12. Meditation techniques

1. Beyond the object to the attitude

Changing the object is never a solution. Changing the attitude is the solution.

Make a list of things you feel attached to or things you feel greedy about. It might be a habit, perhaps a particular pleasure or object or person.

Include anything or anyone on the list that makes you feel possessive, greedy or lustful.

Then just sit and meditate with a deep and sacred feeling. Anything can become sacred when you are respectful and feeling connected to it. Bring in respect towards the object, or person.

With a lustful attitude, you will make even a person into an object because you try to possess the person. With an attitude of love and respect, you will make even an object into a living being! Lust will become love the moment you add sanctity and respect to it. Promote each object or person, elevate them to the level of a being. Suddenly you will see that the lust has transformed into love. The passion has become compassion. Then every relationship is such an ecstasy, and you experience real love.

2. Dukkha Harana meditation

Total duration: 30 minutes

This meditation technique will bring out all the suppressed emotions in you.

Breathing is very closely related to the mind. If your thinking is calm, your breath will be relaxed. If your thinking is aggressive, your breathing will also be aggressive.

You may practice this technique on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning. Twenty one days of Dukkha Harana will transform your being and bring a glow to your face and body. This is like taking a psychological bath. You will be able to experience the silence in you.

Step 1: 10 minutes

Stand with your eyes closed. In the first part of this meditation, your mental system is made fully alive by deep breathing and the increased intake of oxygen. Your cells

will get more energy and will create more bioelectricity or bio-energy. This energy will melt all the repressed emotions like melting ice. It is like fanning the muladhara chakra* .

Breathe deeply and chaotically from the depths of your body, always through your nose with your mouth closed. Move your hands, flex your knees and bend to a

semi-squatting position and then rise up. Move as if you are a bird in flight, up and down, knees moving up and down, arms moving up and down, in line with your breathing.

Do the movements gently and synchronize your inhalation with the upward movement and exhalation with the downward movement. If you have a heart problem, do only as much as you can. Similarly, pregnant women and others with physical ailments, do only as much as you can.

Step 2: 10 minutes

Keep your eyes closed and tense each part of your body, part by part, limb by limb, then let it relax. Tense and relax one limb and then move to the next. Start with your feet; then move to legs; then move to thighs; next to the hips; then to stomach and lower back; then to chest and upper back; then to your arms from finger tips to shoulder; next to the neck and shoulders; next to your face, and finally to the top of the head. Relax each part of your entire body before you move to the next part. At the end of these ten minutes, you will become vacant inside; you will become cool, calm and composed.

Step 3: 10 minutes

Sit down keeping your eyes closed and chant the 'hoo' kara* sound, just the word 'hoo'. There is no need to chant it deeply and loudly. Just chant it in a relaxed manner. As you chant, simply witness whatever happens inside or outside your being.

The first two parts of this technique are actually a preparation for the third part that is the actual meditation. When you come to the third part, you will see that the mind becomes silent effortlessly, by itself. Silence cannot be forced upon you; it can only happen by itself.

Remain in this relaxed state with a smiling face and blissful mood. During this time, there may be many experiences. Just watch them as you would watch the television. Watch your mind thought by thought.

Muladhara chakra – Subtle energy center at the root of the spine, related to the emotions of greed and lust. Hoo kara - 'Hoo' sound produced from the mouth during exhalation in meditation.