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What Is Meditation?

There are many different types of meditations with different objectives. One of the primary goals of most practices is to help the practitioner in achieving their life’s goals. 

One of the main aspects of meditation is focus. Over time meditation can train the mind to focus on whatever is important to the practitioner which increases their ability to get what they want in life. 

In a very famous yogic scripture called (roughly translated as) The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, or The Yoga Sutras, meditation (which will be referred to as deep meditation from now on) is broken down into three main parts. This process is designed to clear the mind so the practitioner can focus on the object of their desire. 

Note: the different parts of meditation can also be called stages or steps

The parts of deep meditation are: concentration, meditation and absorption. These words are rough translations from Sanskrit which indicates that they have deeper meanings. And in the Sutras the word meditation is used twice to help really confuse things! That is why we will call the general subject of meditation deep meditation, the three parts put together. 

Concentration is the start of meditation. This is the one pointed focus of attention on something. That something completely depends on the individual. It has to do with their experience and desire. If their desire is only for Truth then that is what they will focus on. But, if they are like most people, their desire will likely in the worldly realm. 

While it is possible to meditate on attaining something in particular like a partner or wealth, it is usually better to have a more general goal like improving yourself in some way. Once your mind is strong and focused, life tends to send you what is best for you, what will fulfill you in your life. And more importantly, you will gain the ability to go directly after what you want rather than just dreaming about it. Practicing concentration develops concentration and focus that supports the fulfillment of all your life’s desire. 

The second stage of deep meditation is called meditation. Meditation happens when concentration becomes steady. While concentration can be disturbed by many factors, meditation is immune to most influences. That is, focus becomes so strong that nothing short of a sudden shock can break it.

Once you are steady in the meditation stage you are primed for absorption, the third stage of deep meditation. At this point you are only ready for absorption because all you can really ‘do’ in meditation is focus and be open to the truth of what you are seeking, absorption can not be forced.

It takes acts of will to get to this point, and will power to stay steady in your meditation. Absorption requires an act of surrender, giving yourself over to the object of your attention. It takes faith that you will break through to both continue, and for the break through to happen.

Absorption is merging with that which you are focused on. There isn’t really a better way to explain it except through examples. Let’s look at the three steps of deep meditation with a couple of examples. 

An example of deep meditation is study. When you focus on a subject that you don’t know much about there is a lot of distraction. First, is the fact that it is hard to understand the subject. Then, there are numerous outside distractions like hunger, discomfort, tiredness, our inner dialogue, thoughts, frustration and so many more distractions that it’s impossible to know them all. 

But, you keep bringing your attention back to the subject. You use your will power to pull your focus back onto your studies again and again. Eventually, you start to get a bit of a handle on the subject. Your focus gets stronger as your understanding increases. 

Then, your attention is on the subject for a long time. You start to develop a pure focus that is no longer distracted by the little things. Your concentration is now steady as you meditate on the subject. You may not fully understand it yet, but you understand enough about it that you can stay with it for long periods of time without distraction.

Then. finally, you get it! Something clicks and you finally understand in a way that is completely different from before. You may still not be there completely, but your new understanding is deeper than you ever could have imagined when you first started. Your consciousness of the subject has shifted.

Another example is the enlightenment technique. An enlightenment experience is an absolute change in consciousness. It is consciousness of a state of direct knowledge of yourself as you truly are. This is one of the best uses of meditation; to have such a deep experience of yourself that your consciousness is profoundly changed from one state to another permanent state of consciousness. It is simply life changing.

Getting to that permanent state of consciousness is a difficult process that usually takes years of deep meditation. But, it can happen much faster when the meditation is done during an Enlightenment Intensive (EI). That is where the enlightenment technique used in this example comes from. 

To have such a deep experience of the self you have to focus on yourself at a very deep level for a long time. That starts with concentration. The technique is to continually bring your attention back to yourself again and again. Distractions will come up and cause you to lose your focus, but the environment is set up to maximize your capacity to develop your ability to come back to yourself. In an EI this usually takes a day or two. 

By the middle of the second day most people will be at a point where their focus is steady. They sit in contemplation for long periods of time without distraction. They have achieved the meditation phase of deep meditation. But, they aren’t at the point of absorption yet. 

However, they are primed for absorption. At this point all you have to do is continue doing the technique, continue with your attention on yourself while being open to directly experiencing yourself as you truly are. That is all you can do. Enlightenment comes by no means, it just happens in a timeless instant, and all you can do is be open to experiencing yourself as anything. 

Now, you sit in deep meditation, or contemplation as it is called in the EI (contemplation is the word used to describe doing the enlightenment technique in an EI) for long periods of time that usually takes years to achieve in a Zen monastery. You are, in fact, in a deep meditative state at this point. Eventually you have a break through, and you become absorbed in the self. 

This may seem obvious, but you have a direct experience of yourself contemplating yourself. The breakthrough is realizing at an absolute level that the two ‘selves’ are really the same! In reality, you merge with yourself, which is the experience of absorption. This description is limited, you can read more about what an enlightenment experience is here.

That description of the enlightenment technique was greatly shortened to keep this from being too long. You can read a better explanation of it at the link above. But, it works well as an example of deep meditation. 

You can use this knowledge to start a meditation practice, or you can learn different practices taught by a lot of different teachers. Here is a list of the meditation practices that I am created for you here. Feel free to ask about others and I will do my best to describe as many of the various practices as possible. As you learn about different types of meditation> you can look for the three stages, that will help you go deep into whichever practice you chose. 

Read the next article in this series: Two Main Types Of Meditation

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Tantra Partner Exercise

Yab Yum Tantra For Couples
Yab Yum pose for partner tantra practice

Ultimately tantra is an internal solo experience. It is the uniting of the male and female energies within the body. That is why many of the male Hindu deities have an effeminate appearance; the male and female combined in one perfect body.

Achieving that perfect state of tantric union is very difficult and takes many lifetimes. On the way is much confusion and distraction that often leads the aspirant down what can seem to be wrong paths, but which are actually a necessary part of that individual’s path. That is, everything is perfect and necessary for an aspirant to achieve total union with the Divine; what they go through is perfect. In the final analysis there is no right or wrong.

The path of relationship is perfect for moving through a significant amount of the ignorance that keeps us from that ultimate inner experience. The growth that happens when working with someone for decades to make a great relationship is truly a deep spiritual practice. Using couple’s tantric techniques will add to that growth and help to facilitate deep spiritual experiences.

These techniques are a part of yoga and other traditions. They are demonstrated in images and statues with male and female deities together. While specific techniques can be found in scripture and images, much is handed down through traditions and lineages.

Here is a tantric technique you can practice with your partner. It needs to be someone you are intimate with, preferably a long term relationship. It can be practiced with a friend as long as it works within your relationship. Female/male relationships are ideal primarily because, while it can work out fine, the energy will be significantly different with same sex couples.

You can both be clothed or not as long as there is agreement. Start sitting apart from each other with knees/lower legs touching as the photo above shows. Allow whatever contact is needed so you can be as close as possible.

The first exercise is to gaze into each other’s eyes. Put your attention on the non-physical individual that they are. It doesn’t matter if you know what that is or not, the experience will be what is perfect for you. Intend to experience that divine being directly and eventually you will.

The ideal length of time to practice this and the other exercise described here is 40 minutes, but 20 minutes is okay to start with. Agree on a time and set a timer.

After your gazing technique take two to five minutes each to say what you experienced. It is very important that you only talk about yourself; avoid saying anything about your partner’s experience. There is a lot more that can be said about not laying trips on your partner, but that is for another article. As long as your intention is rooted in love you are sure to be okay.

The next exercise is done with your hand on your partner’s heart cakra (often written chakra because Sanskrit ‘c’ is pronounced ‘ch’). This energy center starts just below the sternum in the soft area at the top of the belly, and extends to the top of the sternum just below the hollow of the throat. It includes the area to the sides all the way to and including the arms.

Place the heel of your hand at lowest point of the center of your partner’s heart cakra. Having your hand higher is fine, especially if practicing with a woman who might not want her breasts touched.

You can also experiment using your left hands if you like. Some consider the left hand to be better. What is best is what works best for you and your partner.

The energy comes from the sex center, the second cakra. Intensify the sexual energy by allowing your energies to come up. Specifically, allow the energy that comes with being turned on sexually to flow. Draw on the desire you have for your partner while being open to their intensifying energy as their desire for you increases.

Draw that energy up and flow it into your hand and to your partners’ heart while experiencing their energy flowing from their hand into your heart.

With practice the sexual energy begins to transform to higher levels. The second cakra is usually considered more base than cakras that are higher up in the body, so energies in the higher cakras are considered as being of a higher nature, more divine. It is still sexual energy as is all energy, but its function and objective is of a higher nature.

Directing energy takes time and practice. Even people who are good at directing their energy will gain more experience and mastery with practice.

This transformation of the sexual energy is aided with continuous eye gazing with your partner as you did in the first exercise. Be open to experiencing the divine being you are partnered with as you allow the sexual energy to flow and transform from desire to love that has no reason, that is divine.

This transformation is the heart of tantra. Sexual energy is divine as is all energy (and everything for that matter!), drawing it up into the higher cakras is the transformation. In other words, the energy transforms as it moves up. It can even be drawn up to the third eye and more with this technique. The energy transforms from merely sexual to a divine connection with the divine being that is your lover.

In this practice, the animalistic sexual energy transforms into loving heart energy. Gradually it can grow to the highest level of seeing the divine nature in everything and everyone at all times.

You can stimulate the sexual energy with a more intimate level of physical contact by taking up the yab yum position with your partner. This position is an embrace with the woman sitting on the man with her legs wrapped around him. The right (or left as you prefer) hands are then placed on the heart cakra from behind with the energy moving from hand to heart, then heart to heart as your chests press against each other.

There are many more transformational practices you can do with your partner in yab yum. For example, breathing techniques can be added that increase the connection and energy between you. Also, there are other energy moving techniques and different points of contact that can lead to deep experiences.

Remember, the goal of the path of relationship is to grow closer to your partner by deepening your relationship with the divine being that they are. This happens when your intention is to treat them well as it is in a long term committed relationship. Tantra adds to the process with spice and deepening connection.

Let me know in the comments if you’d like more articles and perhaps videos on deepening your relationship through tantra; your questions inspire response. You can also contact me if you would like to ask privately, or schedule a private session, Skype sessions work well with this work.

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Zen Meditation And The Enlightenment Intensive

Zen meditation is designed to take you to a state of enlightenment. Traditionally it would take the practitioner many years to start to achieve and enlightened state. It works by clearing out the barriers in the mind that block you from experiencing the Truth of Self. You end up with both deep experiences and a peaceful mind.

The Enlightenment Intensive speeds the process considerably. Here is a very short description of how to get started with the process. Let me know if you would like more information about the Enlightenment Intensive and the technique used. You can leave a comment below, or email me directly if you like.

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Meditation Practice For A Peaceful Mind

There are many different types of meditation. Which one works best for you? Here are a few variations on a basic meditation that you can try.

To be honest, this video came out a little disjointed and may not be clear to some people. Please send me a message or post a comment if you would like any clarification.

You can send me an email if you would like to discuss a good meditation for you.

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Peace Of Mind Introduction

A new friend of mine recently asked me how to have peace of mind. After thinking about it for a few days I had a list of possibilities that would help anyone willing to take the time to investigate what would work best for them.

Over the next few days I will be making videos of the techniques I know of that can help you gain inner peace. I would really appreciate any feed back you may have, positive or negative as well as any suggestions for other topics.

You can leave a comment below, or contact me directly if you have something you’d like to ask me personally.

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Krya Cita Prana Lotus

This is a very slow method of doing asanas. Krya Cita Prana roughly means movement of mind and energy meaning that energy is directed by the mind to cause movement making it a very meditative way to do postures.

The minimum time to do one asana is 20 minutes. The movement is very slow with pauses to breath in prana or life energy which facilitates the movement. I will write more about the technique if there is interest.

For now you can watch the demonstration of lotus. You may not want to watch the entire video since it is almost 23 minutes long. If you want to skip some of it you might like to skip to 11:45 and watch for a few minutes.

Finally, I would really appreciate your comments. If there is interest then I will do more demonstrations and write up instructions on how to do the practice.

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Science has proven the existence of Aum. The universe is permeated by Aum  in the form of the CMBR, the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. It is also known as CBR; Cosmic Background Radiation.

The CMBR is left over heat from the creation of the universe. It proves that the big bang started the expansion that is our universe 13.7 billion years ago. A point infinitesimally small exploded and quickly expanded into the universe we live in today.

Everything in the universe comes from that beginning. What is left from that original spark is thermal radiation that permeates everything.

The universe has a temperature. Absolute zero is the lowest temperature anything can achieve, and the universe, even in its furthest reaches, is slightly warmer, 2.725 degrees Celsius warmer. That warmth comes from the CMBR.

The CMBR accounts for 99.9 percent of the particles of light in the universe. The other .1 percent comes from stars. Every cubic centimeter of space contains 300 photons from that original explosion of creation.

The CMBR was first noticed by scientists who were attempting to listen to sounds from distant stars and galaxies. They were confounded by a noise that was everywhere they pointed their radio telescopes. Older television sets produce static when tuned to a station that isn’t being used. About one percent of that static is the CMBR. That is the static those scientists found.

According to ancient Hindu scripture Aum  permeates the entire universe. It is called a sound that permeates the universe. It is also called the cosmic seed because it is what everything sprang from. It is the sound of God.

Aum is sometimes written as Om. While Aum is more accurate, an even more accurate spelling can be found in Sanskrit which indicates a fourth character that is a half sound called the ardha matra in Sanskrit.

Om is often chanted as a spiritual technique to purify the mind and focus the attention. It is a very powerful technique, especially if chanted correctly. When chanted correctly the macrocosmic infinite that is Aum is brought into the microcosm of the body of the chanter. It can also have a profound effect on listeners.

Om is most commonly chanted as Om, one sound, especially in western cultures. However, when chanting AUM correctly there are actually three and a half sounds made by the chanter. Those sounds are long A as in father, O as in oh, M — a humming sound with the lips pressed together and the half note which is the M continued with slight changes in the shape of the tongue and throat.

Aum is correctly produced by making only one sound in the larynx. The different sounds of A, U, M and the half note are made by changing the shape of the mouth, tongue and throat.

The sound starts with long A which is made with the mouth opened wide. While the throat continues making that original sound the mouth slowly changes to form an O in such a way that the sound changes to an O sound. The M sound is made by changing the O shape of the mouth to pressing the lips together. Then, the half note is made by moving the tongue toward the pallet with the front part touching the pallet, and the back of the throat is slightly constricted.

The first sound, the A, is in the throat and mouth. That is, the vibration of Om is in the upper part of the body. As the sound is changed to O the vibration and sound start to move down into the lower throat and upper chest. The M sound moves the vibration into the middle and lower chest. The half note moves the vibration up into the head, specifically the hypothalamus area including the pituitary gland.

After the big bang the universe very quickly expanded at speeds faster than the speed of light. As it expanded the vibration of the big bang bounced between the boundaries three and a half times.

That primordial sound reverberated back and forth like the sound in a flute bouncing against the edges as it moves down the tube to create a beautiful harmonic sound. The beautiful harmonic of the universe is Aum that can be recreated in the human body by making the sounds of the letters A, U, M and the half note at the end.

Of the CMBR Nobel Prize winner George Smoot said it was ‘like seeing the face of God.’ How right he is! The Christian Bible shares this view in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

It is obvious that the characteristics of Aum and the CMBR are almost identical. They both permeate the universe, and have the same musical note structure. It really is amazing that what the ancient yogis experienced in Aum thousands of years ago has only recently been discovered by science.

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Lunge Side Bend Psoas Stretch

Lunge Side Bend Psoas Stretch

The main muscle that is targeted when doing core strengthening exercises is the psoas muscle. Several other muscles are also strengthened when the psoas is activated, but the main target is the deepest muscle in the body; the psoas.

Most people understand the importance of stretching before and after strenuous exercise, but how do you stretch the psoas? The psoas’ actions are subtle, and so are most of the stretches that affect it. This article will teach you how to do one of the best psoas stretches there is.

The Side Bend Lunge is a great stretch that affects several areas including the psoas. It is simple to do, and can be done by just about everyone, the only limitation is an injury or other body obstacle.

Start in a lunge with your right foot forward and left knee on the floor behind you. Use a pad for your knee as needed. Keep your right knee over the right ankle as you move your left leg back as far as is comfortably possible. Place your hands or finger tips on the floor near your front foot. You can also use something like a block under your hands for convenience.

Take time to get comfortable in lunge before activating the psoas. You can do this by allowing the areas the lunge naturally stretch to warm up. Relaxing in lunge by allowing your hips to release down will increase the stretch. Ideally you would stretch both sides like this before doing the side bend.

After the muscles in lunge have warmed up a little you can press your upper body up with your hands on your knee. You may need to shorten your stance slightly, but keep it as long as you comfortably can for the best psoas stretch.

Next, bring your upper body to an upright position with your left arm overhead. Place your right hand on your hip or thigh for stability as you lean over to the right. Keep your body long and reach long through your left side and arm to help keep your torso elongated. Place a chair on your right side for support if balance is difficult.

Activate your right thigh with an external rotation. You do this by moving the front of the thigh toward the left. This is a subtle and powerful action to increases and insure the psoas stretch.

Arch your back to further activate the psoas stretch while continuing to lengthen through your torso. This may be difficult, but even a small movement will greatly benefit the stretch.

This technique stretches the psoas on the left side. Repeat on the other side to stretch the right psoas.

You can find dozens of other stretches for the psoas in my book: Yoga for the Posas which is available on amazon.com.

 

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Yoga for the Psoas

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The psoas muscle is the core muscle in the body. Strengthening it with Pilates and other techniques is relatively easy, but how do you stretch it to keep it from tightening up?

Yoga for the Psoas: 34 Stretches for the Deepest Core Muscle of the Body is available in both physical and kindle versions. With it you will learn all about the psoas; where it’s located, the subtle movements needed to fully activate stretches for it, how to thoroughly stretch it, the subtle movements needed to increase the stretches and more.

Because of its central location in the body, psoas stretches will stretch almost every muscle you have. Some of the most popular yoga classes I’ve taught were centered on the psoas using several of the poses in Yoga for the Psoas.

You can find Yoga for the Psoas on amazon.com.

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