Daily Meditation Series



A few years ago I found a deck of meditation cards on sale and bought them.  I have never actually used them so I thought I will explore and share them on here so we can learn together :)  There are a few different types of meditations in this deck.

10 basics
9 daily meditations
30 visualizations


So for the next 30 days I will combine 1 visualization with a mix of 1 basic and daily meditation (these will repeat but I will random them to change it up)

Day 1

Basic Meditation

Meditation is a tool that has een used for centuries to promote inner peace and health.  Modern scientific sutdies have shown that regulare meditation can help reduce hypertension and stress.

1. Find a quite place.  Turn off the phone or move to silent.  Find and devote a comfortable place in your home for your meditation practice.  Pillows, boolsters, blankets, your mat, or nothing can be used.  This is your practice.  Come to a crosslegged seat with your back supported and spine long.  Allow for the legs and knees to become heavy.  Releasing tension you are holding in your body.  Take a deep breath in through the nose and out of the mouth with a sigh.  Allow the shoulders to draw down the back, neck long (repeat 2x)

2. Allow your eyes to gently close.  Notice your breathing.  As you focus on the inhaltions and exhaltions of your breathing you will notice it will start to even out.  Same count inhaling as exhauling.   If distracting thoughts come up, let go of them.  Acknowledge them and then shelf them for later.  Return your focus to your breathing to help keep the mind from wandering.  This isn't easy right off the bat.  Living in a fast paced world and asking our brains to slow down from that pace is hard.  Over time you will find your mind calms easier.

3. Too keep focus, set an intention.  Use of a mantra or mudra also help.  This also helps the further your meditation but incorporating these two.  Mantras can be spoken verally or mentally to oneself.

4.  Allow for enough time for yourself to meditate.  Meditation should not have a short time limit if a time limit at all.  The intention isn't to meditate and move on like we do with majority of things in our life.  Meditation is a time and practice set aside for you.  The opporutnity to turn inward and be present.

Daily Meditation

You can bring the concentrated energy of meditation into a simple act of nourishment.

After completing your meditation, pick out a large juicy fruit of your choice.  Feel its texture in both of your hands.  Close your eyes and roll it around your hands.  Inhale the fragrance.  Smell the sweetness of the fruit.  The ripeness.  Slowly peel or cut the fruit feeling the texture change.  Break off a peice of the fruit, smell it, then put the fuit in your mouth.  Allow the sense to full engage.  The smell of the fruit combining with the taste.  Roll your tounge over the fruit.  Chew it as slow as possible noticing each different taste.  Sweet?  Bitter? Tangy?  Imagine all of the nutrients deeply feeding your body.  Providing the building blocks of life.  Finish the rest of the fruit in this manner.  Remember, it isn't about eating the fruit as fast as possible.  But truely enjoying the fruit.  Slow down and enjoy the fruit for what it is and what it does.  It isn't just a peach or an orange.  It is the sustinance the body needs to survive as it should in nature.

Visualization

Your wise self is part of your that can help your find solutions to challenges you come across in this jouney.  Take the time to Meet Your Wise Self

After meditating, imagine you are going to a beautiful meadow at the top of a mountain, or a beautiful place you feel safe.  The beach.. the woods..

Sit comfortably in your place.  Imagine golden light coming toward you.  Feel its warmth start to grow as it grows brighter while moving closer.  As it grows bigger, allow it to fill your heart space.  Allow this to relax you and feel the positivity and light.  When the light is upon you, it can take any form that comes to you or stay as light.  Allow yourself to be and be present in that very moment.  Stay as long or as little as feels right. 

Write down any thoughts or feelings that may have come to you.  This can sometimes stir up or bring forth things we forget that maybe be painful.. but can also bring forward some of our most cherished forgotten memories.

Meditation is an ever evolving practice.  Each person's meditation and experience is unique and different from the next.  Take the time for yourself each day.

Namaste
Ash

Om - Aum

The mystical symbol Om, or AUM, represents pure consciousness, the original source of all that which is manifested in the world... all forms, speech, thoughts, desires... as well as all that which remains un-manifested.  This primordial sound is the name of Absolute Reality, which is not subject to change.  Whatever has happened in the past, or is happening in the present, or will happen in the future has no effect on it, for it is beyond the confines of time, space, and causation.  Worldly pleasures are transient, but the truth of AUM is eternal... it expands our individual consciousness to universal consciousness.  The Upanishads say the more we meditate and contemplate on AUM the more our spiritual awareness will deepen.  We can start to prepare our minds to receive the wisdom of AUM with daily meditation, and with the use of it as the first sound of a longer mantra, such as the gayatri or the maha mrityunjaya mantra, or as the open/close to a class/personal practice.  Its powerful vibration will begin to resonate on a deeper level of our minds and hearts, reminding us that which is ever within us--our eternal unchanging source, from where we have come, and to where we will return.

Harih OM.
Om-ity-etad-aksaram-idam sarvam
tasyopavyakhyanam bhutam bhavad bhavisyad-iti sarvam-
omkara eva.  Yaccanyat trikalatitam tad apy omkara eva


Hari AUM
The entire universe is the syllable AUM.
Everything in the past, present, and future is verily AUM.
That which is beyond time, space, and causation is also AUM.


            -Mandukya Upanishad, mantra 1

Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti

Time For Mantra Meditation

Sometimes your plans and life's plans don't quite add up.  Here is a beautiful practice to help let the universe know you need a little extra energy :)

Life and my plans are at a cross roads right now so I'm starting a mantra practice for 1 month.. or longer if it feels necessary :)

The mantra I have chosen

Ganesha: Aum Gum Ganapatayei Namaha

Rough Translation: 'Om and salutations to the remover of obstacles for which Gum is the seed.'
The story of Ganesha is found in the chapter devoted to this principle. But for your immediate need, you need only know that for seen or unseen obstacles which seem to be standing in the way of your progress or achievement, either specifically or generally, this mantra has proved invaluable. It has been used it with great success not only in India, but here in the West dozens of people have related to me their success in turning things around in their life by using this mantra.

Mantra Meditation

Mantra is one of the simplest, yet a very powerful method to achieve meditation. Why? Mantra involves the rhythmic invocation of a sound. This provides a foundation for the aspirant so that his practice is just not "in the air". This anchor or foundation helps the mind to gradually disconnect with the external experiences provided through the 5 senses, which is the first step to successful meditation. The Nature of Mantra Although mantra has often been riled as a "religious thing" through invocation of the names of deities or Gods, it is not actually so. Mantra is a sound form. It is a Sanskrit word which etymologically means "by the repetition of which the mind becomes free of external experiences". That is how it is to be seen and experienced. Sound has a form; sound has a color. Every sound creates patterns of forms and color in the mind. Vibrations of different frequency create different patterns. These patterns result in withdrawal from sensory experiences. As you proceed further successfully, they would result (transiently) in deeper experiences such as ESP, mystical experiences etc. Eventually, they will help the sincere practitioner to even surpass these inner experiences and distractions and move towards eternal bliss. Now, sound of mantra is not to be seen in the context of the written word. In fact, the sound formed by following the written word could be severely limiting for higher experiences. The nature of mantra is that of a cosmic sound and should preferably be HEARD from a teacher. Mantra repetition could be done as 3 ways - audible, whisper or silent (in the thought). Each method of repetition has different frequencies, different forms and has different effects. The most powerful is the silent method, because it has the highest frequency. Louder the sound, greater is the velocity but lower is the frequency. Preparations for Practice   Get yourself a mantra - Once a mantra is chosen, it should NEVER be changed, however much you may like to. Often people change their mantra because it is too common - they wish to get something unique as a kind of a rare elixir. Be warned that this is a mistake and will result in complications at higher levels in your spiritual journey. So be careful in selecting a mantra. Go find yourself a teacher and if you can't, mentally recite a selection of mantras, each for some stretch of time and see which 'feels' right for you - which one creates the right vibrations and then stick with it. Have a symbol to focus upon - A symbol could be mental - the sun, a star, a candle flame, a crescent, a cross, symbol of Om, a lotus flower, your personal deity etc. Or you could have a physical point of focus such as the nose tip or the pulsation in any particular part of the body etc. Place of practice - Have a designated area of your house - a room or a corner for your mantra practice. It is important that you use the same area for your regular practice. You will find that over time this area will be charged with the favorable energies of mantra and spur you onto spontaneous meditation. Posture - The posture for your mantra practice should be a seated one with spine erect. Siddhasana and Padmasana are especially suited for the purpose as they provide the maximum stability to the body preventing it from drooping or falling. These postures, when perfected, enable the practitioner to sit for long spells without tiring, something very essential in meditation practice. Siddhasana also exerts the right pressure on the mooladhara chakra (energy center), the seat of kundalini and is recommended as a meditation pose. Breath flow - Before proceeding with mantra meditation, it should be verified that the predominant flow of the breath is from the left nostril (as opposed to the right). Or then, the flow should be balanced between the nostrils. Mantra meditation is not advised with the right nostril more free flowing than the left. This is because the left nostril corresponds with the lunar (mental) forces and the right for the physical forces. It would be difficult to have successful meditation with the right flowing predominantly. If necessary, breath flow between nostrils can be altered using a Yoga Danda. Role of a Mala - Often, as you proceed in mantra repetition, you will find the mind drifting involuntarily from the physical point of focus - to a dreamy state or then swamped by thoughts. If you are practicing Mantra in coordination with the turning of mala beads, this drift is stopped whenever you reach the head bead (sumeru). The sumeru provides the disconnect and you are reminded to turn the Mala around for the next round of repetition. This brings back the awareness and prevents it from going out of hand for long periods of time. That is the first point. The second point is that the Mala provides the "physical" anchor which is so necessary as you proceed to higher levels of the practice. At the higher levels, as you are disconnected from the external world, it may be quite an experience - sometimes even terrifying. The mala serves as your connection with this world to bring you back. This coupled with your symbol as the mental anchor, makes for a successful journey. The Practice Once you are equipped and prepared as outlined above, be seated in the posture advised. Start turning the beads in synchronization with the mantra, with the mantra being repeated with every bead turned. To know more on how to turn the beads, read the "How to Use" section. Rhythmic Repetition of the Mantra - the mantra should be repeated with a certain rhythm of your choice. The rhythm could be synchronized with the breath or with the pulsation in any part of the body or in any way you wish. The mantra should be repeated with every bead turned. Method of Recitation - As mentioned earlier, the mantra may be repeated audibly, as a whisper or then silently. This depends upon your mental state. If the mind is disturbed or you are drowsy, it is best to repeat the mantra audibly and then progress towards whispering and then to the silent thought of mantra. Beginners may also proceed from audible repetition to the more powerful silent repetition. Speed of Recitation - Repeat the mantra at a speed that feels right. The slower the recitation, the greater is the frequency and the power behind the mantra. Conversely, a faster repetition implies a lower frequency and reduced power behind the mantra. However, you may have to alter speeds depending upon the state of your mind. A dissipated and drowsy mind may require a faster repetition of the mantra - a slower repetition may put you off to sleep! Eyeball movement - For successful mantra meditation practice, it is important that the eyeball movement is absent. Eyeball movement is always there (even when we are asleep in the form of REM), but for this practice it is essential that the movement is stalled for desirable results. This movement is gradually eliminated by constant focus on your symbol at an imagined place on the eyebrow centre. Also, it often helps to imagine the vibrations of the mantra converging at the eyebrow center. Mind focus - be aware of the Mantra at all times. The mind will waver; you will find it drifting to other thoughts. As you realize this, gently bring back your awareness to the Mantra. Don't feel frustrated by the oscillating mind - this is normal, and is part of the process itself! Important: Don't make the mistake of correlating the mantra sound with its written form. As mentioned earlier, this could be limiting its potential greatly. Practice in this manner for as many rounds of the mala as you feel the need or have the time for. You must start the practice at the head bead (sumeru) and also end it at the sumeru. Regularity of Practice - It is essential that Mantra meditation is practiced everyday without a break. It may be just 5 minutes but regularity is a must. It is preferable to do it at a designated time - in the morning or then in the night, before going to bed at least an hour after meals. Over time, you will find the effect of the mantra on the subconscious through its unique calming influence at any time of the day and in any situation. You are then truly on your journey to spiritual growth.

(healthandyoga.com)

Namaste Ash

More Classic Mantras

Yoga Teacher Student Prayer 

OM saha navavatu
saha nau bhunaktu
saha viryam karavavahai
tejasvi navadhitam astu
ma vidvishavahai
OM shanti, shanti, shanti
May we be protected together.
May we be nourished together.
May we create strength among one another.
May our study be filled with brilliance and light.
May there be no hostility between us.
Om peace, peace, peace.
Gayatri Mantra
Om bhur bhuvah svaha
Tat savitur varenyam
Bargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yona prachodayat
I reflect on the unity of Divine Spirit, which pervades everything in the earth, the atmosphere and heavens.
May this Supreme Consciousness protect me and illuminate my intellect that I may realize my inherent oneness with That.
I meditate on the great luminous light that enlightens all three worlds.
May it enlighten all.

Namaste’
~~ I honor the light in you and in all – used as a greeting and goodbye
Loka samasta sukino bhavantu
~~ May the entire universe be filled with peace and joy, love and light.
Asatoma sad gamaya ~ Tama soma jyotir gamaya ~ Mritorma amritam gamaya
~~ Lead us from the unreal to the real. Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us from death to immortality.

Mantras for Japa (repetition)
108 Beads on a Mala, 125,000 for mantra siddhi

Om
~~King and Queen of all mantras ~ sound of infinity and immortality. Contains supreme wisdom.
Om Namo/Namah/Namaha ~Shri
~~ Used to invoke, appreciate and honor a deity Swaha – giving of self, let go
Om Shanti Om Shanti Om or Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, Om
~~ for peace
So Hum
~ I am that. Universal mantra sound of the breath ~ so is inhalation, hum is exhalation.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
~~ to the divine indweller in all. Oneness.
Hari Om
~~ Purifies and removes obstacles. Opens the heart. Awakens prana (natural energy) in the body.
Sita Ram ~ opens the heart and celebrates love
Om Shri Saraswataya Namaha – for help & inspiration in art, music, literature
Om Shri Kali Durgaya Namaha – dispels negativity, provided protection
Om Shri Ramaya Namaha ~ Ram is a name for God. It engenders God consciousness, truth, blessings
Om Namah Shivaya – honors the divine within oneself & others – destroys negativity & replaces with positive
Om Gum Ganipati-ya Namaha – to remove obstacles and bring success
Om Shrim Lahshmi-ya Namana – for noble abundance, prosperity, beauty, grace
Om Tara Tu Tara Tu Ray Swaha ~ for rescue & benevolent help – for compassion
strength & healing
Gate gate Para gate Para sum gate Bodhi Swaha ~~ Gone beyond the beyond to enlightenment (Buddhist)
Om mani padme hum – the Jewel of the lotus of the heart (Buddhist)

Bija Mantras for the Chakras

Chakra Bija sounds for activation

1 Lam
2 Vam
3 Ram
4 Yam
5 Hum
6 Om
7 Silence or Ommmmmm

Vowels to share and spread energy

1   O as in toe
2   O as in two
3   Ah as in awe
4   A as in play
5   E as in Speak
6   M as in mmmmmmm
7   Silent or ommmmmm or NG as in wing or silence

Shakti Bija Mantras To invoke the Feminine Divine 

Aim
Saraswati,
Art, Music, Literature, Wisdom
Hrim
Parvati
Purification,Transformation
Klim/Krim
Kali
Fiercely conquers obstacles, energizes
Dum
Durga
Warrior of Protection
Shrim
Lakshmi
Abudance, Beauty, Grace
Tam
Tara
Mercy, Compassion, Removes fear. Protects

Namaste

Ash