E-Book of Dhyanajyothi available for free download

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

The meditation techniques mentioned in this blog is made into and e-book and it is available for free download at 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/360908 .

Hari Om

Empty the pot dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Whatever we see, taste, touch, hear, smell of the world, gives us an experience. We draw some conclusions out of those experiences. All the conclusions of this lifetime or of previous lifetimes are stored in our chitta (memory), in sub-conscious mind as vasanas (impressions) and samskaras (habit patterns). Some part of our memory is known to conscious mind, and some part is not known to conscious mind. The stored memory is called karmaashaya in sanskrit. These vasanas (impressions) and samskaras (habit patterns) determine our behaviour in present moment and shape our future. We need to free our mind from the clutches of the influence of these on our buddhi (intellect). There are various ways to empty the mind.

How to do :

Sit in a quiet corner, calm your mind, relax. Do aana-pana-sati for 5 minutes, and settle down your mind.

Method-1 : Observation of thoughts 

Sit silently, close your eyes and observe your mind. Mind is nothing but bundle of thoughts. Let the thoughts come and go. Do not hold on to any thought. Do not generate any thought of your own. Do not stop any thought. Let the thoughts come and go. Just watch the thoughts.Your sub-conscious mind will throw up what is there in it. Some thoughts may be bad, some thoughts may be good. Do not be attached to any thought. Watch dispassionately. 

You can practice it for 30 minutes to start with, daily. In the initial stages of practice, there will be lot of bombardment of thoughts on your conscious mind. Just be patient and keep on observing. Let the thoughts come and go. Eventually over a period of 2 to 3 months, your sub-conscious mind gets emptied of vasanas (latent impressions) and samskaras (habit patterns) of this lifetime and all previous lifetimes, and nothing is left in it to pollute the conscious mind.

Method-2 : Submit all your thoughts to Guru / God

Sit silently, close your eyes, and visualize that you (body and mind) is like a pot. Let any thought come. Tell to yourself that you are giving up this thought to Guru / God. Visualize that , that particular thought pattern is going away from your mind, and your pot is getting emptied. Give up everything you have to God, every tension, every worry, every weakness, every joy, every achievement, everything you are proud of, everything you are ashamed of, everything you offer to Guru / God. Empty your pot. Enjoy the silence and peace of mind.

This is explained and discussed in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h530MlkBMwI 

Known to unknown dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Life is a journey from known to unknown. Past is known, present is known, future is unknown. Life is unpredictable. Anything can happen in life. Mind wants stability and predictability. As the future is uncertain, and mind wants a certainity, stress and anxiety builds up. All our actions are geared towards providing a predictable stable future. This dhyana is to free your mind of this thinking pattern. 

How to do :

Sit quietly and think along the lines of the following,

Understand and accept the simple fact that anything can happen in life and future. If everything is known before hand , what is the fun in living. Remove all goals of your life. You act what is possible to do currently. Wait and watch the unfoldment of drama of your life. Remove from your mind all your wishes, dreams about your future, remove from your mind, all that you consider as your duties. Observe the excitement in your heart that builds up about the next moment with this attitude.

You can practice it anytime you want. This will free up your mind to a large extent. 

Neti Neti dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

'Neti' means 'Not that' in sanskrit language. We have to take each of the principle (tatwa) in our body, examine it and reject it as 'Not Self'. After negating all the principles in the body like pancha bhootas comprising of earth, water, fire, air, space, prana, and five sense organs ears, eyes, nose, skin, tongue, speech, and organs of action like hands, legs, and the actions of sense organs like seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting, we should then examine the mind, and intellect and reject it as 'Not Self'. What then remains is Self.

Panchabhoota dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

The universe including all is made of five elements. They are earth, water, fire, air, space, and they are called as panchabhoota in sanskrit language. Human body is made up of these five elements. Apart from this there are subtler elements like Prana, and Chitta. Meditating on these five elements and body as made up of these elements will make us feel merged with the nature.

How to do :

a) Merging with Earth/Solidity : Everything solid in your body is made up of earth element. The bones, muscles, skin etc are made up of solid element. Contemplate on this part of your body. As you can witness this element in your body, you are not that and merge that part of your body with earth element.

b) Merging with Water/Liquid : Everything liquid in your body is made up of water element. Infact 75% of human body is made up of water. The blood, mucus, urine, sweat, all the fluids in you is from water or the concept of liquid. Contemplate on this part of your body. As you can witness this element in your body, you are not that and merge that part of your body with water element.

c) Merging with fire : Every cell in your body has energy in it. Fire is in the body as digestive power, body temperature. Contemplate on this part of your body. As you can witness this element in your body, you are not that and merge that part of your body with fire element.

d) Merge with Air : You breathe air 21600 times a day. Blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body. In your body , there are various gases are present. Contemplate on this part of your body. As you can witness this element in your body, you are not that and merge that part of your body with Air element.

e) Merge with space : There is space within your body, and your body is in space. Contemplate on this part of your body. As you can witness this element in your body, you are not that and merge that part of your body with space element.

f) Merge with Prana : The vital energy , the life force is called prana. All the five elements come from Prana. As your body consists of five elements and also your body lives because of Prana, Contemplate on this part of your body. As you can witness this element in your body, you are not that and merge that part of your body with Prana element.

If all these parts of your body is merged with their respective elements in universe, contemplate on what is left of you ?

Indriya dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Senses are called 'Indriya' in sanskrit language. Meditating on the temporary reality of sense perceptions will make one peaceful. What you see, hear, touch, taste, smell, think constantly changes. Any object or thing that changes with time or space, doesnt remain itself and hence it stops existing. It has only temporary reality. It exists for a limited period of time. Our suffering in life is because of trying to impose permanency on an impermanent thing. We want to hold on to things, which will never succeed. Everything changes, except the observer which is called Self. Accepting the changing reality will give peace of mind.

How to do :

Observe the inputs from your sensory organs.

As you see the world, tell yourself in your mind that , "What I see is changing constantly, and hence it may exist for a temporary period of time, but will not last long. It is going to change. Only myself , who is witnessing this changing phenomenon is changeless and constant".

As you hear the world,  tell yourself in your mind that , "What I hear is changing constantly, and hence it may exist for a temporary period of time, but will not last long. It is going to change. Only myself , who is witnessing this changing phenomenon is changeless and constant".

As you smell the world,  tell yourself in your mind that , "What I smell is changing constantly, and hence it may exist for a temporary period of time, but will not last long. It is going to change. Only myself , who is witnessing this changing phenomenon is changeless and constant".

As you touch the world,  tell yourself in your mind that , "What I touch is changing constantly, and hence it may exist for a temporary period of time, but will not last long. It is going to change. Only myself , who is witnessing this changing phenomenon is changeless and constant".

As you taste the world,  tell yourself in your mind that , "What I taste is changing constantly, and hence it may exist for a temporary period of time, but will not last long. It is going to change. Only myself , who is witnessing this changing phenomenon is changeless and constant".

As you think,  tell yourself in your mind that , "What I think is changing constantly, and hence it may exist for a temporary period of time, but will not last long. It is going to change. Only myself , who is witnessing this changing phenomenon is changeless and constant".

Dalai lama dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

How to do :

Sit in any meditative posture, close your eyes. Visualize yourself on your left side and right side. The ‘you’ on left side has your negative qualities, and the ‘you’ on your right side has your positive qualities.
Step-1 : Bring your attention/focus to you on left side and visualize yourself how you would have looked to others and how your state of mind would be when you are suffering from one of the six enemies (desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride, jealousy). Take one emotion at a time. See clearly your facial expressions, and how you have felt internally when undergoing any of the six enemies.
Step-2 : Bring your attention/focus to you on right side and visualize yourself how you would have looked to others and how your state of mind would be when you are undergoing any of the positive opposite quality to the six enemies (love, peace, giving, let go, humbleness, appreciation of others). Take one emotion at a time. See clearly your facial expressions, and how you have felt internally when undergoing any of the six positive qualities.
Step-3 : Make a choice which quality you want to have and merge with right side.
Do for all the qualities that are mentioned. Enjoy the peace and bliss.

Omkar dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

The sound 'AUM' takes you close to ultimate truth. It has to be chanted to know its effect. AUM consists of three sounds 'Aa', 'Uu', and 'Mmm'. After these three sounds , there is a silence.

How to do :
Chant AUM loudly with prolonged 'Mmm' sound. Observe the vibration in the head region. After each AUM chant, there is a silence that follows, listen to that silence. Mind becomes extremely peaceful.
Chant AUM for minimum of 18 times, pausing between each chant.

Peace
Prasad

Trikarana shuddhi dhyana 2

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Thoughts , words and action are called trikarana. Enhancing and purifying all these three is called trikarana shuddhi. A sharp observation and a strong visualization is needed to purify and enhance these three. In part-1 of this shuddhi , we are aware of negativity in these three and nip it in the bud. In part-2 of this shuddhi, we have to carefully nurture and develop positive tendencies in these three aspects of our expression.

How to do:

Observe your thoughts first. Use visualizations to have a dream of positive things in your life and around you. this will alter your words and actions. Do this visualization, dream of something dear and close to your heart and imagine that it is happening, you are working towards it. Visualize that people are appreciating you over your positive accomplishment. The stronger the visualization, the better will be your inner urge to achieve it. Once the vision and goal is set , then actions will follow to achieve it.

Then change your words and language. This will give you the strength to achieve the purpose.

Always use positivity in your language. 

Make it a continuous practice to strengthen your vision by visualization. When there are difficulties or hurdles on the way, use a stronger vision and proceed forward. You can measure success by the impact you are having on your environment. You will know by the reaction of people around you, their comments that you are positive always, then you will know that you are making progress.

Peace

Atmajyothi prasad

Trikarana shuddhi dhyana 1

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Thoughts , words and action are called trikarana. Purifying all these three is called trikarana shuddhi. A sharp observation is needed to purify these three. In part-1 of this shuddhi , be aware of negativity in these three and nip it in the bud.

How to do:

Observe your words first. Start by not uttering any negative words about any person, thing or event. this will alter your thinking and thoughts. Do this observation of words over a period of time.

Then observe your actions, and cease doing any negative actions. Any action arising out of selfishness is a negative action. Do the observation of actions over a period of time.

Then observe your thoughts, and if there is any negative thoughts that are disturbing to you, then using your will power nip those thoughts in bud. at this stage , your words and actions that flow because of purified thoughts will be purified.

This is a continuous practice. results cannot be achieved in one session. Good results can only be seen over prolonged practice and you can measure success by the impact you are having on your environment. You will know by the reaction of people around you that you are making progress.

Peace

Atmajyothi prasad

Tadasana dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Become tree and merge with sky, and merge with earth. This dhyana will give you a feeling of fullness. Usually tadasana (tree posture) is a better asana to practice this. This is the bhava (feeling) that one should have while practicing tadasana.

How to do :

Stand in tadasana. Spine erect, feet together and in V shape, toes spread apart and pressed down on the ground. Palms by the side of the body. Take full deep breaths. Close your eyes. Visualize or imagine yourself as a palm tree. Your head is the top of tree touching the sky and your feet are the roots in the ground. Visualize you are connected from your naval (manipura) up into the far distant galaxy in the sky, and you are connected from naval down into the center of earth. Merge with sky and merge with earth. Enjoy the peace and bliss of oneness. 

Practice this as long as you can have that feeling.

This is explained in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVVlxO3zjps 22 minutes into the video

Peace

Atmajyothi prasad

Forgive yourself dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Mind keeps on jumping from past to future. When your thoughts are mostly related to guilt, regret, or 'I should have done like that', hurt , then understand that your mind is in past. Mot people suffer from guilt consciousness if they have a conscience. While we cannot change past, we can change future by altering present. Forgiving ourself will give peace, it will reduce the guilt consciousness.

How to do :

Remember one of your past actions,  which you regret to have done. Contemplate on how that action has affected your consciousness in the form of guilt. Contemplate on how with better understanding you have now, you could have acted in a better way. Learn from that mistake. Now, tell yourself that you are a human being and a human being tend to make mistakes. Be compassionate on yourself, forgive yourself completely, and accept yourself as you are, with all the mistakes you committed. Make a resolve that you will not repeat the same mistake again. You will become a better person.

This is explained in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVVlxO3zjps 34 minutes into video

Peace

Atmajyothi prasad 

Scan and relax dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Relaxing the body is very important if you want to relax mind. There will be so many places in the body that we may have pain. Small or large, there will be some tension, pain in some body parts. I am not talking about pain due to a disease. In general , in the body some parts may have stiffness, tension, and pain. Relaxing those body parts which are stiff or tense helps in relaxing the mind. Pay attention to the body first.

How to relax :

Sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes. take few deep breaths to settle down your mind. Now, scan your body from top to bottom and find out where are all in the body there is pain. Take your mind to the stressfull area, and relax your body part using your mind. Visualize in your mind that the tension is melting away. Do this 'scan and relaxing' repeatedly over entire body. Once you feel that body is sufficiently relaxed, then relax your mind.

You can practice this before going to sleep. You can also practice this during working hours. Take a small break from work, and while sitting in a chair, you can scan your body and relax the body parts which are in tension.

This is explained in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml21EwPkLK4
This is explained in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVVlxO3zjps 13 minutes into the video

Peace

Atmajyothi prasad

Soham dhyana

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

In-breath makes a subtle sound which resembles the sound 'sooo'. Out-breath makes a subtle sound which resembles the sound 'ham'. Human beings do this so-ham japa continuously, thus this japa of soham is called 'ajapa japa'. Becomming aware of this sound while breathing is called soham dhyana. 

How to do :

Sit silently, close your eyes and listen to the sound of your breathing. Do not mentally chant so-ham or try to listen to sounds that resemble 'so' and 'ham'. Instead just listen to the natural sound of breathing. For some people the sound may be more, for some, it may be very silent. No matter of the volume of the sound, listen to the sound of breathing. 

As we listen to the subtle sound of breathing, mind becomes extremely peaceful.

This is explained in dhyana class video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml21EwPkLK4
This is explained in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZcfMHiXjic 1:05 hrs into the video

Hari Om

Atmajyothi prasad

Four combinations of breath

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Breath and mind are inter-connected. Making the mind peaceful by consciously altering the breathing pattern is called as pranayama. This technique which I am calling 'Four combinations of breath' is about using the four combinations in which one can breathe. Our breath is either short or long, which gives rise to four combinations. They are, 

a) short inhale and short exhale

b) short inhale and long exhale

c) long inhale and short exhale

d) long inhale and long exhale

How to do :

Start with short inhale and short exhale for 3 minutes. Move to short inhale and long exhale for 3 minutes. Then move to long inhale and short exhale for 3 minutes. Then move to long inhale and long exhale for 6 minutes.

Stop the practice and sit silently and enjoy the peace of mind.

This is explained in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWotZ4QqsZ0 57 minutes into the video

Hari Om

Atmajyothi prasad

Fill the pot

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

What you think, so you become as the sanskrit proverb "yad bhavam tad bhavati" goes.

Visualization is a powerful technique to fill your being consciously with whatever you want. Your body is the pot. 

How to do :

Visualize your body as an empty pot. Take in deep breaths filling your entire body and with each in-breath visualize that peace, joy and happiness is filling the entire pot. hold for 3 to 4 seconds, and exhale slowly enjoying the peace and happiness in the body. practice for 10 minutes or as long as you want.

explained in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZcfMHiXjic 33 minutes into the video

Hari Om

Atmajyothi prasad

Centering

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Our thoughts are scattered over our past and future. We are never in present. Our body is present, but mind is absent in present moment. To bring ourself into present moment, we need to be within our body. 

How to do :

Feel the boundaries of your body. Your skin is your boundary. Bring your focus of mind well within the boundary of your skin. Align your sight with your physical eyes. See what is in front of you. Whatever be your physical height, feel that you are that much height only. The top of your head is one end of your boundary, and toes are your other end.Be within the body. Center your focus within the body. If mind runs away thinking about something else, bring it within the body. This I am calling as centering technique.

Body is always in present moment. Mind is always running away to past and future. By centering your focus to be within the body, we are bringing the mind to be in present moment.

Explained in video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml21EwPkLK4
This is also explained as part of dhyana class http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKftWLUVbWo

Hari Om

Atmajyothi prasad

Aana pana sati

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

'Aana pana sati' is taught and propagated widely by Buddha and buddhists. It is a simple and extraordinary technique to calm the mind. Since it is simple, people will find it difficult to practice. It takes a minute to explain this to a person. The onus is on the practitioner to practice it all the time. Patience is the key. Continued practice will yield great results.

How to do :

Observe the in-breath and out-breath. Keep your attention on the breath that is going in and the breath that is coming out. Do not hold the breath, or breathe forcefull or alter the breathing pattern. Just observe the breathing and observe that the mind is slowed down and becomes calm and serene.

This can be practiced anytime. While walking, eyes open or closed, talking, sitting, lying down.

This is taught in the dhyana class http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKftWLUVbWo

Also taught in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml21EwPkLK4

Peace & Love

Atmajyoti 

Dhyana meditation classes and blog started

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Dhyana or meditation makes one peaceful. I have started teaching dhyana on Aug-3-2013. These classes will be conducted on weekends at my home from 6am-730am IST, and it will be streamed online at http://www.youtube.com/user/Yogajyothi . The sessions will be recorded on youtube.

Every person has to perform five yajnas (prescribed sacrifices/offerings) daily. 

They are,

1) Bhuta yajna -- taking care of animals

2) Manushya yajna  -- taking care of people by doing charitable activities

3) Pitr yajna -- taking care of elders, procreating to continue the family line

4) Deva yajna -- taking care of the world / environment

5) Rishi yajna -- Propagating the selfless teachings of ancient masters

Teaching Dhyana is my humble offering at the feet of our ancient masters, the Rishis and to my Guru. 

May this yajna bring peace, happiness, wisdom to the people who are willing to practice and to the world at large. 

Through this blog, I will record my thoughts on different meditation techniques that will be taught in the class.

Hari Om

Atmajyoti prasad