Our yoga expert, Navodita, shares the Tantrik meditation techniques, in her weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.

We have been working on training in Buddhist meditation techniques which can be numerous and varied. However, there are other meditative techniques, too, like the Tantric meditation. There’s a technique called the ‘nyasa’. In this technique, focus is on different parts of the body. In this form of meditation, it is done in a very light way. The main purpose of this is to make you aware of the subtle nature of the body, which Tantrikas call a form of divine light and a kind of divine sound vibration.

Let us begin this form of exercise to get more focus and energy into the body. Sit in a comfortable, upright posture for meditation. Close into yourself and get yourself closer inside by getting your awareness to your physical body and the breath. Now focus your awareness on your right foot and make sure that there is a golden light emanating from the foot. Try and visualise it and say to yourself, “My right foot has become golden light.” After a while, focus on your left foot, and repeat the same thing – golden light filling up each part of your foot including the sole, toes and arch. Be aware of the right ankle and then the left ankle and feel each part becoming filled up with light. Now, the right calf- bone, muscle and skin and then the left calf can be imagined to fill up with a golden light. Similarly, move up the leg and now imagine that the right thigh has filled up with golden light and then the left thigh. Further up, imagine the golden light reaching up to the pelvis, buttocks, reproductive organs and up towards the waist.

Let your awareness rise up to the lower abdomen, bringing light to the whole area, flesh and abdominal organs. You should imagine that your abdomen has become light and that the golden light has seeped into your spine. You can say to yourself, “Let the golden light enter my spine.” Now you should imagine the light in your upper abdomen and back, in your chest and ribcage. Feel your heart and lungs expand with the light. Feel it entering your back ribs and spine. Then feel it in your right arm, from the upper arm all the way down to your fingertips. Now, feel it in your left arm.

Slowly imagine the golden light travelling up your neck, throat, palate, and tongue. Feel the golden light into your brain and your skull, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose and your cheeks. Imagine that your mouth has turned into a flood of golden light. Feel your brain completely illuminated by the golden light. Imagine the whole body illuminated by the golden light.

Before ending this session of mindful meditation, a few takeaways:

• A person without emotions is like wood without any juice. You need to make your life interesting to make people be with you. This will happen when you nurture yourself with music, prayer, and service.
• The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share others’ sorrow and joy. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. When you expand your knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. The way to overcome personal misery is to share the universal misery. The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking, ‘what can I gain from this world?’, think, ‘what can I do for this world?’
• Silence heals and rejuvenates. Silence gives you depth and stability and brings creativity.
• Service leads to the dynamic experience of the heart. It creates a sense of belongingness.
• Lack of service can land a person in depression. Pain is physical. Suffering is mental. If you are not sensitive to others’ pain, then you are not a human being. That is why you need to serve. Service alone can bring contentment to life but service without silence tires you. Service without spirituality will be shallow, and cannot be sustained for a long period. The deeper the silence, the more dynamic the outer activity. Both are essential in life.
• When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you. Seva brings merit; merit allows you to go deep in meditation, meditation brings back your smile. When you sing and pray from your heart, your emotions are nourished and you become ‘lively’.

©Navodita Pande

Photos from the Internet

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Dr. Navodita Pande

Navodita Pande teaches Mass Media and Communication and English to ICSE/ISC school in Assam. She also trains students in Yoga, gratitude and healing. She loves to paint, write and read as her pastimes. She lives in Assam with her daughter.

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