Namaste and welcome to a daily meditation practice.
We'll last just under 30 minutes and we'll be doing some full yogic breathing,
Some alternate nostril breathing or nadi shodana pranayama.
We put two fingers in between the eyebrows and use the thumb and the ring finger to alternately block the nostrils.
And after doing some breath work with mantra,
We'll be then going into doing japa,
Using japa beads.
If you don't have any,
It's fine.
You can just follow along with it and then we'll conclude with some om haryam kirtan.
Okay,
Let's get started.
Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath.
Draw your mind away from all other thoughts and focus on the feeling of the breath as it enters and leaves your body.
Let your breath become slower and deeper.
Become aware of how your body is breathing automatically.
Observe it in a detached way.
Say to yourself,
I'm watching my body breathe.
I am not the legs,
The arms,
The abdomen,
Nor am I the body.
I am an observer,
Distinct from my body.
Feel the inward breath rejuvenating the body and feel the outward breath relaxing and releasing tension from the body.
Feel your shoulders relax,
Releasing tension down through your arms,
Wrists and hands.
Feel the entire body relax with each outward breath.
Now become aware of your mind.
Become aware of how you,
The self,
Are distinct from the thinking process.
Experience how you can watch the mind as an observer,
Simply watching the passing flow of thoughts,
Feelings and images.
You don't react,
You are separate and detached from the mind.
Say to yourself,
I make no effort to think about thoughts,
But they come automatically.
I'm watching the thoughts flow through my mind,
But I am aloof from them.
I am the silent witness of my mind's activities.
I am the self,
Different from the mind and the body.
Now keeping your eyes closed,
Raise your right hand to your forehead.
Place your index and middle finger between your eyebrows.
Exhale and then close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale through your left.
Then inhale through the left nostril.
Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right nostril.
Continue this alternating breath from one nostril to the other.
Exhale and then close your left nostril.
Exhale and then close your left nostril.
We will finish by exhaling through the right nostril and then lowering your hand,
Breathing deeply through both nostrils.
Relax your breath,
Your chest and your lungs.
Be aware of how your breath is now flowing smoothly and effortlessly and your mind is more focused and alert.
Now that you are more relaxed and your breathing has slowed down,
We will begin meditation on the sacred Gauranga Mantra.
We will break the mantra into four distinct syllables,
Gauranga.
While inhaling,
We will say the sacred mantra Gauranga within our mind and when we exhale,
We will say it out loud.
Touch it out so the sound takes up the whole exhalation and feel it resonate throughout your whole body.
If you notice that your mind has become distracted by other thoughts,
Just be aware that it has wandered and then gently bring it back to your breath and the sound of the mantra.
Let's begin.
As we inhale,
Mentally say Gauranga.
Now out loud as we exhale,
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Before you open your eyes,
Allow your mind to focus on a sound within the room or outside.
And when you are ready to come out of the meditation,
We will begin japa.
Take your beads and start by holding the head bead in a mood of humility,
Say Hari Bong.
Now,
Holding the first bead between your thumb and middle finger,
We'll say the mantra softly and then move to the next bead and repeat.
We will say the sacred mantra,
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana.
Let's begin.
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana mohana go Madonna mohana go go in the Rama Madonna mohana go go in the Rama Madonna mohana go go in the Rama Madonna go go in the Rama go Gopala Govinda Rama,
Mathana Mohana Gopala Govinda Rama,
Mathana Mohana Gopala Govinda Rama,
Mathana Mohana Gopala Govinda Rama,
Mathana Mohana Gopalakovinda Rama Madana Mohana Gopalakovinda Rama Madana Mohana Gopalakovinderam Madana Mohana Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana,
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana,
Gopala Govinda Go Pala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana,
Go Pala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana,
Go Pala Govinda Gopala Govinda Rama Madana Mohana Now we will finish with Om Hari Om Kirtan.
Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Hari Om Hari Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om Om Hari Om
