Thought watching - A basic type of meditation

THOUGHTS are one of the deciding factor of human beings. Everyday, while you wake up in the morning, sit on your bed in a convenient posture and close your eyes. Place your right palm on your left palm and keep them on your legs near your navel point. Do not open your eyes. WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS. Let them flow one by one. Do not brood over. Do not analyse. Just watch them and do not follow them. It is not as easy as you think. Watching your thoughts without following them takes time and is an art.




At a point of time, you will feel no thoughts. This state will last for only fraction of seconds.This is TRANQUILITY- the state of Non-duel. Attaining tranquility is difficult, but not impossible. If you practise regularly, you can master this. If you ask me, I would suggest you to watch your thoughts daily for a minimum of 15mts in the morning when you wake up and in the night before you go to sleep. This will help you in self realisation and also keeps you brisk throughout the day. Doing this before going to sleep will help you get deep sleep.

Thought watching is a type of meditation, where you need not involve any action. You may experience tranquility any day. Even the very first time you do this. When you attain this state of tranquility, you are enlightened with knowledge. You are newly born soul with full of joy. Whatever you do will blossom with full of love. Wherever you go, you will be surrounded with sweet aroma. All other living things, including human, will long to be by the side of you . You will always be in a state of bliss. Your approach towards every living and inert thing will be equal. You will become impartial. What else do we need in our life except this? Love and peace will surround us wherever we go. Meditate and try achieving this state and free your soul. Share your experience by writing to psraghunathan@gmail.com or leave a comment here sharing your experience.

Meditation - Getting started

It is not only me, there are thousands of people who started to meditate and one fine day gave up. When I wanted to know why I gave up on meditation, I had no valid reason. Mostly people answer 'just like that. I was not feeling anything'. I learned meditation from my father and was very curious to know how it works. I had to practice everyday at least for 15mts. I had the patience for 1 week. After that, all gone in air. When he asked why? I had no answer. I knew I gave up because I felt lazy and this lead to a point where I was frustrated and depressed with myself for not realising my inner self through meditation.

No art can be mastered in a day. All of us know this, but still want to be the best overnight. Could this happen? No way. Any art comes to you only if you practice and meditation is an art. An art of realising oneself. This can be achieved if and only if you practice.

The first basic thing in meditation is to find a Guru. Go in search of a Guru. There are a lot of gurus waiting to help you. You know that anything and everything can be googled. However, I would suggest you to consider gurus whom you have heard of or to whom your friend/family is going to. Choosing your Guru is the main and most important step in this process of self realisation. You can learn Technology online with online guides and tutors. But as for as meditation, you need a real Guru who can teach you and guide you through this process. Each one will have a different expectation from their gurus. You are the better person to find out what you desire.

The next step is contact your guru in person and discuss what exactly you want. This is the same as anywhere. You get what you ask. There are many kinds of meditation and you might not know what exactly suites you. Your guru knows. Ask your guru what is best for you and start practicing the same according to his instruction.

The next important step is to practice. This is where most of us will fail. We will start great, but to continue you need perseverance. This is the stage where a lot of people will loose hope and start cursing themselves or their guru. Even to eat a delicious food you need to wait till it is cooked. Similarly, you need to wait till your mind is evolved. For some people it happens within days and for some it takes years.

You get evolved to the next stage without your knowledge. Discuss it with your gurus and they will surely help you get through this stage.When you start feeling that you are hopeless and you have not progressed much, discuss it with your gurus. One more way which I follow whenever I feel frustrated about my progress, I will think of a situation and write down what my reaction would be now and what it would have been before I started practicing meditation. If both are same you need your guru's help. If there is even a slightest difference, you can be sure that you have progressed. However, positive or negative progression can be identified with your answers. You are your best judge.

Meditating is not easy but surely is not that difficult. It is the basic way for realising oneself and it does help you mould you characters. With Meditation, you are one step closer to success.

How to meditate?

Before starting meditation, ideally we need to take care of a few things:

- a quiet place (using music is nice for relaxing, but not really meditation), switching off the phone will help.

- make sure you are not too tired, early morning is generally said to be the best time.

- sit comfortable; most people like a cushion under their behind, the room is best not too warm or cold.

- wear loose, comfortable clothing.

- try to create continuity in time and place to become habituated to the circumstances of meditation.

The Body:

- keeping the back straight, in whichever posture you meditate is most essential.

- try to be comfortable and physically relaxed, and avoid moving too much.

- keep the head straight, slightly bent forward, keep the teeth slightly apart, the tip of the tongue against the upper pallet.

- the eyes are best kept half-open (without really looking), but many beginners find that too distracting and close them.

- the shoulders should be relaxed and the hands can be put in one's lap.

- the legs can be in the full lotus (which not many Westerners manage), but also simply crossed.

In fact, other positions like sitting on one's knees or on a bench are good as well. If all of these are too difficult, you can also use a chair, but remember to sit only on the front half of the seat, not leaning against the back rest to avoid a bent back, and keep the feet flat on the floor. Keeping the knees warm may help to avoid numbness of the legs.

- try belly-breathing; not breathing with the chest, but from the navel.

- always remember that the posture should enhance meditation, not be an obstacle!

The Buddha even taught one of his disciples who had many problems with his posture to lie down with his back on a bed, and then he quickly made progress; however, most people tend to fall asleep - so it will not be suitable for everyone...

The Mind:

- be relaxed but at the same time awake and attentive: finding your balance here is not easy!

- be a careful observer of your own mind and thoughts; sometimes called the 'little spy inside':