Guided Meditation for Peace and Calmness

Nayaswami Sadhana Devi leads you in a 30-minute guided meditation on finding peace and calmness within. More meditations are in our free meditation app.

Ananda Meditation is the only meditation app based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. Learn how to meditate, practice ancient yogic techniques, and go deeper in the joy of your own Self.

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- Pranayama lessons and techniques taught by Nayaswami Gyandev, a co-founder of the Yoga Alliance

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- Inner balance

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- Love

- Awakening the chakras

- Connecting to your divine power

Nayaswami Sadhana Devi is a longtime meditator and teacher and lives at Ananda Village, California.

Transcript

Nayaswami Sadhanadevi:

Namaste, and welcome everyone. My name is Nayaswami Sadhanadevi and I will be guiding you through 30 minutes of meditation. So, let's begin with a prayer.

Prayer and Chant to begin meditation

Divine Mother, Heavenly Father, Friend, Beloved God, Great Gurus. Jesus Christ. Babaji Krishna Lahiri Mahasaya Swami Sri Yukteswar, Beloved Guru Paramhansa Yoganandaji, friend and guide, Swami Kriyananda. We bow to you all. May Thy love shine forever on the sanctuary of our devotion, and may we be able to awaken Thy love in all hearts. Aum, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

Let's begin with a chant. If you can, please sing along with me. Yoganandaji used to say chanting is half the battle. It opens the heart, and it helps to focus the mind.

Try to lift your inner gaze up to the point between the eyebrows. We'll talk a bit more about.

Chanting: From Joy, I Came. For Joy I Live, In Sacred Joy, I Melt Again.

What Is the Best Way to Sit in Meditation?

And now, sitting upright, spine erect, your feet on the floor if you're on a chair, otherwise, if you're on the floor, if you can sit on a cushion with your knees on the floor that will help you to straighten your spine. So that's a very important part of meditation.

Then, next thing, bring your inner gaze up to the spiritual eye, the point between the eyebrows. Feel as though with your eyes closed, you're looking out about arm's length away from your forehead. This raises your inner energy and makes it much easier to meditate. Try to keep your gaze focus there as much as possible throughout your meditation.

What Are the Different Ways of Practicing Pranayam During Meditation?

Double Breathing:

And let's practice some pranayam. The first one will be double breathing. Inhale with a double breath, one short and long breath, tense the body. Throw the breath out with a short and long breath. Release. Inhale. Tense and release. Now, breathe naturally, keeping your gaze uplifted and spine erect. Check your body for any tension that's lingering and relax, but keep the spine erect.

Measured Breathing

Now we'll do a little measured breathing. We're going to inhale to a count of six, hold six, and exhale six. We'll do one round with me counting. And then we'll do four more rounds at our own pace. When we finish, watch the breath as though you’re a silent observer. Allow it to come in and out of its own accord without trying to control it.

So, let's begin, inhale 1 2 3 4 5 6, hold 2 3 4 5 6, exhale 2 3 4 5 6. Now four more rounds at your own pace when you finish watch the breath as though you are a silent observer.

Try to keep your body as still as you can.

Be sure that you're relaxed.

Observed Breathing

Now observe the breath as it comes in and goes out. And notice where you feel the air coming in. You'll first feel it at the tip of the nose, then the center or the middle of the nose. Feel the air coming in and out at that point, then higher in the nose, up toward the bridge, and then finally, here at the point between the eyebrows, what we call the spiritual eye. Feel as though the air there is gently fanning and energizing the spiritual eye. This is the seat of spiritual vision. And it's located right at the front of the brain, the frontal lobe, the most advanced part of the brain. Let the breath come in and out as you watch it there.

Hong Sau Breathing

And now continuing, continuing to gaze upward, as the next inhalation comes in, mentally follow that with the sound Hong, H O N G, and with the exhalation, mentally follow that with the sound Sau, S A U. So, inhale HONG, exhale SAU. Hong Sau. If you prefer, you can use the words I am peace. I am peace. So again, keeping your gaze uplifted and your spine erect, let's practice this for a few minutes

Your mind will wander. That's its nature. Don't be worried or distressed. That's what it's going to do. All you have to do is return your attention to mentally saying those two syllables Hong Sau, or I am peace. As you continue to practice, you will become more calm, and your breath will slow down. It may even stop. This is a good sign. Don't be alarmed. Let it stay out as long as it wants to, and it will return on its own.

Remember to keep your spine erect and your gaze uplifted. You can call to God at this point, reveal Thyself reveal Thyself

Remembering to Enjoy Your Meditation Practice

Now let's move into the last portion of our meditation. This is desert. This is where we enjoy the after-effects of our efforts, where we can sit in the peace, in the light, in some aspect of God that we hold dear that is important to us. And so once again, their gaze uplifted, you can cease your practice of Hong Sau by taking a breath and letting it out with three of those breaths

And now imagine that you are surrounded in light and peace. It's an ocean of light, an ocean of peace.  You're floating. You are embraced by that light and that peace.

Enjoy the wonderful feeling that that gives you.

Feel the peace, the light above and below on both sides, in front and back. You are embraced in the light and the peace.

Now mentally let your body become one with the light and peace, dissolving into it. Begin with your feet and let them dissolve as they become one with light and peace.

Then your ankles and calves, your knees and thighs, your hips and abdomen, one with the light and the peace.

Your torso and your internal organs, your back and chest, your hands and arms, your shoulders, all one with light and peace.

Then your neck and throat, your head, your face, your eyes, cheeks, lips, your ears, your scalp, all one with the light and the piece.

And your skull and finally your brain. See your brain filled with light, especially at the front, the spiritual eye, feel the light and peace, and one with the light and the piece.

Sharing What You Have Received

And let's share that with all, expanding it out from your body, out in waves from your body to fill the room where you are,

Then you're building

Your neighborhood

Your city

Your country

All the world, and especially areas of disharmony, send the light and the peace to all.

And then finally, as far as you can imagine, send that light and peace out to all souls, all beings everywhere

We are one with the light. We are one in the light. We are light, peace, bliss.

And now let's call to mind those we know that we’d especially like to send blessings to. Visualize them in peace and light. And let's repeat this prayer of Yogananda.

Divine Mother. Thou art Omnipresent. Thou art in all these Thy children. Manifest Thy healing presence in all bodies, minds, and souls. Rubbing our hands together, feel the energy gathering as we send these blessings out with three AUMS.

AUM, AUM, AUM,

Shanti Shanti Shanti

Joy to you