More than three years ago, I had the good fortune of attending the satsang of Gurumaa for the first time in Kolkata. After that, there was no looking back. As a result of her divine grace, soon after the satsang was over, the devotees at Kolkata started weekly group meditation. I was privileged to be a part of that group. Three years have passed since then and meditation has become a constant companion who visits me everyday. Without my divine friend, life seems boring. I now sometimes feel how I could have lived without this friend of mine who leads me to the inner bliss without fail everyday!
What is meditation? In my younger years, I would wonder. Will I be able to sit for meditation, how will I be able to sit and concentrate on one particular point for so long? How do yogis do that? I know now that it all happens through the guru’s grace. The art of meditation cannot be taught, it has to come on its own. The one thing I have learnt is that if you want to meditate, ‘Your time starts now’ and you cannot relegate it to some other day when you feel more inclined towards it. Like Gurumaa says, our life is fleeting and soon it will be time to go. What better way to enrich our lives by going ahead with our sadhana by meditating everyday.
Gurus say that meditation is the way to ‘experience the power within’. For me it is going into the silence and being with myself. My body and mind both get relaxed and I emerge from my meditation totally refreshed. The practice of watching the breath brings the feeling of being a witness. Sometimes the breathing becomes so slow that it is hardly discernible. The mantra helps in the energy moving upward in the body. We find that the quantity of food and sleep required by the body slowly starts reducing.
There are different types of meditation such as chakra meditation, Buddhist meditation such as orange meditation, bathing meditation, dance meditation etc. In our Centre, we started with the ‘Pranav’ meditation of Gurumaa which introduced us to ‘Om’, the Udgeet or the Anhad, the original and primordial sound. Through ‘Bhramari’ pranayam, we learnt to control our breath, experience the shakti within and go into meditation.
‘Ram Ras’ is another very powerful and intensive meditation of Gurumaa. We invoke the power of the word ‘Ram’ through the breath. We inhale deeply and while exhaling, we say, ‘Ram’. The word ‘Rama’ slowly dissolves and we enter into meditation. We end the meditation with sankirtan.
The other two very powerful experiments of Gurumaa are ‘Urja’ - active meditation, and ‘Nishkriya’ - passive meditation. Urja brings me to thoughtlessness and tandra through the combined effect of Bhastrika, Ujjayi and Kapalbhati pranayams. The feeling of being a witness becomes very profound and I feel myself totally detached from my surroundings. ‘Nishkriya’ Dhyan helps me to remain in the present, at the same time experiencing the different parts of the body. After a few months of practicing this meditation technique regularly, I could actually see different parts of my body in meditation.
‘Tratak’ Dhyan is the practice of concentrating on the flame of a candle in a dark room. One has to constantly gaze at the flame while breathing deeply, without blinking. After some time, with my eyes closed, I see the flame within and try to visualize myself away from my body. I usually have an experience of my prana or energy being pulled upwards.
The sound of gongs and bells at regular intervals are the hallmark of Gurumaa’s ‘Sacred Spaces’ meditation. I can hear the echo of the sound long after it stops and then start waiting for the next round. It improves concentration and helps in bringing about thoughtlessness in an easy and simple manner.
Gurumaa’s other guided meditation CDs such as Shiv Naam Onkar, Shvason ka Vigyan and Sparsh are equally powerful. Stuti Sutra is an ode to the master, a real masterpiece which brings us closer to the guru and enables us to pour out our gratitude to her. Divine music such as ‘Odyssey of Love’ & Sufi Music as well as meditating on Shiva with ‘Shiva’s Ecstasy’ are equally powerful meditation techniques. I have found other meditation techniques such as ‘Mudra’ and ‘Simran’ (‘Wahe Guru’ dhyan) helpful in activating the third eye. The ‘Wahe Guru’ chant keeps reverberating inside for hours after the meditation is over. With Gurumaa, life becomes a walking, sleeping (even while sleeping the ‘sakshi bhav’ does not cease) meditation. Life becomes a celebration!
Initially, I required Gurumaa’s guided meditation to take me deep into meditation. But after so many months of regular practice, I find that on my own, even without any CD or cassette, I am able to experience the silent bliss of meditation. Such is the grace of my Guru!
--Seema
find more about my gurumaa at www.gurumaa.com
