which we can feel more at one withourselves and the universe. They provide the means for freedom fromearthly“suffering”andthetrueawakeningofourever-joyfulinnerspirit.Theeightlimbs,whichweexplorefurtherinthischapter,are:•yama–self-restraint•niyama–fixedobservances•asana–yogaposture•pranayama–regulationoflife-forcethroughthebreath•pratyahara–withdrawingthemindfromthesenses•dharana–concentration•dhyana–meditation•samadhi–divineunion

INTRODUCTIONTOTHEEIGHTLIMBS

TheEightLimbsofYogaaremethodsofeverydaypurificationadvisedbyyogasagePatanjalitohelpusonthepathtoamorefulfilledlife.Theseincludeethicalprinciplesandphysicalpractices,aswellasmeditation techniques thatprepareusforthefinal,higherstagesofspiritualawakening.

“Fromthesustainedpracticeofthelimbsofyoga,theimpuritiesofthemindaredestroyed,leadingtothe

illuminationofdiscriminativewisdom.”

YogaSutras2:28

YAMA–SELF-RESTRAINT

Yama is the first of theEightLimbsofYoga.TheSanskritwordyamameans“restraint” – and in the context of the Eight Limbs, this means exercisingrestraintfromactions,wordsandthoughtsthatmaycausedistressorharmeitherto ourselves or others. The five yamas are: non-violence; truthfulness; non-covetousness;conservationofvitalenergy;andnon-attachment.

Ahimsa–non-violenceTherootofalltheyamasandniyamas,ahimsameansbeingkindandrespectfultoalllivingbeings,includingourselves–notjustinouractionsbutalsoinourthoughts and words. For example, our speech should be honest and sincere,without gossiping or put-downs; our approach to Yoga Meditation practiceshouldbegentleratherthanladenwithunrealisticexpectations.

Satya–truthfulnessInyogicterms,toexaggerate,pretend,mislead,distortorlietooneselforothers,ortomanipulatepeopleorsituationsforourownselfishconcerns,isagainstourtruedivinenature.Ouressentialnatureis,incontrast,livingintruthfulness.Thisnotonlymeansnotlyingtootherpeopleorourselves,butalsobeingtruetoourownfeelingsandbeliefs.

Asteya–non-covetousnessTopractiseasteyameansnottoyearnorhankerafterwhatdoesnotbelongtous.Desire,envyandgreedkeepuscontinuallylookingtothefutureforfulfilment,insteadofrealizingthatperfectionisattainableinthepresent,withwhatwearealreadyluckyenoughtohave.

Brahmacarya–conservationofvitalenergyThetermbrahmacarya(“walkinginthepresenceofthedivine”)meanswiseuseof our energy in all ways, as any kind of excess or over-indulgence, whetherover-eating, over-sleeping, over-talking or even over-exercise, leads todissipationofenergy,whichdepletesourvitality.

Aparigraha–non-attachmentPractisingaparigraha means not being overly attached to external objects or

events,ortheresultsthattheymightbringabout.Itmeansnotbeingpossessiveabout,orhoarding,objects,nottryingtocontrolotherpeopleandnotholdingonrigidly to thoughts, ideas andopinions.EvenwithinYogaMeditationpractice,it’s important topractiseaparigrahabynotbeing too fixedondesired results;instead,acceptandmoveforwardwithwhatcomes.

NIYAMA–FIXEDOBSERVANCES

Theniyamas are the second of the Eight Limbs of Yoga and are just asimportant as the yamas, but are more about the connection with theindividual thanwith the society around us. The fiveniyamas are: purity;contentment; self-discipline; self-study; and attunement to the supremeconsciousness.

Sauca–purityPractisingsaucameansensuringcleanlinessofboththebodyandthemind,whichwillenableusmorereadily tofeelanenhancedstateof innercalmandstillness.Thisinvolvessimplephysicalmeasuressuchaswashingeachmorning and before each Yoga Meditation practice, but it also impliesfreedom from all negative mental entanglements with objects,circumstances and thoughts. The practices in this book will help you toworktowardriddingyourmindofsuchentanglements.

Santosa–contentmentPractisingsantosameansbeinginastateofhappinessandequanimitythatdoesnotdependuponanyexternalconditions.Thistypeofcontentmentisnotconditionedbywhatwehaveordonothaveasthiswillleadtoamindthatcannotbesatisfiedpermanentlywithanything.Insteadweshouldaimtofeelcontentedwithinourselves.RegularpracticeofYogaMeditationwillnaturallystilltherestlessmind,enhancingyourabilitytoremaincalmandbalancedinallsituations.

Tapas–self-disciplineTapasisenergythatisconcentratedwithconsciouswillpoweronaspecificpoint,sothatitreleasespower.Forexample,ifyouinhaledeeplyandtenseyour left armwithwillpower, hold your breath and the tension for a fewmomentsandthenexhaleandreleasethetension,youwillfeeltheenergysurge into your arm. Such energy is necessary for concentration of themind.Thecultivationofself-disciplineor tapas through the techniques inthisbookwillenableyoutoovercometheegoisticnatureofthemindand

insteaddirectitspowertowardhigherspiritualaims.

Svadhyaya–self-studyTogether with tapas (below left) and ishvara pranidhana (below),svadhyaya,meaningself-study,worksasatooltoweakenwhatareknownin yogic terms as the five afflictions (kleshas): ignorance; egoism;attraction; repulsion; and fear of death. Self-study is not an intellectualprocess,butsimplyanawarenessofthemovementsofthemind.Itcanbeachieved through regular study of yoga scriptures such as theBhagavadGita, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Upanishads, by chanting sacredmantras such asOm (see pages 132–3), and also bymindfully observingourego-mindtogaininsightintohowitveilsourunderstandingofourtrueself.

Ishvarapranidhana–attunementtothesupremeconsciousnessIshvara pranidhana means the offering of our ego-self to the supremeconsciousness. By remaining from moment to moment in the awarenessandpresenceofthishigherconsciousness,wecantranscendourdailysenseof “I”, “me” and “mine”, thus inwardly realizing our own true, eternalnatureandexperiencingadeepsenseofinnerpeaceandunity.

“Supremehappinessisgainedviacontentment.”YogaSutras2:42

ASANA–YOGAPOSTURE

Themostwell-knownandwidelypractisedaspectofyogainmodernlifeisthenotionofasana,meaningphysicalposture.However,Patanjali,wholaiditoutasthethirdofhisEightLimbsofYoga,actuallydealswiththesubjectofasanainonlythreeofhis196sutras,referringonlytoseatedposturessuchasSukhasana(EasyPose;seepage53),Siddhasana(AdeptPose;seepage55)andPadmasana(LotusPose; see page56). This is because he is concernedwith postures thatbear a relationship to the overall purpose of yoga,which is concentration andmeditation. And, according to him, postures that are steady, pleasant andcomfortablewilllendthemselvestosuchconcentration.There are, however, many more varied yoga asanas that can be done for

overallphysicalwell-being(seechapter4forexamples),aswellas toenergizeandrelaxthebodyinpreparationformeditation.IntheHathaYogaPradipika–amid-14th-century treatisebySvatmaramaYogendra–weread:“Asana is thefirststageofHathaYoga…Itgivessteadiness,healthandlightnessofthebody”(1:17).Regularpracticeoftheasanasinchapter4willhelptopurifyandstrengthen

thebody,openandbalancethechakras(seepages34–41),clearoutblockagesoftheinternalenergychannels(nadis;seepages42–5),andawakentheenergyinthespine(kundalini;seepages46–7)forthepurposeofraisingittothehighercentresinthebrainduringmeditation.

“Thepostureshouldbesteadyandcomfortable.”

YogaSutras2:46

PRANAYAMA–REGULATIONOFLIFE-FORCETHROUGHTHEBREATH

Pranayama,thefourthoftheEightLimbsofYoga,isdefinedintheYogaSutrasas “regulation of the life-force through stilling the breath”(2:49).TheSanskritwordpranayama is formed from twowords:prana, the energy or subtle life-force that permeates and sustains all life; andayama,meaning “to regulate orextend”. However, prana is not breath itself, and pranayama is not justregulatingorcontrollingthebreath;breathissimplythemeansofaccessingtheprana.Pranayama therefore involvesregulatingandharmonizingthe life-forcewithin thebody– theenergy thatpervades theentirephysical systemand thatactsasamediumbetweenthebodyandthemind.Bytheprocessofpranayama,individual energy and consciousness are expanded into universal energy andconsciousness.

An18th-centuryIndianminiaturedepictingayogicbreathingtechnique.

Thepranayamapracticesinchapter6willhelpyounotonlytoexperiencethepranicflowoflife-energyinyourbody,butalsotostarttoregulateit,anduseitforenergizingthebodyandcalmingthemindformeditation.

PRATYAHARA–WITHDRAWINGTHEMINDFROMTHESENSES

PratyaharaisthefifthoftheEightLimbsofYoga,andrelatestopreparingthemindforconcentrationandmeditation.TheSanskritwordpratyaharaisacombinationoftwowords:prati,meaning

“reverse direction”; andahar, meaning “to remove or withdraw”.Pratyaharatherefore means “to retreat in the opposite direction”: it is withdrawal of themind from the five senses and their respective objects in the world – aninteriorizationofthemind.Usuallyaswelookat,listento,smell,touchortastesomething,ourattention

is drawn out of ourselves; whereas in pratyahara the attention is directedinward.It isonly through thepracticeofasanaandpranayama thatwecan learn to

turn themind’s attention inward in thisway, being totally aware ofwhere theimpulsetobreatheinandbreatheoutarises.Byregularlydoingthesepractices,wereleaseourselvesfromattachmenttothedualityofpleasureandpain,whichcausesusdistress,andourmindscanbecomestill.

“Byconsciousinteriorizationofthemind,thesensesfunctionintelligentlyandinharmonywithoutego-mindinterference.Therefore,oneattainscomplete

masteryoverallthesenses.”

YogaSutras2:55

DHARANA–CONCENTRATION

Dharana, or one-pointed concentration, is the sixth limb of Patanjali’s EightLimbsofYoga,withtheSanskritworddharanacomingfromtheworddhri,“toholdfirm”.Themindcanbecomparedtoalake,withthethoughtsandfeelingsthatarise

fromthemindappearingaswavesonthelake.Wecanseeourreflectionclearlyin the waters only when the waves on the surface subside and become still.Similarly,wecanrealizeourtrueinnerselfonlywhenallthethought-wavesandvorticesof feelings (vrittis) in ourmind are stilled through concentration on asingle point, instead of being allowed to roam anywhere they please as anexpressionoftheego-self.Tratak(seepage113)andHongSau(seepages122–5)areparticularlyeffectivemethodsfordevelopingsuchconcentration.Andthemorewecanapplyconcentrationineverydaylife,thegreaterwillbeoursuccessinmeditation.

An18th-centuryIndianpaintingshowingayogiinameditativeasana,withthemainchakrasmarkedout.

“Meditationistheuninterruptedflowofattentive

awarenessonthedivinerealitywithin.”

YogaSutras3:2

DHYANA–MEDITATION

Meditation, the seventh of theEightLimbs, is liberation of themind from alldisturbing thoughts, emotional reactions and restless desires, and turning ourattentioninwardtobecomeawareofourowntrueblissfulnature.Meditation is not a technique per se, but a state of stillness and complete

contentment in the present moment. All movement has ended with dharana(concentration), and indhyana (meditation)we are at the inner source of ourbeing, directly experiencing our true nature. All ideas about our identity as aseparate and limited being are dispelled in the union of the individualconsciousnessandtheSupremeConsciousness,andwecometorealizethattheinfinitepresenceofthedivine–Sat-Chit-Ananda(ever-conscious,ever-existing,ever-new bliss) – is always within us. The Yoga Meditation practices in thepages that follow will lead you on this path to dhyana, where you willexperiencedeepcalmandcontentment.

SAMADHI–DIVINEUNION

ThewordsamadhicomesfromtheSanskrittermssam,whichmeans“perfectorcomplete”,anddhi,whichmeans“consciousness”. It is theeighthof theEightLimbsofYoga. In the state of samadhi themind is so totally absorbed in thedivine Self that it is no longer aware of itself meditating. All distinctionsbetweenthepersonwhoisthesubjectivemeditator,theactofmeditationandtheobjectofmeditationmergeintooneness.Thedifferencebetweenmeditation(dhyana)andsamadhiisthatinmeditation

there is an uninterrupted flow of attention toward the object of meditation,whereas insamadhi there is acompletedissolutionof the subjective–objectivedualityofobserverandobserved.Themeditatorlosesallsenseofindividuality(ego-consciousness), expansion of consciousness begins, and themindmergesinto blissful oneness with the divine Self: the ultimate goal of all YogaMeditation.

CHAPTER2

THEINTERNALENERGYSYSTEM

SUBTLEBODIES,CHAKRAS,NADISANDKUNDALINI

TounderstandtheYogaMeditationexercisesinthisbookinalltheiraspects–physical,mentalandspiritual–itisfirsthelpfultohavesomeknowledgeandunderstandingofyoursubtleanatomy.Themoreyoubecomeawareofthis internal energy system and can direct your own essential life-forceefficiently, not only as youpractise the exercises in this bookbut also asyougoaboutyourdailylife,themorecontrolyouwillenjoyoveryourownhealthandhappiness.Inthischapter,weexplorethisenergysystem,including:•thephysicalbody,thetwosubtlebodiesandtheirfivesheaths(koshas)–thesubtlebodiesandsheathssustainthephysicalbodywithenergy,justaselectricitypowerslightwithinalightbulb

•thechakras–thebody’ssevenmainenergycentresserveastransformerstoreceive,assimilateanddistributethevitalenergy,orlife-force,requiredforthebody’ssystemstofunction

•thenadis–subtleenergychannelsrunningthroughoutthebodytransportthebody’slife-force,nourishingyouwithvitality

•kundalini–spiritualenergy,orconsciousness,whichissymbolizedasacoiled-upserpentlivinginalatentformatthebaseofthespine.

THETHREEBODIESANDFIVESHEATHS

We are spiritual beings, immortal spirit-souls temporarily embodied in bothmaterial fieldsofenergy(ourphysicalbody)andnon-material fieldsofenergy(“subtlebodies”thatareinvisibletothenakedeye).These subtle bodies interpenetrate and surround our physical body in two

layers,knownastheastralandthecausalbody.The body in which our true self or soul (atman or purusha) resides can

thereforebelikenedtoacastlethathasthreelayersoffortification:•thephysicalbody(sthulasharira)–theinner“wall”,whichissubjecttothelimitsoftime,spaceandgravity,andisdestroyedupondeath

•theastralbody(suksmasharira)–themiddle“wall”,whichismoredurable•thecausalbody(karanasharira)–theouter“wall”,whichisevenmorepermanent,beingcarriedthroughcountlesslifetimes.There are alsowhat is known as five “sheaths” (koshas),which are located

withinthethreebodies.Thesearecalledsheathsbecausetheyarelikecoveringsof the inner luminous self, just as a light bulb is covered by a lampshade.Althoughweexperience theactionof thesesheathsas if theyareareality thatmakeupourpersonality, they–alongwith the threebodies–have, infact,nopermanent reality. They are mere vehicles for the expression of the true self(atman),whichliesdistinctfromthemallandwhichweaimtofindthroughtheYogaMeditationpracticesinthisbook.Whilewe need to keep each of the bodies and sheaths in optimalworking

ordersothatweremainhealthyandvital,weshouldalsoaimtostopassociatingtheiractionswithourlimitedsenseofself,andinsteadstartidentifyingwiththetrue, divine self that lies beyond, where we will find deep inner peace andcontentment.

Thisimagedepictsthephysicalbody(fromwhichthegoldenglowofthesoul,oratman,shinesout)surroundedbytheastral(yellow)andcausal(green)bodies.

“Thephysicalsheathisfilledbythevitalsheath,thevitalsheathbythementalsheath,thementalsheathbytheintelligentsheath,andtheintelligentsheathby

theblissfulsheath.”

TaittiriyaUpanishad

THEPHYSICALBODY

The most concrete of the three bodies, the physical body is subject to birth,growth, disease, decay and death. The most effective way to keep this bodyhealthyandvitalisnotonlythroughabalanceddietandphysicalexercisesuchasrunningandswimming,butalsothroughyogapostures(asana)tobalanceourenergy, breathing techniques (pranayama) to clear the energy channels, andmeditationtogiveresttoourmindandbody.The physical body has only one sheath, known as the annamaya kosha, or

“foodsheath”,becauseofitsdependenceonlife-force(prana)manifestedintheformsoffood,waterandair.Itsustainsourphysicalexistence.

THEASTRALBODY

Theastralbody–theinvisiblefortifyingwallsurroundingthephysicalbody–isthehomeofourpersonality,ourthoughtsandourfeelings;inshort,allournon-physicalpersonalattributes.Thisbodycouldbedescribedasthe“conductor”ofthephysicalbody,asallourphysicalactionstakeplaceasaresultoftheastralbody’senergy(thephysicalbodydoesnothavetherequiredenergyofitsown).Themosteffectivewaytoenergizeandempowerthisbodyisthroughpractisingyogaasana,pranayama,mantra chanting (see page 112), self-enquiry and thestudyofyogicscriptures.The astral body contains three sheaths:pranamayakosha,manomaya kosha

andvijnanamayakosha(seebelow).

Pranamayakosha–vitalairsheathThissheathsuppliesour life-energy,orprana, to thephysicalbody,aswellascontrollingtheorgansofaction(thehands,feet,tongue,genitalsandanus),andgoverninghowwereacttotheworld.

Manomayakosha–mindsheathThis isourmentalandemotional layer,enablingus toexperienceour thoughtsandfeelings.Subtler than thefoodsheathandvitalairsheath, themindsheathcommunicates our thoughts and feelings to the physical body, which reactsaccordingly.Italsocommunicatesoursensationsoftheexternalworld,suchasthirst or heat, to the intelligence sheath (see below) so that decisions can betaken onwhat to do about them.As such, it is a vital communicator.We canstrengthen and purify this mind sheath by following certain pranayama andmeditationpractices.

Vijnanamayakosha–intelligencesheathThis layer obtains knowledge through thought, experience and the senses. Assuch, it functions as the knower and the doer of the astral body, makingdecisions,choicesandvalue-judgments.Aswellasbeinghometoourintellect,thisiswhereouregoresides–ourstrongsenseof“I”and“my”,whichiswhatseparatesusfromidentifyingwithuniversalconsciousnessandfindingourtrue,joyfulinnerself.Tostriveonaspiritualpath,itisthereforeimportanttoaimtopurifytheegoandhonetheintellect.

THECAUSALBODY

Even more subtle than the astral body, the causal body is composed of ourdeepest thoughts,desires, intentionsandaspirations. It is thestorehouseofourpast impressions, the seed impressions thatmotivate our behaviour and createourkarma.Intheanalogyofthethree-walledcastle,thecausalbodyisthewallconnectingustothedivineself.Althoughitgiveslightandenergytotheastralbody,itsownvitalityhasadifferentabode,calledtheanandamayakosha (blisssheath).Thisisabodyoflightthatreflectstheblissfulnessoftheself,allowingustoexperiencetruejoy.

THECHAKRAS

Chakra is aSanskritwordmeaning “wheel” or “revolvingdisc”.Accordingly,chakrasinthehumanbodyarethoughttobewheelsorrevolvingdiscsofsubtleenergyorlife-force(prana)locatedalongthemidlineoftheastralbody,knownastheastralspine.Theyareconfluencesofconsciousnessandenergythatstoreanddistributeenergyandinformationtothephysicalbody,aswellasstoringourpsychologicaltendencies,desiresandhabits.The yoga tradition recognizes seven major chakras distributed along the

midlineofthebody.Thesearelocated:•atthebaseofthespine–muladhara•inthegenitalarea–svadhisthana•atthenavel–manipura•atchestorheartlevel–anahata•atthethroat–vishuddhi•attheforehead–ajna•abovethecrownofthehead–sahasrara

It is essential for these chakras to be functioningwell in order to store themaximumenergythatcanbeusedbythebodyatwill.Justlike,overaperiodoftime,thebatteryofacarcanbecomeoldandloseitscapacityto“holdcharge”ifnot well looked after, so too will your chakras become unable to adequatelysupport the vital systems of the body if they are not sufficiently developed.Regularpracticeoftheyogaexercisesinthepagesthatfollow,suchasasanas,pranayama and chanting thebijamantras (seepages118–9),will ensure theirbalanced development, and therefore boost energy levels and enhance overallhealth.

VisualrepresentationofthechakrasAccording to yogis, healers and psychics who are able actually to see human energy fields,chakras are colourful, fast-moving whirlpools, each one taking the form of a funnel-shapedstructure,somewhat likeaconvolvulusflower.Theyareoftensymbolizedbydiagramsintheformoflotusflowers(padmas),eachonewithspecificnumbersofpetals,colours,seed-syllable(bija) mantras and other symbols and deities within them. These images are visualrepresentations of the chakras’ energetic experiences (see chart on page 41) and can helpmeditatorstoachieveconcentrationofthemind.ThecoloursofthechakrasheredonottallywiththeWesternNewAgetraditionbutcorrespondtotheyogictantrictraditionaselucidatedbySwamiSatyanandaSaraswati(1923–2009).

COSMICENERGY

Ultimately,ourbodies arenothingbut energy.Ourchakras act as dynamosofcosmic energy, allowing our subtle bodies to plug into the universal powersource. They serve as transformers and regulators to receive, assimilate anddistributeprana in theastralbody,which thendistributes it to thespinalnerveplexuses,whereitis,inturn,transferredtothebloodandorgansofthephysicalbody.Theprana enters the body at the base of the brain (an area known as the

medulla oblongata) and flows to the higher brain centres. It then filtersdownwardthroughthesixmajorchakrasbelowthat,startingatajnachakraandworking itswaydown tomuladharachakra;sahasrara, themaingeneratorofthe energies that power these six chakras, is located at the crown, above themedullaoblongata,andoperatesonahigherplaneofconsciousness.As this energy spirals down through each chakra, it becomes increasingly

dense, until it forms what are known as the five great elements(panchamahabhuta).These are essential “states” ofmatter, not to be confusedwiththeperiodicelementsofmodernchemistry,andtheyrepresentthestagesofcreationfromspirittomatter.•Fromtheunmanifestedstateofuniversalconsciousnesscamethesubtle,primalsoundvibrationOm.FromthesubtlevibrationofOmcametheetherorspaceelement–associatedwithvishuddhichakra.

•Thelightandexpansivemovementsoftheetherelementcreatedtheairelement–associatedwithanahatachakra.

•Themovementofaircreatedfriction,whichgeneratedheatparticlesformingintenselight,fromwhichthefireelementwascreated–associatedwithmanipurachakra.

•Theheatofthefireliquefiedcertainetherealelementsthatformedthewaterelement–associatedwithsvadhisthanachakra.

•Finally,thewatersolidifiedtoformtheearthelement–associatedwithmuladharachakra.Thus, the five building blocks ofmatter – ether, air, fire,water and earth –

came intoexistence.These fiveelements,whicharepresent in allmatter, alsoexist within each of us. For example, in our body, the source of fire ismetabolism–itactivatesourdigestionandalsoactivatesoureyes tosee light.Thedifferencebetweenthedifferentelementsinourbodyliesintheirvibratory

wavelengthfrequencies.The lowerchakras, connectedwithbasic survivalandgroundedness,vibrateatadenserfrequencythanthehigherchakras,associatedwithspiritualenlightenment.TheunderlyingaimoftheYogaMeditationpracticesinthisbookisareversal

ofthesoul’sdescentintomatter–backtodivineonenessinpureconsciousness,as it isonlyonce thishasbeenachieved thatwecanexperienceour true innerstillnessandbliss.Whenyourmindiscalmandstill,youbecomeawareofyourtrue identity,of thespiritualbeingwithinyourselfwhoisbeyondtheforcesofthebody,mindandsenses.YogaMeditationisanefforttoperceivethispresenceofcosmicenergyandpureconsciousness.

“Theconsciouscosmicenergyfirstentersthroughthemedullaoblongata(inthebrainstem)andremainsconcentratedinthebrainasthethousand-petalledlotus.Thenitdescendsintothebodythroughthespinalcordandsympatheticnervoussystem.”

ParamhansaYogananda

THESEVENCHAKRAS

Below is an overview of each chakra, the nature of its energy, and how thatenergygovernsacertainaspectofourbeing, aswell as insight intohoweachchakra fits into the Yoga Meditation journey in terms of raising ourconsciousness to ahigher realm inourquest todiscoverour true, joyful innerself.

Muladhara–rootchakra

Alsoreferredtoasthe“base”chakra,muladharachakra–locatedbetweentheorigin of the reproductive organ and the anus – is the foundation of ourpersonality. When fully functioning, this chakra gives us a sense ofgroundednessanddeep-seatedsecurityinlife.Itisalsowherekundalinienergy(seepages46–7)residesandisthereforethebasisfromwhichthepossibilityofhigher realization arises: theupward journeyofkundalini energy to sahasrarachakra,atthecrownofthehead,startshere,onceithasbeenawakenedthroughYogaMeditationpractices.

Svadhisthana–sacralchakra

Next on the journey up toward spiritual awakening is the fluid and adaptivesvadhisthanachakra–locatedinthesacralregionofthespineatthelevelofthecoccyx(tailbone)–fromwherewecanstarttoexpressourselvescreativelyandsensually.Whenfunctioningwell,thischakragivesustheabilitytogowiththeflowandenjoyallthatlifehastooffer.

TheSanskritwordsvameans“one’sown”andadhisthanameans “dwellingplace”, so svadhisthana means “one’s own dwelling place”. It has beensuggested by some yogis that this refers to a distant time when the seat ofkundalini lay dormant within svadhisthana chakra, but for some reasonkundalinihassincecometorestinmuladharachakra.

Manipura–navelchakra

Nextwecometomanipurachakra,whichissaidtoradiateitsfieryenergylikeabrightsun.Itislocatedatthelevelofthenavelintheastralspine.Manipuraisaveryimportantcentrebecauseit is thecentreofwillpower,energy,vitalityandachievement.Itgeneratesanddistributespranathroughoutthewholebody,andcontrolsourenergy,balanceandstrength.Sowhenitisinbalance,wewillfeelstrong,self-confident,empoweredandvibrant.

Anahata–heartchakra

Next, we ascend to anahata chakra. Also called the heart chakra due to itslocation,thisfunctionsasabridgebetweenthethreelowerchakras–relatedtotheworld of body,mind and senses and associatedwith survival and security(muladharachakra), sensuality and sex (svadhisthanachakra), and a sense ofidentityandpersonalpower(manipurachakra)–andthethreehigherchakras,associatedwithahigherandmoreevolvedconsciousness.Theexpansivenessoflove and compassion in anahata draws us upward into the higher realms ofconsciousness.Whenthischakraisfunctioningwell,wewillfeelgreatloveandcompassioninourlife.

Vishuddhi–throatchakra

Located directly behind the base of the throat is vishuddhi chakra. The termvishuddhi is derived from the Sanskrit words visha, meaning “impurity”, andshuddhi,meaning “topurify”. It is ourhubof communication, creativity, self-expression, non-attachment, and learning to accept and receive. When thischakra is balanced and open, our powers of communication and creativitybecome fully awakened. When kundalini energy reaches vishuddhi, we feelcontentment,clarityofmind,asenseofunderstandingandnon-attachment.

Ajna–thirdeyechakra

TheSanskritwordajnaliterallymeans“tocommand”,“toobey”or“toknow”.Assuch,thischakra–whichislocatedontheforehead,betweenoureyebrows–is the command centre that guides the other chakras. Forming the boundarybetween human and divine consciousness, it represents a higher level ofawareness and is considered the centre of extrasensory perception, intuition,clarityandwisdom.Ajnachakrahastwopoles:apositiveandanegative.Thepositivepoleisthe

“spiritual eye”, which is located midway between the eyebrows, while thenegativepoleisat themedullaoblongata,whichislocatedinthebrainstematthebaseoftheskullandistheseatoftheego.Ajnachakraisthemeetingpointofthethreemainenergeticchannels(theida,

pingalaandsushumnanadis; seepages42–5).Whenkundalini energy reachesthis chakra, our awareness becomes concentrated and our ego-self istranscended.Itisherethatweexperiencerealizationofourtruedivineself.

Sahasrara–crownchakra

Also called niralambapuri, meaning “dwelling place without support”, andBrahmarandhra,“thedoorofGod”,sahasrarachakraistheculminationofourascentof the astral spine– after achieving self-realization atajna,we achieveliberationatsahasrara.Toreach thispoint, firstweneed toopen,balanceandenergizethesixchakrasbelowitthroughdeepmeditation.

ChakraQualitiesandElements

LOCATION POSITIVEQUALITIES

NEGATIVEQUALITIES

ELEMENT

SAHASRARA crownofhead beyondallduality,bliss

beyondallelements

AJNA centreofbrain selflessservice,strongwillpower,divinesurrender

pride,excessintellect,strongsenseof“I,me,mine”

mahat,i.e.mind,egoandintellect

VISHUDDHI throat expansiveness,senseofcalm,silence

restlessness,boredom

ANAHATA heart devotion,unconditionallove,compassion

attachment,anger,rage,hatred

MANIPURA navel enthusiasm,confidence,effectiveleadership

misuseofpower,ruthlessness

SVADHISTHANA sacrum openness,willingness,intuition,creativity

indecision,vagueness

MULADHARA perineum courage,loyalty,steadfastness,perseverance

stubbornness,prejudice,intolerance

THENADIS

Withineachofusliesavastmatrixoffineenergeticchannelscallednadis(nadiliterallymeans “flow” or “current”), which distribute our prana, or vital life-force throughout the body. These can be thought of as a network ofinterconnected rivers, streams and tributaries carrying energy towherever it isneeded.Indeed,thethreemainnadis(seebelow)areoftensymbolizedbythreeof India’sgreat rivers: the idaby theGanges, thepingalaby theYamuna,andthesushumnabythemythicalSaraswati.The sourceof thenadis is anegg-shapedcentreofnervescalled thekanda,

which is located just above our lowest energy centre,muladhara chakra (seepage38).Fromheresome72,000nadisaresaidtoradiateouttoformtheentiresubtlecircuitryoftheastralbody.Of the thousands of nadis, three stand out as themost important. These, as

mentionedabove,are:•thesushumna–thecentralchannel,whichcorrespondsinpositiontoboththephysicalandastralspine

•theida–whichbeginsontheleftsideofthesushumna•thepingala–whichbeginsontherightsideofthesushumna.Thesushumnaiscriss-crossedinahelixbytheidaandpingala,andthethree

channelsconvergeatcertainlocationsalongthespine,intothewhirlingvorticesthatarethechakras(seepage45).Itisusefultoknowalittlemoreabouteachofthethreemainnadissothatyou

haveanideaofwhatishappeningtoyouenergeticallynotonlyasyougoaboutyourdaily life,but alsoasyoudo theYogaMeditationpracticeson thepagesthatfollow.

Thereisamatrixofthousandsofenergeticchannels,knownasnadis,whichcomprisethesubtlecircuitryoftheastralbody.

THESUSHUMNA

Thesushumnanadi(meaning“mostgraciouschannel”)runsupthecentreoftheastral spine, which corresponds to the spinal cord in the physical body. Thismeans that it passes through all the chakras in succession, from the base(muladhara)tothecrown(sahasrara).Whiletheidaandpingalanadiscontrolour normal consciousness and are constantly active, even during sleep, thesushumna nadi is fully active only in people who are regularly engaged inspiritualpracticessuchasYogaMeditation.This isbecause it isonlyviasuchpracticesthatbalancecanbeachievedbetweenidaandpingalaenergies,which,inturn,awakensthespiritualpowerknownaskundalini(seepages46–7),atthebaseofthespine,andsendsitonitsascentalongthesushumna.AlsoknownastheBrahmanadi (“path toGod”), thesushumna thereforeprovides thepath toourspiritualawakeningatsahasrarachakra: theplaceatwhichwecanrealizeour true, joyful inner spirit and find the sense of inner calm forwhichwe allsearch.

THEIDAANDTHEPINGALA

Theidaandpingalanadis functionalternately in thebody,notsimultaneously.Thiscanbeseeninthenostrilsaswebreathe.Generally,breathisflowingfreelythrough one nostrilwhile the other is blocked. This natural alternation occursapproximatelyeverytwohours.Whentheleftnostrilisopen,theidanadiisflowing,therighthemisphereof

thebrainisactive,themindisintrovertedandcreative,andtheparasympatheticnervoussystemisactive–responsibleforrestingthebodywhenrequired.Whentherightnostrilisopen,thepingalanadiisflowing,thelefthemisphere

of thebrain isactive, themind isextrovertedand logical,and thesympatheticnervoussystemismoreactive–responsibleforstimulatingurgentactionwhenrequired.

IdaTheidachanneltransportsmentalenergy(chittashakti)throughoutthebodyandtherefore controls all our psychological processes. The Sanskrit word idaactually means “comfort”, tying in with the notion of this channel beingconnected to the parasympathetic nervous system,which “comforts” and reststhebodywhen itneeds it.The ida is thereforeassociatedwith feminine, lunarenergy,possessingcoolingqualities.

PingalaConversely,theright-handpingalachanneltransportsourvitallife-force(prana)throughoutthebodyandthereforecontrolsallourphysiologicalprocesses.TheSanskrit word pingala means “tawny-red”, which symbolizes this channel’sassociationwiththestimulatingenergyofthesunandlinksittothefunctionofthe sympathetic nervous system, which is there to stimulate action whenrequired. The pingala is therefore linked with masculine, solar energy,possessingheatingqualities.

Theidaandthepingalanadiscriss-crossthecentralsushumnanadi,intersectingatchakrasalongtheway.

KUNDALINI

Kundaliniisthepotentialspiritualenergy,orconsciousness,thatliesdormantatthebaseof thespine in thecausalbody(seepage33)of all beings. In reality,kundalinihasnoform,butasourmindrequiresaparticularimageonwhichtoconcentrate, kundalini has, in yogic theory, symbolically taken the form of acoiled serpent lying at the base of the spine (kundalini is derived from theSanskrittermkundal,whichmeans“coiled”).AnotherassociationwiththetermkundaliniistheSanskritwordkunda,which

means“cavity”andreferstotheconcavespaceinwhichthebrain,resemblingacoiled,sleepingserpent,nestles.Kundalinitakestwoforms:

•pranicenergy(pranashakti),whichisthecauseofallouractions•spiritualenergyorconsciousness(caitanyashakti),whichgivesrisetoourknowledgeandwisdom.WhendedicatedYogaMeditationpracticebrings aboutbalancebetween the

upward movement of energy in the ida (accompanied by inhalation) and thedownward movement of energy in the pingala (accompanied by exhalation),kundalini is activated from its dormant state inmuladharachakra. Both thesecurrents of energy thenmove upward in the central channel of the sushumna,wheretheyareactivatedinthebrain,creatingasenseofinnercalmanddivinejoyaspartofourspiritualawakening.

As the kundalini makes this spiritual ascent frommuladhara chakra (rootchakra)towardsthesahasrarachakra(theseatofconsciousness,atthecrownofthehead),itactivatesall thechakras insuccession,causinglayerafterlayerofthemind to become opened until the yogi experiences a sense of awakening,freedom,innercalm,blissand,ultimately,asenseofunitywiththeworld.When,ontheotherhand,kundaliniremainsdormantatthebaseofthespine,

andtheenergyflowinthespineisdownward,towardthethreelowerchakrasofworldlyconsciousness–whichitislikelytobeinpeoplewhoarenotregularlyfollowinganykindofspiritualpractice–apersonislikelytofeelalackofinnercalm, joy and contentment due to the duality they experience betweenthemselvesandtheworldaroundthem.Alternatively,forpeoplewhohavejuststartedpractisingYogaMeditationor

whodon’tyetdoitregularly, theremayonlybeamild,or temporary,spiritualawakening – for example, in the lower three chakras. Thiswouldmake themfeel that there must be more to life than just eating, sleeping and sensualgratification (which operate in the three lowerchakras). They are likely to bemoreawarethattheyarenotjustthebody,mindandsenses,butratheraspiritualbeingmerelyexpressingthemselvesthroughtheseinstruments.However,regularpracticeof thepranayamaexercises inchapter6willboth

purify and balance thenadis, increasing the chances of your experiencing thefullpotentialandblissofawakenedkundalini.

“Thekundalini,initslatentform,iscoiledlikeaserpent.Onewhocausesthatshaktitomove(fromthe

muladharaupward)willattainliberation.”

HathaYogaPradipika3:108

CHAPTER3

PREPARINGFORPRACTICE

THEFUNDAMENTALTOOLSYOUWILLNEED

Theaimofthischapteristosetyouupwiththeinformationyouwillneedin order to work comfortably and effectively through the exercises andmeditationpracticesintherestofthebook.Firstly,youwilldiscoverthevalueofsettingaregulartimeandspacefor

yourYogaMeditation, aswell as the importanceofmaintaining the rightmentalattitudetoworktowardyourgoals.Secondly, you will discover the value of being able to sit still in a

comfortableandsteadyposture,sothatyoucanremainrelaxedandalertforaconsiderablelengthoftimewithoutdistraction.Toachievethiseffect,youwill be offered instruction on a range of different seated postures, fromwhichyoucanchoosewhenitcomestodoingyourownmeditation.And finallyyouwill begivenan explanationof a rangeofyogichand

gestures calledmudras, and internal yogic body “seals” or “locks” calledbandhas.Thesecanhelptoincreasethepowerofyourenergy,retainingitand directing it upward through the energy centres (chakras), whichwilldeepenyourYogaMeditationpractice.

PRELIMINARIESFORPRACTICE

ToreapthegreatestbenefitsfromtheYogaMeditationtechniquesinthisbook,first set the intention towant toget in touchwithyourdeep, innermost joyfulself.Then,makeagenuinecommitmenttoyourselftoworksteadilytowardthatgoal.Belowareseveralothercriticalfactorstotakeintoaccount.

TimingTraditionally, yogismeditate around sunrise and sunset, as themind naturallybecomesmorecalmandsereneatthesetimes.Thisisoptimal.However,ifthesetimes are difficult for you, simply decide on the times that best suit you andcommityourselftosettingtheseasideeachday.

RegularityThekeytosuccessinmeditationistodevelopandmaintainaregularpractice–dailyifpossible(asoftenaspossibleifnot),andatthesametimeeachday,forapproximatelythesamelengthoftime.Thisway,yourbodyandmindwillgetaccustomedtotheregularity,anditwillbemucheasiertogetintotherightstateofmindformeditationeachday.

RightattitudeThejourneytoacalmer,morecontentedselfisalong,gradualprocess,soyouwillneedtobepatientandpersevere.Thereisnoinstantsuccessinspirituallife.It’sthereforeimportanttokeepyourYogaMeditationpracticehighonyourlistofdailyprioritiesandtopractisewithenthusiasmeachtime.Onlybydoingthiswillyoufeellikeyouaremakingprogressandstarttorealizethatthebenefitsofmeditation– calmness, contentment and increasedenergy levels– are actuallyyour natural state of being; you have just temporarily lost touchwith it. Youshouldalsokeepinmindtheyamasandniyamasoutlinedonpages18–21.

PreparingyourspaceDoyourYogaMeditation practice in a clean, tidy, quiet place,where you areunlikely to be disturbed. For comfort, it’s best to wear loose, unrestrictiveclothing, with all belts, jewellery, glasses and shoes removed. If you want tocreateamoodsuitableformeditation,feelfreetoburnanincensestickorlightacandle somewhere safe.As for props, there’s just a couple of things youwillneed:ayogamatonwhichtopractiseyourasanasandafirmcushiononwhichtositwhileyoumeditate.Bysittinginthesameplaceeachtime,youwillbuildanauraofpurityandpeacethere.

PreparingyourbodyThestomachshouldbeatleasthalfemptywhenyoupractiseYogaMeditation,soalwaysallowatleasttwohoursafteramealbeforeyoustart.Donotpractiseifyouarefeelingillortired,orifyouarefeelingveryupset,asthemindwillnotbeabletoconcentrate.

THEARTOFSITTINGFORMEDITATION

For effective Yoga Meditation practice, the body needs to be seated in acomfortableandsteadyposture–aposition inwhich thenaturalcurvesof thespine can be maintained. The head, neck and spine should be upright and inalignmenttoallowenergytoflowfreelyuptothehigherchakras.Youshouldbeseated in such a way that you are able to remain still in that position for asignificantamountoftime.Whensuchapositioncanbeheldwithouteffort,thebodycanbecomerelaxed,thebreathsteadyandquiet,andthefocusedmindwillbeabletoenteradeepstateofstillness.The pages that follow contain a range of seated positions to choose from,

depending not only on your overall flexibility and comfort levels but also onwhatfeelsappropriateonanygivenday.Theonlywaytodiscoverwhichoneisbestforyouistotryallofthem,butbesuretogoeasyonyourself–neverforceapositionandslowlyalteryourpositionifatanypointyouexperiencepain.

SittingonachairIfyouareunabletositcomfortablyonthefloor, thebestoption is tositonanuprightchairthat has no armrests. Sit forward slightly to avoid leaning against the back rest.Keep yourspineuprightandplaceyourfeethip-widthapartontheground.Iftheydonotreachthefloor,support themwith foldedblankets.Your lower legsshouldbeperpendicular to the floorandyourhipsslightlyhigherthanyourknees.

EasyPose–Sukhasana

AstheEnglishnameimplies,thisisthe“easiest”orgentlestoftheseatedmeditation postures, involving simply sitting cross-legged on the floor.However,itisnotsuitableforeveryonesotryitandseehowyoufeel.

1Sitonthefloorontheedgeofafirmcushionorfoldedblanket,bendinbothlegsandcrossonelegontopoftheotherinfrontofyou,sothatyourkneesrelaxdowntothesides.Ifyouaremoreexperienced,youmaynotneedacushion.

2Ensurethecushionorblanketisanappropriateheighttomaketheposturecomfortableforyou.Ideally,yourkneesshouldbeslightlylowerthanyourhips,oratleastatthesamelevel.Thisallowsyourthighstorelaxdownward,reducingtensioninthehipsandfreeingthespinetolengthenupward.

3Situprightwiththeweightofyourbodyinthefrontedgesofyoursittingbones.Aligntheupperbodydirectlyoverthebaseofthespine.Lengthenthespine,openyourchestanddrawyourshouldersback.

4Restyourhands,palmsupward,inChinMudra(seepage58)onyourkneesorthighs,dependingonyourpreference.

ThunderboltPose–Vajrasana

Thiskneelingmeditationposeisaslightvariationonthestandardsittingthemeand isone that is regularlyusedbyMuslimsandZenBuddhists inprayerandmeditation.Kneeling inVajrasana calms and harmonizes the body andmind,activatespranainthesushumnanadiandredirectssexualenergytothebrainforspiritualpurposes.

1Kneelonayogamatorcushionwithyourkneestogetherandsityourbuttocksonyourheels.

2Bringyourbigtoestogetherandseparateyourheels,sothatyourbuttocksareseatedontheinsidesurfaceofyourfeetwithyourheelstouchingthesidesofyourhips.

3Keepyourbodyupright,withyourhead,neckandspinenaturallyalignedandrelaxed.

4Restyourhands,palmsupward,inChinMudra(seepage58)onyourkneesorthighs.

CAUTION:Beparticularlycarefulwiththisposeifyouhaveanyissueswithyourknees,and,ifyouexperienceanypaininyourthighs,separateyourkneesslightly.

AdeptPose–Siddhasana

TheSanskrittermsiddhameans“perfected”or“accomplished”.Assuch,itis no great surprise that Siddhasana is considered an ideal meditationposture among adept yogis. This is because it quietens the mind, has abalancing effect on the nadis and activates the spiritual energy of thechakrasduetothepressureappliedbythepositionofthefeet.

1Sitonthefloorontheedgeofafirmcushionorfoldedblanket.Ifyouaremoreexperienced,youmaynotneedacushionorblanket.Bendyourleftlegandplacethesoleofyourfootflatagainstyourinnerrightthighwithyourheelpressingagainstthegroin,sothatyouareessentiallysittingonyourleftheel.

2Thenbendyourrightlegandplacetherightfootdirectlyinfrontoftheleftfootsothattheanklebonesaretouching.Yourleftheelmightpressthepubicbone,directlyabovethegenitals.

3Asanalternative,pushtheouteredgeoftheleftfootandthetoesbetweentherightcalfandthighmuscles.Grasptherighttoesandpullthemupinbetweentheleftcalfandthigh.

4Restyourhands,palmsupward,onyourkneesinChinMudra(seepage58).

LotusPose–Padmasana

Padmasana, meaning “lotus seat”, is the classic sitting pose for YogaMeditation,inwhichthefeetareplacedonopposingthighs.Asthelegsarein a bound position, the blood flow to them is reduced, resulting in anincreaseofbloodflowtothebrain,whichpurifiesthenervoussystem.Thisposture has a balancing influence on all the chakras and brings anincomparablefeelingofcalmtothemind.

1Sitonthefloorwithyourlegsextendedinfrontofyou.Then,slowlyandcarefullybendinyourrightleg,holdingyourrightfootwithbothofyourhands.

2Turnthefootaroundsothatthesoleisfacingyouandplacetheinstepuphighonyourleftthighasyouloweryourrightkneetothefloor.Yourrightheelshouldbeclosetoyourpubicbone.

3Thenbendinyourleftlegand,holdingyourleftfootwithyourhands,placetheinstepuphighonyourrightthigh.Findapointofcomforthere.

4Restyourhands,palmsfacingupward,onyourkneesinChinMudra(seepage58).

AdaptedLotuswithSupport

This adapted version of the difficult-to-accomplish Lotus Pose is a goodalternativeforanyonewhofindstheseatedfloorpositionsuncomfortableforanyreason(forexample,stiffkneesorsoreback)butwhodoesn’twant tositonachair.Youwillneedfiveorsixsoftblanketstotryit.

1Sitonfourorfivefoldedblankets,withyourbackuprightagainstawallifyourbackmusclesdon’tfeeluptosupportingthemselves.

2Bendyourlegs,crossingoneovertheothersothatyourshinscontacteachother,andeachfootrestsonthefloorundertheoppositeknee.

3Adjusttheheightofyourkneesuntilthekneecapsarepointingdirectlyoutward.

4Placealong,rolledblanketaroundthefrontofyourshinsandoverthetopsofbothfeetandtuckitinfirmlysothatitsupportsyourlegs.

5Tiltyourpelvisforwardandsitupright.Rollthetopsofyourshouldersbackandleanyourheadgentlyagainstthewall.

6Withyourhead,neckandspineinalignment,keepyourchestliftedandrelaxyourabdomenanddiaphragmmusclesasyoubreatheslowlyandrhythmically.

7Restyourhands,palmsfacingupward,onyourthighs,inChinMudra(seepage58).

MUDRAS

A useful tool to get acquainted with are yogic gestures called mudras;mudra isaSanskritwordmeaning“gesture”or“attitude”.Mudrascanbeapplied to the hands, head or body, with the intention of awakening theprana to bring deepened awareness and concentration. Here we look athandmudras.However,youwill comeacrossa rangeofothermudras inthe exercises on the pages that follow, which are specific techniquesrelevanttospecificpractices;eachisexplainedinitsownsection.Yourhandsareessentiallyanenergymapofconsciousness.Eachfinger

containsnumerousnerve terminalsand representsacertainquality.Whenfingersandpartsofthepalmsconnectinaparticularhandmudra,it’slikeflickingaswitchthatactivatespranaalongspecificnadisinthehands,intothebody,throughthechakrasandtothebrain.Thisloopofenergybetweenthe brain and the handmudra means that the pranic energy is unable toescapefromthebodyandisthereforeheightened,strengtheningthebody–mindconnection.The fourmudras that followare thekeyhandpositionsfor YogaMeditation, and can be used interchangeably depending on theeffectyouwouldliketoachieve.

ChinMudra–GestureofConsciousness

Restyourhands,palmsup,onyourkneesorthighs,andlightlyjointhetipsofyourthumbsandindexfingers.Extendtheotherfingers.ThewordchincomesfromtheSanskritwordchitorchittameaning“consciousness”.Theclosedcircuitoftheindexfingerandthumbsymbolizesthe union of the individual soul with supreme consciousness, making you feel calm and

connected.

JnanaMudra–GestureofWisdom

Restyourhands,palmsdown,onyourkneesorthighs,andlightlyjointhetipsofyourthumbsandindexfingers.Relaxtheotherfingers.Jnana(pronounced“gyana”)Mudragivesstability,balancesthefivevitalelementsofthebody,inspirescreativity,developstheintellect,sharpensmemoryandincreasesconcentration.

BhairavaMudra–GestureofBliss

Restyourhands,palmsupward,inyourlap.Placethelefthandontherightone,sothatyoucradlethebackofyourlefthandinyourrightpalm.Bringthetipsofyourthumbstogether.Thetwohandsrepresenttheida(leftnadi)andpingala(rightnadi),sotheirunionsymbolizesdrawingthetwoenergiestogetherinthesushumna(centralnadi),whichhasadeeplycalmingeffect.

Clasped–handsMudra–GestureofUnity

Restyourhands,palmsupward,inyourlap.Interlockyourfingerssothatthefingersofeachhandlieagainst thebackof theoppositehand.Restonethumbontopof theother.This isasymbolofmindandbodyinharmoniousunity;themindsymbolizedbytheleftthumbandthebodybytheright.Usethismudratogodeeperintomeditativecalm.

BANDHASAnother useful yogic tool for Yoga Meditation is an understanding ofinternal energetic seals or locks known as bandhas. The Sanskrit wordbandhameans“tolock”or“tohold”.When a bandha is practised by applying a physical contraction to a

specificbodypart,theenergyflowistemporarilyblocked,andcontrolled.Whenthebandha isreleased,theenergyflowsmorestronglyinthatarea,withincreasedpressure.Thisredirectionoftheflowofpranahasacalmingeffect on the mind, strengthens our inner focus, and also directs ourawarenesstowardhigherconsciousness.Assuch,usingthebandhascanbelikened to the temporary damming of a river for it to be redirectedmoreusefully.The threemajor bandhas to be used in conjunction with certain yoga

asanaandpranayamaareasfollows.

MulaBandha–RootLockTheSanskritwordsmulaandbandhamean“root”and“lock”soMulaBandha refers to theenergetic “lock”nearmuladhara chakra, at thebase of the spine.Also called the “perineumlock”,thisinvolvesgentlycontractingthemusclesofthepelvicfloor,whichliftsandtonestheorgansofthepelvis.Thinkofthesqueezingactionthatyouwouldtaketostopurinatingmid-streamandyouhaveagoodideaofthefeelingyouaretryingtoachieve.Thereisnoexternalsignwhenyouareapplyingthisbandhasonophotographcanillustrateit.

UddiyanaBandha–AbdominalLock

TheSanskrittermuddiyanameansto“flyupward”–anappropriatenotionforthislockwhich,when applied by contracting the upper abdominal muscles, causes the diaphragm to “flyupward”,orrise,towardthechest.Ithelpstodirectpranaintothesushumnanadi(thecentralenergypathwayinthespine)sothatitflowsupwardtosahasrarachakra,thushelpingyouonyourjourneytowardself-realization.Toapplythislock,thinkofgentlysuckingyourstomachinandupasmuchaspossible.

CAUTION: Practise only on an empty stomach. Pregnant women and those suffering fromhighbloodpressure,heartproblemsandstomachulcersshouldavoidit.

JalandharaBandha–ThroatLock

Thislockisachievedbyloweringandpressingthechintothesternum,whilethechestisraisedwiththeinhalingbreathtowardthechin.TheSanskrittermsjalananddharamean“net”and“stream” so this lock seals off the network ofnadis in the neck, preventing the “stream” ofpranabetweenthechakras,andinsteaddirectingitintothesushumnanadi.Thispromotesan

increasedsenseofcalm.

CAUTION: Those with high blood pressure, heart problems, mental stress and migraineshouldonlypractisethisundertheguidanceofanexperiencedyogateacher.

CHAPTER4

ASANAPRACTICE

POSTURESTOREVITALIZEYOURBODY’SENERGY

Regularly doing the yoga postures (asanas) in this chapter will not onlyhelp to enhanceyourphysical health.The sequences are alsodesigned toawaken the subtle energy in your body – so that it can be consciouslydirected from the spine to the higher brain centres in the meditationpracticestofollow,encouragingyoutofindyoursenseofinnerpeaceandstillness.Firstly,youwillbeledthroughwarm-upexercises,whichlimberupthe

body.Next,youwillbeguidedthroughtheSunSalutationSequence(SuryaNamaskara),whichinvigoratesandbalancesall thebody’ssystems.Next,there are two sequences to choose between: an Energizing MorningSequenceandaRelaxingEveningSequence.Finally,thereisaCool-DownSequence,which canbe added to the endof either amorningor eveningpractice. Ideally, this whole set of sequenceswould be completed beforedoing any of the rest of the practices in the book.However, if you don’thavetimefor this,simplychoosethemostsuitablesequencefor the time,whether theSunSalutation to reinvigorate you, theMorningSequence tosetyouup for theday, theEveningSequence towinddownor theCool-DownSequencetoreallyswitchoffandrelax.

WARMINGUP

Beforebeginningyouryogaroutineproper,practiseatleastafewofthewarm-up exercises that follow to limber the spine, loosen yourmuscles and prepareyour mind. Make sure you do each movement slowly, with concentration,coordinating your breathing (both in and out through the nose) with yourmovements.Thereisinstructiongivenwitheachexerciseastowhenyoushouldinhaleorexhale.

Benefitsofthewarm-upIt isgood toget into thehabitofgivingyourself time towarmupbefore startingyourYogaMeditation routine proper, as doing the exercises on the pages that follow will confer thefollowingbenefits:

•StandingBodyStretchstretchesthespineandrelaxesthewholebody.•CrossingArmsAboveHeadrelaxestheshoulders,stretchesthechestmusclesandencouragesdeepbreathing.

•UpperBodySideBendstretchesandstrengthensthemusclesalongthesidesoftheabdomenandback.

•UpperBodyTwistpromotesflexibilityofthespine,andrelaxesboththeupperandlowerbackmuscles.

•ChairPosestrengthensthelegmusclesandstretchesthearms.•UpperBodySwinginvigoratestheentirebody,deepeningbreathingandpromotingflexibilityinthebackandhips.

Preparingthebody

1StandingBodyStretch

Standwithyourlegstogetherandyourarmsatyourside.Inhaling,riseupontoyourtoesand stretch your arms above your head, so that you stretch your whole body. Exhaling,slowlyloweryourheelsandreturntothestartingposition.Repeatfivetimesintotal.

2CrossingArmsAboveHead

a)Standwithyourlegsslightlywiderthanhip-widthapart,yourarmsrelaxedbyyoursidesandyourbackstraight.Inhaling,raiseyourarmsstraightouttoshoulderlevelateachside,palmsfacingdownward.

b)Exhaling,crossyourarmsaboveyourhead,palmsfacingforward.Inhaling,loweryourarmstoyoursidesandreturntothestartingposition.RepeatStepsaandbtentimesintotal.

3UpperBodySideBend

Standingwithyourlegsslightlywiderthanhip-widthapart,claspyourfingersbehindyourheadandpushyourelbowsslightlyback.Exhaling,bendyourupperbodysidewaystotheleft,ensuringthatyoudon’tleaneitherbackwardorforward.Inhaling,returntothecentre.Exhaling,bendyourupperbodysideways to theright,againensuring thatyoudon’t leaneitherbackwardorforward.Inhaling,returntothecentre.Repeatthreetimesoneachsideintotal.

4UpperBodyTwist

Standingwithyourlegsslightlywiderthanhip-widthapart,claspyourfingersbehindyourheadandpushyourelbowsslightlyback.Inhaledeeply,thenasyouexhale,turnyourupperbodytotheleft.Inhaleandturnbacktothecentre.Exhale,turntotheright;theninhale,returntothecentre.Repeatthreetimes.

5Chairpose

Standing with your feet hip-width apart, hold your arms straight out in front of you atshoulder leveland inhale.Exhaling, slowly loweryourbodybybendingyourknees intoasquatposition,asifyouareabouttositonachair.Keepyourfeetflatonthefloor,withyourknees over your ankles. Hold for a count of five breaths, then inhale and return to thestandingposition.Repeatfivetimes.

6UpperBodySwing

a)Standwithyourfeetwideapart.Inhalingdeeply,raisebotharmsstraightaboveyourhead.Allowyourhandstorelaxanddropforward.

b)Then,exhalingdeeplythroughyourmouth,stretchyourarmsandupperbodyforward,swingingthemasfarasiscomfortablebetweenyourlegs,takingcarenottolockyourknees.Inhaling,swingslowlybackuptostandingupright,withyourhandsaboveyourhead.Repeatthisswingingmovementtentimesintotal.

c)Then,breathingnormally,allowyourbodytorelaxandhangforwardforthreebreaths

beforeslowlyraisingyourbodyuprightonaninhalation,withyourarmsstretchedaboveyourhead.Finally,exhaleandloweryourarmsslowlytobringthemtoyoursides.

CAUTION: Do not practise this exercise if you suffer from high blood pressure or have aslippeddiscorotherbackissues.

SUNSALUTATIONSEQUENCE

Theflowingyogasequenceknownas theSunSalutation(SuryaNamaskara inSanskrit) is an invaluable series of postures that can be done at any time,whetherasacompleteexerciseinitsownright,oraspartofawiderroutineasadvisedinthisbook,becauseit:•greatlyenhancesflexibilityinthespineandlimbs•stretchesandstrengthensallthemajormusclegroupsinthebody•stimulatescirculation•helpstoovercomefatigue•encouragesthehealthyflowofpranathroughoutthebody•helpstocoordinatethebody,mindandbreath,bringingfocustoyourmindinpreparationformeditation.The sequence can be done either slowly, in ameditativeway, or at a faster

pace to really energize the body. The important thing is to practise withawarenessandconcentration,andto try tosynchronizeyourbreathing(both inandoutthroughthenose,orUjjayibreathing,seepages98–9)withthephysicalmovements. If thisseemsdifficultat first, focuson thebodypositions initiallyandthen,oncethesearefamiliar,begintocoordinateyourmovementswithyourbreath.To add another dimension, more experienced practitioners might like to

concentrateonthechakrathatcorrespondstoeachposition.Thesearelistedinthestepsthatfollow,andinformationonthechakrascanbefoundonpages34–41.

CAUTION:Avoid the sequence on pages 69–71 if you suffer from high blood pressure, dizziness,slippeddiscorotherbackissues.

1MountainPose–Tadasana

Beginbystandingtallwithyourfeettogetherandyourarmsrelaxedbyyoursides.Closeyoureyesandbecomeawareofthenaturalrhythmofyourbreath–inthroughyournoseandoutthroughyournose.CONCENTRATION:muladhara(root)chakra.

2PrayerPose–Pranamasana

Exhaling,joinyourpalmstogether intheclassicalprayerpositioninfrontofyourheart.Feelthismovementbeginto“centre”yourenergy.CONCENTRATION:anahata(heart)chakra.

3UpwardSalute–UrdhvaHastasana

openyoureyes.Inhaling,slowlysweepyourarmsout to thesidesandoverhead,keepingyourarmsstraightandendingupwithyourpalmspressedtogetherorfacingeachother.Liftyourchestandarchyourbackslightly.CONCENTRATION:vishuddhi(throat)chakra.

4StandingForwardBend:Uttanasana

Exhaling,slowlyfoldintoastandingforwardbend,aimingtoplaceyourhandseithersideofyourfeetinlinewithyourtoes.Ifyourlegsfeeltight,bendyourkneesslightly.Lengthenyourspineasyoureleaseyourhead,shouldersandarmstowardthefloor.CONCENTRATION:svadhisthana(sacral)chakra.

5Rider’sLunge–AshwaSanchalasana

Inhaling,bendbothkneesandloweryourrightkneetothegroundasyoustretchthelegback.Atthesametimekeepyourleftfootbetweenyourhands,andyourkneedirectlyoveryourankle.Raiseyourheadandlookup.CONCENTRATION:ajna(thirdeye)chakra.

6Plank–Phalakasana

Holdingyourbreath,extendyourleftlegbacksothatitisalignedwithyourrightleg.Keepboth legs straightandallowyourarms to supportyourupperbody,whileyour toesandfeetsupportyourlowerbody.Lengthenfromthebaseofyourspinethroughtothetopofyourhead,extendingyourheelsback.CONCENTRATION:manipura(solarplexus)chakra.

7SalutewithEightPoints–Ashtanganamaskara

Exhaling, bend and lower first your knees to the floor, then your chest and chin too,ensuring that your shoulders and fingertips align as you bend your arms and that yourelbowsdon’tgoouttothesides.Yourbuttocksshouldremainraised.CONCENTRATION:manipura(solarplexus)chakra.

8Cobra–Bhujangasana

Keeping your slightly bent elbows close to your body and your shoulders relaxed, pushyour hands gently into the floor to raise your head andupper body, arching your spinebackward,whilekeepingyourhips,legsandthetopsofyourfeetonthefloor.Directyourgazebetweenyoureyebrows.CONCENTRATION:svadhisthana(sacral)chakra.

9DownwardDog–Adho-Mukha-Svanasana

Exhaling,tuckyourtoesunder,raiseyourhipstothesky,straightenyourarmsandpushyourbodybackward.Allowyourhead to relaxbetweenyourarmsandpressyourheelstowardthefloor.CONCENTRATION:vishuddhi(throat)chakra.

10Rider’sLunge–AshwaSanchalasana

Inhaling,lungeyourrightlegforward,bringingyourrightfootbetweenyourhands.Loweryourleftkneetothefloorandstretchyourleftlegback,restingthetopofyourfootflatonthefloor.Lookup.CONCENTRATION:ajna(thirdeye)chakra.

11StandingForwardBend–Uttanasana

Exhaling,stepyourleftlegforwardtomeettherightandfoldyourbodyforwardfromthehipjoints,bringingyourforeheadtowardyourshins.Bendyourlegsslightly, ifyouneedto,forcomfort.CONCENTRATION:svadhisthana(sacral)chakra.

12UpwardSalute–UrdhvaHastasana

Inhaling, slowlyraiseyourupperbody, firstwithyourarmsoutstretched in frontofyouandthenoverhead,withthepalmspressedtogetherorfacingeachother.Slightlyarchyourspinebackward.CONCENTRATION:vishuddhi(throat)chakra.

Exhaling,loweryourarmstoyoursidesandandlookstraightahead.Takeoneortwoslowdeepbreathsheretocentreyourself.CONCENTRATION:anahata(heart)chakra.

Nextrepeattheentiresequence,thistimeontheoppositeside:takingyourleftkneetothefloorinStep5andyourrightkneetothefloor inStep10.Thiscompletesone“round”oftheSunSalutation.Itisgoodtobeginwithsixcompleteroundsandgraduallyprogressto12rounds.

ENERGIZINGMORNINGSEQUENCE

The sequence of yoga postures that followswill really stretch your spine andlegs,awakeningyourbodyandfillingitwithvitalityforthedayahead.Besureto practise slowly, with awareness, and try to tune into the energy runningthroughyourspineasyourelaxintoeachpose.Breathedeeplyandsmoothlyinandoutthroughyournoseunlessstatedotherwise.

Standtallwithyourfeettogetherandyourarmsbyyoursides,relaxyoureyesandface,andlookstraightahead.

2StandingForwardBend–Uttanasana

Exhaling,bendforwardfromyourhips,takingyourupperbodytowardyourlegs.Ifyouareunabletoplaceyourhandsonyourfeet(asshown),tryholdingyouroppositeelbowswith your hands and pulling them down to lengthen your trunk. Hold for five breaths.Then,inhaling,comeupslowly.

3TrianglePose–Trikonasana

Standwithyourfeetover1m(about4ft)apartandparallel.Extendyourarmsouttothesidesat shoulderheight.Turnyour left footoutby90degreesandyourright foot inbyabout15degrees.Exhaling,bendyourbodydowntotheleft,aimingtoholdyourankleoras low down your leg as you can. Stretch your right armup and turn the palm to faceforward.Keepingyourrighthiprolledback,turnyourheadtolookupatyourhand.Holdforfivebreaths.Theninhaling,comeupslowly.Turnyourfeettothefront,thenrepeatontheotherside,thistimewithyourrightfootturnedoutandyourleftfootin.

4Side-AnglePose–Parsvakonasana

Standwithyourfeetover1m(about4ft)apartandparallelagain.Turnyourleft foot90degreesoutandyourrightfootslightlyin.Exhaling,bendyourleftlegtoarightangleandloweryourbodytotheleft,placingyourleftforearmonyourleftthigh.Stretchyourrightarmoverhead,palmfacingforward,turnyourheadtolookupatyourarm,andfeelthestretchdown theright sideofyourbody.Hold for fivebreaths.Then inhaling, comeup.Turnyourfeettothefront,thenrepeatontheotherside.

5Warrior–Virabhadrasana

Standwithyourfeetover1m(about4ft)apartandparallelagain.Turnyourleftfootout90degreesandyourrightfootin45degrees,thenturnyourhipstofacethesamedirectionasyourlefttoes.Exhaling,bringyourarmsoverhead,palmstogether,stretchupwardandlookupatyourhands.Holdforfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,comeup.Turnyourfeettothefront,thenrepeatontheotherside.

6SidewaysIntenseStretch–Parsvottanasana

Standwithyourfeetjustlessthan1m(about3ft)apart.Turnyourleftfootout90degreesandyourrightfootin45degrees,thenturnyourhipstofacethesamedirectionasyourlefttoes.Inhaling,stretchyourbodyup,then,exhaling,bendforwardfromyourhips,overtheleftleg,reachingyourhandstowardthefloor(oraslowonyourlegastheyreach).Holdforfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,slowlycomeup.Turnyourfeettothefront,thenrepeatontheotherside.

7CamelPose–Ustrasana

Kneel on the floorwith your legs hip-width apart and yourbody in a vertical line fromyour knees upward. Tuck your tailbone under and draw your abdomen in. Place yourhandsonyourhips,withyourelbowsback,toliftyourchest.Inhaling,lengthenyourspineandcircleyourrightarmupandbehindtotouchtherightheel.Repeatwithyourleftarm

so that your spine ends up arched backward, keeping your abs tight and your thighsvertical. If you are unable to reach your heels (or it is causing discomfort), place yourhands on your hips and gently arch back. Hold for five breaths. Then, inhaling, slowlycomeupandsitonyourheels.

8SeatedForwardBend–Paschimottanasana

Sit on the floor with your legs together, stretched out in front of you and your spineupright.Pressyour thighsdownandextend throughyourheels.Exhaling,bend forwardfromyourhipsandclaspyourfeet,anklesorshins,dependingonyourflexibility.Aimtorestyourupperbodyandheadonyourlegs.Holdforfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,slowlycomeuptositting.

“Thesecretofhealthforbothmindandbodyisnottomournforthepast,worryaboutthefuture,oranticipatetroubles,buttoliveinthepresent

momentwiselyandearnestly.”

ParamhansaYogananda

RELAXINGEVENINGSEQUENCE

Thesequenceofyogaposturesthatfollowswillhelpyoutounwindfromyourdaily activities by freeing tensions fromyour body, awakening energy in yourspineandincreasingthebloodcirculationtoyourbraintobothvitalizeandrelaxyouformeditation.Breathedeeplyandsmoothlyinandoutthroughyournose,unlessotherwisestated.

1UpwardThunderboltPose–UrdhvaVajrasana

a)Kneelonthefloor,withyourbuttocksonyourheels,yourhandsonyourthighsandyourbodyuprightbutrelaxed.

b)Inhaling,raisebothyourarmsaboveyourhead,stretchingyourspineslightlyback,andexpandingyourchesttoopenyourheartandlungs.Looktowardyourhands,holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

2HarePose–Shashankasana

Exhaling,bendyourbody forward, reachingyourarms in frontofyouandrestingyourforeheadonthefloor.Keepyourbuttocksonyourheelsifyoucan.Holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

3CobraPose–Bhujangasana

Liedownonyourstomach,restingthetopsofyourfeetonthefloor.Inhaling,pressyourhipsintothefloorandraiseyourupperbody,supportingyourselfwithyourhandsunderyour shoulders, elbows tucked in. Arch your back slightly and look up, pressing yourshouldersdownandback.Holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

4DownwardDog–Adho-Mukha-Svanasana

Exhaling, tuckyour toesunder, straightenyourarmsand legs,andraiseyourhipshigh.Pushyourheelsintothefloorandyourbuttocksintotheair.Relaxyourheadbetweenyourarmsanddirectyourgazetowardyourknees.Holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

5CatPose–Majariasana

a)Comedownontoallfours,aligningyourkneesdirectlyunderyourhipsandyourhandsdirectlyunderyourshoulders,withyourbackinarelaxedstraightline.

b)Inhalingdeeply,archdownyourlowerspineandextendyourhead,neckandchestupward.Pushdownthroughthehandstoliftyourupperspineandlookdirectlyahead.

c)Exhaling,tuckyourtailboneunder,drawyourabdomenin,bowyourheadtolooktowardyournavelandarchupyourwholespine.

d)Repeatthearchingdown(Stepb)andarchingup(Stepc)movementfivetimesintotal.

6Child’sPose–Balasana

Inhaleasyousitbackonyourheels.Exhaleasyoufoldyourupperbodyforwardtorestyourforeheadonthefloorifyoucan.Restyourarmsbyyoursides,palmsfacingupward.Take your attention inward and focus your awareness on yourbreath.Rest here for tenbreaths,thenveryslowlysitupintoThunderboltPose(seepage54).

7CorpsePose–Shavasana

Ifyouare finishingyourpracticehere, liedownonyourbackwithyourhead,neckandspineinanicestraightline,yourfeetacomfortabledistanceapartandyourarmsslightlyawayfromthesidesofyourbody,palmsfacingup.Letyourfeetfalllooselytothesidesandremain completely still. Close your eyes and relax yourwhole body.Maintain the innerfocusofyourmindbybeingawareofthenaturalrhythmofyourbreathing.Remainhereforaslongasyoufeeltheneed.If,however,youhavetimetocontinuetotheCoolDownSequence,youcanskipthisposturehereasyouwilldoitattheendofyourcooldown.

COOLDOWNSEQUENCE

The following soothing sequenceofmainly invertedyogapostures (where thehead is lower than the heart) will benefit the whole body, massaging andnourishingyour internalorgansby increasing thebloodsupply to them.Itwillalso enhance physical and mental relaxation in preparation for meditation.Breathe deeply and smoothly in and out through your nose unless statedotherwise.

BenefitsofinvertedposesWhileinvertedposesinyogaareoftenseenasdifficult,thebenefitsofgentlymasteringtheseposesaremanifold.Reversingtheactionofgravityonthebodyhasanumberofusefulhealth-promotingoutcomes.As mentioned above, inverted poses invigorate the entire body and provide support for

internal organs. However, these poses also deepen breathing, relax the nervous system, andpromoteflexibilityinthebackandhips.TheShoulderstandcanhelpwithheadachestoo,asthemusclesintheneckandshouldersarereleasedandbenefitfromagreatersupplyofblood.

CAUTION:Donotpractisetheinvertedposesonthepagesthatfollow(Steps2to5 – Shoulderstand to Bridge) during menstruation, pregnancy or if sufferingfrom high blood pressure, a neck injury or eye problems such as a detachedretinaorglaucoma.FishPoseisfine topractiseduringmenstruationbut isnotsuitableduringpregnancy.

1LyingDown,LegsoutStraight

Lieonyourbackwithyourlegsstraightout,yourarmsbyyoursidesandyourpalmsonthefloor.Tuckyourchinin.Breatherhythmicallyfromyourabdomen.

2Shoulderstand–Sarvangasana

Inhaling, raiseyour legs to90degrees,keeping themstraight.Pressyourhands into thefloortoraiseyourhipsandlegs,andbringyourhandsontoyourlowerbackforsupport,fingerspointinginwardandthumbsaroundthehips.Continuetoraiseyourlegsandhipshigher,movingyourhandsclosertoyourshoulderbladestosupport thebalance.Aimtohaveyourbodyinaverticalline,elbowstuckedin,bringyourchinclosetoyourchest,andrelaxyourfeet.Holdforuptothreeminutes,breathingrhythmicallyfromyourabdomen.If this is too challenging, you can doHalf Shoulderstand (ArdhaSarvangasana) instead:just extend your legs over your head at a comfortable angle, resting your hips in yourhandsandkeepingtheweightofyourbodyonyourupperback,notyourneck.

3PloughPose–Halasana

Exhaling,slowlylowerbothlegsoveryourhead,aimingtorestyourtoesonthefloorbutkeeping your hips lifted and pressing your arms into the floor behind your back, palms

down.Holdforuptothreeminutes,breathingrhythmicallyfromyourabdomen.Ifthisistoo challenging, try placing two folded blankets under your shoulders, bend your legsbehind you and place your feet onto a support, such as a small, sturdy stool of anappropriateheight.

4Knee-to-earPose–Karnapidasana

Exhaling,loweryourkneeseithersideofyourearsifyoucanandplaceyourarmsbehindyourkneesandyourhandsoveryourears.Holdforoneminute,breathingslowly.Tocomeoutofthepose,extendyourarmsonthefloorbehindyourback,pressyourpalmsflatintothefloorandloweryourspine,vertebrabyvertebra.Thenslowlyloweryourlegssothatyou’re lyingonyourback,withyour legs togetherandarmsbyyoursides,palmsonthefloor.Ifthisistoochallenging,simplymovestraightfromPlough(Step3)toBridge(Step5).

5Bridge–Setubandhasana

a)Stilllyingonyourback,withyourarmsbyyoursides,bendyourkneesup,placingyourfeetflatonthefloor,about50cm(20in)apartandparallel.Becarefulnottoletyourkneesfallinwards.

b)Exhaling,placeyourhandsonyourlowerback,fingersturnedinwardandthumbsonyoursides,keepingyourelbowsonthefloor.Pushyourhipsandthighsupward,archyourspineanddonotletyourkneespushforwardoveryourtoes.Pressbothfeetevenlyintothefloor.Holdtheposeforfivebreaths.Then,breathingslowly,exhaleandrelease.

6FishPose–Matsyasana

Lyingonyourbackwithyourlegstogether,armsbyyoursidesandpalmsonthefloor,slideyourarmsunderyourbodyso thatyourhands,palmsdown,arebeneathyourbuttocks.Inhaling,raiseyourselfupontoyourelbowsandliftyourchestashighasyoucan.Gentlyextendyourheadbackandlowerthetopofyourheadtowardthefloor.HoldtheposeforabouthalfthetimeyouheldtheShoulderstand(asacounterpose).Tocomeoutofthepose,keeptheweightonyourelbows,inhale,raiseyourheadandloweryourspinegraduallytothefloor.

7CorpsePose–Shavasana

Lie onyourbackwith yourhead,neckand spine in anice straight line.Place your feetabout60cm(2ft)apart,relaxingthemouttothesides.Yourarmsshouldbeat45degreestoyourbody,palmsfacingup.Inhale, thentenseall themuscles inyourbodyandholdthebreathforafewseconds,beforeexhaling,completely lettinggoofall tension.Closeyoureyesandfocusyourawarenessonyourbreathing:asyouinhaletheabdomenrises,asyouexhale theabdomen falls.Relax foras longasyoucanafford, feeling theenergy flowingthroughoutyourbody.Youwillnowbeinamuchmorereadystateformeditation.

CHAPTER5

PURIFICATIONPRACTICE

TECHNIQUESTOCLEANSEYOURBODYANDMIND

Both a healthy body and a healthy mind are required to sustain theincreased levels of energy needed for Yoga Meditation. It is thereforeimportant that any impurities – whether physical (known as malas) ormental (known as vikshepas), such as doubt, inattention, laziness andpleasure-seeking–areremovedbeforemeditation.When the purification practices in this chapter – Nadi Shodhana

(Alternate Nostril Breathing), Agnisara Kriya (Activating the DigestiveFire), Kapalabhati (Skull-shining Breath) and Ashvini Mudra (HorseGesture) – are regularly performed, preferably daily, theywill purify thebody’senergychannels,strengthen thedigestion,burnup toxins,massagethe internalorgans,awaken the lifeenergiesof thebody,andcleanseandcalmthemindinpreparationformeditation.Aim to do the four purifications as part of your regular yoga practice

(preferably in the morning) – after your yoga postures and before yourpranayama and meditation. Doing this regularly for at least three to sixmonths will allow you to experience the optimum benefits of increasedenergyandclarityofmind.

NADISHODHANA:ALTERNATENOSTRILBREATHING

Thisimportantexercise–alsocommonlyknownasAnulomaViloma–purifiesalltheenergychannelsofboththephysicalandastralbodiessothatpranacanflowsmoothly;nadiisSanskritfor“flow”,andshodhanafor“purification”.Theexercisealsobalancesbreathingbetweenthe leftandrightnostrilsandactivitybetweentheleftandrightbrainhemispheres,whichhasacalmingeffectonthenervoussystem.Whentheflowofairbecomesequalinthenostrils,theflowofenergy in the ida andpingala nadis is also equalized, which allows prana toflow in the central sushumna nadi, centring the mind for the purpose ofmeditation.Regular practice will increase your capacity for focused concentration and

meditation.Itisbesttostartusingaratioof4:8:8–inhalingforacountoffour,holdingthebreathforeight,exhalingforeight.

VishnuMudra

Thismudra,whichinvolvesfoldingyourmiddleandindexfingersintoyourpalmandkeepingyourthumbandringandlittle fingersextended, isusedinNadiShodhana tohelptocontainpranawithinthebody.Therighthandisusuallyusedtoperformthismudra.

PractisingNadiShodhana

1Sitinacomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7),closeyoureyesandrelaxyourwholebody.

2Relaxyourlefthandonyourleftknee,palmupward.

3RaiseyourrighthandandpositionitinVishnuMudra(seebelowleft).

4Exhaleandcloseyourrightnostrilwithyourthumb.

5Inhaleslowlyandsmoothlythroughtheleftnostrilforacountoffour.

6Gentlycloseyourleftnostrilwithyourringandlittlefingerssothatbothnostrilsarenowclosed,andholdyourbreathforacountofeight.

7Releaseyourthumbandexhaleslowlythroughyourrightnostrilforacountofeight.

8Remainwiththeleftnostrilclosedandinhalethroughyourrightnostriltoacountoffour.

9Closebothnostrilsandholdyourbreathtoacountofeight.

10Releaseyourleftnostrilandexhalethroughitforacountofeight.Thiscompletesonefullround;repeatfromStep5tostartthenextround.Practisefivetotenroundsintotaldaily.Overaperiodoftime,graduallyaimtoincreaseto25rounds.Onceyou’veprogressedto25roundsatthis4:8:8ratio,reverttofivetotenrounds,butthistimetryinga5:10:10ratio.

AGNISARAKRIYA:ACTIVATINGTHEDIGESTIVEFIRE

AgniisSanskritfor“fire”,sarameans“essence”andkriyameans“action”.Thispurification practice is therefore ameans of stimulating the “essence of fire”,which is thought tobeat thenavel inyogic terms; thiscreates internalheat torekindle the digestive fire. It is also an effective exercise for toning theabdominalmuscles.Spiritually,itactivatesmanipurachakraatthenavel,whichfreesusfromnegativeenergiesandimbuesuswithvitality.Onlyeverdo theexercisesonpages89–90on an empty stomach, and after

evacuationofthebowels.Ifyouarenewtothepractice,itisbesttodojustStage1 first, then gradually progress to themore advanced Stages 2 and 3 as yourabdominalmusclesbecomestronger.Stages2and3are,however,best learnedundertheguidanceofanexperiencedyogateacher.

PractisingAgnisaraKriya

Stage1:AbdominalSqueeze

1Standwithyourfeetslightlywiderthanhip-widthapart.Bendyourkneesandleanforward,pressingyourhandsonyourthighsjustaboveyourknees,andkeepingyourarmsstraight.

2Inhaledeeply.Thenrelaxyourabdomen,andasyouexhaledeeply,firmlycontractyourabdominalmuscles,pressingthenaveltowardthespine.Comfortablyholdtheabdominalcontractionwithyourbreathheldoutforafewseconds.Asyouinhale,relaxandallowtheabdomentoreturntoitsnormalposition.Repeatfivetotentimes.

Stage2:AbdominalPumping

1Remainleaningforward,withyourhandspressedonyourthighsjustaboveyourknees,armsstraight.

2Inhaledeeply,then,exhalingdeeplyandslowly,contractthelowerabdominalmusclesjustaboveyourpubicbone,pullingthemfirmlyinwardandupward.Thisalsocreatesastrongupwardpressureintheperineumareabetweenthegenitalsandanus.Continueexhaling,whilecontractingtheabdominalwalluptowardtheribcage.Asyoucompletetheexhalation,inhaleand,withoutpause,inawave-likemotion,slowlyreleasethecontractionfromtheuppertothelowerabdomen.

3Onyournextexhalation,onceagaincontractfirstyourlower,thenyourupperabdominalmuscles.Then,holdingyourbreathforaslongasyoucomfortablycanwithoutstrain,pumpyourabdominalmusclesinandoutinquicksuccession.Atfirst,aimtodoabout20“pumps”.Theninhale,relaxandstanduprightagain.Asyoubecomemoreexperienced,youcangraduallyincreasetodoingtenroundsof20pumps,takingashortbreakbetweeneachround.

Stage3:AbdominalRolling(LaulikiNauli)

1Bendyourkneesagainandleanforward,pressingyourhandsonyourthighsjustaboveyourknees,andkeepingyourarmsstraight.

2Exhaledeeply,andfirmlycontractyourabdominalmuscles,bringingthenaveltowardthespine.ThisisUddiyanaBandha(seepage61).

3Maintainingthislock,pressyourhandsintoyourlegsandgiveaforwardandslightlydownwardthrusttotheabdominalportionbetweenthenavelandthepubicbone.Thishelpstocontracttherectusabdominusmuscles–thetwolongverticalrowsofmusclerunningdownthecentreoftheabdomen–keepingtheothermusclesoftheabdomeninarelaxedcondition.Equalhandpressureonyourlegsfurtherhelpsyoutoachievetheisolationoftherectusabdominusmuscles.

4Onceyoucanachievethisinitialisolationofthesemuscles,trytoisolatejusttherightrectus

muscle(DakshinaNauli)byleaningyourbodyforward,tiltingyourtorsoslightlytotherightandputtingextrapressureontherighthand.

5Thentrytoisolatetheleftrectusmuscle(VamaNauli)byleaningslightlytotheleftwhileincreasingpressureonthelefthand.

6Finally,starttryingtomoveeachonefromsidetosidesotheymoveor“roll”inawave-likemovementinquicksuccession.Beginbydoingfiverollstotherightandfivetotheleft.

CAUTION: Do not practise any of these exercises during menstruation (Agnisara Kriyastimulates the upward flow of pranic energy, which is counter to the natural downwardcleansing flow), while pregnant or after an abdominal operation, or if you have a stomachdisease,cardiovasculardiseaseorhighbloodpressure.

ThisshowsStage2ofAgnisaraKriyapractice–AbdominalPumping–inaction.

TheartofAbdominalRolling

It will take time and perseverance to master Abdominal Rolling as it is an advanced

exercisethatrequiresvoluntarycontrolofthecentralabdominalmuscles.Youwillneedtolearn how to isolate, contract and rotate the rectus muscles in a churningmotion whilemaintainingastaticposture.Thispracticeisthereforebestlearnedundertheexpertiseofanadept yoga teacher. However, it is included here because, once learned, it is a valuablepractice thatcontributes towardtheawakeningofdormantkundalini,helping it toascendthroughthesushumnatothecrownchakra.

KAPALABHATI:SKULL-SHININGBREATH

Kapala is Sanskrit for “skull” and bhati means “shine”. The practice ofKapalabhati,which involves a series of rapid, active exhalations and passive,effortless inhalations, therefore literally “shines”orpurifies thecavitieswithinthe skull, invigorating the brain with a massaging effect, rejuvenating thenervous system, and awakening dormant centres responsible for subtleperception. Itexpelsmorecarbondioxideandotherwastegasesfromthecellsand lungs thannormalbreathing. Ifyoufeeldizzyatanypointwhiledoing it,simply stop, sit quietly and breathe normally. When you feel ready to beginagain,breathewithawarenessandlessforcibly.

1Sitinacomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7),palmsonyourknees,closeyoureyes,relaxyourwholebodyandbreathedeeply,inandoutthroughyournose.

2Beginactivelyemphasizingyourexhalationbycontractingyourabdomen,sothatyoufeelyourdiaphragmlift,pushingtheairoutofyourlungsforcefullythroughbothnostrils.Thiswillcreateavacuumsothatthepassiveinhalationhappensnaturally.Thisisonerespiration.

3Continuebyrapidlyexhalingandinhalingthroughbothnostrilswithoutpausing,makingeachexhalationshort,strongandpowerfulandeachinhalationlight,relaxedandeffortless.Aimtokeepthemusclesofyourfacerelaxed.

4Startwiththreeroundsoftento20rapidrespirations.Aimtoaddtenrespirationsper“round”eachweekuntilyoureach120respirationsperround.

CAUTION: Those suffering from heart problems, high blood pressure, epilepsy,nauseaorfaintingshouldnotpractiseKapalabhati.

ASHVINIMUDRA:HORSEGESTURE

The traditional practice ofAshviniMudra,meaning “horse gesture”, is namedafterasubtleinternaldilationandcontractionoftheanalsphinctermusclesthata horse is known to make several times once it has evacuated its bowels.Repeatedlycontractingtheanalsphinctermusclesinthiswayactsasaperinealseal, conservingprana and redirecting it to the higher chakras, preparing themindformeditation.TheexercisealsopromotesoverallstrengthandvigourandisagoodpreparatorypracticeforMulaBandha,therootoranallock(seepage60).Italsohasphysicalbenefitsofstrengtheningtheanalmusclesandhelpsincounteracting disorders such as constipation, piles and prolapsed uterus orrectum.

1KneelinThunderboltPose(seepage54)withyourhead,neckandspineuprightandaligned.Restyourpalmsonyourthighs.

2Inhaledeeply,holdyourbreathandcontractyourglutealmuscles,pelvicdiaphragmandanalsphincterforafewseconds,thenrelease.Thefeelingislikethesqueezingofyourbackpassagetostopyourselfgoingtotheloo.Repeatthecontractionandreleaserapidlyasmanytimesasyoucanholdyourbreathcomfortablywithoutstrain.

3RepeatStep2twicemoresothatyoudothreeroundsofcontractionsintotal.Aimtoslowlyandgraduallyworkyourwayuptobeingabletodo30contractionsinonego,then60,beingcarefulnottostraininanyway.

NOTE:Tomakeiteasiertogetthefeelingwhenyoufirstdoit,youmightwanttotryitlyingdownonyourbackwithyourlegsandfeettogether.Anyposturethatpullsthehipstogetherwillmakeiteasier.

CHAPTER6

PRANAYAMAPRACTICE

REGULATINGYOURVITALLIFE-ENERGYTHROUGHBREATH

The techniques in this chapter aim to get you more attuned to the vitalenergywithinyourbodyviathepowerfulvehicleofthebreath,whichisthemosttangiblesignofinternalpranicactivity.Afterall,theSanskritwordpranayama–oneoftheEightLimbsofYoga

–iscomposedoftwoparts:prana,meaningthevitalenergywithinus,andayama,meaningtoregulateorextend.Pranayamapracticesthereforeactasameanstoregulateandharmonizethemovementofthevitalenergyinyourbody.Asanymovementofthoughtinthemindisbelievedtoarisefromthemovementofprana,gainingtheabilitytoregulateandstillthepranawillallow you to still and focus yourmind, too – helping to avoid “monkeymind”symptoms,wherethoughtsjumpallovertheplace.In the majority of types of pranayama breathing, just as in normal

breathing,itisstandardtobreathebothinandoutthroughthenose,unlessotherwiseinstructed.Pranayamaisbestpractisedintheearlymorning–afterthepurification

practices (see pages 84–93) and before meditation (see pages 106–137).However,manyof thepractices that followcanbedoneany time tohelpaccessafeelingofincreasedcalmandpeace.

THECOMPLETEYOGICBREATHTheCompleteYogicBreathisafundamentalpranayamapracticethatwillhelptorestoredeeper,balancedbreathing,leadingtoenhancedphysicalandmentalrelaxationandmakingyoufeelmorecentredwithin.Itwillalsohelptorelievefatigue, refreshing thewholebodyby increasingoxygen intake.As it involves breathing in a smooth, uninterrupted transition from theabdomen, to themid-chest, to theupperchest, it also teachesyouhow tomaximizeyourlungcapacitysothatyouusetheentirerespiratorysystem.The Complete Yogic Breath is especially useful in times of stress forhelpingtocalmthenervoussystemandtoreplenishenergylevels.

PractisingtheCompleteYogicBreath

Stage1:Inhalation

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyesandrelaxthebody.

2Abdomen:Exhaledeeplythroughthenose,contractingtheabdomentosqueezeoutalltheairfromthelungs.Theninhaleslowlythroughthenose,keepingthelowerpartoftheabdomencontractedwhileexpandingtheabdomenabovethenavelslightly.

3Mid-chest:Attheendoftheupper-abdomenexpansion,allowthebreathtocomeintoyourmid-chesttoexpandthatarea.

4Upperchest:Continuedrawingthebreathintothehigherlobesofthelungs,sothatitliftsandexpandsyourupperchest,causingyourcollarbonesandshoulderstorise.Yourlungsshouldnowbecompletelyfilledwithair.

Stage2:BreathRetention

1Holdthebreathinforafewseconds,gentlytiltingtheheadforwardontotheupperchestinJalandharaBandha(ThroatLock;seepage61).OnlyholdJalandharaBandhaforaslongasiscomfortablewhileyouareholdingyourbreath.

Stage3:Exhalation

1ReleaseJalandharaBandhabyraisingyourhead.

2Upperchest:Starttoexhalethroughyournose,relaxingyourupperchest,sothatyourcollarbonesandshoulderslowernaturallybackintotheirnormalposition.

3Mid-chest:Continueexhalingsothatyoufeelyourmid-chestrelax.

4Abdomen:Continueexhalinguntilyoufeelthereleaseofyourabdomensothatyourlowerribsbegintosofteninward.Youcanplaceonehandonyourabdomenandtheotheronyourupperchest,inordertofeelthebreathasitleavesfirstyourchestandthenyourabdomen.

ThiscompletesoneCompleteYogicBreath.Repeatforatotaloffivetotenfullbreaths,thenreturntonormalbreathing.

NOTE:TheCompleteYogicBreathcanbepractisedatanytime,andcanalsobedoneinastandingpositionorlyingdownonyourback.

UJJAYIPRANAYAMA:VICTORIOUSBREATH

Ujjayi breathing has two distinct qualities: the soft sibilant sound itproduces and its smooth, even flow. In deep sleep this type of breathingoccursnaturally.The technique slows thebreathdown so is conducive tocalmingthemindandimprovingconcentrationfordeepmeditation.ItcanbepractisedasanexerciseinitsownrightwhenyouneedtorelaxoraspartofaseriesofYogaMeditationpractices.

PractisingUjjayi

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyes,relax

yourbodyandtakeafewdeepbreaths.Inhaledeeplythroughyournoseandtenseyourwholebody,thenexhalethroughyourmouthandletgoofalltension.Placeyourhands,palmsdown,onyourkneesinJnanaMudra(seepage59).

2Closeyourmouthandinhalethroughbothnostrilssmoothlyandevenly,withtheglottispartiallyclosed,sothatthebreathmakesa“haaa”soundwithinthethroat;theglottisistheopeningbetweenthevocalcords,attheupperpartofthewindpipe.Thisissimilartothefeelingyouexperiencewhenyouyawn(seealsoboxbelow).Duringtheinhalationkeeptheabdominalmusclesslightlycontractedandexpandthelungswithair,untilthechestprotudesforwardlikethatofavictoriouswarrior.

3Nowexhaleslowlywithasmooth,deepandcontinuousbreaththroughbothnostrils,listeningtothesubtlesibilant“haaa”soundthattheoutgoingbreathmakes.Theabdominalmusclesshouldnaturallybemorecontractedthanduringinhalation.Maketheexhalationlasttwiceaslongastheinhalation.ThisisoneroundofUjjayibreathing.

4Dofiveroundsandincreasebytworoundseachweekuntilyoureach20.

MasteringtheartofUjjayiTounderstandthefeelingof theUjjayibreathbetter, tryexhaling throughyourmouthandwhisperingalong“haaa”sound,feelinghowthebreathcreatesasoothingsensationalong thebackof yourwindpipe.Nowclose yourmouthwhilemaking this soundandslowly inhalewith thesamefeeling inyourthroat, thenbreatheout throughyournosewiththesamesteadyinternal“haaa”sound.

BHASTRIKAPRANAYAMA:BELLOWSBREATH

This invigorating breathing technique – known as “Bellows Breath”, as thebody’sdiaphragmismadetopumplikethebellowsthatablacksmithusestofanairintoafire–hasbothapurifyingandenergizingeffectonthebody.Itnotonlycleanses the nadis but also helps in the activation of manipura chakra andoptimizing the flow of kundalini, in preparation formeditation. It oxygenatesandpurifiesthebloodstreamandbringsyoubackintobalancewithyourbody.Italsoenhancesoptimumfunctioningoftheglands.

PractisingBhastrikaPranayama

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyesandrelaxyourbody.

2PlaceyourrighthandinVishnuMudra(seepage86),byfoldingyourindexandmiddlefingersintowardyourpalm,andcloseyourrightnostrilwithyourrightthumb.

3Inhaleandexhalequiteforcefullytentimesthroughtheleftnostril,sothattheexpulsionsofbreathfollowoneanotherinrapidsuccession.Thiswillcausetheabdomentomoveinandoutinapull-and-pushaction.

4Next,takealong,deepinhalationandexhalationthroughtheleftnostril.

5Nowcloseyourleftnostrilwithyourfingers,releaseyourthumbfromyourrightnostril,andinhaleandexhaletentimesrapidly.

6Thentakealong,deepinhalationandexhalationthroughyourrightnostril.

7ReleaseVishnuMudraandreturnyourhandtoyourknee.

8Continuethebellowsbreathbyrapidlybreathinginandoutthroughbothnostrilsfortenbreaths.

9Closeyourleftnostrilagainwithyourindexandlittlefingers,inhaledeeplythroughtherightnostrilandholdthebreathinforaslongasiscomfortablewithoutstrain,tiltingyourchintowardyourchesttoapplyJalandharaBandha(seepage61)andalsoapplyingMulaBandha(seepage60).Placeyourawarenessatmuladharachakra(seepage38)atthebaseofthespine,whereyourkundalinilies.

10SlowlyreleaseJalandharaBandha,thenMulaBandha,andexhaleslowlyandsmoothlythroughyourleftnostril.ReleaseVishnuMudra.

BHRAMARIPRANAYAMA:BEE-BREATHINGTECHNIQUE

Duringtheexhalationstageofthisbreathingexercise,abuzzingsoundismadelikeabee;theSanskrit termbhramarimeans“largebee”.Regularlydoingthispractice,usingthissoothingsound,willquicklyhelptocalmyourthoughtsandnerves,andpromoteconcentration,preparingyoufordeepmeditationinordertobringyouintocontactwithyourtruesenseofselfandtherebypromoteadeepsenseofinnerpeace.

PractisingBhramariPranayama

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyes,relaxyourbodyandrestyourhandsonyourkneesineitherJnanaMudraorChinMudra(seepages58–9).

2Inhaledeeplythroughyournose,usingUjjayibreath(seepages98–9),creatingamildsuctioneffectinthethroatandfeelingacoolsensationthere.Visualizedrawingthiscoolcurrentofenergyupfromthebaseofyourspinetothetopofyourspine.

3Holdthebreathin,applyJalandharaBandha(seepage61),bringyourfocusedattentiontoyourspiritualeye,themid-pointbetweenyoureyebrows,andcloseyourearswithyourthumbsbypressingtheear-flaps,whilerestingthefingersofeachhandonyourforehead.

4Afteraboutfiveseconds,simultaneouslyreleaseJalandharaBandha,removeyourhandsfromyourforehead(whilekeepingyourearsclosed),andslowlyexhalethroughyournose,withyourmouthclosed,butwithyourteethslightlyseparated.Asyouexhale,makealong,deep,evenhummingsound,likethatofabee.Feelthesoundvibratingthroughoutyourbrain,whileconcentratingonsahasrarachakraatthetopofyourhead.Thelongerthehummingexhalation,themorerelaxedyouarelikelytofeelbutdonotforcethebreathbeyonditsnaturalcapacity.

5ThiscompletesoneroundofBhramariPranayama.Sitstillwiththeearsstillclosed,breathenormallyandfocusontheinnersound,whicharisesfromtheheartregion.Aimtopractisefiveroundsatfirst,takingoneortwonormalbreathsbetweeneachround.Overtime,youcanaimtoincreasetotenrounds.

KUNDALINIPRANAYAMA:NADISHODHANAANDOMMANTRA

Regularly doing this pranayama practice, which uses the Nadi Shodhanatechnique (see pages 86–7) in a 3:12:6 ratio along with theOm mantra (seepages130–33),helpstoawakentheenergyinthespine.TheresonatingvibrationofOmattunesuswithourtruenatureandhigherreality.If it feels uncomfortable to hold your breath for the 12Oms inStep4 (see

right), it’s best not to practise this exercise just yet. Instead, spendmore timepractisingNadiShodhana,whichwillgraduallybuildupyourstamina.

PractisingKundaliniPranayama

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7),closeyoureyesandrelaxyourwholebody,takingafewdeepbreaths.Inhaledeeplyandtenseyourwholebody,thenexhaleandletgoofalltensionandrelax.Placeyourhands,palmsdown,onyourknees,withtheindexfingersandthumbslightlytouchingintheChinMudra(seepage58).

2Closeyoureyesanddirectyourinnergazetothespiritualeyeinthemiddleofyourforehead(seepage40).Relaxherewithyourawarenessonthebreathforafewminutes,thenbringyourawarenesstomuladharachakra(seepage38)atthebaseofyourspine.

3Raiseyourrighthandandfoldyourmiddleandindexfingersintoyourpalm,keepingyourthumb,ringandlittlefingersextendedintheVishnuMudraforpractisingNadiShodhana(seepage86).Closetherightnostrilwithyourrightthumb,exhale,andtheninhalethroughtheleftnostrilforamentalcountofthreeOms.Asyouinhale,visualizedrawinginprana.

4Gentlycloseyourleftnostrilwithyourringandlittlefingersothatbothnostrilsarenowclosedandholdyourbreathforamentalcountof12Oms.Asyouretainthebreath,feelthatyouaresendingthecurrentofpranicenergydownthroughyourspineintomuladharachakra,atthebaseofyourspine.

5ReleaseyourthumbandexhaleslowlythroughtherightnostrilforamentalcountofsixOms.Asyouexhale,feelasenseofcalmwithin.

6Now,remainingwiththeleftnostrilclosed,starttorepeattheprocessinreverse:inhaleforthreeOmsthroughyourrightnostril,closebothnostrilsandholdyourbreathfor12Oms,andreleaseyourleftnostriltoexhalethroughitforsixOms.Thiscompletesonefullround.

7Practisefivecompleterounds(Steps3–6)withconcentration.Afterfinishing,remainsittingquietlywithyourawarenessatyourspiritualeyeforaslongasyouareableto.

CHAPTER7

MEDITATIONPRACTICE

EXPERIENCINGTHEBLISSOFYOURTRUEDIVINENATURE

Asdiscussedthroughoutthisbook,meditationistheidealtooltoenhanceasenseofcalm,fulfilmentandwell-being inyour life,and theonlywaytocome to know your true divine nature,which isSat-Chit-Ananda – ever-existing,ever-conscious,ever-newbliss.Themeditationpracticeswithinthischapterhavebeenhand-pickedfrom

theKriyaYoga tradition (seepage12) to help you tomove toward thesevaluablegoals.Firstly,wewillexplorethekeywaysoffocusingthemindformeditation.

Thenwewillpresentarangeofexercisesthatwillhelpyoutofocusyourconcentration,awakenenergywithinyourspine,tuneintoyourchakrastopromote enhanced flowofprana, and engagewith your natural breath inrecognition of the fact that you are, in essence, at onewith the universe.Finally, we will present the art and practice of Ultimate Bliss YogaMeditation–thekeypracticetowhichall theotherexercisesinthisbookhavebeenleading.Ifyoucandoasmanyofthesemeditationpracticesasoftenaspossible–

at least three timesaweek–youwillsoonbeexperiencingadeep joy inlifethatisentirelyindependentoftheexternalworld.

FOCUSINGTHEMIND

Focusing the mind for effective meditation means not allowing it to becomerestlessorscatteredinalldirections,andinsteadholdingittoonepointoffocus.Concentration itself is a narrowing of the field of attention,making themindone-pointed.Inourcurrent,fast-pacedtechnologicalage,thingsoftentendtobeorientated

towardoutwardactionandconstantseekingratherthaninnerreflection.Assuch,theworldkeepsourmindandsensescontinuouslyactiveandpreoccupied,andwecaneasilyloseanysenseofourtrueidentityorourspiritualgoalinlife.Meditation is like a bird. It needs two equally strongwings to fly: constant

awarenessofthespiritualgoaloflifeononeside–realizingthatourtrueinnernatureisdivine–andafocusedmindontheotherside.Untilyouhavetrainedyour mind to be free from its habit of continually moving outward, you willmakelittleprogressinmeditation.Herefollowsagrounding inarangeof themosteffective toolsfor focusing

themind in order to enhance your YogaMeditation practice, as well as yourqualityoflifeingeneral.Themaintechniquesare:•Breathing–inyoga,thebreathisthemostcommonlyusedtoolforfocusingthemind.Considerwhathappenswhenyouconcentrateintenselytohearawhisper;yourbreathstops.Thisillustratesthatourmindandbreathareinseparable.

•Visualization–invisualization,sense,objectandmindarebroughttogethertoformaninternalimageonwhichthemindcanfocus.

•Mantrasandchanting–mantrasaresacredsoundsthathavepowerfuleffectsonusbyfocusingourmentalenergy;chantingmantrasdrawsthemindinwardtoafocusedconcentration.

•Steadygazing–concentrationonanobjectsuchasacandleflame,anOmsymbolorapictureofaspiritualmasterfocusesthemindinward.

OpeningtheheartLoveisthehigheststateandfinalgoalofspiritualrealization.ItthereforemakessensethatyouhavetoopenyourheartaswellasfocusyourmindduringYogaMeditation.Withoutloveanddevotion, yourmeditation practice would bemechanical, dry and of little worth. Practisingmeditationwithloveanddevotioncanleadthemindbeyondmereintellectualknowledgetoanexperienceoftheblissfulself,whichconstitutestruewisdom.Forloveisthedivinewithinyou.Loveisyourinnersourceandpotential.Loveisyourtruenature.Sohowcanyoucultivatelove?Thinkofagarden:togrowflowers,firstyouneedtocreatea

space.Andso it iswith love; firstyouneed toclear the tangledweedsofdesire,attachment,anger, greed and fear from your heart. The soil of your heart must then be watered andfertilized by cultivating compassion, care and understanding for all. Next, when the tendershootsofserviceanddevotionsproutup,youmustkeepthemfreefromthe insectsofselfishegoism.Justasyoucanseethemoononlybyreflectedraysoflightfromthesun,similarly,youcan

see the divine only through rays of love. By opening your heart and cultivating divine lovewithinyou,thedarkcloudsdisperse.Thenyouwillrecognizethatthesamedivinityresidesinothersasinyourself.

BREATHING

Ahighlyeffectivewaytokeepyourmindinthepresentmomentistogiveitthemental object of watching the breath, which is constantly flowing in and outthroughyournostrils.Youcanconcentrateonthebreathbyfocusingyourattentionontherisingand

fallingofyourabdomen,ortheexpansionandcontractionoftheribcage,asyouinhaleandexhale.TheCompleteYogicBreath(seepages96–7)canhelpwithawarenessofthismovement.Alternatively, it can be useful to focus on the sensation of the breath at the

pointwhere itentersyournostrils.This is, forexample, thebasisof theHongSau technique (see pages 122–5). In this meditation, you go on to watch thenaturallyoccurringspacesbetweenthebreaths,inwhichthemindbecomesverystill.Byunitingyourmindwiththebreathinthisway,themindwillstarttostayfocusedinthepresentmoment.There aremany otherways ofworkingwith the breath, such as counting a

certainnumberofbreathsinandout,andvisualizingitgoingtocertainpartsofyour body, but all breath techniqueswork on the same premise of giving themindaspecificobjectonwhichtofocus.

VISUALIZATION

Visualization isapowerful tool forhelping to focusyourmindformeditation,whetherbringingtomindacalmscene,avisualrepresentationofyourpranaorchakras,aspiritualguideoranyotherpositiveimage,asittransportsyourmindtooneparticularsceneandallowsittositthere,withpositiveintention.Itisimportanttobeasrelaxedaspossiblewhenyouusevisualization.Create

therelevantpicturesinyourmindasvividlyasyoucan.Payattentiontoeverydetail.Themorelifelikethevisualization,thebettertheresultsyouwillget.Butremember thatpeoplereceive images indifferentways.Forexample,youmayreceive your impressions through physical sensations, emotions or thoughtsratherthanpictures.Sodonotdismissyourimpressionjustbecauseyoucannot“see”theimages.Yourvisualizationisvalid,whateverformtheexperiencemaytake.Forexample,sensingthewarmthofthesunonyourskin,orfeelinghealinglight infusing thecellsofyourbodycanbe justasusefulasvisualizingcolourandlight.Exampleswithinthemeditationpracticesonthefollowingpagesthatinvolve visualization are Tratak (see page 113), where you picture a candleflameinyourmindinStep3;andJyotiMudra(seepages128–9),whereyouareaskedtoseetheinnerlightofthespiritualeye.

SimplevisualizationtocalmandfocusyourmindYoucanusethissimplevisualizationanytimethatyourthoughtsfeelscatteredandyouwanttocomeback intothepresentmoment.Sittingrelaxed inacalm,quietplace,beginbytakingafew deep breaths to bring your mind to the present moment. Visualize yourself walkingbarefootonabeach. It is earlyeveningand thewhite sand is stillwarmfromtheday’s sun.Above, the sky is fading todeepblue.As the sunbegins to set, thehorizon is streakedwithshadesoforange,redandpurple.Listentothewavesrollinfromtheseaandbreakontothewhitesand,sparklingandfoamingaboutyourfeet.Feelthewarm,wetsandbetweenyourtoes.Smellthesaltwater.Feelthesoftbreezefromtheseaonyourskin.Listentothefar-offcryofaseagull.Toyourleftisalargerock.Slowlywalktoit,sitdownonitandcloseyoureyes.Youfeelagreatsenseofpeaceandtranquillityinthepresentmoment,afeelingofbeingconnectedtoalllife.Enjoyandstayimmersedinthisinnerpeaceforaslongasyoucan.

MANTRASANDCHANTING

Reciting a mantra is one of the most powerful ways of focusing the mind.Deriving from the Sanskrit for “that which protects or liberates the mind”, amantraisauniqueandsacredsound(letter,syllable,wordorphrase)thathasaradiantenergy,whichcantransformthemind.Justasawhiteclothtakesonthecolourofthedyeinwhichit issoaked,so

does themindabsorb thequalitiesof thesacredsoundvibrationof themantrathatisrecited.Whethersaidsilentlyinsideyourhead,whisperedorchantedoutloud,mantrashelptointernalizethemindandhavetheabilitytotransformtheconsciousnessofthereciter.Thepracticeofrecitingamantraiscalledjapa(repetition).Whenyoupractise

correctly,withattentiveawareness,japawillgraduallycalmandintegrateyourmind,sothatyourawarenessvibrateswiththemantra.Thisnaturallyleadsyouintoadeeperstateofstillnessinmeditation,whereyougobeyondthemindtorestinyourtruedivinenature.When mantras are chanted aloud, the rhythmical vibrations produced by

continually repeating them regulate theunsteadyvibrationsof the five sheaths(see pages 30–33). It is best if such chanting begins aloud, then graduallysoftens,untilitfadesintosilent,internalchanting.Thesourceofallsoundvibrations,andprobablythemostwellknownmantra,

isthesacredPrimordialCreativeVibrationandDivinePower,knownasOmorAum(seepage117).ThesincererepetitionofOmproducesthoughtwavesthatcorrespond to those of the supreme reality. Using the seedmantras related toeach of the seven chakras (see pages 118–19) enhances concentration andenergy levels. The Hum (pronounced “hoom”) mantra (see pages 120–21)enhancesandprotects thepowerofallothermantras,aswellashavingafieryenergy that destroys negativity. And theHong Sau mantra (see pages 122–5)calmsthemindandhelpstoawakentheenergyinyourchakras.Whatever themantra used, itwill help themind to turn inward and therefore becomemuchmorecalm.

STEADYGAZING

The following concentration exercise, known asTratak, can be done anytime.Itsteadiesthewanderingmindandenhanceswillpower.TheSanskritwordTratakmeans “to gaze continuously at an objectwithout blinking”.Herewesuggestgazingataflame,butyoucoulduseanyotherobjectwithpositiveassociations.

1Sitinacomfortablemeditationpostureinadarkenedroom,withalightedcandleaboutanarm’slengthinfrontofyou,ataboutchestheight.

2Fixbothyourgazeandmentalfocusatthemidpointoftheflamewhereitisbrightestforaslongaspossiblewithoutblinking,untilyoureyesbegintobecometired.Atthestart,practiseonlyforaboutoneminute,thenincreasetoafewminutesoveraperiodoftime.

3Endbyclosingyoureyesandvisualizingtheflameinternallyinthespacebetweenyoureyebrowsforoneminute.Then,repeatthewholeprocesstwomoretimes.Whenyouhavefinishedyourpractice,rubyourpalmstogetheruntiltheyarewarm.Placethemoveryoureyestorelaxandsoothethem.Then,whenyoufeelready,loweryourhands.

MAHAMUDRA:AWAKENINGENERGYINYOURSPINE

Whenpractised properly, the powerfulHathaYoga technique ofMahaMudra(meaning “great gesture” in Sanskrit) provides not only a range of physicalbenefits,suchasstimulatingdigestionandeasingconstipation,butalsobalancesandopenstheidaandpingalanadis(seepages44–5),encouragingthelife-forcetoflowupwardinthecentralnadi,thesushumna.When the right big toe is grasped in Stage 1 ofMaha Mudra (see right),

pingalanadi is opened and activated.Andwhen the left big toe is grasped inStage2 (seepage116), idanadi is opened and activated.When both toes arepulled simultaneously in Stage 3, the spine becomes magnetized with pranaflowingintothesushumna,whichwillbringdeeperawarenessandconcentrationtoyourmeditation.

NOTE:TheversionofMahaMudrapresentedonpages115–117includesakneepositionslightlymodifiedfromthetraditionalHathaYogaversioninthatitdoesnot require a rotation. If you have any problems with your knee, you maythereforefindthispostureeasiertopractise.

BenefitsofbandhasThetwobandhas–MulaBandhaandJalandharaBandha(seepages60–61)–thatareheldaspartofMahaMudraretainenergyinthespine,sothattheenergycanbedirectedupwardintothehighercentresinthebrainleadingtoanincreasedsenseofvitalityandbalance.

Stage1

1Situprightwithyourhead,neckandspinealignedandyourlegsstretchedoutinfrontofyou.Bendyourleftlegwiththekneepointingforwardandsitonyourleftfoot,withtheheelpressingagainsttheperineum(betweenthegenitalsandanus)formingananallock(MulaBandha;seepage60).BreatheinUjjayibreath(seepages98–9)ifyouarefamiliarwithit,orbreathenormallyifnot.

2Bendyourrightlegandplacethefootflatonthefloor.Then,interlockingthefingersofbothhandstogether,stretchforward,claspyourhandsaroundyourrightkneeanddrawthethighinagainstyourtorso,orascloseaspossible.Keepyourspinestraightinthisposition,inhaleslowlytoacountoftento15andfeelthatyouaredrawingacoolcurrentofpranaupyourspine.

3Then,holdingthebreath,stretchyourrightlegoutinfrontofyou,bendforward,andwithinterlockedhands,graspyourbigtoeandgentlypull,sothatyouextendyourtrunkforwardandyourforeheadtowardtheknee.Ifthisisuncomfortable,bendthekneeslightly.Theimportantthingistofeelthespinestretchingandasensationofenergyrisingthroughit.Asyoudoso,bringyourchintowardyournecktoapplythethroatlock(JalandharaBandha;seepage61),andwithyourattentionatyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra,betweenyoureyes(seepage40),mentallychantOmsixto12times.Feelasensationofenergyrisingupthroughthespineandpulsatingatyourspiritualeye,radiatingwavesofblissthroughthebrain.

4Releasethethroatlock,moveyourclaspedhandstojustbelowyourrightkneeanddrawyourkneebackupagainstyourtorso,whileslowlyexhalingtoacountoftento15.Withyourawarenessinyourspine,feelthatyouaredrawingawarmcurrentofenergydownthroughit.

Stage2

Nowchange sides and repeat Stage 1, startingby tucking your right foot under andpullingyourleftkneetothetorsowithyourclaspedhands.

Stage3

1Situprightwithyourkneesbentandclaspyourhands(fingersinterlocked)aroundyourknees,pullingyourthighsagainstyourtorso.Inhaleforaslowcountoftento15,feelingthatyouaredrawingacoolcurrentofpranaupthespine.

2Now,holdingyourbreath,stretchbothlegsouttogetherinfrontofyou,graspyourbigtoeswithyourinterlockedhandsandpullonthem,stretchingyourtorsoforwardandfeelingthestretchinyourspine.Applythethroatlockagainandbringyourforeheadtowardyourknees.Meanwhile,focusyourattentionatyourspiritualeye,betweentheeyebrows,andmentallychantOmsixto12times.Youmayfeelasensationofenergyrisingupthroughthespinefollowedbypulsatingatthespiritualeye,resultinginwavesofblissradiatingthroughoutthebrain.

3Releasethethroatlockandslowlyexhaletoacountoftento15.Keepingyourawarenessinthespine,seeifyoufeelawarmcurrentofpranicenergyflowingdownthespine.Thenbringyourkneesandthighsbackupagainstyourtorso,bypullingonthekneeswithclaspedhands.Relaxandreturntonormalbreathing.

ThesethreestagescompleteoneroundofMahaMudra.Practisethreecompleterounds.Asyouprogresswiththispractice,youmayincreasethenumberofroundsto12.

SignificanceandpronunciationofOm

TheprimalvibratorysoundOm(seealsopages130–33)helpstoawakenenergyinthespineandstimulatethebraincellswhenchanted.WhenthewordissoundeditisOm.Inthisexercise,thecorrectpronunciationofOm is likealong,drawn-outversionof“home”withoutpronouncing the“h”.Giveequalmeasure toboth the“o”and“m”sounds,andclosewiththesound“mmm”.However,itisalsooccasionallywrittenasAum. The three separate letter sounds in this variant represent the three states ofconsciousness,aswellasthedivinetrinityofBrahma,VishnuandShiva.

CHANTINGTHEBIJAMANTRAS:AWAKENINGTHECHAKRAS

As explored on page 112, chanting is an effective way to enhance energythroughout the body, as well as to focus the mind. The meditation practiceoppositeactivatesthechakrasusingthesoundvibrationoftheparticularmantrasassociatedwitheachone.Theseareknownasbijaorseedmantras.Each“seed”mantra clears its chakra of any blockages so that it can function efficiently,allowingyoutoreachadeepermeditativestate.Belowaretheseedmantrasandmusicalnotes(ifyouchoosetosingthem)forthefirstsixchakras.Theseventhchakra, sahasrara (crown) chakra is not included as the other six need to beclearedfirstinordertoaccesstheineffableexperienceoftheseventhchakra.Itisimportanttopronounceallthemantrasinthelistcontainingan“a”withalong“aaa”sound.

CHAKRA LOCATION SEEDMANTRA MUSICALNOTE

AJNA forehead Om F

VISHUDDHI throat Ham Eflat

ANAHATA heart Yam D

MANIPURA navel Ram Bflat

SVADHISTHANA genitalarea Vam A

MULADHARA baseofspine Lam G

Practisingthebijamantras

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepage52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Closeyoureyes.

2Bringyourawarenesstoyourmuladharachakra,locatedatthebaseofthespine.Inhaledeeplyandasyouexhale,repeatedlychantaloudthebijamantra“Lam”.Feelthemantravibratingatthechakraasyouchant“Lam,Lam,Lam”foraslongasyourexhalationlasts.

3Next,bringyourawarenesstothesecondchakra,svadhisthana,locatedatthegenitalarea.Inhaledeeplyandasyouexhale,chantthebijamantra“Vam”.Feelthemantravibratingatthesvadhisthanachakra.

4Slowlyworkyourwaythroughtheotherchakrasonthechartopposite,chantingthecorrespondingseedmantraandfeelingthevibrationattherelevantchakracentreeachtimeyoudoso.

5Onceyouhavecompletedyourchanting,focusingontheajnachakra,startworkingyourwaythroughthelistinreverseorder,chantingeachseedmantraagainwhilefocusingontherelatedchakraarea.Startwith“Om”forasecondtimeattheajnachakra,andfinishwith“Lam”atmuladharachakra.

MentallychantingthebijamantraTheexerciseabovecanalsobedonebychantingeachseedmantra internally insteadofoutloud. Inwardly chanting the mantras through the chakras places more emphasis on thecalming,meditativeeffectofthepractice,whilechantingthemaloudputsmoreemphasisonitsvibrant,energizingaspect.

CHANTINGTHEHUMMANTRA:INCREASINGPRANA

It is said that the Hindu god Lord Shiva used theHum mantra (pronounced“hoom”)toprojectfirefromhisthirdeyeinordertoburndesiresandnegativity.This mantra therefore brings a fire energy and power to all who chant it byhelpingtoincreasepranainthebodyandtoactivatethepotentlife-forceknownas kundalini. This helps to combat any negative feelings, as well as easingfatigueandlethargy.Intheexercisethatfollows,theHummantraischantedafterachakra’sseed

mantra,inordertoenhanceitsenergy.Then,byaddingOmatthestartofaseedmantra, you can make it even more effective for opening the mind for deepmeditation. The exercise opposite can either be done after the bija mantraexercise(seepage119)orasatechniqueinitsownright.

CHAKRA LOCATION MANTRA MUSICALNOTE

AJNA forehead OmKshamHum F

VISHUDDHI throat OmHamHum Eflat

ANAHATA heart OmYamHum D

MANIPURA navel OmRamHum Bflat

SVADHISTHANA genitalarea OmVamHum A

MULADHARA baseofspine OmLamHum G

PractisingtheHummantra

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7)withyoureyesclosedandfocusyourawarenessatthepointbetweenyoureyebrows,knownasyourspiritualeye.

2Transferyourawarenesstomuladharachakra,atthebaseofyourspine,andchantaloudthemantra“OmLamHum”sixtoninetimes,feelingitresonatingatthesiteofthischakra.Sitquietlyandcontinuetofeelthevibrationofthemantraevenwhenyoustoptheactualchanting.

3Next,transferyourawarenesstoyoursvadhisthanachakraatthegenitalarea,andchantaloudthemantra“OmVamHum”sixtoninetimes,feelingitresonatingthere.Again,sitquietlyandsensethevibrationofthemantraoncewhenyoustoptheactualchanting.

4Slowlyworkyourwaythroughtheotherchakrasshownopposite,chantingthecorrespondingmantraeachtime,andfeelingthevibrationatthelocationofthechakra.Besuretopauseforashortsilencebetweeneachmantra.

NOTE:Lam,Vam,Ram,Yam,HamandKshamshouldbesoundedwithalong“aaa”sound.Omshouldbesoundedas“ong”.Humshouldbesoundedas“hoom”.

HONGSAUMEDITATION:IAMHE,THEABSOLUTE

HongSau(pronounced“HongSaw”)isanancientSanskritmantraforcalmingthemind and deepening concentration.Repetition of thismantra stills restlessthoughts, withdraws the mind from the senses and calms prana in the body.HongSaumeans“IamHe”or“I, themanifestself,amHe, theAbsolute.”ByinternallyrepeatingHongSauinharmonywithyourbreathingduringmeditation– hong on the inhalation and sau on the exhalation – you affirm that theindividualselfisonewiththeInfiniteSpirit.HongSauisconsideredtobethenatural,subtlesoundofthebreath:

•Hongvibrateswiththeinhalation,representingthecontractionofconsciousnessandcorrespondstotheascendingcurrentintheidanadi(seepages44–5)

•Sauvibrateswiththeexhalation,representingtheexpansionofconsciousnessintopureunityandcorrespondstothedescendingcurrentinthepingalanadi.Overthecourseof24hours,thebreathissaidtoflowinandout21,600times

in a continuous mantra ofHong Sau. In yoga, such continuous subconsciousrecitation is called ajapa-japa, while japa is the term used to describe theconsciousmentalrecitationinthetechniquethatfollows.

HongSaupreparation

Aswell as forming a useful calming sequence in its own right, the stepsbelow will prepare both your body and your mind for the Hong Sautechniqueonthenextpage.

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Inhaledeeply,holdthebreathandtenseallthemusclesinyourbody.Holdboththebreathandthetensioninyourmusclesforafewseconds,thensimultaneouslyreleasethemandrelax.Repeattheprocessoftensingandrelaxingthreetimes.

2ContinuetoremainrelaxedasyoupractisewhatiscalledLomaPranayama:athree-partequal-breath-ratioexercise,breathingthroughbothnostrils.Inhaleforacountof12,holdyourbreathforacountof12,exhaleforacountof12(12:12:12).Ifthisisnotwithinyourlungcapacity,halvethecountstosix.Dothisninetimesatfirstandgraduallyincreaseoveraperiodoftimetoanythingupto27rounds.

3Nowconcentrateyourrelaxedattentionatthepointbetweenyoureyebrows(yourspiritualeye,orajnachakra;seepage40).Letgoofallthoughtsandbetotallycentredinthepresentmoment.Placeyourhands,palmsupward,onyourkneesinChinMudra(seepage58),closeyoureyesandplaceyourfocusonyournaturalbreath,asyouinhaleandexhale,inhaleandexhale…Ifyourmindwanders,gentlybringitbacktothepracticeofwatchingyourbreathwithawareness.

HongSautechnique

1Nowwithyourbodyandmindstill,andyoureyesclosed,gentlyliftyourgazeupwardtothepointbetweentheeyebrows,andlookcalmlyintoyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra–theseatofyourintuitionandofomnipresentperception.

2Feelthenaturalbreathflowinandoutofyournostrilsandtrytoestablishthepointwhereitfeelsstrongest.Onceyouhavefoundthispoint(usuallyjustinsidethetipofthenose),observethebreaththatpassesitwithprecision,onesplitsecondafteranother.Inthisway,continuousawarenesswilleventuallyresult.

3Thenbegintofeelthesensationoftheairhigherinthenostrils,upbythepointbetweenyoureyebrows,andfocusonthisarea.Asyourconcentrationdeepens,yourbreathingwillbegintoslowdown,andyouwillbeabletofocusonitmoreclearly,withfewerinterruptions.

4Inhaledeeply,thenslowlyexhale.Asthenextinhalationnaturallyflowsintoyournostrils,feelthebreathwhereitenters,andwithyourinnerfocus,mentallyfollowthebreathwiththemantraHong.Imaginethatthebreathitselfismakingthissound.

5Asyourbreathflowsoutnaturally,mentallyfollowitwiththemantraSau(pronounced“saw”).Onceagain,feelthatyoursubtlebreathingissilentlymakingthesoundofitsownaccord.

6Continuingtofocusonyourspiritualeye,betweenyoureyebrows,mentallyfolloweachinhalationwiththemantraHong,andeachexhalationwiththemantraSau.Whenthemindisunitedwiththeflowofthebreath,youwillbeabletotrulyexperiencethepresentmoment.

7Asyougodeeperintothispractice,youmaynoticethatthereisanaturalspaceorpause,apointofcompletestillness,betweeneachinhalationandexhalation.ThisisthespaceoftheinnermostSelf.Softlyfocusyourawarenessonthesepauses.Asyourmindbecomesmorecalm,noticethespacesextendingandenjoytheexperienceofexpansionwhileinwardlygazingintoyourspiritualeye.Then,whenthebreathnaturallyreturns,continuewiththepracticeofHongSauforaslongasitfeelsnatural,orinthebeginningupto15minutes.

8Onceyoufinish,trytomaintainasenseofthatinnerspacefromyourmeditationforaslongaspossible,allowingthecalmnesstopermeateyoureverydayconsciousness.

NOTE: It is important to make no attempt to control the breath during the Hong Sautechnique. This is not a yoga breathing exercise. It is simply a matter of being consciouslyawareofthebreath,withyourconcentrationontheHongSaumantra.

ThespiritualeyeofintuitiveperceptionIn deepmeditation it is possible to naturally see and experience the gold-, blue-, andwhite-coloured light of the spiritual eye, or ajna chakra. But while you are workingtoward this, youmightwant to tryvisualizing it in order toaddanotherdimension toyourmeditation:•Anoutergoldringoflightrepresentscosmicenergy.•Asphereofbluelightrepresentstheomnipresentintelligenceofthedivineincreation.•Acentralsilver-whitestarrepresentsinfinitespiritorcosmicconsciousness,adoorwaytotheinfinite.

NAVIKRIYA:AWAKENINGPRANAINTHENAVELCENTRE

Navi Kriya (pronounced as “Nabi Kriya”) is one of the original Kriya Yogatechniques, taught by Lahiri Mahasaya, who learned the supreme science ofKriyaYogameditation fromMahavatarBabaji, the greatHimalayan yogi (seepage12).ThepurposeofthisYogaMeditationtechniqueistostimulateandawakenthe

pranaatmanipurachakra,inthenavelcentre,anddrawtheenergyfromhereupthespinetothespiritualeye,orajnachakra,elevatingyourconsciousnessabovethe lower chakras to access a more meditative state. It is essential to beestablishedinajnachakrabeforeyoucanbeliberatedinsahasrara,thecrownchakraatthetopofthehead.

PractisingNaviKriya

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposition(seepages52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Relaxyourwholebody,closeyoureyesandbringyourattentionforamomenttothepointbetweentheeyebrows,atyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra.

2Thenbringyourawarenesstomuladharachakra,atthebaseofyourspine,andslowlyinhaleandmentallychantOmasifyouweresendingthemantra’senergyintothischakra.

3RepeatthisinternalchantingofthemantraOmateachofyourascendingchakrasinsuccession,sendingtheenergythereeachtime:•svadhisthana–atthegenitalarea•manipura–atyournavel•anahata–atyourheart•vishuddhi–atyourthroat•themedullaoblongata–thenegativepoleofajnachakra(seepage40),whichislocatedatthebackofyourhead,belowthebaseorrearofthebrain

•thespiritualeyechakra(positivepoleofajnachakra),whichislocatedbetweenyoureyebrows.

4Slowlytiltyourchindowntowardsyourneck,formingathroatlock(seepage61),andbringyourawarenesstomanipurachakraatyournavel.

5Asyoucontinuetobreathenormally,mentallychantOm100timestoactivatethischakraandbringenergyupfromthelowertwochakras:muladharaandsvadhisthana.Acalmenergyisusually

perceivedgatheringaroundthenavel;thisisthepranacurrentcalledsamanavayuguidingyourpranaintothesubtlesushumnachannel(seepage44).

6Maintainingyourawarenessatmanipurachakra,andwithyourinnergazeatthepointbetweenyoureyebrows,releasethethroatlock,raiseyourchintotheuprightposition,andslowlytiltyourheadbackasfarasiscomfortablewithoutstrain.Seeifyoucanfeelyourenergymovingintotheareaatthebaseofyourskullknownasthemedullaoblongata,andthenbackdownthroughyourspinetomanipurachakraatyournavelcentre.

7Holdingyourheadbackinthistiltedposition,mentallychantOm25times,directingthemantra’senergyintothecounterpointofthenavelonthebackofyourspine.

8Nowslowlyraiseyourheadtoitsnormalposition,andwithconcentration,onceagainmentallychantOmsuccessivelyateachofthesixchakras,thistimestartingattheajnachakraandmovingdownward:ajna,vishuddhi,anahata,manipura,svadhisthanaandmuladharachakras.

9ThiscompletesoneroundofNaviKriya.Aimtopractisesixto12rounds,thensitquietlyforafewmomentswithyourinwardattentionatyourspiritualeye.Whenyoureturntoyournormalactivities,carrythisnaturalsenseofinnerstillnessandenergywithyoutogiveyoutheinnerstrengthtoovercomelife’strialsandtribulations.

JYOTIMUDRA:AWAKENINGTHEINNERLIGHT

JyotiMudra–meaning“gestureoflight”–isatechniquebywhichyoucanenhance your sense of inner peace andwisdom by focusing on the innerlightthatradiatesfromthespiritualeye,orajnachakra(seealsopage40).In Yogic texts this mudra is commonly referred to as Yoni Mudra, theSanskritwordyonidenotingthewombofcreationbecause,likethebabyinthe womb, anyone practising Yoni Mudra becomes undistracted by theexternalworld.JyotiMudracanbepractisedatanytime,butthebesttimeis in the calm of the late evening or night. This time is ideal for turninginwardsandawayfromthenoiseanddistractionoftheworkadayroutine.

CAUTION: Do not put pressure on the eyes while holding JyotiMudra –keeplightandgentlepressuretoavoidcausingharmtothissensitivearea.

ThesenseopeningsinthefaceareclosedinJyotiMudra,withtheears,eyes,noseandlipsallheldgentlybutfirmlyshut.

PractisingJyotiMudra

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Relaxyourwholebody,closeyoureyesandbringyourattentiontothepointbetweenyoureyebrows.

2Inhaleslowlytoamentalcountoftento12,focusingonfeelingacurrentofpranariseupthroughyourspine.Asyoudoso,raiseyourarmsuptoyourface,withyourelbowsparalleltothefloorandpointingsideways.

3Attheendoftheinhalation,holdyourbreathandfocusoncenteringthepranayouhavedrawnupyourspineatyourspiritualeye(seepage40).

4ThenplaceyourfingersinJyotiMudrawhichinvolvesclosingoffallthesenseopeningsinyourhead:closeyourearsbypressingtheearflapswithyourthumbs;gentlyholdyoureyesclosedbyplacingtheindexfingersonthecornersofyoureyelids;closeyournostrilswith

yourmiddlefingers;andgentlysqueezeyourmouthshutbyplacingyourringfingersabovethelipsandyourlittlefingersbelowthelips(fingertipsshouldbetouchingeachother).

5WhileholdingJyotiMudra,turnyourgazeintowardthespiritualeyeandfeelthatyourfingersaredirectingyourpranathere.Seeifyoucanperceiveitsinnerlightandallowyourselftomergeintoit.

6Holdingyourbreath,internallyrepeatthemantraOm,directingtheenergyofthechanttothepointbetweenyoureyebrows.Seeifyoucanseethelightgatheringandintensifyingintoagoldenringthatexpandstosurroundasphereofdeep-bluelightwithasilvery-whitestaratitscentre(seeboxpage125).

7Thenremoveyourfingersandthumbsfromthesenseopenings,keepingthemgentlyrestingonyourfacesothatyouarereadyforanotherround.

8Finally,exhaleslowlytoamentalcountoftento12,focusingonfeelingacurrentofpranadescendthroughthespinetomuladharachakra.

This completes one round of Jyoti Mudra. Practise three rounds in total. Sit in meditativestillness,enjoyingthesoothingexperienceofthisgesture.

THESIGNIFICANCEOFOM

The sacred SanskritmantraOm, otherwise known as the Primal Sound or theCosmicVibration,isthoughttorepresenttheenergybehindallcreation.Saidtocontainwithin itself all language, letters, sounds and othermantras, its soundvibration represents unionwith the divine,making it the link between humanconsciousnessanddivinecosmicconsciousness.The beauty of the mantra Om is that it provides us with a concrete

representation and experience (via sound) of what would otherwise be adifficult-to-grasp,purelyabstractconcept: thatof theabsolute,supremereality,divinecosmicconsciousnessorultimatebliss,withwhichweallstrivetoattainunion. In yogic terms, this state of union is called samadhi and is the goal ofYogaMeditation.The repetition (japa; see page 112) ofOm is believed to produce thought

wavesthatcorrespondtothoseofthesupremereality.Sowhenitischantedwithfaith, devotion and reverence over a sustained period of time, it encouragesawarenessofthepresenceofthedivinewithin.Assuch,itisagatewaytoyourtrue divine and contented Self, a means of awakening your inner spirit andallowingyoutofeelmoreconnectedandatpeacewithyourselfandtheworld–withanincreasedsenseofclarity,easeandjoy.In the sacred Hindu text Upanishad, the mantra Om is described as

“resplendenthumming”.Indeepmeditationthisinnersoundissoprominentthatitdrownsoutallexternalsoundsandmanifeststheinnersoundsofthechakras,which are vibrating at different frequencies and therefore have differentmanifestations(seebelow).Themeditationonpages132-3givesyouthechancetoexperiencethese.

ThechakrasoundsasheardinmeditationMULADHARA CHAKRA – Like the humming or drone of bees. A low vibratorysound.Whenheardlessperfectlyitmaysoundlikeamotororadrum.SVADHISTHANACHAKRA –Like a flute.Whenheard lessperfectly itmay soundlikerunningwaterorthenoisemadebycrickets’wingsbeatingtogether.MANIPURACHAKRA–Likeastringedinstrumentsuchasasitaroraharp.ANAHATACHAKRA–Like theflowingpealofdeepbellsoragong.Whenheardlessperfectlyitsoundsliketinklingbells.

VISHUDDHI CHAKRA – Like thunder or the roar of the ocean.When heard lessperfectlyitmaysoundlikethewindorawaterfall.AJNACHAKRA(spiritualeye/medullaoblongata)–Asymphonyofsounds,whichisOm,thesourceofallsounds.

TheOmmeditationthatfollowswillhelpyoutoinwardlyattunetothevibratorysound of divine cosmic consciousness, thus creating a sense of inner stillnessandonenesswiththeworldaroundyou.Itisparticularlygoodtodoitduringthepeacefuleveningperiod,whenyourmindismorecalmandfocused.

“ThesacredwordOmexpressesthesupremebeing.ConstantrepetitionofOmandmeditationonits

meaningleadstosamadhi.”

YogaSutras1:27–28

Ommeditation

BeforeyoupractisetheOmmeditationtechnique,beginwiththreeroundsofMahaMudra (seepages114–17),a fewroundsofNadiShodhana (seepages 86–7) and the Hong Sau technique (see pages 122–5) for 10–15minutes, or until you feel a sense of inner calm. It is best to have beenpractisingHongSau for at least threemonths inorder tohave settled themind and achieved deeper levels of concentration before regularlypractisingthisOmmeditation.

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7),withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Placeyourupperarmsonasuitablearmrestorsitwithyourkneestogether,pulledupagainstyourchest,andrestyourelbowsonyourknees.Yourarmsandshouldersshouldbeatacomfortableheight,withnostrainonyourhands,arms,backorneck.Whenusinganarmrest,makesureyourupperarmsarerestingparalleltothefloorwithyourelbowsinlinewithyourshoulders(seepage148).

2RaiseyourhandsuptoyourheadandpositionyourfingersonyourfaceinJyotiMudra:closeyourearsbygentlypressingtheearflapswithyourthumbs;gentlycloseyoureyesbyplacingyourlittlefingerslightlyontheoutercornersofeacheyelid;andrestyourotherfingersdiagonallyupwardandinwardonyourforeheadtodirectenergytowardthespiritualeyeorajnachakra.

3Holdingyourfingersinthisposition,gazewithdeepawarenessintoyourspiritualeye,betweenyoureyebrows.Thenstartinternallychanting“Om,Om,Om”,directingitatthespiritualeye,sothatthemantravibratesandresonatesthere.ThecorrectpronunciationofOmhere,thesymboloftheSupremeLord,isliketheletter“o”inthealphabetbutdrawnout,closingwiththesound“mmm”.Inotherwords,itshouldsoundlikealong,drawn-outversionoftheword“home”withoutpronouncingthe“h”.Equalmeasureshouldbegiventoboththe“o”and“m”sounds.

4Asyoucontinuetochant,simultaneouslylisteninyourrightearforthesubtlesoundfrequenciesofyourchakras,astherightearismorereceptivetospiritualvibrations.Ifyouhearadistinctsoundlikeanyofthosedescribedonpages130–131,focusyourawarenesstotallyonthat.Ifatfirstyouhearonlyyourownheartbeatandbreathing,thenconcentrateonthosesounds.Overtime,yourmindwillgraduallyturninwardandbecomecalmsothatyouwillbegintohearthemoresubtlesoundsofthechakras.

5Assensitivitydevelops,youarelikelytohearafaintersoundbehindthefirstone,sotransferyourawarenesstothat.Soon,athirdsoundislikelytoemergebehindthesecond,sotransferyourawarenesstothat.

6Continuediscardingeachgrossersoundforthemoresubtleonethatyouhear.Youraimistoreachthesourceofallsound,relatedtoyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra–thePrimordialVibratorySound,Om.AlthoughyouarementallychantingOmtokeepyourmindinwardlyfocused,itshouldnotbecomeadistractionfromyourmainconcentrationoflisteningforthesubtlesoundswithin.

7Firstly,listenoutfortheOmsoundinyourrightear,laterbothears,untilyoufeellikeitiscomingfromthecentreofyourbrain.Then,feelitgraduallydescendingtopermeateeverycellinyourbodyandexpandingoutward.AsyourexperienceofthisOmsounddeepens,yourconsciousnessexpands,andyouwillbegintofeelomnipresent,beyondtheego,mind,bodyandsenses.

8AfterlisteningtotheinnersoundvibrationofOmfortento20minutes,remainsittingforawhile,enjoyingthejoyfulstillnessofyourmeditationandadeepsenseofbeingatonewithyourself.

ULTIMATEBLISSYOGAMEDITATION

ThisisthemeditationtowhichallotherYogaMeditationpracticesinthisbookhave been leading, the one in which everything comes together. The asanas(postures)havebroughtstrengthandsteadinesssothatyoucansit,relaxedandstill,foralongenoughperiodoftime.Thepurificationpracticeshavecleansedyour subtle energy channels (nadis), helping to remove the obstacles that stopyou from experiencing and realizing the divine within you. The pranayama(breathingtechniques)havehelpedyougainmasteryoveryourmindbygainingcontroloveryourvitalinternalenergy.Themeditationpracticeshavehelpedtodirect energyup through thechakras in the astral spine, calmed themind andallowedyoutoexperiencetheinnerdivinelightwithinyourownbody.Combined,allthepracticesshouldhavehelpedto:

•disconnectyourmindfromtheoutwardsensesandthesensoryobjectsofdistractiontheybringintoyourconsciousness

•interiorizeandregulateyourmindandheartthroughself-discipline•directyourbody’svitallife-force,orprana,upthroughtheastralspinefromthelowertothehigherchakras

•focusyourenergyatthespiritualeye,orajnachakra,toallowanexperienceofthedivineinnerself.Theaimof this finalmeditation is to raiseyourprana to thehighest of the

body’senergycentres,knownassahasrarachakra,whereyour individualsoulcan truly become onewith the supreme consciousness through the process ofsamadhi (divine union; see page 27) – so you can experience that lastingabsolute pure joy and contentmentwithin you,which is attained only throughdeepmeditation.

PractisingUltimateBlissYogaMeditation

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7),withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Inhaledeeplythroughyournose.Holdyourbreathandtenseallthemusclesinyourbody.Then,withadeepdoubleexhalationthroughthemouth(“ha-haaa”),relaxyourwholebody.Repeatthisthreetimesintotal.

2Remainstillhere,feelingtheenergyflowingthroughyourbody,andtakeafewsilentmomentstoinvokethepresenceofthedivinebysayingsomethinginternallyalongthelinesof:“Maydivinegraceenlivenmybody,mindandspirit,andinspire,blessandguidemymeditation,fillingmewithinnerclarity,love,peaceandjoy.”

3Closeyoureyesandgentlyswayyourspinefromlefttoright,shiftingthecentreofyourconsciousnessfromthephysicalbodyandsensestoyourinnerastralspine,imaginingitlikeahollowtubefilledwithvital,flowingenergy.Onceyoucansensethissubtleenergy,stopswaying.

4Focusyourinnergazeatthemidpointbetweenyoureyebrows,atyourcentreofspiritualconsciousnesscalledthespiritualeye.Andbecomeawareofyourbreath’snaturalrhythm.Donottrytocontrolitinanyway,justbeawareofeachbreathasitflowsinandout.Noticewhereeachinhalationandexhalationarisesanddissolves.

5Focusyourattentiononyourownawareness,asifyouarebeingattentivetoattentionitself.Bydoingso,trytobecomeawareofthepartofyouthatiswitnessingyourmeditativeexperience–yourtrueinnerself.

6NowbreatheindeeplyusingUjjayibreathing(seepages98–9)toacountoftento15,withtheairdirectedinthebackofyourthroatsothatitisslightlyexpandedtocreateasuctioneffect.(IfyouarenotyetateasewithUjjayibreathing,keeppractisingit,andsimplybreathenormallyherefornow.)Asyouinhale,beawareofacoolsensationinyourthroatandtrytotransferthatsensationupyourastralspinetothemedullaoblongataandacrosstoyourspiritualeye.

7HoldyourbreathhereforthecountofthreeinternalOmchants.

8Next,exhaleslowlyanddeeplywithUjjayibreathing(ifyouarefamiliarwithit)toacountoftento15,beingawareofthewarmsensationofthebreathasitmovesdownthroughthespinefromyoureyebrowcentretothebaseofyourspine.

9Then,withoutapause,begintoinhaleupyourspineagain.Practise12cyclesofthisdeepbreathingupanddownyourspineuntilyoufeelyourspinevibratingandpulsatingwithenergy.

10Thenallowyourbreathingtoreturntoitsnormalpatternandjustbeawareofyourenergymovingupanddown,deepwithinyourspine.Followthemovementofyourbreathandlistencarefullytotheinnersounditmakes.

11Asyoubreatheinandtheenergymovesupyourspine,internallyrepeatHong.Asyoubreatheoutandtheenergymovesdownyourspine,internallyrepeatSau.

12WithattentivefocuslistentotheHongoneachinhalationandtheSauoneachexhalation.Mergeyourattentionwiththeflowofbreathandidentifyyourselfmoreandmorewiththevibrationofthemantra.Todothis,trytovisualizetheHongSaumantraaslightorenergyandfeelyourselfimmersedinituntilyoufeelyouhavebecomeonewithitandareblessedbyit.

13Mentallyaffirm:“Iamspirit,IampureI-awareness,theever-Existing,ever-conscious,ever-blissfulSelf.”

14Thenremainintheblissfulstillnessofthemeditativespaceyouhavecreatedforaslongasyounaturallycan,enjoyingtheexpansionofconsciousnessandsenseofonenesswiththedivine.

15Whenyouareready,returntonormalbreathingandgraduallybecomeawareofthesensationsinyourphysicalbody.Thenplaceyourhandstogetherinprayerpositioninfrontofyourheartandofferthankstothesourceofthedivinewithinyou–forgrace,blessings,energyandpower.

16ChantOmShanti(amantraforpeace)threetimestosendpeaceandlovetoallbeingsintheuniverse.Leteverybreaththatflowsfromyoucreateastrongcurrentofdivineservicetoallbeings.

17Slowlyopenyoureyes,thenremainquietlyseatedforashortwhiletoenjoythesenseofpeacefromyourmeditation.Allowthisinnercalmandcontentednesstopermeateintoyoureverydayconsciousness.

CHAPTER8

DEVELOPINGYOURPRACTICE

INTEGRATINGYOURYOGAMEDITATIONINTODAILYLIVING

This chapter is where you learn how to put all the Yoga Meditationpracticesinthisbooktogetherintheformofroutinesofdifferentlengths–withfivechoicesforboththemorningandtheevening–dependingonyourindividualrequirements.Although in our busy lives we often don’t have as much time as we

mightliketopractiseyogaandmeditation,thereisusuallyawaytofitinatleast 15 minutes of practice a day, whether that means getting up 15minutesearlierorgoingtobed15minuteslater.Theshortestoftheroutinesin the pages that follow is therefore 15 minutes long, while the longest,mostbeneficialoneis1hour45minuteslong.Themoreregularlyyoucancommittooneormoreoftheseroutines, thegreatersenseofinnerpeace,contentmentandconnectednessyouarelikelytoexperienceindailylife.In order to obtain optimum benefits from your YogaMeditation, it is,

however,essential thatyouleada lifestyle that isfullysupportiveofyourgoals off theyogamat aswell as on it.Guidance is thereforegivenon ahealthyoverall,dailyroutine,includingwhattimetogetupandgotobed,anoptimalcleansingroutineandtheidealdiet.

LIVINGWITHAWARENESS

InordertoreallygetthemostfromtheYogaMeditationpracticesinthisbook,itis important to maintain a balanced all-round lifestyle to complement them.Commitment to optimum health requires not only sufficient exercise anddedication toaspiritualpracticesuchasYogaMeditation,butalsowholesomenutrition,adequaterelaxationandsufficientsleep.Inyogicterms,itisimportanttokeepthebodyandmindhealthynotonlyin

ordertofeelphysicallyfitbutalsosothattheyremainfitvehiclesthroughwhichthetruedivineinnerSelfcanexpressitself,allowingyoutoexperienceasenseofonenessandharmonyinlife.The following daily guidelines will help you to maintain a healthy and

balancedbodyandmindtothisend.Althoughitmaynotalwaysbepossibletofollowalltheguidelineswithintherestraintsofbusy,modernlife,anythatyoudofollowwillbeofenormousbenefit.

RiseearlyAccording to yogic thinking, the early morning (before 6 am) is filled withprana,making this thebestperiod togetup in themorningandalso themostrewardingtimetomeditate.Theperiodbetween4and6amisbelieved tobewhen lightnessandclarity

predominate,andyourmindandbodyhavemaximumchanceforfeelingfresh.Sleeping beyond 6 am, on the other hand, is likely to make us feel moresluggish,tiredandexperienceslowmovementofthebowels.

EmptyyourbladderandbowelsIt is importantassoonasyougetupin themorningtogoto thetoiletandgetyourbladderandbowelsmoving.Ifabowelmovementdoesnotcomeeasily,trydrinkingamugofhotwaterwithhalfafreshlemonsqueezedintoit,apinchofsaltandateaspoonofhoney.Thendrinkanothermugofplainwarmwater.Thelemonandsalthaveacleansing,drawing-outeffect,andthehoneyisatonicforthecolon.

Cleanyourteethandtongue,andgargleIt is important to regularly remove toxins and bacteria from your body. So at

least twice a day, use a small ormedium soft-bristled toothbrush to carefullybrush your teeth. Ayurveda, Indian traditional medicine, recommends atoothpastewithastringent,bitterandpungentflavours,suchasmyrrh,propolis,neemorpeppermint.Atoothpastethatcontainsbakingsodaisalsogood.Onceyouhavebrushedyourteeth,alsoflossbetweenthemtodislodgeanybacteria.Itisalsorecommendedthatyougentlyscrapeyourtonguewithatonguescraperortheedgeofateaspoontoremovethebacterialcoatingandtodispelbadbreath.Finally,garglewithalittlewarmwatertoclearandsootheyourthroat.

RinseyournoseIt isgoodyogicpractice toregularlyusewhat iscalledanetipot (similar toasmallteapot,butwithaspecialspout)torinseoutyournasalpassages.Todoso,fillthepotwithwarmwateranddissolveoneteaspoonofsaltinit.Leaningoverawashbasin, tiltyourheadtotheleftsideandplacingthespoutslightlyintherightnostril,slowlypourthewaterupyournosesothatitflowsoutoftheleftnostril.Thewarmsaltywaterflushesoutmucusanddust,cleansingtheliningofthenostrils.Toexpeltheexcessofwaterfromyournostrils,breatheinandoutrapidlythroughthenose.

Digestiveremedy

Ifyousufferfromconstipation,bloating,flatulenceorindigestion,youcantrydrinkingtriphala(available to buy from reputable herbal suppliers) – an Ayurvedic powder remedy blendedfromthreefruits:haritaki,bibhitakiandamalaki.Dissolveoneteaspoonfuloftriphalapowderinamugofhotwater,thenletitstandforafewminutesbeforedrinking.Itisbesttakenintheevening,halfanhourbeforesleep.

GiveyourbodyamassageAyurveda recommends dailymassage, if possible, before a bath, to encouragethereleaseofwasteproductsfromthebody.Massagingtheskinstimulatesbloodcirculationandencouragestheflowoflymph.Italsocleanses,nourishes,relaxesandrejuvenatesthebody.•Warmsomesesameoil(organic,cold-pressed,andlessthansixmonthsold).Ifitirritatesyourskin,usecoconutoilorsweetalmondoilinstead.

•Sitonabathtowelandapplythewarmoilalloveryourbodyfromheadtofoot,takingabouttenminutestodoso.Useupanddownorcircular

movementsofyourhandstosmooththeoilintoyourskin.•Thenrelaxforfiveminutestoallowyourskintoabsorbtheoil.•Ifyouarepressedfortime,atwo-orthree-minutemassageisstilluseful,focusingmainlyonyourheadandfeet.

TakeawarmbathorshowerAfteryouroilmassage,takeawarmbathorshowerusingamildsoaptocleansetheoilfromyourskin.

FollowyoursadhanaSadhana is a Sanskrit word meaning “spiritual” practice. Having thoroughlycleansedyourbody,youcannowputon clean, comfortable clothes andbeginyourYogaMeditationsadhanafromthisbook(seepages146–53foroptionsofsessionsofvaryinglengths,combiningthepracticesinthebook).Itisimportanttobe regular inyourdailysadhana, as itspurpose is foryou todiscoveryourtruejoyfulinnerSelfandtofeelatpeacewiththeworld.

EatahealthybreakfastEatanourishinglightbreakfastsuchasfreshfruitofyourchoice,muesliwithafewsoakedandpeeledalmonds,porridgeofoats,milletorbuckwheatflakes,orbuckwheat pancakes, alongside a cup of herbal tea, in a calm, pleasantatmosphere–insilenceifpossible.

MakelunchthemainmealofthedayWhatisknowninyogictermsasthe“digestivefire”isatitsstrongestandmostefficientatmidday.Eat ina relaxedatmosphere– in silence ifpossible.Chewyour foodwell.Anddonotdiluteyourdigestive juicesbydrinkingglassesofwater or juice while eating; instead, allow half an hour after food beforedrinking.Sitquietlyforfiveminutes,thentakeashortwalkofupto15minutesif you can to aid digestion. Then resume your afternoon activities. The hoursbetween2and6pmareoptimalformentalactivities.

HavealighteveningmealAfter anyeveningYogaMeditationpractice,havea lightdinner, ensuring thatyouhaveleftatleastthreehourssincelunchforadequatedigestion.Itisbesttoavoidyogurt,animalproteinandrawingredientsatthistimeastheyarehardtodigest.Donotreadorwatchtelevisionwhileyoueat.Andtrytoeatonlythree-quartersofyourcapacity;stopwhenyouarecomfortablyfull.

BedtimeYogaagreeswiththemaxim“earlytobedearlytorise,makesapersonhealthy,wealthyandwise”.Toensureyougetafullnightofdeeprest,whichisvitalforoptimum health, go to bed no later than 10 pm.Between 10 pm and 2 am isbelieved to be an active period of the night, so if you are awake then, itwillmakeyoufeel lively,alertandunlikely tohaveagoodnight’srest.Stayinguplatemayalsocontribute to insomnia,digestiveandeliminationproblems,highbloodpressureandpoorconcentration.

MAKINGYOGAMEDITATIONADAILYREALITY

For all-round development of both your mind and body, and to awaken andharnessyourphysicalandmentalenergy, it isbest topractiseYogaMeditationtwiceadayifatallpossible–oncewhenyougetupinthemorningtostartthedayoffwellandagainintheeveningtohelpyouunwind–evenifitisonly15minuteseachtime.Alternatively,ifyouhavemoretimeeitherinthemorningorevening,youcouldoptforalongerpracticethen.TheselectionoftimedMorningandEveningRoutinesthatfollowshasbeen

speciallycreated from themany invaluablepracticesexplained throughout thisbook.Choosewhichofthefivetimedroutines(15minutes,30minutes,1hour,1hour15minutes,or1hour45minutes)bestsuitsyoudependingonhowmuchtimeyouhaveandwhichpracticesyouarecomfortablewithatthisstageonyourYogaMeditation journey.Remember to reassess your timingneeds everynowandtheninordertogetthemostfromyourpractice.

Practiceandtime

Theroutinesthatfollowareflexible,soifyousensethatitisbeneficialtogivemoreattentiontocertaintechniques,thenbyallmeansdoso.Butalwaystrytogiveasmuchtimeasyoucantothe meditation practices (for example, at the weekend you might have time to do longermeditations), as experiencing stillness, peace and a sense of connectedness in meditation isultimatelytheaimofallthepractices.Pleasebearinmindthatthetimingsgivenareapproximate,basedonhowlongittakesan

averagepractitionertodothem.However,everyindividualworksattheirownpacesodoleavesomeflexibilityaroundthesuggestedtimings,especiallyifyouarenewtoyogaandmeditation.Do not feel worried if some practices take more or less time to do. Note also that anydiscrepancybetweenthe lengthoftimesuggestedforapractice inthefollowingroutinesandgiven in themain entry for that practice is because the timings here have been amended toworkwithineachroutine’stimedframework.

IntheSpiritofMeditationMore important thanwhen andwhere youmeditate, orwhat techniques you use, areyourattitudeand thespiritof theheart inwhichyoupractise,andyourself-disciplineand regularity in practisingmeditation.Through regular, disciplined practice youwilldevelop your awareness, wisdom, energy and joy to a level that you can skilfullyintegrateyourexperienceofcentredinnercalm,peaceandjoyintoyoureverydaylife.

MORNINGROUTINESThe morning routines on the right will awaken the energy within you,giving you the vitality you need to start the day. The combination ofrecommendedpracticeswithineachroutinewillencouragefreecirculationof vital forces, stimulating your glands, improving blood and lymphcirculation, and releasing body wastes as well as any mental-emotionaltensionsandblockages.Theresultofdoingtheseroutinesregularlywillbeincreasedenergy,enhancedclarityandacalmermind.

15-MINUTEROUTINE

1Purificationpractices•NadiShodhana3minutes;seepages86–7

•AgnisaraKriya2minutes;seepages88–9

2Meditationpractices•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5

30-MINUTEROUTINE

1AsanaPractices•Warmingup5minutes;seepages64–7

•SunSalutationSequence10minutes;seepages68–71

2MeditationPractices•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17

•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5

1-HOURROUTINE

1Asanapractices•Warmingup5minutes;seepages64–7

•EnergizingMorningSequence10minutes;seepages72–5

3Pranayamapractices•CompleteYogicBreath5minutes;seepages96–7

•BhastrikaPranayama5minutes;seepages100–101

4Meditationpractices•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17

•NaviKriya5minutes;seepages126–7

•OmMeditation10minutes;seepages132–3

1HOUR15MINUTEROUTINE

•SunSalutationSequence:10minutes;seepages68–71

2PurificationPractices•NadiShodhana5minutes;seepages86–7

•Kapalabhati5minutes;seepage92

•AshviniMudra2minutes;seepage93

•HongSau

15minutes;seepages122–5•NaviKriya5minutes;seepages126–7

•SunSalutationSequence10minutes;seepages68–71

•EnergizingMorningSequence10minutes;seepages72–5

2Purificationpractices

•NadiShodhana5minutes;seepages86–7

•Kapalabhati5minutes;seepage92

•AshviniMudra2minutes;seepage93

3Pranayamapractices•CompleteYogicBreath5minutes;seepages96–97

•BhastrikaPranayama5minutes;seepages100–101

•BhramariPranayama5minutes;seepage102–3

•KundaliniPranayama5minutes;seepages104–5

•Bijamantras5minutes;seepages118–19

•NaviKriya5minutes;seepage126–7

“Becalmlyactive,andactivelycalm.Thatisthewayofayogi.Meditateregularly,andyouwill

findajoyinsidethatisreal.”

ParamhansaYogananda

EVENINGROUTINESThe evening routines that follow focus mainly on practices that have arelaxingeffectonyourmindandbodyattheendofabusyday.Ifyouaredoingaroutinethatinvolvesasanaandpranayamapractices,itisbesttodoit justafterwork,whereasameditation-based routine ismoresuitable forjustbeforebedtimetoensureagoodnight’ssleep.

15-MINUTEROUTINE

30-MINUTEROUTINE

•UltimateBlissYogaMeditation15minutes;seepages134–7

1-HOURROUTINE

•JyotiMudra5minutes;seepages128–9

•RelaxingEveningSequence10minutes;seepage76–9

3Pranayamapractices•UjjayiPranayama5minutes;seepages98–9

4Meditationpractices•Steadygazing5minutes;seepage113

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17

•JyotiMudra5minutes;seepages128–9

MasteringtheartofmeditationItisimportanttorememberthatmeditationrequiresdedicationanddiscipline,sodonotgiveupon itbeforeyouhavegiven it aproper chance. If you find itdifficult to sit instillness,thetrickissimplytosetasidemoretimeforeachmeditationsession.Bybeingwillingtositforalongerperiodoftime,youwillallowyourthoughtsmoretimetoslowandsettledown.Asmost experiencedmeditatorswill tell you, truemeditative stillnessusuallyoccursafterbetween45minutesandanhour.Toreachthisstate,youwillneedtopersistwithasteadyeffort.Ifyoufeelaresistancetositting,simplytrytoletgoofthethoughtsthatareholdingyoubackandbringyourattentionandawarenessbacktoyourbreathorthemantraOm.

1Asanapractices•Warmingup5mins;seepages64–7

•RelaxingEveningSequence10minutes;seepages76–9

•CoolDownSequence10minutes;seepages80–83

3Pranayamapractices•UjjayiPranayama5minutes;seepages98–9

•BhramariPranayama5minutes;seepages102–3

•Bijamantras10minutes;seepages118–19

•Hummantra5minutes;seepages120–21

FURTHERREADING

•Ashley-Farrand,Thomas,ChakraMantras,WeiserBooks,SanFrancisco,2006

•Avalon,Arthur,TheSerpentPower,DoverPublications,newYork,1974

•Bryant,EdwinF,TheYogaSutrasofPatanjali,NorthPointPress,NewYork,2009

•TheDalaiLama,BeyondReligion,Rider,London,2012

•Davis,RoyEugene,TheScienceofSelf-Realization,CSAPress,Lakemont,Georgia,2004

•Davis,RoyEugene,ParamhansaYoganandaAsIKnewHim,CSAPress,Lakemont,Georgia,2005

•Davis,RoyEugene,SevenLessonsinConsciousLiving,CSAPress,Lakemont,Georgia,2013

•Feuerstein,Georg,TheDeeperDimensionsofYoga,ShambhalaPublications,Boston,2003

•Iyengar,B.K.S,CoreoftheYogaSutras,HarperThorsons,London,2012

•Kriyananda,Swami,TheEssenceofSelf-Realization,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,1990

•Kriyananda,Swami,GodisforEveryone,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2003

•Kriyananda,Swami,TheEssenceoftheBhagavadGita,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2006

•Kriyananda,Swami,ParamhansaYogananda-ABiography,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2011

•Mehta,Mira,YogaExplained,AngusBooks,London,2004

•Niranjanananda,Swami,Prana,Pranayama,PranaVidya,YogaPublicationsTrust,Bihar,1994

•SelbieandSteinmetz,TheYugas,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2010

•Stephens,Mark,YogaSequencing,NorthAtlanticBooks,Berkeley,California,2012

•Sturgess,Stephen,TheYogaBook,WatkinsPublishing,London,2002

•Sturgess,Stephen,TheBookofChakrasandSubtleBodies,WatkinsPublishing,London,2013

•Vishnu-Devananda,Swami,HathaYogaPradipika,LotusPublishing,NewYork,1987

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,WhereThereisLight,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1989

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,AutobiographyofAYogi,CrystalClarityPublishersNevadaCity,1994

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,JourneytoSelf-Realization,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1997

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,MetaphysicalMeditations,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1998

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,IntheSanctuaryoftheSoul,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1998

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,InnerPeace,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1999

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,GodTalkswithArjuna-TheBhagavadGita,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,2002

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,HowtobeHappyalltheTime,CrystalClarityPublishersNevadaCity,2006

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,HowtobeaSuccess,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2008

•Yukteswar,SwamiSri,TheHolyScience,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1997

FURTHERRESOURCES

ForfurtherinformationontheKriyaYogateachingsofStephenSturgessinLondonvisit:www.yogananda-kriyayoga.org.ukoremailstephensturgess@hotmail.com

ForfurtherinformationonKriyaYogameditationingeneral:

UK:www.kriyayogacentre.org.ukwww.srf-london.org.uk

USA:www.ananda.orgwww.expandinglight.orgwww.csa-davis.orgwww.yogananda-srf.org

INDIA:www.anandaindia.org

ITALY:www.ananda.it

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ManythankstoBobSaxton,whoinitiallygottheprojectofftheground.ToKellyThompson,themanagingeditorwho paidmeticulous attention to detail,while keeping alwayswarm-hearted and cheerful; and toTaniaAhsanwhoalsocheerfullyworkedontheediting.ToLuanaGobbo,thegraphicdesigner,whomadealovely design of the book. To Jules Selmes, the photographer, and his assistant Adam, both of whomworkedhardtogetthosebeautifulshotsofthemodel.Andtothemodelherself,TessDimas(MOT),wholookednaturallycalmandserene.Andfinally,abigthankyoutotheChristianeBeauregard,theillustratorwhocontributedthebeautifulandcolourfulillustrationstothebook.

YogaMeditation

StephenSturgess

FirstpublishedintheUKandUSAin2014byWatkinsPublishingLimitedPOBox883,OxfordOX19PL,UK

enquiries@watkinspublishing.co.uk

AmemberofOspreyGroup

ForenquiriesintheUSAandCanada:OspreyPublishingPOBox3985,NewYork,NY10185-3985Tel:(001)2127534402Email:info@ospreypublishing.com

TherightofStephenSturgesstobeidentifiedastheAuthorofthistexthasbeenassertedinaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsActof1988.

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretrievalsystems,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquotebriefpassagesinareview.

ManagingEditor:KellyThompsonSeniorEditor:TaniaAhsanManagingDesigner:LuanaGobboPictureResearch:CeeWeston-BakerCommissionedArtwork:ChristianeBeauregard&StephenSturgessCommissionedPhotography:JulesSelmesMake-upArtist:JustineMartinACIPrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibraryISBN:978-1-78028644-010987654321

TypesetinSpectrumColourreproductionbyPDQ,UKPrintedinChina

Publisher’snote:Theinformationinthisbookisnotintendedasasubstituteforprofessionalmedicaladviceandtreatment.Ifyouarepregnantoraresufferingfromanymedicalconditionsorhealthproblems,itisrecommendedthatyouconsultamedicalprofessionalbeforefollowinganyoftheadviceorpracticesuggestedinthisbook.WatkinsPublishingLimited,oranyotherpersonswhohavebeeninvolvedinworkingonthispublication,cannotacceptresponsibilityforanyinjuriesordamageincurredasaresultoffollowingtheinformation,exercisesortherapeutictechniquescontainedinthisbook.

WatkinsPublishingissupportingtheWoodlandTrust,theUK’sleadingwoodlandconservationcharity,byfundingtree-plantinginitiativesandwoodlandmaintenance.

www.watkinspublishing.co.uk

yoga meditation: the supreme guide to self-realization

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