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True Meditation is different from Relaxing Techniques !
Meditation is the journey inwards, a journey of self-discovery or, in fact, re-discovery. Meditation is time taken for quiet reflection and silence, away from the hustle and bustle of daily living. Taking time out enables us to come back to a centered place of being. In our modern world, the pace of life is growing ever faster and we are losing touch with our true inner peace and power. When we no longer feel grounded, we can experience ourselves pushed and pulled in many different directions. It is at this point that we start to experience stress and a feeling of being trapped. Gradually, over time, this feeling leads to illness and disease, as our mental, emotional and physical health is thrown out of balance.
Raja Yoga meditation is a form of meditation that is accessible to people of all backgrounds. It is a meditation without rituals or mantras and can be practiced anywhere at any time. Raja Yoga meditation is practiced with ‘open eyes', which makes this method of meditation versatile, simple and easy to practice. Meditation is a state of being in that place just beyond every day consciousness, which is where spiritual empowerment begins. Spiritual awareness gives us the power to choose good and positive thoughts over those which are negative and wasteful. We start to respond to situations, rather than just reacting to them. We begin to live with harmony, we create better and happier, healthier relationships and change our lives in a most positive way.
Making space for Meditation
Life already feels full – filled with activities and responsibilities, so where can we put in the activity of meditation? That's the beauty of Raja Yoga; you can fit it in anywhere. At home You don't need a special room or allocated space, any quiet corner or comfortable chair will do. Make a regular appointment to meet up with your innermost self. In time, you'll probably find a particular place that you're drawn to, where the vibrations of your own stillness and reflective practice create a little place of peace. Visit whenever you like. Visit often.
In your workplace Wherever you work, a little creative thought can suggest a place for meditation: quietly holding the phone to your ear for a moment or two while listening to the silence within, instead of a voice on the phone. Or walking down a corridor with a file can give you a few minutes of peacefulness away from your desk. Your colleagues won't notice you meditating, but they may notice your new calmness.
While travelling
The time you spend going from one place to another, on foot, travelling by bus or train can be used to visit your internal space of stillness. The open-eyed method of Raja Yoga meditation makes this inner journey possible and practical.
Outside or inside
The whole world offers itself to you to select your own special place to connect with yourself and the One. On a sunlit beach or in a supermarket queue, a serene riverbank or a dentist's waiting room, a bench in a city square or a patch of grass somewhere. Everywhere is a fine place to become still and silent. Pick your own place of peace.
Quiet among crowds As you learn how to create a quiet room within yourself, you'll find that you can slip into it at any time. When there are people around you, or when the world is noisy or challenging, step into the quietest place on the planet – the silent space of the soul.
Alone or in company
The most beautiful experiences of meditation can occur when you're just on your own, only in the company of the One. There are also places and times when you might choose to meditate with others. All around the world there are Brahma Kumaris centers and quiet places of peacefulness where anyone can visit to share moments of calm. In some places these are called ‘Inner Space'.
There are particular times, too, when like-minded people choose to meditate in unison around the world, with the understanding that sharing positive thoughts at the same moment can increase the power and reach of their good wishes.
World Meditation Hour
The tradition of creating one hour of peace around the world began in 1978 and it takes place on every third Sunday of the month. The aim is to share good vibrations and donate love and peace for the world and all the people on our precious planet. If we remember that this world is, after all, our global home, then together we can shine a ray of hope that will shed a little light to help to heal our world.
Retreats – spaces of calm Besides creating oases of calm and quiet throughout each day, we might sometimes choose to take time out of our normal routine to go on a spiritual retreat. Going on any form of retreat can be the first step that we take to re-connect with our inner ‘self'. We may have the thought to get away from things externally, to make some physical changes outside, by taking time out. But what about the true re-treat, where we go deep within to the core of our being? When we work on ourselves, we can return to the space inside where we can re-connect with our own true ‘self'. This is the spiritual 'self', that which is at our core, that part of us that does not change. Taking time out through the process of meditation is a journey in itself. Meditation allows us to come back to a place of inner balance, where our thoughts, feelings, energy and time are used in a way that has value and is worthwhile. Everything depends on our stage of awareness and an understanding of our true identity. At this point we start to open the door to more positive experiences in life. We start to value things of a spiritual rather than a material nature. We begin to create a values-based, quality life, where we can afford to be generous and loving. Our thinking becomes clearer and our decision-making power increases. The real re-treat helps us to re-turn – to get us into a space where we can re-connect to our truth, to understand, to experience and to answer the age old question, "Who am I?" It is only then that we are both at the beginning and the end! This is where this question ends and the experience begins. Enjoy the journey.
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