Meditation Ajapa Japa Stage Vkd
Nowadays there is an overwhelming tendency for human endeavour to be completely absorbed in the outside world. Everything in society, in education and so forth is orientated towards outside aspiration and activity. In fact, any tendency to be introverted is widely regarded as abnormal. The direction of man's life is almost totally fixed on the pingala path. This results in disequilibrium in life because the pingala is not supplemented and balanced by the ida path of introspection. This is one of the main reasons for so much mental turmoil and dissatisfaction in the world today. Attention is continually directed outwards, so that one never knows the nature of the inner world. And balance between the inner and outer realms, ida and pingala is essential in order to find spiritual bliss and knowledge.
The whole aim of yoga is to find this balance between ida and pingala. Many methods are utilized. One of the simplest yet most effective is ajapa. Continuous practise of ajapa puts you in tune with the breath and the associated mantra. The breath is a continual reminder that you must be aware of yourself in relation to the outer and inner world. And while you are alive, the breath never stops. It is therefore the continual reminder. If you use it, it will make you more harmonized and sensitive. You will attain perfect balance between excessive introversion and excessive extroversion; you will find there is a balance between becoming totally lost in the outside world of material objects and becoming totally lost in the inner world of fascinating psychic events. Perfect balance of ida and pingala implies that the sushumna functions. This leads directly to meditation.
AJAPA JAPA - STAGE 4 Technique
In stage 1 we merged the mantra Soham with the breath1. In stage 2 the mantra Hamso was merged with the breathing process2. In stage
3 the mantra was split into separate parts So and Ham which were individually synchronized with respiration3. In stage 4, to be described shortly, So and Ham will be merged with the breathing process so that they form a continuous cycle . . . So-Ham-So-Ham-So and so forth. The sound of So should merge with Ham so that there is no break in the cycle. Before So ends, Ham should start and before Ham ends, So should start. If you have done the previous three stages you will find that this fourth stage comes naturally. If you have not done the preparatory stages then you will find stage 4 difficult if not impossible. The technique of stage 4 is as follows: Take a comfortable sitting position. Close your eyes.
Relax the whole body and adjust yourself so that you feel no need to move. A good preparatory practice is kaya sthairyam4. Do khechari mudra and ujjayi pranayama5. Become aware of the breathing process. Make the breathing longer and deeper. Maintain complete attention on the breath. It is most important to know that you are doing the practice.
Know that the breathing process is taking place.
After a few minutes feel the breath moving between navel and throat. Inhalation ascending from the navel to the throat.
Exhalation descending from throat to navel. Be totally aware of the breathing process; this is essential.
After a few minutes synchronize the sound So with inhalation and Ham with exhalation. Let the mantra be an endless repetition: So-Ham-So-Ham-So-Havi . . .
So should merge with Ham and Ham should merge with So.
These two sounds should not be regarded as separate but as continuations of each other. The last part of So joins with Ham.
The last part ofHam joins with So. The So sounds on the upward cycle of breath from the navel; towards the end of the cycle before reaching the throat, the sound of Ham should begin.
The sound Ham occurs on the downward cycle of exhalation from the throat; towards the end of the cycle, just before the navel, the sound So should begin.
Halfway through So turn your attention to Soham and halfway through Ham turn your attention to Hamso.
In this manner, the mantra Soham becomes an unbroken sound ... the mantra and breathing become a constant stream. There should be no break.
Carry on in this manner for a few minutes, about 5 minutes.
Then practise chidakasha-dharana.html">chidakasha dharana6.
Watch the space in front of the closed eyes.
Merely be a witness to whatever arises, if anything, on the mind screen.
Alter about 3 minutes, return to the practice of ajapa: awareness of the mantra and respiration.
After another 5 minutes, again repeat chidakasha dharana.
Continue to alternate between ajapa and chidakasha dharana for the duration of the time that you assigned for your practice.
reflection7. In previous lessons we have given instructions regarding the location of the manipura and anahata chakras and their reflections8. This means that you are now ready to imagine that there is a psychic passage between the manipura reflection (manipura kshetram) at the navel and the reflection of vishuddhi chakra (vishuddhi kshetram) at the front of the throat. The passage will also pass through the anahata kshetram.
In ajapa stage 4 you should feel that the breath and the mantra are ascending and descending within this psychic passage. You should feel the inhaled breath being drawn up from manipura kshetram, piercing anahata kshetram and ending at vishuddhi kshetram. The exhaled breath should move downwards, be pushed downwards, in a similar manner.
This modification of the practice relates directly to kriya yoga.
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