Lotus Meditation

Lotus Meditation

The cupped hands resting on the knees during meditation represent the lotus, and the palms of the hands, the eternal from which all life springs. The fingers which rise from the palm represent the petals of the lotus and also the koshas and different levels of your being.

With cupped hands upward and resting on the knees, lightly touch the little finger with the thumb. The little finger represents the physical world and our body of food the anna-maya-kosha, meditate on strength, repeating the words, “strength is my real nature”. Then imagine that a few drops of the essence of strength trickle into the palms of the hands and rest like drops of dew in the heart of a lotus.

Lightly touch the ring finger with the thumb; this represents your emotional and feeling body as well as the prana-maya-kosha. Meditate on love, repeating the words “love is my real nature”. Then imagine that a few drops of the essence of love, trickle into the lotus palms of the hand.

Lightly touch the middle finger with the thumb; this represents the mental body, the level of thought that we associate with the lower mind, it is the mano-maya-kosha. Meditate on truth, repeating the words “truth is my real nature”. Then imagine that a few drops of the essence of truth, collect in the centre of the lotus.

Lightly touch the index finger with the thumb; this represents the wisdom seal and is associated with the higher mind and the vijnana-maya-kosha. Meditate on the light of wisdom and repeat “Let the light of understanding pervade my nature”. Then let a few drops of the essence of light and wisdom, trickle into your palms and the heart of the lotus.

Rest the open cupped hands on the knees, the symbol of the lotus, the thumb representing purity of the Will and love manifest and the ananda-maya-kosha. Repeat the words “Thy Will Be Done”.

Then from your cupped hands drink and inhale that pure essence of life.

The Healing Breath

The Healing Breath transcends the limitations of body and mind as it flows through and encompasses physical limitations. Sit upright in a chair with the spine straight so that you achieve a sense of balance. Start to observe the breath and let the inflowing and out-flowing breath dissolve your train of thought. The light of the breath refers to the consciousness of the breath, which is all pervasive and not confined to the lungs. Make the breath lengthy and fine as if light and healing where filling the inner space of the lungs. This is not imagined, as consciousness is a catalyst that promotes healing and change. Each healing breath can be retained and held as long as is comfortable to help promote healing. Gradually extend the breath so that the energy of the breath reaches beyond the lungs into every part of your body. None urgency is the key and enjoying the moments of stillness as the light body is refreshed.

The Genii in the Bottle

The Genii in the Bottle is a reference to the natural genius that resides in all of us and which is mostly kept hidden and out of sight, hidden away and bottled up, so as not to bring attention to ourselves? The tensions that mask our true nature are usually the result of upbringing and education, and the fear of reprisals, if we step out of line. The face or mask we present to the world is the one that we feel will make us more acceptable to the world in which we live.

We learn by association, and soon discover some of the things that will make us more acceptable and fitting members of society. The self that we present to the world then becomes a recognisable blue print, with patterns of behaviour that makes us predictable and therefore vulnerable.

So stony faced can we become that we not only become closed to new ideas, but also to the suffering of others. This self or Ego, with its recognisable personality traits, is far removed from the Self (Atman), referred to by the Yogis, which lacks the limitations of the Ego-self, is visionary in nature, its boundary all encompassing in its infinite comprehension of all that is both good and evil.

The work of the Yogi is to release the fetters that bind the soul, and so release the wide eyed Genii, the true Self, and awaken to the light of an all comprehending consciousness that will bring love and a new creative input into every aspect of life. The working tools with which the Yogi works to achieve his new vision of reality are strong ethical principles, exercise, relaxation and meditation. The ethical principles of Yoga are more than man-made rules of expediency but have been discerned as part of the harmonic resonance of the Universe. The formative and integral aspect of exercise, through posture and asana do not only to achieve a healthy body but also help unify the scattered energies of the body.

The regular periods of relaxation also uniquely clear the way, so that tension is released, and a unique appraisal of oneself and life becomes possible. An over-active and busy mind creates confusion much like the ruffled water on the surface of a pond that breaks up the reflection of the clear blue sky above. A further aid to this process is to understand the nature of the breath so that mental and emotional calm is achieved, and one again is able to look inward with a calm and untroubled gaze, much like the soothsayer who looks into the crystal ball to see the play of light reflecting off future events. It is this ability to calmly reflect on one’s own inner life that enables one to pick up the subtle gradients in feeling, which are the valuable indicators in making right choices when planning for the future.

We are all born out of an infinite field of possibilities and the choices we make determine our future. Often these choices are reactions to what is immediately presented to us and not from the Genii or Genius that lies within. To bottle up our fears and hide behind the shield of expediency, can without release, confine us within prisons of our own making. The relaxation and meditation techniques of Yoga are an important first step on the journey toward Self discovery, inner peace and Self determination.