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Advanced Meditation

The state of union found in advanced meditation

Meditation provides a subtle intuitive understanding of the nature of the object of one’s focus, which gets clearer and deeper with practice.

Edwyn F. Bryant uses the analogy of a clay pot in his “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”:

By meditating on a clay pot we come to realize the perpetually evolving nature of our universe and everything in it (other than consciousness!) “A new pot gradually starts to become old in successive stages from the moment it comes into existence. Changes of condition, which occur every instant at the atomic level, are not perceptible moment by moment, but they are after the lapse of time – one becomes gradually aware that something is becoming old and no longer new.”

In the latter stages of meditation, we become intuitively aware of the essential, interconnected fabric or fundamental construct of the universe: its energetic, oppositional molecular states of matter, which manifest into the objects of the known world around us – which due to their energetic makeup are perpetually evolving – that’s Karma Baby!

May you experience that level of realization and union in your practice! Allan

June group class schedule

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Meditation for Beginners

Meditation instructions for beginners

Here’s a typical response to my “learn to relax” sales pitch:

“OK fascinating: we can’t count and recite the alphabet simultaneously – and there’s a part of each of us that’s bulletproof – that literally never changes – yet without which we wouldn’t know we were here. But – how does that help me!?”

Aside from consciousness being the reason that we know we’re  alive….by learning to control our mind, we can experience consciousness itself. While it generally takes awhile become enlightened, the more often and closer we draw towards the still essence of who we are by meditating, the more we appreciate its healing, transformative affects.

If any of these sound familiar:

  • “I can’t sleep.”
  • “I’m stressed out.”
  • “I’m nervous.”
  • “I’m crazy busy.”
  • “I’m a mess.”
  • “I haven’t got a clue.”
  • “I can’t stop [     ].”

MEDITATE! Here’s how:

It’s simple; it just takes practice! Start by allowing yourself five minutes a day to relax, recharge and reboot:

  • Find a comfortable spot to sit, preferably calmly lit and airy; it should feel welcoming and pleasant;
  • Light a candle and place it at arms-length in front of you;
  • Sit upright though relaxed;
  • Close your eyes almost all the way – so you just see the glint of the burning candle at the bottom of your normal field of vision;
  • Chin back ever-so slightly and imagine you’re looking out at the horizon – and smile!
  • Set a timer for however long you have;
  • Scan and relax your body without compromising your posture;
  • When you’re settled, focus all of your attention on one thing for the next few minutes. You’re training your mind to think what YOU want it to! When you find it wandering off, lovingly bring it back. It’s like doing a few sets of slow, purposeful curls for your biceps – but this requires mental rather than physical effort! If you’re a dog owner, this is part where you’re trying to get your mind to “sit” – “stay” comes with practice!

WHAT TO FOCUS ON:

Raw beginners: “A”,”B”,”C” (each letter represents an individual thought because you literally can’t think/say “A” and “B” simultaneously in your conscious mind):

Imagine you’re trying to slow things down internally; as if you’re trying to synchronize your breath, pulse and rate of thought (“A”,”B”,”C” is just a string of three individual thoughts – think/say them slower to slow down the rate at which your conscious mind thinks). Focus all your attention on each letter as you think/say it in your mind (visualization helps). When you get to “X”…”Y”…”Z”, go backwards: “Y”… “X”…”W”, etc.

Later: Once you have a sense of control, try focusing on something more subtle: your breath; specifically, breath-by-breath pay attention to each aspect of the three-part cycle: inhalation – brief pause – exhalation – brief pause – inhalation, etc. Find a rhythm, perhaps use 4-count inhalations and exhalations so they’re about the same duration – and just notice the brief pause in between.  Tip: “No words!”; if you hear words, you’re “in your head” or distracted, rather than mindfully watching your breath.

The experience is almost always calming and soothing, and the benefits carry over into the rest of your day. May your practice always be so!

June class schedule

Try it and let me know what you think! Allan

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“SEEDED” MEDITATION

Meditation is concentrating your conscious mind on a specific object.

In Raja Yoga there are two types of meditation: with and without “seed”; we needn’t worry about the latter for now!

Meditation with seed refers to focusing and thus quieting your conscious mind; over time you’ll sequentially subdue the three functions of your subconscious mind and relieve yourself of desire, sorrow and fear:

  1. Dharana is the initial state of meditation with seed in which you learn to focus on specific objects. Exercising this level of mind control subdues your grossest subconscious mental function: sensory processing or desire. The transition from this state to the next, Dhyana, coincides with the end of desire.
  2. Dhyana is the middle state of meditation with seed in which you learn to hold your focus on specific objects. Exercising this level of mind control calms your next subtler subconscious mental function: memory. The transition from this state to the next, Samadhi, coincides with the end of sorrow.
  3. Samadhi is the final state of meditation with seed, in which you “become one with” the object of your focus. This state of union or yoga with the object of your focus (i.e., this advanced level of mind control) suppresses your subtlest subconscious mental function: the “I am” aspect of ego. The transition from this state to meditation without seed, Nirbija Samadhi, coincides with the end of fear.

Simple. Not easy. Enjoy practicing!

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Morning class itinerary, 6-7-17

7:30am Meditation

Lesson (10 min) – sutras III.9 to 13; continued discussing the three phases or levels of meditation: focus, prolonged focus, and absorption. The latter is effectively a self-induced trance: like dreaming, though you’re aware that you’re controlling the content of your thoughts, so much so, that you’re simultaneously unaware of anything else: where you are, what day or time it is, even what you’re doing!– until something brings you out of it like a doorbell or phone.

We read from Swmaij.com about the three states of transition between the three levels of meditation. He uses the analogy of attending a concert:

As you wait for the concert to start, your mind is naturally scattered: chasing sensations, drawn to sounds of conversations, smells of food and perfume, sights of people.

  1. As the concert begins, you experience the first transition: from a scattered state of mind to a focused one (dharana) as you turn your attention to the stage. Satchidananda says in dharana, you experience the end of desire.
  2. As you begin to enjoy the performance, you experience the second transition: your focused state of mind becomes prolonged (dhyana) as the performance holds your attention. Satchidananda says in dhyana, you experience the end of sorrow.
  3. After prolonged focus (dhyana), you experience the third transition: you become absorbed in the concert to the exclusion of everything else (absorption = samadhi). Satchidananda says in samadhi, you experience the end of fear.

Seated conscious abdominal breathing (15 min)

Seated concentration (5 min)

Seated stretches (5 min)

9:00am Practice

Standing stretches (5 min)

Tadasana (5 min) https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/mountain-pose

Gigong monk’s boat (15 min) mindful standing synchronization of movement, breath, and thought https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icS_WezFlJE

Sun salutation (15 min) mindful flowing sequence of seven different classic yoga poses, again synchronizing movement, breath, and thought https://www.yogajournal.com/videos/salute-the-sun-modified

Utthita Trikonasana (10 min) 2x each side; hold each pose 90 seconds https://www.yogajournal.com/videos/extended-triangle-pose

Seated conscious abdominal breathing (5 min)

Seated concentration (5 min)

 

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Your Brain

A friend recently made the case for regular physical exercise by highlighting its many benefits to our brain: increased blood flow, etc.

While important, physical exercise is a small part of the practice of Raja Yoga (a holistic self-care practice focused on mind control) which is literally based on brain functionality; specifically, recognizing:

  • the distinction between our NON-PHYSICAL conscious and subconscious mind;
  • that our conscious mind functions the same way our heart and lungs do (single, consecutive, and hopefully constant beats, breaths, and thoughts);
  • that our conscious mind has a “neutral” as well as volume, directional, and zooming functionality;
  • that all conscious thoughts can be categorized into one of five types, only three of which are original;
  • that the five types of conscious thought all fall into one of two broad categories: helpful or not! and
  • that there are five things that affect our conscious thoughts, categorized by their strength of influence.

Yes, Raja Yoga is a mental science and practice in which you literally learn to control your mind. Yes, it’s difficult, but like everything else, you get better at it the longer you do it.

Let your conscience be your guide. Allan

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05-05-17 morning class

Lesson (10 min) – sutra III.10

In this section of the poem, Patanjali describes the experience of meditating; this sutra expands upon the one before it that introduced the notion of thought suppression. The essence of this sutra is that practice makes perfect!

Paraphrasing from Edwyn Bryant’s “The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”:

[FYI – there are six traditional interpreters of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, referred to commentators: Vyasa, Vacaspati Misra, Sankara, Bhoja Raja, Vijnanabhiksu, and Hariharananda]

“Vyasa notes that the nature of the mind is to be scattered and roaming about anywhere and everywhere and thinking all manner of random things. Normally, the mind is restless and thinking about sensory objects, the past and future, worrying about this and that, etc. However, the mind also has the inherent potential of being one-pointed, or fixed on one object. When the latter propensity is developed to its highest potential, you become profoundly self-aware or enlightened.

Vacaspati Misra reminds us that nothing is ever destroyed – when one of these propensities of the mind arises, the other retires. Vijnanabhiksu, adds that changing the nature of the mind is a gradual process; it does not occur instantly, as anyone who’s ever tried to meditate knows!”

Passive stretch (30 min)

The lesson was followed by 30 minutes of passive stretching: a series of supported poses (using bolsters, chairs) each held for 1-3 minutes – allowing gravity and body weight to do most of the work – stretching, opening, expanding – facilitating energy and blood flow.

Seated mindful abdominal breathing (15 min)

Seated concentration; today we used a candle (5 min)

From this heart to yours. 😉

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LIFE

Most traditional science-based philosophies agree that at some elemental level, everything is a constantly roiling, evolving mix of two oppositionally charged states of matter: Yin & Yang.

Raja Yoga agrees completely, but allows for the reality that everything is actually a blend of the two opposites: some state of gray, and thus refers to three states of energetic matter: Rajas, Tamas and Sattva, the latter being a perfect balance between the other two. The aim of the practice of Raja Yoga is to foster sattvic thoughts, energy and actions!

Laundry day provides a visual reminder of Patanjali’s view of the scientific underpinnings of our universe. Your body, clothes, food, etc. are all constituted of nature’s Yin & Yang energetic molecules in the same way that your favorite streamed movies, TV shows and video games are two dimensional manifestations of a bunch of manmade 0’s and 1’s!

See the miracle of life in everything and you WILL smile more than you frown!

 

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PATANJALI’S FRIENDS – PART II

Why make such a big deal about consciousness? Because it IS a BFD!!

First of all, life would be pointless without consciousness since we’d all be biological robots unaware of our own thoughts and actions! Right; so be thankful you have it!

Second, consider its nature: what it is and what it isn’t.

It’s the awareness OF your mind’s functioning.

It’s not a mental function per se. Consciousness or awareness OF what you’re thinking is immutable and universal. While your thoughts change constantly like your heartbeats and breaths, your awareness OF them never does. Your awareness OF your thoughts is exactly the same today as it was the day you were born; and yours, your neighbors’, and mine are all identical, though obviously our thoughts are unique to each of us.

According to Sankhya, the science upon which the practice of Raja Yoga is based, consciousness is the one thing that isn’t subject to the vagaries of time and space (karma). Consider the nature of something that isn’t affected by time and space – and that it’s an aspect of YOU!

Your consciousness OF your thoughts is clearly subtler than your thoughts themselves.

According to the Bhagavad Gita (“God’s Song”) which predates Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, consciousness is “autonomous, a spotless lotus, eternal, infinite, pure, unblemished, immovable, existent, indivisible, beyond decay and death, everlasting, immutable, and imperishable.”

The ancient texts say consciousness is the aspect of you that can’t be burned or drowned; today they’d say it was bulletproof.

By controlling and quieting your body and mind, you draw inward, closer to your essence, your true self: your consciousness.

But resolute faith in the existence of God?

When you realize that an aspect of you is literally bulletproof, THAT recognition begs ALL kinds of questions, starting with “What’s the source of THAT part of me – which btw isn’t described in any anatomy book ever published?!” Raja Yoga is a universal practice literally intended to end human suffering, yet it’s an entirely individual practice since only you have access to your mind!

Over time, the practice engenders absolute faith in the existence of something we literally aren’t capable of experiencing directly: God.

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FRIENDS OF PATANJALI

Friends of Patanjali

For awhile my daily prayers have included some version of the following:

Thank you for:

  • Consciousness – without which I wouldn’t realize I was even here!
  • Patanjali – who codified the practice of Raja Yoga: a path to experiencing consciousness
  • Vyasa – the first of the six traditional commentators or “un-packers” of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
  • Practitioners – all who preserved the practice over the millennia
  • Satchidananda – a notable modern day devotee and teacher of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (the author of the textbook we use)
  • All yoga teachers past and present

But I was reminded this morning that the list above is missing a BIG piece: the anonymous yogis who a) DISCOVERED that consciousness is NOT a mental function and b) how to prove it!

Patanjali was a successful practitioner and brilliant academic who codified the practice and science in a poem or outline – thus preserving the experiences and knowledge of countless yogis who preceded him.

The Bhagavad Gita, the other universally recognized authoritative text on Raja Yoga, was composed before Patanjali produced the Yoga Sutras. The Gita is a conversation between a sage and his king. The following is largely excerpted from Edwin Bryant’s “the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali”:

The sage is describing what’s become known as Raja Yoga to the king:

I have spoken to you about the knowledge of Sankhya [Allan: the understanding that energetic matter and consciousness are distinct]; now hear from me the knowledge of yoga as I have heard and seen it.

There is no knowledge equal to Sankhya; there is no power like that of yoga. Both of these are the same path; both are said to lead to immortality. Only people lacking wisdom say that they are different, but we see them as one without any doubt. That which the yogis perceive, the followers of Sankhya experience. One who sees that Sankhya and yoga are one, is a seer of Truth.

[Allan: here the text attributes mystical powers to yogis.]

In the Vedic scriptures, the wise speak of yoga as having eight equalities, and bestowing eight subtle powers.

They say that the topmost practice of yoga is of two kinds, according to what is revealed in the scriptures: yoga with “qualities” and yoga without “qualities”. [Allan: here it’s likely the text refers to meditating with and without “seed”, the latter referring to the highest state of consciousness or meditation.]

Practices involve concentrating the mind, and controlling the breath. [Allan: the text advises caution with respect to certain breathing practices.]

Living in solitude, tranquil, and controlled, one could without doubt experience one’s consciousness by practicing yoga with one’s mind, delighting in the union and living in solitude.

One should cast off the senses: sound, form, touch, taste, and smell. One should restrain sensual desire by concentrating the mind; [specifically, the conscious mind should be used to a) restrain senses, memories and ego, and b) distinguish between matter and consciousness].

After taking this progression, one should meditate on consciousness, which is autonomous, a spotless lotus, eternal, infinite, pure, unblemished, immovable, existent, indivisible, beyond decay and death, everlasting, immutable, and imperishable.

Consider the characteristics of the yogi. The character of the yogi is tranquil, like that of a contented person sleeping blissfully.

The wise speak of the yogi as like the upward motionless flame of a lamp full of oil burning in a windless place.

The character of a yogi is like a rock, which is incapable of being moved even when pummeled by torrents of rain pouring down from clouds.

The demeanor of a yogi is not moved by the noise of assorted conches and drums being played together, nor the outbursts of song. [Allan: think Braveheart, Gibson’s movie]

Just as a person of composed nature might ascend a staircase while holding a container full of oil, and yet, despite being alarmed upon being attacked by assailants armed with swords, does not spill a drop out of fear of them, so, in the same way, the mind of one who is absorbed in the supreme, is fully concentrated.

These are the characteristics of the experienced yogi, which are displayed due to resolve and to controlling the activities of the senses.

Absorbed in consciousness, the yogi beholds the supreme and imperishable, resembling a lamp blazing forth in dense darkness.

It is in this way that, after the passage of much time in practice, the yogi enters the state of liberation from the body/mind. This is revealed in the eternal scriptures.

This is indeed the yoga of the yogis. What else is the character of yoga? The wise consider that yogis have accomplished the goal of life.

God bless, Allan