The International Day of Yoga (IDY) has been celebrated annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
There are many types of yoga. For this article we focus on yoga meditation as practised by the Brahma Kumaris.
The root of the word yoga is from the Sanskrit ‘yug’ which means to yoke or unite. That is the uniting of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul. While the goal is yoga or union with God, the method is meditation, which is a purposeful directing of one’s thoughts.
This is a subtle activity, and multiple techniques have been developed to facilitate it.
If you are new to meditation, choose a space and time where you will have the least disturbance. This can be individually, as part of a group or a family activity. Start with about ten minutes, then work your way up to 20, 30 or 40 minutes.
The aim is to keep the body relaxed and the mind alert. Sit in a balanced, upright position with back support if necessary.
Low lighting and good air circulation help to create a relaxed environment. Begin with harnessing the mind. Withdraw your attention from the external world and picture yourself as a tiny point of spiritual light in the centre of the forehead.
To begin, you can also try paying attention to your breath or repeating a mantra or affirmation. Ponder the question of: Who am I? The answer is: I am a peaceful, divine soul.
Consider meditation as an exercise in slowness, with fewer thoughts and a sustained focus. This allows space for deeper feelings to surface, related to the thoughts.
To reach a place of new, intrinsic realizations, time is needed to clear the clutter of old thoughts and emotions. At a minimum, the act of slowing down the thinking process and highlighting the positive will result in rest, refreshment and increased clarity.
A second function/faculty that should be engaged is the intellect. Make conscious decisions about what to keep in the mind and eject destructive and wasteful thinking.
The intellect is a powerful decision-making tool that will grow stronger with frequent use. Use the intellect to choose patience, discernment and courage in place of habitual negative reactions. Skip over popular gossip and distractions by being decisive and earn huge savings of time and energy.
Holding affirmative mental attitudes helps eliminate damaging negative self-talk and provides creative solutions for our human relationships.
The third of the soul’s faculties is the sanskaras, loosely translated as memory. We are what we remember. While one must recognise the lessons revealed through failures, positive personal memories are necessary for mental health.
A conscious effort should be made to substitute the cycling of past hurts and disappointments with a focus on life-affirming memories, aspirations or new learnings. At a deeper level, recalling the original divine virtues of the soul is transformative.
Although meditation is an activity that can stand alone, its ultimate purpose is yoga, that union with the one you consider to be God.
The consciousness must travel away from the body and connect with the Supreme Being. Focus and sustained concentration on God are required. For this, one may visualise God as a point of light and energy.
The question of where [to focus] is also important. Where is The Supreme Soul? The intellect may be directed to a place beyond the physical universe that is of non-physical light.
It is beyond sound (nirvana), and can be labelled as Brahmlok or the Souls’ World. One may travel with the intellect and visualise the Supreme Being as a point of light in a realm of light that is outside the physical domain. Think on the many virtues of God. Appreciate the all-encompassing love, deep peace or eternal bliss.
You can converse or relate to Her/Him as Mother, Father, Guide and Friend. These are our original and eternal bonds, which are still within us somewhere deep in our sanskaras. Through relationship we can connect heart to heart with the Divine.
This combination of engagement over time, will result in yoga – the union with The Supreme Being. May the IDY 2021 inspire you to remember your original state of peace and contentment, your identity as a member of the family of human souls, and remember God.
Contact : Brahma Kumaris ( www.brahmakumaris.com / www.brahmakumaris.org )