Extensive Meditation

Raja Yoga is a powerful tool for holistic healing. Raja Yoga practice has positive influence on the whole existence of human being. It harmonies the physiological system as a whole as well as transforms all spheres of human existence that is physical, mental emotional, intellectual occupational, social and spiritual. Raja Yoga therapy is truly a holistic treatment as it heals the governing mechanisms and the controller of the whole person. Raja Yoga also transforms ones life style and relieves emotional and mental conflicts as well as brings lasting peace and satisfaction in one’s life. Raja Yoga is not only an intellectual method but it’s a way of living.

One of the basic rules of holistic health care is healing takes place from within. Raja Yoga also heals a person from brain inurn having a harmonizing effect on whole organism. It is said that holistic healing is self initiated. Raja Yoga is also a self initiated technique in which healing takes place as a result of activation of health promoting physiological and biochemical processes. During Raja Yoga practice the person also re-establishes the harmony with other human beings, his environment and the universal life energy. Raja Yoga practice potentates the length, breadth and depth of human existence. Raja Yoga practice is not a retreat from personal, social and professional responsibility but it’s an art of fulfilling those responsibilities in a balanced way and achieving the goal of holistic self-development-physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word derived from another Sanskrit word “Uhja” which literally means link, connection or communication. In spiritual terminology yoga means communion of the self with the Supreme Being. Once this communion is established the practitioner receives positive vibrations of tranquility, bliss, purity, mercy, etc. from the Supreme soul. It is a well known fact that when a tuning from is vibrating, if you bring another tuning from close to it, the second one also starts vibrating with same frequency.

God, the Supreme, always vibrates with the frequency of peace, bliss, purity, power and all other positive qualities. During yoga practice one just tunes one’s mind to the Supreme. In other words one just takes his consciousness near the Almighty and no sooner does this happen then the practioner’s mind also picks up those positive harmonizing and health promoting frequencies.

The mechanism of yoga practice can be explained with the help of another example: Different radio stations are broadcasting their programmes on specific wave lengths. When we adjust our radio on a specific wave length it will pick up those particular programme. During yoga practice one simply tunes ones mind to the wavelength of the Supreme Soul and in turn receives all those positive vibrations.

The therapeutic and healing effects of Raja Yoga can be understood by understanding the following steps of Raja Yoga practice:

Step I:

Preliminary Preparations

Before performing minor or major surgery it is essential for the surgeon to prepare himself. Without the basic preliminary preparation successful operation is not possible. Similarly, for a deep and lasting experience of Raja Yoga, some basic preliminary preparations are essential. One needs two types of preparations, namely:- physical preparations and mental preparations.

Physical Preparations

Don’t practice meditation when you are physically tired. As a beginner meditation practice in a distracting environment also won’t be successful. Select a place which is at least free from noise and other distractions. If the room is illuminated with red light, it will have a positive effect. Research studies have shown that, dark red light has same adverse effect on one’s mind but the light red atmosphere that is pink color has the tranquilizing effect on one’s mind. The red tube which is usually seen at Raja Yoga Centers in fact, creates a pink atmosphere leading to positive effects

Position

The aim of Raja Yoga is to become a Karma yogi which means to remain in the meditative mood even while doing day-today actions. Yet for a deep experience of meditation, special practice, twice a day for 20 to 25 minutes is essential During such periods of meditation practice it is not necessary to sit in a difficult posture. You can practice Raja Yoga in any easy posture. From anatomical and physiological angles it is advisable to keep one’s back straight. Keep upper extremity in semiflexan and all bodily muscles in a much relaxation as possible. For this health promoting position sit cross legged, keep your hands in your lap, stretch your back to a maximum straight position and the slightly let to, automatically your back will take up the natural curves. You can comfortably sit in this position for 20 to 25 minutes. Every time when you practice meditation always sit in this comfortable position.

This has a significant advantage because your body and mind will be conditioned to attain the higher stage of meditation in this particular position. After some days as soon as you sit down for meditation your brain will start receiving positive messages and signals and very soon you will be able to go deeper and deeper in the experience of Raja Yoga.

The uniqueness of Raja Yoga is that the practioner keeps his eyes naturally open. An inexperienced mediator may thing that open eyes leads to distractions. One may argue that it is difficult to detach oneself from those visible scenes. On a superficial level this argument is true but the deep analysis would reveal that closed eyes are more distracting. When you close your eyes your sub-conscious mind will come to the surface and your mind will be pulled by the large number of subconscious memories. Your distractions will have no limits. Your mind may jump from one subject to another. Secondly, when you practice meditation with closed eyes, the possibility to sleep increases although this is not a positive advantage but the point is worth considering. Thirdly, our object of practicing meditation is to become a karmayougi.

We intend to maintain the stage of meditation even during day-to-day activities. If you are conditioned to practice meditation with closed eyes, you won’t be able to maintain the same stage during the physical activities, when you need to keep your eyes open. Therefore it is sensible to attain the same level of consciousness while doing the routine activities. You would agree that during several activities we don’t apply our mind consciously, because we have repeated those activities for a long time. Fourthly, experience of peace and self-transformation not the only object of meditation. The higher object is to help the environment. Research done in the field of subtle energies and auras has shown that through certain parts we transmit maximum vibrations in the atmosphere. Palms of the hand hands soles of the feet are shown to be the good media of transmitting these vibrations. Perhaps this is the scientific blessings. The best medium of spreading positive vibrations is eyes. To a greater extent you can perceive the state of mind of the person from his eyes. Even a child is able to perceive the mood of mother from her eyes. The open eye meditation has the profound benefit of making the surrounding atmosphere peaceful and pure.

Having understood all these four points do the experiment of open eye meditation for a few months and experience the benefits yourself.

Time

Meditation can be practiced at any time when one is free yet the early morning and the evening time around sunset, the surrounding atmosphere itself facilitates the meditation practice. Therefore, if you can adjust your schedule prefer these specific times.