I started meditating a few months back. Initially I had a couple of experiences. Once I was meditating and suddenly I noticed I was swinging to and frow. I was scared and opened my eyes. Later during 2 sessions I came out of meditation and felt very fresh. I did not know how time passed by. Infact I don’t remember what happened during meditation. After that I had no such experience. Is it okay to not have such experiences? How do I stop craving for such experiences? Please guide me.
—Surya, India
Dear Surya,
Experience of body movement such as swaying or swinging in meditation is fairly common and is associated with movement of kundalini in the spine. Such experiences come and go and it is important not to become attached to them. When you experience movement offer the energy up at the point between the eyebrows. If you find the movement disturbing open your eyes, do a little slow, deep breathing and ask for divine guidance on how to work with the energy. Blanking out in meditation with no memory of the meditative experience probably indicates you dropped into subconsciousness, possibly into sleep. Our goal in meditation is to enter into superconsciousness. In that state of consciousness we are very alert, deeply relaxed and uplifted into expanded awareness of the Divine Presence which we may experience as deep peace, calmness, joy, love or other divine qualities. When we touch into superconsciousness we know we have accessed a level of awareness quite different from when we are engaged in the senses and the world or when we are mentally wandering in subconsciousness.
Keep your meditation fresh, ever new. Don’t let your mind limit your meditation experience with expectation about what that experience SHOULD be. Each time you sit to meditation offer all that you are and this meditation also into the hands of the Divine and invite that presence to come into and guide your meditation.
If you would like to learn more about meditation practices that Yogananda brought you might explore our courses on meditation at https://anandaindia.org/meditation-courses/
Many blessings,
Nayaswami Mukti
