When you want to start practising meditation or concentration, a few simple questions arise. If you already practise Yoga, your teacher will give you specific, individual guidance. What we share here are general guidelines, which do not replace practising Yoga with a good teacher.
These guidelines are, in truth, for the first levels of Dhyana (Meditation), that is, Pratyahara (Withdrawal) and Dharana (Concentration), since these are the ones that can be practised by anyone who wants to begin meditating.
Pratyahara (Withdrawal) is when consciousness turns inwards, detaching itself from external and even internal sensations, creating a state of mental clarity that is calm and attentive.
Dharana (Concentration) is when the influence of external stimuli and mental activity are mastered and the mind rests on a single thing.
The simplest concentration techniques use a candle flame, the breath, or a simple geometric figure (a triangle or a circle with a dot inside). In this article I will only talk about the first two.
- Find a quiet place at home where you will not be disturbed (close the door and do not take your phone or anything else that might distract you);
- If you feel restless, take a few deep breaths, always inhaling and exhaling through the nose;
- Sit in a comfortable position: cross-legged, with legs extended, or any other position that keeps you comfortable with a straight spine.
- Concentration on the Candle Flame: light a candle in front of you and rest your attention on the flame, with your eyes open and without blinking, until you feel your eyes start to water. At that point, close your eyes and, if you did everything well, you will see the image of the flame between your eyebrows. Now simply hold that image and, if it fades, bring it back; if you cannot, start the process again.
- Concentration on the Breath: begin with steps 1 to 3, then imagine that the air you breathe is a thread of golden Light. Inhale through the nose and guide the thread down to the navel; exhale, guiding the thread of Light from the navel back up to the nose. Repeat until all your attention is on that thread of light going down and up;
Happy practice, and may Light, Love and Wisdom guide you
