meditation

Meditation - Level 1:

Sit comfortably with your legs crossed and your spine straight but also relaxed. You may need to put a pillow under your seat to help your spine stay straight. If necessary you can use a wall or pillow behind your back. If sitting with your legs crossed is difficult, sit on a chair. Just make sure that your spine is straight and relaxed. Place your hands on your knees, close your eyes and bring your focus to your breath.

Feel each inhalation and exhalation flowing inside of your body. Your breath will become deeper and more relaxed. Do not try to deepen the breath by force. Just feel its flow - one wave after another. There are many sounds around you that may be distracting. You don't have to pay any attention to them. Feel your breath guiding you into your inner world leaving all the external distractions behind. If your mind gets carried away by any of them, simply bring the awareness back to your motionless body and the breath peacefully flowing inside of you. Become aware of each inhalation and exhalation, over and over again. The more successful you are in screening off the external distractions the more you will find yourself distracted from the inside. Your mind is like a jealous child who wants your full attention.. Your thoughts will keep coming. Observe them but don't engage them. Let them flow through your mind like clouds passing overhead. Your thoughts may fight back with greater force and persistence trying to regain your attention. Your thoughts will always be there. This is a normal give and take so try not to get frustrated or discouraged. Anytime your mind starts to wander, focus again on your motionless body and the flow of the breath in and out. Be aware of the sound of your breath inside, sound of each inhalation and exhalation.

The sense of hearing is very difficult to turn off, especially with your eyes closed. So keep redirecting your attention inside by focusing on the resonations of your breath inside your chest.. Do not control your breath in any way or do not try to make your breath more audible. Remember, you are totally relaxed, being by yourself, nothing is pressing you at this moment. If you start feeling any physical discomfort, adjust your position accordingly to make yourself fully comfortable again. Do it peacefully without coming out of your relaxed state of mind.

Bring the awareness of your breath to your belly. Feel your belly in the area of your navel. Feel the presence of your breath there. Relax your abdomen and feel the breath deep inside. If you become distracted from the outside or inside, become aware again of your motionless body and the peaceful flow of your breath. Then start to count mentally each inhalation from one to ten. When you reach ten continue again from one and so on. If you loose the count or find yourself thinking about other things bring your mind back to your breath and the counting starting over again from one.

Continue with this practice for some time. The length of your practice will depend on the time available to you, and also on your ability to maintain a comfortable meditation position. You may need to start at with just few minutes. Never get discouraged. Practice regularly and your ability to sit and meditate will build up. Before you get to the next level you should be able to meditate according these instructions for at least 15 minutes. But do not get obsessed with time, with anything. Remember, nothing is worthy of taking your peace away.

To end your meditation stop counting and just feel your physical presence with the environment around you, becoming aware of the external sounds. Rub the palms of your hands against each other to warm them up. Place your palms over eyes, open your eyes into your hands, and then remove the hands.

Om Peace, Peace, Peace

Practice the Meditation Level 1on a regular basis (ideally daily) untill you will be fully comfortable meditating for 20 minutes without any interruptions and movements. Then proceed with Meditation Level 2.

Meditation - Level 2:

Sit comfortably with your legs crossed and your spine straight but also relaxed. Place your hands on your knees, close your eyes. Deeply inhale and chant the mantra (sound) OM three times (click here for audio). After you finish bring your focus to your breath and the resonation of the OM inside of your body.

Feel each inhalation and exhalation. Keep your breath relaxed and bring attention to its sound. Do not control your breathing. Just feel its flow - one wave after another. Anytime your mind gets distracted by anything, simply bring the awareness back to your motionless body and the breath peacefully flowing inside of you. Become aware of each inhalation and exhalation, over and over again. Start counting each inhalation from one to ten and so on for about five minutes. Then stop counting your breath and just observe your thoughts without engaging them.

There is a natural mantra of the breath, mantra SoHam (click here for audio). So means "That", Ham means "I am". "I am that". "That" represents the external universe and "I am" stays for the universe within. They unite through the breathing process. The breath is the continuous communication between the individual self and the Universal Self. The mantra SoHam is like the sound of two wings of a swan flying towards the sky.

Mentally repeat the mantra SoHam as you breath. So with the inhalation and Ham with the exhalation. Spaces within and without unite through the repetition of the mantra. You are aware of the space without divisions and limits, your consciousness is that space carrying the whole universe.

Feel your heart filled with peaceful waves of your breath in the form of mantra SoHam.

Continue with your practice for fifteen minutes or more.

To end your meditation stop repeating the mantra and just feel your physical presence in the environment around you. Become aware of the external sounds and then chant the mantra OM three times.

Rub the palms of your hands against each other to warm them up. Place your palms over eyes, open your eyes into your hands, and then remove your hands.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti (click here for audio)
Om Peace, Peace, Peace

Practice the Meditation Level 2 on a regular basis (ideally daily) untill you will be fully comfortable meditating for 30 minutes without any interruptions and movements.