Meditation

Yogis do yoga – that is, they do the postures, the breathing, the mantras and so on – for one reason only: To meditate.

 

The practice of all yoga is essentially the preparation for meditation, yet many yoga students have only a vague idea of what meditation is. It’s not about becoming thoughtless (good luck with that!). It’s not about solving your problems (although it may give you a new perspective on them). It’s not about relaxation (although it will lower your blood pressure).

 

Meditation is essentially the journey to discover your true self. Along the way you encounter the self-illusions, the subconscious garbage, and the game of the ego. But how do you know when you are finally at the end of the journey? What are the signposts, the markers and the benchmarks of a meditation practice? In other words, what is the road map that those who meditate must follow?

 

With asanas and breath work, the progress is easy to gauge. You stretch a little farther, you become a little steadier and your breath becomes longer and deeper. Though you may not realize it, there actually are well-defined stages of meditation and each stage has its particular challenges and rewards. Yogis have codified these stages so that you can know when you are reaching a particular plateau or breakthrough. Understanding the structure of a meditation practice gives you a powerful way to relate to your progress and experience. 

 

I remember studying with my teacher Yogi Bhajan one summer and becoming intrigued as he mentioned that during a certain point in a meditation he was leading that we were entering the “fourth stage.”  How many stages are there? Well, twenty-one to be exact. The 21 stages of meditation that he taught provide a rewarding context for a lifelong practice of yoga and meditation.

 

If you have wanted to explore meditation in yoga and all of its stages and intricacies, we have a unique opportunity this month to do so!  Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, a lifelong student of Yogi Bhajan, will be teaching the 21 Stages of Meditation at Yoga Yoga this month, as well as workshops in various meditation techniques.

 

Come join us as we discover the real purpose of practicing yoga! Gurucharan will be teaching at Yoga Yoga Westgate March 23-25.