When meditate at home it helps if you have an allocated space which is free from distraction – where you can take some time for yourself. Place the photograph of Shri Mataji at around eye level, and light a candle in front of the photo. The flame represents the element light which assists in purifying the Agnya Chakra so thoughts can subside easier. Beautiful flowers help as well, while fragrant ones additionally help open the Mooladhara.
No equipment or special environment is needed to do Sahaja Yoga Meditation and attain thoughtless awareness. It is important is that you are comfortable, ideally seated on the ground or on a chair. Many people find that meditating in nature is extra calming, so you can also try sitting in the garden or find a quiet spot in a local park when you’re out.
Meditation can be practiced at any hour, whenever you have the desire to reconnect. Even sitting back for a few minutes at work and re-establishing your attention can be a huge boost. It is recommended to try meditating for 5-10 minutes in the morning before the day’s activities, and 5-10 minutes in the evening to detach from the day’s events before sleeping. With online guided meditations it is easy to plug in wherever you are, for however much time you have free .If you connected to god then You should increase time in meditation 30 min to feel and enjoy in thoughtless awareness stages.
RAISING THE KUNDALINI
Each meditation BEGINS AND ENDS with raising the Kundalini and giving a Bandhan.
Raise the left hand from the base of the spine to the top of the head while rotating the right hand, clockwise, around the left hand.
The motion begins with the left hand in front of the right hand – palms facing your body. The right hand moves under, in front of, on top of, and then again behind the left hand, as your left hand moves upward, all the way above your head.
Watch your hands while raising them and tilt the head back as the hands move above eye level. Tie one knot above the head. Raise the Kundalini with this procedure three (3) times. The second time, tie two (2) knots above the head. The third time, tie three (3) knots above the head, fixing the attention above our heads.
GIVING A BANDHAN
Next we give a BANDHAN – a PROTECTION to our subtle system. We draw an arc with our right hand from the left hip, over the top of the head to the right hip, and back again. This should be done with our attention on the crown of the head at the Fontanelle, calmly and rhythmically to feel the most benefit. The eyes can be either opened or closed while giving a bandhan. Repeat this seven (7) times. The left hand should be open, palm upwards, on the lap.
MEDITATE FROM YOUR HEART
“In any way, when you meditate, you should do it with love, that’s all. Love will cleanse everything… Love means without any malice, without any anger. Something that is desired.
It’s such an abstract thing that you cannot put it in words, but it’s a feeling within you. And when you meditate with love, means, supposing you are very angry and you are frustrated, then you come and meditate and go on saying things like “Mother do this, kill him! Do that!” it doesn’t work out.
But in love, means actually it is no thought. It’s just a feeling. Feeling of emancipation. Just a feeling”
SHRI MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI LONDON, ENGLAND 2001
Shri Mataji has recommended the following meditation techniques to enable us enter the state of thoughtless awareness. But meditation is not merely a technique. It’s very important to understand that meditation should be done from the heart, with heartfelt love for the Divine Spirit within
us all.
MORNING MEDITATION
After raising the Kundalini and giving a bandhan, sit with both hands – palms upwards – towards the photograph of Shri Mataji. Watch the photograph for 5-10 minutes without thinking before closing the eyes. Watch the thoughts and release them. Be patient! The thoughts will gradually recede and the gaps between them increase
If the attention wanders say inside: ‘WHERE IS MY ATTENTION?’ This can help bring the attention back to the Spirit and silence the thoughts. One can also say: I AM THE SPIRIT, NOT THIS BODY, NOT THIS MIND.
When thoughts rise, say: NOT THIS THOUGHT, or: I FORGIVE THESE THOUGHTS. Say from the heart: I FORGIVE EVERYONE, I FORGIVE MYSELF, which helps the Agnya open and the Kundalini to ascend beyond it
If you become thoughtlessly aware, relax and enjoy the meditation! Let passing thoughts pass and bring the attention deeper inside.
Bring the attention within and beyond the Sahasrara Chakra above the head, where we are connected to the ALL-PERVADING POWER OF LOVE. Settle here in silence and connection for some minutes before raising the Kundalini and giving a bandhan.
EVENING MEDITATION – FOOTSOAKING
Footsoaking is a very important part of Sahaja Yoga cleansing and Shri Mataji has recommended that anyone serious about progressing in their growth should footsoak every night. Salt water is particularly good for the cleansing the Swadhisthan, Nabhi and Void
HOW TO FOOTSOAK?
Get a bowl (USE ONLY FOR FOOT-SOAKING). A plastic bowl will do. Fill it with enough water to cover the ankles. Add a handful of salt and meditate with your feet in the water and hands palm upwards. Keep a jug of water and a towel beside you. After meditating, rinse your feet with the fresh
water from the jug and dry your feet on the towel.
Pour the water into the toilet and rinse the bowl with fresh water. Those with heat in the right side and liver can footsoak with colder water, those who feel cold with warmer water. Experiment with what works best to silence the mind.
SHRI MATAJI’S ADVICE ON FOOTSOAKING
I have told you one remedy. As it is said that everyone must go to bathroom and clean oneself after getting up in the morning. Similarly,
for Sahaja Yogis, it is extremely necessary to have footsoaking treatment at least for five minutes before going to bed. However highly
evolved you may be, and you may not be getting caught, but it does not matter. You must do footsoaking for at least five minutes. Even I take this treatment sometimes, so that my Sahaja Yogis will also take to it. It is a very good habit.
All Sahaja Yogis must do the footsoaking at least for five minutes. All Sahaja Yogis, should light a lamp before the photograph, apply SINDUR (KUMKUM) to the AGNYA, dip their feet in salted water and sit in this fashion opening out both palms towards the photograph.
If you do this, more than half of your problems would be solved automatically. However busy you may be, it is not difficult to spare five minutes. All should sit like this before retiring. That will stop more than half of your catching.” – SHRI MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI MUMBAI MAY 27, 1976
SHRI MATAJI’S ADVICE ON HOW TO STOP YOUR THOUGHTS
So the thought that starts moving in our mind all the time, which creates tensions, is not the thought of the Spirit. So what you should say is ‘NOT THIS THOUGHT’. ‘NOT THIS THOUGHT, NOT THIS THOUGHT, NOT THIS THOUGHT, NOT THIS THOUGHT’ – and see how you relax.
Now you are relaxed. ‘NOT THIS THOUGHT, NOT THIS THOUGHT’… Just go on refusing accepting any thought. So you go into NIRVICHARA. In that state you feel the Spirit.
Christ has done the greatest work on this, I should say, but we do not understand because His life was like a micro thing you see, 33 years. So we have to open it out a little bit and see what he did. He has given us the greatest weapon, of forgiveness.
When you forgive a person, what do you do? You accept the situation, to begin with, and secondly you forgive what you think has been done wrong to you. But because nothing can be done wrong to your Spirit, you just forgive, because you are the Spirit. And when you forgive, you have found that your tension goes away. So even to your thoughts if you say, ‘ALRIGHT, FORGIVE THIS THOUGHT, FORGIVE THIS THOUGHT,’ – because the thought is also not to be punished. ‘FORGIVE THIS THOUGHT, FORGIVE THIS THOUGHT, FORGIVE EVERYTHING.’ Not forget – forgive. Because then you will even forget that you are the Spirit.” – SHRI MATAJI NIRMALA DEVI HAMPSTEAD, ENGLAND EASTER 1984
MEDITATION WITH AFFIRMATIONS
Shri Mataji used this technique to give Self Realisation in public meetings. These affirmations need not be said out loud but silently within. You can also use this technique to give your friends Self Realisation.
Place the right hand on the chakras of the left side as shown and keep the left hand palm upwards towards Shri Mataji’s photograph. Repeat
the affirmations the number of times specified. Keeping the eyes closed throughout the exercise.
For the last affirmation (SAHASRARA CHAKRA), bend your head down to the chest a bit. Stretch the fingers on the right hand and place the palm
on the fontanelle. Push down and rotate the scalp seven (7) times clockwise repeating the affirmation: PLEASE GIVE ME SELF REALISATION or: PLEASE STRENGTHEN MY SELF REALISATION.
