Introduction to Meditation
Unlike most other types of meditations, Raja Yoga Meditation is specifically practiced with open eyes. Closing our eyes may give us a moment of relief and a feeling of stepping away from it all but we may be fooling ourself. Simply closing the shutters of our house does not automatically make the problems outside go away. More powerful would be to keep our eyes open, and yet master not looking. This takes a mental strength and inner power. There are many reasons for this.
Raja Yoga Meditation means to become the master of one’s self, which means the master of one’s life. We cannot do this by sitting on a remote mountain, eyes closed and away from all forms of interaction. We are not blind to life and our challenges, so how would we learn spiritual mastery with our eyes closed? We have to face every situation and learn to master its various dynamics.
Secondly, as we keep our eyes open and use a focal point such as a picture of a tiny point representing the soul, or a candle, or a beautiful flower, we eventually begin to become/reflect that which we look at over a period of time.
Thirdly, in meditation our brain emits waves that are very close to the delta waves created during sleep. If our eyes are closed, we can confuse sleep with meditation quite easily!
Before we begin any meditation, the preparation of ‘soul consciousness’ is fundamental. This term means to be totally stable in the consciousness of being a soul, a point of light energy sitting in the centre of the forehead, rather than to be in our usual ordinary awareness of being a physical entity. Soul consciousness is our key to enter a whole new world of experiences. This is the zone, the frequency that we need to tune into to be able to really make the time in our meditation fruitful.
Try to find a quiet space in which to meditate. It can be a special chair, a corner of your house or a specially dedicated room for meditation. Now try out one of the following meditations. Just let the commentary play in the background as you sit, relax and absorb the words and vibrations. Enjoy!