Q: What is the goal of meditation?
There are two main goals. One is to experience a place where all your questions and wants have been answered. The first is to have no goals. The height of meditation leads us to a place of wholeness where there is nothing to seek. The second goal is that from that experience you are fully capable of expressing that kind of experience and fullness in your life. The goal of meditation is truly to achieve both.
There are two main goals. One is to experience a place where all your questions and wants have been answered. The first is to have no goals. The height of meditation leads us to a place of wholeness where there is nothing to seek. The second goal is that from that experience you are fully capable of expressing that kind of experience and fullness in your life. The goal of meditation is truly to achieve both.
Q: I was introduced to your work through your meditation CD's. I love them and they've really been beneficial however, however I really struggle with visualization. It never seems like I am actually seeing anything, mostly I just imagine I am seeing things. Any words of advice?
A: Not to worry some of us are more visually oriented. The key is intention. Simply having the intention of seeing something, as you have already experienced, creates an effect. Imagination literally means “image-in-action”. So, don't worry about how clearly you think you should be seeing them.
It might be helpful, when you can't visualize a color or a particular object, to recall something like it from memory or simply repeat the name of the object until you start to have a feeling of it. Eventually you have the sense of entering the thing that you are supposed to be seeing. At that point you have captured the essence of the practice. Continue the good work.
Q: Lately I've had some very powerful and profound experiences when meditating. It is okay to share them with others?
A: Yes, it's ok particularly with a teacher or with someone like-minded. However, when we put these kinds of experiences into words it dilutes their effect, particularly when we share them with those who have no way of relating to our experiences. If your experiences are overwhelming or hard to process, it's best to go to someone (a teacher) who can give you direction so as not add to your confusion or doubts.
Q: Recently I slipped deep into a meditative experience. My mind got absolutely quiet. Then, with no effort on my part I saw a light. It was an incredibly joyful experience. What was it and how can I make it happen again?
A: The light you saw is the light of the soul. I'm not surprised that you enjoyed it. There's really nothing to do to make it reappear. In fact, the less you do, the more you come into the abiding presence of spirit. The point is, be your self effortlessly and it will come again. In the mean time, don't try. Now you know that it's there. Just as not trying led you to it, the same thing can lead you back.
Q: When I meditate I sometimes re-experience a traumatic event of many years ago. Should I keep meditating and try to work through it? At this point, I have fear around continuing.
A: First of all, although the event appears more readily when you meditate, it clearly remains in your unconscious. Clearly the goal of Yoga is to make the unconscious conscious, however it is important to respect your psychic boundaries. You simply may not be ready or may doing a practice that, given the unresolved stuff in your unconscious, is not appropriate for you. On the other hand if you choose to not move into it, you will remain conditioned by it indefinitely.
I can not give you specific advise about whether or not to “push through” it because I don't have specific details your background or know you well enough.
My general advice would be to not force anything unless you have someone to personally guide you. Therapy might be advisable so that you can get as objective as possible about the event before you go further into a meditation practice. One way or another, move forward to resolve these issues, while taking steps that feel the most comfortable to you.
Q: My mind wanders so much when I meditate. For my first year of practicing it was much easier. Now it's like-I am so distracted-I don't know what I'm doing.
A: As we evolve and/or different things come up in our life, meditation can become more challenging. It can also be a sign of deepening. You arrive at certain level of accomplishment and now the unconscious begins downloading more stuff and distracting you more. That is not how it always unfolds but it can. In the meantime, keep practicing.
Embrace the distractions. Someday you will look back and accept that your distractions were part of an invaluable and necessary part of your process.
Q: Sometimes when I meditate my head will suddenly drop. Why?
A: Sometimes it is a sign of sleepiness--that relaxation is overshadowing awareness. Meditation, as you know, is not the same as relaxation. It is relaxation with awareness. Pranayama done before hand can be help, so can making sure you get enough rest and finally there is a reason so traditions place so much attention on maintaining a stable posture during meditation. Doing so helps enliven your awareness. See if you can grow your sense of posture while you meditate.
Q: I mentally repeat my mantra on my breath. But I wonder if it is keeping me from going deeper. I have heard you say it's best to spend time in silence after practice. How much is ideal?
A: My suggestion is to completely forget about your breath and just allow the mantra to be silent, a repetitive mental whisper, less something that you say, more something that you hear, and feel. Gradually let it evolve into more and more a deep sense of stillness. As far as silence, at least five and as much as twenty minutes are probably ideal for you.
Q: I recently took a workshop with you. During a meditation you led, I felt bodiless. For an instant I wasn't even sure where I was and then I felt better than I have in years. It's lasted for nearly a week. What happened? Something tells me that you had something to do with the experience. Is that possible?
A: The short answer to your first question about the experience you had in meditation is: transcendence. Whenever your mind becomes quiet our perception of time, place, and normative awareness gives way. And there the worlds of soul and spirit open--just as they did for you. What might be unlocked there and the experiences that would follow are too numerous to mention, but suffice it to say that you got a piece of that vast universe.
As far as my affecting your experience, perhaps I acted as a focal point for the tremendous accomplishments of my teachers. Through practice and a link to a lineage of teachers a transmission of spiritual experience between student and teacher becomes possible, even likely.
Q: I want to have a regular meditation practice. Is it best to do one technique? Would you recommend one of your meditation CDs to get started?
A: Yes, it is most beneficial if you practice one technique for an extended period of time. It's through consistent repetition that you begin to mine the depth and find the deeper value of the practice. Yes, I recommend either meditation CD to get you going. If not, turn to the techniques that I taught over this past weekend.
Q: Do you have an altar at home? I have been interested in creating one for myself. Do you carry objects with you while you travel and use a make-shift altar?
A: The altar is important to me, and certainly is an anchor for me. At my altar at home, there are a few elements that have been with me since I began practicing more than three decades ago: Mala beads from my master, photographs of my teachers, a flame that is relit every morning, as well as some other things that are of sacred significance to me. When I am on the road I make do with much less. I travel with only my Jappa beads; the rest, especially the flame, I make a point of carrying within me. (For more on Rod's personal practice, click here)
Q: I was listening to a set of meditation CDs at the end of which is a theta metronome, which is recommends for meditation use. I tried it during my japa meditation, having it softly in the background. I seem to be more absorbed in my practice with this sound, and it seems to settle me more deeply. Do you think that this is a hindrance, or do you think it is OK to use this tool?
A: As far as using this particular tool to heighten your meditation, my suggestion is use it irregularly and think of it as a reference point to guide you when you don't use it. The key is that these practices should be leading us toward self-reliance. That should be your goal. Therefore, grow your independence from any outside technology.
Q: Not long after working with this new mantra, I began to have a ringing in my ears. At first I thought that it was Tinitis (which I have experienced after hearing loud concerts with no ear protection), but this was without the pain and overall sick feeling that I have had after a concert like that. Also, the sound would intensify after doing my japa. It now remains constant (with occasional fluctuations). After reading about Nada in the Pradipika, I am now taking the time before and after japa to listen more deeply to the sound; to find more subtle sounds within the sound.
A: Advances in Nada only happen in relation to the depth of our stillness during meditation. The more we relax, the more we surrender, the more Nada (the sound of Being) unfolds. But it can't happen through effort. You're hearing something that escapes the notice of almost all of humanity (even many yoga practitioners), so just embrace what has happened so far. There is more to come, more Divine treasures to discover the more you can relax into the sound.
Q: When I sit during meditation I sometimes have profound experiences, even seeing images that I later read about in Yogic. How do I know it is not just my imagination?
A: Many scholars, both spiritual and cutting edge scientists will tell you that everything is imagination. That perception of reality is only a projection of a completely different world that we actually believe we are seeing. The way to distinguish between a vividly imagined experience and one in which your mind has truly merged is: quality of its effect. If there is a profound effect it from it, some type of positive change, then it's not just fancy or “imagination”.
Q: My intention has been to practice each meditation technique for at least three months to enable me to eventually turn around and teach it. I would appreciate whatever feedback or guidance you could offer as to what to look for, whether to stay with it, or move on to another technique at this point.
A: Three months is more or less a minimum time to explore an individual practice. Yet, you must not do every practice I've ever taught. If you master one, it can give you access to the many. On the other hand, if you really want to translate that experience into the ability to teach it and know when to teach it, then you have to watch closely. Watch yourself not only for any kind of phenomenon within the meditation itself, nut also how it seems to be manifesting in your life: communication, energy, confidence, vitality, ideas, creativity, and these kinds of notions.
We have to be deeply reflective and a little more sensitized into what might possibly unfold from our continued commitment to that practice. Make notes, keep a journal...those are my suggestions. It's interesting to know that shortly after you've begun a practice I gave you, you felt not much was happening, then suddenly a significant experience unfolded.
A: Not to worry some of us are more visually oriented. The key is intention. Simply having the intention of seeing something, as you have already experienced, creates an effect. Imagination literally means “image-in-action”. So, don't worry about how clearly you think you should be seeing them.
It might be helpful, when you can't visualize a color or a particular object, to recall something like it from memory or simply repeat the name of the object until you start to have a feeling of it. Eventually you have the sense of entering the thing that you are supposed to be seeing. At that point you have captured the essence of the practice. Continue the good work.
Q: Lately I've had some very powerful and profound experiences when meditating. It is okay to share them with others?
A: Yes, it's ok particularly with a teacher or with someone like-minded. However, when we put these kinds of experiences into words it dilutes their effect, particularly when we share them with those who have no way of relating to our experiences. If your experiences are overwhelming or hard to process, it's best to go to someone (a teacher) who can give you direction so as not add to your confusion or doubts.
Q: Recently I slipped deep into a meditative experience. My mind got absolutely quiet. Then, with no effort on my part I saw a light. It was an incredibly joyful experience. What was it and how can I make it happen again?
A: The light you saw is the light of the soul. I'm not surprised that you enjoyed it. There's really nothing to do to make it reappear. In fact, the less you do, the more you come into the abiding presence of spirit. The point is, be your self effortlessly and it will come again. In the mean time, don't try. Now you know that it's there. Just as not trying led you to it, the same thing can lead you back.
Q: When I meditate I sometimes re-experience a traumatic event of many years ago. Should I keep meditating and try to work through it? At this point, I have fear around continuing.
A: First of all, although the event appears more readily when you meditate, it clearly remains in your unconscious. Clearly the goal of Yoga is to make the unconscious conscious, however it is important to respect your psychic boundaries. You simply may not be ready or may doing a practice that, given the unresolved stuff in your unconscious, is not appropriate for you. On the other hand if you choose to not move into it, you will remain conditioned by it indefinitely.
I can not give you specific advise about whether or not to “push through” it because I don't have specific details your background or know you well enough.
My general advice would be to not force anything unless you have someone to personally guide you. Therapy might be advisable so that you can get as objective as possible about the event before you go further into a meditation practice. One way or another, move forward to resolve these issues, while taking steps that feel the most comfortable to you.
Q: My mind wanders so much when I meditate. For my first year of practicing it was much easier. Now it's like-I am so distracted-I don't know what I'm doing.
A: As we evolve and/or different things come up in our life, meditation can become more challenging. It can also be a sign of deepening. You arrive at certain level of accomplishment and now the unconscious begins downloading more stuff and distracting you more. That is not how it always unfolds but it can. In the meantime, keep practicing.
Embrace the distractions. Someday you will look back and accept that your distractions were part of an invaluable and necessary part of your process.
Q: Sometimes when I meditate my head will suddenly drop. Why?
A: Sometimes it is a sign of sleepiness--that relaxation is overshadowing awareness. Meditation, as you know, is not the same as relaxation. It is relaxation with awareness. Pranayama done before hand can be help, so can making sure you get enough rest and finally there is a reason so traditions place so much attention on maintaining a stable posture during meditation. Doing so helps enliven your awareness. See if you can grow your sense of posture while you meditate.
Q: I mentally repeat my mantra on my breath. But I wonder if it is keeping me from going deeper. I have heard you say it's best to spend time in silence after practice. How much is ideal?
A: My suggestion is to completely forget about your breath and just allow the mantra to be silent, a repetitive mental whisper, less something that you say, more something that you hear, and feel. Gradually let it evolve into more and more a deep sense of stillness. As far as silence, at least five and as much as twenty minutes are probably ideal for you.
Q: I recently took a workshop with you. During a meditation you led, I felt bodiless. For an instant I wasn't even sure where I was and then I felt better than I have in years. It's lasted for nearly a week. What happened? Something tells me that you had something to do with the experience. Is that possible?
A: The short answer to your first question about the experience you had in meditation is: transcendence. Whenever your mind becomes quiet our perception of time, place, and normative awareness gives way. And there the worlds of soul and spirit open--just as they did for you. What might be unlocked there and the experiences that would follow are too numerous to mention, but suffice it to say that you got a piece of that vast universe.
As far as my affecting your experience, perhaps I acted as a focal point for the tremendous accomplishments of my teachers. Through practice and a link to a lineage of teachers a transmission of spiritual experience between student and teacher becomes possible, even likely.
Q: I want to have a regular meditation practice. Is it best to do one technique? Would you recommend one of your meditation CDs to get started?
A: Yes, it is most beneficial if you practice one technique for an extended period of time. It's through consistent repetition that you begin to mine the depth and find the deeper value of the practice. Yes, I recommend either meditation CD to get you going. If not, turn to the techniques that I taught over this past weekend.
Q: Do you have an altar at home? I have been interested in creating one for myself. Do you carry objects with you while you travel and use a make-shift altar?
A: The altar is important to me, and certainly is an anchor for me. At my altar at home, there are a few elements that have been with me since I began practicing more than three decades ago: Mala beads from my master, photographs of my teachers, a flame that is relit every morning, as well as some other things that are of sacred significance to me. When I am on the road I make do with much less. I travel with only my Jappa beads; the rest, especially the flame, I make a point of carrying within me. (For more on Rod's personal practice, click here)
Q: I was listening to a set of meditation CDs at the end of which is a theta metronome, which is recommends for meditation use. I tried it during my japa meditation, having it softly in the background. I seem to be more absorbed in my practice with this sound, and it seems to settle me more deeply. Do you think that this is a hindrance, or do you think it is OK to use this tool?
A: As far as using this particular tool to heighten your meditation, my suggestion is use it irregularly and think of it as a reference point to guide you when you don't use it. The key is that these practices should be leading us toward self-reliance. That should be your goal. Therefore, grow your independence from any outside technology.
Q: Not long after working with this new mantra, I began to have a ringing in my ears. At first I thought that it was Tinitis (which I have experienced after hearing loud concerts with no ear protection), but this was without the pain and overall sick feeling that I have had after a concert like that. Also, the sound would intensify after doing my japa. It now remains constant (with occasional fluctuations). After reading about Nada in the Pradipika, I am now taking the time before and after japa to listen more deeply to the sound; to find more subtle sounds within the sound.
A: Advances in Nada only happen in relation to the depth of our stillness during meditation. The more we relax, the more we surrender, the more Nada (the sound of Being) unfolds. But it can't happen through effort. You're hearing something that escapes the notice of almost all of humanity (even many yoga practitioners), so just embrace what has happened so far. There is more to come, more Divine treasures to discover the more you can relax into the sound.
Q: When I sit during meditation I sometimes have profound experiences, even seeing images that I later read about in Yogic. How do I know it is not just my imagination?
A: Many scholars, both spiritual and cutting edge scientists will tell you that everything is imagination. That perception of reality is only a projection of a completely different world that we actually believe we are seeing. The way to distinguish between a vividly imagined experience and one in which your mind has truly merged is: quality of its effect. If there is a profound effect it from it, some type of positive change, then it's not just fancy or “imagination”.
Q: My intention has been to practice each meditation technique for at least three months to enable me to eventually turn around and teach it. I would appreciate whatever feedback or guidance you could offer as to what to look for, whether to stay with it, or move on to another technique at this point.
A: Three months is more or less a minimum time to explore an individual practice. Yet, you must not do every practice I've ever taught. If you master one, it can give you access to the many. On the other hand, if you really want to translate that experience into the ability to teach it and know when to teach it, then you have to watch closely. Watch yourself not only for any kind of phenomenon within the meditation itself, nut also how it seems to be manifesting in your life: communication, energy, confidence, vitality, ideas, creativity, and these kinds of notions.
We have to be deeply reflective and a little more sensitized into what might possibly unfold from our continued commitment to that practice. Make notes, keep a journal...those are my suggestions. It's interesting to know that shortly after you've begun a practice I gave you, you felt not much was happening, then suddenly a significant experience unfolded.