1. Meditation Ananda Marga Yoga

2. Knowing the Mind §The mind is the instrument to be utilized during the practice of meditation. Knowing how it works and its potential is the first step in the practice of meditation.

3. Some Functions of the Mind §Thinking §Only one object at a time. §Fast moving from one thought to another.  Remembering  Recollection of previous thoughts. Meditation helps concentrated thinking

4. Layers of the Mind §Crude mind: Conscious mind §Subtle mind: Subconscious mind §Causal mind: Supramental mind Subliminal mind Subtle mind

5. Conscious mind: Crude mind §Sensing: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. §Desire: attraction or aversion. §Acting: hands, feet, vocal cord, sexual and excretory organs. §Activates basic instincts: hunger, sleep, sex and fear.

6. Subtle mind: Subconscious mind §Deep thinking §Memory: - cerebral memory; - extra-cerebral memory. §Experience pain and pleasure §Dreaming

7. Meditation Is Practiced at the Subconscious Layer of the Mind §Meditation develops the potential of the deeper layers of the mind.

8. Causal mind: Supramental mind §Creative insight §Intuition: l Including para-normal phenomena. The seed of samskaras (potential reactions to past actions) find first expression here.

9. Causal mind: Subliminal mind It can grasp the total existence of the objective world. Development of: -discrimination; and - non-attachment.

10. Causal mind: Subtle mind §The feeling of “I” is latent. §Intense attraction for the Supreme Consciousness.

11. Pure Consciousness: Atman §The Spiritual Self Beyond duality, change, pain and pleasure. The realm of pure peace.

12. Conscious Subconscious Supramental Subliminal Subtle Crude Subtle Causal Atman The Mind

13. Meditation Posture: §Weight on the base §Back straight §Shoulders relaxed §Chest open

14. Then take the step of: mind withdrawal

15. Science of Mantra for Meditation

16. Breathing in Pulse with the Mantra Abdominal Gentle Deep

17. Incantation §To purify and still your mind. §So that the mind will be in the position to maintain proper parallelism with your spiritual flow.

18. Chanting the Mantra “Baba Nam Kevalam” Love Is All There Is

19. Ideation §Meditation is concentrated effort. §Ideation is the specific thought (of the Infinite) to be concentrated on during meditation.

20. Ideation “I Am That” (Eternal Presence)

21. Ideation “I feel infinite love and peace all around me”

22. Relationship of Body and Mind

23. §The relation between body and mind is very close. §Understanding this link is essential for a successful practice of meditation.

24. Cakra or Plexus §These are a collection of gland and sub- glands located at specific nerve centers. §These sub-glands influence the mental propensities (such as emotions) attached to each cakra. §Cakras are sub-stations of the mind.

25. Cakras are located at the intersecting points of the three subtle energy channels which run along the spinal chord.

26. Mental correlation: Layers of the mind (kosas ) §Conscious Mind §Subconscious Mind §Supramental Mind §Subliminal Mind §Subtle Mind §Mind Controlling Point §Seat of Consciousness §Muladhara Cakra §Svadhistana Cakra §Manipura Cakra §Anahata Cakra §Vishuddha Cakra §Ajina Cakra §Sahasrara Cakra

27. Mental Propensities (instincts and emotions) 1 st cakra: §Psycho-spiritual longing §Psychic longing §Physical longing §Spiritual longing 2 nd cakra: §Indifference §Lack of common sense §Indulgence §Lack of confidence §Helplessness §Cruelty 3 rd cakra: §Shyness §Sadistic tendency §Envy §Staticity §Melancholia §Peevishness §Yearning for acquisition §Infatuation, blind attachment §Hatred, revulsion §Fear

28. Mental Propensities 4 th cakra: §Hope §Worry §Endeavor §Attachment §Vanity §Conscience §Nervous break down, numbness due to fear §Ego §Avarice §Hypocrisy §Argumentativeness §Repentance 5 th cakra: §Sa, Rsa, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni – 7 sounds of creation §Onm - acoustic root of creation, preservation, dissolution §Kundalini rising §Practication §Expression of mundane knowledge §Welfare in subtle sphere §Performing noble actions §Surrender to the Supreme §Repulsive expression §Sweet expression 6 th cakra: §Mundane knowledge §Spiritual knowledge

29. Yoga Postures (Asanas) §Physical benefits §Keep the body healthy §Cure specific diseases

30. Yoga Postures (Asanas) §Psychic benefits §Balance emotions and moods by regulating the hormonal secretions

31. Food for Thought

32. §We are what we eat. §Food habits directly influence the mind. §A balanced diet is a condition for a balanced mind.

33. Food Classification §Static: harmful for body or mind, may or may not be harmful to the other. §Mutative: beneficial for body but is neutral to mind, or vice versa. §Subtle / Sentient: beneficial for both, body and mind.

34. Static or Tamasic Food

35. Mutative or Rajasic Food

36. Subtle / Sentient or Sattvika food

37. Vegetarian Diet For Physical Health and Mind Expansion

38. Health reasons for a vegetarian diet : §Human anatomy and physiology are naturally developed for a vegetarian diet. §Meat consumption brings a great deal of diseases to our human organism.

39. Humanitarian reasons: §Animal life has existential value in itself. §Animals don’t give their life willingly, they undergo fear and pain before being slaughtered. §It is possible to be more healthy without causing unnecessary suffering to animals.

40. Spiritual reasons: §To maintain one’s own existence without taking other’s existence brings peace of mind. §To feel compassion and respect for any form of life expands our mind beyond our limited individual self.

41. Water Drinking §The body is composed of up to 80% of fluids §Balance liquids in the body §Eliminates toxins §Keeps the system cool §Prevents diseases

42. Fasting §Purifies body and mind §Eliminates toxins §Gives rest for the digestive system §Develops mental strength and concentration

43. Yogic Ethics Meditation affects every aspect of our lives.

44. The Ethics of Love §Yama: §Principles of harmony with society / surrounding environment §Niyama: § Principles of harmony with the self

45. Yama §Ahimsa: not inflicting pain or hurt on anybody by thought, word or action. §Satya: proper action of mind and the right use of words with the spirit of welfare. §Asteya: not to take possession of what belongs to others. §Brahmacarya: cosmic feeling for each and every object. §Aparigraha: not indulge in amenities that are superfluous for the preservation of life.

46. Niyama §Shaoca : purity of body, mind and environment. §Santosa : state of proper ease or containment. §Tapah : shoulder sorrows and miseries of others to make them happy – render service to others. §Svadhyaya : clear understanding of any spiritual subject. §Iishvara Pranidhana : establish oneself in the Cosmic Idea.

47. Moral principles §Assist in establishing a stable, strong, subtle mind for meditation practices.

48. Golden Rule Proper adjustment according to: Time Place Person

49. Life is God-given desire for self-preservation with the simultaneous urge to expand into perfection.