Preksha Yoga: Components of Preksha Meditation

Preksha meditation is an uncomplicated easy-to-learn technique of meditation. It comprises the following constituents’.

• Kayotsarga (Total relaxation)
• Antaryatra (Internal trip)
• Shwas Preksha (Perception of breathing)
• Sharira Preksha (Perception of body)
• Chaitanya Kendra Preksha (Perception of psychic)
• Leshyadhyan (Perception of psychic colours)
• Bhawana (Auto suggestion)
• Anupreksha (Contemplation)

Total relaxation (Kayotsarga): It literally means abandonment of the body coupled with high degree of conscious awareness. In practice it is conscious suspension of all gross movements of the body, resulting in relaxation of the skeletal muscles and drastic reduction of metabolic activities. This physcial condition helps relieves mental tension and is an essential precondition for meditation practice. It becomes therefore the first phase of Preksha meditation, and must be practised for a few minutes at the commencement of all types of exercises.

Apart from this, Kayotsarga may be independently practised daily for longer period. It one learns and practises systematic relaxation everyday, he would remain relaxed, calm and unperturbed in any situation. Physically, it is more restful than sleep and is direct antidote to psychosomatic maladies resulting from tension. Spiritually, in this process the lifeless body is cast off, whereas the consciousness soars upwards, freed from and outside its material shell. Thus it is not only total relaxation, but actual perception of the self, quite apart from the material non-self, i.e. the body.

Internal trip (Antaryatra) : It follows Kayotsarga. Exertion in systematic meditational discipline needs good deal of bioelectrical and nervous energy, and its generation in the system itself is essential. Spinal cord is an integral part of Central Nervous System. Its bottom is in the vicinity of Shakti kendra, i.e. Centre of energy. In the practice of Antaryatra, the conscious mind is motivated to travel from Shakti kendra to Jnana kendra (Centre of knowledge, located at the top of head, in the vicinity of cerebral cortex en route spinal cord) repeatedly. This results in an increased upward flow of vital bioelectrical energy, which may be used for better practice of meditation.

Perception of breathing (Shwas preksha) : Breathing is essential for metabolic functioning of the body. It is linked with conscious mind. Since mind is ever restless, it is extremely difficult to steady the wandering mind directly. An efficient and easy way to control mental activity is concentrated prerception of breath — Shwas Preksha. Complete awareness of breathing and nothing else but breathing is its basis. Shallow, hasty and irregular breathing must first be regulated to a deep, slow, calm and rhythmic, state.

Very slow inhalation and complete exhalation, with the help of diaphragm, is called dirgha shwas, deep breathing. Attention can be kept focused on a single point in the respiratory tract, e.g. nostrils, or it can travel the entire tract during inhalation as well as exhalation. Various facets of breathing, such as movement of diaphragm, rate of breathing and depth of breathing can conveniently become the object of Shwas Preksha. It may be practised in two ways, viz. dirgha shwas and samvritti shwas preksha.

As mentioned above, dirgha shwas is slow and complete exhalation and deep inhalation. A practitioner of dirgha shwas would be able to perceive in advance the onslaught of rising passions, and thus will be prepared to nullify their attack by resorting to such a practice. The rising passions would then begin to subside. Thus, by blunting the sharpness of their attack, a practitioner may save himself from being the victim of the dreadful urges and emotions.

In samvritti shwas preksha, breath is exhaled through one nostril and inhaled through the other, alternating again and again. Throughout the process, the perceptive mind is closely linked with the breath, which is regulated to be rhythmic. This, in turn, helps in developing the inherent capacities of the subconscious mind such as extra-sensory perception or clairvoyance.

Perception of the body (Sharir preksha) : Sharir preksha is basically a centripetal process, in which each and every constituent cell of the body is permeated by the spiritual self, that is each of them becomes sensitive and capable of carrying out metabolic function more efficiently through improved biochemical and bioelectrical actions. A totally impartial perception of the mass of sensations within the body is ‘direct perception’ of the psyche and the spiritual self. On physical level it helps each cell to revitalize itself.

On mental level it is a methodology for training the mind to concentrate on internal phenomena instead of wandering about externally. On spiritual level, impartial perception of ever changing biological functions of the body is a means of experiencing the substratum of consciousness through its modes and attributes.

Perception of psychic centres (Chaitanya kendra preksha): Endocrine and nervous systems are two very important control systems of body. Though endocrine system works as the seat of the impulses and emotions, the nervous system translates and puts into action the code of intangible and imperceptible forces of the psyche with the help of nerves and muscles. Integrated functions of these two systems governs the physical and mental state, behaviour and habits of an individual.

A peculiar functional interlocking between these two systems has provided a basis to treat them as one integrated system, called neuro-endocrine system. It is this system that comprises the subconscious mind, and profoundly influences psychological behaviour and tendencies of the conscious mind. It is therefore obvious that to cleanse the psyche by removing psychological distortions we have to find means pf transforming the nature of the chemical messengers, known as hormones, which come from endocrine system.

In the system of Preksha meditation several psychic centres (Chaitanya kendras) are described corresponding to different endocrine glands, as follows:

Endocrine glands – Chaitanya kendras

Pineal – Jyoti kendra
Pituitary – Darshana kendra
Thyroid – Vishuddhi kendra
Thymus – Anand kendra
Adrenal – Taijas kendra
Gonads – Swasthya kendra and Shakti kendra

Perception of these psychic centres (Chaitanya kendras) will bring the development of the endocrine glands, which can modify the synthesization of the endocrine output, which in turn will establish not only firm control of the reasoning mind over all actions but also correct the imbalanced psychosomatic and metabolic activities. The cumulative effect of developing the reasoning mind and weakening (he forces of the primal drives would ultimately bring about the desirable transformation in physical health, menial slate, behaviour and habits.

Perception of psychic colours (Leshya dhyan) : Leshya (colour) is the agency that transforms the imperceptible micro-vibrations of the primal drives into perceptible forces, which produces appropriate conditions in the neuroendocrine system, thus acting as a liaison between the spiritual self and the physical self of a living organism. The integrated action of the endocrine system and the nervous system produces hormones and neurotransmitters which not only generate feelings but also command appropriate action that satisfy the need of the urge.

We either progress or retrogress, depending upon whether we control and subdue our primal drives or succumb to them. The process is of subduing the forces which countermand them by conscious reasoning. It is the authority of the spiritual self that commands the reasoning mind to produce the counter vibrations. The vibrations of waves resulting from the primal drives are malevolent ‘leshyas’, whereas the counter vibrations produced by the authority of the self are benevolent ‘leshyas’.

The spiritual progress will depend upon the degree of transformation of the malevolent trinity into the benevolent one. Without actual transformation, there will be no progress. This is not merely a speculation, but the basis of a real experience. And to bring about the desired transformation, perception of psychic colours — Leshya dhyan, has proved to be a practical means of transformation.

Autosuggestion and contemplation (Bhawana and Anupreksha) : Preksha dhyan is a comprehensive system of meditation. Though perception and awareness are primarily used for concentration, concentration of thought, i.e. contemplation, is not excluded. Thus the system of Preksha meditation bifurcates into: (a) concentration of the perception and (b) concentration of thought, i.e. ‘Preksha’ and ‘Anupreksha’. In the former technique of meditation, perception is primarily used for concentration, whereas in the latter the conscious mind is encouraged to concentrate on a thinking process, i.e. contemplation. Both the techniques are competent to develop practitioner’s conscious reasoning and modify one’s attitude and behaviour.

Whenever one concentrates on a single theme and takes a purely objective view, acuity of his cognition increases manifold. Ancient philosophers used this technique extensively for realising the truth. Modern science also uses this process to ascertain the ultimate structure of the material objects.

Exercise of auto-suggestion is based on the practical application of faith and belief. The exercise brings about the necessary change in the body chemistry, thereby weakening the forces of disease and ultimately curing it. The principle of contemplative meditation shows the way to the practitioner to sublimate and coordinate the enhanced vital energy obtained after observing earlier steps of Preksha meditation. There are various facets of eternal truth to choose from. An experienced practitioner would know which facet he should contemplate upon. Thus he would be able to maintain his equanimity and balance even under the most aggressive state.

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