Looking inwards is meditation. Sensitizing all the five sensors (skin, eyes, ears, nose, and tongue) of the human body and cutting off all external stimuli leads to meditation or, in other words, to silence. Silencing the mind is a technique, which one has to learn and practice regularly to reap the benefits. Regular simple meditation performed as described below will remove all negative feelings and bring a positive feeling. One becomes healthy, vibrant and an asset to society.

Sit in any comfortable posture, preferably cross-legged, with eyes closed. Keep your spine erect throughout the meditation process. Start by chanting ''OM''  and feel the nerve impulse at the tip of the index finger and thumb. Count to 70, if you can feel the pulse. Then take five deep breaths with your concentration on the abdomen. As you breathe in, the abdomen comes out and as you breathe out the abdomen is sucked in. Then chant ‘Aaaaa.....’ , the first syllable of 'Akara', five times and feel the vibration at the abdomen.

Then close the other three fingers (middle, ring and little) to form a fist and try to feel the nerve impulse at all these fingers. Count up to 72 if you get the pulse, then do deep breathing and concentrate on your breathing in the chest region. Try to expand the chest as you breathe in and contract it as you breathe out. Repeat this procedure 5 to 10 times. Then chant ‘Oooo.....’, the first syllable in 'Úkara', five times after taking a deep inhalation each time you chant. The vibration can be felt in the chest region.

Then, make a fist with the thumb inside the fingers and feel the impulse on the whole fist. Count up to 72 and do deep breathing concentrating on the clavicular region. The shoulders should rise as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out. Then chant 'Mmmm....’, the first syllable in 'Mkara', five times. Try to feel the vibration in the head region.

Now keep both the fists near the navel region with palms facing upwards and draw in five to ten deep breaths involving all the three lobes of the lungs. Chant 'Omkara' with split  aaaa...., oooo..... and mmmm...., five times. Feel the vibration of the whole body.

Gently rub the palms and place them over the eyes, making sure not to press the eyeballs. Gently open the eyes.

All this hardly takes ten minutes, yet the benefits are many if practiced regularly.

Meditation means absorption, the art of self study, the search within, looking inwards, or the discovery of self. It is like deep sleep but with a difference. In deep sleep one forgets one’s identity and individuality. But in meditation one is alert and conscious and remains witness to all the activities with internal awareness.

In sleep, body and mind recover from the usual wear and tear and one feels fresh after waking up. But in meditation, one can experience illumination.  After meditation one becomes vibrant, alert and poised.

One has to take up meditation to experience freedom from pain, sorrow and conflict since our inner light is the only guide leading to mastery over our life. Knowledge and practice, both are essential. The basic idea is to control the mind or calm down the mind using a natural technique. Everyone experiences the untrained mind flying aimlessly in all directions. Meditation brings a state of stability. One can find harmony between thoughts, speech and action.

A journey to outer space demands years of rigorous training, deep study, research and preparation. Similarly, the inward journey towards self-realization also needs the same type of relentless effort. When both internal and external thoughts are stilled and silenced there is no waste of physical, mental or intellectual energy.

Technique

> Sit in a good, comfortable posture and balance the body.
> Regular practice of yoga and stretching exercise will train the joints and the body to maintain the posture for a long time.
> Keep the spine erect and the chest pushed forward to slow down the flow of breath.
> Keep the body erect with razor sharp awareness.
> Keep the head straight, which indicates you are in the present.
> Close the eyes and look within.
> Practice when your body and mind are fresh, preferably early in the morning.
> Direct the gaze between the eyebrows if your concentration is disturbed.

Stop meditation when the body starts swaying forwards, backwards or sideways, and/or if you feel giddy. Never go beyond this point.



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