advice on "dhyana" for a novice

[Guest guest]

Dear Mani,

I read your posting in the Bhakti Digest regarding "dhyana".

 

Kindly excuse me if I will say anything wrong or misleading.

I will be thankful to you if you will correct me or point

the mistakes in the views which i am going to share with you.

 

Dhyana, meaning meditation, is not the first step. Meditation

is not a practise but a state of mind which is attained by

several practices of which one is japa yoga. It is often said

that 'you get into meditation'.

 

I understand that your problem, ( rather our problem ) is

lack of concentration in which there is a conscious effort

to settle the vrithis of the mind. The inevitable question

which every sadhaka asks at some point in time.

 

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says, why one should try to

stop the mind when it wants to wander. mind, like storm

will beat every corner and finally settles becoming tired.

But do not trace the thoughts in the process. ( tracing

the thoughts will create links and thus thoughts becomes

a story and finally we will become a cast in that completely

forgetting the purpose of 'sitting' ).

 

Another method that is suggested is to do pranayama in the

count of 4-16-8. Gradual intake of breath for 4 secs.

Air retention in the lungs for 16 secs and gradual breathout

of air for 8 secs, works remarkably. Infact this is an

anga of the sandhya vandanam itself. We are supposed to do

this 10 times before starting the Gayathri Japam.

 

Like in any other practise, it may take its time-qouta

to observe a tangible effect. [ In a humble attempt, i

found both fruitful ]

 

Before starting pranayama do heavy breathing 10-15 times.

While doing panayama some have suggested additional

things. 1) Chant the Japa mantra and by that keep track of

time intervals in breathing. (or) 2) Feel the air that is

rubbing past the nostril lining both while intaking and

outtaking.

 

with respect

Swathy Prabhu