Today there are few that really know what meditation is. For some it is a method of relaxation for or for reducing stress for others it is a concentration method or something you do in the yoga class.
In reality Meditation is a genius method to free ourselves from the confines of our own thinking mind. Sitting with the eyes closed is the most convenient way for beginners to control their wandering minds.
Meditation is an accurate science, therefore it cannot be practiced in total ignorance. Only those who study it with a serious inner motivation can successfully practice it.
The tradition of yoga teaches that in order to enter the state of meditation and ultimately the state of Samadhi (spiritual ecstasy), certain definite steps are to be followed. These steps where defined by Patanjali as the “eight limbs” (Astanga) of yoga.
These eight limbs are:
- Yama – Ethics and integrity
- Niyama – Morals and self discipline
- Asana – Physical postures (Hatha yoga)
- Pranayama – Breath control
- Pratyahara – Voluntary withdrawal of the senses
- Dharana – Concentration
- Dhyana – Meditation
- Samadhi – Spiritual ecstasy
In this course you will learn about all these steps, what they mean and how to apply them in order to get to know your own mind and its quirks.
You will learn about the “monkey mind” that seems to have more influence over our attention than we do ourselves. The “monkey mind” rules when we are “absent minded”, when we cannot focus our mind and are easily distracted, etc.
You will learn how to effortlessly conquer the “monkey” and bring the mind under your control and enter a “mindless” state that will ultimately lead to a state of spiritual ecstasy, or Samadhi.