Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone at Ananda! I was just curious, so if it is not ok to answer, I can understand. What are the experiences of Ananda meditators during deep meditation? How are you able to sit still for a long period of time? Are your minds calm and focused throughout the day? How can it be done? I do know that such experiences should not be shared, but if it is alright, please do. Thank you!
—Kailash, India
Dear Kailash,
With all spiritual practices our efforts must be seen as a long distance run, and as a daily battle of life. Some days we do better than others. But you will find over time that your daily practice is having a deepening effect on your overall practices and on your life in general.
Swami Kriyanandaji didn’t encourage us to share with others the experiences of our personal meditation practices, because they are just that, personal. It wouldn’t really be helpful for you to know what my personal experience is, even if I did feel to share it with you. It simply wouldn’t help your own practice, and it might even harm it.
And why is this? Well, the two responses to such information, if it was shared with you, would be to either make you feel good about your own practice (because you feel it’s better than someone else’s) or not good about your own practice (because you feel it’s not as good). Both responses come from the ego and are simply a block to your own ongoing meditation practice.
Your relationship with the Divine in meditation is unique to you and personal and should, for the most part, be kept that way. On the other hand, to share your meditation experiences with someone who might be able to help you in deepening your practices, that could be helpful.
In answer to most of the questions you’ve asked, I would say that it simply takes ongoing perseverance, dedication, joy, love and devotional offering to the Divine, through the daily practice of the meditation techniques we’ve been given by Paramhansa Yogananda. The other very important ingredient to success in deepening meditation is Satsang with other meditators. I hope this last thing — satsang — is available to you, as meditating with others can help tremendously in supporting your meditative efforts.
And lastly, as Swami Kriyanandaji said, “The more you meditate, the more you will want to meditate. But the less you meditate, the less you will find meditation attractive.”
Christmas blessings to you,
In divine friendship,
Nayaswami Parvati
