To prepare for the practice of Preksha meditation, the knowledge of postures, mudras etc. is necessary.
Posture
Either of the following postures may be adopted: Sitting postures:
1. Padmasana (full lotus posture)
2. Ardhpadmasana (Half lotus posture)
3. Sukhasana (Simple posture)
4. Vajrasana (Diamond posture)
Standing posture: In this posture one should stand erect with the spine and neck in a straight line without any stiffness. Feet should remain 10 cm apart and parallel to each other. Arms should hang down loosely and should remain close to the body with palms open facing inward.
Mudra
Specific position of hand in sitting posture is called ‘mudra’.
Gyan mudra: While sitting in either of the four above mentioned sitting postures keep the right hand on right knee while keeping left hand on left knee. Index finger should make firm contact with the thumb, making a small circle, whereas other fingers should be kept straight.
Brahma mudra: While sitting in either of the four sitting postures, bend both the arms at the elbows, keep the back of left hand on the lap and back of right hand on the top of upturned palm of left hand.
Recitation of ‘Mahaprana dhwani’
• After adopting either of the postures and mudras, keep the eyes closed softly.
• Inhale deeply with lungs full, for 5-6 seconds.
• Pressing the lips together, exhale slowly without interruption, producing the sound and resonating it like buzzing of a bee, for about 10 seconds.
• Again inhale deeply and repeat the performance for at least five times.
Kayotsarga (Relaxation with self-awareness)
• Alter completing the recitation of Mahaprana Dhwani, maintain the posture and keep the spine and neck straight without any stiffness.
• Relax all the muscles of the body, making them limp.
• Concentrate your mind on each part of the body, one by one, starting with the toe of the right foot.
• Spread your conscious mind throughout all parts Of every organ from the toe up to the head.
• Allow each part to relax by the process of autosuggestion and feel that it has become relaxed.
• This way let both the feet, waist, abdomen, thorax, both the hands, neck and head including internal organs, be relaxed completely.
• Experience that the whole body is completely relaxed. Withhold this relaxed condition throughout i he meditational session.
Antaryatra (Internal trip)
• Now focus your full attention on the bottom of the spinal cord, which is termed Shakti kendra (Centre of energy).
• Thereafter direct your attention to travel upwards along the spinal cord up to the top of the head, i.e. Gyan kendra (Centre of knowledge), and then direct it to move downward to Shakti kendra, through the same route.
• Repeat this process several times and concentrate your consciousness on the path of the trip.
• Perceive the sensations therein caused by the subtle vibrations of the flow of vital energy.
• Try to synchronise the ascending and descending movements of conscious attention with the rate of respiration, i.e. inhalation with downward movement and exhalation with upward movement.
Shwas Preksha (Perception of breathing)
Deergha shwas preksha :
• Regulate the breathing, making it slow, deep and rhythmic, along with full attention to breathing only, excluding all thoughts and sensations.
• Focus your attention on the navel and remain fully aware of the contraction and expansion of the abdominal muscles during exhalation and inhalation respectively.
• Continuously practice slow, deep and rhythmic breathing and only perceive it. Remain with deep concentration and full alertness.
• Now shift your attention from the navel and focus it inside the nostrils at the meeting point of both the nasal cavities and perceive each incoming and outgoing breath.
• Remain fully aware of each breath coming and going, and keep it slow, deep and rhythmic. Maintain the awareness of breathing while perceiving it without like and dislike.
• If any distortion occurs, due to thought, do not slop it, let it come, perceive it and then again return to the process of perception of breath.
Perception of alternate breathing :
• Regulate your breathing, making it slow, deep and rhythmic.
• Concentrate your mind inside the nostrils, and practice breathing through alternate nostrils. Inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right one. Then inhale through right nostril and exhale through the left one.
• Repeat this process several times while keeping the breath slow, deep and rhythmic and perceiving each inhalation and exhalation with lull concentration of mind in the alternate nostrils without any thought, memory and imagination.
• Perception of alternate breathing can be practised by holding the breath intermittently. With full concentration of mind inside the nostrils inhale deeply through left nostril and hold the breath inside for a few seconds (without causing any discomfort); exhale through right nostril and again hold the breath outside comfortably; then again inhale through right nostril and hold the breath inside, exhale through left nostril and hold the breath outside. This completes one cycle of alternate breathing. This process may be repeated with the precaution that no extra pressure or pain should be taken while performing it.
Sharira Preksha (Perception of body)
The practice of the perception of body is the process in which one has to concentrate his/her mind on each part of the body, one by one and perceiving the sensations and vibrations in each part.
Starting with the big toe of the right foot, moving upwards, perceive the whole body, focusing total attention on each part of the body, till you reach the top of the head. For each organ and part of the body, one should try to penetrate maximum inside along with full attention and concentration for a few seconds.
At the end of this pratice, to perceive the body as a whole, you may stand up slowly and carefully, with the eyes remaining closed. Allow the mind to travel from toe to head and back, passing through each part/organ of the body, and continue to perceive the sensations and vibrations throughout the body. After that you can resume your sitting posture for the next step of preksha, if desired.
Chaitanya Kendra Preksha (Perception of Psychic Centers)
In the sitting, motionless and relaxed posture of the body, focus your attention on the following Chaitanya Kendras (Psychic centres) one by one, starting with Shakti kendra (Centre of energy), and feel the vibrations being produced by the flow of vital energy through these centres:
Leshya Dhyana (Perception of psychic colours)
Leshya dhyana is the perception of psychic colours. In the process of leshya dhyana, one should perceive a specific colour on a specific psychic centre. In leshya dhyana the following five bright colours are visualized:
1. Green colour — as of emerald
2. Blue colour — as of peacock’s neck
3. Red colour — as of rising sun
4. Yellow colour — as of pure gold
5. White colour — as of full moon
The actual appearance of a particular colour at the centre is obtained only after the state of steadiness and full alertness of mind. As the steadiness of mind increases, visualizatin of a particular colour increases and ultimately the desired colour is produced.
Colours to be visualized at the respective psychic centres and the matter of intense willing and experience may be taken as follows:
No. Psychic centre Colour to be visualized Intense willing
1. Ananda kendra (Centre of bliss) Emerald green Freedom from psychological faults and negative attitudes
2. Vishuddhi kendra (Centre of purity) Peacock-neck blue Self control of urges and impulses
3. Darshan Kendra (Centre of intuition) Rising sun red Awakening of intuition: bliss
4. Gyan kendra (Centre of wisdom) and Chakshus kendra (Centre of vision) Golden yellow Acuity of perception
5. Jyoti kendra (Centre of enlightenment) Full moon white Tranquility
Anupreksha (Contemplation)
Practice of contemplation comprises two different categories, which are as follows:
I. To contemplate and reflect on eternal reality. This enables the practitioner to come face to face with reality.
II. To obtain attitudinal changes by the process of auto-suggestion and repeated recitation. In fact, it is the practical application of will power that the practitioner has achieved and reinforced by earlier-mentioned processes of Preksha meditation.
It is basically the concentration of thought process, in which the practitioner contemplates on an eternal or transcendental truth, which yields the realization of the truth on the level of real experience. In the other category of contemplation, the practitioner resorts to the technique of autosuggestion to cure physical sickness, mental imbalance and psychological distortions. This not only brings physical health and mental equilibrium, but also leads to development of a strong reasoning mind of the practitioner. The practitioner acquires the capability to transmute habitual negative attitude and psychological distortions and develops positive attitudes and internal harmony. In this category of exercise, concentration of mental equipment is coupled with autosuggestion. Fearlessness, amity, forbearance, transitoriness and several other characteristics and values can be contemplated by this technique.