Meditation - Part 1

Energy centres in human body

There are seven centres of energy in spine and Brain. To enlighten these centres of human body Indian yogis suggest Meditation.
                                                       
                                                                                                                                                        Meditation starts with a meditating on a Bindu(a dot).

Yantras are the mediums of meditation, these are linear diagrams used by  Indian yogis or sages as aids to Meditation.
They represent the various levels of creative energy (shakti) that radiate from the centre of the universe. This point of original creation is symbolised by a dot(bindu) at the yantra's centre,while the various forms of energy are represented by different combinations of triangles, squares, pentagons and circles which go to make up a yantra.

The different basic colours used in a yantra indicate the purpose for which it was constructed- yellow and generally signify a yantra's positive power, while dark colours such as brown and blue are usually used for negative, destructive intent.

By meditating upon a yantra, these energies are internalised by the adept, so they are transformed into levels of human consciousness(such as emotions) to be transcended as meditation advances. The bindu represents the centre of the cosmos, toward which all attention and consciousness are directed. Eventually, the meditator and the object of meditation become one, even the bindu dissolves and a union is forged between consciousness, the symbol and the cosmos.

Sandeep Kumar</> - Meditating at Vrindavan

 Novices first master basic yogic techniques, such as elementary breath control (pranayam), to still the mind and develop concentration.
A ritual, known as pranapratistha, is then used to infuse the yantra with "life force". This is achieved by consecrating the previously profane space that the yantra encloses with an exhalation through the right nostril, and by reciting a mantra.   

SandeepKumar with other devotee

 Meditation (dhyan) is the means by which the purified body-mind reaches the deepest concentration or ecstasy(samadhi) and release the ultimate goal in which an individual self is totally absorbed in the godhead. In Buddhism, intense visualisation techniques, which are fundamental to all forms of yoga, have been raised to an unsurpassed level of sophistication. Only by "one directional" concentration upon a single object is the mind stilled and the self annihilated.
Through meditation, the body is first "perfected" and freed from the binds of Karma that hold it in the cycle of rebirth.

The dhyan mudra

The place of meditation should be quiet, cool and free from distractions. After finding a comfotable spot, the adept should assume a basic sitting posture:
crossed leg with both knees touching the floor and with the spine held in vertical position. The hands are then placed on the knees in the Dhyan mudra.