EVERYDAYYOGAMEDITATION

StephenSturgess

EVERYDAYYOGAMEDITATION

StillyourmindandfindinnerpeacethroughthetransformativepowerofKriyaYoga

ThisbookisdedicatedtomyguruParamhansaYogananda(1893–1952),whobroughtthesupremetechniqueofKriyaYoga

meditationtotheWest.

“Thewholeheartedpracticeofmeditationbringsdeepbliss.

Thisever-newblissisnotbornofdesire;itmanifestsitself

bythemagiccommandofyourinner,intuitive-borncalmness.

Manifestthisserenityalways.”

PARAMHANSAYOGANANDA

Contents

INTRODUCTIONWHATISTRUEHAPPINESS?TheYogaofMeditationKriyaYogaandtheImportanceofMeditationTheJourneyWithin

CHAPTER1THEEIGHTLIMBSOFYOGAIntroductiontotheEightLimbs

Yama–self-restraintNiyama–fixedobservanceAsana–yogaposturePranayama–regulationoflife-forcethroughthebreathPratyahara–withdrawingthemindfromthesensesDharana–concentrationDhyana–meditationSamadhi–divineunion

CHAPTER2THEINTERNALENERGYSYSTEMTheThreeBodiesandFiveSheaths

ThePhysicalBodyTheAstralBodyTheCausalBody

TheChakrasCosmicEnergy

TheSevenChakrasTheNadis

SushumnaIdaandPingala

Kundalini

CHAPTER3PREPARINGFORPRACTICEPreliminariesforPracticeTheArtofSittingforMeditationMudrasBandhas

CHAPTER4ASANAPRACTICEWarmingupSunSalutationSequenceEnergizingMorningSequenceRelaxingEveningSequenceCoolDownSequence

CHAPTER5PURIFICATIONPRACTICENadiShodhana:AlternateNostrilBreathingAgnisaraKriya:ActivatingtheDigestiveFireKapalabhati:Skull-shiningBreathAshviniMudra:HorseGesture

CHAPTER6PRANAYAMAPRACTICETheCompleteYogicBreathUjjayiPranayama:VictoriousBreathBhastrikaPranayama:BellowsBreath

BhramariPranayama:Bee-breathingTechniqueKundaliniPranayama:NadiShodhanaandOmMantra

CHAPTER7MEDITATIONPRACTICEFocusingthemind

BreathingVisualizationMantrasandChantingSteadyGazing

MahaMudra:AwakeningEnergyinYourSpineChantingtheBijaMantras:AwakeningtheChakrasChantingtheHumMantra:IncreasingPranaHongSauMeditation:IamHe,theAbsoluteNaviKriya:AwakeningPranaintheNavelCentreJyotiMudra:AwakeningtheInnerLightTheSignificanceofOmOmMeditationUltimateBlissYogaMeditation

CHAPTER8DEVELOPINGYOURPRACTICELivingwithAwarenessMakingYogaMeditationADailyRealityMorningRoutinesEveningRoutines

FurtherResourcesAcknowledgments

WhatisTrueHappiness?

Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all seeking lasting happiness: a sense ofcalm,balanceandcompleteness, true joyof totalfulfilment,andfreedomfromsuffering,painandsorrow.Yetwecan,attimes,feeloutofsync,lackinginjoy,overwhelmedbylifeorhaveasensethat“somethingismissing”.

Wemayhaveallthematerialcomfortsthatlifecangiveus–ahouse,acar,beautiful clothes, the latest technology, a good marriage or relationship, sex,family, friends, a successful career and good health – all the things that arebelievedbymostpeopletobringhappinessandsecurity.Buthappinessmaystilleludeusorfeelalltoofleeting–overshadowedbymomentsofworry,discontentor self-doubt.Andwhat good is success in the externalworld ifwe have notfoundcontentment,innerpeaceandtruejoywithin?

Throughnotunderstandingthedistinctionbetweenpleasure(anattributeofthe senses) and happiness (an attribute of themind),we often try to give ourlivesmeaningandpurposebyturningourmindsoutward.Hencewefillourtimewith external events, activities and objects – pursuits that can bring onlytransitoryhappiness.

If,ontheotherhand,wechoosetoturnourmindandsensesinwardthroughthepracticeofYogaMeditation,asoutlinedinthisbook,wehavethechancetotranscend the everyday external limitationsbywhichwe areheldback andbeunitedwith our true, innermost, joyful Self.This is known inSanskrit asSat-Chit-Ananda:ever-conscious,ever-existent,ever-newbliss.Byencouragingthethinkingmindtobecomestillthroughmeditation,wewillallowthelightofthetrueSelftostarttoshinefromwithin.

Assuch,wecanrealize,andstarttobecomeestablishedin,theawarenessofwhatisoftencalledinyogictermsourowndivinenature,whichrecognizestheunion of the individual self, or consciousness,with theAbsolute, or Supreme,Consciousness.Thisallowsus toexperienceasenseofunderlyingunity in theworldandvibrantconnectednesswitheverything.

Wheneverythingwedoinlifeisanexpressionofthisinnerdivinestateofbliss, we regain our balance, freedom and joy, and experience true happinesseveryday.Assuch, it isawise investment todevotesomeregular time to theYogaMeditationpractices in thisbook, as theywillguideyouon thispathofemotionalandspiritualdiscovery,calmingyourmind,heighteningyourclarity,enhancingyourjoy,awakeningyourinnerspiritandallowingyoutorealizeyour

fullestpotentialforcreativethoughtandaction.

WhatisYogaMeditation?TofullyunderstandYogaMeditation,itisusefulfirstlytogainanunderstandingofyogainitstrue,broadsenseratherthaninthecontextofthelimitedphysical,“onthemat”practicethathascometobeassociatedwiththetermintheWest.

ThewordyogacomesfromtheSanskritrootyuj,whichmeans“toyoke,joinorunite”.TheultimatemeaningistheunionbetweentheindividualselfandtheUniversal Self. It is establishing oneness between the finite and the Infinite,between the inner being and the SupremeBeing. So, aswell as helping us toattainoptimumhealthandacalmandpeacefulmind,yogacanalso leadus toself-realizationandultimatelyspiritualliberationandasenseofonenesswiththeSelf.

“Divinejoyislikemillionsofearthlyjoyscrushedintoone.”

PARAMHANSAYOGANANDA

TheYogaofMeditation

Inthisbooktheemphasis isonwhat isknownasRajaYoga–theyogaofmeditation–whichisprincipallyconcernedwiththecultivationofthemindbylearning toquietenormaster itsmanyfluctuations inorder toexperiencedeepstillness,joyand,ultimately,enlightenment.However,thepagesthatfollowalsocontainphysicalpurificationpracticesforthebody,breathandmindthatderivefrom Hatha Yoga – the wider practice of yoga as defined in Hatha YogaPradipika.SuchphysicalpracticesarealsoanessentialpartofRajaYoga;HathaandRajaYogaareinterdependent.

OnewaytothinkoftheinteractionbetweenHathaandRajaYogaisthatthephysicalpracticesofHathaYoga–asana,purificationandpranayamapractices(seechapters4–6)–representthecleaningofthetemplewindows(thephysicalbody andmind) in order for the spiritual light ofRajaYoga – themeditationpractices(seechapter7)–toshineintotheinnersanctum(theinnerSelf).Afterall, your physical body and mind are your primary tools for all spiritualpractices. Sowithout a strong, healthy body andmind, it is difficult to attainspiritualjoy.

TheteachingsofRajaYogaRaja Yoga teachings can be traced back to around 200 bce when they weresystematized by a great sage called Patanjali, who formulated them into 196aphorisms called the Yoga Sutras, quotes from which you will see scatteredthroughout this book. Somemodern translations give the number of sutras as195duetotheinterpretationthatoneisanexpansionofaprevioussutra.

Patanjali’sancientguidelinesgiveinstructionontheactionshebelievedweneedtotakeifwewanttoregaintheexperienceofourtruedivinenature–fromsocial and personal disciplines through yoga postures, breathing control andsensewithdrawaltoconcentrationandmeditationtechniques.

Stillingthemind

PatanjalitellsusinhisYogaSutrasthatwhenthemindisstillandturnswithin,we perceive the self in its true, divine, ever-joyful nature, free from anyobstaclesthatwerepreviouslyobscuringthis:

“Yoga(theexperienceofunity)resultsfromtheneutralizationofego-feelings(vrittis)thatproducedesires,attachments,likesanddislikes.”

YogaSutras1:2

“Thentheselfabidesinitsown(eternal)truenature.”YogaSutras1:3

“Atothertimeswhentheselfisnotabidinginitsowntruenature,therearisesfalseidentificationwiththeego-feeling(vritti).”

YogaSutras1:4

TheSanskritwordvrittimeans“whirlpool”and it is these swirlingvorticesoffeeling arising from the ego – desires and attachments, likes and dislikes,feelingsandmemories–thatcauserestlessnessofthemind.Yogaissimplythestillingofsuchfeelings,andthereforeofsuchmovements,akintowavesgentlystillingonthesurfaceofalake,bringingaboutasenseofcalm.

KriyaYogaandtheImportanceofMeditation

In 1861, the ancient science ofRajaYoga,which had been lost for centuries,wasrevivedasKriyaYogabytheHimalayanyogi-masterMahavatarBabaji.Ina succession of great masters, Babaji first taught Kriya to Lahiri Mahasaya(1828–1895), instructing him to teach it to sincere seekers of truth. Lahiri’sspiritual descendent was Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855–1936), who theninstructed ParamhansaYogananda (1893–1952), author of the spiritual classicAutobiographyofaYogi(1946).

In1920,ParamhansaYoganandawasoneof the first teachers to bring theteachings of yoga to the West. His Kriya Yoga teachings emphasized directinner experience of the divine,which he called “self-realization”. The idea ofKriyaYoga,which,alongwithRajaYoga,isthebasisfortheinvaluableYogaMeditation practices in this book, is that it interiorizes the practitioner’sconcentration,reversingtheoutward-flowinglife-energy(orprana)ofthesensessothatitmovesinwardandupwardthroughtheenergycentres(orchakras;seepages34–41) in thebody,magnetizing the spinewithenergyandencouragingdivineself-awareness.

Sowhatismeditation?It is important to consider for a moment what is really meant by the term“meditation” within the description of Raja, or Kriya, Yoga as the “yoga ofmeditation”. Meditation is simply stilling the mind and liberating it from itsrestlessemotions,thoughts,ego-feelingsanddesiressothatawonderfulfeelingofwholenessandbeing“atone”canbeattained.

As human beings,we are a complex of body,mind and consciousness. InWestern thought, mind and consciousness are sometimes used synonymously,which often causes misunderstanding to those who are new to Indian yogaphilosophy. In yoga philosophy, the concepts of mind and consciousnessindicate twodifferent things: themindexistsonlywhen there are thoughts. Inthedeep-sleepstateno thoughtsexist,and therefore there isnomind.You,ontheotherhand–thatistosayyourinnerself–areconsciousnessitself,whichiseternallypresentinthewaking,dreamandsleepstates.Itisonlythelightoftheself or consciousness reflected on themind that enables it to have powers of

cognitionandfeeling.Yetwealltoooftenfallintothetrapofthinkingthatitistheminditselfthatisthe“knower”andthe“light”inoureverydayexistence.

Thepracticeofmeditationallowsyou(yourconsciousness)torecognizethetwoentitiesasdistinct through theactofobservingyourmind(your thoughts)justasyouwouldobserveanexternalobject.Insodoing,youcometorecognizethatyouarenot,infact,thesumofyourthoughtsandthatitisonlyonceyourthoughtsquietenandyourmindbecomesstillthatyoucanrecognizeandfeelatone with your true joyful self or consciousness, rather than continuallyassociating with the ego, or external self, by which we are most oftenpreoccupied.

EverydaybenefitsofYogaMeditation

Aswellasitsunderlyingspiritualgoal,YogaMeditationbringsawiderangeofeverydaybenefits,enrichingyourlifeinallmannerofways.Forexample,it:

•givesyouvaluabletimeoutforyourself•helpstoeasestressandanxiety•increasesyourinnersenseofcalmandpeace•boostsyourcopingpowerinlife•strengthensyourbodyfromtheinsideout•heightensconcentrationandclarity•enhancespowersofcreativity•allowsyoutofeelmoreatonewithyourselfandtheworld•encouragesjoyandhappinessineveryaspectoflife.

TheJourneyWithin

Itismywishthatthisbook,aswellasenhancinghowyoufeelwithinyourownbody – healthier and more vital – will also help to guide you on your innerjourneytorediscoveryourtrue,peaceful,joyfulnature–thedivineandeternalSelf within – which is the level at which you connect with supremeconsciousness.

Thisjourney–bothhealth-enhancingandspiritual–canbeginhereandnow.It will be your own personal journey – one that requires not only yourawareness, willingness and effort but also sincerity, patience, self-discipline,perseveranceandfaithinyourself tosucceed.Don’tworryabouthowfarfromthat state you currently feel: even a lotus needs to grow fromwithin themudtowardsunlight.

True knowledge comes through direct experience, so it is important topractise regularly, even if it is only for ten to 15 minutes a day. Althoughmorningsoreveningsarebest,youcanscheduleyourYogaMeditationpracticeanytime.Theonly limitation is thatyoushouldnothaveeaten forat least twohours beforehand. If you suffer from asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure orheartproblems,orarepregnant,youshouldnotpractisewithoutexpertguidancefromaqualifiedteacherormedicalpractitioner.

Beforeyoubegin,itisimportanttounderstandthatthepracticesthatfollowarenotthegoalinthemselves.TheartofYogaMeditationisnotmerelydoingtechniques,fortheseareonlyvehiclestohelpyouonyourinnerjourneytoattainthe goal of yoga, or spiritual union. The techniques and practiceswill simplyhelpyoutowardyourgoalanditisfromthismeditativestatethattruehappinesswillunfoldfromwithin.It takestimeanddedication.Thisiswhythepracticesonthepagesthatfollowhavebeenorderedinthewaytheyhave–sothatyouprogressstepbysteponthisjourneytoacalmer,happier,morefulfilledlife.Sorelaxandenjoy!

Howtousethisbook

Firstly, find a quiet and peaceful place to sit and read the introduction andchapters1and2 todeepenyourunderstandingof theyogicphilosophybehindYogaMeditationpractices.

Next,readchapter3(“PreparingforPractice”)sothatyouknowthebasicsofhowtositandwhatfactorstotakeintoconsiderationduringyourpractice.

Then, read through the techniques themselves – asana (see chapter 4),purification (see chapter 5), pranayama (see chapter 6) and meditation (seechapter7)–sothatyougainasenseofthemallandwillhaveanideaofhowtodothemwhenthetimecomes.

Finally,decidewhichoftheYogaMeditationroutinesfromchapter8,madeupfromthetechniquesthroughoutthebook,youcandomostcomfortablyonaregularbasis,andenjoyintegratingthosepracticesintoyourlife.

“Onattainingthepurityoftheultra-meditativestatethereisthepureflowof

spiritualconsciousness.”YOGASUTRAS1:47

1THEEIGHTLIMBSOFYOGA

TheSupremePathtoInnerFreedomandJoy

Beforeyoubegintoexplorethepracticalexercisesandmeditationsinthisbook,it is useful to understand the concept of the “Eight Limbs of Yoga”, calledashtanga yoga inSanskrit (ashtameans eight,angameans limb).These eightinterdependentlimbs,putforwardbythesagePatanjaliinhisYogaSutras(c.200bce; see page 11), prepare us for the inward journey from our limitedconsciousnessofoutwardidentificationwithourbody-mind,toasubtle,higherstate inwhichwe can feelmore at onewith ourselves and the universe.Theyprovidethemeansforfreedomfromearthly“suffering”andthetrueawakeningofourever-joyfulinnerspirit.

Theeightlimbs,whichweexplorefurtherinthischapter,are:•yama–self-restraint•niyama–fixedobservances•asana–yogaposture•pranayama–regulationoflife-forcethroughthebreath•pratyahara–withdrawingthemindfromthesenses•dharana–concentration•dhyana–meditation•samadhi–divineunion

IntroductiontotheEightLimbs

TheEightLimbsofYogaaremethodsofeverydaypurificationadvisedbyyogasagePatanjalitohelpusonthepathtoamorefulfilledlife.Theseincludeethicalprinciplesandphysicalpractices,aswellasmeditation techniques thatprepareusforthefinal,higherstagesofspiritualawakening.

“Fromthesustainedpracticeofthelimbsofyoga,theimpuritiesofthemindare

destroyed,leadingtotheilluminationofdiscriminativewisdom.”

YOGASUTRAS2:28

YAMA–SELF-RESTRAINT

Yama is the firstof theEightLimbsofYoga.TheSanskritwordyamameans“restraint” – and in the context of the Eight Limbs, this means exercisingrestraintfromactions,wordsandthoughtsthatmaycausedistressorharmeitherto ourselves or others. The five yamas are: non-violence; truthfulness; non-covetousness;conservationofvitalenergy;andnon-attachment.

Ahimsa–non-violenceTherootofalltheyamasandniyamas,ahimsameansbeingkindandrespectfultoalllivingbeings,includingourselves–notjustinouractionsbutalsoinourthoughts and words. For example, our speech should be honest and sincere,without gossiping or put-downs; our approach to Yoga Meditation practiceshouldbegentleratherthanladenwithunrealisticexpectations.

Satya–truthfulnessInyogicterms,toexaggerate,pretend,mislead,distortorlietooneselforothers,ortomanipulatepeopleorsituationsforourownselfishconcerns,isagainstourtruedivinenature.Ouressentialnatureis,incontrast,livingintruthfulness.Thisnotonlymeansnotlyingtootherpeopleorourselves,butalsobeingtruetoour

ownfeelingsandbeliefs.

Asteya–non-covetousnessTopractiseasteyameansnottoyearnorhankerafterwhatdoesnotbelongtous.Desire,envyandgreedkeepuscontinuallylookingtothefutureforfulfilment,insteadofrealizingthatperfectionisattainableinthepresent,withwhatwearealreadyluckyenoughtohave.

Brahmacarya–conservationofvitalenergyThetermbrahmacarya(“walkinginthepresenceofthedivine”)meanswiseuseof our energy in all ways, as any kind of excess or over-indulgence,whetherover-eating, over-sleeping, over-talking or even over-exercise, leads todissipationofenergy,whichdepletesourvitality.

Aparigraha–non-attachmentPractising aparigraha means not being overly attached to external objects orevents,ortheresultsthattheymightbringabout.Itmeansnotbeingpossessiveabout,orhoarding,objects,nottryingtocontrolotherpeopleandnotholdingonrigidly to thoughts, ideasandopinions.EvenwithinYogaMeditationpractice,it’s important topractiseaparigrahabynotbeing too fixedondesired results;instead,acceptandmoveforwardwithwhatcomes.

NIYAMA–FIXEDOBSERVANCE

TheniyamasarethesecondoftheEightLimbsofYogaandarejustasimportantas theyamas,but aremoreabout theconnectionwith the individual thanwiththesocietyaroundus.Thefiveniyamasare:purity;contentment;self-discipline;self-study;andattunementtothesupremeconsciousness.

Sauca–purityPractising sauca means ensuring cleanliness of both the body and the mind,whichwill enableusmore readily to feel anenhancedstateof innercalmandstillness.ThisinvolvessimplephysicalmeasuressuchaswashingeachmorningandbeforeeachYogaMeditationpractice,butitalsoimpliesfreedomfromallnegative mental entanglements with objects, circumstances and thoughts. Thepractices in thisbookwillhelpyou towork towardriddingyourmindofsuchentanglements.

Santosa–contentmentPractisingsantosameansbeinginastateofhappinessandequanimitythatdoesnot depend upon any external conditions. This type of contentment is notconditioned bywhat we have or do not have as this will lead to amind thatcannot be satisfied permanently with anything. Instead we should aim to feelcontentedwithin ourselves.RegularpracticeofYogaMeditationwillnaturallystilltherestlessmind,enhancingyourabilitytoremaincalmandbalancedinallsituations.

Tapas–self-disciplineTapas is energy that is concentrated with conscious willpower on a specificpoint,sothatitreleasespower.Forexample,ifyouinhaledeeplyandtenseyourleftarmwithwillpower,holdyourbreathandthetensionforafewmomentsandthenexhaleandreleasethetension,youwillfeeltheenergysurgeintoyourarm.Suchenergyisnecessaryforconcentrationofthemind.Thecultivationofself-discipline or tapas through the techniques in this book will enable you toovercome the egoistic nature of themind and instead direct its power towardhigherspiritualaims.

Svadhyaya–self-studyTogetherwith tapas (below left) and ishvara pranidhana (below), svadhyaya,meaningself-study,worksasatooltoweakenwhatareknowninyogictermsasthefiveafflictions(kleshas):ignorance;egoism;attraction;repulsion;andfearofdeath.Self-study isnotan intellectualprocess,butsimplyanawarenessof themovements of the mind. It can be achieved through regular study of yogascriptures such as the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and theUpanishads,bychantingsacredmantrassuchasOm(seepages132–3),andalsoby mindfully observing our ego-mind to gain insight into how it veils ourunderstandingofourtrueself.

Ishvarapranidhana–attunementtothesupremeconsciousnessIshvara pranidhana means the offering of our ego-self to the supremeconsciousness. By remaining from moment to moment in the awareness andpresenceofthishigherconsciousness,wecantranscendourdailysenseof“I”,“me” and “mine”, thus inwardly realizing our own true, eternal nature andexperiencingadeepsenseofinnerpeaceandunity.

“Supremehappinessisgainedvia

“Supremehappinessisgainedviacontentment.”YOGASUTRAS2:42

ASANA–YOGAPOSTURE

Themostwell-knownandwidelypractisedaspectofyogainmodernlifeisthenotionofasana,meaningphysicalposture.However,Patanjali,wholaid itoutasthethirdofhisEightLimbsofYoga,actuallydealswiththesubjectofasanain only three of his 196 sutras, referring only to seated postures such asSukhasana(EasyPose;seepage53),Siddhasana(AdeptPose;seepage55)andPadmasana (Lotus Pose; see page 56). This is because he is concerned withpostures that bear a relationship to the overall purpose of yoga, which isconcentration andmeditation.And, according tohim, postures that are steady,pleasantandcomfortablewilllendthemselvestosuchconcentration.

There are, however, manymore varied yoga asanas that can be done foroverallphysicalwell-being(seechapter4forexamples),aswellastoenergizeandrelaxthebodyinpreparationformeditation.IntheHathaYogaPradipika–amid-14th-centurytreatisebySvatmaramaYogendra–weread:“Asana is thefirst stage of Hatha Yoga … It gives steadiness, health and lightness of thebody”(1:17).

Regularpracticeoftheasanasinchapter4willhelptopurifyandstrengthenthebody,openandbalancethechakras(seepages34–41),clearoutblockagesoftheinternalenergychannels(nadis;seepages42–5),andawakentheenergyinthespine(kundalini;seepages46–7)forthepurposeofraisingittothehighercentresinthebrainduringmeditation.

“Thepostureshouldbesteadyandcomfortable.”YOGASUTRAS2:46

PRANAYAMA–REGULATIONOFLIFE-FORCETHROUGHTHEBREATH

Pranayama,thefourthoftheEightLimbsofYoga,isdefinedintheYogaSutrasas “regulation of the life-force through stilling the breath”(2:49). TheSanskrit

wordpranayama is formed from twowords:prana, the energy or subtle life-force that permeates and sustains all life; andayama,meaning “to regulate orextend”. However, prana is not breath itself, and pranayama is not justregulatingorcontrollingthebreath;breathissimplythemeansofaccessingtheprana.Pranayama thereforeinvolvesregulatingandharmonizingthelife-forcewithin thebody– theenergy thatpervades theentirephysical systemand thatactsasamediumbetweenthebodyandthemind.Bytheprocessofpranayama,individual energy and consciousness are expanded into universal energy andconsciousness.

Thepranayamapractices inchapter6willhelpyounotonly toexperiencethepranic flowof life-energy inyourbody,butalso tostart to regulate it,anduseitforenergizingthebodyandcalmingthemindformeditation.

An 18th-century Indian miniature depicting a traditional yogic breathingtechnique.

PRATYAHARA–WITHDRAWINGTHEMINDFROMTHESENSES

PratyaharaisthefifthoftheEightLimbsofYoga,andrelatestopreparingthemindforconcentrationandmeditation.

TheSanskritwordpratyaharaisacombinationoftwowords:prati,meaning“reverse direction”; and ahar, meaning “to remove or withdraw”.Pratyaharatherefore means “to retreat in the opposite direction”: it is withdrawal of themind from the five senses and their respective objects in the world – aninteriorizationofthemind.

Usuallyaswelookat,listento,smell,touchortastesomething,ourattentionis drawn out of ourselves; whereas in pratyahara the attention is directedinward.

Itisonlythroughthepracticeofasanaandpranayamathatwecanlearntoturn themind’s attention inward in thisway,being totally awareofwhere theimpulsetobreatheinandbreatheoutarises.Byregularlydoingthesepractices,wereleaseourselvesfromattachmenttothedualityofpleasureandpain,whichcausesusdistress,andourmindscanbecomestill.

“Byconsciousinteriorizationofthemind,the

sensesfunctionintelligentlyandinharmonywithoutego-mindinterference.Therefore,oneattainscompletemasteryoverallthe

senses.”YOGASUTRAS2:55

DHARANA–CONCENTRATION

Dharana, or one-pointed concentration, is the sixth limb of Patanjali’s EightLimbsofYoga,withtheSanskritworddharanacomingfromtheworddhri,“toholdfirm”.

Themindcanbecomparedtoalake,withthethoughtsandfeelingsthatarisefromthemindappearingaswavesonthelake.Wecanseeourreflectionclearlyin the waters only when the waves on the surface subside and become still.Similarly,wecanrealizeourtrueinnerselfonlywhenallthethought-wavesandvortices of feelings (vrittis) in ourmind are stilled through concentrationon asingle point, instead of being allowed to roam anywhere they please as anexpression of the ego-self. Tratak (see page 113) and Hong Sau (see pages122–5) are particularly effective methods for developing such concentration.And themorewecanapplyconcentration in everyday life, thegreaterwill beoursuccessinmeditation.

An18th-centuryIndianpaintingshowingayogiinameditativeasana,withthemainchakrasmarkedout.

“Meditationistheuninterruptedflowofattentiveawarenessonthedivinereality

within.”YOGASUTRAS3:2

DHYANA–MEDITATION

Meditation, the seventh of theEightLimbs, is liberation of themind from alldisturbing thoughts, emotional reactions and restless desires, and turning ourattentioninwardtobecomeawareofourowntrueblissfulnature.

Meditation is not a technique per se, but a state of stillness and completecontentment in the present moment. All movement has ended with dharana(concentration), and in dhyana (meditation) we are at the inner source of ourbeing, directly experiencing our true nature. All ideas about our identity as aseparate and limited being are dispelled in the union of the individualconsciousnessandtheSupremeConsciousness,andwecometorealizethattheinfinitepresenceofthedivine–Sat-Chit-Ananda(ever-conscious,ever-existing,ever-new bliss) – is always within us. The Yoga Meditation practices in thepages that follow will lead you on this path to dhyana, where you willexperiencedeepcalmandcontentment.

SAMADHI–DIVINEUNION

ThewordsamadhicomesfromtheSanskrittermssam,whichmeans“perfectorcomplete”,anddhi,whichmeans“consciousness”. It is theeighthof theEightLimbsofYoga. In the state of samadhi themind is so totally absorbed in thedivine Self that it is no longer aware of itself meditating. All distinctionsbetweenthepersonwhoisthesubjectivemeditator,theactofmeditationandtheobjectofmeditationmergeintooneness.

The difference between meditation (dhyana) and samadhi is that inmeditation there is an uninterrupted flow of attention toward the object ofmeditation,whereasinsamadhithereisacompletedissolutionofthesubjective–objective duality of observer and observed. The meditator loses all sense ofindividuality (ego-consciousness), expansion of consciousness begins, and themindmerges intoblissfulonenesswith thedivineSelf: theultimategoalofallYogaMeditation.

2THEINTERNALENERGYSYSTEM

SubtleBodies,Chakras,NadisandKundalini

TounderstandtheYogaMeditationexercisesinthisbookinall theiraspects–physical,mental and spiritual– it is firsthelpful tohave someknowledgeandunderstanding of your subtle anatomy. The more you become aware of thisinternal energy systemand candirect your own essential life-force efficiently,notonlyasyoupractisetheexercisesinthisbookbutalsoasyougoaboutyourdailylife,themorecontrolyouwillenjoyoveryourownhealthandhappiness.Inthischapter,weexplorethisenergysystem,including:

Thephysicalbody,thetwosubtlebodiesandtheirfivesheaths(koshas)–thesubtle bodies and sheaths sustain the physical body with energy, just aselectricitypowerslightwithinalightbulb.

Thechakras–thebody’ssevenmainenergycentresserveastransformerstoreceive,assimilateanddistributethevitalenergy,orlife-force,requiredforthebody’ssystemstofunction.

The nadis – subtle energy channels running throughout the body transportthebody’slife-force,nourishingyouwithvitality.

Kundalini – spiritual energy, or consciousness, which is symbolized as acoiled-upserpentlivinginalatentformatthebaseofthespine.

TheThreeBodiesandFiveSheaths

We are spiritual beings, immortal spirit-souls temporarily embodied in bothmaterial fieldsofenergy(ourphysicalbody)andnon-material fieldsofenergy(“subtlebodies”thatareinvisibletothenakedeye).

These subtle bodies interpenetrate and surround our physical body in twolayers,knownastheastralandthecausalbody.

The body in which our true self or soul (atman or purusha) resides canthereforebelikenedtoacastlethathasthreelayersoffortification:•thephysicalbody(sthulasharira)–theinner“wall”,whichissubjecttothelimitsoftime,spaceandgravity,andisdestroyedupondeath

•theastralbody(suksmasharira)–themiddle“wall”,whichismoredurable•thecausalbody(karanasharira)–theouter“wall”,whichisevenmorepermanent,beingcarriedthroughcountlesslifetimes.Therearealsowhat isknownasfive“sheaths”(koshas),whichare located

withinthethreebodies.Thesearecalledsheathsbecausetheyarelikecoveringsof the inner luminous self, just as a light bulb is covered by a lampshade.Althoughweexperience theactionof thesesheathsas if theyareareality thatmakeupourpersonality, they–alongwiththethreebodies–have, infact,nopermanent reality. They are mere vehicles for the expression of the true self(atman),whichliesdistinctfromthemallandwhichweaimtofindthroughtheYogaMeditationpracticesinthisbook.

Whileweneed tokeepeachof thebodies and sheaths inoptimalworkingordersothatweremainhealthyandvital,weshouldalsoaimtostopassociatingtheiractionswithourlimitedsenseofself,andinsteadstartidentifyingwiththetrue, divine self that lies beyond, where we will find deep inner peace andcontentment.

Thisimagedepictsthephysicalbody(fromwhichthegoldenglowofthesoul,oratman,shinesout)surroundedbytheastral(yellow)andcausal(green)bodies.

“Thephysicalsheathisfilledbythevital

“Thephysicalsheathisfilledbythevitalsheath,thevitalsheathbythementalsheath,thementalsheathbytheintelligentsheath,andtheintelligentsheathbytheblissful

sheath.”

TAITTIRIYAUPANISHAD

THEPHYSICALBODY

The most concrete of the three bodies, the physical body is subject to birth,growth, disease, decay and death. The most effective way to keep this bodyhealthyandvitalisnotonlythroughabalanceddietandphysicalexercisesuchasrunningandswimming,butalsothroughyogapostures(asana)tobalanceourenergy, breathing techniques (pranayama) to clear the energy channels, andmeditationtogiveresttoourmindandbody.

Thephysicalbodyhasonlyone sheath,knownas theannamayakosha, or“foodsheath”,becauseofitsdependenceonlife-force(prana)manifestedintheformsoffood,waterandair.Itsustainsourphysicalexistence.

THEASTRALBODY

Theastralbody–theinvisiblefortifyingwallsurroundingthephysicalbody–isthehomeofourpersonality,ourthoughtsandourfeelings;inshort,allournon-physicalpersonalattributes.Thisbodycouldbedescribedasthe“conductor”ofthephysicalbody,asallourphysicalactionstakeplaceasaresultoftheastralbody’senergy(thephysicalbodydoesnothavetherequiredenergyofitsown).Themosteffectivewaytoenergizeandempowerthisbodyisthroughpractisingyogaasana, pranayama, chantingmantra (see page 112), self-enquiry and thestudyofyogicscriptures.

Theastralbodycontainsthreesheaths:pranamayakosha,manomayakoshaandvijnanamayakosha(seebelow).

Pranamayakosha–vitalairsheathThissheathsuppliesourlife-energy,orprana,tothephysicalbody,aswell

ascontrolling theorgansofaction (thehands, feet, tongue,genitalsandanus),andgoverninghowwereacttotheworld.

Manomayakosha–mindsheathThis is our mental and emotional layer, enabling us to experience our

thoughtsandfeelings.Subtlerthanthefoodsheathandvitalairsheath,themindsheath communicates our thoughts and feelings to the physical body, whichreacts accordingly. It also communicates our sensations of the externalworld,suchasthirstorheat,totheintelligencesheath(seebelow)sothatdecisionscanbetakenonwhattodoaboutthem.Assuch,itisavitalcommunicator.Wecanstrengthen and purify this mind sheath by following certain pranayama andmeditationpractices.

Vijnanamayakosha–intelligencesheathThislayerobtainsknowledgethroughthought,experienceandthesenses.As

such, it functions as the knower and the doer of the astral body, makingdecisions,choicesandvalue-judgments.Aswellasbeinghometoourintellect,thisiswhereouregoresides–ourstrongsenseof“I”and“my”,whichiswhatseparatesusfromidentifyingwithuniversalconsciousnessandfindingourtrue,joyfulinnerself.Tostriveonaspiritualpath,itisthereforeimportanttoaimtopurifytheegoandhonetheintellect.

THECAUSALBODY

Even more subtle than the astral body, the causal body is composed of ourdeepest thoughts,desires, intentionsandaspirations. It is thestorehouseofourpast impressions, the seed impressions thatmotivate our behaviour and createourkarma.Intheanalogyofthethree-walledcastle,thecausalbodyisthewallconnectingustothedivineself.Althoughitgiveslightandenergytotheastralbody,itsownvitalityhasadifferentabode,calledtheanandamayakosha(blisssheath).Thisisabodyoflightthatreflectstheblissfulnessoftheself,allowingustoexperiencetruejoy.

TheChakras

Chakra is aSanskritwordmeaning“wheel”or “revolvingdisc”.Accordingly,chakrasinthehumanbodyarethoughttobewheelsorrevolvingdiscsofsubtleenergyorlife-force(prana)locatedalongthemidlineoftheastralbody,knownastheastralspine.Theyareconfluencesofconsciousnessandenergythatstoreanddistributeenergyandinformationtothephysicalbody,aswellasstoringourpsychologicaltendencies,desiresandhabits.

The yoga tradition recognizes seven major chakras distributed along themidlineofthebody.Thesearelocated:

Sahasrara

Ajna

Vishuddhi

AnahataSvadhisthana

Muladhara

Manipura

•atthebaseofthespine–muladhara•inthegenitalarea–svadhisthana•atthenavel–manipura•atchestorheartlevel–anahata•atthethroat–vishuddhi•attheforehead–ajna•abovethecrownofthehead–sahasrara

It isessential for thesechakras tobe functioningwell inorder to store the

maximumenergythatcanbeusedbythebodyatwill.Justlike,overaperiodoftime,thebatteryofacarcanbecomeoldandloseitscapacityto“holdcharge”ifnot well looked after, so too will your chakras become unable to adequatelysupport the vital systems of the body if they are not sufficiently developed.Regularpracticeoftheyogaexercisesinthepagesthatfollow,suchasasanas,pranayama and chanting thebijamantras (see pages 118–9),will ensure theirbalanced development, and therefore boost energy levels and enhance overallhealth.

Visualrepresentationofthechakras

According to yogis, healers and psychicswho are able actually to see humanenergyfields,chakrasarecolourful,fast-movingwhirlpools,eachonetakingtheformofafunnel-shapedstructure,somewhatlikeaconvolvulusflower.Theyareoftensymbolizedbydiagramsin theformof lotusflowers(padmas),eachonewithspecificnumbersofpetals,colours,seed-syllable(bija)mantrasandothersymbolsanddeitieswithinthem.Theseimagesarevisualrepresentationsofthechakras’energeticexperiences(seechartonpage41)andcanhelpmeditatorstoachieveconcentrationofthemind.ThecoloursofthechakrasheredonottallywiththeWesternNewAgetradition,butcorrespondtotheyogictantrictraditionaselucidatedbySwamiSatyanandaSaraswati(1923–2009).

COSMICENERGY

Ultimately,ourbodiesarenothingbutenergy.Ourchakras act asdynamosofcosmic energy, allowing our subtle bodies to plug into the universal powersource. They serve as transformers and regulators to receive, assimilate anddistributeprana in theastralbody,whichthendistributes it to thespinalnerveplexuses,whereitis,inturn,transferredtothebloodandorgansofthephysicalbody.

Theprana enters the body at the base of the brain (an area known as themedulla oblongata) and flows to the higher brain centres. It then filtersdownwardthroughthesixmajorchakrasbelowthat,startingatajnachakraandworking itswaydown tomuladharachakra;sahasrara, themaingeneratorofthe energies that power these six chakras, is located at the crown, above themedullaoblongata,andoperatesonahigherplaneofconsciousness.

As this energy spirals down through each chakra, it becomes increasinglydense, until it forms what are known as the five great elements

(panchamahabhuta).These are essential “states”ofmatter, not to be confusedwiththeperiodicelementsofmodernchemistry,andtheyrepresentthestagesofcreationfromspirittomatter.•Fromtheunmanifestedstateofuniversalconsciousnesscamethesubtle,primalsoundvibrationOm.FromthesubtlevibrationofOmcametheetherorspaceelement–associatedwithvishuddhichakra.

•Thelightandexpansivemovementsoftheetherelementcreatedtheairelement–associatedwithanahatachakra.

•Themovementofaircreatedfriction,whichgeneratedheatparticlesformingintenselight,fromwhichthefireelementwascreated–associatedwithmanipurachakra.

•Theheatofthefireliquefiedcertainetherealelementsthatformedthewaterelement–associatedwithsvadhisthanachakra.

•Finally,thewatersolidifiedtoformtheearthelement–associatedwithmuladharachakra.Thus, thefivebuildingblocksofmatter–ether,air, fire,waterandearth–

came intoexistence.These fiveelements,whicharepresent in allmatter, alsoexist within each of us. For example, in our body, the source of fire ismetabolism– itactivatesourdigestionandalsoactivatesoureyes tosee light.Thedifferencebetweenthedifferentelementsinourbodyliesintheirvibratorywavelength frequencies.The lowerchakras, connectedwithbasic survivalandgroundedness,vibrateatadenserfrequencythanthehigherchakras,associatedwithspiritualenlightenment.

The underlying aim of the Yoga Meditation practices in this book is areversal of the soul’s descent into matter – back to divine oneness in pureconsciousness,asitisonlyoncethishasbeenachievedthatwecanexperienceourtrueinnerstillnessandbliss.Whenyourmindiscalmandstill,youbecomeawareofyourtrueidentity,ofthespiritualbeingwithinyourselfwhoisbeyondtheforcesofthebody,mindandsenses.YogaMeditationisanefforttoperceivethispresenceofcosmicenergyandpureconsciousness.

“Theconsciouscosmicenergyfirstentersthroughthemedullaoblongata(inthebrainstem)andremainsconcentratedinthebrain

asthethousand-petalledlotus.Thenit

asthethousand-petalledlotus.Thenitdescendsintothebodythroughthespinalcordandsympatheticnervoussystem.”

PARAMHANSAYOGANANDA

THESEVENCHAKRAS

Below is an overview of each chakra, the nature of its energy, and how thatenergygovernsacertainaspectofourbeing, aswell as insight intohoweachchakra fits into the Yoga Meditation journey in terms of raising ourconsciousness to ahigher realm inourquest todiscoverour true, joyful innerself.

Muladhara–rootchakraAlsoreferredtoasthe“base”chakra,muladharachakra–locatedbetweentheorigin of the reproductive organ and the anus – is the foundation of ourpersonality. When fully functioning, this chakra gives us a sense ofgroundednessanddeepseatedsecurity in life. It isalsowherekundalinienergy(seepages46–7)residesandisthereforethebasisfromwhichthepossibilityofhigher realization arises: theupward journeyofkundalini energy to sahasrarachakra,atthecrownofthehead,startshere,onceithasbeenawakenedthroughYogaMeditationpractices.

Svadhisthana–sacralchakraNext on the journey up toward spiritual awakening is the fluid and adaptivesvadhisthanachakra–locatedinthesacralregionofthespineatthelevelofthecoccyx(tailbone)–fromwherewecanstarttoexpressourselvescreativelyandsensually.Whenfunctioningwell,thischakragivesustheabilitytogowiththeflowandenjoyallthatlifehastooffer.

TheSanskritwordsvameans“one’sown”andadhisthanameans“dwellingplace”, so svadhisthana means “one’s own dwelling place”. It has beensuggested by some yogis that this refers to a distant time when the seat ofkundalini lay dormant within svadhisthana chakra, but for some reasonkundalinihassincecometorestinmuladharachakra.

Manipura–navelchakra

Nextwecometomanipurachakra,whichissaidtoradiateitsfieryenergylikeabrightsun.Itislocatedatthelevelofthenavelintheastralspine.Manipuraisaveryimportantcentrebecauseitisthecentreofwillpower,energy,vitalityandachievement.Itgeneratesanddistributespranathroughoutthewholebody,andcontrolsourenergy,balanceandstrength.Sowhenitisinbalance,wewillfeelstrong,self-confident,empoweredandvibrant.

Anahata–heartchakraNext, we ascend to anahata chakra. Also called the heart chakra due to itslocation,thisfunctionsasabridgebetweenthethreelowerchakras–relatedtotheworld of body,mind and senses and associatedwith survival and security(muladhara chakra), sensuality and sex (svadhisthana chakra), and a sense ofidentityandpersonalpower(manipurachakra)–andthethreehigherchakras,associatedwithahigherandmoreevolvedconsciousness.Theexpansivenessoflove and compassion in anahata draws us upward into the higher realms ofconsciousness.Whenthischakraisfunctioningwell,wewillfeelgreatloveandcompassioninourlife.

Vishuddhi–throatchakraLocated directly behind the base of the throat is vishuddhi chakra. The termvishuddhi is derived from the Sanskrit words visha, meaning “impurity”, andshuddhi,meaning“topurify”. It is ourhubof communication, creativity, self-expression, non-attachment, and learning to accept and receive. When thischakra is balanced and open, our powers of communication and creativitybecome fully awakened. When kundalini energy reaches vishuddhi, we feelcontentment,clarityofmind,asenseofunderstandingandnon-attachment.

Ajna–thirdeyechakraTheSanskritwordajnaliterallymeans“tocommand”,“toobey”or“toknow”.Assuch,thischakra–whichislocatedontheforehead,betweenoureyebrows–is the command centre that guides the other chakras. Forming the boundarybetween human and divine consciousness, it represents a higher level ofawareness and is considered the centre of extrasensory perception, intuition,clarityandwisdom.

Ajnachakrahastwopoles:apositiveandanegative.Thepositivepoleisthe“spiritual eye”, which is located midway between the eyebrows, while thenegativepoleisat themedullaoblongata,whichislocatedinthebrainstematthebaseoftheskullandistheseatoftheego.

Ajnachakra is themeetingpointof the threemainenergetic channels (theida, pingala and sushumna nadis; see pages 42–5). When kundalini energyreaches this chakra, our awareness becomes concentrated and our ego-self istranscended.Itisherethatweexperiencerealizationofourtruedivineself.

Sahasrara–crownchakraAlso called niralambapuri, meaning “dwelling place without support”, andBrahmarandhra,“thedoorofGod”,sahasrarachakraistheculminationofourascent of the astral spine– after achieving self-realization atajna,we achieveliberationatsahasrara.Toreachthispoint, firstweneedtoopen,balanceandenergizethesixchakrasbelowitthroughdeepmeditation.

ChakraQualitiesandElements

TheNadis

Withineachofusliesavastmatrixoffineenergeticchannelscallednadis(nadiliterallymeans “flow” or “current”), which distribute our prana, or vital life-force throughout the body. These can be thought of as a network ofinterconnected rivers, streams and tributaries carrying energy towherever it isneeded.Indeed,thethreemainnadis(seebelow)areoftensymbolizedbythreeofIndia’sgreatrivers: the idabytheGanges, thepingalabytheYamuna,andthesushumnabythemythicalSaraswati.

Thesourceofthenadisisanegg-shapedcentreofnervescalledthekanda,which is located just above our lowest energy centre,muladhara chakra (seepage38).Fromheresome72,000nadisaresaidtoradiateouttoformtheentiresubtlecircuitryoftheastralbody.

Of the thousandsofnadis, threestandoutas themost important.These,asmentionedabove,are:•thesushumna–thecentralchannel,whichcorrespondsinpositiontoboththephysicalandastralspine

•theida–whichbeginsontheleftsideofthesushumna•thepingala–whichbeginsontherightsideofthesushumna.

Thesushumnaiscrisscrossedinahelixbytheidaandpingala,andthethreechannelsconvergeatcertainlocationsalongthespine,intothewhirlingvorticesthatarethechakras(seepage45).

Itisusefultoknowalittlemoreabouteachofthethreemainnadissothatyouhaveanideaofwhatishappeningtoyouenergeticallynotonlyasyougoaboutyourdaily life,but alsoasyoudo theYogaMeditationpracticeson thepagesthatfollow.

There is a matrix of thousands of energetic channels, known as nadis, whichcomprisethesubtlecircuitryoftheastralbody.

THESUSHUMNA

Thesushumnanadi(meaning“mostgraciouschannel”)runsupthecentreoftheastral spine, which corresponds to the spinal cord in the physical body. This

means that it passes through all the chakras in succession, from the base(muladhara)tothecrown(sahasrara).Whiletheidaandpingalanadiscontrolour normal consciousness and are constantly active, even during sleep, thesushumna nadi is fully active only in people who are regularly engaged inspiritualpracticessuchasYogaMeditation.This isbecause it isonlyviasuchpracticesthatbalancecanbeachievedbetweenidaandpingalaenergies,which,inturn,awakensthespiritualpowerknownaskundalini(seepages46–7),atthebaseofthespine,andsendsitonitsascentalongthesushumna.AlsoknownastheBrahmanadi (“path toGod”), thesushumna thereforeprovides thepath toourspiritualawakeningatsahasrarachakra: theplaceatwhichwecanrealizeour true, joyful inner spirit and find the sense of inner calm forwhichwe allsearch.

THEIDAANDTHEPINGALA

Theidaandpingalanadisfunctionalternatelyinthebody,notsimultaneously.Thiscanbeseeninthenostrilsaswebreathe.Generally,breathisflowingfreelythrough one nostrilwhile the other is blocked. This natural alternation occursapproximatelyeverytwohours.

Whentheleftnostrilisopen,theidanadiisflowing,therighthemisphereofthebrainisactive,themindisintrovertedandcreative,andtheparasympatheticnervoussystemisactive–responsibleforrestingthebodywhenrequired.

When the right nostril is open, the pingala nadi is flowing, the lefthemisphere of the brain is active, themind is extroverted and logical, and thesympatheticnervoussystemismoreactive–responsibleforstimulatingurgentactionwhenrequired.

IdaTheidachanneltransportsmentalenergy(chittashakti)throughoutthebodyandtherefore controls all our psychological processes. The Sanskrit word idaactually means “comfort”, tying in with the notion of this channel beingconnected to the parasympathetic nervous system,which “comforts” and reststhebodywhen itneeds it.The ida is thereforeassociatedwith feminine, lunarenergy,possessingcoolingqualities.

PingalaConversely,theright-handpingalachanneltransportsourvitallife-force(prana)throughoutthebodyandthereforecontrolsallourphysiologicalprocesses.The

Sanskrit word pingala means “tawny-red”, which symbolizes this channel’sassociationwiththestimulatingenergyofthesunandlinksittothefunctionofthe sympathetic nervous system, which is there to stimulate action whenrequired. The pingala is therefore linked with masculine, solar energy,possessingheatingqualities.

Theidaandthepingalanadiscrisscrossthecentralsushumnanadi,intersectingatchakrasalongtheway.

Kundalini

Kundaliniisthepotentialspiritualenergy,orconsciousness,thatliesdormantatthebaseof thespine in thecausalbody(seepage33)ofallbeings. In reality,kundalinihasnoform,butasourmindrequiresaparticularimageonwhichtoconcentrate, kundalini has, in yogic theory, symbolically taken the form of acoiled serpent lying at the base of the spine (kundalini is derived from theSanskrittermkundal,whichmeans“coiled”).

Another association with the term kundalini is the Sanskrit word kunda,which means “cavity” and refers to the concave space in which the brain,resemblingacoiled,sleepingserpent,nestles.

Kundalinitakestwoforms:•pranicenergy(pranashakti),whichisthecauseofallouractions•spiritualenergyorconsciousness(caitanyashakti),whichgivesrisetoourknowledgeandwisdom.WhendedicatedYogaMeditationpracticebringsaboutbalancebetweenthe

upward movement of energy in the ida (accompanied by inhalation) and thedownward movement of energy in the pingala (accompanied by exhalation),kundalini is activated from its dormant state inmuladhara chakra.Both thesecurrents of energy thenmove upward in the central channel of the sushumna,wheretheyareactivatedinthebrain,creatingasenseofinnercalmanddivinejoyaspartofourspiritualawakening.

As the kundalini makes this spiritual ascent frommuladhara chakra (rootchakra)towardsthesahasrarachakra(theseatofconsciousness,atthecrownofthehead), itactivatesall thechakras insuccession,causinglayerafterlayerofthemind to become opened until the yogi experiences a sense of awakening,freedom,innercalm,blissand,ultimately,asenseofunitywiththeworld.

When,ontheotherhand,kundaliniremainsdormantatthebaseofthespine,andtheenergyflowinthespineisdownward,towardthethreelowerchakrasofworldlyconsciousness–whichitislikelytobeinpeoplewhoarenotregularlyfollowinganykindofspiritualpractice–apersonislikelytofeelalackofinnercalm, joy and contentment due to the duality they experience betweenthemselvesandtheworldaroundthem.

Alternatively,forpeoplewhohavejuststartedpractisingYogaMeditationorwhodon’tyetdoitregularly,theremayonlybeamild,ortemporary,spiritualawakening – for example, in the lower three chakras. Thiswouldmake them

feel that there must be more to life than just eating, sleeping and sensualgratification (which operate in the three lower chakras). They are likely to bemoreawarethattheyarenotjustthebody,mindandsenses,butratheraspiritualbeingmerelyexpressingthemselvesthroughtheseinstruments.

However,regularpracticeofthepranayamaexercisesinchapter6willbothpurify and balance thenadis, increasing the chances of your experiencing thefullpotentialandblissofawakenedkundalini.

“Thekundalini,initslatentform,iscoiledlikeaserpent.Onewhocausesthatshaktitomove(fromthemuladharaupward)will

attainliberation.”HATHAYOGAPRADIPIKA3:108

3PREPARINGFORPRACTICE

TheFundamentalToolsYouWillNeed

Theaimof thischapter is to setyouupwith the informationyouwillneed inordertoworkcomfortablyandeffectivelythroughtheexercisesandmeditationpracticesintherestofthebook.

Firstly, youwill discover the value of setting a regular time and space foryourYogaMeditation,aswellastheimportanceofmaintainingtherightmentalattitudetoworktowardyourgoals.

Secondly, you will discover the value of being able to sit still in acomfortableandsteadyposture, so thatyoucan remain relaxedandalert foraconsiderablelengthoftimewithoutdistraction.Toachievethiseffect,youwillbeoffered instructionon a rangeof different seatedpostures, fromwhichyoucanchoosewhenitcomestodoingyourownmeditation.

And finally you will be given an explanation of a range of yogic handgestures called mudras, and internal yogic body “seals” or “locks” calledbandhas.Thesecanhelptoincreasethepowerofyourenergy,retainingitanddirectingitupwardthroughtheenergycentres(chakras),whichwilldeepenyourYogaMeditationpractice.

PreliminariesforPractice

ToreapthegreatestbenefitsfromtheYogaMeditationtechniquesinthisbook,first set the intention towant toget in touchwithyourdeep, innermost joyfulself.Then,makeagenuinecommitmenttoyourselftoworksteadilytowardthatgoal.Belowareseveralothercriticalfactorstotakeintoaccount.

TimingTraditionally, yogis meditate around sunrise and sunset, as the mind

naturally becomes more calm and serene at these times. This is optimal.However,ifthesetimesaredifficultforyou,simplydecideonthetimesthatbestsuityouandcommityourselftosettingtheseasideeachday.

RegularityThe key to success in meditation is to develop and maintain a regular

practice–dailyifpossible(asoftenaspossibleifnot),andatthesametimeeachday,forapproximatelythesamelengthoftime.Thisway,yourbodyandmindwillgetaccustomedtotheregularity,anditwillbemucheasiertogetintotherightstateofmindformeditationeachday.

RightattitudeThe journey toacalmer,morecontentedself isa long,gradualprocess,so

youwillneedtobepatientandpersevere.Thereisnoinstantsuccessinspirituallife.It’sthereforeimportanttokeepyourYogaMeditationpracticehighonyourlistofdailyprioritiesandtopractisewithenthusiasmeachtime.Onlybydoingthis will you feel like you are making progress and start to realize that thebenefitsofmeditation–calmness,contentmentandincreasedenergylevels–areactuallyyournaturalstateofbeing;youhavejusttemporarilylosttouchwithit.Youshouldalsokeepinmindtheyamasandniyamasoutlinedonpages18–21.

PreparingyourspaceDoyourYogaMeditationpracticeinaclean,tidy,quietplace,whereyouare

unlikely to be disturbed. For comfort, it’s best to wear loose, unrestrictiveclothing, with all belts, jewellery, glasses and shoes removed. If you want tocreateamoodsuitableformeditation,feelfreetoburnanincensestickorlighta

candle somewhere safe.As for props, there’s just a couple of things youwillneed:ayogamatonwhichtopractiseyourasanasandafirmcushiononwhichtositwhileyoumeditate.Bysittinginthesameplaceeachtime,youwillbuildanauraofpurityandpeacethere.

PreparingyourbodyThe stomach should be at least half empty when you practise Yoga

Meditation,soalwaysallowatleasttwohoursafteramealbeforeyoustart.Donotpractiseifyouarefeelingillortired,orifyouarefeelingveryupset,asthemindwillnotbeabletoconcentrate.

TheArtofSittingforMeditation

For effective Yoga Meditation practice, the body needs to be seated in acomfortableandsteadyposture–aposition inwhich thenaturalcurvesof thespine can be maintained. The head, neck and spine should be upright and inalignmenttoallowenergytoflowfreelyuptothehigherchakras.Youshouldbeseated in such a way that you are able to remain still in that position for asignificantamountoftime.Whensuchapositioncanbeheldwithouteffort,thebodycanbecomerelaxed,thebreathsteadyandquiet,andthefocusedmindwillbeabletoenteradeepstateofstillness.

The pages that follow contain a range of seated positions to choose from,depending not only on your overall flexibility and comfort levels but also onwhatfeelsappropriateonanygivenday.Theonlywaytodiscoverwhichoneisbestforyouistotryallofthem,butbesuretogoeasyonyourself–neverforceaposition,andslowlyalteryourpositionifatanypointyouexperiencepain.

Sittingonachair

Ifyouareunabletositcomfortablyonthefloor, thebestoptionistositonanuprightchair thathasnoarmrests.Sitforwardslightly toavoidleaningagainstthebackrest.Keepyourspineuprightandplaceyourfeethipwidthapartontheground.Iftheydonotreachthefloor,supportthemwithfoldedblankets.Yourlowerlegsshouldbeperpendiculartothefloorandyourhipsslightlyhigherthanyourknees.

EASYPOSESukhasana

As the English name implies, this is the “easiest” or gentlest of the seatedmeditation postures, involving simply sitting cross-legged on the floor.However,itisnotsuitableforeveryone,sotryitandseehowyoufeel.

1Sitonthefloorontheedgeofafirmcushionorfoldedblanket,bendinbothlegsandcrossonelegontopoftheotherinfrontofyou,sothatyourknees

relaxdowntothesides.Ifyouaremoreexperienced,youmaynotneedacushion.

2Ensurethecushionorblanketisanappropriateheighttomaketheposturecomfortableforyou.Ideally,yourkneesshouldbeslightlylowerthanyourhips,oratleastatthesamelevel.Thisallowsyourthighstorelaxdownward,reducingtensioninthehipsandfreeingthespinetolengthenupward.

3Situprightwiththeweightofyourbodyinthefrontedgesofyoursittingbones.Aligntheupperbodydirectlyoverthebaseofthespine.Lengthenthespine,openyourchestanddrawyourshouldersback.

4Restyourhands,palmsupward,inChinMudra(seepage58)onyourkneesorthighs,dependingonyourpreference.

THUNDERBOLTPOSEVajrasana

Thiskneelingmeditationvposeisaslightvariationonthestandardsittingthemeand isone that is regularlyusedbyMuslimsandZenBuddhists inprayerandmeditation.Kneeling inVajrasana calms and harmonizes the body andmind,activatespranainthesushumnanadiandredirectssexualenergytothebrainforspiritualpurposes.

1Kneelonayogamatorcushionwithyourkneestogetherandsityourbuttocksonyourheels.

2Bringyourbigtoestogetherandseparateyourheels,sothatyourbuttocksareseatedontheinsidesurfaceofyourfeetwithyourheelstouchingthesidesofyourhips.

3Keepyourbodyupright,withyourhead,neckandspinenaturallyalignedandrelaxed.

4Restyourhands,palmsupward,inChinMudra(seepage58)onyourkneesorthighs.

CAUTION:Beparticularlycarefulwiththisposeifyouhaveanyissueswithyourknees,and,ifyouexperienceanypaininyourthighs,separateyourkneesslightly.

ADEPTPOSESiddhasana

TheSanskrittermsiddhameans“perfected”or“accomplished”.Assuch,itisnogreatsurprise thatSiddhasana isconsideredan idealmeditationpostureamongadeptyogis.Thisisbecauseitquietensthemind,hasabalancingeffectonthenadisandactivatesthespiritualenergyofthechakrasduetothepressureappliedbythepositionofthefeet.

1Sitonthefloorontheedgeofafirmcushionorfoldedblanket.Ifyouaremoreexperienced,youmaynotneedacushionorblanket.Bendyourleftlegandplacethesoleofyourfootflatagainstyourinnerrightthighwithyour

heelpressingagainstthegroin,sothatyouareessentiallysittingonyourleftheel.

2Thenbendyourrightlegandplacetherightfootdirectlyinfrontoftheleftfootsothattheanklebonesaretouching.Yourleftheelmightpressthepubicbone,directlyabovethegenitals.

3Asanalternative,pushtheouteredgeoftheleftfootandthetoesbetweentherightcalfandthighmuscles.Grasptherighttoesandpullthemupinbetweentheleftcalfandthigh.

4Restyourhands,palmsupward,onyourkneesinChinMudra(seepage58).

LOTUSPOSEPadmasana

Padmasana, meaning “lotus seat”, is the classic sitting pose for YogaMeditation,inwhichthefeetareplacedonopposingthighs.Asthelegsareinabound position, the blood flow to them is reduced, resulting in an increase ofblood flow to thebrain,whichpurifies thenervous system.Thisposturehasabalancing influence on all the chakras and brings an incomparable feeling ofcalmtothemind.

1Sitonthefloorwithyourlegsextendedinfrontofyou.Then,slowlyandcarefullybendinyourrightleg,holdingyourrightfootwithbothofyourhands.

2Turnthefootaroundsothatthesoleisfacingyouandplacetheinstepuphighonyourleftthighasyouloweryourrightkneetothefloor.Yourrightheelshouldbeclosetoyourpubicbone.

3Thenbendinyourleftlegand,holdingyourleftfootwithyourhands,placetheinstepuphighonyourrightthigh.Findapointofcomforthere.

4Restyourhands,palmsfacingupward,onyourkneesinChinMudra(seepage58).

ADAPTEDLOTUSWITHSUPPORT

This adapted version of the difficult-to-accomplish Lotus Pose is a goodalternativeforanyonewhofindstheseatedfloorpositionsuncomfortableforanyreason(forexample,stiffkneesorsoreback)butwhodoesn’twant tositonachair.Youwillneedfiveorsixsoftblanketstotryit.

1Sitonfourorfivefoldedblankets,withyourbackuprightagainstawallifyourbackmusclesdon’tfeeluptosupportingthemselves.

2Bendyourlegs,crossingoneovertheothersothatyourshinscontacteachother,andeachfootrestsonthefloorundertheoppositeknee.

3Adjusttheheightofyourkneesuntilthekneecapsarepointingdirectlyoutward.

4Placealong,rolledblanketaroundthefrontofyourshinsandoverthetopsofbothfeetandtuckitinfirmlysothatitsupportsyourlegs.

5Tiltyourpelvisforwardandsitupright.Rollthetopsofyourshouldersbackandleanyourheadgentlyagainstthewall.

6Withyourhead,neckandspineinalignment,keepyourchestliftedandrelaxyourabdomenanddiaphragmmusclesasyoubreatheslowlyandrhythmically.

7Restyourhands,palmsfacingupward,onyourthighs,inChinMudra(seepage58).

Mudras

Ausefultooltogetacquaintedwithareyogicgesturescalledmudras;mudraisaSanskrit wordmeaning “gesture” or “attitude”.Mudras can be applied to thehands, head or body, with the intention of awakening the prana to bringdeepenedawarenessandconcentration.Herewelookathandmudras.However,youwillcomeacrossarangeofothermudrasintheexercisesonthepagesthatfollow, which are specific techniques relevant to specific practices; each isexplainedinitsownsection.

Your hands are essentially an energy map of consciousness. Each fingercontains numerous nerve terminals and represents a certain quality. Whenfingers and parts of the palms connect in a particular hand mudra, it’s likeflickingaswitchthatactivatespranaalongspecificnadisinthehands,intothebody, through the chakras and to the brain. This loop of energy between thebrainandthehandmudrameansthatthepranicenergyisunabletoescapefromthebodyandis thereforeheightened,strengtheningthebody–mindconnection.ThefourmudrasthatfollowarethekeyhandpositionsforYogaMeditation,andcanbeusedinterchangeablydependingontheeffectyouwouldliketoachieve.

ChinMudra–GestureofConsciousnessRestyourhands,palmsup,onyourkneesorthighs,andlightlyjointhetipsofyourthumbsandindexfingers.Extendtheotherfingers.Thewordchincomesfrom the Sanskrit word chit or chitta meaning “consciousness”. The closedcircuitoftheindexfingerandthumbsymbolizestheunionoftheindividualsoulwithsupremeconsciousness,makingyoufeelcalmandconnected.

JnanaMudra–GestureofWisdomRestyourhands,palmsdown,onyourkneesorthighs,andlightlyjointhetipsofyour thumbsand index fingers.Relax theother fingers.Jnana (pronounced“gyana”)Mudra gives stability, balances the five vital elements of the body,inspires creativity, develops the intellect, sharpens memory and increasesconcentration.

BhairavaMudra–GestureofBlissRestyourhands,palmsupward,inyourlap.Placethelefthandontherightone,

sothatyoucradlethebackofyourlefthandinyourrightpalm.Bringthetipsofyour thumbs together.The twohands represent the ida (leftnadi) andpingala(rightnadi),sotheirunionsymbolizesdrawingthetwoenergiestogetherinthesushumna(centralnadi),whichhasadeeplycalmingeffect.

Clasped–handsMudra–GestureofUnityRestyourhands,palmsupward, inyour lap. Interlockyour fingers so that thefingersofeachhandlieagainstthebackoftheoppositehand.Restonethumbontopof the other.This is a symbol ofmind andbody in harmonious unity; themindsymbolizedbytheleftthumbandthebodybytheright.Usethismudratogodeeperintomeditativecalm.

Bandhas

Another useful yogic tool forYogaMeditation is anunderstandingof internalenergeticsealsorlocksknownasbandhas.TheSanskritwordbandhameans“tolock”or“tohold”.

Whenabandhaispractisedbyapplyingaphysicalcontractiontoaspecificbody part, the energy flow is temporarily blocked, and controlled. When thebandha isreleased, theenergyflowsmorestronglyinthatarea,withincreasedpressure.Thisredirectionoftheflowofpranahasacalmingeffectonthemind,strengthens our inner focus, and also directs our awareness toward higherconsciousness. As such, using the bandhas can be likened to the temporarydammingofariverforittoberedirectedmoreusefully.

Thethreemajorbandhastobeusedinconjunctionwithcertainyogaasanaandpranayamaareasfollows.

MulaBandha–RootLockTheSanskritwordsmulaandbandhamean“root”and“lock”soMulaBandharefers to theenergetic“lock”nearmuladharachakra, at thebaseof the spine.Alsocalledthe“perineumlock”,thisinvolvesgentlycontractingthemusclesofthe pelvic floor, which lifts and tones the organs of the pelvis. Think of thesqueezingactionthatyouwouldtaketostopurinatingmid-streamandyouhaveagood ideaof the feelingyouare trying to achieve.There isnoexternal signwhenyouareapplyingthisbandhasonophotographcanillustrateit.

UddiyanaBandha–AbdominalLockTheSanskrit termuddiyanameansto“flyupward”–anappropriatenotionforthis lock which, when applied by contracting the upper abdominal muscles,causesthediaphragmto“flyupward”,orrise,towardthechest.Ithelpstodirectpranaintothesushumnanadi(thecentralenergypathwayinthespine)sothatitflows upward to sahasrara chakra, thus helping you on your journey towardself-realization.Toapplythislock,thinkofgentlysuckingyourstomachinandupasmuchaspossible.

CAUTION:Practiseonlyonanemptystomach.Pregnantwomenandthosesufferingfromhighbloodpressure,heartproblemsandstomachulcersshould

avoidit.

JalandharaBandha–ThroatLockThislockisachievedbyloweringandpressingthechintothesternum,whilethechestisraisedwiththeinhalingbreathtowardthechin.TheSanskrittermsjalananddharamean“net”and“stream”sothislocksealsoffthenetworkofnadisinthe neck, preventing the “stream” of prana between the chakras, and insteaddirectingitintothesushumnanadi.Thispromotesanincreasedsenseofcalm.

CAUTION:Thosewithhighbloodpressure,heartproblems,mentalstressandmigraineshouldonlypractisethisundertheguidanceofanexperiencedyogateacher.

4ASANAPRACTICE

PosturestoRevitalizeYourBody’sEnergy

Regularlydoingtheyogapostures(asanas)inthischapterwillnotonlyhelptoenhance your physical health. The sequences are also designed to awaken thesubtleenergyinyourbody–sothatitcanbeconsciouslydirectedfromthespinetothehigherbraincentresinthemeditationpracticestofollow,encouragingyoutofindyoursenseofinnerpeaceandstillness.

Firstly, you will be led through warm-up exercises, which limber up thebody. Next, you will be guided through the Sun Salutation Sequence (SuryaNamaskara),whichinvigoratesandbalancesallthebody’ssystems.Next,thereare two sequences tochoosebetween: anEnergizingMorningSequenceandaRelaxingEveningSequence.Finally,thereisaCoolDownSequence,whichcanbeaddedtotheendofeitheramorningoreveningpractice.Ideally,thiswholesetofsequenceswouldbecompletedbeforedoinganyoftherestofthepracticesin thebook.However, ifyoudon’thave timefor this, simplychoose themostsuitablesequence for the time,whether theSunSalutation to reinvigorateyou,theMorningSequencetosetyouupfortheday,theEveningSequencetowinddownortheCoolDownSequencetoreallyswitchoffandrelax.

WarmingUp

Beforebeginningyouryogaroutineproper,practiseatleastafewofthewarm-up exercises that follow to limber the spine, loosen yourmuscles and prepareyour mind. Make sure you do each movement slowly, with concentration,coordinating your breathing (both in and out through the nose) with yourmovements.Thereisinstructiongivenwitheachexerciseastowhenyoushouldinhaleorexhale.

Benefitsofthewarm-up

ItisgoodtogetintothehabitofgivingyourselftimetowarmupbeforestartingyourYogaMeditation routineproper, asdoing the exerciseson thepages thatfollowwillconferthefollowingbenefits:

•StandingBodyStretchstretchesthespineandrelaxesthewholebody.•CrossingArmsAboveHeadrelaxestheshoulders,stretchesthechestmusclesandencouragesdeepbreathing.

•UpperBodySideBendstretchesandstrengthensthemusclesalongthesidesoftheabdomenandback.

•UpperBodyTwistpromotesflexibilityofthespine,andrelaxesboththeupperandlowerbackmuscles.

•ChairPosestrengthensthelegmusclesandstretchesthearms.•UpperBodySwinginvigoratestheentirebody,deepeningbreathingandpromotingflexibilityinthebackandhips.

PREPARINGTHEBODY

1StandingBodyStretchStandwithyourlegstogetherandyourarmsatyourside.Inhaling,riseupontoyourtoesandstretchyourarmsaboveyourhead,sothatyoustretchyourwholebody. Exhaling, slowly lower your heels and return to the starting position.Repeatfivetimesintotal.

2CrossingArmsAboveHeada)Standwithyourlegsslightlywiderthanhip-widthapart,yourarmsrelaxed

byyoursidesandyourbackstraight.Inhaling,raiseyourarmsstraightouttoshoulderlevelateachside,palmsfacingdownward.

b)Exhaling,crossyourarmsaboveyourhead,palmsfacingforward.Inhaling,loweryourarmstoyoursidesandreturntothestartingposition.RepeatStepsaandbtentimesintotal.

3UpperBodySideBendStandingwithyour legsslightlywider thanhip-widthapart, claspyour fingersbehindyourheadandpushyourelbowsslightlyback.Exhaling,bendyourupperbody sideways to the left, ensuring that you don’t lean either backward orforward.Inhaling,returntothecentre.Exhaling,bendyourupperbodysidewaysto the right, again ensuring that you don’t lean either backward or forward.Inhaling,returntothecentre.Repeatthreetimesoneachsideintotal.

4UpperBodyTwistStandingwithyour legsslightlywider thanhip-widthapart, claspyour fingersbehindyourheadandpushyourelbowsslightlyback.Inhaledeeply,thenasyouexhale, turn your upper body to the left. Inhale and turn back to the centre.Exhale,turntotheright;theninhale,returntothecentre.Repeatthreetimes.

5ChairposeStandingwithyourfeethip-widthapart,holdyourarmsstraightoutinfrontofyouatshoulderlevelandinhale.Exhaling,slowlyloweryourbodybybendingyourkneesintoasquatposition,asifyouareabouttositonachair.Keepyourfeetflatonthefloor,withyourkneesoveryourankles.Holdforacountoffivebreaths,theninhaleandreturntothestandingposition.Repeatfivetimes.

6UpperBodySwinga)Standwithyourfeetwideapart.Inhalingdeeply,raisebotharmsstraight

aboveyourhead.Allowyourhandstorelaxanddropforward.

b)Then,exhalingdeeplythroughyourmouth,stretchyourarmsandupperbodyforward,swingingthemasfarasiscomfortablebetweenyourlegs,takingcarenottolockyourknees.Inhaling,swingslowlybackuptostandingupright,withyourhandsaboveyourhead.Repeatthisswingingmovement

tentimesintotal.

c)Then,breathingnormally,allowyourbodytorelaxandhangforwardforthreebreathsbeforeslowlyraisingyourbodyuprightonaninhalation,withyourarmsstretchedaboveyourhead.Finally,exhaleandloweryourarmsslowlytobringthemtoyoursides.

CAUTION:Donotpractisethisexerciseifyousufferfromhighbloodpressureorhaveaslippeddiscorotherbackissues.

SunSalutationSequence

Theflowingyogasequenceknownas theSunSalutation(SuryaNamaskara inSanskrit) is an invaluable series of postures that can be done at any time,whetherasacompleteexerciseinitsownright,oraspartofawiderroutineasadvisedinthisbook,becauseit:•greatlyenhancesflexibilityinthespineandlimbs•stretchesandstrengthensallthemajormusclegroupsinthebody•stimulatescirculation•helpstoovercomefatigue•encouragesthehealthyflowofpranathroughoutthebody•helpstocoordinatethebody,mindandbreath,bringingfocustoyourmindinpreparationformeditation.Thesequencecanbedoneeitherslowly, inameditativeway,oratafaster

pace to really energize the body. The important thing is to practise withawarenessandconcentration,and to try tosynchronizeyourbreathing(both inandoutthroughthenose,orUjjayibreathing,seepages98–9)withthephysicalmovements. If thisseemsdifficultat first, focuson thebodypositions initiallyandthen,oncethesearefamiliar,begintocoordinateyourmovementswithyourbreath.

To add another dimension, more experienced practitioners might like toconcentrateonthechakrathatcorrespondstoeachposition.Thesearelistedinthestepsthatfollow,andinformationonthechakrascanbefoundonpages34–41.

CAUTION:Avoidthesequenceonpages69–71ifyousufferfromhighbloodpressure,dizziness,slippeddiscorotherbackissues.

1MountainPose–TadasanaBegin by standing tallwith your feet together and your arms relaxed by yoursides.Closeyoureyesandbecomeawareofthenaturalrhythmofyourbreath–inthroughyournoseandoutthroughyournose.CONCENTRATION:muladhara(root)chakra.

2PrayerPose–PranamasanaExhaling, join your palms together in the classical prayer position in front ofyourheart.Feelthismovementbeginto“centre”yourenergy.CONCENTRATION:anahata(heart)chakra.

3UpwardSalute–UrdhvaHastasanaOpenyoureyes.Inhaling,slowlysweepyourarmsouttothesidesandoverhead,keepingyourarmsstraightandendingupwithyourpalmspressedtogether.Liftyourchestandarchyourbackslightly.CONCENTRATION:vishuddhi(throat)chakra.

4StandingForwardBend:UttanasanaExhaling,slowlyfoldintoastandingforwardbend,aimingtoplaceyourhandseithersideofyourfeetinlinewithyourtoes.Ifyourlegsfeeltight,bendyourknees slightly. Lengthen your spine as you release your head, shoulders andarmstowardthefloor.CONCENTRATION:svadhisthana(sacral)chakra.

5Rider’sLunge–AshwaSanchalasanaInhaling,bendbothkneesandloweryourrightkneetothegroundasyoustretchthelegback.Atthesametimekeepyourleftfootbetweenyourhands,andyourkneedirectlyoveryourankle.Raiseyourheadandlookup.CONCENTRATION:ajna(thirdeye)chakra.

6Plank–PhalakasanaHolding your breath, extend your left leg back so that it is alignedwith yourright leg. Keep both legs straight and allow your arms to support your upperbody,whileyourtoesandfeetsupportyourlowerbody.Lengthenfromthebaseofyourspinethroughtothetopofyourhead,extendingyourheelsback.CONCENTRATION:manipura(solarplexus)chakra.

7SalutewithEightPoints–AshtangaNamaskaraExhaling,bendandlowerfirstyourkneestothefloor,thenyourchestandchintoo, ensuring that your shoulders and fingertips align as you bend your arms.Yourbuttocksshouldremainraised.CONCENTRATION:manipura(solarplexus)chakra.

8Cobra–BhujangasanaKeeping your slightly bent elbows close to your body and your shouldersrelaxed,pushyourhandsgentlyintothefloortoraiseyourheadandupperbody,archingyourspinebackward,whilekeepingyourhips,legsandthetopsofyourfeetonthefloor.Directyourgazebetweenyoureyebrows.CONCENTRATION:svadhisthana(sacral)chakra.

9DownwardDog–Adho-Mukha-SvanasanaExhaling,tuckyourtoesunder,raiseyourhipstothesky,straightenyourarmsandpushyourbodybackward.Allowyourheadtorelaxbetweenyourarmsandpressyourheelstowardthefloor.CONCENTRATION:vishuddhi(throat)chakra.

10Rider’sLunge–AshwaSanchalasanaInhaling, lunge your right leg forward, bringing your right foot between yourhands.Loweryour leftknee to the floorandstretchyour left legback, restingthetopofyourfootflatonthefloor.Lookup.CONCENTRATION:ajna(thirdeye)chakra.

11StandingForwardBend–UttanasanaExhaling,stepyourleftlegforwardtomeettherightandfoldyourbodyforwardfrom thehip joints,bringingyour forehead towardyour shins.Bendyour legsslightly,ifyouneedto,forcomfort.CONCENTRATION:svadhisthana(sacral)chakra.

12UpwardSalute–UrdhvaHastasanaInhaling,slowlyraiseyourupperbody,firstwithyourarmsoutstretchedinfrontofyouandthenoverhead,withthepalmspressedtogetherorfacingeachother.Slightlyarchyourspinebackward.CONCENTRATION:vishuddhi(throat)chakra.

13MountainPose–TadasanaExhaling,loweryourarmstoyoursidesandandlookstraightahead.Takeoneortwoslowdeepbreathsheretocentreyourself.CONCENTRATION:anahata(heart)chakra.

Nextrepeattheentiresequence,thistimeontheoppositeside:takingyourleft

knee to the floor in Step 5 and your right knee to the floor in Step 10. Thiscompletes one “round” of the Sun Salutation. It is good to begin with sixcompleteroundsandgraduallyprogressto12rounds.

EnergizingMorningSequence

The sequence of yoga postures that followswill really stretch your spine andlegs,awakeningyourbodyandfillingitwithvitalityforthedayahead.Besureto practise slowly, with awareness, and try to tune into the energy runningthroughyourspineasyourelaxintoeachpose.Breathedeeplyandsmoothlyinandoutthroughyournoseunlessstatedotherwise.

1MountainPose–TadasanaStandtallwithyourfeettogetherandyourarmsbyyoursides,relaxyoureyesandface,andlookstraightahead.

2StandingForwardBend–UttanasanaExhaling, bend forward from your hips, taking your upper body toward yourlegs.Ifyouareunabletoplaceyourhandsonyourfeet(asshown),tryholdingyouroppositeelbowswithyourhandsandpullingthemdowntolengthenyourtrunk.Holdforfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,comeupslowly.

3TrianglePose–TrikonasanaStandwithyour feetover1m (about4ft) apart andparallel.Extendyour armsout to the sides at shoulder height. Turn your left foot out by 90 degrees andyour right foot inbyabout15degrees.Exhaling,bendyourbodydown to theleft,aimingtoholdyourankleoraslowdownyourlegasyoucan.Stretchyourright armup and turn thepalm to face forward.Keepingyour right hip rolledback, turn your head to look up at your hand. Hold for five breaths. Then,inhaling,comeupslowly.Turnyour feet to the front, then repeaton theotherside,thistimewithyourrightfootturnedoutandyourleftfootin.

4Side-AnglePose–ParsvakonasanaStandwithyourfeetover1m(about4ft)apartandparallelagain.Turnyourleftfoot90degreesoutandyourrightfootslightlyin.Exhaling,bendyourleftlegtoarightangleandloweryourbodytotheleft,placingyourleftforearmonyourleftthigh.Stretchyourrightarmoverhead,palmfacingforward,turnyourheadto lookupatyour arm, and feel the stretchdown the right sideofyourbody.Holdforfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,comeup.Turnyourfeettothefront,then

repeatontheotherside.

5Warrior–VirabhadrasanaStandwithyourfeetover1m(about4ft)apartandparallelagain.Turnyourleftfootout90degreesandyourrightfootin45degrees,thenturnyourhipstofacethesamedirectionasyourlefttoes.Exhaling,bringyourarmsoverhead,palmstogether,stretchupwardandlookupatyourhands.Holdforfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,comeup.Turnyourfeettothefront,thenrepeatontheotherside.

6SidewaysIntenseStretch–ParsvottanasanaStandwithyourfeetjustlessthan1m(about3ft)apart.Turnyourleftfootout90degreesandyourrightfootin45degrees,thenturnyourhipstofacethesamedirectionasyour left toes. Inhaling,stretchyourbodyup, then,exhaling,bendforwardfromyourhips,overtheleftleg,reachingyourhandstowardthefloor(or as low on your leg as they reach). Hold for five breaths. Then, inhaling,slowlycomeup.Turnyourfeettothefront,thenrepeatontheotherside.

7CamelPose–UstrasanaKneelonthefloorwithyourlegship-widthapartandyourbodyinaverticallinefromyourkneesupward.Tuckyourtailboneunderanddrawyourabdomenin.Place your hands on your hips, with your elbows back, to lift your chest.Inhaling, lengthenyourspineandcircleyourrightarmupandbehindto touchthe right heel. Repeat with your left arm so that your spine ends up archedbackward,keepingyourabstightandyourthighsvertical.Ifyouareunabletoreachyourheels(oritiscausingdiscomfort),placeyourhandsonyourhipsandgentlyarchback.Holdforfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,slowlycomeupandsitonyourheels.

8SeatedForwardBend–PaschimottanasanaSiton the floorwithyour legs together, stretchedout in frontofyouandyourspineupright.Pressyourthighsdownandextendthroughyourheels.Exhaling,bendforwardfromyourhipsandclaspyourfeet,anklesorshins,dependingonyour flexibility.Aim to rest yourupperbodyandheadonyour legs.Hold forfivebreaths.Then,inhaling,slowlycomeuptositting.

“Thesecretofhealthforbothmindandbody

“Thesecretofhealthforbothmindandbodyisnottomournforthepast,worryaboutthefuture,oranticipatetroubles,buttoliveinthe

presentmomentwiselyandearnestly.”

PARAMHANSAYOGANANDA

RelaxingEveningSequence

Thesequenceofyogaposturesthatfollowswillhelpyoutounwindfromyourdaily activities by freeing tensions fromyourbody, awakening energy inyourspineandincreasingthebloodcirculationtoyourbraintobothvitalizeandrelaxyouformeditation.Breathedeeplyandsmoothlyinandoutthroughyournose,unlessotherwisestated.

1UpwardThunderboltPose–UrdhvaVajrasanaa) Kneel on the floor, with your buttocks on your heels, your hands on yourthighsandyourbodyuprightbutrelaxed.

b)Inhaling,raisebothyourarmsaboveyourhead,stretchingyourspineslightlyback,andexpandingyourchesttoopenyourheartandlungs.Looktowardyourhands,holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

2HarePose–ShashankasanaExhaling, bend your body forward, reaching your arms in front of you andrestingyourforeheadonthefloor.Keepyourbuttocksonyourheelsifyoucan.Holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

3CobraPose–BhujangasanaLiedownonyourstomach,restingthetopsofyourfeetonthefloor.Inhaling,press your hips into the floor and raise your upper body, supporting yourselfwithyourhandsunderyourshoulders,elbowstuckedin.Archyourbackslightlyandlookup,pressingyourshouldersdownandback.Holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

4DownwardDog–Adho-Mukha-SvanasanaExhaling, tuck your toes under, straighten your arms and legs, and raise your

hipshigh.Pushyourheels into the floor andyourbuttocks into the air.Relaxyourheadbetweenyourarmsanddirectyourgazetowardyourknees.Holdforfivebreaths,thenrelease.

5CatPose–Majariasanaa)Comedownontoallfours,aligningyourkneesdirectlyunderyourhipsandyourhandsdirectlyunderyour shoulders,withyourback in a relaxed straightline.

b)Inhalingdeeply,archdownyourlowerspineandextendyourhead,neckandchest upward. Push down through the hands to lift your upper spine and lookdirectlyahead.

c)Exhaling,tuckyourtailboneunder,drawyourabdomenin,bowyourheadtolooktowardyournavelandarchupyourwholespine.

d) Repeat the arching down (Step b) and arching up (Step c) movement fivetimesintotal.

6Child’sPose–BalasanaInhale as you sit back on your heels. Exhale as you fold your upper bodyforward to restyour foreheadon the floor ifyoucan.Restyour armsbyyoursides, palms facing upward. Take your attention inward and focus yourawarenessonyourbreath.Restherefortenbreaths,thenveryslowlysitupintoThunderboltPose(seepage54).

7CorpsePose–ShavasanaIfyouare finishingyourpracticehere, liedownonyourbackwithyourhead,neckandspineinanicestraightline,yourfeetacomfortabledistanceapartandyourarmsslightlyawayfromthesidesofyourbody,palmsfacingup.Letyourfeet fall loosely to the sides and remain completely still.Close your eyes and

relaxyourwholebody.Maintaintheinnerfocusofyourmindbybeingawareofthenatural rhythmof your breathing.Remainhere for as long as you feel theneed.If,however,youhavetimetocontinuetotheCoolDownSequence,youcanskipthisposturehereasyouwilldoitattheendofyourcooldown.

CoolDownSequence

The following soothing sequence ofmainly inverted yoga postures (where thehead is lower than the heart) will benefit the whole body, massaging andnourishingyour internalorgansby increasing thebloodsupply to them. Itwillalso enhance physical and mental relaxation in preparation for meditation.Breathe deeply and smoothly in and out through your nose unless statedotherwise.

Benefitsofinvertedposes

While invertedposes inyogaareoften seenasdifficult, thebenefitsofgentlymasteringtheseposesaremanifold.Reversingtheactionofgravityonthebodyhasanumberofusefulhealth-promotingoutcomes.

Asmentionedabove, invertedposes invigorate theentirebodyandprovidesupport for internal organs.However, theseposes alsodeepenbreathing, relaxthe nervous system, and promote flexibility in the back and hips. TheShoulderstand can help with headaches too, as the muscles in the neck andshouldersarereleasedandbenefitfromagreatersupplyofblood.

CAUTION:Donotpractisetheinvertedposesonthepagesthatfollow(Steps2to5–ShoulderstandtoBridge)duringmenstruation,pregnancyorifsufferingfromhighbloodpressure,aneckinjuryoreyeproblemssuchasadetachedretinaorglaucoma.FishPoseisfinetopractiseduringmenstruationbutisnotsuitableduringpregnancy.

1LyingDown,LegsOutStraightLieonyourbackwithyourlegsstraightout,yourarmsbyyoursidesandyourpalmsonthefloor.Tuckyourchinin.Breatherhythmicallyfromyourabdomen.

2Shoulderstand–SarvangasanaInhaling,raiseyourlegsto90degrees,keepingthemstraight.Pressyourhandsintothefloortoraiseyourhipsandlegs,andbringyourhandsontoyourlowerbackforsupport,fingerspointinginwardandthumbsaroundthehips.Continueto raiseyour legs andhipshigher,movingyourhands closer toyour shoulder

bladestosupportthebalance.Aimtohaveyourbodyinaverticalline,elbowstuckedin,bringyourchinclosetoyourchest,andrelaxyourfeet.Holdforuptothree minutes, breathing rhythmically from your abdomen. If this is toochallenging,youcandoHalfShoulderstand(ArdhaSarvangasana)instead:justextendyourlegsoveryourheadatacomfortableangle,restingyourhipsinyourhandsandkeepingtheweightofyourbodyonyourupperback,notyourneck.

3PloughPose–HalasanaExhaling,slowlylowerbothlegsoveryourhead,aimingtorestyourtoesonthefloorbutkeepingyourhips liftedandpressingyourarms into thefloorbehindyour back, palms down.Hold for up to threeminutes, breathing rhythmicallyfromyour abdomen. If this is toochallenging, tryplacing two foldedblanketsunder your shoulders, bend your legs behind you and place your feet onto asupport,suchasasmall,sturdystoolofanappropriateheight.

4Knee-to-earPose–KarnapidasanaExhaling, loweryourknees either sideof your ears if you can andplaceyourarms behind your knees and your hands over your ears.Hold for oneminute,breathingslowly.Tocomeoutofthepose,extendyourarmsonthefloorbehindyourback,pressyourpalmsflatintothefloorandloweryourspine,vertebrabyvertebra.Then slowly loweryour legs so thatyou’re lyingonyourback,withyour legs together and arms by your sides, palms on the floor. If this is toochallenging,simplymovestraightfromPlough(Step3)toBridge(Step5).

5Bridge–Setubandhasanaa)Still lyingonyourback,withyourarmsbyyoursides,bendyourkneesup,placing your feet flat on the floor, about 50cm (20in) apart and parallel. Becarefulnottoletyourkneesfallinward.

b) Exhaling, place your hands on your lower back, fingers turned inward andthumbs on your sides, keeping your elbows on the floor. Push your hips andthighsupward,archyourspineanddonotletyourkneespushforwardoveryourtoes.Pressbothfeetevenlyintothefloor.Holdtheposeforfivebreaths.Then,breathingslowly,exhaleandrelease.

6FishPose–Matsyasana

Lyingonyourbackwithyourlegstogether,armsbyyoursidesandpalmsonthefloor, slide your arms under your body so that your hands, palms down, arebeneathyourbuttocks.Inhaling,raiseyourselfupontoyourelbowsandliftyourchest as high as you can.Gently extend your head back and lower the top ofyourheadtowardthefloor.Holdtheposeforabouthalf the timeyouheld theShoulderstand(asacounterpose).Tocomeoutofthepose,keeptheweightonyourelbows,inhale,raiseyourheadandloweryourspinegraduallytothefloor.

7CorpsePose–ShavasanaLieonyourbackwithyourhead,neckand spine inanice straight line.Placeyour feet about 60cm (2ft) apart, relaxing them out to the sides. Your armsshouldbeat45degreestoyourbody,palmsfacingup.Inhale,thentenseallthemuscles in your body and hold the breath for a few seconds, before exhaling,completelylettinggoofall tension.Closeyoureyesandfocusyourawarenessonyourbreathing:asyouinhaletheabdomenrises,asyouexhaletheabdomenfalls.Relaxforaslongasyoucanafford,feelingtheenergyflowingthroughoutyourbody.Youwillnowbeinamuchmorereadystateformeditation.

5PURIFICATIONPRACTICE

TechniquestoCleanseYourBodyandMind

Both a healthy body and a healthymind are required to sustain the increasedlevelsofenergyneededforYogaMeditation.It is therefore important thatanyimpurities–whetherphysical(knownasmalas)ormental(knownasvikshepas),suchasdoubt, inattention, laziness andpleasure-seeking– are removedbeforemeditation.

When thepurificationpractices in thischapter–NadiShodhana (AlternateNostrilBreathing),AgnisaraKriya(ActivatingtheDigestiveFire),Kapalabhati(Skull-shining Breath) and Ashvini Mudra (Horse Gesture) – are regularlyperformed, preferably daily, they will purify the body’s energy channels,strengthenthedigestion,burnuptoxins,massagetheinternalorgans,awakenthelife energies of the body, and cleanse and calm the mind in preparation formeditation.

Aim to do the four purifications as part of your regular yoga practice(preferably in the morning) – after your yoga postures and before yourpranayamaandmeditation.Doingthisregularlyforatleastthreetosixmonthswill allow you to experience the optimum benefits of increased energy andclarityofmind.

NadiShodhana:AlternateNostrilBreathing

Thisimportantexercise–alsocommonlyknownasAnulomaViloma–purifiesalltheenergychannelsofboththephysicalandastralbodiessothatpranacanflowsmoothly;nadiisSanskritfor“flow”,andshodhanafor“purification”.Theexercisealsobalancesbreathingbetweenthe leftandrightnostrilsandactivitybetweentheleftandrightbrainhemispheres,whichhasacalmingeffectonthenervoussystem.Whentheflowofairbecomesequalinthenostrils,theflowofenergy in the ida and pingala nadis is also equalized, which allows prana toflow in the central sushumna nadi, centring the mind for the purpose ofmeditation.

Regular practicewill increase your capacity for focused concentration andmeditation.Itisbesttostartusingaratioof4:8:8–inhalingforacountoffour,holdingthebreathforeight,exhalingforeight.

VishnuMudra

Thismudra, which involves folding your middle and index fingers into yourpalm and keeping your thumb and ring and little fingers extended, is used inNadi Shodhana to help to contain prana within the body. The right hand isusuallyusedtoperformthismudra.

PRACTISINGNadiShodhana

1Sitinacomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7),closeyoureyesandrelaxyourwholebody.

2Relaxyourlefthandonyourleftknee,palmupward.3RaiseyourrighthandandpositionitinVishnuMudra(seebelowleft).4Exhaleandcloseyourrightnostrilwithyourthumb.

5Inhaleslowlyandsmoothlythroughtheleftnostrilforacountoffour.6Gentlycloseyourleftnostrilwithyourringandlittlefingerssothatboth

nostrilsarenowclosed,andholdyourbreathforacountofeight.7Releaseyourthumbandexhaleslowlythroughyourrightnostrilforacountofeight.

8Remainwiththeleftnostrilclosedandinhalethroughyourrightnostrilforacountoffour.

9Closebothnostrilsandholdyourbreathforacountofeight.10Releaseyourleftnostrilandexhalethroughitforacountofeight.Thiscompletesonefullround;repeatfromStep5tostartthenextround.Practisefivetotenroundsintotaldaily.Overaperiodoftime,graduallyaimtoincreaseto25rounds.Onceyou’veprogressedto25roundsatthis4:8:8ratio,reverttofivetotenrounds,butthistimetryinga5:10:10ratio.

AgnisaraKriya:ActivatingtheDigestiveFire

AgniisSanskritfor“fire”,sarameans“essence”andkriyameans“action”.Thispurification practice is therefore ameans of stimulating the “essence of fire”,which is thought tobeat thenavel inyogic terms; thiscreates internalheat torekindle the digestive fire. It is also an effective exercise for toning theabdominalmuscles.Spiritually,itactivatesmanipurachakraatthenavel,whichfreesusfromnegativeenergiesandimbuesuswithvitality.

Onlyeverdotheexercisesonpages89–90onanemptystomach,andafterevacuationofthebowels.Ifyouarenewtothepractice,itisbesttodojustStage1 first, then gradually progress to themore advanced Stages 2 and 3 as yourabdominalmusclesbecomestronger.Stages2and3are,however,bestlearnedundertheguidanceofanexperiencedyogateacher.

PRACTISINGAgnisaraKriya

STAGE1:AbdominalSqueeze1Standwithyourfeetslightlywiderthanhip-widthapart.Bendyourkneesandleanforward,pressingyourhandsonyourthighsjustaboveyourknees,andkeepingyourarmsstraight.

2Inhaledeeply.Thenrelaxyourabdomen,andasyouexhaledeeply,firmlycontractyourabdominalmuscles,pressingthenaveltowardthespine.Comfortablyholdtheabdominalcontractionwithyourbreathheldoutforafewseconds.Asyouinhale,relaxandallowtheabdomentoreturntoitsnormalposition.Repeatfivetotentimes.

STAGE2:AbdominalPumping1Remainleaningforward,withyourhandspressedonyourthighsjustaboveyourknees,armsstraight.

2Inhaledeeply,then,exhalingdeeplyandslowly,contractthelowerabdominalmusclesjustaboveyourpubicbone,pullingthemfirmlyinwardandupward.

Thisalsocreatesastrongupwardpressureintheperineumareabetweenthegenitalsandanus.Continueexhaling,whilecontractingtheabdominalwalluptowardtheribcage.Asyoucompletetheexhalation,inhaleand,withoutpause,inawave-likemotion,slowlyreleasethecontractionfromtheuppertothelowerabdomen.

3Onyournextexhalation,onceagaincontractfirstyourlower,thenyourupperabdominalmuscles.Then,holdingyourbreathforaslongasyoucomfortablycanwithoutstrain,pumpyourabdominalmusclesinandoutinquicksuccession.Atfirst,aimtodoabout20“pumps”.Theninhale,relaxandstanduprightagain.Asyoubecomemoreexperienced,youcangraduallyincreasetodoingtenroundsof20pumps,takingashortbreakbetweeneachround.

STAGE3:AbdominalRolling(LaulikiNauli)1Bendyourkneesagainandleanforward,pressingyourhandsonyourthighsjustaboveyourknees,andkeepingyourarmsstraight.

2Exhaledeeply,andfirmlycontractyourabdominalmuscles,bringingthenaveltowardthespine.ThisisUddiyanaBandha(seepage61).

3Maintainingthislock,pressyourhandsintoyourlegsandgiveaforwardandslightlydownwardthrusttotheabdominalportionbetweenthenavelandthepubicbone.Thishelpstocontracttherectusabdominusmuscles–thetwolongverticalrowsofmusclerunningdownthecentreoftheabdomen–keepingtheothermusclesoftheabdomeninarelaxedcondition.Equalhandpressureonyourlegsfurtherhelpsyoutoachievetheisolationoftherectusabdominusmuscles.

4Onceyoucanachievethisinitialisolationofthesemuscles,trytoisolatejusttherightrectusmuscle(DakshinaNauli)byleaningyourbodyforward,tiltingyourtorsoslightlytotherightandputtingextrapressureontherighthand.

5Thentrytoisolatetheleftrectusmuscle(VamaNauli)byleaningslightlytotheleftwhileincreasingpressureonthelefthand.

6Finally,starttryingtomoveeachonefromsidetosidesotheymoveor“roll”inawave-likemovementinquicksuccession.Beginbydoingfiverollstotherightandfivetotheleft.

CAUTION:Donotpractiseanyoftheseexercisesduringmenstruation(AgnisaraKriyastimulatestheupwardflowofpranicenergy,whichiscountertothenaturaldownwardcleansingflow),whilepregnantorafteranabdominaloperation,orifyouhaveastomachdisease,cardiovasculardiseaseorhighbloodpressure.

ThisshowsStage2ofAgnisaraKriyapractice–AbdominalPumping–inaction.

TheartofAbdominalRolling

It will take time and perseverance to master Abdominal Rolling as it is anadvanced exercise that requires voluntary control of the central abdominalmuscles.Youwill need to learn how to isolate, contract and rotate the rectusmusclesinachurningmotionwhilemaintainingastaticposture.Thispracticeisthereforebestlearnedundertheexpertiseofanadeptyogateacher.However,itisincludedherebecause,oncelearned,it isavaluablepracticethatcontributestoward the awakening of dormant kundalini, helping it to ascend through thesushumnatothecrownchakra.

Kapalabhati:Skull-shiningBreath

Kapala is Sanskrit for “skull” and bhati means “shine”. The practice ofKapalabhati, which involves a series of rapid, active exhalations and passive,effortless inhalations, therefore literally “shines”orpurifies the cavitieswithinthe skull, invigorating the brain with a massaging effect, rejuvenating thenervous system, and awakening dormant centres responsible for subtleperception. Itexpelsmorecarbondioxideandotherwastegasesfromthecellsand lungs thannormalbreathing. Ifyou feeldizzyatanypointwhiledoing it,simply stop, sit quietly and breathe normally. When you feel ready to beginagain,breathewithawarenessandlessforcibly.

1Sitinacomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7),palmsonyourknees,closeyoureyes,relaxyourwholebodyandbreathedeeply,inandoutthroughyournose.

2Beginactivelyemphasizingyourexhalationbycontractingyourabdomen,sothatyoufeelyourdiaphragmlift,pushingtheairoutofyourlungsforcefullythroughbothnostrils.Thiswillcreateavacuumsothatthepassiveinhalationhappensnaturally.Thisisonerespiration.

3Continuebyrapidlyexhalingandinhalingthroughbothnostrilswithoutpausing,makingeachexhalationshort,strongandpowerfulandeachinhalationlight,relaxedandeffortless.Aimtokeepthemusclesofyourfacerelaxed.

4Startwiththreeroundsoftento20rapidrespirations.Aimtoaddtenrespirationsper“round”eachweekuntilyoureach120respirationsperround.

CAUTION:Thosesufferingfromheartproblems,highbloodpressure,epilepsy,nauseaorfaintingshouldnotpractiseKapalabhati.

AshviniMudra:HorseGesture

The traditional practice ofAshviniMudra,meaning “horse gesture”, is namedafterasubtleinternaldilationandcontractionoftheanalsphinctermusclesthata horse is known to make several times once it has evacuated its bowels.Repeatedlycontractingtheanalsphinctermusclesinthiswayactsasaperinealseal, conserving prana and redirecting it to the higher chakras, preparing themindformeditation.TheexercisealsopromotesoverallstrengthandvigourandisagoodpreparatorypracticeforMulaBandha,therootoranallock(seepage60).Italsohasphysicalbenefitsofstrengtheningtheanalmusclesandhelpsincounteracting disorders such as constipation, piles and prolapsed uterus orrectum.

1KneelinThunderboltPose(seepage54)withyourhead,neckandspineuprightandaligned.Restyourpalmsonyourthighs.

2Inhaledeeply,holdyourbreathandcontractyourglutealmuscles,pelvicdiaphragmandanalsphincterforafewseconds,thenrelease.Thefeelingislikethesqueezingofyourbackpassagetostopyourselfgoingtotheloo.Repeatthecontractionandreleaserapidlyasmanytimesasyoucanholdyourbreathcomfortablywithoutstrain.

3RepeatStep2twicemoresothatyoudothreeroundsofcontractionsintotal.Aimtoslowlyandgraduallyworkyourwayuptobeingabletodo30contractionsinonego,then60,beingcarefulnottostraininanyway.

NOTE:Tomakeiteasiertogetthefeelingwhenyoufirstdoit,youmightwanttotryitlyingdownonyourbackwithyourlegsandfeettogether.Anyposturethatpullsthehipstogetherwillmakeiteasier.

6PRANAYAMAPRACTICE

RegulatingYourVitalLife-EnergyThroughBreath

The techniques in thischapteraim togetyoumoreattuned to thevitalenergywithin your body via the powerful vehicle of the breath, which is the mosttangiblesignofinternalpranicactivity.

Afterall,theSanskritwordpranayama–oneoftheEightLimbsofYoga–iscomposedoftwoparts:prana,meaningthevitalenergywithinus,andayama,meaningtoregulateorextend.Pranayamapracticesthereforeactasameanstoregulateandharmonizethemovementofthevitalenergyinyourbody.Asanymovement of thought in themind is believed to arise from themovement ofprana,gaining theability to regulateandstill thepranawillallowyou tostillandfocusyourmind,too–helpingtoavoid“monkeymind”symptoms,wherethoughtsjumpallovertheplace.

Inthemajorityoftypesofpranayamabreathing,justasinnormalbreathing,it is standard to breathe both in and out through the nose, unless otherwiseinstructed.

Pranayama is best practised in the early morning – after the purificationpractices (see pages 84–93) and before meditation (see pages 106–137).However,manyofthepracticesthatfollowcanbedoneanytimetohelpaccessafeelingofincreasedcalmandpeace.

TheCompleteYogicBreath

TheCompleteYogicBreathisafundamentalpranayamapracticethatwillhelpto restoredeeper,balancedbreathing, leading toenhancedphysicalandmentalrelaxationandmakingyoufeelmorecentredwithin.Itwillalsohelptorelievefatigue, refreshing thewholebodyby increasingoxygen intake.As it involvesbreathing in a smooth, uninterrupted transition from the abdomen, to themid-chest,totheupperchest,italsoteachesyouhowtomaximizeyourlungcapacityso that you use the entire respiratory system. The Complete Yogic Breath isespeciallyusefulintimesofstressforhelpingtocalmthenervoussystemandtoreplenishenergylevels.

PRACTISINGTheCompleteYogicBreath

STAGE1:Inhalation1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyesandrelaxthebody.

2Abdomen:Exhaledeeplythroughthenose,contractingtheabdomentosqueezeoutalltheairfromthelungs.Theninhaleslowlythroughthenose,keepingthelowerpartoftheabdomencontractedwhileexpandingtheabdomenabovethenavelslightly.

3Mid-chest:Attheendoftheupper-abdomenexpansion,allowthebreathtocomeintoyourmid-chesttoexpandthatarea.

4Upperchest:Continuedrawingthebreathintothehigherlobesofthelungs,sothatitliftsandexpandsyourupperchest,causingyourcollarbonesandshoulderstorise.Yourlungsshouldnowbecompletelyfilledwithair.

STAGE2:BreathRetention1Holdthebreathinforafewseconds,gentlytiltingtheheadforwardontotheupperchestinJalandharaBandha(ThroatLock;seepage61).OnlyholdJalandharaBandhaforaslongasiscomfortablewhileyouareholdingyourbreath.

STAGE3:Exhalation

STAGE3:Exhalation1ReleaseJalandharaBandhabyraisingyourhead.2Upperchest:Starttoexhalethroughyournose,relaxingyourupperchest,sothatyourcollarbonesandshoulderslowernaturallybackintotheirnormalposition.

3Mid-chest:Continueexhalingsothatyoufeelyourmid-chestrelax.4Abdomen:Continueexhalinguntilyoufeelthereleaseofyourabdomensothatyourlowerribsbegintosofteninward.Youcanplaceonehandonyourabdomenandtheotheronyourupperchest,inordertofeelthebreathasitleavesfirstyourchestandthenyourabdomen.

ThiscompletesoneCompleteYogicBreath.Repeatforatotaloffivetotenfullbreaths,thenreturntonormalbreathing.

NOTE:TheCompleteYogicBreathcanbepractisedatanytime,andcanalsobedoneinastandingpositionorlyingdownonyourback.

UjjayiPranayama:VictoriousBreath

Ujjayibreathinghastwodistinctqualities:thesoftsibilantsounditproducesanditssmooth,evenflow.Indeepsleepthistypeofbreathingoccursnaturally.Thetechnique slows the breath down so is conducive to calming the mind andimprovingconcentrationfordeepmeditation.ItcanbepractisedasanexerciseinitsownrightwhenyouneedtorelaxoraspartofaseriesofYogaMeditationpractices.

PRACTISINGUjjayiPranayama

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyes,relaxyourbodyandtakeafewdeepbreaths.Inhaledeeplythroughyournoseandtenseyourwholebody,thenexhalethroughyourmouthandletgoofalltension.Placeyourhands,palmsdown,onyourkneesinJnanaMudra(seepage59).

2Closeyourmouthandinhalethroughbothnostrilssmoothlyandevenly,withtheglottispartiallyclosed,sothatthebreathmakesa“haaa”soundwithinthethroat;theglottisistheopeningbetweenthevocalcords,attheupperpartofthewindpipe.Thisissimilartothefeelingyouexperiencewhenyouyawn(seealsoboxbelow).Duringtheinhalationkeeptheabdominalmusclesslightlycontractedandexpandthelungswithair,untilthechestprotudesforwardlikethatofavictoriouswarrior.

3Nowexhaleslowlywithasmooth,deepandcontinuousbreaththroughbothnostrils,listeningtothesubtlesibilant“haaa”soundthattheoutgoingbreathmakes.Theabdominalmusclesshouldnaturallybemorecontractedthanduringinhalation.Maketheexhalationlasttwiceaslongastheinhalation.ThisisoneroundofUjjayibreathing.

4Dofiveroundsandincreasebytworoundseachweekuntilyoureach20.

MasteringtheartofUjjayi

TounderstandthefeelingoftheUjjayibreathbetter,tryexhalingthroughyour

mouth and whispering a long “haaa” sound, feeling how the breath creates asoothing sensation along the back of your windpipe. Now close your mouthwhilemakingthissoundandslowlyinhalewiththesamefeelinginyourthroat,thenbreatheoutthroughyournosewiththesamesteadyinternal“haaa”sound.

BhastrikaPranayama:BellowsBreath

This invigorating breathing technique – known as “Bellows Breath”, as thebody’sdiaphragmismadetopumplikethebellowsthatablacksmithusestofanair into a fire –hasboth a purifying and energizing effect on thebody. It notonlycleansesthenadisbutalsohelpsintheactivationofmanipurachakraandoptimizing the flow of kundalini, in preparation formeditation. It oxygenatesandpurifiesthebloodstreamandbringsyoubackintobalancewithyourbody.Italsoenhancesoptimumfunctioningoftheglands.

PRACTISINGBhastrikaPranayama

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyesandrelaxyourbody.

2PlaceyourrighthandinVishnuMudra(seepage86),byfoldingyourindexandmiddlefingersintowardyourpalm,andcloseyourrightnostrilwithyourrightthumb.

3Inhaleandexhalequiteforcefullytentimesthroughtheleftnostril,sothattheexpulsionsofbreathfollowoneanotherinrapidsuccession.Thiswillcausetheabdomentomoveinandoutinapull-and-pushaction.

4Next,takealong,deepinhalationandexhalationthroughtheleftnostril.5Nowcloseyourleftnostrilwithyourfingers,releaseyourthumbfromyourrightnostril,andinhaleandexhaletentimesrapidly.

6Thentakealong,deepinhalationandexhalationthroughyourrightnostril.7ReleaseVishnuMudraandreturnyourhandtoyourknee.8Continuethebellowsbreathbyrapidlybreathinginandoutthroughbothnostrilsfortenbreaths.

9Closeyourleftnostrilagainwithyourindexandlittlefingers,inhaledeeplythroughtherightnostrilandholdthebreathinforaslongasiscomfortablewithoutstrain,tiltingyourchintowardyourchesttoapplyJalandharaBandha(seepage61)andalsoapplyingMulaBandha(seepage60).Placeyourawarenessatmuladharachakra(seepage38)atthebaseofthespine,whereyourkundalinilies.

10SlowlyreleaseJalandharaBandha,thenMulaBandha,andexhaleslowly

andsmoothlythroughyourleftnostril.ReleaseVishnuMudra.

BhramariPranayama:Bee-breathingTechnique

Duringtheexhalationstageofthisbreathingexercise,abuzzingsoundismadelikeabee; theSanskrit termbhramarimeans“largebee”.Regularlydoingthispractice,usingthissoothingsound,willquicklyhelptocalmyourthoughtsandnerves,andpromoteconcentration,preparingyoufordeepmeditationinordertobringyouintocontactwithyourtruesenseofselfandtherebypromoteadeepsenseofinnerpeace.

PRACTISINGBhramariPranayama

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7).Closeyoureyes,relaxyourbodyandrestyourhandsonyourkneesineitherJnanaMudraorChinMudra(seepages58–9).

2Inhaledeeplythroughyournose,usingUjjayibreath(seepages98–9),creatingamildsuctioneffectinthethroatandfeelingacoolsensationthere.Visualizedrawingthiscoolcurrentofenergyupfromthebaseofyourspinetothetopofyourspine.

3Holdthebreathin,applyJalandharaBandha(seepage61),bringyourfocusedattentiontoyourspiritualeye,themid-pointbetweenyoureyebrows,andcloseyourearswithyourthumbsbypressingtheearflaps,whilerestingthefingersofeachhandonyourforehead.

4Afteraboutfiveseconds,simultaneouslyreleaseJalandharaBandha,removeyourhandsfromyourforehead(whilekeepingyourearsclosed),andslowlyexhalethroughyournose,withyourmouthclosed,butwithyourteethslightlyseparated.Asyouexhale,makealong,deep,evenhummingsound,likethatofabee.Feelthesoundvibratingthroughoutyourbrain,whileconcentratingonsahasrarachakraatthetopofyourhead.Thelongerthehummingexhalation,themorerelaxedyouarelikelytofeelbutdonotforcethebreathbeyonditsnaturalcapacity.

5ThiscompletesoneroundofBhramariPranayama.Sitstillwiththeearsstillclosed,breathenormallyandfocusontheinnersound,whicharisesfromthe

heartregion.Aimtopractisefiveroundsatfirst,takingoneortwonormalbreathsbetweeneachround.Overtime,youcanaimtoincreasetotenrounds.

KundaliniPranayama:NadiShodhanaandOmMantra

Regularly doing this pranayama practice, which uses the Nadi Shodhanatechnique (see pages 86–7) in a 3:12:6 ratio along with theOm mantra (seepages130–33),helpstoawakentheenergyinthespine.TheresonatingvibrationofOmattunesuswithourtruenatureandhigherreality.

If it feelsuncomfortable toholdyourbreath for the12Oms inStep4 (seeright), it’s best not to practise this exercise just yet. Instead, spendmore timepractisingNadiShodhana,whichwillgraduallybuildupyourstamina.

PRACTISINGKundaliniPranayama

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationpose(seepages52–7),closeyoureyesandrelaxyourwholebody,takingafewdeepbreaths.Inhaledeeplyandtenseyourwholebody,thenexhaleandletgoofalltensionandrelax.Placeyourhands,palmsdown,onyourknees,withtheindexfingersandthumbslightlytouchingintheChinMudra(seepage58).

2Closeyoureyesanddirectyourinnergazetothespiritualeyeinthemiddleofyourforehead(seepage40).Relaxherewithyourawarenessonthebreathforafewminutes,thenbringyourawarenesstomuladharachakra(seepage38)atthebaseofyourspine.

3Raiseyourrighthandandfoldyourmiddleandindexfingersintoyourpalm,keepingyourthumb,ringandlittlefingersextendedintheVishnuMudraforpractisingNadiShodhana(seepage86).Closetherightnostrilwithyourrightthumb,exhale,andtheninhalethroughtheleftnostrilforamentalcountofthreeOms.Asyouinhale,visualizedrawinginprana.

4Gentlycloseyourleftnostrilwithyourringandlittlefingerssothatbothnostrilsarenowclosedandholdyourbreathforamentalcountof12Oms.Asyouretainthebreath,feelthatyouaresendingthecurrentofpranicenergydownthroughyourspineintomuladharachakra,atthebaseofyourspine.

5ReleaseyourthumbandexhaleslowlythroughtherightnostrilforamentalcountofsixOms.Asyouexhale,feelasenseofcalmwithin.

6Now,remainingwiththeleftnostrilclosed,starttorepeattheprocessinreverse:inhaleforthreeOmsthroughyourrightnostril,closebothnostrilsandholdyourbreathfor12Oms,andreleaseyourleftnostriltoexhalethroughitforsixOms.Thiscompletesonefullround.

7Practisefivecompleterounds(Steps3–6)withconcentration.Afterfinishing,remainsittingquietlywithyourawarenessatyourspiritualeyeforaslongasyouareableto.

7MEDITATIONPRACTICE

ExperiencingtheBlissofYourTrueDivineNature

As discussed throughout this book, meditation is the ideal tool to enhance asenseofcalm,fulfilmentandwell-beinginyourlife,andtheonlywaytocometoknowyourtruedivinenature,whichisSat-Chit-Ananda–ever-existing,ever-conscious,ever-newbliss.

ThemeditationpracticeswithinthischapterhavebeenhandpickedfromtheKriyaYoga tradition (seepage12) tohelpyou tomove toward thesevaluablegoals.

Firstly,wewill explore thekeywaysof focusing themind formeditation.Then we will present a range of exercises that will help you to focus yourconcentration, awaken energy within your spine, tune in to your chakras topromote enhanced flow of prana, and engage with your natural breath inrecognitionofthefactthatyouare,inessence,atonewiththeuniverse.Finally,wewillpresenttheartandpracticeofUltimateBlissYogaMeditation–thekeypracticetowhichalltheotherexercisesinthisbookhavebeenleading.

Ifyoucandoasmanyofthesemeditationpracticesasoftenaspossible–atleastthreetimesaweek–youwillsoonbeexperiencingadeepjoyinlifethatisentirelyindependentoftheexternalworld.

FocusingtheMind

Focusing the mind for effective meditation means not allowing it to becomerestlessorscatteredinalldirections,andinsteadholdingittoonepointoffocus.Concentration itself is a narrowing of the field of attention,making themindone-pointed.

In our current, fast-paced technological age, things often tend to beorientated toward outward action and constant seeking rather than innerreflection.Assuch,theworldkeepsourmindandsensescontinuouslyactiveandpreoccupied,andwecaneasilyloseanysenseofourtrueidentityorourspiritualgoalinlife.

Meditationis likeabird.Itneedstwoequallystrongwingstofly:constantawarenessofthespiritualgoaloflifeononeside–realizingthatourtrueinnernatureisdivine–andafocusedmindontheotherside.Untilyouhavetrainedyour mind to be free from its habit of continually moving outward, you willmakelittleprogressinmeditation.

Herefollowsagroundinginarangeofthemosteffectivetoolsforfocusingthemind in order to enhance yourYogaMeditation practice, as well as yourqualityoflifeingeneral.Themaintechniquesare:•Breathing–inyoga,thebreathisthemostcommonlyusedtoolforfocusingthemind.Considerwhathappenswhenyouconcentrateintenselytohearawhisper;yourbreathstops.Thisillustratesthatourmindandbreathareinseparable.

•Visualization–invisualization,sense,objectandmindarebroughttogethertoformaninternalimageonwhichthemindcanfocus.

•Mantrasandchanting–mantrasaresacredsoundsthathavepowerfuleffectsonusbyfocusingourmentalenergy;chantingmantrasdrawsthemindinwardtoafocusedconcentration.

•Steadygazing–concentrationonanobjectsuchasacandleflame,anOmsymbolorapictureofaspiritualmasterfocusesthemindinward.

OPENINGTHEHEART

Loveisthehigheststateandfinalgoalofspiritualrealization.ItthereforemakessensethatyouhavetoopenyourheartaswellasfocusyourmindduringYoga

Meditation. Without love and devotion, your meditation practice would bemechanical,dryandoflittleworth.Practisingmeditationwithloveanddevotioncan lead themindbeyondmere intellectualknowledge toanexperienceof theblissful self,whichconstitutes truewisdom.For love is thedivinewithinyou.Loveisyourinnersourceandpotential.Loveisyourtruenature.

Sohowcanyoucultivatelove?Thinkofagarden:togrowflowers,firstyouneedtocreateaspace.Andsoitiswithlove;firstyouneedtoclearthetangledweedsofdesire,attachment,anger,greedandfearfromyourheart.Thesoilofyourheartmust thenbewateredand fertilizedbycultivatingcompassion,careandunderstandingforall.Next,whenthetendershootsofserviceanddevotionsproutup,youmustkeepthemfreefromtheinsectsofselfishegoism.

Just asyoucan see themoononlyby reflected raysof light from the sun,similarly, you can see the divine only through rays of love. By opening yourheartandcultivatingdivinelovewithinyou,thedarkcloudsdisperse.Thenyouwillrecognizethatthesamedivinityresidesinothersasinyourself.

BREATHING

Ahighlyeffectivewaytokeepyourmindinthepresentmomentistogiveitthemental object of watching the breath, which is constantly flowing in and outthroughyournostrils.

Youcanconcentrateon thebreathby focusingyourattentionon the risingandfallingofyourabdomen,ortheexpansionandcontractionoftheribcage,asyou inhaleandexhale.TheCompleteYogicBreath (seepages96–7)canhelpwithawarenessofthismovement.

Alternatively, itcanbeuseful tofocusonthesensationof thebreathat thepointwhere it entersyournostrils.This is, forexample, thebasisof theHongSau technique (see pages 122–5). In this meditation, you go on to watch thenaturallyoccurringspacesbetweenthebreaths,inwhichthemindbecomesverystill.Byunitingyourmindwiththebreathinthisway,themindwillstarttostayfocusedinthepresentmoment.

Therearemanyotherwaysofworkingwith thebreath, suchascountingacertainnumberofbreathsinandout,andvisualizingitgoingtocertainpartsofyour body, but all breath techniqueswork on the same premise of giving themindaspecificobjectonwhichtofocus.

VISUALIZATION

Visualization isapowerful tool forhelping to focusyourmindformeditation,whetherbringingtomindacalmscene,avisualrepresentationofyourpranaorchakras,aspiritualguideoranyotherpositiveimage,asittransportsyourmindtooneparticularsceneandallowsittositthere,withpositiveintention.

Itisimportanttobeasrelaxedaspossiblewhenyouusevisualization.Createtherelevantpicturesinyourmindasvividlyasyoucan.Payattentiontoeverydetail.Themorelifelikethevisualization,thebettertheresultsyouwillget.Butremember thatpeoplereceive images indifferentways.Forexample,youmayreceive your impressions through physical sensations, emotions or thoughtsratherthanpictures.Sodonotdismissyourimpressionjustbecauseyoucannot“see”theimages.Yourvisualizationisvalid,whateverformtheexperiencemaytake.Forexample,sensingthewarmthofthesunonyourskin,orfeelinghealinglight infusing thecellsofyourbodycanbe justasusefulasvisualizingcolourandlight.Exampleswithinthemeditationpracticesonthefollowingpagesthatinvolve visualization are Tratak (see page 113), where you picture a candleflameinyourmindinStep3;andJyotiMudra(seepages128–9),whereyouareaskedtoseetheinnerlightofthespiritualeye.

Simplevisualizationtocalmandfocusyourmind

Youcanusethissimplevisualizationanytimethatyourthoughtsfeelscatteredandyouwanttocomebackintothepresentmoment.Sittingrelaxedinacalm,quietplace,beginbytakingafewdeepbreathstobringyourmindtothepresentmoment.Visualizeyourselfwalkingbarefootonabeach.Itisearlyeveningandthewhitesandisstillwarmfromtheday’ssun.Above,theskyisfadingtodeepblue.Asthesunbeginstoset,thehorizonisstreakedwithshadesoforange,redand purple.Listen to thewaves roll in from the sea and break onto thewhitesand,sparklingandfoamingaboutyourfeet.Feel thewarm,wetsandbetweenyour toes.Smell thesaltwater.Feel thesoftbreezefromtheseaonyourskin.Listentothefar-offcryofaseagull.Toyourleftisalargerock.Slowlywalktoit, sit down on it and close your eyes. You feel a great sense of peace andtranquillityinthepresentmoment,afeelingofbeingconnectedtoalllife.Enjoyandstayimmersedinthisinnerpeaceforaslongasyoucan.

MANTRASANDCHANTING

Reciting a mantra is one of the most powerful ways of focusing the mind.Deriving from the Sanskrit for “that which protects or liberates the mind”, a

mantraisauniqueandsacredsound(letter,syllable,wordorphrase)thathasaradiantenergy,whichcantransformthemind.

Justasawhiteclothtakesonthecolourofthedyeinwhichitissoaked,sodoes themindabsorb thequalitiesof the sacredsoundvibrationof themantrathatisrecited.Whethersaidsilentlyinsideyourhead,whisperedorchantedoutloud,mantrashelptointernalizethemindandhavetheabilitytotransformtheconsciousnessofthereciter.

The practice of reciting a mantra is called japa (repetition). When youpractise correctly, with attentive awareness, japa will gradually calm andintegrate your mind, so that your awareness vibrates with the mantra. Thisnaturally leadsyou intoadeeperstateofstillness inmeditation,whereyougobeyondthemindtorestinyourtruedivinenature.

When mantras are chanted aloud, the rhythmical vibrations produced bycontinually repeating them regulate theunsteadyvibrationsof the five sheaths(see pages 30–33). It is best if such chanting begins aloud, then graduallysoftens,untilitfadesintosilent,internalchanting.

The source of all sound vibrations, and probably the most well knownmantra,isthesacredPrimordialCreativeVibrationandDivinePower,knownasOm or Aum (see page 117). The sincere repetition of Om produces thoughtwaves that correspond to thoseof the supreme reality.Using the seedmantrasrelatedtoeachofthesevenchakras(seepages118–19)enhancesconcentrationandenergy levels.TheHum (pronounced “hoom”)mantra (seepages120–21)enhancesandprotects thepowerofallothermantras,aswellashavingafieryenergy that destroys negativity. And theHong Sau mantra (see pages 122–5)calmsthemindandhelps toawakentheenergyinyourchakras.Whatever themantra used, itwill help themind to turn inward and therefore becomemuchcalmer.

SteadyGazing

Thefollowingconcentrationexercise,knownasTratak,canbedoneanytime.Itsteadiesthewanderingmindandenhanceswillpower.TheSanskritwordTratakmeans “to gaze continuously at an objectwithout blinking”.Herewe suggestgazingataflame,butyoucoulduseanyotherobjectwithpositiveassociations.1Sitinacomfortablemeditationpostureinadarkenedroom,withalightedcandleaboutanarm’slengthinfrontofyou,ataboutchestheight.

2Fixbothyourgazeandmentalfocusatthemidpointoftheflamewhereitisbrightestforaslongaspossiblewithoutblinking,untilyoureyesbeginto

becometired.Atthestart,practiseonlyforaboutoneminute,thenincreasetoafewminutesoveraperiodoftime.

3Endbyclosingyoureyesandvisualizingtheflameinternallyinthespacebetweenyoureyebrowsforoneminute.Then,repeatthewholeprocesstwomoretimes.Whenyouhavefinishedyourpractice,rubyourpalmstogetheruntiltheyarewarm.Placethemoveryoureyestorelaxandsoothethem.Then,whenyoufeelready,loweryourhands.

MahaMudra:AwakeningEnergyinYourSpine

Whenpractisedproperly, thepowerfulHathaYoga techniqueofMahaMudra(meaning “great gesture” in Sanskrit) provides not only a range of physicalbenefits,suchasstimulatingdigestionandeasingconstipation,butalsobalancesandopenstheidaandpingalanadis(seepages44–5),encouragingthelife-forcetoflowupwardinthecentralnadi,thesushumna.

When the right big toe is grasped in Stage 1 ofMahaMudra (see right),pingala nadi is opened and activated.Andwhen the left big toe is grasped inStage 2 (see page 116), ida nadi is opened and activated.Whenboth toes arepulled simultaneously in Stage 3, the spine becomes magnetized with pranaflowingintothesushumna,whichwillbringdeeperawarenessandconcentrationtoyourmeditation.

NOTE:TheversionofMahaMudrapresentedonpages115–117includesakneepositionslightlymodifiedfromthetraditionalHathaYogaversioninthatitdoesnotrequirearotation.Ifyouhaveanyproblemswithyourknee,youmaythereforefindthispostureeasiertopractise.

Benefitsofbandhas

Thetwobandhas–MulaBandhaandJalandharaBandha (seepages60–61)–thatareheldaspartofMahaMudra,retainenergyinthespinesothattheenergycan be directed upward into the higher centres in the brain leading to anincreasedsenseofvitalityandbalance.

STAGE11Situprightwithyourhead,neckandspinealignedandyourlegsstretchedoutinfrontofyou.Bendyourleftlegwiththekneepointingforwardandsitonyourleftfoot,withtheheelpressingagainsttheperineum(betweenthegenitalsandanus)formingananallock(MulaBandha;seepage60).BreatheinUjjayibreath(seepages98–9)ifyouarefamiliarwithit,orbreathenormallyifnot.

2Bendyourrightlegandplacethefootflatonthefloor.Then,interlockingthefingersofbothhandstogether,stretchforward,claspyourhandsaroundyourrightkneeanddrawthethighinagainstyourtorso,orascloseaspossible.Keepyourspinestraightinthisposition,inhaleslowlytoacountoftento15andfeelthatyouaredrawingacoolcurrentofpranaupyourspine.

3Then,holdingthebreath,stretchyourrightlegoutinfrontofyou,bendforward,andwithinterlockedhands,graspyourbigtoeandgentlypull,sothatyouextendyourtrunkforwardandyourforeheadtowardtheknee.Ifthisisuncomfortable,bendthekneeslightly.Theimportantthingistofeelthespinestretchingandasensationofenergyrisingthroughit.Asyoudoso,bringyourchintowardyournecktoapplythethroatlock(JalandharaBandha;seepage61),andwithyourattentionatyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra,betweenyoureyes(seepage40),mentallychantOmsixto12times.Feelasensationofenergyrisingupthroughthespineandpulsatingatyourspiritualeye,radiatingwavesofblissthroughthebrain.

4Releasethethroatlock,moveyourclaspedhandstojustbelowyourrightkneeanddrawyourkneebackupagainstyourtorso,whileslowlyexhalingtoacountoftento15.Withyourawarenessinyourspine,feelthatyouaredrawingawarmcurrentofenergydownthroughit.

STAGE2NowchangesidesandrepeatStage1,startingbytuckingyourrightfootunder

andpullingyourleftkneetothetorsowithyourclaspedhands.

STAGE31Situprightwithyourkneesbentandclaspyourhands(fingersinterlocked)aroundyourknees,pullingyourthighsagainstyourtorso.Inhaleforaslowcountoftento15,feelingthatyouaredrawingacoolcurrentofpranaupthespine.

2Now,holdingyourbreath,stretchbothlegsouttogetherinfrontofyou,graspyourbigtoeswithyourinterlockedhandsandpullonthem,stretchingyourtorsoforwardandfeelingthestretchinyourspine.Applythethroatlockagainandbringyourforeheadtowardyourknees.Meanwhile,focusyourattentionatyourspiritualeye,betweentheeyebrows,andmentallychantOmsixto12times.Youmayfeelasensationofenergyrisingupthroughthespinefollowedbypulsatingatthespiritualeye,resultinginwavesofblissradiatingthroughoutthebrain.

3Releasethethroatlockandslowlyexhaletoacountoftento15.Keepingyourawarenessinthespine,seeifyoufeelawarmcurrentofpranicenergyflowingdownthespine.Thenbringyourkneesandthighsbackupagainstyourtorso,bypullingonthekneeswithclaspedhands.Relaxandreturntonormalbreathing.

ThesethreestagescompleteoneroundofMahaMudra.Practisethreecompleterounds. As you progress with this practice, you may increase the number ofroundsto12.

SignificanceandpronunciationofOm

TheprimalvibratorysoundOm(seealsopages130–33)helpstoawakenenergyin the spine and stimulate the brain cells when chanted. When the word issoundeditisOm.Inthisexercise,thecorrectpronunciationofOmislikealong,drawn-outversionof“home”withoutpronouncingthe“h”.Giveequalmeasuretoboththe“o”and“m”sounds,andclosewiththesound“mmm”.However,itis also occasionally written as Aum. The three separate letter sounds in thisvariantrepresentthethreestatesofconsciousness,aswellasthedivinetrinityofBrahma,VishnuandShiva.

ChantingtheBijaMantras:AwakeningtheChakras

As explored on page 112, chanting is an effective way to enhance energythroughout the body, as well as to focus the mind. The meditation practiceoppositeactivatesthechakrasusingthesoundvibrationoftheparticularmantrasassociatedwitheachone.Theseareknownasbijaorseedmantras.Each“seed”mantra clears its chakra of any blockages so that it can function efficiently,allowingyoutoreachadeepermeditativestate.Belowaretheseedmantrasandmusicalnotes(ifyouchoosetosingthem)forthefirstsixchakras.Theseventhchakra, sahasrara (crown) chakra is not included as the other six need to beclearedfirstinordertoaccesstheineffableexperienceoftheseventhchakra.Itisimportanttopronounceallthemantrasinthelistcontainingan“a”withalong“aaa”sound.

PRACTISINGtheBijamantras

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepage52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Closeyoureyes.

2Bringyourawarenesstoyourmuladharachakra,locatedatthebaseofthespine.Inhaledeeplyandasyouexhale,repeatedlychantaloudthebijamantra“Lam”.Feelthemantravibratingatthechakraasyouchant“Lam,Lam,Lam”foraslongasyourexhalationlasts.

3Next,bringyourawarenesstothesecondchakra,svadhisthana,locatedatthegenitalarea.Inhaledeeplyandasyouexhale,chantthebijamantra“Vam”.Feelthemantravibratingatthesvadhisthanachakra.

4Slowlyworkyourwaythroughtheotherchakrasonthechartopposite,chantingthecorrespondingseedmantraandfeelingthevibrationattherelevantchakracentreeachtimeyoudoso.

5Onceyouhavecompletedyourchanting,focusingontheajnachakra,startworkingyourwaythroughthelistinreverseorder,chantingeachseedmantraagainwhilefocusingontherelatedchakraarea.Startwith“Om”forasecondtimeattheajnachakra,andfinishwith“Lam”atmuladharachakra.

MentallychantingtheBijamantra

Theexerciseabovecanalsobedonebychantingeachseedmantrainternallyinsteadof out loud. Inwardly chanting themantras through thechakras placesmoreemphasisonthecalming,meditativeeffectofthepractice,whilechantingthemaloudputsmoreemphasisonitsvibrant,energizingaspect.

ChantingtheHumMantra:IncreasingPrana

It is said that the Hindu god Lord Shiva used theHum mantra (pronounced“hoom”)toprojectfirefromhisthirdeyeinordertoburndesiresandnegativity.This mantra therefore brings a fire energy and power to all who chant it byhelpingtoincreasepranainthebodyandtoactivatethepotentlife-forceknownas kundalini. This helps to combat any negative feelings, as well as easingfatigueandlethargy.

Intheexercisethatfollows,theHummantraischantedafterachakra’sseedmantra,inordertoenhanceitsenergy.Then,byaddingOmatthestartofaseedmantra, you can make it even more effective for opening the mind for deepmeditation. The exercise opposite can either be done after the bija mantraexercise(seepage119)orasatechniqueinitsownright.

PRACTISINGtheHummantra

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7)withyoureyesclosedandfocusyourawarenessatthepointbetweenyoureyebrows,knownasyourspiritualeye.

2Transferyourawarenesstomuladharachakra,atthebaseofyourspine,andchantaloudthemantra“OmLamHum”sixtoninetimes,feelingitresonatingatthesiteofthischakra.Sitquietlyandcontinuetofeelthevibrationofthemantraevenwhenyoustoptheactualchanting.

3Next,transferyourawarenesstoyoursvadhisthanachakraatthegenitalarea,andchantaloudthemantra“OmVamHum”sixtoninetimes,feelingitresonatingthere.Again,sitquietlyandsensethevibrationofthemantraoncewhenyoustoptheactualchanting.

4Slowlyworkyourwaythroughtheotherchakrasshownopposite,chantingthecorrespondingmantraeachtime,andfeelingthevibrationatthelocationofthechakra.Besuretopauseforashortsilencebetweeneachmantra.

NOTE:Lam,Vam,Ram,Yam,HamandKshamshouldbesoundedwithalong“aaa” sound. Om should be sounded as “ong”. Hum should be sounded as“hoom”.

HongSauMeditation:IamHe,theAbsolute

HongSau(pronounced“HongSaw”)isanancientSanskritmantraforcalmingthemind and deepening concentration.Repetition of thismantra stills restlessthoughts, withdraws the mind from the senses and calms prana in the body.HongSaumeans“IamHe”or“I, themanifestself,amHe,theAbsolute.”ByinternallyrepeatingHongSauinharmonywithyourbreathingduringmeditation– hong on the inhalation and sau on the exhalation – you affirm that theindividualselfisonewiththeInfiniteSpirit.

HongSauisconsideredtobethenatural,subtlesoundofthebreath:•Hongvibrateswiththeinhalation,representingthecontractionofconsciousnessandcorrespondstotheascendingcurrentintheidanadi(seepages44–5)

•Sauvibrateswiththeexhalation,representingtheexpansionofconsciousnessintopureunityandcorrespondstothedescendingcurrentinthepingalanadi.Over the course of 24 hours, the breath is said to flow in and out 21,600

times in a continuous mantra of Hong Sau. In yoga, such continuoussubconscious recitation is called ajapa-japa, while japa is the term used todescribetheconsciousmentalrecitationinthetechniquethatfollows.

PREPARATIONHongSau

Aswellasformingausefulcalmingsequenceinitsownright,thestepsbelowwillpreparebothyourbodyandyourmindfor theHongSau techniqueonthenextpage.

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Inhaledeeply,holdthebreathandtenseallthemusclesinyourbody.Holdboththebreathandthetensioninyourmusclesforafewseconds,thensimultaneouslyreleasethemandrelax.Repeattheprocessoftensingandrelaxingthreetimes.

2ContinuetoremainrelaxedasyoupractisewhatiscalledLomaPranayama:a

three-partequal-breath-ratioexercise,breathingthroughbothnostrils.Inhaleforacountof12,holdyourbreathforacountof12,exhaleforacountof12(12:12:12).Ifthisisnotwithinyourlungcapacity,halvethecountstosix.Dothisninetimesatfirstandgraduallyincreaseoveraperiodoftimetoanythingupto27rounds.

3Nowconcentrateyourrelaxedattentionatthepointbetweenyoureyebrows(seepage40).Letgoofallthoughtsandbetotallycentredinthepresentmoment.Placeyourhands,palmsupward,onyourkneesinChinMudra(seepage58),closeyoureyesandplaceyourfocusonyournaturalbreath,asyouinhaleandexhale,inhaleandexhale…Ifyourmindwanders,gentlybringitbacktothepracticeofwatchingyourbreathwithawareness.

PRACTISINGHongSau

1Nowwithyourbodyandmindstill,andyoureyesclosed,gentlyliftyourgazeupwardtothepointbetweentheeyebrows,andlookcalmlyintoyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra–theseatofyourintuitionandofomnipresentperception.

2Feelthenaturalbreathflowinandoutofyournostrilsandtrytoestablishthepointwhereitfeelsstrongest.Onceyouhavefoundthispoint(usuallyjustinsidethetipofthenose),observethebreaththatpassesitwithprecision,onesplitsecondafteranother.Inthisway,continuousawarenesswilleventuallyresult.

3Thenbegintofeelthesensationoftheairhigherinthenostrils,upbythepointbetweenyoureyebrows,andfocusonthisarea.Asyourconcentrationdeepens,yourbreathingwillbegintoslowdown,andyouwillbeabletofocusonitmoreclearly,withfewerinterruptions.

4Inhaledeeply,thenslowlyexhale.Asthenextinhalationnaturallyflowsintoyournostrils,feelthebreathwhereitenters,andwithyourinnerfocus,mentallyfollowthebreathwiththemantraHong.Imaginethatthebreathitselfismakingthissound.

5Asyourbreathflowsoutnaturally,mentallyfollowitwiththemantraSau(pronounced“saw”).Onceagain,feelthatyoursubtlebreathingissilentlymakingthesoundofitsownaccord.

6Continuingtofocusonyourspiritualeye,betweenyoureyebrows,mentallyfolloweachinhalationwiththemantraHong,andeachexhalationwiththemantraSau.Whenthemindisunitedwiththeflowofthebreath,youwillbe

abletotrulyexperiencethepresentmoment.7Asyougodeeperintothispractice,youmaynoticethatthereisanaturalspaceorpause,apointofcompletestillness,betweeneachinhalationandexhalation.ThisisthespaceoftheinnermostSelf.Softlyfocusyourawarenessonthesepauses.Asyourmindbecomesmorecalm,noticethespacesextendingandenjoytheexperienceofexpansionwhileinwardlygazingintoyourspiritualeye.Then,whenthebreathnaturallyreturns,continuewiththepracticeofHongSauforaslongasitfeelsnatural,orinthebeginningupto15minutes.

8Onceyoufinish,trytomaintainasenseofthatinnerspacefromyourmeditationforaslongaspossible,allowingthecalmnesstopermeateyoureverydayconsciousness.

NOTE:ItisimportanttomakenoattempttocontrolthebreathduringtheHongSau technique. This is not a yoga breathing exercise. It is simply amatter ofbeingconsciouslyawareofthebreath,withyourconcentrationontheHongSaumantra.

Thespiritualeyeofintuitiveperception

Indeepmeditationitispossibletonaturallyseeandexperiencethegold-,blue-,andwhite-colouredlightofthespiritualeye,orajnachakra.Butwhileyouareworkingtowardthis,youmightwanttotryvisualizingitinordertoaddanotherdimensiontoyourmeditation:•Anoutergoldringoflightrepresentscosmicenergy.•Asphereofbluelightrepresentstheomnipresentintelligenceofthedivineincreation.

•Acentralsilver-whitestarrepresentsinfinitespiritorcosmicconsciousness,adoorwaytotheinfinite.

NaviKriya:AwakeningPranaintheNavelCentre

Navi Kriya (pronounced as “Nabi Kriya”) is one of the original Kriya Yogatechniques, taught by Lahiri Mahasaya, who learned the supreme science ofKriyaYogameditation fromMahavatarBabaji, thegreatHimalayanyogi (seepage12).

Thepurposeof thisYogaMeditation technique is to stimulateandawakentheprana atmanipura chakra, in the navel centre, and draw the energy fromhere up the spine to the spiritual eye, or ajna chakra, elevating yourconsciousnessabove the lowerchakras to accessamoremeditative state. It isessential to be established in ajna chakra before you can be liberated insahasrara,thecrownchakraatthetopofthehead.

PRACTISINGNaviKriya

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposition(seepages52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Relaxyourwholebody,closeyoureyesandbringyourattentionforamomenttothepointbetweentheeyebrows,atyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra.

2Thenbringyourawarenesstomuladharachakra,atthebaseofyourspine,andslowlyinhaleandmentallychantOmasifyouweresendingthemantra’senergyintothischakra.

3RepeatthisinternalchantingofthemantraOmateachofyourascendingchakrasinsuccession,sendingtheenergythereeachtime:•svadhisthana–atthegenitalarea•manipura–atyournavel•anahata–atyourheart•vishuddhi–atyourthroat•themedullaoblongata–thenegativepoleofajnachakra(seepage40),whichislocatedatthebackofyourhead,belowthebaseorrearofthebrain

•thespiritualeyechakra(positivepoleofajnachakra),whichislocatedbetweenyoureyebrows.

4Slowlytiltyourchindowntowardsyourneck,formingathroatlock(seepage61),andbringyourawarenesstomanipurachakraatyournavel.

5Asyoucontinuetobreathenormally,mentallychantOm100timestoactivatethischakraandbringenergyupfromthelowertwochakras:muladharaandsvadhisthana.Acalmenergyisusuallyperceivedgatheringaroundthenavel;thisisthepranacurrentcalledsamanavayuguidingyourpranaintothesubtlesushumnachannel(seepage44).

6Maintainingyourawarenessatmanipurachakra,andwithyourinnergazeatthepointbetweenyoureyebrows,releasethethroatlock,raiseyourchintotheuprightposition,andslowlytiltyourheadbackasfarasiscomfortablewithoutstrain.Seeifyoucanfeelyourenergymovingintotheareaatthebaseofyourskullknownasthemedullaoblongata,andthenbackdownthroughyourspinetomanipurachakraatyournavelcentre.

7Holdingyourheadbackinthistiltedposition,mentallychantOm25times,directingthemantra’senergyintothecounterpointofthenavelonthebackofyourspine.

8Nowslowlyraiseyourheadtoitsnormalposition,andwithconcentration,onceagainmentallychantOmsuccessivelyateachofthesixchakras,thistimestartingattheajnachakraandmovingdownward:ajna,vishuddhi,anahata,manipura,svadhisthanaandmuladharachakras.

9ThiscompletesoneroundofNaviKriya.Aimtopractisesixto12rounds,thensitquietlyforafewmomentswithyourinwardattentionatyourspiritualeye.Whenyoureturntoyournormalactivities,carrythisnaturalsenseofinnerstillnessandenergywithyoutogiveyoutheinnerstrengthtoovercomelife’strialsandtribulations.

JyotiMudra:AwakeningtheInnerLight

JyotiMudra –meaning “gesture of light” – is a technique bywhich you canenhanceyour sense of inner peace andwisdomby focusingon the inner lightthatradiatesfromthespiritualeye,orajnachakra(seealsopage40).InYogictextsthismudraiscommonlyreferredtoasYoniMudra,theSanskritwordyonidenoting the womb of creation because, like the baby in the womb, anyonepractisingYoniMudrabecomesundistractedbytheexternalworld.JyotiMudracanbepractisedatanytime,butthebesttimeisinthecalmofthelateeveningor night. This time is ideal for turning inward and away from the noise anddistractionoftheworkdayroutine.

CAUTION:DonotputpressureontheeyeswhileholdingJyotiMudra–keeplightandgentlepressuretoavoidcausingharmtothissensitivearea.

The senseopenings in the faceareclosed inJyotiMudra,with theears, eyes,noseandlipsallheldgentlybutfirmlyshut.

PRACTISINGJyotiMudra

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7)withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Relaxyourwholebody,closeyoureyesandbringyourattentiontothepointbetweenyoureyebrows.

2Inhaleslowlytoamentalcountoftento12,focusingonfeelingacurrentofpranariseupthroughyourspine.Asyoudoso,raiseyourarmsuptoyourface,withyourelbowsparalleltothefloorandpointingsideways.

3Attheendoftheinhalation,holdyourbreathandfocusoncenteringthepranayouhavedrawnupyourspineatyourspiritualeye(seepage40).

4ThenplaceyourfingersinJyotiMudrawhichinvolvesclosingoffallthesenseopeningsinyourhead:closeyourearsbypressingtheearflapswithyourthumbs;gentlyholdyoureyesclosedbyplacingtheindexfingersonthecornersofyoureyelids;closeyournostrilswithyourmiddlefingers;and

gentlysqueezeyourmouthshutbyplacingyourringfingersabovethelipsandyourlittlefingersbelowthelips,touching.

5WhileholdingJyotiMudra,turnyourgazeintowardthespiritualeyeandfeelthatyourfingersaredirectingyourpranathere.Seeifyoucanperceiveitsinnerlightandallowyourselftomergeintoit.

6Holdingyourbreath,internallyrepeatthemantraOm,directingtheenergyofthechanttothepointbetweenyoureyebrows.Seeifyoucanseethelightgatheringandintensifyingintoagoldenringthatexpandstosurroundasphereofdeep-bluelightwithasilvery-whitestaratitscentre(seeboxpage125).

7Thenremoveyourfingersandthumbsfromthesenseopenings,keepingthemgentlyrestingonyourfacesothatyouarereadyforanotherround.

8Finally,exhaleslowlytoamentalcountoftento12,focusingonfeelingacurrentofpranadescendthroughthespinetomuladharachakra.

ThiscompletesoneroundofJyotiMudra.Practise three rounds in total.Sit inmeditativestillness,enjoyingthesoothingexperienceofthisgesture.

TheSignificanceofOm

The sacred SanskritmantraOm, otherwise known as the Primal Sound or theCosmicVibration,isthoughttorepresenttheenergybehindallcreation.Saidtocontainwithin itself all language, letters, sounds and othermantras, its soundvibration represents unionwith the divine,making it the link between humanconsciousnessanddivinecosmicconsciousness.

The beauty of the mantra Om is that it provides us with a concreterepresentation and experience (via sound) of what would otherwise be adifficult-to-grasp,purelyabstractconcept: thatof theabsolute,supremereality,divinecosmicconsciousnessorultimatebliss,withwhichweallstrivetoattainunion. In yogic terms, this state of union is called samadhi and is the goal ofYogaMeditation.

The repetition (japa; see page 112) ofOm is believed to produce thoughtwavesthatcorrespondtothoseofthesupremereality.Sowhenitischantedwithfaith, devotion and reverence over a sustained period of time, it encouragesawarenessofthepresenceofthedivinewithin.Assuch,itisagatewaytoyourtrue divine and contented Self, a means of awakening your inner spirit andallowingyoutofeelmoreconnectedandatpeacewithyourselfandtheworld–withanincreasedsenseofclarity,easeandjoy.

In the sacred Hindu text Upanishad, the mantra Om is described as“resplendenthumming”.Indeepmeditationthisinnersoundissoprominentthatitdrownsoutallexternalsoundsandmanifeststheinnersoundsofthechakras,which are vibrating at different frequencies and therefore have differentmanifestations (see opposite). The meditation on pages 132–3 gives you thechancetoexperiencethese.

ThechakrasoundsasheardinmeditationMULADHARA CHAKRA – Like the humming or drone of bees. A low vibratorysound.Whenheardlessperfectlyitmaysoundlikeamotororadrum.SVADHISTHANACHAKRA–Likea flute.Whenheard lessperfectly itmaysoundlikerunningwaterorthenoisemadebycrickets’wingsbeatingtogether.MANIPURACHAKRA–Likeastringedinstrumentsuchasasitaroraharp.ANAHATACHAKRA–Liketheflowingpealofdeepbellsoragong.Whenheardlessperfectlyitsoundsliketinklingbells.VISHUDDHI CHAKRA – Like thunder or the roar of the ocean.When heard less

perfectlyitmaysoundlikethewindorawaterfall.AJNACHAKRA(spiritualeye/medullaoblongata)–Asymphonyofsounds,whichisOm,thesourceofallsounds.

TheOmmeditationthatfollowswillhelpyoutoinwardlyattunetothevibratorysound of divine cosmic consciousness, thus creating a sense of inner stillnessandonenesswiththeworldaroundyou.Itisparticularlygoodtodoitduringthepeacefuleveningperiod,whenyourmindismorecalmandfocused.

“ThesacredwordOmexpressesthesupremebeing.ConstantrepetitionofOmand

meditationonitsmeaningleadstosamadhi.”YOGASUTRAS1:27–28

Ommeditation

Before you practise theOm meditation technique, begin with three rounds ofMahaMudra (see pages 114–17), a few rounds ofNadi Shodhana (see pages86–7)andtheHongSautechnique(seepages122–5)for10–15minutes,oruntilyoufeelasenseofinnercalm.ItisbesttohavebeenpractisingHongSauforatleastthreemonthsinordertohavesettledthemindandachieveddeeperlevelsofconcentrationbeforeregularlypractisingthisOmmeditation.

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7),withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Placeyourupperarmsonasuitablearmrestorsitwithyourkneestogether,pulledupagainstyourchest,andrestyourelbowsonyourknees.Yourarmsandshouldersshouldbeatacomfortableheight,withnostrainonyourhands,arms,backorneck.Whenusinganarmrest,makesureyourupperarmsarerestingparalleltothefloorwithyourelbowsinlinewithyourshoulders(seepage148).

2RaiseyourhandsuptoyourheadandpositionyourfingersonyourfaceinJyotiMudra:closeyourearsbygentlypressingtheearflapswithyourthumbs;gentlycloseyoureyesbyplacingyourlittlefingerslightlyontheoutercornersofeacheyelid;andrestyourotherfingersdiagonallyupwardandinwardonyourforeheadtodirectenergytowardthespiritualeyeorajnachakra.

3Holdingyourfingersinthisposition,gazewithdeepawarenessintoyourspiritualeye,betweenyoureyebrows.Thenstartinternallychanting“Om,Om,Om”,directingitatthespiritualeye,sothatthemantravibratesandresonatesthere.ThecorrectpronunciationofOmhere,thesymboloftheSupremeLord,isliketheletter“o”inthealphabetbutdrawnout,closingwiththesound“mmm”.Inotherwords,itshouldsoundlikealong,drawn-outversionoftheword“home”withoutpronouncingthe“h”.Equalmeasureshouldbegiventoboththe“o”and“m”sounds.

4Asyoucontinuetochant,simultaneouslylisteninyourrightearforthesubtlesoundfrequenciesofyourchakras,astherightearismorereceptivetospiritualvibrations.Ifyouhearadistinctsoundlikeanyofthosedescribedonpages130–131,focusyourawarenesstotallyonthat.Ifatfirstyouhearonlyyourownheartbeatandbreathing,thenconcentrateonthosesounds.Overtime,yourmindwillgraduallyturninwardandbecomecalmsothatyouwillbegintohearthemoresubtlesoundsofthechakras.

5Assensitivitydevelops,youarelikelytohearafaintersoundbehindthefirstone,sotransferyourawarenesstothat.Soon,athirdsoundislikelytoemergebehindthesecond,sotransferyourawarenesstothat.

6Continuediscardingeachgrossersoundforthemoresubtleonethatyouhear.Youraimistoreachthesourceofallsound,relatedtoyourspiritualeye,orajnachakra–thePrimordialVibratorySound,Om.AlthoughyouarementallychantingOm-tokeepyourmindinwardlyfocused,itshouldnotbecomeadistractionfromyourmainconcentrationoflisteningforthesubtlesoundswithin.

7Firstly,listenoutfortheOmsoundinyourrightear,laterbothears,untilyoufeellikeitiscomingfromthecentreofyourbrain.Then,feelitgraduallydescendingtopermeateeverycellinyourbodyandexpandingoutward.AsyourexperienceofthisOmsounddeepens,yourconsciousnessexpands,andyouwillbegintofeelomnipresent,beyondtheego,mind,bodyandsenses.

8AfterlisteningtotheinnersoundvibrationofOmfortento20minutes,remainsittingforawhile,enjoyingthejoyfulstillnessofyourmeditationandadeepsenseofbeingatonewithyourself.

UltimateBlissYogaMeditation

ThisisthemeditationtowhichallotherYogaMeditationpracticesinthisbookhave been leading, the one in which everything comes together. The asanas(postures)havebroughtstrengthandsteadinesssothatyoucansit,relaxedandstill,foralongenoughperiodoftime.Thepurificationpracticeshavecleansedyour subtle energy channels (nadis), helping to remove the obstacles that stopyou from experiencing and realizing the divine within you. The pranayama(breathingtechniques)havehelpedyougainmasteryoveryourmindbygainingcontroloveryourvitalinternalenergy.Themeditationpracticeshavehelpedtodirect energyup through thechakras in the astral spine, calmed themind andallowedyoutoexperiencetheinnerdivinelightwithinyourownbody.

Combined,allthepracticesshouldhavehelpedto:•disconnectyourmindfromtheoutwardsensesandthesensoryobjectsofdistractiontheybringintoyourconsciousness

•interiorizeandregulateyourmindandheartthroughself-discipline•directyourbody’svitallife-force,orprana,upthroughtheastralspinefromthelowertothehigherchakras

•focusyourenergyatthespiritualeye,orajnachakra,toallowanexperienceofthedivineinnerself.Theaimofthisfinalmeditationis toraiseyourprana tothehighestof the

body’senergycentres,knownassahasrarachakra,whereyourindividualsoulcan truly become onewith the supreme consciousness through the process ofsamadhi (divine union; see page 27) – so you can experience that lastingabsolute pure joy and contentmentwithin you,which is attained only throughdeepmeditation.

PRACTISINGUltimateBlissYogaMeditation

1Sitinyourchoiceofcomfortablemeditationposture(seepages52–7),withyourhead,neckandspinealigned.Inhaledeeplythroughyournose.Holdyourbreathandtenseallthemusclesinyourbody.Then,withadeepdoubleexhalationthroughthemouth(“ha-haaa”),relaxyourwholebody.Repeatthis

threetimesintotal.2Remainstillhere,feelingtheenergyflowingthroughyourbody,andtakeafewsilentmomentstoinvokethepresenceofthedivinebysayingsomethinginternallyalongthelinesof:“Maydivinegraceenlivenmybody,mindandspirit,andinspire,blessandguidemymeditation,fillingmewithinnerclarity,love,peaceandjoy.”

3Closeyoureyesandgentlyswayyourspinefromlefttoright,shiftingthecentreofyourconsciousnessfromthephysicalbodyandsensestoyourinnerastralspine,imaginingitlikeahollowtubefilledwithvital,flowingenergy.Onceyoucansensethissubtleenergy,stopswaying.

4Focusyourinnergazeatthemidpointbetweenyoureyebrows.Andbecomeawareofyourbreath’snaturalrhythm.Donottrytocontrolitinanyway,justbeawareofeachbreathasitflowsinandout.Noticewhereeachinhalationandexhalationarisesanddissolves.

5Focusyourattentiononyourownawareness,asifyouarebeingattentivetoattentionitself.Bydoingso,trytobecomeawareofthepartofyouthatiswitnessingyourmeditativeexperience–yourtrueinnerself.

6NowbreatheindeeplyusingUjjayibreathing(seepages98–9)toacountoftento15,withtheairdirectedinthebackofyourthroatsothatitisslightlyexpandedtocreateasuctioneffect.(IfyouarenotyetateasewithUjjayibreathing,keeppractisingit,andsimplybreathenormallyherefornow.)Asyouinhale,beawareofacoolsensationinyourthroatandtrytotransferthatsensationupyourastralspinetothemedullaoblongataandacrosstoyourspiritualeye.

7HoldyourbreathhereforthecountofthreeinternalOmchants.8Next,exhaleslowlyanddeeplywithUjjayibreathing(ifyouarefamiliarwithit)toacountoftento15,beingawareofthewarmsensationofthebreathasitmovesdownthroughthespinefromyoureyebrowcentretothebaseofyourspine.

9Then,withoutapause,begintoinhaleupyourspineagain.Practise12cyclesofthisdeepbreathingupanddownyourspineuntilyoufeelyourspinevibratingandpulsatingwithenergy.

10Thenallowyourbreathingtoreturntoitsnormalpatternandjustbeawareofyourenergymovingupanddown,deepwithinyourspine.Followthemovementofyourbreathandlistencarefullytotheinnersounditmakes.

11Asyoubreatheinandtheenergymovesupyourspine,internallyrepeatHong.Asyoubreatheoutandtheenergymovesdownyourspine,internallyrepeatSau.

12WithattentivefocuslistentotheHongoneachinhalationandtheSauon

eachexhalation.Mergeyourattentionwiththeflowofbreathandidentifyyourselfmoreandmorewiththevibrationofthemantra.Todothis,trytovisualizetheHongSaumantraaslightorenergyandfeelyourselfimmersedinituntilyoufeelyouhavebecomeonewithitandareblessedbyit.

13Mentallyaffirm:“Iamspirit,IampureI-awareness,theever-Existing,ever-conscious,ever-blissfulSelf.”

14Thenremainintheblissfulstillnessofthemeditativespaceyouhavecreatedforaslongasyounaturallycan,enjoyingtheexpansionofconsciousnessandsenseofonenesswiththedivine.

15Whenyouareready,returntonormalbreathingandgraduallybecomeawareofthesensationsinyourphysicalbody.Thenplaceyourhandstogetherinprayerpositioninfrontofyourheartandofferthankstothesourceofthedivinewithinyou–forgrace,blessings,energyandpower.

16ChantOmShanti(amantraforpeace)threetimestosendpeaceandlovetoallbeingsintheuniverse.Leteverybreaththatflowsfromyoucreateastrongcurrentofdivineservicetoallbeings.

17Slowlyopenyoureyes,thenremainquietlyseatedforashortwhiletoenjoythesenseofpeacefromyourmeditation.Allowthisinnercalmandcontentednesstopermeateintoyoureverydayconsciousness.

8DEVELOPINGYOURPRACTICE

IntegratingYourYogaMeditationintoDailyLivingThischapteriswhereyoulearnhowtoputalltheYogaMeditationpracticesinthis

booktogetherintheformofroutinesofdifferentlengths–withfivechoicesforboththemorningandtheevening–dependingonyourindividual

requirements.

Although inourbusy livesweoftendon’thaveasmuch timeaswemightlike topractiseyogaandmeditation, there isusuallyawaytofit inat least15minutesofpracticeaday,whether thatmeansgettingup15minutesearlierorgoing to bed 15 minutes later. The shortest of the routines in the pages thatfollowistherefore15minuteslong,whilethelongest,mostbeneficialoneis1hour 45minutes long.Themore regularly you can commit to one ormore oftheseroutines,thegreatersenseofinnerpeace,contentmentandconnectednessyouarelikelytoexperienceindailylife.

In order to obtain optimum benefits from your Yoga Meditation, it is,however,essentialthatyouleadalifestylethatisfullysupportiveofyourgoalsoff the yoga mat as well as on it. Guidance is therefore given on a healthyoverall,daily routine, includingwhat time togetupandgo tobed,anoptimalcleansingroutineandtheidealdiet.

LivingwithAwarenessInordertoreallygetthemostfromtheYoga

Meditationpracticesinthisbook,itisimportanttomaintainabalancedall-roundlifestyletocomplementthem.Commitmenttooptimumhealth

requiresnotonlysufficientexerciseanddedicationtoaspiritualpracticesuchasYogaMeditation,butalsowholesomenutrition,adequaterelaxationand

sufficientsleep.

Inyogicterms,itisimportanttokeepthebodyandmindhealthynotonlyinordertofeelphysicallyfitbutalsosothattheyremainfitvehiclesthroughwhichthetruedivineinnerSelfcanexpressitself,allowingyoutoexperienceasenseofonenessandharmonyinlife.

The following daily guidelines will help you to maintain a healthy andbalancedbodyandmindtothisend.Althoughitmaynotalwaysbepossibletofollowalltheguidelineswithintherestraintsofbusy,modernlife,anythatyoudofollowwillbeofenormousbenefit.

RiseearlyAccording to yogic thinking, the early morning (before 6 am) is filled withprana,making this thebestperiod togetup in themorningandalso themostrewardingtimetomeditate.

Theperiodbetween4and6amisbelievedtobewhenlightnessandclaritypredominate,andyourmindandbodyhavemaximumchanceforfeelingfresh.Sleeping beyond 6 am, on the other hand, is likely to make us feel moresluggish,tiredandexperienceslowmovementofthebowels.

EmptyyourbladderandbowelsIt is importantassoonasyougetupin themorningtogoto the toiletandgetyourbladderandbowelsmoving.Ifabowelmovementdoesnotcomeeasily,trydrinkingamugofhotwaterwithhalfafreshlemonsqueezedintoit,apinchofsaltandateaspoonofhoney.Thendrinkanothermugofplainwarmwater.Thelemonandsalthaveacleansing,drawing-outeffect,andthehoneyisatonicforthecolon.

Cleanyourteethandtongue,andgargleIt is important to regularly remove toxins and bacteria from your body. So atleast twice a day, use a small ormedium soft-bristled toothbrush to carefullybrush your teeth. Ayurveda, Indian traditional medicine, recommends atoothpastewithastringent,bitterandpungentflavours,suchasmyrrh,propolis,neemorpeppermint.Atoothpastethatcontainsbakingsodaisalsogood.Onceyouhavebrushedyourteeth,alsoflossbetweenthemtodislodgeanybacteria.Itisalsorecommendedthatyougentlyscrapeyourtonguewithatonguescraperortheedgeofateaspoontoremovethebacterialcoatingandtodispelbadbreath.Finally,garglewithalittlewarmwatertoclearandsootheyourthroat.

RinseyournoseIt isgoodyogicpractice toregularlyusewhat iscalledanetipot (similar toasmallteapot,butwithaspecialspout)torinseoutyournasalpassages.Todoso,fillthepotwithwarmwateranddissolveoneteaspoonofsaltinit.Leaningoverawashbasin,tiltyourheadtotheleftsideandplacingtheDigestiveremedyIfyousuffer fromconstipation,bloating, flatulenceor indigestion,youcan trydrinking triphala (available to buy from reputable herbal suppliers) – anAyurvedic powder remedy blended from three fruits: haritaki, bibhitaki andamalaki. Dissolve one teaspoonful of triphala powder in amug of hotwater,thenletitstandforafewminutesbeforedrinking.Itisbesttakenintheevening,halfanhourbeforesleep.spoutslightlyintherightnostril,slowlypourthewaterupyournosesothatitflowsoutoftheleftnostril.Thewarmsaltywaterflushesoutmucusanddust,cleansingtheliningofthenostrils.Toexpel theexcessofwaterfromyournostrils,breatheinandoutrapidlythroughthenose.

GiveyourbodyamassageAyurveda recommends dailymassage, if possible, before a bath, to encouragethe release of waste products from the body. Massaging the skin stimulatesbloodcirculationandencouragestheflowoflymph.Italsocleanses,nourishes,relaxesandrejuvenatesthebody.•Warmsomesesameoil(organic,cold-pressed,andlessthansixmonthsold).Ifitirritatesyourskin,usecoconutoilorsweetalmondoilinstead.

•Sitonabathtowelandapplythewarmoilalloveryourbodyfromheadtofoot,takingabouttenminutestodoso.Useupanddownorcircularmovementsofyourhandstosmooththeoilintoyourskin.

•Thenrelaxforfiveminutestoallowyourskintoabsorbtheoil.•Ifyouarepressedfortime,atwo-orthree-minutemassageisstilluseful,focusingmainlyonyourheadandfeet.

TakeawarmbathorshowerAfteryouroilmassage,takeawarmbathorshowerusingamildsoaptocleansetheoilfromyourskin.

FollowyoursadhanaSadhana is a Sanskrit word meaning “spiritual” practice. Having thoroughlycleansedyourbody,youcannowputonclean, comfortable clothes andbeginyourYogaMeditationsadhanafromthisbook(seepages146–53foroptionsofsessionsofvaryinglengths,combiningthepracticesinthebook).Itisimportanttobe regular inyourdailysadhana, as itspurpose is foryou todiscoveryourtruejoyfulinnerSelfandtofeelatpeacewiththeworld.

EatahealthybreakfastEatanourishinglightbreakfastsuchasfreshfruitofyourchoice,muesliwithafewsoakedandpeeledalmonds,porridgeofoats,milletorbuckwheatflakes,orbuckwheatpancakes,alongsideacupofherbaltea,inacalm,pleasantatmosphere–insilenceifpossible.

MakelunchthemainmealofthedayWhatisknowninyogictermsasthe“digestivefire”isatitsstrongestandmostefficientatmidday.Eat ina relaxedatmosphere– insilence ifpossible.Chewyour foodwell.Anddonotdiluteyourdigestive juicesbydrinkingglassesofwater or juice while eating; instead, allow half an hour after food beforedrinking.Sitquietlyforfiveminutes,thentakeashortwalkofupto15minutes

if you can to aid digestion. Then resume your afternoon activities. The hoursbetween2and6pmareoptimalformentalactivities.

HavealighteveningmealAfteranyeveningYogaMeditationpractice,havea lightdinner,ensuring thatyouhaveleftatleastthreehourssincelunchforadequatedigestion.Itisbesttoavoidyogurt,animalproteinandrawingredientsatthistimeastheyarehardtodigest.Donotreadorwatchtelevisionwhileyoueat.Andtrytoeatonlythree-quartersofyourcapacity;stopwhenyouarecomfortablyfull.

BedtimeYogaagreeswiththemaxim“earlytobedearlytorise,makesapersonhealthy,wealthyandwise”.Toensureyougetafullnightofdeeprest,whichisvitalforoptimum health, go to bed no later than 10 pm.Between 10 pm and 2 am isbelieved to be an active period of the night, so if you are awake then, itwillmakeyoufeellively,alertandunlikelytohaveagoodnight’srest.Stayinguplatemayalsocontribute to insomnia,digestiveandeliminationproblems,highbloodpressureandpoorconcentration.

MakingYogaMeditationaDailyRealityForall-rounddevelopmentofbothyourmindandbody,andto

awakenandharnessyourphysicalandmentalenergy,itisbesttopractiseYogaMeditationtwiceadayifatallpossible–oncewhenyougetupinthemorningtostartthedayoffwelland

againintheeveningtohelpyouunwind–evenifitisonly15minuteseachtime.Alternatively,ifyouhavemoretimeeitherinthemorningorevening,youcouldoptforalongerpracticethen.

TheselectionoftimedMorningandEveningRoutinesthatfollowshasbeenspeciallycreated from themany invaluablepracticesexplained throughout thisbook.Choosewhichofthefivetimedroutines(15minutes,30minutes,1hour,1hour15minutes,or1hour45minutes)bestsuitsyoudependingonhowmuchtimeyouhaveandwhichpracticesyouarecomfortablewithatthisstageonyourYogaMeditation journey.Remember to reassessyour timingneedseverynowandtheninordertogetthemostfromyourpractice.

PracticeandtimeTheroutinesthatfollowareflexible,so

ifyousensethatitisbeneficialtogivemoreattentiontocertaintechniques,thenbyallmeansdoso.Butalwaystrytogiveasmuchtimeasyoucantothemeditationpractices(forexample,attheweekendyoumighthavetimetodolongermeditations),asexperiencingstillness,peaceandasenseofconnectednessinmeditationis

ultimatelytheaimofallthepractices.

Pleasebear inmind that the timingsgiven are approximate, basedonhowlong it takes an average practitioner to do them. However, every individualworks at their own pace so do leave some flexibility around the suggestedtimings,especiallyifyouarenewtoyogaandmeditation.Donotfeelworriedifsome practices take more or less time to do. Note also that any discrepancybetweenthelengthoftimesuggestedforapracticeinthefollowingroutinesandgiven in themainentryfor thatpractice isbecause the timingsherehavebeenamendedtoworkwithineachroutine’stimedframework.

IntheSpiritofMeditation

Moreimportantthanwhenandwhereyoumeditate,orwhattechniquesyouuse,areyourattitudeandthespiritoftheheartinwhichyoupractise,andyourself-discipline and regularity in practisingmeditation. Through regular, disciplinedpracticeyouwilldevelopyourawareness,wisdom,energyandjoytoalevelthatyoucanskilfullyintegrateyourexperienceofcentredinnercalm,peaceandjoyintoyoureverydaylife.

MorningRoutinesThemorningroutinesontherightwillawakentheenergy

withinyou,givingyouthevitalityyouneedtostarttheday.Thecombinationofrecommendedpracticeswithineachroutinewillencouragefreecirculationofvitalforces,stimulatingyourglands,improvingbloodandlymphcirculation,andreleasingbodywastesaswellasanymental–emotionaltensionsandblockages.Theresultofdoingtheseroutinesregularlywillbeincreasedenergy,enhancedclarityandacalmer

mind.

15-MINUTEROUTINE1Purificationpractices•NadiShodhana3minutes;seepages86–7•AgnisaraKriya2minutes;seepages88–9

2Meditationpractices•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5

30-MINUTEROUTINE1AsanaPractices•WarmingUp5minutes;seepages64–7•SunSalutationSequence10minutes;seepages68–71

2MeditationPractices•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5

1-HOURROUTINE

1AsanaPractices

•WarmingUp5minutes;seepages64–7•EnergizingMorningSequence10minutes;seepages72–5

2Purificationpractices

2Purificationpractices

•NadiShodhana5minutes;seepages86–7

3Pranayamapractices

•CompleteYogicBreath5minutes;seepages96–7•BhastrikaPranayama5minutes;seepages100–101

4MeditationPractices

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5•NaviKriya5minutes;seepages126–7•OmMeditation10minutes;seepages132–3

1-HOUR15-MINUTEROUTINE

1AsanaPractices

•WarmingUp5minutes;seepages64–7•SunSalutationSequence10minutes;seepages68–71

2Purificationpractices

•NadiShodhana

5minutes;seepages86–7•AgnisaraKriya3minutes;seepages88–9•Kapalabhati5minutes;seepage92•AshviniMudra2minutes;seepage93

3Meditationpractices

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•HongSau15minutes;seepages122–5•NaviKriya5minutes;seepages126–7•OmMediataion20minutes;seepages132–3

1-HOUR45-MINUTEROUTINE

1AsanaPractices

•WarmingUp5minutes;seepages64–7•SunSalutationSequence10minutes;seepages68–71•EnergizingMorningSequence10minutes;seepages72–5

2Purificationpractices

•NadiShodhana5minutes;seepages86–7

•AgnisaraKriya3minutes;seepages88–9•Kapalabhati5minutes;seepage92•AshviniMudra2minutes;seepage93

3Pranayamapractices

•CompleteYogicBreath5minutes;seepages96–7•BhastrikaPranayama5minutes;seepages100–101•BhramariPranayama5minutes;seepage102–3•KundaliniPranayama5minutes;seepages104–5

4MeditationPractices

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•BijaMantras5minutes;seepages118–19•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5•NaviKriya5minutes;seepages126–7•OmMeditation20minutes;seepages132–3

“Becalmlyactive,andactivelycalm.Thatisthewayofayogi.Meditateregularly,andyouwillfindajoyinsidethatisreal.”

youwillfindajoyinsidethatisreal.”PARAMHANSAYOGANANDA

EveningRoutinesTheeveningroutinesthatfollowfocusmainlyonpractices

thathavearelaxingeffectonyourmindandbodyattheendofabusyday.Ifyouaredoingaroutinethatinvolvesasanaandpranayamapractices,itisbesttodoitjustafterwork,whereasameditation-basedroutineismoresuitableforjustbeforebedtimeto

ensureagoodnight’ssleep.

15-MINUTEROUTINE

1MeditationPractices

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5

30-MINUTEROUTINE

1Meditationpractices

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5•UltimateBlissYogaMeditation15minutes;seepages134–7

1-HOURROUTINE

1Meditationpractices

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5•JyotiMudra5minutes;seepages128–9•OmMediataion10minutes;seepages132–3

•UltimateBlissYogaMeditation30minutes;seepages134–7

1-HOUR15-MINUTEROUTINE

1AsanaPractices

•WarmingUp5minutes;seepages64–7•RelaxingEveningSequence10minutes;seepages76–9

2Purificationpractices

•NadiShodhana5minutes;seepages86–7

3Pranayamapractices

•UjjayiPranayama5minutes;seepages98–9

4Meditationpractices

•SteadyGazing5minutes;seepage113•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5•JyotiMudra5minutes;seepages128–9•OmMeditation10minutes;seepages132–3

•UltimateBlissYogaMeditation15minutes;seepages134–7

Masteringtheartofmeditation

Itisimportanttorememberthatmeditationrequiresdedicationanddiscipline,sodo not give up on it before you have given it a proper chance. If you find itdifficult to sit in stillness, the trick is simply to set asidemore time for eachmeditationsession.Bybeingwillingtositforalongerperiodoftime,youwillallowyour thoughtsmore time to slow and settle down.Asmost experiencedmeditatorswilltellyou,truemeditativestillnessusuallyoccursafterbetween45minutesandanhour.Toreachthisstate,youwillneedtopersistwithasteadyeffort.Ifyoufeelaresistancetositting,simplytrytoletgoofthethoughtsthatareholdingyoubackandbringyourattentionandawarenessbacktoyourbreathorthemantraOm.

1-HOUR45-MINUTEROUTINE

1AsanaPractices

•WarmingUp5minutes;seepages64–7•RelaxingEveningSequence10minutes;seepages76–9•CoolDownSequence10minutes;seepages80–3

2Purificationpractices

•NadiShodhana5minutes;seepages86–7

3Pranayamapractices

•UjjayiPranayama

5minutes;seepages98–9•BhramariPranayama5minutes;seepage102–3

4Meditationpractices

•MahaMudra5minutes;seepages114–17•BijaMantras10minutes;seepages118–19•HumMantras5minutes;seepages120–1•HongSau10minutes;seepages122–5•OmMeditation15minutes;seepages132–3•UltimateBlissYogaMeditation20minutes;seepages134–7

FurtherReading

•Ashley-Farrand,Thomas,ChakraMantras,WeiserBooks,SanFrancisco,2006

•Avalon,Arthur,TheSerpentPower,DoverPublications,newYork,1974

•Bryant,EdwinF,TheYogaSutrasofPatanjali,NorthPointPress,NewYork,2009

•TheDalaiLama,BeyondReligion,Rider,London,2012

•Davis,RoyEugene,ParamhansaYoganandaAsIKnewHim,CSAPress,Lakemont,Georgia,2005

•Davis,RoyEugene,TheScienceofSelf-Realization,CSAPress,Lakemont,Georgia,2004

•Davis,RoyEugene,SevenLessonsinConsciousLiving,CSAPress,Lakemont,Georgia,2013

•Feuerstein,Georg,TheDeeperDimensionsofYoga,ShambhalaPublications,Boston,2003

•Iyengar,B.K.S,CoreoftheYogaSutras,HarperThorsons,London,2012

•Kriyananda,Swami,TheEssenceoftheBhagavadGita,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2006

•Kriyananda,Swami,TheEssenceofSelf-Realization,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,1990

•Kriyananda,Swami,GodisforEveryone,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2003

•Kriyananda,Swami,ParamhansaYogananda-ABiography,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2011

•Mehta,Mira,YogaExplained,AngusBooks,London,2004

•Niranjanananda,Swami,Prana,Pranayama,PranaVidya,YogaPublicationsTrust,Bihar,1994

•SelbieandSteinmetz,TheYugas,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2010

•Stephens,Mark,YogaSequencing,NorthAtlanticBooks,Berkeley,California,2012

•Sturgess,Stephen,TheYogaBook,WatkinsPublishing,London,2002

•Sturgess,Stephen,TheBookofChakrasandSubtleBodies,WatkinsPublishing,London,2013

•Vishnu-Devananda,Swami,HathaYogaPradipika,LotusPublishing,NewYork,1987

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,AutobiographyofAYogi,CrystalClarityPublishersNevadaCity,1994

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,GodTalkswithArjuna-TheBhagavadGita,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,2002

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,HowtobeHappyalltheTime,CrystalClarityPublishersNevadaCity,2006

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,HowtobeaSuccess,CrystalClarityPublishers,NevadaCity,2008

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,IntheSanctuaryoftheSoul,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1998

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,InnerPeace,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1999

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,JourneytoSelf-Realization,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1997

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,MetaphysicalMeditations,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1998

•Yogananda,Paramhansa,WhereThereisLight,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1989

•Yukteswar,SwamiSri,TheHolyScience,Self-RealizationFellowship,LosAngeles,1997

FurtherResources

ForfurtherinformationontheKriyaYogateachingsofStephenSturgessinLondonvisit:

www.yogananda-kriyayoga.org.ukoremailstephensturgess@hotmail.com

ForfurtherinformationonKriyaYogameditationingeneral:

UK:www.kriyayogacentre.org.ukwww.srf-london.org.uk

USA:www.ananda.orgwww.expandinglight.orgwww.csa-davis.orgwww.yogananda-srf.org

INDIA:www.anandaindia.org

ITALY:www.ananda.it

AcknowLedgMents

Many thanks to Bob Saxton, who initially got the project off the ground. ToKellyThompson, themanagingeditor,whopaidmeticulousattentiontodetail,whilekeepingalwayswarm-heartedandcheerful;andtoTaniaAhsanwhoalsocheerfully worked on the editing. To Jules Selmes, the photographer, and hisassistantAdam,bothofwhomworkedhard toget thosebeautiful shotsof themodel.Andtothemodelherself,TessDimas(MOT),wholookednaturallycalmand serene. And finally, a big thank you to the Christiane Beauregard, theillustratorwhocontributedthebeautifulandcolourfulillustrationstothebook.

ThestoryofWatkinsbeganin1893,whenscholarofesotericismJohnWatkinsfoundedourbookshop,inspiredbythelamentofhisfriendandteacherMadameBlavatsky that there was nowhere in London to buy books on mysticism,occultismormetaphysics.Thatmomentmarked thebirthofWatkins, soon tobecome the publisher of many of the leading lights of spiritual literature,includingCarlJung,RudolfSteiner,AliceBaileyandChögyamTrungpa.

Today, the passion at Watkins Publishing for vigorous questioning is stillresolute.Ourstimulatingandgroundbreakinglistrangesfromancienttraditionsand complementary medicine to the latest ideas about personal development,holisticwellbeingandconsciousnessexploration.Weremainatthecuttingedge,committedtopublishingbooksthatchangelives.

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