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When one closes the eyes, body may not relax immediately. The
body may relax for people with suitable temperaments, but
majority may not be able to. Similarly, the mind will not
remain constantly in the state of concentration either. This
will be a problem and we will have to be solve it.
For relaxing, you will find the following technique quite
useful:
After sitting in the meditative pose (Asana) command
mentally each of your body part to relax by commanding as
follows (Remember that right from start, the eyes must
remain closed): Big toe relax, second toe relax, middle toe
relax, fourth toe relax and little toe relax. Similarly then
take, lower sole, inside foot sole, outside leg sole, heels
on all sides and top portion of foot then the bone joints of
foot lower limb, then take the lower limb on all four sides
from lower to knew portion. Thus the entire lower limb is
relaxed.
Then take the knee round on the cap, left side, right
side, inner side. Then go on four sides of upper limb on the
thighs side and from bottom cover to the hip. Then cover the
right buttock on inner sides, outer bottom etc. Similarly
start with the left toe and come to hip. Then command the
entire hip in a round fashion, relax the genital organ
completely by running your mind all over.
Thereafter, take the entire stomach as if one is mentally
placing the palm over the stomach and asking the entire
stomach portion to relax. When this is completed, think
about the Pancreas, liver, kidney, bladder, intestines and
relax them. Mentally command your breasts to relax, left and
right. Mentally command the heart to run in a smooth and
relaxed way without strain. Cover the left side of the Torso
from armpit to hip and then the right side of Torso also. In
the way one has done the lower limbs do on the upper limbs
starting from Thumb to small finger and upward to the joint
in the shoulder. Thus both limbs are covered. Thereafter go
the backside and relax the left portion imagining your palms
running across the neck to hip and then the right portion.
Here, it would be advisable to run two or three times in
different parts of the left back. Similarly on the right
back and then run through the spinal column from neck to
bottom.
Now, come to the shoulders from arm joint to neck both
left and right one by one. Then shoulder on four sides one
by one to the head and chin. Relax the lower chin, then
upper chin, lips, inside the mouth, tongue. Tell your teeth
to remain strong and not to relax. Further go to the cheeks
left and right and then to side portion of the nose left and
right and take the ears on all four sides making a round of
each ear then the nose, then gradually command the eyes to
relax. Go the forehead first on the left and then right and
center and finally the entire forehead mentally palming it
to relax. Last relax the entire head taking front portion,
back portion, left side and right side.
DO NOT GO BEYOND THIS AND NEVER PRACTICE TO RELAX INNER
BRAIN AS IT HAS TO RELAX ITSELF AND NOT BY COMMANDING.
This is a method which is done during Savasaana as well
as Yoga Nidra. It is a long procedure and will take atleast
15 minutes. Those who are interested to go for easier ways
can adopt one of the following two practices:
Chant SO with inhaling and HUM with exhaling. Concentrate
on your naval portion. Each breath start counting backwards
from 27 to zero. In the initial state it may be slightly
difficult. However, by practice one will be able to achieve
it in about three months. If you are unable to maintain
concentration, results may not come. Practice again. By the
time Zero is counted body may relax in due course of
practice.
Alternatively, concentrate on the breath counting as long
as possible or without counting also. Counting while
breathing gives more concentration. When body is completely
relaxed or relaxed to the best of one's capability,
meditation can be started.
To meditate, one has to concentrate on something. There
is no hard and fast rule as to what one has to concentrate
on. One can take any god of one's choice, or any particular
object which is well liked or which is much known to the
person. Alternate suggestions from the Yoga point of view is
that one of the Chakras may be recommended. This will be
elaborated later in this series. NOW MEDITATION STARTS
When relaxation is over meditation automatically has to
start. On a given subject try see through the inner eye
before your forehead and try concentrating. Mind will spring
from one to another object and many memories will come back.
Both the immediate past and previous past in the present
life will be shown before one as if you are seeing a film on
the screen. When such things come, do not apply your mental
ego part on such scenes. Try to be aloof from them and watch
impartially. Such impartial watching is as good as unwinding
the memories. This will take a long duration of practice to
get the mind to a purity level.
Some will start seeing a bright light like a sun, some
will see thunders and lightning; some will see red hot
lines, some will see blue sky, and such many phenomenon may
come before you. Some may see horrible creatures, some may
see good saints, some will see angels, and so on so forth.
These are to be observed with dispassionately and without
attachment.
Meditation of course calms the mind. There is no doubt
about this and it has been proven scientifically too. For
ordinary human beings, relaxation itself is quite sufficient
in today's busy world. Those who are of the intellectual
type can progress forward and this will come naturally to
them, after few days of practice (To be continued.)
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