 |
| 
|
 |
 | 
| 
|
| | |
| |||||||
| |
|
|
|||||||
 |
 |
||
Home > Lessons in Meditation > Meditation Support > Daily Meditator > June 2002 Issue |
|||
|
|
Meditation Support The Daily Meditator- June 2002 Dear Meditator, The theme of this issue of The Daily Meditator is concentration, the second of the three phases of meditation. The first is relaxation, which we discussed in the April newsletter, and the last is expansion, which we will discuss in a future issue. In the Art and Science of Raja Yoga, Swami Kriyananda discusses the importance of concentration on the spiritual path: While concentration is an ingredient for success in any area, it is absolutely essential for meditation. Meditation cannot exist without deep concentration. A special type of concentration is required for meditation-a focusing of the mind on inward realities rather than external objects. When we are engaged in activities our thoughts are normally focused on the object of our attention: a person, a book, the eye of a needle. But in order to carry on our inner search we need to withdraw our attention from the things of the world. Without concentration, our meditations quite literally never get off the ground, because it is our concentration (and love for God) that gathers and directs a strong flow of energy to the brain-the ultimate goal of yoga practice. The reason we focus our attention at the point between the eyebrows during meditation is because here is the seat of divine awareness-where divine experiences and enlightenment come. The greater this concentration of energy at that point, the more powerfully that portion of the brain will be stimulated and awakened, and the more profound will be your spiritual awareness. Paramhansa Yogananda, as a neophyte in his guru's ashram, made it a deliberate practice to keep his mind centered at the Christ center throughout the day, regardless what his other activities were. He told us that in this way divine enlightenment can come very quickly. Because the word "energy" evokes images of strain and tension, however, I suggest you think, rather, of focusing your thoughts and aspirations at this spiritual point. Relaxing the body as a preparation to meditation helps to free up energy being wasted as tension in the muscles, allowing us to use it to produce greater awareness. In deep meditation energy is withdrawn even from the internal bodily functions. In the deepest states, a yogi's heart and breath will stop. At that time enormous stores of energy can be concentrated at the spiritual eye. This issue contains many valuable articles and techniques to help you to understand how and why we need to concentrate if we are to meditate deeply. In this month's Daily Meditator, you can also read about the science and art of using affirmations, and experience three visualizations from Swami Kriyananda's new CD, Metaphysical Meditations. Lastly, there are two selections from the video, Meditation Therapy™ for Stress and Change. Meditation Therapy™ is a bold new approach to finding lasting solutions to our deeper problems and concerns. Combining the power of deep meditation practice with the insights of psychology, Meditation Therapy™ will help you enrich your life in lasting ways. There are two other videos in the Mediation Therapy™ series: Health and Healing and Relationships. This issue includes: Meditation Therapy™
for Stress and Change Affirmations for
Self-Healing Metaphysical Meditations:
Visualizations for Your Meditation Practice I hope you are having a lovely summer/winter and that your meditation practice is bringing you ever-greater joy! In divine friendship, Ananda Meditation
Ministry |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
