CONCENTRATION IN MEDITATION

                              HOW TO CONCENTRATE

                                      IN MEDITATION

                       MIND CAN BE EASILY CONCENTRATED WHILE WATCHING TV SERIALS, MOVIES AND INTERESTING DOCUMENTARIES. MIND CAN BE FOCUSED WITHOUT ANY EFFORT WHILE READING NOVELS AND COMICS AND PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. MOST OF THE PERSONS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO CONCENTRATE MIND ON TEXT BOOKS AND OTHER BOOKS WHICH REQUIRE SERIOUS READING. MIND IS EASILY CONCENTRATED ON ACTIVITIES THAT IT WANTS TO DO . IT IS ATTRACTED TO PLEASING AND APPEALING OBJECT THINGS.

                    THIS IS THE QUALITY OF MIND . IT IS IMMEDIATELY PERTURBED WITH A SINGLE NEGATIVE THOUGHT. A STONE THROWN IN A STILL WATER HAS THE POWER TO CREATE MANY RIPPLES.

                   MIND IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL NOT ONLY FOR CHILDREN BUT ALSO FOR ADULTS. IT WANDERS HERE AND THERE AND JUMPS ON IRRELEVANT THOUGHTS. ITS RESTLESSNESS IS A BIG OBSTACLES TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE POINT. ONE SHOULD FOCUS MIND ON ONE POINT TO ATTAIN BETTER RESULTS. SURPRISINGLY, THE WORK IS DONE IS LESSER TIME. ONE SHOULD STRENGTHEN THE POWER OF CONCENTRATION THROUGH PRACTICE AND PATIENCE AS IT CLARIFIES IDEAS, MAKES COMPLEX THINGS SIMPLER, REMOVES CONFUSION AND ENHANCES EFFICIENCY AND WORKING CAPACITY. WITH THE RESULTS, ONE CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE WORK IN LESS TIME THUS CAN EARN MORE.

                    CONCENTRATION IS THE FIRST STEP OF MEDITATION. BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY WHERE CONCENTRATION ENDS AND MEDITATION BEGINS BECAUSE ONE FALLS INTO MEDITATION MUCH LIKE ONE FALLS INTO SLEEP - AN ACTIVITY WHICH CAN'T BE CONTROLLED BY AND HAPPENS JUST LIKE A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF WATER FROM ONE CONTAINER TO ANOTHER. ON SWAMI SAID, THE MORE YOU PRACTISE, THE CRISPER THE CONCENTRATION.

                     ONE'S MIND IS ABSORBED IN SENSUOUS OBJECTS. ONE FEELS ATTACHED TO THOSE OBJECTS. ONE CAN RISE ABOVE THIS BONDAGE CONTROLLING THE MIND. MIND SHOULD BE TRAINED IN SUCH A MANNER SO THAT IT IS NOT ATTRACTED TOWARDS THE GLITTERING OF MATERIALISTIC WORLD. NON-ATTACHMENT TO SENSE OBJECTS LEADS TO LIBERATION. IF MIND IS WITHDRAWN FROM SENSUAL OBJECTS THAN IT BECOMES ONE'S FRIEND. IF MIND IS TRAPPED IN THE PLEASURE SEEKING FROM SENSUAL OBJECTS THEN IT IS ONE'S BIGGEST ENEMY. ONE CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH THE SENSUAL PLEASURE FROM THE EXTERNAL OBJECTS. MIND WANTS TO SEEK MORE AND MORE. HENCE ONE'S OWN MIND BECOMES ONE'S ENEMY.

                    LORD KRISHNA IN THE BHAGAVAD GITA SAYS THAT ONE MUST ELEVATE ONESELF BY ONE'S OWN MIND, NOT DEGRADE ONESELF. THE MIND IS THE FRIEND OF THE CONDITIONED SOULD, AND ONE'S ENEMY AS WELL.

                           RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN 

                             MIND AND BREATHING

                           MIND IS A SPACE WHERE THOUGHTS GENERATE AND REST. THE THOUGHTS GENERATE IN THE INNER SPACE JUST LIKE THE CLOUDS GENERATE IN THE SKY. RAMANA MAHARSHI SAYS THAT MIND IS ONLY A BUNDLE OF THOUGHTS. STOP THINKING AND SHOW ME THEN, WHERE IS THE MIND? STILL MIND LEADS TO THOUGHTS-LESS STATE.

                           PRANAYAMA IS THE GHEE AND SOUL IS THE FIRE. SOUL IS PURIFIED BY DOING PRANAYANA AND MEDITATION. PRANAYAMA IS SIMPLIFIED TERMS MEANS CONTROL OVER PRANA OR REGULATING BREATH BY INCREASING THE TIME PERIOD OF KUMBHAKA, RETENTION OF BREATH. ACCORDING TO SWAMI CHIDANANDA SARASWATHI, "PRANA IS A SUBTLE INVISIBLE FORCE. IT IS THE LIFE-FORCE THAT PERVADES THE BODY. IT IS THE FACTOR THAT CONNECTS THE BODY AND THE MIND, BECAUSE IT IS CONNECTED ON ONE SIDE WITH THE BODY AND ON THE OTHER SIDE WITH THE MIND. IT IS THE CONNECTING LIKE BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE MIND. THE BODY AND THE MIND HAVE NO DIRECT CONNECTION. THEY ARE CONNECTED THROUGH PRANA ONLY.

                               THERE ARE VARIOUS PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISE) WHICH ARE LISTED BELOW:

 

                        BHASTRIKA - THE FIRST STEP IN PRANAYAMA IS DEEP BREATHING. IT IS A VERY SIMPLE EXERCISE. INHALE DEEPLY AND FILL THE FRESH AIR IN LUNGS AND EXHALE IS SLOWLY. THE SLOWER IT IS DONE, THE BETTER RESULTS IT GIVES. PRACTICE THIS DAILY IN FRESH AIR FOR A FEW MONTHS. EVEN A BED-RIDDEN PATIENT CAN DO THIS EXERCISE WHILE LYING ON BED. THE WINDOWS AND DOORS OF THE ROOM SHOULD BE OPEN.

                      KAPALABHATI - THE AIR IS EXHLAED WITH FORCE WHICH IS BRIEF, ACTIVE AND LOUD WHERE AS NORMAL AIR IS INHALED SILENTLY. IT ALSO GIVES GOOD RESULTS AS IT IS VERY HELPFUL IN REMOVING NEGATIVE ENERGY FROM THE BODY. THIS EXERCISE PROVES TO BE A BLESSING FOR A FATTY PERSON IF DONE REGULARLY.

                     ANULOMA VILOMA - INHALE FROM LEFT NOSTRIL WHILE KEEPING RIGHT NOSTRIL CLOSED WITH THUMB, CLOSE LEFT NOSTRIL WITH MIDDLE FINGER, LIFT THE THUMB FROM RIGHT NOSTRIL TO OPEN IT AND EXHALE FROM RIGHT NOSTRIL AND INHALE FROM RIGHT NOSTRIL. CLOSE RIGHT NOSTRIL WITH THE THUMB. LIFT MIDDLE FINGER TO OPEN LEFT NOSTRIL AND EXHALE FROM LEFT. REPEAT THIS CYCLE.

                     SURYA BEDHA - CLOSE THE LEFT NOSTRIL AND INHALE AND EXHALE SLOWLY FROM RIGHT NOSTRIL. IT SHOULD BE DONE MORE IN WINTERS. IT GIVES WARM EFFECT ON BODY.

                      CHANDRA BEDHA - CLOSE THE RIGHT NOSTRIL AND INHALE AND EXHALE SLOWLY FROM LEFT NOSTRIL. IT SHOULD BE DONE MORE IN SUMMERS. IT HAS COOL EFFECT ON BODY.