| Let me warn you that this is actually my personal | | | | slowly cool down to come back to normal. Once |
| meditation plan. I am not going against any set | | | | there, you may get into the pose that will |
| standards as laid down by the wise. Patanjali | | | | become your meditating pose. Decide on your |
| wrote the Yoga Sutras for all people and left it to | | | | breathing regimen and try to practice it up to 10 |
| each one to find what best suits them, even if it | | | | minutes or more. A three set of twelve breaths |
| sometimes goes outside his framework. What I | | | | will suffice to get all your veins, arteries and |
| understand is that he gave us principles and left | | | | passages in the body cleaned and fresh. Start |
| his Sutras broad enough for each one to adapt it | | | | with a set that is inhale=exhale and as deep as |
| according to their own suitability. However, I name | | | | possible. Next, move on to where exhale is twice |
| this as anyone's personal plan, because this does | | | | as long as inhale. The last one is to have a ratio |
| not have a set structure. Yes, this does not | | | | 1.4.2 of inhale, retention and exhale. There are |
| include guided meditation, concentrating on | | | | many other variants and I do not believe in any |
| objects, repeating a mantra or any other ritual or | | | | particular one to be any superior to the other. |
| system or if you please, they may include all or | | | | There may be certain restrictions in what you can |
| any of them. Therefore I call it a personal plan - | | | | do depending on the state of your current health |
| each one to themselves, as suited to their person. | | | | condition. The objective is to provide oxygen to |
| There are books, internet sites, CDs and Gurus | | | | your system, retain as much oxygen as possible |
| galore teaching meditation and they may find my | | | | and exhale as much of the impurities as possible. |
| experiences a bit weird as it does not subscribe | | | | After the breathing exercises it is natural to |
| to any system - it neither accepts nor rejects | | | | move into meditation. Keep your eyes open if |
| them. It also, is willing to experiment with them | | | | you must, but close them to keep you away |
| and adapt them to one's own needs. Only attitude | | | | from distraction. The general idea that you must |
| it rejects is dogma and rigidity. For a beginner, | | | | do nothing when you meditate is a heavy burden |
| meditation is the end part of a regular Yoga | | | | on many shoulders that discourages them |
| practice. For the very evolved being, it can start | | | | eventually. Actually, in meditation you don't have |
| anywhere. As there needs to be an introduction | | | | to do anything and that is what is meant by you |
| to most things, meditation can become a part of | | | | have to do nothing. The only condition is in |
| living, walking and sleeping life if it starts where it | | | | whatever position you decide to meditate in, you |
| is supposed to begin. I believe a Yoga practice | | | | have to be still and comfortable in that position. If |
| cannot be complete without a meditation practice | | | | you feel fidgety and restless, then know that you |
| as a physical sport cannot be ended without a | | | | are not in your still and comfortable position. |
| cooling period. I expand Yoga practice here to | | | | Experiment with this until you can get through |
| mean anything and everything one does to tone | | | | without moving for 15/20 minutes only for the |
| up muscles through stretching and arching, | | | | purpose of knowing your most natural meditative |
| temporarily increases blood circulation and intake | | | | position. After that just be yourself. Do whatever |
| of oxygen, flexing the joints. Any physical activity | | | | you feel like doing - think, dream, plan, count, |
| that is aerobic. Anaerobic exercises and activities | | | | count your breaths anything that is possible in |
| are beyond Yoga. | | | | that position without any feelings and judgment |
| As far as I believe one has to be doing some kind | | | | about what you are doing. I cannot tell you as to |
| of physical activity that is aerobic to be introduced | | | | what may or may not happen if you do this |
| to meditation as an integral part of their life. Once | | | | constantly and consistently. Once you know how |
| it becomes that, one can get into a meditative | | | | to spend time with yourself for 15 minutes doing |
| pose anytime without any prior do. The next step | | | | nothing, you will know the value of aloneness and |
| before meditation is a rhythmic breathing exercise. | | | | silence. That is when you are ready to transform |
| The physical exercise regimen is like a normal | | | | to meditate anytime and anywhere. Let me know |
| distribution curve - a bell shaped curve. You start | | | | how it goes. |
| with a warm up, reach the summit and then | | | | |