WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MEDITATION?

THE PURPOSE OF MEDITATION

MEDITATION IS ONE OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF YOGA, IT IS THE ART OF FOCUSING YOUR MIND, RESTRAINING YOUR THOUGHTS AND LOOKING DEEP INTO YOURSELF. PRACTISING IT CAN GIVE YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE AND OF THE DIVINE, AS WELL AS CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH CERTAIN PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS. BUT HOW EXACTLY DOES MEDITATION WORK? HERE YOU WILL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE MECHANICS OF MEDITATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON YOUR MIND AND BODY.

FIRSL OF ALL, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT FOCUSING YOUR MIND IS A LOT EASIER SAID THAN DONE. IT MAY BE SIMPLE ENOUGH TO EMPTY YOUR MIND OF THOUGHTS BUT TO PREVENT THEM FROM COMING IN IS A LOT HARDER THAN YOU'D EXPECT. HERE ARE A FEW TIPS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU GET STARTED.

HOW TO PRACTICE

PRACTICE IN A CLEAN, QUIET PLACE.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE, WITH THE CLOTHES YOU HAVE PUT ON.
WARM UP AND STRETCH A LITTLE BIT BY DOING SOME ASANAS. DOING SOME PRANAYAMA IS ALSO ADVISABLE.
EMPTY YOUR MIND OF ALL THOUGHTS.

NOW HERE'S THE HARD PART, PREVENT OTHER THOUGHTS FROM COMING INTO YOUR MIND. TO DO THIS IT MIGHT HELP TO CONCENTRATE ON A SINGLE OBJECT SUCH AS A CANDLE. LOOK AT THE CANDLE AND JUST FOCUS ON IT. AS SOME WOULD SAY, BE ONE WITH THE FLAME. THIS WILL TAKE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PRACTICE TO MASTER, SO BE PATIENT.

ONCE YOUR MIND IS FINALLY CLEAR OF THOUGHT, YOU WILL FEEL CALM YET AWARE, A FEELING THAT MOST EXPERTS SAY CANNOT BE DESCRIBED BY WORKS. ONLY EXPERIENCING IT WILL GIVE YOU A CLEAR IDEA OF HOW IT FEELS.

BENEFITS

AS YOU GOT ALONG WITH YOUR MEDITATION, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE A DEVELOPMENT IN YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH. ACCORDING TO SOME STUDIES, THIS IS MANIFESTED BY A GENERALIZED REDUCTION IN MULTIPLE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL MARKETS, SUCH AS DECREASED HEART RATE, DECREASED RESPIRATION RATE, DECREASED PLASMA CORTISOL WHICH IS A MAJOR STRESS HORMONE, DECREASED PULSE RATE, AND INCREASED EEG (ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM) ALPHA WHICH IS A BRAIN WAVE ASSOCIATED WITH RELAXATION. DURING MEDITATION, ONE GOES THROUGH A STATE OF DEEP RELAXATION, WHICH HIS MIND'S AWARENESS LEVEL IS INCREASED. THIS RESULT IN FASTER REACTIONS, GREATER CREATIVITY, AND BROADER COMPREHENSION.
ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE FINDINGS ON THE EFFECTS OF MEDITATION IS A DECREASES IN METABOLISM. THIS WAS SHOWN BY A DROP IN OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, UP TO 20 PERCENT BELOW THE NORMAL LEVEL. HEARTBEATS PER MINUTE WERE ALSO REDUCED. BLOOD PRESSURE STAYED AT LOW LEVELS.

OTHER BENEFITS FROM

MEDITATION ARE :

INCREASED LUNG CAPACITY.
IMPROVED IMMUNE SYSTEM.
RECHARGED NERVOUS SYSTEM.
REDUCED STRESS.
IMPROVED MEMORY.
AIDS IN THE TREATMENT OF SOME DISEASES LIKE ASTHMA.
OPEN-MINDEDNESS.
AMPLIFIED MORAL VIRTUES SUCH AS PATIENCE AND COMPASSION.
AWARENESS TOWARDS SIN, TEMPTATION AND GUILT.
INCREASED FAITH ONE'S RELIGION.

MEDITATION REQUIRES DISCIPLINE, DETERMINATION AND PATIENCE. YOU WON'T GET ON THE FIRST TRY, BUT CONSTANT PRACTICE WILL HELP YOU TO GO A LONG WAY. ALL YOUR EFFORTS WILL PAY OFF SOMEDAY WHEN YOU ATTAIN THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH MENTIONED ABOVE AND EVEN MORE.

"UJJAYI PRANAYAMA" - A KIND OF BREATHING TECHNIQUE WHICH PRODUCES A LIGHT SONOROUS SOUND. UJJAYI PRANAYAMA IS CALLED THE OCEAN SOUNDING BREATH BECAUSE YOU MAKE AN OCEAN SOUND BY CONTACTING THE GLOTTIS WITH THE INHALATION AND EXHALATION. THIS PRANAYAMA IS DONE THROUGH THE NOSE, BUT IT IS HELPFUL TO BEGIN PRACTISING BREATHING THROUGH THE MOUTH.

SEQUENCE

SIT ERECT AT EASE ON THE CARPET IN PADMASANA OR SIDDHASANA.
INHALE SLOWLY, DEEPLY, STEADILY AND EVENTLY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS WHILE SLIGHTLY CLOSING THE GLOTTIS.
A SWEET SOUND SHOULD BE HEARD LIKE A BABY SNORING DURING RESPIRATION.
RETAIN THE BREATH, APPLYING BOTH JALANDHARA AND MOOLABANDHA.
EXHALW SLOWLY, STEADILY AND EVENLY THROUGH BOTH NOSTRILS, OPENING THE GLOTTIS PARTIALLY AND PRODUCING A FRICTIONAL SOUND GENTLY AND CONTINUOUSLY.
AFTER THE BREATH HAS BEEN EXHALED APPLY UDDIYANA BANDHA.
START WITH THREE PRANAYAMAS, EXTENDING THIS TO TWENTY-SEVEN, NINE IN THE MORNING, NINE AT NOON AND NINE IN THE EVENING PER DAY.

BENEFITS

THIS PRANAYAMA STRENGTHENS THE NERVOUS AND DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS.
IT IS A POWERFUL CURE FOR PHLEGM.
IT BALANCES HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
IT REMOVES MUCUS AND RELIEVES SWELLING OF THE TONSILS, COUGHS AND COLD.
IT MAKES THE VOICE SWEET AND PACIFIES THE MIND.