How to do meditation

Anapanasati Meditation

 

In Ancient Pali language:

Ana means In - Breath;

Apana means Out - Breath;

Sati means To - Be - One - With.

Therefore, the total complex word, Anapanasati, means to keep one's total attention and awareness only on one's normal breathing process.

No mantra is to be chanted. No form of any deity is to be entertained. No pranayama practices like kumbhaka i.e., holding the breath should be attempted.

Meditation should be undertaken every day regularly any time and any place is right for Meditation.

Any comfortable sitting posture can be taken. Spine should be as comfortable as possible. Hands should be clasped, legs should be crossed and eyes should be closed.

Routine wanderings of the mind should be cut right away, as and when they keep arising. Attention of the mind should constantly be brought back to the chosen task on hand i.e., conscious observation of the breath.

Process of Meditation

 

Close your eyes and relax your body. Take all the time you need to get comfortable ... shift muscles ... stretch and relax ... make sure your spine and neck are not held stiffly... there is no stiffness here ..... just comfort, the beginning of calm ..... there is no hurry now ..... there is nothing else to do... or think about ... just relax.

notice your breath .....

inhale slowly ......

exhale slowly.....

let your breath sink in and out .....

your breath is a rhythm of calm.....

follow your breath.....

be still.....

be your breath.....

use your mind to follow

your breath ..... in ..... out..... in ..... out.....

that is all.....

be your breath.....

be your breath.....

be still..... be still..... be still..... be still.....

How Long To Meditate ?

 

One should sit for a minimum of as many minutes as correspond to the age of the person.

If a person is aged ten years, the minimum time required to still the restless waves of the mind... for that particular ten year old boy or girl... is ten minutes. Similarly, if the age of a boy or girl is fifteen years, then the minimum time required to still the restless waves of the mind is fifteen minutes.

Again, if the age of a person is forty, then the person should meditate for a minimum of forty minutes per session.

The above indicates only the minimum time... that is absolutely required... for any beginner in meditation. However, for a more senior seeker, more time should invariably be allocated.

Natural Rythm Of The Breath

 

The great principle of Taoism is ...

Easy is Right, Right is Easy

Easy is Natural, Natural is Easy

Natural is Right, Right is Natural

Physical body has its own natural and easy rhythm of the breath. In meditation, the mind has to become totally attuned to the normal rhythmic nature of the breath of the physical body.

Exercises such as deep breathing should not be resorted to. Holding the breath inside, or outside, is not to be attempted.

Meditation is Not Contemplation !

 

In English language, the phrase meditate upon is often used, which means contemplate deeply... or... reflect upon the pro's and con's... or... ponder on etc.

However, in the language of Spiritual Science, the term meditation refers to emptiness of the mind... or... making the mind empty.

Meditation Is Not Prayer !

What is prayer ?

Prayer is nothing but a petition to some hypothetical unknown power, with an urgent request to take care of all of one's difficulties !

However, in the science of meditation, there are no hypotheses. The science of meditation is an empirical science. Therefore, the concept of meditation is diametrically opposite to the concept of prayer.

Meditation Is Seeing or Witnessing Activity of the Self or Consciousness !

 

Primarily, meditation is stilling all the restless waves of the mind.
Secondarily, meditation is... the natural... seeing or witnessing activity of the self or consciousness... when all the thoughts in the mind are totally absent.

In the language of Spiritual of Science... third eye... is the name given to the natural seeing activity of the self.