1. Night Birds Swami Veda Bharati Disciple of Swami Rama of the Himalayas Bha : The Light of Knowledge  Rati : A lover who is absorbed in it Beginning Meditation

2. Raja Yoga Meditation systems, as taught by Himalayan Yogis  Diaphragmatic and uniform breathing  Correct posture.  Straight spine  No feeling of discomfort in the legs, back or neck  Shithili-karana, systematic relaxation  Relaxation of neuro-muscular system throughout a meditation session  Awareness of breathing  Using a mantra or a sacred word from whichever spiritual tradition First step to meditation is awareness of breathing

3. Beginning Meditation Diaphragmatic Breathing  Positions to practice Diaphragmatic breathing  Makarasana : The crocodile position ( practice for 5-15 minutes )  Lie on the stomach  Bring your awareness to the breathing process  Observe the flow of the breath  Let there be no jerks, no breaks in your breathing  Observe the gentle flow along with the rise and fall of the stomach and navel area  Take note of the breathing process  Resolve to breathe this way at all times  Shavasana : The corpse position  Turn over on your back in the shavasana position  Breathe and observe the rise and fall of the stomach and navel area  Place left palm on the chest and right palm on the stomach  Right palm should feel the rise and fall smoothly without jerks or breaks  Let uniform breathing develop. Length of inhalation and exhalation being equal Breathing should be relaxed to experience rejuvenation

4. Beginning Meditation Correct Posture  Technique to practice the posture. Straight spine is slightly “S” shaped curve  On the floor  Fold a blanket and make it into a neat and firm cushion  Place it under the sit bones with legs and knee on the floor  Straighten yourself  If any discomfort is felt in the back or neck, experiment with the height of the cushion  Experiment till you get optimum comfort  On the chair (Mitrasana)  Sit on the edge of a hard chair with feet on the ground  Sit with the spine straight  Let this become your natural position all the time Spine should be straight for sitting in meditation

5. Beginning Meditation Systematic Relaxation  Practice Shithili-karana after diaphragmatic breathing  The body sequence relaxation method  Lie in shavasana to relax the body  Continue breathing diaphragmatically  Take mental inventory of the body from forehead to toe  Ask each part of the body to relax as it is brought to mind following the sequence*. (Forehead to Toe)  Relax in the reverse order up the body. (Toe to Forehead)  Remember the sequence. Go over the body and relax each of these parts in this sequence.  Let the different parts go limp Cont/d… Relax.. Re-establish diaphragmatic breathing Forehead >>> Eyebrow >>> Eyes >>> Nostrils >>> Cheeks >>> Jaw >>> Corner of the mouth >>> Chin >>> Neck >>> Neck-joint >>> Shoulders >>> Shoulder-joints >>> Upper arms >>> Elbows >>> Lower arms >>> wrists >>> hands >>> fingers >>> fingertips Fingertips >>> Hands >>> Wrists >>> Lower arms >>> Elbows >>> Upper arms >>> Shoulder joints >>> Shoulders >>> Chest >>> Heart area >>> Stomach >>> Navel >>> Abdomen >>> Pelvis >>> Thigh joints >>> Thighs >>> Knees >>> Calf muscles >>> Ankles >>> Feet >>> Toes. *Sequence

6. Beginning Meditation Sit with Sit bones on a folded blanket and the spine straight Systematic Relaxation  Practice Shithili-karana after diaphragmatic breathing  Tension / relaxation method if the body still not relaxed  Lie in shavasana  When tensing, tense from the finger or toes upwards  Tense and relax the right leg left leg right leg left leg  Tense and relax both legs simultaneously. Repeat  Tense and relax the right leg and arm left leg and arm right leg and arm left leg and arm  Tense and relax the right arm left arm right arm left arm  Tense and relax both arms simultaneously. Repeat  Tense and relax all the limbs simultaneously  Lie in shavasana for a few minutes, then sit up for meditation

7. Beginning Meditation Breath awareness  Become aware of the breath flow. No break in the awareness  Let the breath flow smoothly and evenly. No jerks. No breaks. No sound. No gasping  Feel the flow and touch of the breath in the nostrils  No Pause between the breath  Awareness of inhalations should immediately merge with the awareness of exhalation and vice versa  If the mind wanders off, straighten the spine again  Relax quickly again  Re-establish diaphragmatic breathing  Continue with the awareness of the flow and touch of the breath in the nostrils Let the breath flow like a Taila-dharavat. Smooth stream of oil

8. Beginning Meditation Mantra / Sacred Word  To begin with use soham. “I am that”  Those in different religious tradition may use the word prescribed by their tradition  Exhaling, mentally remember “ham”  Inhaling, mentally remember “so”  No interruptions in the breath awareness  No interruptions in the awareness of the flow of the word as a thought  Slowly lengthen the time of being aware of the flow without interruptions  Remember, meditative state cannot be entered by fighting oneself.  Let it flow. Let it happen. Observe and experience Observe how the breath, the word and the mind are flowing together

9. Beginning Meditation Mantra – Diksha  Seek out someone to give you the first initiation. Personal mantra.  Mantra and meditation are assigned according to individual’s samskaras imprints in the unconscious gathered over lifetimes, spiritual needs and the adhikara, level of qualification  One may be taught on the path of  Internal sound - nada  Light - jyoti  Channeling energy - kundalini  Meditation on centre of consciousness – initiator mentally touches the chakra. Student may be assigned  Visualisation of certain diagram  Presence of Ishta Devata – deity  Other object Guru’s Grace  Merge mantra with the energy of the given chakra and penetrate through its central point – bindu-vedhana  Transmission of consciousness in a direct preceptor-student mutual presence

10. Beginning Meditation BACK UP

11. Beginning Meditation Diaphragmatic Breathing : Crocodile Position  Step by step process  Lie on your stomach  Cross your arms or put one hand on the other  Rest your forehead on the arms or on the hand. Do not bend your neck  Your toes touching, heels apart, ankles practically flat on the ground  Your shoulders flat. Armpit practically touching the ground  Bring your attention away from all places to the place where you are lying down  Be aware of only the space your body is occupying from head to toe  Become aware of the flow of the breath and observe the flow  Breathe gently, slowly, smoothly. No jerks, no breaks in your breathing  Bring your attention to the gentle rise and fall of your stomach and the navel area  Observe the movement with the gentle rhythm of your breathing.  Continue to observe the stomach and navel area, breathing rhythm.  By observing, learn to breathe correctly. You may lie in this position as long as you wish

12. Beginning Meditation Diaphragmatic Breathing : Corpse Position  Step by step process  Post makarasana, gently roll-over and lie on your back  Feet apart,  Arms separate from the body, along side the body  Back of the hand resting on the ground  Let the entire body relax using the body sequence relaxation method  Continue to breathe as you were breathing in a crocodile position  Observe the gentle rise and fall of the stomach and the navel area  Observe how that area slightly inflates as you inhale and contracts as you exhale  Place left palm in the center of your bosom and right on your stomach  Observe there is no movement under the left palm. The movement should be felt under the right palm  Observe your breath as you exhale and inhale. No jerks. No breaks Either of the two exercises or both for 10-20 minutes, will change the texture and the tone of your life

13. Beginning Meditation 3 Minute Relaxation  Step by step process  Bring your attention to place where you are sitting  Be aware of the space your body is occupying from head to toe  Be aware of only this moment in time Quickly relax in the sequence: Forehead >>> Eyebrow >>> Eyes >>> Nostrils >>> Cheeks >>> Jaw >>> Corner of the mouth >>> Chin >>> Neck >>> Shoulders >>> Relax all the way down to finger tips Relax from finger tips to Shoulders >>> Chest >>> Stomach >>> Navel >>> Abdomen >>> abdomen >>> Thigh >>> Calves >>> Feet >>> Toes. Again relax all the organ from the Toes upwards  Bring your awareness to the breathing  Observe the gentle rise and fall of your stomach and navel area  Observe contraction and expansion of that area as you exhale and inhale  Feel the flow and touch of your breath in your nostrils  Count your breath 1 though 5 and 5 though 1. e.g. Exhale - count oooonnne in your mind, inhale – count twwooo in your mind  No break in your breathing. No break in counting 1 to 5 and 5 to 1. Maintain the count  Feel the flow and touch of the breath  Continue the practice for as long as you want and as frequently you want  Without breaking the count, gently open your eyes

14. Beginning Meditation Meditation with So-ham mantra  Step by step process  Be aware of yourself from head to toe  Draw around yourself, as it were, three circles of light  Resolve that neither the mind shall cross these circles nor will any thoughts and impressions would enter from outside  Remaining aware from head to toe, relax your limbs in few exhalations. Progressively relax your body with each exhalation  Maintain a resolve for one minute each that  No other thought will arise except for the awareness of the movement in the stomach and navel area with the rhythm of the breathing  No other thought except the awareness of the path of the breath from novel to nostrils and nostrils to navel. Feel the breath flow on this path  No intruding thought except the feel the breath in active nostril  No intruding thought except the feel the breath in passive nostril  No intruding thought except the feel the breath in both the nostrils  Exhale thinking the word haaammm, inhale thinking the word ssooo  No other thought for 2 min except sooo >>> haammm  No break between exhalation and inhalation  Feel the breath and observe for 2 min how the mind and word are flowing together  Mentally feel the spot between the nose-bridge and upper lip. Also feel the spot between the eyebrows  Inhale as if you are inhaling from the spot in front the nose-bridge and subtle energy flowing to the spot between the eyebrows. Exhale the same way.  Maintain the same stream of mind, word and the energy flow.  The flow between the two spots is known as Sushumna breath Cont/d…

15. Beginning Meditation Meditation with So-ham mantra  Step by step process  Using the center of the eyebrow as a gateway, enter the chamber of your mind.  Resolve there will be no thought for 15 seconds, 30 seconds. No exterior thought. Utter silence. Mind absolutely still without ripple  Enjoy stillness and silence for 30 seconds.  Come out through the gateway between eyebrows. For minute be in the Sushumna breath  Maintain the stream and continue in silence.  Only single ripple arising out of the lake of silence – soham in the breath  Every 3-5 minutes, renew the resolve to permit no other thought.  To practice this, repeat the entire process (segments / steps) May you receive the grace of the Himalayan Lineage