Ananda Marga way of meditation
The practice of Ananda Marga encompass a wide range of techniques for physical, mental and spiritual development, the central practice being meditation.
Meditation means to look within your mind to feel bliss that is the essence of your existence. That bliss is within you, just as it is within every body and everything.
Meditation is a process where the mind is withdrawn from disturbing thoughts and concentrated on a single object that brings peace, clarity and harmony. When the mind is made calm, it can reflect and experience the truth of its own nature more clearly. By meditating on God, little by little, we are transformed into God. “As you think, so you become”. Thus through meditation we can realize our unlimited potentialities.
Special trained teachers give personal instruction in the process of mantra meditation.
Meditation guidelines
- Don’t worry if you have trouble concentrating – it’s normal. It takes some time and practice to be able to focus on the one thought. Every time you realize your mind has wandered away from the mantra, concentrate on it again – it will get easier the more you do it. The main thing is to keep practicing, and really try to tap into the flow of the ideation.
- Don’t meditate sitting on a chair or on your bed – you are likely to get too relaxed to concentrate. Instead, sit cross-legged on the floor in a peaceful place where nobody will disturb you. Sit on a blanket or mat, and keep it only for your meditation. If you have trouble sitting cross-legged, put some cushions under you so your backside is higher off the ground. That will take some of the presure off your legs, and help keep your back straight. Avoid resting your back against the wall.
- Refresh yourself with cool water before you start.
- Meditate twice a day – in the morning before breakfast, and in the evening before dinner. Each time is important, to get your mind and body used to it.
- Singing the mantra aloud before you meditate calms the mind and prepares it for meditation. You can sing to any tune you like, with or without instruments.
- Repeat the mantra throughout the rest of the day, singing it if you like. That will give you a continual feeling of lightness and happiness, and make it easier to meditate.