Meditation lies as a central
method within Raja Yoga because it is highly effective at training the mind and
emotions. If the mind comes under control and understood well it becomes an aid
to achievements in life. Conversely a mind that is unfocused and whose internal
functions are not apprehended correctly then it serves to distract and
dissipate our potential.
The mind, with its thoughts
and emotions, reaches into the physical body. They have a great effect on its
condition depending if the thoughts and emotions are disturbed and conflicted
or contented and harmonious.
Dhyana is the term of meditation
in the Sanskrit tradition of India. In Pali, an older dialect and the language
of Buddha, it is jhana. Teachers of meditation travelled the silk trade route
and introduced the practices where it became known as chan(na) in Mandarin,
seon in Korea, and zen in Japan. In Vietnamese dhyana is thien. All of these
weave together into the broad range of meditational practice.
The psychological process
occurs in space and time, the most elementary frames or limitations of our
human perception and conception. Yoga meditation aims at piercing through the
perceptual hold over the mind and liberating oneself from degrees of
distraction, disturbance and inertia. This brings about an altogether new
awareness both of oneself and the world.
The main effect of intensive
meditation is samadhi, the experience of superconsciousness, an elated joyful
state in which the fluctuations and operations of the mind are left behind by a
method of self-control.
Along the way towards this
achievement numerous subsidiary effects are gained by the practice of
meditation. A significant amount of research has occurred in institutes in
India, Europe and USA documenting these effects. A few of them include:
- Lowering of the heart rate
- Contributes to reducing stress
- Induces the "relaxation response"
- Improved control of the thought process
- Acquiring ability to promote positive thoughts
- Awareness of the link between our state of mind and physical health
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