Meditation Techniques, Yoga Illustrations.

What is Meditation? There are various explanations that try to define meditation. In essence it is a technique used to ‘still’ the mind. All the techniques agree on the common idea that the goal of Meditation is to attain a state of ‘Bliss’ or higher consciousness. How to Meditate? Meditation does NOT require any ‘doing’. Just remain silent and Meditation will HAPPEN. Whenever convenient, remain consciously ‘silent’. Do not let WORDS and CONCEPTS interfere with your Meditation.
Meditation Essentials
TIME – One should NOT be in a hurry. You should be ready to ignore time. Anytime is ‘right’ time. There is NO frequency or duration. Just let go! ATTITUDE – You cannot make Meditation a ‘goal’. You should not look to a reward for your efforts. There should be NO feeling of ‘effort’. PLACE – Anywhere is OK as long as you do not feel uncomfortable or disturbed. You could be in a crowded place or in an empty room. The ‘real’ place is your mind. Physical places such as beach, mountain, garden, open terrace, etc are definitely helpful. ACTION – Just be quiet. Do NOT force your body or mind to perform any action. All you need to do is ‘breathe’ normally and be silent. MEDITATION POSTURES These are the most commonly used postures for meditation. One should feel comfortable, yet not too loose limbed that you tend to fall asleep. Keeping awake is necessary.
Seated posture You can use any chair or stool; sit up, with back straight, and hold your head and spine in alignment. Rest your hands comfortably on the knees or arms of the chair. The thighs should be parallel to the floor while your back does not lean against the back of the chair. Cross legged posture Sit crossing your legs on the floor (and on a cushion, if it is more comfortable) and if skilled at yoga you could rest feet on their thighs in Padmasana posture. You must sit upright, back straight, and with head and spine in alignment. Hands may rest on thighs or if in Padmasana you could use any of the various Mudras (finger positions). Lying down posture This is the shavasna, or the corpse posture in yoga. You should lie down on a carpet, and make sure legs are straight but relaxed. Normally, it is seldom used because it mimics natural sleeping postures, making it very easy to fall asleep while trying to meditate. It is often regarded as more effective as a stress reducer rather than in the meditation process. It is used in Yoga Nidra.


	The following persons should NOT perform Yoga Asanas:

Pregnant women should not practice Yoga after third month of pregnancy. Patients of Hernia and high blood pressure are warned against this practice. People suffering from back conditions should seek proper advice before commencing Yoga Asanas. Persons with heart ailments should practice Yoga after obtaining medical advice. Specific Yoga Asanas are generally prescribed for specific illnesses which should be practiced under supervision of Yoga Therapists only. Women should avoid practice during menstruation periods. All are advised to practice Yoga under the guidance of an experienced teacher

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