Seven Ways To Consciousness

MEDITATION is still around. And guess what, larger and younger crowds are flocking various ‘med centres’ to discover its many ways. Not just for ‘spiritual wellbeing’, for a "healthier state of mind and, in turn, a successful lifestyle". Some of the significant names in the turn-of-the-century Indian’s itinerary for the mind: Transcendental Meditation (TM) centres all over India, the Vipassana International Academy in Maharashtra’s Igatpuri, Osho Commune International in Pune, Bihar School of Yoga in Munger and Jain Vishva Bharati in Ladnun, Rajasthan.

"No longer is meditation a thing only for the elderly or those with an ascetic bent of mind. Today no meditation teacher insists on belief in God as a prerequisite. It’s taught more as a way to control the mind and hone its abilities to manage life better," says J.C. Pant, instructor at the TM Centre in Delhi’s Safdarjang Enclave. So, what exactly is on offer?

Transcendental Meditation: This involves repeating a suitable mantra, a monosyllabic, sonorous sound chosen by the instructor after a personal interview with the learner. For the layman, the mantra is likened to a ‘vehicle’ that assists in the inward journey to the mind’s depths.Eventually, both mantra and thoughts are transcended, leaving pure consciousness.

Vipasana: Catching up with TM in popularity, the 10-day residential course at the Vipassana Academy in Igatpuri has participants watch their breath for three days and their physical sensations for the rest. While concentrating on rhythmic breathing quietens the mind, watching sensations helps analyse bodily responses to external events and erodes old, conditioned responses, thus liberating the mind. 

Dynamic: Intended to ‘cathartically deep-cleanse’ the mind, Osho Rajneesh’s Dynamic meditation in its first stage is all about 10 minutes of deep, chaotic breathing. Screaming, crying, dancing or jumping in the next 10 minutes. The third stage is jumping and summoning all the strength of the vocal chords’ to shout the mantra ‘HOO’. Then stopping. To be absolutely still and silent for the next 10 minutes.

Mindfulness: A part of the therapy mix in most stress reduction clinics in the US, it’s gaining ground in India now. It means being aware of whatever is, from moment to moment. Pointedly, one can passively watch the body, feelings or state of contents in the mind as a detached observer. Mindfulness could be practised even while walking or eating.

Yoga Nidra: A technique for inner relaxation, its first segment requires focussing consciousness on different parts of the body, relaxing each. Then on feelings of polar opposites like heaviness and lightness, heat and cold, pleasure and pain—say, by imagining your finger is like lead and then cotton. Finally, a set of visualisations of psychic symbols. The residual feeling: "I am not the body, not emotions, nor thoughts, but pure consciousness." 

Preksha Dyan: This includes kayotsarg, a deep relaxation technique akin to Yoga Nidra, and a meditation on the kundalini chakras. It awakens the sense of discrimination, controlling passions and purifying emotions. The mind is taught to focus attention on perceptions rather than on thought.

Guided: Listen to your instructor, live or on any meditation audio tapes in the market. Sessions start with hypnosis, progressively relaxing parts of the body, before introducing mental imagery.Then, in a relaxed state of mind, positive affirmations such as "I am happy and whole" are made.