Brain Yoga

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The Brain YogaManual

ofMantra Meditation:

Transcend to Better Health Anytime, Anywherein 12 Minutes.

C. Richard Hulquist, M. D.

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance


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Gramercy Park Publishing Company

5042 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite #15141

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Copyright 2009 by C. Richard Hulquist

Design and cover art by Bill Sampson and C. Richard Hulquist

ISBN13: 9780983128403

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner

whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodiedin reviews and/or critical articles.

Grateful acknowledgment to Time and Todays Health for reprinted photos.All rights reserved.

Printed in the U. S. A.


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Contents

1.Brain Yoga:What & Why

2.Brain Yogas New Features

3. Your Mantra

4. How to DoBrain Yoga

5. 1st Phase:Getting Centered

6. 2nd Phase: Mantra Brain Wave

7. 3rd Phase: Transcending

8. Reentry

9. Questions/Answers

10. Diagram of the Technique

11. About the Author


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Brain YogaMeditation:What &Why

What is Brain Yoga Meditation? Its a new, friendlier way to do classical

mantra transcendent meditation (T M) without all of its usual baggage.

What is a mantra? It is a private, even mystical phrase, word, or group of

syllables repeated to your self during meditation.

What does transcendent mean? Literally it means, going beyond the

usual limits.

So what is this transcendent method?It comes from the early Hindus

who learned how to use the mantra method in order to transcend, or to go

beyond this world, andBrain Yoga has made it practical for people like you and

me.

How does Yoga fit in here? There are many kinds of ancient yoga. T M

stems from one of the earliest schools of yoga, the ancient Hindu Mantra Yoga,

which developed mantra meditation; soBrain Yoga truly is yoga for the brain.

How can I learn T M from a real guru?You can go to Asia, but some

Asian gurus also have been teaching T M here and in Europe. Their ways

often are related to Eastern religions involving a change from our Western life

style and they are often costly.

Is mantra meditation hard to learn?Its not easy by the usual methods.

The various people that are pictured on the next page appear to be doing very

little, but they are performing a dynamic exercise, clearing their minds of

thoughts. It requires a specialized procedure that usually needs lots of time,

patience, and money.


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Whats so different about Brain Yoga? It easily bypasses all of the stiff,

outdated and alien rules. This makes learning T M not only faster but also fun.

And there are no fees or tuition!

Brain Yoga has six new design features to make T M vastly more practical fordaily use. Now anyone can learn to transcend the friendlyBrain Yoga way.

But can I do it? Find Out!

Try out this exercise.

This is a glimpse of just one of the feedback routines all set to help you do T M

the friendlyBrain Yogaway. Its shortcut to the centering process. When you

start to feel these gut reactions you will have a good time learning T M this new

way.

Why 12 minutes? Its enough time for a novice to learn using this system and

it helps keep up the momentum of daily practice. Even veteran meditators find

they take advantage of T M much more withBrain Yogas rapid and easy access.

Can I do it longer? Yes! 12 minutes is only to make it a practical learning

program. You may use these same instructions for longer learning sessions, like

20 or 30 minutes, which are fine but only if you can keep it up daily. Brain

Yoga feels so good you dont want to quit, and after learning it you can use it as

long as you want whenever you have the time.

EXERCISEClose your eyes and breathe deeply

as you push down on your feet, tense

up your thighs, hands, and buttocks;

hold for a count of 10 but keep

breathing. Relax and feel a wave

from your feet up to your stomach

and back down.


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Do I have to use Noise? You getto use noise for convenience and

effectiveness. I know it seems contrary! Well discuss later how noise helps and

how to use it.

Im too busy. Why do T M? Its famously empowers your life with serenity,

peace of mind, and potency. But T M also improves your health. I know of

several medical patients helped by T M, and medical science now widely accepts

that T M helps to relieve not only anxiety and fatigue but also:

Depression

Addiction

Hypertension

Heart Disease

Obesity, and

Other Disorders

Well look at this briefly again later, and research references may be requested

through my website atwww.BrainYogaTM.com.

Is transcend a new word just for meditation? No, its old. It comes

from the Latin trans, "to go out of, plus scandere, to climb out of or across to.

This gives us: to go or climb to somewhere else. So the term, transcendent

meditation, means to take yourself beyond, or outside yourself, by subduing

your thoughts with a special mantra process.

Is Brain Yoga a trance? No, it is wakeful process, butBrain Yoga leads to

an out of body experience.


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Are T M and TMTMthe same? No. They both refer to the transcendent type

of mantra meditation, but TM is the trademark of a specific, commercial

school of transcendental meditation, not to be confused withBrain Yoga.

Dont some people meditate without a mantra?Yes. The mantra aids

T M greatly, but non-mantra schools use other focusing tools such as these:

Breath: Focusing on (or counting) deep, slow breaths. Visual: Seeing certain images in your mind. Sensory: Letting sensati ons such as tingling or heaviness

dominate your thinking.

Sounds: Listening to outside sounds, often bells or a waterfall.

Why doesnt Brain Yoga use these other ideas? It does! A big plus of

Brain Yoga is that it uses all of the above in addition to the mantra. The mantra

is the critical factor, butBrain Yoga easily blends in these other devices to give

it another cutting edge for success.

Now lets see about those new features so we can put them to work.


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Brain YogasNew Features

Brain Yoga has six new design features (see box) to make T M vastly more

practical for daily use. Now anyone can learn to transcend the friendlyBrainYoga way.

The New Features ofBrain Yoga:

1st Feature:Using Recycled Noise.

This is a big breakthrough in making T M a realistic part of your day. Meditation

is an exercise in not thinking, not an easy thing because our unruly brains tend

to jump around to many thoughts.

Here is a new and very important fact: Your mind is the main obstacle to

meditation, not noise. Youre going to put noise to your advantage now by

letting it remind you to get back to your mantra listening, the basis of T M.

What kind of noise?Not expected or pleasant sounds like talk or music that

interests you. Accidental noises are best to remind your restless brain that its

thinking again. Good noises are those from streets, households, neighborhoods,

crowds and traffic. Recorded sounds arent random and haven't worked well so

far but Im working on that.

1st Feature: Using Recycled Noise.

2nd Feature: Enlisting your Other Brain.

3rd Feature: Using Feelings to enable T M.

4

th

Feature: Learning with fun Exercises.5th Feature: Recruiting your Center.

6th Feature: Using Key Words to gain focus.


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Crack a window open for 12 minutes or sit in a parked car. It's worth the effort

to find some random sounds. Strict privacy isn't needed and some intrusion

won't hurt. Youll get over feeling shy about it.

2nd Feature:Enlisting your Other Brain to help.

What other brain?Its a less known but critical part of your brainpower.

Your total brain is divided into:

1) a voluntary or thinking part, and

2) an involuntary, non-thinking part, sometimes called the other brain.

The hard part of any meditation style is to control the thinking of your voluntary

brain; your non-thinking, other brain will help you to do that, and you can enlist

its help by simply letting it feel good. The other brain is mostly ignored by us

but it s very willing to help out if we give it a little attention and thats very easy

to do.

The other brain or Autonomic Nervous System in this diagram is all of the

parts below the upper, wavy area of the brain, and on down through the spinal

cord, plus its attached vital networks shown in front of the body (a couple of

areas are mixtures of the two systems).


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You needntunderstand this

picture, but simply know that

you can enlist all of this

system to help you, simply by

doing some ordinary things.

For example, you can activate

a key spot in this system,

called your center (soon to

be explained) by just

breathing deeply.

I know the other brain looks

complex, but its easy to use it

forBrain Yoga!

So, how do I use my

other brain? You can't talk

directly to your other brain

but you can recruit its help

with these every-day actions:

Breathing, hearing, seeing

and feeling. (These also are

the other focus tools we

talked about earlier).

These actions are simple: 1) Deep, slow breathing is the most basic of these

natural acts and becomes even more potent with what I call the breath-pause,

meaning to breathe in deeply and pause briefly. 2) You will hear your mantra

and also hear outside noises. 3) You will see in your minds eye some of the

actions going on inside your body. 4) The feelings that help T M are explained in

the following new feature.


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3rd Feature:Using Feelings.

The feelings are like relaxation waves that you might not have felt before, but

you will find them easy and very useful. You will feel them in four areas: first in

your legs and hands; then in your abdomen to arouse your center; then in your

upper body; and in your head. The first three sensations are blended to reach

full centering, a very pleasant condition.

The last feeling is a forehead rush that is used with your mantra to transfer the

centering state to your brain; this triggers activity in a special part of your brain

that allows transcendence. Youll learn about it a bit later.

4th Feature: New Exercises to identify the feelings.

These are bio-feedbacks, like games, that quickly show you the feelings.

Feedbacks are natural body reactions that are fun and easy to do after a couple

of tries. These little workouts move you more swiftly to the point where you will

transcend. You briefly tried out one of them on page 2. They will appear in side

boxes and youll learn each one when needed.

What if all of this sounds a little weird? Just give me 12 minutes a day

for two or three weeks. The six steps may seem unusual because they are

original, but they work. Veteran meditators would have learned much easier

had they just known about the noise asset or using the other brain. T M has

been hard because it hasnt had these shortcuts. GiveBrain Yoga a try. I

know itsgoing to help you.

FeelingsExercises:

Lower body wave feedback (youve tried it out)

Center (stomach) feedback

Upper body wave feedback

Mantra brain wave feedback


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5th Feature: How to use your Center.

What is my Center?It is the Celiac (or solar) Plexus located deep inside the

abdomen near the spinal cord (note label at the top of next diagram). Its a vital

part of your other brain, a complex nerve center lying underneath the stomach.

You can stimulate it by moving your diaphragm with deep breaths.

Do I have to learn anatomy? No! This following picture is just to show you

that your center really does exist in your body, but you only need a rough idea of

its location.Brain Yoga will soon show you how easy it is to use your center.

Anatomy of the abdomen: View beneath some of the main organs.From wwwBartleys.com

Your center has been called the pit of the stomach. It's often used to start up

relaxation, like taking some deep breaths to calm down just before a speech.

Note in the next figure where you feel your center; it is near the center of your

abdomen a little bit above your navel.


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Your center may feel muted

if youve not tried it out, but it

likes to be used, and you can

coax it into action with one of

the exercises that youll learn.

6th Feature: Key Words.

My subjects and I have learned that the guidance words, center and relax, are

more helpful than your mantra in the early phase of meditation. Your brain

really needs simple instructions about what to do, and these two easy words will

help it. Using the power of the mantra is better reserved for the last two phases


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Your Mantra

A mantra is a special word or phrase that helps you to transcend. Priests or

gurus chose it and charged for it in former times, and commercial meditation

people still want your money for a mantra, but you aren't joining an Eastern

faith or a cult, so you won't have to pay one of those people to get a mantra.

How do I get one? Choosing your own mantra is proving to be highly

effective. Since your mantra is very personal and private it's good for you to try

out or one or more for yourself, either from a list or by using any word you like.

You dont have a religious need to buy a mantra, and selecting your own mantra

lends it a unique identity. A mantra from a guru or priest can be long, but I

think using one or two short words will work better for you. The following list of

mantras might help you.

You need not spend a lot of time on your choice as you can change it later. Your

mantra will gradually acquire its own aura from the good feelings it sets off.

You dont need your mantra until Phase Two, so there is some time to think

about it.

Mantra Examples are listed alphabetically on the next page. Many of the

Eastern ones are Sanskrit words.


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Western Eastern

Abba Aadhi

Adonai Amma

Akbar Anbu

Allah Arul

Ava Aruk

Baruch Aulum

Christ Aum (ouwm) Ohm

Christi Barukh

Christo Cahm

Credo Eenba

Dios Eenna

Eleison Gandhi

Eternal Hare (ha-ray)

Ever Hamsoh

Gloria Homsha

Glory Humm (Hoom)

God Jai

Heal Kaar

Holy Kali

Jesu Kama

Kyrie Karsh

Lord Krishna, Krish

Love Lahm

Magna Laus

Marantha Mara

Mercy Maranantha

Missa Meena

One Metti

Oneness Namah Namaha


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Western Eastern

Psalm Nilu

Peace Nim

One Metti

Oneness Namah Namaha

Psalm Nilu

Peace Nim

Renew Olam

Sacre Paas

Sacred Paraa

Sahra Rama, Ram

Sari Ram NamSeer Rahim

Serene Reen

Shalom Sabthi

Soul Sahm

Spirit Seela

Spiritu Shanti

Thee Sharim (Shreem)Theou Shiyama

Thou Shodha, Shodhana

Truth Shree

Unitas Tama, Tam

Unity Tanni

Unos Thaar

Veritas TheerWater Thon

World Twan

Yaweh (Yah-way) Unma

Yes Vee


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How To Do Brain Yoga

Brain Yoga is divided into 3 parts or phases:

And these are divided into 6 short steps to make it even easier, like this:

The6 Steps to Transcendence (3 Phases)

(1) Lower body wave to your center

(2) Center Focus XGet CenteredX

(3) Upper body wave to full centering

(4) Mantra brain wave XShift CenterX

(5) Mantra escape

XTranscendX

(6) Mind Levitation

1. XGet centeredX

2. XShift centerX

3. XTranscendX


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In short,Brain Yoga lets you focus the relaxation of your entire body onto your

center, then shift that center focus to a special part of your brain so it can

transcend.

Brain Yoga applies two special functions of medical science that are very useful

for us: Sequential Relaxation, and Recruitment. But you wont learn about them

because youll be using them without knowing it! If some of the words sound

odd at first, they are describing actions new to you,but each step is quite easy.

Novices learningBrain Yoga have asked some good questions and the following

instructions include a few of them in italics. Most questions are found later in

the Q/A section and you may look back there for an answer anytime you have a

question.


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The 1st phase:Getting Centered

Here is the posture for all steps: Sit in a chair, or anywhere with good back

support, feet flat on the floor, hands folded in your lap.

In this phase you will be using two of the body feedback waves that smooth your

path to T M. Before you

start the 1st step, do the lower

body wave exercise. Look below at the lower body

wave diagram and repeat the

exercise to get the feel of the

lower body wave that you will

use in step 1. This wave energy

aids the centering of your body.

Step 1: The Lower Body Wave

Use a simple trigger motion (instead of the

exercise) as follows to get the lower body wave

sensation started. Here are the instructions to

beginStep 1:

Wiggle your toes slightly to start the

wave feeling up your legs and hands to

your stomach as you breathe in deeply; let

the wave fall back down as you breathe

out.

Lower Body EXERCISE

Close your eyes and breathe

deeply as you push down your feet,

and tense your thighs, hands, and

buttocks; hold for a count of 10 andkeep breathing. Relax and feel the

release response like a wave from

your feet up to your stomach and

back down.


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Practice this a bit. Repeat the wave exercise as needed to recall the sensation.

Youll soon be able to start the wave with just the toe trigger motion.

Look again at your center in the figure at left.

Now, try out the center exercise; breathe deeply twice, and

do this exercise:

Close your eyes and repeat this a several more times to get more familiar with

the release feeling in the center of your abdomen (its your center lying just

beneath your stomach). Next, lets combine your center feeling with the body

wave to completeStep 1 like this:

Relax, eyes closed, wiggle toes to start the wave up; breathe in

deeply and say center to feel and see your stomach (center)

attracting the wave up to it.

Repeat the above, and as you breathe out say to yourself lax (for

relax) as the wave goes down making your hands and feet feel heavy.

This is all ofStep 1, the longest one; all the steps are easier from now on.Work onStep 1 until you more easily feel your center. This step empowers your

center by letting it feel good with the help of: (1) breathing deeply, (2) seeing

your center, (3) hearing key word instructions, (4)feeling a trigger motion plus

feeling the waves. When you getStep 1, you have nailed the problem zone

where most dropouts occur in the old styles of T M.

Center EXERCISE

Breathe in and hold your breath while tensing up

your stomach muscles tightly; hold it for a few

seconds (10 if you can), relax and notice the

feeling in your stomach its actually your center

that you feel.


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Why do I need to use these trivial seeming words, center and relax?

These are the Key Words of the 6th Feature. Your mind is so jumbled with

thoughts that it needs constant,plain reminders about what to do. These simple

words keep the brain focused on its task, and are helpful even for regular T M

users (many dont know and struggle without them).

Repeat the words on the breaths in and out as slow or fast as you like, e.g., relax,

lax, lax, or just laaax once, whatever seems good. You also may shorten center

to cen if you like.

Each new step always includes what you learned in the prior steps. How long it

takes to learn will vary with each person for many normal reasons. You can try

moving on anytime and just move back a step if you get off track.

When and where should I meditate? Use any place that has some random

noise where you wont be disturbed. For learning, its ideal to use a routine time

and place as much as possible. Later on, this system will easily let you meditate

in a variety of places, conditions, postures (e.g, lying down), at various times,

and in public.

How do I get ready to meditate? Get the new step in mind before each

session, then do a setup, which is always as follows:

No phone. Arrange for minimal disturbance. Put a note onthe door if needed.

Arrange for random noise; maybe open the window a crackor go outdoors or sit in a car.

Sit in a seat or chair, your back well supported (sit anywhere,but a chair good for now).

Set the timer for 12 minutes. Take a deep breath, pause, and let it out slowly. Do it again.


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Youre ready forStep 2, which is shorter; in fact, from now on its all down hill!

Step 2. Center Focus

This step makes useful changes in breathing and in key words. Get into the

Step 1 pattern before adding the new items.

Pause for a moment at the end of a deep breath in before letting it

out. This breath-pause intensifies the effect on your center. Repeat a

few times.

Next, leave out the toe wiggle, say cen and visualize your stomach

pulling the wave up; accent your center with the deep breath-pause.

When the center feeling grows good, you dont like to leave it, so

just stay focused at your center saying cen as you feel the wave drop

back down.

Omit "lax" and use only "cen" as the key word (just as your center is

the key to T M). Move on when these things feel natural. When you sense the

release feeling in your stomach at the end of a breath-cycle, you are well on the

way to total centering.

Why am I sometimes just saying, but not hearing the word cen? Half

of your mind is on a thought. Its common so dont fret, just smile at your crafty

brain when you catch it thinking; it just believes its helping. Treating your

other brain to the good vibes of our features gives it the power to gradually

subdue the thoughts of your fired-up mind.

Youre about ready to wrap up the big first phase and are getting close now to

complete centering--a splendid event.


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Step 3: Upper Body Wave, Full Centration.

This step uses the feedback for the upper body. To learn the sensation for the

upper body, do this funny upper body wave exercise:

Look at the new wave pattern below and repeat the exercise workout a few times

before we start the step instruction. Repeat the exercise anytime as needed to

recall the wave sensation. Here are the

directions for the upper body wave start your

lower body first and then add this.

Move your fingers slightly, say center,

breathe deeply to pull a wave down to

your center from your throat and chest.

The waves often free up tenseness that wasnt

evident to you.

Be aware also of your relaxed, heavy

lower body, but keep focused at your

center--the waves are just side events.

Picture these waves and your center in your mind as you feel them.

Drop back to the previous step any time youre not sure. There is no rush.

Let the pull-down wave include the back of your shoulders and

neck, often a big tension hold out.

Upper Body EXERCISE

Tighten stomach, shoulders, neck and jaws (like Frankenstein!) for 10 seconds,

keep breathing, eyes closed; release and feel the wave from your jaw, head,

and neck down to your stomach.


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Last, include the top of your scalp. When you get it all combined

your whole body is unified and focused on your center. Combining

these flows is new to you. Repeat this daily. You may need to repeat blending a

bit until the parts stay unified easier.

Its great when you can reach full centering with a kind of glow at your center,

maybe a tingle in your scalp, and the heavy sensation in your feet. All kinds of

thoughts may still occurroutine ones, bad ones, and even happy thoughts that

are hard to let gobut being centered makes it easier to just casually observe

and ignore passing thoughts.

Congratulations for reaching complete centration! It is an equipoise event, a

poised balance of the body and mind that few people ever know. It is the

highest level of some meditation styles. You will start reaching it more quickly.

To me, it feels like my breathing and my body waves start a little engine at my

center that soon takes me to full centration.

Have you chosen your mantra? Youll want it soon.

What if the timer goes off just as I'm catching on? This will happen and

the trick is not to get upset about it. You can feel a little frustrated but it doesnt

do any harm. You may skip forward now to the Reentrysection to learn more

about this. Then come back here.

The first phase is the longest. Youre now halfway through the full plan!


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Brain wave EXERCISE

Screw up your face and forehead into a big frown, and tighten your

stomach hard; keep breathing, and hold it for 10 seconds; relax and

let yourself feel a wave from your center up into the top, front of

your head.

The 2nd Phase:Mantra Brain Wave

I like it already; do I really need to go on? After learning the pleasure of

centering, some people are tempted not to bother learning more. Its okay to

stay at that level. Centration is a powerful tool that transcenders often use by its

self in some situations. But the second phase has only one step and its really a

great one so I encourage to you to try it out.

Step 4. The Brain Wave.

First, look at where were going.

Now try out the brain wave exercise.

Its time to use chanting and in a bit well put your mantra to work. First, do the

chanting by saying cen in a low monotone as a hum or a droning. You will


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add these new actions onto your routine:

Hear the keyword center, or cen as a low chant; breathe deep;

wiggle your toes andyour fingers to pull a new wave from your

center up into your brain.Your contented center may resist any change atfirst. Use the wave exercise again as needed. Your chant and deep breath pauses

help to build the new wave feeling.

Let yourself enjoy a release feeling in your forehead that is set off

by this wave. This action builds a new center focus in the brain and you can

feel it along with your old center, like the two are twins.

Hear and feel the two centers at the same time. You often can feel the

wave as it passes behind your eyes, and you might see lights, or your scalp may

tingleits okay.

When your mantra brain center starts to surpass the lower one,

chant yourMantra instead of cen. This helps your brain center take

over as the main center. The lower center feels like a part of the new one.

The new center takes control and acts as a calming feedback to the

rest of your body. Your stomach center still feels good but its no longer

dominant. Repeated mantra wave action will awaken an unused brain area. A

new kind of scan (anfMRI) on subjects who are doing this phase of meditation

reveals rarely seen activity in this seldom-used region of the brain.

Why do I still have thoughts?Don't worry its normal. Free-floating

thoughts won't entirely stop, but they will get subdued and less important as

your mantra brain wave gets more in control. Just casually observe them,

smiling at them, and go on hearing your mantra, and seeing and feeling the

wave.


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The 3rd Phase:Transcending

Why go any further? You have already reached a level that few meditators

ever know, and research indicates that there are good health benefits from it.

But you will benefit even more from transcending and youre about there.

Ideally you want T M's full reward, which can link your inner being to a new

level of reality; it's what has made T M endure for thousands of years, far longer

than any other method.

What if I cant do this next part? Its okay, but you neednt learn any new

things to find out. Once youve gotten this far, it will just happen if you keep on

enjoying your mantra wave. Transcendence is a big word, yet it is a natural,

unused event and it starts to occur after repeated mantra focusing at the brain

center.

Your brain has a basic desire for the escape feeling (the reason drug and alcohol

abuse is so common) and the power of the brain release will lead you to a supereffective form of escape, useful as successful substitution therapy for addictions,

for health hazards, and for unwanted habits.

Step 5: Mantra Escape.

Trying to make this happen doesnt work, but a little patience and your brains

innate capacity for it and allows it to occur. Want to use longer sessions now?

Fine, but they dont make up for skipped days. It is vexing to just be catching on

when your 12 minutes are up, but it also happens with longer sessions (see

Reentry). You will learn to transcend by just enjoying your 12-minute sessions.


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Lets look at escape. It comes about in two ways:

In the first one, brain floating, pictured below, your mantra seems suspended

floating through and beyond your brain. It evolves as the mantra brain release

grows, aided by relaxed, deep, slow breathing and breath-pauses. One student

called it brain cruising.

There are no instructions except to

keep doing the mantra brain wave, but

here is how brain floating may start:

Calmness to take over all that you

hear and feel. Your mantra seems

to be coasting or gliding through

and beyond your head.

You know where you are and you

hear sounds, but a part of you feels

bodily removed from your physical

state.

It feels so nice that you dont want to change anything and there is no need to;

just keep on coasting. This state is the apex sought in the main meditation of

some famous transcendental schools. It is a very serene condition and research

has shown it to be a very rewarding level of transcendence, so youre at a great

place with no need for anything further.

1) by Brain Free Floating and,

2) by Mantra Echo.


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Yet, the other route, mantra echo is equally good and is perhaps more often

linked to the highest state, brain levitation (in the next section). This 2nd kind of

escape is the mantra echo pictured below. Again, trying to make this happen

usually doesnt work so you neednt seek this phase, but it may emerge from the

floating stage, or it might even come directly, bypassing the other.

In the echo stage, your mantra chant starts to escape to a place somewhere

above you as a higher pitched echo. It often starts as if a channel opens into the

space above you and you hear the other mantra, gradually or quite suddenly.

The only directions are to keep

doing the mantra brain wave,

as you cant make this happen,

but here is how this stage may

arise:

Your mantra starts to move

out of your head and winds

up somewhere out in space

(you dont quite know where).

This effect may come and go

at first. It's often like a twin

of the mantra in your brain

but a little higher pitched.

The outside mantra has a tranquil effect and, like the

floating one, sends a calm feedback to your body.

This escape is like being linked to an outside place, a peaceful place fully

removed from your physical location.


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Should you tense up, fearing youll lose the echo escape, move your

hands a little and note that the escape isnt easily lost, as your brain

wants this access to a tranquil, outside place.

What if escape isnt happening for me? Dont think about it and just keep

on enjoying the brain release of your mantra wave. It may not occur early.

Step 6: Mind Levitation (full transcendence)

You did it! Youve learned to transcend by one or both of the two stages

of escape. A further stage of escape sometimes occurs, as seen below. It

usually arises from the mantra echo stage. It is a displacement of your

awareness to an outside place, creating an out of body experience. It may needlonger sessions, as old hands sometimes don't reach this stage in a few minutes.

Here is how to encourage this unusual degree of transcendence may take place:

Read the notes, and do a careful set up.

Noise is still a key need. Dont set the

timer. After youve reached escape, letyour slow, deep breath-pauses seem to

open a channel from your head into

space.

The mantra at your brain center blends

with its outside twin until the outside one

takes over.

The peaceful sing of your chant out in

space draws you out there to be

suspended with your space mantra.


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You are aware of noises, of thoughts passing by, but not caring

either. The mantra becomes a higher pitched chant and takes you

further away.

Floating with your distant mantra hum gives you a superb feeling of

lightness and oneness with the universe.

Were you able to do it? Did you get that light feeling of being suspended in the

universe? It is the grand equipoise of all meditation. You may drift in and out

between levitation and other levels. Yet, once you've caught a piece of it, you

will reach displacement on future occasions.Congratulations! Let it enrich your life.

What if I haven't gotten to the highest level? Do not be concerned about

it. You've already learned T M and are beyond most other meditators in the

world. The basic escape stages are so useful that this last degree of escape isnt

crucial, and it will likely occur anyway with time if you dont worry about it.


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Reentry:How to Finish Your Meditation

It is ideal to finish your session by a gradual return back to your actual habitat.

When possible, do your reentry like this: Turn off the timer if using one. Keep

your eyes closed and slowly sit up and stretch as you keep on hearing the hum of

your center or your mantra, if youre that far.

Open your eyes a little, then close them. Open them more fully. Keep hearing,

and feeling, the hum as you get up and slowly walk away. Take that sound and

that feeling away with you and recall them at suitable times during the day to

remind you that your meditative state is always waiting there for you.

There are often times during learning where you dont feel ready to stop when

your timer goes off or when something else makes you stop. As I mentioned

earlier, it isn't harmful if you don't let it frustrate you. This can happen with

long or short learning sessions (as well as to veterans).

The key is to take along the best parts of your session, maybe jot down new

insights, and know that you can apply these gains later.


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Other Levels

Some Eastern religious practices think that there are even higher degrees of full

transcendence. These levels are usually graded by how far into space you are

carried by transcendence. They believe this is important because their main

meditation goal is a religious one, and the further away they are out in space,

the closer to God they must be.

This concern doesnt appear to have value for our needs and it is more fit for

Eastern priests meditating many hours a day. For you to analyze your degree of

displacement isn't needed and may interfere with the experience itself. It's

true, though, that your mantra can carry you very far away while you are still

aware and centered. It's not something you need to try for, but at times it may

happen to you.


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Questions and Answers

Q: Why am I thinking so much?

A: Its natural. We all do! But you get better at rerouting your thinking tojust the directions and key word.

Q: Why is simple breathing so important?

A:Brain Yoga is made of very basic and natural events and the most

basic is deep, slow breathing. Breathing is like the key card to your center.

This next question was considered earlier, but it cant be stressed too much.Q: Why am I sometimes just saying, but not hearing the word?

A: This happens a lot and its when only half of your mind is on a thought.

Dont fret, just smile when you catch your crafty brain thinking again; your

mind is just trying to do its job. But youll get it subdued the other brains good

vibes and with the power of your repeated mantra.

Q:Am I going slower than I should?

A: No, not if you are giving it 12 minutes every day to get used to the

newness of these innate abilities.

Q:How do I know Im doing it right?

A:You're likely doing fine, but if you have any doubt, compare the

directions with what youre doing -- they are simple, but clearing up a word or

two can really help. The instructions are essential, and they can only be your

teacher if you let them.

A mental block may curb the enjoyment of the centering and the brain wave if

ones subconscious is wary of the source or it doesnt feel entitled to this

pleasure. You can fix it if youre just aware of it.


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Q: Why is my progress kind of erratic?

A: It happens and is no big deal. Its like working out in a gymits easier

to feel the progress some days and not others; and your body may get weak later

whileBrain Yoga is now fine-tuning a talent that is yours for life.

Q:What if I haven't gotten to the highest level?

A: Do not be concerned about it. You've already learned T M and are

beyond most other meditators in the world. The basic escape stages are so

useful that this last degree of it isnt crucial, and it will likely occur anyway with

time if you dont worry about it.

Q:Isnt T M just an escape?

A: Its an escape but its different from all of the other kinds that just blot

out reality briefly, like dreaming, or alcohol, or trances, or happy pills. Instead,

with T M you stay aware of reality and you see how to deal with it in a practical,

dynamic way.

Q:How can T M make my health better?

A: Scientific studies show good changes in brain chemistry from doing

T M. There are ongoing studies and findings from universities like Harvard, Yale

and MIT showing that deep meditation can have a beneficial effect on brain

fitness.

Q:Are the Brain Yoga health benefits as good as other T M styles?

A:Brain Yoga is too new to have absolute research confirmation of that

question. ButBrain Yogas endpoint is the same and even better than standard

T M so the results must be as good or better.

Q:Arent there other kinds of meditation?

A: Yes, there are several. The two main types are the Western and the

Eastern styles, and they differ a lot. Brain Yoga derives from Eastern styles.


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The Western style usually is prayerful thinking or pondering about lessons such

as scriptures.

Q:Is it better for my mantra to be long or short?

A: Whatever appeals to you. Shorter may be easier, you can use word or

phrase of several syllables by saying two or more syllables on the breath in and

the remainder on the breath out.

Q: How do I know when to progress from the lower body waves to

the upper body?

A: When you can steadily feel the heaviness in your hands and feet. Its

ideal to also get the feeling of your center started.

Q: What if I start to feel the upper body wave or the brain wave

before Im ready?

A: This is a time to go ahead and think! Think hard of your center while

you feel and listen there. Keep the sensations of your limbs, etc. less important

than your center they can feel too good and tend to take over.

Q:Is it ever okay to move on quickly to the brain wave?

A: Yes, if you feel your heavy feet and tingling scalp unified with your

humming center. But enjoy your centration a bit and dont rush.

Q:Why do I sometimes start to fall asleep while meditating?

A: Extreme physical or mental fatigue may cause this. One student did

this even when he didnt seem tired and it seemed that he got bored with the

procedure before centering could take hold. Falling asleep after either full

centering or transcendence is very rare, kind of surprising considering how

relaxed you are then. But centering and transcendence also are uniquely able to

keep you calmly alert.


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Q:What if I think of something very important during Brain Yoga?

A: Meditation is famous for generating creative thoughts. Some people

keep a pad and pencil handy to jot a note, but others wait until after the session.

I put an object on the floor to remind of the idea. A true eureka idea will likely

return again later, so it might be better to ignore all thoughts unless you realize

the bathtub is overflowing!

Q:Dont cults use mantras?

A:Yes, some do, and there are people who distrust all mantra use

because of religious cults, such as the Hare Krishnas. Also, some Western

religious leaders are concerned that the mantra method, and yoga, originated

from Eastern Religions. Be assured thatBrain Yoga has no ties to any

organization; it is unrelated to the practice of any particular religion, and its

goals are the exact opposite of cultism.


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A Diagram Summary

ofBrain Yoga

Heres a diagram of the 3 phases (steps numbered) of Brain Yoga

starting at the bottom of the page:

BEGIN HERE

Shift Center

4. Mantra Brain Wave

Get Centered

3. Upper Body Wave to

Full Centering

2. Center Focus

1. Lower Wave to Center

Transcend6. Mind Levitation

5. Mantra Escape


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2). Center EXERCISE

Breathe in and hold your breath while tensing up

your stomach muscles tightly; hold it a few

seconds (10 if you can), relax and feel your

center (near your stomach).

Upper Body EXERCISE

Tighten stomach, shoulders, neck and jaws (like Frankenstein!) for

10 seconds, keep breathing, eyes closed; release and feel the wave

from your jaw, head, and neck down to your stomach.

4). The brain wave EXERCISE

Screw up your face and forehead into a big frown and

tighten your stomach hard; keep breathing, and hold it

for 10 seconds; relax and feel a wave from your center

into the top, front of your head.

1).Lower body feedback EXERCISE

Close your eyes and breathe deeply as you push down

your feet, tense up your thighs, hands, and buttocks; hold

for a count of 10 but keep breathing. Relax and feel a

wave from your feet up to your stomach and back down.

The 4Feelings Exercises:


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TO SEE

Action

Diagram

Start BELOW

TranscendBecome Displaced to Outside Yourself

Hear Mantra Inside and Outside Self

Activate Brain Area

Transfer Center to Brain

BEGIN

HERE!The BRAIN YOGAAction Diagram

KeyWord

Listening

Sequence

Relaxation

Center + Mantra


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About the Author

C Richard Hulquist, M. D. is a physician who has also long been interested

in meditation and in writing. He was in the general practice of medicine

for three years prior to Ophthalmology postgraduate studies in London,

Vienna, and New York. He served two years as a Navy doctor at sea.

Articles by Dr. Hulquist about meditation have appeared in the Los

Angeles Times and other local journals. He has also published a popular

booklet called, The New Cataract Technique, telling patients in clear

language what will happen to them at each step of the way during the new

surgery method and how the eye operating room will look. He also has

published other lay works.

Dr. Hulquist has done much original research in Ophthalmology with the

results published in leading medical journals. He has also presented his

original work to leading medical groups such as the New York Academy of

Medicine, American Academy of Ophthalmology, UCLA Jules Stein Eye

Institute, American Medical Association, and others.


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As a Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine Dr. Hulquist is

involved in the teaching of students and young doctors at the famous Jules

Stein Eye Institute in Los Angeles. He has taught surgeons who visit Los

Angles from the U. S. and from around the world to learn new surgical

techniques.

In the photo below, Dr. Hulquist is teaching eye surgery to Resident

Doctors of the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute.


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Dr. Hulquist is a UCLA Consultant and Teacher at the Venice Family Clinic,

Los Angeles, as seen in the photo below. The Venice Clinic is the largest

volunteer medical clinic in the U.S.

Dr. and Mrs. Hulquist have three children and seven grandchildren. They

are in involved in numerous artistic, music and church activities in and

around Los Angeles. And they serve on committees and boards of various

community service organizations. Dr. Hulquist especially enjoys family

activities, music, reading and travel.


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This shows a younger Dr. Hulquist meditating on the Ganges River, India. It

was a beautiful, quiet place that he thought would be ideal for T M but his mind

often drifted to thinking rather than meditating! Few of us can find such a

setting on a daily basis, and such a quiet, peaceful setting is actually not the best

place to transcend, as shown by the findings in this book. Brain Yoga makes

T M practical and readily available to all of us every day!


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Endorsements for

The Brain YogaManual

of Mantra Meditation

Dr. Hulquists new meditation method gives us a neat way to fit

daily meditation practice into our busy lives. I congratulate him on

providing another useful way for us to work for peace!

Debbie Robins, highly respected corporate, executive andcareer coach, and author of Shovel It: Kick-Ass Advice to Turn

Lifes Crap into the Peace and Happiness You Deserve and

Where Peace Lives.

Dr HulquistsBrain Yoga Manual is a concise and

stimulating read. His technique is a promising and

much needed tool for improving our nations mental

and physical health.

Henry Haye, M. D., former head of Psychiatric Services,Glendale, CA Adventist Hospital; Author of Med-U-Care: How

to accomplish a fair and practical single payer medical

insurance plan.


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Date post:	03-Apr-2018
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