Yoga Glossary

TERMS DESCRIPTION

Abhyasa practice - the act of practicing
Acharya teacher
Adwaita a philosophy according to which there is no duality - only a singular state of consciousness
Agni fire
Agnisar kriya one of the shatkarmas (cleansing practices) -intestinal cleansing
Aham ego
Ahimsa non-violence, non-injury - one of the yamas of ashtanga yoga
Ajapa japa spontaneous repetition of 'soham' mantra
Ajna chakra energy center located behind the forehead, also called psychic centre - one of the seven energy centers
Akasha ether, space
Anahata chakra energy center located in the heart region; also called pranic centre - fourth of the seven energy centers.
Ananda bliss, ecstasy
Antar inner, internal
Antar dhauti internal yoga cleansing (shatkarma) techniques
Antar kumbhaka internal breath retention. The stage of pranayama where breath is retained after inhalation.
Antar mouna internal silence - a meditation practice.
Anubhava experience, realization
Ardha half
Ardha dhanurasana half bow yoga pose
Ardha matsyendrasana half spinal twist yoga position
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Ardha padmasana half lotus pose
Asana yoga position or yoga pose, also called yogasana. A balanced position for smooth energy flow in specific areas of the body and mind.
Ashrama residential place of people living together in yogic tradition.
Ashtanga yoga the eight fold path of yoga as outlined by Patanjali: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi
Ashwini mudra practice of contracting the anal sphincter.
Atman soul.
Aum see Om
Avidya ignorance
Bahir outside, external
Bahir kumbhaka external breath retention. The stage of pranayama where breath is retained after exhalation.
Bahiranga trataka concentrating the attention (gaze) upon an external object such as a candle flame.
Bandha a posture in which organs and muscles are contracted to create energy lock in a specific area.
Basti a colon cleansing technique (shakarma), yogic enema
Bhagvad Gita a part of the famous Hindu epic 'Mahabharata'. Teachings of Lord Krishna to his disciple Arjuna at the commencement of the battle of Kurukshetra, with explanations on sannyasa yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana yoga.
Bhakti devotion
Bhakti yoga the yoga of devotion.
Bhastrika pranayama 'bellows' breathing technique in which the breath is forcibly drawn in and out through the nose in equal proportions, like the pumping action of the bellows.
Bhramari pranayama breathing practice in which a soft "humming-bee" sound is produced during exhalation to stimulate the Ajna Chakra
Bhujangasana cobra' pose.
Brahman supreme consciousness, absolute reality.
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Chakra literally meaning circle or wheel, in yoga this refers to the energy centers lying along the confluence of the nadis (energy channels)
Chandra moon
Chandra nadi ida nadi
Chidakasha psychic space in front of the closed eyes, just behind the forehead.
Chin mudra hand gesture in which the first finger is kept at the root of the thumb, the last three fingers are unfolded.
Danda stick
Danda dhauti one of the cleansing techniques (shatkarmas), used to clean the oesophagus with a stick.
Danta dhauti teeth cleansing technique
Dhanurasana bow' pose; backward bending yoga pose
Dharana practice of concentration; sixth of the eight fold path in ashtanga yoga
Dharma duty, righteous path
Dhauti second of the shatkarmas; cleansing technique of the eyes, ears, tongue, forehead, oesophagus, stomach, rectum and anus
Dhyana meditation; single-pointed focus of mind on either a form, thought or sound.
Diksha initiation given by the guru.
Dosha three humours of the body; see kapha, pitta, vata
Dugdha neti nasal irrigation or cleansing technique using milk
Ghrita neti neti (nasal cleansing technique) performed with ghee
Gomukhasana cow's face' posture
Gorakshasana Yogi Gorakhnath's' pose
Guna quality of nature viz. tamas, rajas, sattwa
Guptasana the 'secret' pose
Guru spiritually enlightened soul, who can dispel darkness, ignorance and illusion from the mind and enlighten the consciousness of a devotee/disciple
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Hatha yoga science of yoga which purifies the whole physical body by means of shatkarma, asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha and concentration
Hridaya akasha psychic space of the heart centre
Ida nadi one of the main energy channels running on the left side of the spine from the mooladhara (base) chakra to the ajna chakra in the head.
Jala water
Jala basti the yoga technique of enema using water - one of the yoga shatkarma
Jala neti a shatkarma technique - cleansing of the nasal passages with water by alternating the flow of water in the nostrils, preferably using a neti pot.
Jalandhara bandha throat lock' to restrict the flow of bereath through the throat - done by resting the chin on the upper sternum (chest).
Japa continuous chanting i.e repetition of a mantra
Jihva dhauti one of the shatkarma techniques for cleansing the tongue.
Jnana knowledge, understanding, wisdom
Jnana mudra the gesture of knowledge - in this the index finger is bent so that its tip is joined with the tip of the thumb, the other three fingers are spread out.
Jnana yoga the yoga of knowledge - attained through spontaneous self-analysis and investigation of abstract and speculative ideas.
Kapal skull or cerebrum
Kapalbhati pranayama a breathing technique aimed at cleaning the frontal part of the brain; also called skull polishing - done through rapid breaths with more force on exhalation.
Karma action; the act of doing
Karma yoga the yoga of action - aims at supreme consciousness through action; discussed in Bhagavad Gita
Karna dhauti one of the shatkarma which involves cleansing the ears.
Kati chakrasana waist rotating' pose.
Kevala kumbhaka spontaneous cessation of breath without any conscious effort.
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Klesha afflictions or tensions - according to yoga there are 5 such afflictions present in humans from birth
Koormasana tortoise' pose - an advanced posture.
Kosha sheath or body; realm of experience and existence.
Kriya activity, dynamic yogic practice
Kriya yoga the practice of kundalini yoga
Kukkutasana cockerel' pose
Kumbhaka breath retention
Kundalini man's retained energy or potential energy and consciousness
Kundalini shakti refers to the human's potential energy lying dormant in mooladhara (base) chakra like a coiled serpent. When awakened it rises up through the sushumna nadi.
Kundalini yoga philosophy expounding the awakening of potential energy and inherent consciousness within the human body and mind.
Kunjal kriya a shatkarma (cleansing) technique that involves the cleansing of the stomach by drinking in water and then expelling it by inducing vomiting.
Laghoo shankhaprakshalana a shatkarma technique - also referred as the short intestinal wash. Involves the drinking of several glasses of water and the expelling it through stool after a series of exercises (asanas); in the process a thorough cleansing of the colon takes place.
Laya yoga union with the supreme consciousness through pranayama or devotion. Literally, union by absorption
Maha great
Maha bandha the great lock - combines the three locks in yoga - the moola bandha, jalandhara bandha and uddiyana bandha - together with breath retention.
Maha mudra the great gesture - combines the practice of moola bandha, shambhavi and khechari mudras simultaneously.
Maha nadi literally means 'great nadi', which is the 'sushumna' in yoga
Makara crocodile
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Makarasana crocodile' pose
Manas chakra the energy center above the ajna chakra - is depicted with six petals
Manipura chakra the energy centre in the spinal column located behind the navel - corresponding to the solar plexus.
Mantra subtle sound vibration, which through repetition aims at expanding one's awareness or consciousness.
Mantra shakti the power of mantra
Matsyendrasana a spine twisting pose
Mayur peacock
Mayurasana peacock' pose - advanced pose aims at strengthening the arms and stimulating the manipura chakra.
Moksha liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Moola root
Moola bandha energy lock created by the contraction of the perineum in the male and the cervix in the female.
Mooladhara chakra lowest energy centre in the human body where the kundalini shakti (serpent power) resides - situated in the perineal floor in men and the cervix in women.
Moorchha pranayama fainting or swooning breath' in which the breath is inhaled slowly and retained for an extended period.
Mouna silence - the practice of silence
Mudra literally means 'gesture' - mudra expresses and channelizes cosmic energy within the mind and body.
Nadi energy channels in the body, similar to the meridians in acupuncture
Nadi shodhana pranayama breathing technique - is the 'alternate nostril breathing' or 'balanced breathing' - balances the energy flow in the channels and purifies the energy channels (nadi) by balancing the flow of breath through the right and left nostrils.
Nasagra/nasikagra mudra hand gesture adopted during pranayama to alternate the flow of breath through the nostrils.
Nauli abdominal massage' - a cleansing technique (shatkarma) involving the contraction of the rectus abdominal muscles.
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Neti kriya another shatkarma (cleansing technique) - involves cleaning of the nasal passages or sinus irrigation; jala neti forms a part of the various neti kriyas.
Nidra sleep
Niyama rule; there are 5 rules described in the Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali.
Om the universal mantra; cosmic vibration of the universe; represents the four states of consciousness
Pada foot; section of a literary work
Padmasana lotus pose - a seated meditative posture
Pancha makara the five tantric practices : mansa(meat), madhya(wine), matsya(fish), mudra(grain), and maithuna(sexual intercourse)
Pancha tattwa the five elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether
Param highest, supreme, God
Paramatma the supreme atma; God
Parichaya avastha stage of perception of nada
Paschimottanasana back stretching pose
Patanjali author of the Yoga Sutras and preacher of the eight-fold (ashtanga) yoga
Payaswini nadi energy channel terminating at the right big toe, between poosha and pingala channels
Pingala nadi one of the main energy channels running on the right side of the spine from the mooladhara (base) chakra to the ajna chakra in the head by intersecting various chakras on the way.
Plavini pranayama breathing technique which involves gulping air and swallowing it into the stomach and retaining it
Poornima full moon night
Prakamya fulfillment of desire
Prakasha inner light
Prakriti nature
Pramana proof
Prana vital energy force sustaining life and creation
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Pranayama technique of breathing and breath control which regulates energy flow and aims at maintaining energy balance
Prasad an offering usually food to and from the guru or higher power
Pratyahara sense withdrawal; first stage of concentrating on the mind during meditation
Pravritti nature of the mind
Prithvi tattwa the earth element
Purana eighteen ancient books consisting of legends and mythological narrations dealing with creation, recreation and the genealogies of sages and rulers
Purusha man; pure consciousness
Purushartha purpose of the consciousness, of man's existence- the four basic needs or desires, arth, kaama, dharma, moksha
Raja yoga yoga in which union is achieved through concentration of mind
Rakta bindu red bindu, same as beeja(seed) bindu, shakti bindu; the potentially creative bindu from which creation springs; often refers to the ovum.
Rechaka exhalation
Rudra Lord Shiva ; Rudra is said to have sprung from Brahma's forehead and is one of the holy trinity
Sahasrara chakra highest energy centre located at the crown of the head
Sakshi witness
Samadhi the final stage of ashtanga yoga in which concentration becomes one with the object of concentration; supreme union.
Samskara impressions stored in the mind that form the basis of our beliefs, attitudes and personality.
Sankalpa spiritual resolve.
Sannyasi one who has renounced the world in seek of self-realization.
Santosha contentment
Saraswati Goddess who bestows knowledge of fine arts and power of speech
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Sarvangasana shoulderstand - an inverted posture
Sat truth
Satguru guru who has attained self-realization
Sattwa guna quality unwavering purity
Satya truth-one of the yamas
Seetkari pranayama Breathing technique which involves hissing leading to a cooling effect upon the whole body.
Shabda Brahman cosmic causal state.
Shakti vital force; energy
Shambhavi mudra a yoga gesture in which one focusses at the mid-eyebrow centre
Shashankasana moon pose
Shatkarma the six yogic techniques of purification of the body, viz. neti, dhauti, nauli, basti, trataka, kapalbhati
Sheetali pranayama cooling breath' - a pranayama technique that lowers the body temperature by inhaling through the mouth while letting the breath flow in over the tongue.
Shishya disciple; student
Siddha yoni asana the female counterpart of the siddhasana meditative posture, in which the left heel presses the entrance to the vagina
Siddhasana a meditative seating posture in which the left heel presses the perineum (stimulating the mooladhara chakra); also called as the adept's pose or the 'pose of perfection'.
Sirshasana inverted pose - the 'headstand' in which the body is inverted and balanced on the crown of the head
Soham represents a mantra in meditation; literally means, 'I am That'. Represents the Psychic sound with the sound 'so' during inhalation and 'ham' during exhalation.
Soma chakra sixteen petalled chakra situated above ajna and manas chakras
Sukhasana a comfortable meditative pose; also called the 'easy pose' or simply the cross-legged pose.
Surya bheda pranayama breathing technique in which inhalation is done through the right nostril ; increases vitality
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Surya nadi see 'pingala nadi'
Sushumna nadi main energy channel in yoga, in the centre of the spinal cord through which kundalini shakti flows.
Sutra neti yogic technique to cleanse the nasal passage using a special thread
Swadhisthana chakra second chakra in the spinal column, above the mooladhara.
Swastikasana auspicious pose -meditative posture similar to siddhasana
Tadasana palm tree pose- standing posture
Tamas the quality of inertia, laziness, procrastination.
Tiryaka bhujangasana twisting cobra pose
Tiryaka tadasana swaying palm tree pose
Trataka one of the cleansing techniques (shatkarma) in which the gaze is focussed upon an object such as a candle flame.
Uddiyana bandha abdominal retraction lock'; drawing in of the abdomen towards the backbone after exhaling
Ujjayi pranayama a kind of breathing technique which produces a light sonorous sound.
Utkatasana squatting position
Uttankoormasana Tortoise pose
Vajrasana the 'thunderbolt' pose; a kneeling posture with buttocks resting upon the heels.
Vama swara flow of breath in the left nostril
Vaman dhauti yogic technique to cleanse the stomach by voluntary vomiting. There are two types: kunjal kriya (regurgitating of water) and vyaghra (regurgitating of food)
Varisara dhauti yogic cleansing technique in which a large quantity of water is drunk in conjunction with asanas to cleanse the entire digestive tract; also known as shankhaprakshalana.
Vashitva ability to control all objects, living and non-living
Vastra dhauti yogic detoxification technique in which a specially prepared cloth is swallowed and removed after ten minutes, in order to remove mucus from the stomach
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Vatsara dhauti a cleansing technique in which the air swallowed into the stomach is belched out.
Vayu tattwa air element
Vedas four ancient texts- Rig, Yajur, Sama, Atharva, which are further divided into Samhita, Brahmana, Aranayaka and Upanishads. They were revealed to the sages and saints of India which explain and regulate every aspect of life from supreme reality to worldly affairs. The oldest books in the library of mankind.
Veerasana hero,s pose - for concentration and discrminative thinking.
Vishuddhi chakra one of the energy centres located in the spine behind the throat and connected with the cervical plexus, tonsils and thyroid gland.
Yamuna river emanating from Yamnotri in the Himalayas and joining Ganga near Allahabd, North India;refers to pingala nadi in the pranic body.
Yoga state of union between two opposites - body and mind; individual and universal consciousness; a process of uniting the opposing forces in the body and mind in order to achieve supreme awareness and enlightenment.
Yoga abhyasa practice of yoga.
Yoga nidra a deep relaxation technique also called 'yogic sleep' in which mind and body is at complete rest but with complete awareness.
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SOHAM MANTRA MEDITATION

SOHAM means " I AM HE". It signifies the identity of the INDIVIDUAL SOUL, ATMA with the SUPREME SOUL PARAMATMA. SOHAM means "THAT I AM". "SA" means "THAT" and "AHAM" means "I AM" . It is also termed "AJAPA GAYATRI".

Now watch the breath . The sound "SO" is produced when you inhale and "HAM" is produced when you exhale. This mantra is repeated by you unconsciously. Daily you are breathing 21,600 breaths or sohams.

The total breaths of 21,600 of a human body in 24 hours is distributed to the vital needs of the seven divisions in the body are as follows:-

No LOCATION OF PLEXUS CHAKRA BREATHS TIME CHAKRA BREATHS TIME
1 Sacral or Pelvic Plexus (Region between anus and genitals) Muladharam 600 6.01 am 砶.40 am
2 Hypogastric Plexus (Genitals) Svadishthanam 6000 6.41 am 砱.20 pm
3 3 Epigastric Plexus (Navel) Manipuram 6000 1.21 pm 砸.00 pm
4 Cardiac Plexus (Heart) Anahatam 6000 8.01 pm 砲.40 am
5 Carotid Plexus (Throat) Visuddham 1000 2.41 am 砳.46 am
6 Hypothalamus or Medulla Plexus (Point between the eyebrows) Ajna 1000 3.47 am 破.53 am
7 Cerebral Plexus (Top of cranium) Sahasrara 1000 4.54 am 砶.00 am

PROCEDURE

1. Sit in a suitable posture facing north.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Focus your mind at the tip of the nose.
4. Inhale slowly chanting "SO" mentally.
5. Retain the breath for 5 seconds.
6. Exhale the breath slowly chanting "HAM" mentally.
7. Repeat "SO" and "HAM" breathing meditation for 10 to 20 minutes daily in the morning and evening.

TIME

Morning between 4.30 to 6.00 am.
Evening between 5.30 to 7.00pm.

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Clean the nostrils well.
2. Drink a small cup of fruit juice or milk.
3. Do not follow the breath to the end. Mindful you breathe in "SO" and mindful you breathe out"HAM".
4. Acknowledge and reject any thoughts which appear in your mind during meditation. Still your thoughts which will disappear slowly.
5. Train yourself daily and gradually, increase the duration of meditation . Practice makes perfect.
6. Negate the body while chanting "SOHAM " mantra. Try to identify yourself with the supreme soul.
7. Do not practise when you have cold and flu and in full stomach.
8. After a few months, you can practise "SOHAM" meditation while walking in the garden, sitting on a chair when traveling long distance for more than one hour and lying on the bed before sleeping.

BENEFITS OF BREATHING MEDITATION AND "SOHAM" MANTRA MEDITATION

1. It purifies and calms the mind. Tranquility of the mind is attained.
2. It eliminates fatigue and stress and so improves physical fitness and relaxation.
3. It is beneficial to psychiatric, mental illness , insomnia and hypertensive persons.
4. It improves the lung function in healthy and asthmatic persons.

OM Mantra and 7 Levels of Consciousness

Contents of this article:
Seven States of Consciousness
Direct Experience
Yoga Sutras and OM Mantra
OM Mantra and other Mantras
Practicing the OM Mantra
1. Waking / Conscious / Vaishvaanara / Gross / "A" of AUM
2. Transition / Unmani
3. Dreaming / Unconscious / Taijasa / Subtle / "U" of AUM
4. Transition / Aladani
5. Deep Sleep / Subconscious / Prajna / Causal / "M" of AUM
6. Samadhi
7. Turiya / Consciousness / Absolute / Silence after AUM

See also these articles:
7 Methods with OM Mantra
How to use a mantra
Japa and Ajapa-Japa with mantra
Mantra, brain, and word
OM Mantra section of Yoga Sutras
Yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra
Six Schools of Indian Philosophy
Kundalini Awakening
Levels and Dimensions of Consciousness
Soham mantra meditation
Yoga Nidra CD:


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7 States of consciousness in OM mantra

Seven states or levels of consciousness are described in this article:

Three states of consciousness: Each of the three sounds of AUM (A, U, and M) symbolizes specific states of consciousness.

Fourth state of consciousness: After those three parts of the OM mantra, there is a Silence, the Fourth, which relates to consciousness or awareness itself.

Three transition states: Between these four states of Consciousness there are three transition states.

See also: The four main levels of Consciousness (A, U, M, and Silence) are also described in the article Levels and Dimensions of Consciousness.

These levels exist universally: It is important to be aware of the fact that these levels of consciousness are realities that exist universally, regardless of whether one uses the OM mantra or the visual OM symbol in any way. In either case, the underlying principles are extremely useful for all seekers in purifying or clearing the mind, and seeking the direct experience of deeper truths.

Meaning of the symbol: Not only does the sound vibration of the AUM/OM represent the four levels of consciousness, so too does the visual symbol.
The lower curve represents the Gross, Conscious, Waking state level, called Vaishvanara.
The right curve represents the Subtle, Unconscious, and Dreaming level, called Taijasa.
The upper curve represents the Causal, Subconscious, and Deep Sleep level, called Prajna.
The dot, point, or bindu represents the fourth state, the absolute consciousness, which encompasses, permeates, and is the other three, and is called Turiya.
The arc below the dot symbolizes the separateness of this fourth state, standing above, though ever remaining part of the other three. Piercing the bindu finally allows one to attain the highest experience, and this comes after following the process of Kundalini Awakening.


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Direct Experience

Roadmap for direct experience: The Yogi does not use the information about these levels as mere intellectual fodder. Rather, the OM mantra is a roadmap for sadhana, spiritual practices. It is not for the person who seeks only the shallow waters of spiritual life, but rather for those who strive to experience nothing less than the depth of the Absolute Reality in direct experience.

7 methods of practice: See the article:
OM Mantra and 7 Methods of Practice

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Yoga Sutras and OM Mantra

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali suggests remembering the meaning of OM Mantra as a direct path to Self-realization. (See Sutras 1.23-1.29).

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OM Mantra and other Mantras

It is important to know that OM Mantra is very often used in conjunction with other mantras, usually with the OM being the first or last sound in the whole mantra. Often these other mantras refer to a specific deity or name of God. Some practitioners consider the OM to literally refer to only one such name of God or deity. Still other practitioners believe the OM refers to some different God or deity. For those born into such religious cultures, this diversity of use of OM is well known, and does not cause confusion, while also being aware that there may be discourses or debates supporting one view or another.

However, others who are not familiar with this will benefit by becoming aware that there are a variety of ways of using OM. This leaves it a matter of personal choice how the OM Mantra will be used. Regardless of how one uses the mantra, there is a universal truth that the vibration of OM will be experienced on the inner journey. In that sense, is not a mere belief or symbolic tool belonging to any one group or groups. Similarly, the existence of waking, dreaming, sleep, and that beyond (described below as represented by AUM) are also universal realities. In the information below, OM Mantra is presented as a means of contemplation and meditation, which pierces the three levels of reality and consciousness, revealing the fourth, which permeates the other three.

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Practicing the OM Mantra

The OM mantra (AUM mantra; Pranava) is a widely recognized mantra. While the OM mantra has a variety of meanings, one of its most significant uses is for Meditation and Contemplation in Yoga and Vedanta. The OM mantra is recommended in the Yoga Sutras and the Mandukya Upanishad, as well as in many other teachings.

Four major levels: When used in this way, the OM mantra (AUM) has four major levels of meaning and experience to the Yogi.

Waking: First, is the Waking state, represented by the sound of "A" of the AUM mantra, called Vaishvaanara.
Dreaming: Second, is the Dreaming state, represented by the sound of "U" of the AUM mantra, called Taijasa.
Deep Sleep: Third, is the Deep Sleep state, represented by the sound of "M" of the AUM mantra, called Prajna.
Turiya: Fourth, is the entire domain of that consciousness that permeates all of the other levels within which awareness does its dance, called Turiya (literally the "fourth"), represented by the Silence after the "A," "U," and "M".
Three transition stages: Between these four states of consciousness, there are three transition stages called Unmani, Aladani, and Samadhi.


The Yogi wants to remember
the 4 parts of the mantra,
one after the other,
along with the meaning.


Remember the four parts one after the other: Thus, in the use of the AUM Mantra, there are four levels of awareness that the Yogi wants to cultivate. The Yogi wants to remember the four parts of the AUM mantra internally, one after the other, through the levels of consciousness. (The other three stages are also there, but these four are the main focus of the Yogi in using the OM mantra).

Remain aware of the meanings: With practice, it gradually becomes easier for one to maintain awareness of these meanings as attention moves through the parts of the AUM mantra (The "A," "U," "M," and Silence). Over time, that awareness brings increasing insight of the true nature of these levels of consciousness. Eventually one moves to the direct experience of the Absolute Reality, that consciousness which permeates All. This is the state of Self-realization.

Three functions are at the same level: One of the profound insights that one begins to get is the way in which 1) the levels of personal consciousness, 2) the stages of the mental process, and 3) the levels of the universe parallel one another. One comes to see that these three are functioning at the same levels of reality, which are none other than the levels of consciousness themselves. It is approximately like this:

Waking = Conscious = Gross = Vaishvaanara
Dreaming = Unconscious = Subtle = Taijasa
Deep Sleep = Subconscious = Causal = Prajna
Turiya = Consciousness Itself, permeating and being All
In the actual practice with AUM Mantra (OM Mantra):

When awareness is on the "A" of the OM mantra, you cultivate and train yourself to have a simultaneous awareness of:
the Waking state,
the Conscious level of mental processing, and
the Gross realm of the universe
(Waking, Conscious, and Gross are all at the same level, symbolized by "A" of the OM mantra).
When awareness is on the "U" of the OM mantra, you cultivate and train yourself to have a simultaneous awareness of:

the Dreaming state,
the Active Unconscious processing level of the mind, and
the Subtle realm of the universe
(Dreaming, Unconscious, and Subtle are all at the same level, symbolized by "U" of the OM mantra).
When awareness is on "M" of the OM mantra, you cultivate and train yourself to have a simultaneous awareness of:

the Deep Sleep state,
the Subconscious (latent, dormant, inactive, storage) aspects of mind (the Samskaras from where the impetus for Karma, or action springs forth), and
the Causal realm, out of which arises the Subtle and Gross universe
(Deep Sleep, Subconscious, and Causal are all at the same level, symbolized by "M" of the OM mantra).
When awareness is on the Silence after the "A," the "U," and the "M" of the OM mantra, you cultivate and train yourself to have an awareness of the consciousness:

that permeates all of the three personal levels (Waking, Dreaming, Deep Sleep),
that permeates all of the Subtle realm, and
that also permeates all of the Causal realm
(Consciousness permeates, is the foundation of, and in fact, "is" the whole of the levels of the "A," the "U," and the "M" levels of the OM mantra).
One of the other elegant and awesome insights is the way in which our own personality, mental and emotional processes operate:

Latent impressions begin to stir: We come to see, in direct experience of Yoga Meditation and Contemplation, how it is that there are latent impressions in the deep unconscious (level #5 above, the place of Deep Sleep), and how it is that consciousness drifts over these latent impressions, causing them to stir from the Causal level.
These impressions arise into internal action: Then we see the way these impressions then arise into action internally in the Unconscious (level #3 above, the Active Unconscious associated with unseen mental processes and the Dreaming Sleep level), forming many invisible thought processes, normally only experienced in dreams (this is similar to what psychology calls "primary process").
These stirrings come forward into the conscious: Then we see the intriguing way in which those stirrings in the Unconscious come forward into the Conscious, Waking state of reality (level #1 above), along with the way in which the indriyas, the senses (jnanendriyas of smelling, tasting, seeing, touching, and hearing) and means of expression (karmendriyas of eliminating, procreating, moving, grasping, and speaking) come into play so as to relate to the external world.
We can observe the four functions of mind: We come to see how the four functions of mind interact within these levels, including Manas (sensory-motor mind), Chitta (storehouse of impressions), Ahamkara (I-maker or ego), and Buddhi (which knows, decides, judges, and discriminates).
Seeing all the levels permeated by consciousness: Most importantly, we come to see the way in which all of these levels are both permeated by, and are the manifestation of consciousness itself:
In Waking state, there is consciousness itself.
In Dreaming state there is consciousness itself.
In Deep Sleep, there is consciousness itself.
In active thinking, there is consciousness itself.
In unconscious process, there is consciousness itself.
In the latent storehouse, there is consciousness itself.
Who we really are, is the consciousness itself: We come to see that who we really are, is the consciousness itself, not the forms which arise. We declare with conviction, what the sages have said all along, "I am not my thoughts! I am That I Am!"

AUM is like the three parts of a river: When recalling these levels of "A," "U," "M," and Silence during practice of the OM mantra, it is useful to remember the metaphor of a river, which has three parts:

Bed: The river bed of stones (like the latent, Subconscious or Deep Sleep level and its impressions, symbolized by the "M" of the OM mantra),

Flow: The flowing part (like the Active Unconscious, or Dreaming level, symbolized by the "U" of the OM mantra), and

Surface: The surface of the river (like the Conscious, Waking level, symbolized by the "A" of the OM mantra).

Consciousness at three levels: That reality or presence of existence itself, that is in the three levels of bed of the river, flow of the river, and surface of the river, is like the consciousness that permeates the three levels of Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep (as well as Conscious, Active Unconscious, and Latent Unconscious or Subconscious; or also Gross, Subtle, and Causal)

Subconscious: Our Subconscious wants, wishes, desires, attractions, and aversions (samskaras) are like those stones that form the bed of the river.
Unconscious: When consciousness moves across them, they come to life in the the flow of the Unconscious (like the flow of the river), and
Conscious: Some burst forth into the Conscious mind, resulting in actions, speech, and conscious thoughts (like the action on the surface of the river).
Going beyond the three levels: Through practice, one gradually attains the ability to go beyond, or deeper than the various levels and thinking processes, to the direct experience of the source of the consciousness, symbolized by the Silence after the "A," "U," "M," of the OM mantra.

The practice begins simply, is practiced sincerely and faithfully, and expands over time, with ever increasing insights about the underlying truths contained in, and suggested by the OM mantra. Meditation on OM (AUM) as an object of concentration, and Contemplation on its meaning work together in guiding one towards Self-realization.

Explanations of the 7 levels of consciousness: Below are some explanations of each of the seven levels of consciousness. As you go through the levels of the OM mantra described below, it is best to remember that the key levels for practice are awareness of the four levels of consciousness related to "A," "U," "M," and the fourth level of Silence.

(Note: It is very useful to remember that, when describing or reading about subtle levels of consciousness, words are inadequate, and can easily seem to be in conflict with one another, as one wrestles with varying terminology, or with explanations from one or another writer. Ultimately, it is direct experience through repeated practice, without a break, over a long time that will unravel the meaning of the explanations and bring the true insights.)

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1. Waking / Conscious / Vaishvaanara / Gross / "A" of AUM

"A" represents Waking: The Waking state of consciousness is represented by the "A" of the AUM mantra. The name of this level of consciousness is Vaishvaanara. The Waking state is experienced by the individual person. In the Waking state of consciousness there are actions, speech, and thoughts of which we are "consciously" aware. The unconscious processes in the deeper levels are also there, but just not normally noticed.

Microcosm and macrocosm of Waking: If the individual person is the microcosm, then the whole of the manifest universe is the macrocosm. The "A" of AUM represents not only the individual Waking state of consciousness, but also the entire Gross realm. The individual state of Waking consciousness and the Gross realm are all operating at the same level of consciousness (both are "in the world").

The "A" bursts forth: When using AUM as a mantra, notice how the "A" bursts forth in an instant (whether said aloud, or thought of internally). You could say "Aaaaaaa...," in a drawn out way, but the "A" itself has a very brief, instantaneous bursting forth quality to it. The sound arises quickly, in a flash, from out of the silence. When using the OM mantra, whether aloud or internally, it is useful to allow yourself to be aware of this bursting forth quality of thoughts, images, or impressions. All of these arise in a moment from the Subtler place within.

Three types of awareness with "A": In the practice of remembering the AUM mantra, when awareness is on "A" of the OM mantra, you cultivate and train yourself to have a simultaneous awareness of:

the Waking state,
the Conscious level of mental and emotional processing, and
the Gross realm of the universe.
The awareness of these three operating at the same level of reality is allowed to become clearer through practice over time.

Observing the "A" come forward: To observe the way the "A" comes forward when remembering the OM mantra is to observe the way our whole process of thoughts, actions, and speech arises. This can be extremely useful to understand.

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2. Transition / Unmani

Transition between Waking and Dreaming: There is a transition stage between Waking and Dreaming states (or between Conscious and Unconscious states). The name of this transition stage of consciousness is Unmani. Unmani does not just refer to the personal experience between Waking and Dreaming. Rather, it is the name of that transition level of consciousness itself. (Like many words, the word Unmani is used in different ways. In other contexts, it is also used to mean Samadhi or Turiya.)

We have all experienced this transition: We have all experienced this pleasant transition at times when about to awaken after a good sleep, and possibly when we are "day dreaming." In this state, you have left the Dreaming world, but have not yet fully come into the Waking, or external world. You might be lying there pleasantly, not remembering your name, who you are, where you are, and not really caring about these things. But you are also not asleep having any dreams.

Increasing awareness of the transitions: When using the OM mantra for Yoga Meditation and Contemplation, the focus is mostly on the three states of Waking, Dreaming, and Sleep (or Gross, Subtle, and Causal). However, as it is practiced, there also will be a natural, increasing awareness of the transition phases as well. It will become clearer how it is that conscious thoughts, speech, and actions are transitioning from their underlying, mostly unconscious thought and emotional processes.

Don't confuse this transition with Meditation: This very pleasant state is often confused with Meditation. Meditation is done in the Waking state, in which one is full awake and alert. Then, gradually the veil is opened to allow the deeper states or levels to come forward into the Conscious, Waking state of awareness.

Parallels with science: In relation to the Gross world, it is interesting to note the parallels between the transition between Unconscious and Conscious thought patterns, and the way the scientists describe the coming forth of the manifest universe as a "big bang." Possibly this too is a form of the coming forth of the Subtle, transitioning into the Gross.

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3. Dreaming / Unconscious / Taijasa / Subtle / "U" of AUM

"U" represents Dreaming: The Dreaming state of consciousness is represented by the "U" of the AUM mantra. The name of this level of consciousness is Taijasa. Taijasa does not just mean dreaming. Rather, it is the name of that level of consciousness in which dreaming occurs.

Mind working out its desires: The Dreaming state is a level where the mind can work out its unfulfilled wants, wishes, desires, attractions, and aversions not allowed to play out in the external world. Both Yogis and psychologists speak of this as a useful process.

Uncoloring thought patterns: However, the Yogi will go further in dealing with the underlying deep impressions (Samskaras) that lead to actions (Karmas). The Yogi wants to turn those colored (klishta) thought patterns uncolored (aklishta) thought patterns so that they no longer need to arise and cause disturbance, whether causing that disturbance in the Waking or Dreaming states of consciousness (See also the article on Klishta and Aklishta Thoughts). It is for this reason that the Yogi gradually and naturally needs less sleep; there are fewer colored (klishta) unconscious thought patterns needing to play out. (See Yoga Sutras 1.5, 2.1-2.9, and 2.10-2.11 on coloring and uncoloring)

Microcosm and macrocosm of Dreaming: The counterpart of the personal Dream world is the entire Subtle, psychic, occult, or astral plane of reality. One is the microcosm, while the other is the macrocosm.

Lifting the veil: As one progresses in Yoga Meditation, opening to the Unconscious begins. One stays in the Waking state, but gradually lifts the veil, opens the curtain, so that the Unconscious begins to come forward. What comes is that which was normally only accessible in the Dreaming state.

Intentionally letting the thoughts come: It is in this field of observation that the Yogi does the Meditation of remaining one-pointed by letting go of the thought patterns arising. "Let them come, and let them go," is the message the Yogi says to the mind, as Non-Attachment (Vairagya) becomes a reality, not just an act done in the external world. (See Yoga Sutras 1.12-1.16 on non-attachment)

The highest therapy: Gradually, the intensity of the coloring attenuates, eventually allowing the thought pattern to remain in latent, seed form (until it is dispensed with entirely). It is because of this process of attenuating that the Yogi says that Yoga Meditation is the highest of all therapies. (See Yoga Sutra 2.4 on attenuation)

Taijasa is not the "spiritual" realm: This level of Taijasa has often been confused as being the "spiritual" realm, failing to note that it is only the second of four levels of consciousness in AUM (or third of the seven). If one is not familiar with this, it can seem that there are only two realms (a Gross and Spiritual) with a Transition between them. One can easily get caught in a trap of pursuing the actions, beings, and objects of the Subtle realm, not recognizing that they are merely a level to move through, not a place to go and stay. Journeys in these realms are no more useful in the journey of Self-realization than journeys to a thousand cities in our external world (Though some such journeying is sometimes needed so as to learn the lesson that the journeying is not needed). The article Realization Beyond the Gross and Subtle describes how it can seem that there are only two levels of Gross and Subtler.

Seeking the Subtle is a distraction: Patanjali, codifier of Yoga science describes many siddhis (powers) that come to the Yogi through practices. Some say that the Yogi is seeking these powers intentionally. However, Patanjali actually mentions these on the foundation of Non-Attachment (Vairagya) and Discrimination (Viveka), such that the seeker will abandon these powers when they come (See Yoga Sutra 3.38). In other words, seeking of the breadth of the Subtle realm is a distraction on the journey to enlightenment; with Discriminative Wisdom and Non-Attachment, one is better off to let go of these allurements.

Witnessing and going beyond: At the same time that the Yogi observes and lets go of the Subtle realm, there is also a beauty in witnessing as one moves forward in the journey. We can surely enjoy the scenery along the way, though it may be best, the Yogis remind us, to move on to the Realization of the Absolute, which is not subject to death, decay, or decomposition.

Awareness of the transition: In the practice of remembering the OM mantra, one allows the awareness and feeling associated with the "A" to transition into the awareness and feeling associated with the "U."

Three types of awareness with "U":In the practice of remembering the AUM mantra, when awareness is on "U" of the OM mantra, you cultivate and train yourself to have a simultaneous awareness of:

the Dreaming state,
the Unconscious processing level of the mind, and
the Subtle realm of the universe (Dreaming, Unconscious, and Subtle are all at the same level).
The awareness of these three operating at the same level of reality is allowed to become clearer through practice over time.

Forming the sound of "U": The actual sound is not like the letter "A" and the letter "U," but is more like "AOOUUUUU...." There is "Ah," followed by "UUUUU..." (as in shOE). Then there is "MMMMM...." leading to Silence.

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4. Transition / Aladani

Transition between Dreaming and Deep Sleep: There is a transition stage between Dreaming and Deep Sleep states. The name of this transition stage of consciousness is Aladani. Aladani does not just refer to the personal experience between Dreaming and Deep Sleep. Rather, it is the name of that transition level of consciousness itself.

This transition is not normally experienced consciously: This is a state that one normally does not experience consciously. This state is very subtle. It is a transition (as is Unmani, between Waking and Dreaming, as described above), but is the transition whereby the latent, formless facts or impressions start to stir, and end up taking form in the Unconscious mind, that part normally only accessed when one is having dreams while in the Dream state of sleep.

One may sometimes consciously experience the transition between Dreaming and Waking, either while in bed at sleeping time or at Meditation time. This might be experienced as very beautiful or very horrifying, depending on the nature of the thought patterns. However, the transition at Aladani is very different from the Waking to Dreaming transition.

Thoughts in their formless form: Here, in the Aladani transition, the thought patterns that are in their unmanifest, formless, latent form start to stir. This is literally the beginnings of the enlivening of latent Samskaras, the source of our Karma (the word Karma literally means "actions"). It is a process that one is not normally conscious of. Once again, it is very important to note that this is not the same as the process whereby Unconscious active mental process springs forward through Unmani into the Waking or Conscious state; this is happening at a deeper level.

Beyond the Gross and Subtle: As attractive as the Gross and Subtle realm can be, these levels beyond Taijasa (the Dream State or Subtle realm) can be even more alluring and distracting. As one touches on this transition phase from which the Subtle realm and Subtle thoughts are born, one starts to see the way in which both the subtle and material realm are manifested and can be manipulated.

Aladani and Aladin's lamp: Notice the similarity between the names of the level of consciousness called Aladani and the story of Aladin's lamp, wherein there was a genie. The genie was in latent form, but by rubbing the lamp, a transition process begins whereby the genie comes forth to fulfill any wishes. Between the stage of the genie being inside the lamp, and being fully formed, the transition of the genie is that of smoke that changes and solidifies into form.

Moving past this transition level: For one truly on the path of Self-realization, this is a level to be acknowledged and moved past, allowing the stirrings to fall back to rest so that the Absolute can be experienced.

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5. Deep Sleep / Subconscious / Prajna / Causal / "M" of AUM

"M" represents Deep Sleep: The Deep Sleep state of consciousness is represented by the "M" of the AUM mantra. The name of this level of consciousness is Prajna. Prajna does not just mean Deep Sleep. Rather, it is the name of that level of consciousness in which one experiences Deep Sleep.

Impressions are stored in their latent form: The Deep Sleep state is the level where deep impressions are stored in their latent form. It contains the roots of our habit patterns, the Samskaras that are the driving force behind Karma (actions). Those wants, wishes, desires, attractions, and aversions that play themselves out in dreams, or turn into actions and speech in the external world have their root in this level of consciousness. Those impressions are like seeds, lying there waiting for water and fertilizer to awaken them, so they may grow in the fields of Dreaming or Waking.

Prajna is supreme knowledge: "Pra" means "Supreme" and "Jna" comes from "Jnana," which means "Knowledge." Thus, Prajna is the level of consciousness that is of Supreme Knowledge. How odd it is, that the domain of Deep Sleep, where there seems to be nothing going on, is called the place of Supreme Knowledge.

Prior to the creation of thoughts and emotions: However, Prajna is the place, the level that is deeper than, or prior to the creation of thoughts and emotions, whether in the Dream (Unconscious) level or the Waking (Conscious) level.

Prior to the manifestation of Gross and Subtle: It is also the domain that is deeper than, or prior to creation or manifestation of the objects and activities within both the Subtle and Gross realms. (The phrase "prior to" is not meaning in the sense of time. Rather, it is that out of which the next thing emerges. A metaphor sometimes used is the way that a pot comes out of clay. Here, the clay is always there. Out of the clay emerges the pot, and although the clay never goes away, the pot will go away, and merge back into the clay from which it came.)

Infinite library of wisdom: One who begins to gain access to this Prajna level also begins to gain access to what has been called the Infinite Library of Wisdom. This means direct experience of knowing, not merely from some form of contact with the Subtle realm, but with the level out of which that Subtle realm arises.

Storage and altering of samskaras: In this level of Prajna (the level of Deep Sleep) is the storage of the formless, latent thought patterns (formless forms) called Samskaras that drive Karma, or action. If one can gain access to the Samskaras while they are in this latent form, they can be more readily altered such a way that they lose their potency.

Making samskaras mere memories: Then, having lost their power (or reduced it substantially), the deep habit patterns, or Samskaras, can no longer bind one to what would otherwise automatically drive actions, speech, and thoughts. Now, those deep impressions have become mere memories with little or no power. It is like a rope that before could bind, but that has now been burned. Though maybe still having the shape of a rope, it has lost its ability to bind. (This process is definitely not one of psychological suppression or repression.)

Gaining direct access to the samskaras: There are a variety of techniques that professional and lay people use at the Waking level to indirectly affect changes in these deep impressions. Some of these can be very useful to spiritual aspirants in their journey. However, the Yogis want direct access to these deep impressions so that they can choose their own deep habit patterns. In this way, the Yogi gradually becomes a master over the Samskaras leading to his or her own thoughts, speech, and actions.

Burning away the colorings: For the Yogi, this is a process of dealing with the roots of habits directly, through Yoga Meditation, Contemplation, and Yoga Nidra (described below). While the Yogi definitely cultivates the creation of new habit patterns, it is not merely pasting on another layer of habits on the top of the old, whereby one is left with inner conflict between the old and the new habits or Samskaras (that can play out unconsciously into actions and speech, as well as inner turmoil). The Yogi wants to attenuate and then burn away the colorings of fears, aversions, attractions, egoism, and spiritual ignorance.

Microcosm and macrocosm of Deep Sleep: These personal latent impressions or Samskaras are the microcosm, while the macrocosm is the Causal plane from which creation of the entire Subtle and and Gross universe emerges. This is why it is called the "Causal" realm or level of reality. Those with great access to this level are sometimes revered, although even this attainment is short of the Self-realization that comes with the realization of Turiya, the Absolute Reality. The Yogis suggest that the aspirant turn away even from the allurement of the offer of such creative powers, and instead walk in the pursuit of the Highest Realization.

Three types of awareness with "M": In the practice of remembering the AUM mantra, when awareness is on "M," you cultivate and train yourself to have awareness of:

the Deep Sleep state,
the Subconscious (latent, dormant, inactive, storage) aspects of mind (from where the impetus for Karma, or actions springs forth), and
the Causal realm, out of which arises the Subtle and Gross universe (they are all at the same level).
The awareness of these three operating at the same level of reality is allowed to become clearer through practice over time.

Prajna and Yoga Nidra: This level of Deep Sleep, or Prajna, is the level at which Yoga Nidra, or Yogic Sleep is directed (Some incorrectly believe that Yoga Nidra is directed towards the transition level of Unmani, #2 above. That is only an early experience on the way to true Yoga Nidra).

In Yoga Meditation and Contemplation, one remains in the Conscious, Waking state, and gradually allows that Waking state to expand through the other states that are normally unconscious. However, in Yoga Nidra one leaves the Waking state, descends to the Deep Sleep state, and yet, paradoxically, brings along Waking consciousness.

Reducing samskaras through Yoga Nidra: Yoga Nidra is a state which allows one to experience thought patterns directly in their latent, hidden, or formless forms, and thus be able to reduce their power to play out due to habit. The phenomena itself of reducing the power of the Samskaras comes about naturally through the deep process of introspection during Yoga Nidra.

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6. Samadhi

Beyond Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep: Beyond, or below Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep is the state of deep absorption, that is the stage to which one's Meditation practice next leads. It is called Samadhi.

Many types of Samadhi: There are many forms of Samadhi. An even cursory review of the texts will reveal dozens of different types. Mostly, these differences have to do with the nature of the object on which one was meditating before dropping into the state of Samadhi with that object.

Meditation on Gross or Subtle: The Object on which one is meditating (and then enters Samadhi) may be Gross or Subtle. A simple example will help. If one is internally meditating on the image of a red rose, that object is a Gross object. Meditation may shift away from the red flower to the red color alone, the "redness." However, even that is still a Gross object of sorts. However, if attention shifts to light itself, or to the ability to see light, those are subtler. If attention shifts deeper to the observer who is doing the observing, or to the blissful feeling that comes from the absorption, then these are still subtler. However, in any case there is still an "object," although that object may be extremely subtle.

Similarly, Meditation on a spiritual or religious object will also move through levels of experience, from Gross to Subtle, to Subtler, and to Subtle-most. Eventually the inward shifting of attention reveals the essence of the object of Meditation and Samadhi.

Observer, observing, and observed collapse into one: In Meditation on an object, whether Gross or Subtle, there are three parts: 1) An Observer, 2) A Process of Observing, and 3) The Object being observed. With Samadhi, it is as if these three parts collapse into only one. There is no longer an observer observing the observed; rather, there seems to be only the object. It is as if the observer and the process of observing have become absorbed into the object, such that object is the only thing left.

Samadhi with, or without form: There are two general categories of Samadhi. One is Samadhi "with form" or "with object" (of which there are many types of gross or subtle objects, and thus many types of Samadhi). During Meditation, attention was directed towards this form or object, and in Samadhi, the attention becomes absorbed into that form or object.

The other category is Samadhi "without form" or "without object," in which there is attention that is not directed towards any form or object (since it is without any object or form, there is not the diversity of types of Samadhi, as is the case with Samadhi on form or object).

In both categories of Samadhi, the attention stance is similar. The difference is that in the case of objectless or formless Samadhi, there is no object. The stance of attention is still there, but the object is not. It is somewhat as if during Samadhi with form, one had simply forgotten the object, and thus came into objectless Samadhi.

Cultivating Practice and Non-attachment: For one who does not get trapped by the activity of the Gross world, the Subtle realm, or even the stirrings of the formless Causal level, then the state of absorption called Samadhi is within reach. Attaining Samadhi rests on two foundation principles, Practice and Non-Attachment, Abhyasa and Vairagya.

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7. Turiya / Consciousness / Absolute / Silence after AUM

Silence represents the permeating consciousness: After the "A," the "U," and the "M" of the OM mantra there is Silence that is representative of the consciousness that permeates, and is all of the other levels. The name of this level of consciousness is Turiya. (All other mantras merge into the vibration of OM, and in turn, to this Silence.)

Turiya means "the fourth": Turiya literally means "the fourth," and represents that consciousness which permeates, observes, and is the other three levels. To call Turiya a "level" is not really accurate, since it is always, in fact, witness of, and at one with, the other states.

Standing on the roof of the building: From the vantage point of Turiya, one sees the entire panorama of the play of the levels of consciousness. It has been likened to standing on the roof of a three floor building, where the first three floors are the Waking, Dreaming, and Deep Sleep states (Gross, Subtle, Causal levels) . From those levels, you can only look out a window, whereas from the roof you can see it all.

Practicing the AUM mantra: The AUM mantra represents the four states of Waking, Dreaming, Deep Sleep, and the fourth state of Turiya. These four are the focus of attention in remembering the OM mantra. The Transition states and the Samadhi state are less focused on with intention during the practice. This does not mean they are not there, or will not be experienced, but simply that one not making specific use of them in Meditation and Contemplation. In practicing the OM mantra, the emphasis is on the "A," the "U," the "M," and the Silence, along with their associated realities.

Practice with the Silence after AUM: In the practice of remembering the AUM mantra, when awareness is on the Silence after the "A," the "U," and the "M," you cultivate and train yourself to have an awareness of that consciousness, and that it:

Permeates all of the personal levels of Waking, Dreaming, Deep Sleep
Permeates all of the Subtle realm
Permeates all of the Causal realm
Consciousness permeates, is the foundation of, and in fact, is the whole of the levels of the "A," the "U," and the "M" levels. This awareness is allowed to become clearer through practice, over time.

Merging into stillness and silence: Many sages, teachers, and traditions have pointed out that eventually all light, sound and mantras lead to Stillness and Silence. By understanding the meaning of AUM, and the levels of consciousness that it represents, it becomes much easier to see how it is that light, sound and mantras truly do merge back into the Stillness and Silence from which they arose.

The meaning of AUM is revealed: The masters, sages, teachers, and traditions have also pointed out that to really understand this, one must do the practices and go to the Stillness and Silence oneself, wherein the meaning of AUM is revealed.


I am a Wave in the Ocean of Bliss.
I and the Ocean are One.
I am Ocean.
I am That.


Distinction between Samadhi and Turiya: There is a fine distinction between Samadhi and Turiya. Samadhi is a dualistic style of attention, while Turiya in non-dualistic, leading one to the experience "I am That," or Self-realization. There are many objects on which one can practice Yoga Meditation and enter Samadhi, and there are Gross, Subtle, and Subtler levels of objects in which one might attain Samadhi, as well as objectless Samadhi.

However, Turiya brings one to Self-realization that, "I am a Wave in the Ocean of Bliss; I and the Ocean are One; I am Ocean; I am That."

informal talk about meditation

Everyone of us exists in two modes, one which I call a localized mode and one which I call a diffused mode. In the localized mode of our existence we are identifying ourselves with our body, mind or intellect. This is the limited state of our existence. The non-localized, diffused, spread-out form of our existence,consists of our consciousness pervading all life forms - plant, animal, bird, the sun, the skies, the stars... everywhere. There you are a witness to all these things and you are yet none of these things. The relationship between these two modes is like that between a circle and its center. You cannot have a circle without its starting point, the center. The center is within the circle, it is not attached to the circle. Just like when you a sphere through the center, the center is unchanging and the circle is always changing. The center has to remain fixed. If the center is moving, the circle cannot be formed. There has to be a center. You have to be centered on yourself. We need both these states of our existence to discover our roots, our inner most desires, the purpose of our lives and to be able to express the purpose of our lives through our daily lives.

You need the non-local diffused mode where you are not your body, you are not your mind, you are not your intellect, but you are the whole, you have spread yourself, your conscious is part of the entire universe. You have to get in that state a few times a day. Maybe three times a day. If time does not permit, at least two times a day. It is in the silence of the mind that God is known. This has been called sandhyavandhanam : three times a day you have to take the shakthi up into a transcendental state and be there for sometime. In the delocalized mode of your functioning, the importance is not on the content of information, but on the container of the information. It's not how much you know that matters, but how much you can forget. It is not subject to logical reasoning, not even to emotions. It's beyond reasoning and emotions. And you have to reach that state.

I'd like to say a few words about how to access this state, what is called samadhi. You have to make a commitment in your lives to spend 15 to 20 minutes in the morning and 15 to 20 minutes in the evening doing this. Now, you may ask, why do you want us to do this ? We have already so many pressures at work. Why should we do this? What do we gain by doing this? What is in it for me?

First of all, we need proof that we need to do something. Let me give you that proof. Let's suppose there is a school, an elementary school, and there is a teacher at the blackboard. The history teacher comes and writes a few lines there. He's telling the story of the Ramayana. He says, "Once there was a king called Dasaratha", and writes "Dasaratha" there. "... and he had four sons named Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrugna", he continues, and writes their names on the board as well. After a little more story-telling, the class is over. Then the mathematics teacher comes, and he writes the equation (a+b)^2 = a^2 + b^2 + 2ab on the board and he explains the meaning of this and he goes away. The student, when he goes back home, has the following information in his mind: Dasaratha = (a+b)^2, Rama=a^2, Lakshmana =b^2, Bharatha = 2ab, and Shatrugna is nothing.

It is not only the chalk piece that puts the information in your mind that is important, but also the duster. If you do not clean your mind of the information you have received, the selected information that's going to get into the mind gets mixed up and there is lot of confusion in your mind. If we do not let our minds be cleared at least twice a day, then we cannot have clear perception. Which is more important, the chalk piece or the duster? Without the chalk piece you are stupid, without the duster you are confused. You need both. You need the chalk piece, the world, which writes the information on your mind and you have to be able to clear it also.The clearing process of the conscious part of the mind and being able to remain thoughtless for some time is the duster. We need both these things. This is one aspect. The other aspect is that once you are really able to achieve silence of the mind, stop all the dialogues, all the monologues in your mind, then you enter a state called yoga : Yogah cittabuddih nirogah.

When all the manifestations of the mind, the fluctuations of the mind are subdued then your body identification is gone; when you are in the witness state and only the subject remains, the object has merged into the subject. The object is not there, because the subject has become the object. We are seeing the world and we have become the world and you stop seeing yourself. That is the state which is called manolaya - where you have eliminated your mind. You have got to try to reach that state, three times a day preferably. If you can manage a wink at the office, nothing like that. If you can't, at least do it twice, once in the morning and once in the evening. It is necessary in this day of high tension living, high pressure work; you need this relaxation process.

What are the steps that lead to the relaxation of the mind? I think there are basically four steps involved. If we eat heavily and then sit down for meditation, what happens? We sleep like Kumbakarna. Kumbakarna is a guy who sleeps for six months continuously. If you are totally hungry, with the burning sensation in the stomach, you can't sit and meditate. So a slight hunger should be there, but not too much.

If your mind is totally fresh, you have just woken up from sleep, and you want to sit for meditation, the mind wants to think. It has finished it's sleep. It wants to become active. That doesn't create the slope that is necessary for the mind to settle down into a thoughtless state. So, if you are totally fresh, again, it is a conducive state for meditation. The second important step is that as you should have a little hunger, you should have a little tiredness also. When your body is tired and your mind is tired, the mind wants to stop thinking and start relaxing. This will set up a small slope in the mind and it starts gently rolling down. If you take a bottle, fill it with water and put some mud in it and shake it well and let it stand, it will start settling down. The settling down is because the mind has naturally a tendency to be lazy. So you try to go into a state of non thinking in a natural gradient.

But what happens is that when you sit for meditation, some kind of disturbance or the other, some trigger comes. A little sound, and you start analyzing what that sound is. It starts a train of thought. So when you have these trains of thought, it's like a ball that is rolling down the slope of a hill comes across an obstacle. It stops there. It doesn't roll down further. Or sometimes the obstacle is such that it pushes it up. So, what do you have to do?

Have you observed that no thought has never remained all the time with you? Is there any thought that has remained forever with you? No, not a single thought. All thoughts come, they are born, they grow, and they die in your mind. The nature of the obstacles in your thoughtless state are the thoughts. If you observe that the thoughts are temporary in nature, they will never stay for long, they cannot. The mind has a natural tendency to kill them. What do you have to do? Remain a passive witness to the thought, don't get involved with the thought. Don't invite the thought, put it on a pedestal and do puja like you do to Devi. Nor do you ask the thought to go away. If you push it away, you are working with the emotion of the thought. "This is a bad thought, I should not be having it". Why do these thoughts come to me when I am trying to clear my mind? I should have only good thoughts, not bad thoughts". So, suspend your judgment of these thoughts. Your judgment that this is good or bad, this is what I should have, this is what I should not have, is a thought. If I think it is a good idea, then I want to hang on to it, if I think it is a bad idea, I want to push it away from me. Thoughts are not the problem, your judgment of your thoughts is. If you judge not, then you are in a passive state of mind, a witness state of mind. A witness is not affected. If my name is Sastry, I can witness this guy Sastry having this thought, that's not me, I am witnessing this fellow having this thought. Take yourself a little away from yourself. Detach yourself a little. And without judgment, let the thought come, let it stay as long as it wants, let it go if it wants to. Let a new thought come, let it go.

We talked about three aspects. The first is a little hunger, then a little tiredness to set the slope of the mind. And the obstacles in the way of reaching the settling of the mind are the judgment of the thoughts and therefore you remain a witness to the thoughts, not judging them.

There is one more important thing. This is the most important. We accept or we say we accept God. But we do not accept His creation. We start asking, "If there is a God then why in the name of Heaven does He create all this misery, all these pressures ? Why should He reward the impious and why should He punish the virtuous? Why should He allow those hapless 220 people to die in the plane crash? He doesn't know how to make the world !"

We are not accepting His creation for what it is. They say there are three pivots for a stable mind : bhakthi, gnana and vairagya. Bhakthi is devotion, Gnana means knowledge and vairagya means detachment. In my opinion, bhakthi and vairagya are not different from each other. They are one and the same. Being able to accept God's creation, good or bad, whatever it is, as being perfect, that is surrender to God. We thank God that we receive gifts from Him. We ridicule God when we receive brickbats from Him. We should be able to thank Him both when we are in misery and when we are in pleasure.This equanimity is surrender to God's will. Not surrendering to God's will is criticizing it, and saying, "If only I had the power I would create a better world." What kind of a world will I create? I will create a blank white paper. Well, no color, no contrast, everything is fine...there's no picture there. God is the picture of this world. God is His creation. God is the earth, He is the sorrow, He is the misery, He is the pleasure, He is the pain. He is everything. So accepting God is accepting God's creation also. What does this imply that applies to meditation?

Sometimes the meditation goes wonderfully, absolutely no problems, I'm in seventh heaven, walking on the rainbows, with the Mother leading me with Her little finger and showing me different worlds. They are singing for me, they are dancing for me - an aesthetic state of union with God. And sometimes nothing happens. It is just routine. Where does boredom come from? Because you have an expectation that something is going to happen, and when that something does not happen, then you are bored. It's not helping you, and you lose interest in the meditation. So you have to understand that expectation is the cause for the disappointment. Expectation is the cause of the boredom. So what is it that you have to do ? You should have no expectations whatsoever about how the meditation is going to proceed. If you have no expectations, no disappointments. If you have expectations, you will have disappointments.

So, to reach that thoughtless state of the mind, spend about 20 minutes in the morning and in the evening. I am not asking you to do mantra japa. Mantra japa is a thought. That is also an addiction; you are going to get rid of it one day. You may use it for sometime, but then when the mind starts getting cleared, you have to let go of that too. A little tiredness, a little hunger, non-expectation of the results and being a witness to your thoughts. These are the four essential conditions that are necessary for settling the mind down to a quiet state. All that is needed is that your mind settles down to a quiet state and once you have learnt the trick of how to go about doing this, it comes naturally to you. This is the duster which you have got to apply once in the morning and once in the evening. You choose your time. But try to see if you can stick to the same time everyday because it builds up a habit. Try to see if you can create an environment around yourself where not much of external disturbance is present. Try to see that you are not over full or over eaten, try to be comfortable. Take a simple posture where you can forget your body, don't contort yourself into a position which you cannot hold for any length of time without discomfort. If you are used to yogasanas, that's a different story. But otherwise what you do is sukhasana : whatever asana, whatever posture is convenient for you, where your body doesn't keep hurting you and bringing you back to your body consciousness. What you are trying to do is forget the body, forget the mind. But not going to sleep.

So, this is called Sandhyavandhanam. There are several mantras we know...there is pancadashi the 15 letter mantra, shodashi the 28 letter mantra, then there is balatripurasundari shadakshari - aim kleem souh souh kleem aim, and then you have hamsa - soham mantra and the shuddha pranavam AUM. Then there are the mahavakyas. And beyond all these things, there is the silence of the mind. There you don't have Her to hold on to, the sastras say niralamba margah . There is no support, supportless you have got to be. Any kind of support that you try to hang on to does not give you independence. If you are seeking any kind of support, whether it is the guru, whether it is the mantra or whether it is an expectation, nothing, you have got to let go of everything. You have to be yourself, without expectations, and try to remain in that state. All these rituals that we do are to help us to reach a state of mind where it is balanced.

Having practised this, I have known that it is in that state that clarity of perception comes. It is in that state that universal love springs forth in your heart. It is in that state that you are able to feel the oneness with entire universe. It is in that state that you are at the bottom of the ocean of awareness. There you see the oneness, not the diversity. It is in that state that you start feeling that when you give to somebody, you not giving to somebody else, you are giving to myself. In that state you will know for certain, that when I improve myself, I am improving the world around me. It is in that state you will understand that if I am helping myself, I am helping the world. We have an equation - I am You - that is established in that state of non localized mode of existence.

We are very much used to the localized mode of existence and we've forgotten that we can exist in the other mode. In physics, we have got what is called the quantum phenomenon. There is the particle mode of existence and there is the wave mode of existence. This applies to you. Your mind is a quantum phenomenon. It knows of no distance nor time, it knows of no path, it jumps from this to that without being in the intermediate state of time or space. In the classical model, if I want to go from Rochester to New York, we can put the sentries on the way, at Syracuse, at Troy, Albany and then New York. And you can say, he has just crossed Syracuse, now he has crossed Troy, now he has crossed Albany before getting to New York. In quantum mode of travel, this does not happen. What happens is that you disappear here and you appear there. That's how the mind functions. The mind being a quantum phenomenon, the classical model of continuous path does not have to apply. The mind being a quantum phenomenon, it can disappear being an individual, become a wave, dematerialise here and materialize there. You've got to learn how to be a particle, you've got to learn how to be a wave. We have learned how to be a particle throughout our lives, what we have to learn is how to become a wave. So I hope that you will practise this, and perhaps I can talk about this again.

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.