Sahaja Yoga
Turya Course
Session Two
Enhancing our meditation
Meditation is not easy to master, but persevere and it may turn out to be the most rewarding thing you ever do. It takes practice to achieve a peaceful state of being, and there is no question that patience is a key component of our progress through Sahaja Yoga. There are, however, a number of techniques we can use to help us go deeper and experience more when we sit down to meditate.
Balance
As we go about our day to day lives, we are constantly being buffeted by our environment on many different levels - emotionally, mentally and even in some cases physically. This turmoil can often lead to stress or even physical ailments, but it also has a direct affect on our meditation practice. We want to go silent inside, and that silence comes from balance, from existing in the here and now. So when we sit down to meditate it helps if we can balance ourselves by trying a few simple techniques during the meditation.
* After we have settled down, raised our Kundalini and put ourselves in Bandhan, we can allow both arms to drop by our sides and point towards the floor. As we do so we can inhale deeply and exhale slowly three times. This simple practice can help to relieve the immediate stress of a working day in preparation for going deeper into the peace of a meditation.
After we have been sitting for a few minutes in this way, we can slowly bring our arms back to our laps and place the palms upwards on our laps as normal.
a) If we start to feel drowsy, we can try clearing the left side as described in the Balancing Techniques sheet which is attached. This should help to make us feel a little more alert.
b) If we continue to feel overly stressed with a flood of thoughts, we can try clearing the right side again using the Balancing Technique sheet, which should help to slow the flow of thoughts and help us quieten down at the beginning of the meditation.
Patience
Do not become frustrated or angry if these techniques do not seem to be working immediately, they are very subtle and will work very gently and almost imperceptibly at first. Also try them for only a couple of minutes each time before going back to the traditional position. The maximum benefit we receive from the Kundalini energy working on our system, comes as we quieten down the mind and so that should be our over riding goal. It may seem hard to believe at first, but this really is a spontaneous and autonomous process, all we really have to do is to devote those few minutes a day to the process for it to work out beautifully. Have patience with yourself and your exquisitely made subtle system.
Thoughts
* If we have thoughts continually racing around our head, just sit calmly with the eyes closed and allow the patterns to flow in and out of the mind. Do not dwell on these thoughts if possible, but instead say quietly ‘not this [thought]’ ‘not this’ a few times. This is an ancient mantra brought up to date for the modern world (‘neti, neti’ in Sanskrit).
Thoughts come directly from the interaction of our ego, the mind and our Agnya Chakra. For this reason it can be very helpful to press the palm of the right hand across the forehead for a few moments whilst saying ‘I forgive’ a few times, from the heart. This is another powerful mantra.
* In the early days it can also help to say the Self Realisation affirmations quietly to ourselves as a prelude to the silent meditation (see the Techniques sheet from Session One). However, this is purely a personal choice and some people may find it more soothing simply to sit quietly without action of any sort.
Going deeper.
After a few moments of sitting quietly we may notice that a certain stillness has settled over our immediate surroundings. We will still be aware of external sounds like doors closing and cars passing, but we may sense an aura of quiet stillness blanketing us. This shows that our Kundalini is in full flow, and we can rest assured that we are benefiting from the gentle process. We may also feel tingling or coolness on the hands or face or around the body in general. This also is also evidence of the system working as it should.
On the other hand we shouldn’t worry if in the first few days we feel little or nothing. Everyone has a different subtle make up will feel different responses in the early days. Again patience is the most essential virtue, that and the confidence to know that there is something profound happening to your whole being during every meditation session.
Frequency and Duration.
Every single time we sit down to meditate, a little more of the Kundalini energy is activated and travels up the Central channel, cleansing and nourishing the Chakra system. For this reason it is really important that we try and meditate every day, even if for a few minutes or so, rather than leave gaps in the practice. The fact is that our meditation grows stronger with repetition and every time we complete the process the effects become more potent. Little and often is the key word here. Ten to fifteen minutes in the morning and the same in the evening is a small price to pay for the kind of powerful benefits that accrue from our Yoga.
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Know Thyself – what are we?
Before we can be fully comfortable with where we’re going, we need to be sure of where we are now, to understand our subtle make-up in order to make the most of our meditation.
The Material Being
On one level, of course, we are all material beings. We exist in a physical world with objects and subjects and we operate by the laws of nature and physics.
On a personal level we also have needs and desires.
The Need Machine: We all have needs, whether for food, security, shelter or even happiness. We seek to satisfy those needs by taking action of some sort and once the need is filled, we move on to the next cycle. We can describe it as:
Need – Action – Fulfillment – Dissipation of satisfaction – Need – Action – and so on.
This cycle is constant and gives us no rest. It is remorseless in its demands with an engine driven by the fuel of fear, desire and consumption. In many ways it is this cycle that causes much of our modern day stress. Meditation breaks this cycle and gives us the time and space to enjoy life without constantly searching for that elusive sense of material satisfaction.
The Spiritual Being
We are also Spiritual beings. We are equipped with a Soul and with a subtle system which lies more or less dormant until awakened by our spiritual flowering.
Recognising our Spiritual Type
We may recognise in us one of two types of personality:
a) Left sided spiritual personality. We may be quite emotional, prone more to lethargy and inaction, attracted to sadness or emotional entertainment or even subject to sudden bouts of depression for no reason. In this case we can be said to have a left sided tendency. This is the moon side or channel. The side which more accurately reflects the feminine inside all of us.
b) Right sided spiritual personality. We may be more action oriented. Always on the go, planning for this, organising that. Never a moment’s peace or rest, happy only when doing. We like action in all its forms and can never sit still. For us a moment wasted is a moment lost forever. At the extremes we can even become stressed and ill from too much worry that we are not achieving enough. This is a right sided tendency, coming from the sun channel. This is the masculine side of us all, the futuristic planner.
c) Balanced personality. Of course there must always be a happy medium in everything, and that is where the balanced personality comes in. This person is calm at all times, whether in crisis or everyday action. They possess seemingly inexhaustible levels of energy, seldom complain and possess a continually cheery disposition. These lucky folk have a balanced outlook. In their purest form they are real Yogis, who are living very much in the present, and who utilise the energy of the Central channel, the balanced path.
Examples of our tendencies.
We need to understand our spiritual tendency in order to make the most of our meditation and search for balance.
Left side:
We are prone to taking a negative view of everything. Any situation, even the most trivial, which goes against our desires and hopes can affect us deeply. Eventually we can slump into a deep depression over the slightest thing, convinced that we are a victim of life.
Relationships: We may suffer through relationships as the victim of a lack of understanding, or so it seems. For us the slightest action has the potential to leave a deep scar, to wound our fragile dependency.
Right side:
We never take no for an answer, nor can we allow ourselves to show any form of weakness. The result is that we live a life full of stress, often in danger of collapsing under the weight of an intolerable load.
Relationships: We are the dominant, maybe even insensitive partner. For us the world has to keep up, fit in with our timetable, even if sometimes that means we have to ride roughshod over other people’s needs and desires.
The effect of meditation
Meditation gives us balance. It offers us a focussed yet relaxed viewpoint on life which is dynamic and also compassionate.
The Power of silence. In the silence of our meditation we can make sense of the turmoil we may be experiencing. For the left sided personality, we can use the balancing techniques to warm up our cool moon channel, and give ourselves more energy, more optimism and more assertiveness to face ourselves and our lives in general. Those with a right side tendency can tap into the growing calm in their lives to gather the strength to say no, to take time out to face whatever they may be running from. Their peace is all the more powerful for bringing with it the compassion of understanding.
The Power of Attention. Our Attention is constantly under attack. We are assailed by a world which demands our attention, it wants to sell, cajole and scare us in order to manipulate our lives and desires. By meditating we break the cycle of needs, we become detached and gain control over our Attention so that it remains focussed on the important things in life rather than the frivolous. We lose the fear and the neediness that subvert our true selves.
The Power of the Spirit. As we go deeper in our meditation, we learn the true beauty of the Spirit. We learn that material needs can never compensate for the peace and the timeless enjoyment of a satisfied Soul. We begin to live in a universe where we can recognise the power of love.
Clearing the Left Side - Fig 1 Clearing the Right Side - Fig 2
Hold left hand out (palm upwards) Hold out right hand (palm up)
Place right hand on the earth, or Point the left hand upwards, with the palm facing towards the earth if you palm facing backwards.
are sitting on a chair.
Sahaja Yoga Techniques
Clearing the left side
The left channel is our moon side, the feminine side of us which represents our desires, emotions and past. As such it is considered to be the cool side and can affect us by making us feel depressed, lethargic, introverted and self pitying.
Symptoms of an over exhausted left side:
Feelings of loneliness.
Exhaustion and lethargy
Excessive focus on past events.
Depression and over emotional feelings
Treatment:
Practice the Clearing technique (Fig 1 above) for a few minutes during the early part of the meditation.
Light and heat are the two most effective means of combating the problems of a weak left side.
Sit in the sun or a bright space for as long as possible each day.
Use additional candles arranged around the left side of the body when meditating.
|Place a candle near to the outstretched left hand when meditating.
Slowly and carefully move a lit candle up and down the left side of the body during the early part of the meditation using the right hand. This will gently and subtly heat up the channel and restore balance to that side.
Try to avoid excessive daydreaming about the past.
Try and eat more protein, and avoid carbohydrates as much as possible without being over zealous.
Be aware that the problems of the left side are very common and can be overcome by gradually warming up the channel as described above. The result should be that we start to recover confidence, feel less moody and are able to face our lives in a much more dynamic way.
Clearing the right side
The right channel is the sun side, the masculine side of us which represents our action, planning and the future. It is therefore very susceptible to over heating, which can easily throw us off balance. If we find that we have become more aggressive, unsympathetic, and stressed then we may be suffering from an over heated right channel.
Symptoms of an over exhausted right side:
Unusual aggressiveness and anger
General over activity
Excessive planning and future watching
Domineering attitude.
Practice the Clearing technique (Fig 2 above) for a few minutes during the early part of the meditation
Cooling is needed, so we should avoid hot temperatures and situations and bright sunlight for a time. Enjoy a little time spent in the moonlight at night time if possible.
Place both feet in a bowl of cold water with a sprinkling of household cooking salt during the evening meditation.
Eat less protein and try to increase the intake of carbohydrates. Cane sugar is a very effective coolant for the right side, as is yoghurt in the summer. For serious cases consider trying the Liver Diet (ask your centre for details).
Try to avoid excessive planning and other futuristic actions.
If possible have a short rest at least once a day.
The liver is a physical correspondent of the right side and is adversely affected by over heating. A good method of cooling the liver is to place a cloth covered plastic ice pack (or ice cubes wrapped in a dish towel) onto the liver area on the right hand side of the body (just under the ribs) during the meditation. It should be cold enough to feel without being uncomfortable.
Mooladhara Chakra
Physical counterpart: Pelvic Plexus, prostrate gland
Looks after: Reproductive and excretory organs
Qualities: Innocence, wisdom, chastity, childlike nature.
No of Petals: Four (4)
Day: Tuesday Colour: Coral Red Element: Carbon
Gem: Coral Symbol: Clockwise Swastika
The Mooladhara represents the beginning of time - the evolution of all things, from a single cell like the amoeba, to complex mankind. This Chakra is at the root of the whole subtle system, and so acts as the support of all the Chakras. In Sanskrit ‘moola’ means root and ‘adhara’ means the support.
Quality
The fundamental quality of this Chakra is innocence, the type of simplicity which is the basis of all righteous action. This quality is most evident in young children and babies, who will exhibit no malice or desire for personal gain at the expense of others. This is also a kind of wisdom, as when a child instinctively knows how to suck to obtain food, or cries in discomfort. Unfortunately, as we progress through childhood and life, we are beset by influences and environments which obscure the wisdom and innocence we were born with. The result is that we become tied up in a seemingly perpetual knot of complexity in our relationships and actions.
As we start meditating, however, this complexity slips away and we re-discover the joy of simplicity in our day to day lives; to take action without selfish motive, to enjoy all the aspects of life as if we were children again. This also helps us to make wiser choices in our lives and to see the innate wisdom in a correct course of action. It’s easy to see just how powerful this innocent wisdom can be when we hear the truth from ‘out of the mouths of babes’, as illustrated by the popular fable of The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Gross Physical Aspect
This Chakra oversees the excretory and reproductive organs. Because of this there have been mistaken associations in the past between sexual tantric practices and the awakening of the Kundalini. In fact this type of practice is completely against the quality of innocence which is embodied in the Mooladhara and so is doomed to failure. In certain cases it can even be dangerous with the potential to harm the natural system irreversibly. Sex and reproduction have a vital and natural part to play in everyone’s lives, however it is only when this is tempered with respect, and a balanced outlook, that we can take advantage of the power of our innate innocence. After we begin our journey of Self Realisation we learn to develop this respect, and enjoy a refreshingly uncomplicated and sincere code of conduct which is the hallmark of wise and universally respected individuals.
Causes of problems with the Mooladhara Chakra
Left Side: Excessive sexual, tantric or occult practices.
Right Side: Excessive puritanism (e.g. a fanatical focus on the evils of the world).
Looking after the Mooladhara
A weak Mooladhara may show up as : a poor sense of direction, poor memory or sense of balance and certain other diseases or mental problems.
To help clear any problems of this Chakra we can:
A. Use the elements
Sit on the earth as much as possible to ‘ground’ our subtle system.
Soak our feet in a bowl of warm salted water whilst meditating (called ‘footsoaking’).
Place the right hand on (or towards) the ground whilst meditating.
B. Affirmations
Mother, please make me an innocent person
Mother please clear my Mooladhara Chakra.
Mother, please establish innocence in me.
General Advice
Try and keep our focus on natural things such as the earth, sky or grass rather than on the gross material things, which may be fighting for our attention.
Avoid too much red meat.
Meditate on the quality of innocence.
Adopt a balanced and respectful attitude towards members of the opposite sex.
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