Ayurveda and Yoga in Oakland, Berkeley and Bay Area

What is meditation? What is the purpose of meditation?

Meditation is constant observation of the self.  It is a mental discipline by which one attempts to get beyond the reflexive, "thinking" mind into a deeper state of relaxation.  It helps one to become calm from external distractions and influences.

Meditation techniques can help one develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight.  It gives the ability to halt the incessant chatter and focus the mind.  When the waves of the lake are stilled you can see the bottom clearly.  

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad refers to meditation and states that "having becoming calm and concentrated, one perceives the self within oneself".

Patanjali is his Yoga Sutra recommended "meditation" as a part of the spiritual practices (sadhana) that leads to samadhi, or blissful inner peace. (Yoga Sutra -seventh of the eight paths of Raja Yoga - 2^nd century BCE).

All religious traditions of the world have encouraged meditation in some form to attain inner peace and tranquility.

Meditation helps us to maintain composure/equanimity in all situations. Whether it is the joy one gets from achieving great success or the grief one might feel at the loss of a loved one.  The mind is constantly being stimulated and bombarded by external influences via the senses.  We are so busy with living, that we rarely stop and observe what is going on inside.  Very often, it's not until something very distressful happens do we stop and try to figure out what's going on in our lives.  

So once the incessant chatter or thought energy of the mind is restrained, one is no longer affected by the ups or downs of life.  One is unaffected and blissful no matter what happens in life. 

As Swami Sivananda states "Without the help of meditation, you cannot attain Knowledge of the Self".   It allows us to go within and learn our true nature. 

Benefits of meditation are concentration, equanimity and patience.  Helping us remain focused, calm and stable for our everyday tasks.  So when the proverbial "xxxx hits the fan" we can remain calm, make the appropriate decision and take the right action without much effort.  It helps us live our lives effortlessly. 

It is a practical way to look within to understand and experience our thoughts and emotions. Understanding and controlling your mind is the first and most important step to attaining happiness and peace.  

Importance of meditation for building awareness, focus and calm...

Importance of meditation for building awareness, focus and calm.  For stress management, relaxation, better sleep, happiness and energy.

Meditation should not produce vata-disturbing (space-air-increasing) results.  Here is why:

1)    A restful "activity" produces rest in the body/mind. An important saying in the Buddhist-Vedic-Yogic paradigm is that “you are what you experience.” The experience of the transcendent can NEVER produce the experience of dissociation, fear, anxiety (vata). The transcendental state of samadhi is pure selfless bliss, clear light of wisdom and the experience of samadhi reveals bliss without a self in the experiencer (the selfless one who is aware). This statement is true regardless of the "technique" one uses to access It (the state of Consciousness or samadhi).

 

MEDITATION and STRESS MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES

Aum Namo Bhagavaté Bhaisajya Guru Vaidurya Prabaha Rajaya Tathagataya Arhaté Samyaksambodhi Tadyata Aum Bhaisajé Bhaisajé Bhaisajya Samudgaté Svaha.” “Om Namo Ratna Trayaya. Namo Avalokiteshvaraya Bodhisattva. Namo Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.”

Meditation is an ancient practice with many expressions and benefits. While some consider contemplation and introspection as meditation, we will dismiss them as representative of meditation in the spiritual tradition. There are meditations that use mantras while others use none. Mantras are sounds that have known effects. There are thousands of mantras for meditation. A mantra may be indicated for some persons while not for others. Some mantras promote transcending. Transcending means experiencing the ultimate state of our being a state of no thoughts and restful alertness. This is a state of unboundedness, omnipresence, omniscience, eternality, omnipotence, and of all possibilities. It is the state of perfect health and happiness. The goal of meditation is to experience this state and to know it. To experience it is to become it.