To meditate in the right way a positive attitude is required; equally important is the physical posture. It is nearly impossible in a normal situation, to sleep in shirshasana, the head-stand posture. But it is pretty easy to doze off while lying down or even while sitting. Thus, when the body is in a comfortable position, sleep comes naturally. But in the standing position it is quite difficult to fall asleep. For meditation the right posture is a definite pre-requisite.

When one learns the art of meditation, then one truly understands the art of distancing oneself from the rumblings of the mind

If the spine is not erect but curved, the gravitational pull of the earth has a greater effect on the body – you feel like relaxing and there is an inclination to lie down. All through the day our arms are by our sides in a vertical position, so they do not hurt or pain. But if we are asked to hold our arms straight in front of the body in a horizontal position, it will be a punishment. Why is it so? Because in the horizontal position the area acted upon by gravity increases; in the vertical position the area acted upon by the earth’s gravitational pull is lesser as our arms span a smaller area.
In exactly the same manner, if we sit straight then the area of gravitational pull decreases and it becomes easier to be alert. Body posture also includes the positioning of our hands. The hands should be placed in the lap – one above the other – with the palms facing upwards. Or they should be in the gyaan mudra with the tip of the thumb and first finger joined.
When we meditate, vibrations and auras arise in the body; to contain them the hands should be positioned in the right manner so that energy does not flow out to the earth but remains in the body. This bio-plasmic energy travels; we have to ensure its smooth passage so that we get all the advantage and benefit of the rising energy. Once this energy is experienced in its full force, then you can definitely share it with others: human beings, the earth, air, water and animals.
The posture of the body is very important for proper meditation. In the Gita Sri Krishna says:

With the senses withdrawn from all objects
Spine kept erect and contemplating at the middle of the brows
Concentrate on balanced in and out going breath
Such a person is called a conqueror

Let me explain this in detail. Sri Krishna says that first and foremost a person should take leave of the sensory world for a while and let the sense organs rest. If the eyes yearn to see the world and the tongue to taste – in short, if you are seeking pleasure in smells, tastes, sights and fragrances, if you are engrossed in a futile search for material joys, how will you be motivated to strive for meditation? At least momentarily, for the time being, the senses have to be turned inwards and the spine has to be kept erect at a ninety-degree angle.
Sri Krishna says that all attention has to be brought to the centre of the eyebrows – an area which is also called the ‘third eye’ or Shiva netra. You should then focus on the breath which should be balanced. He says that a person who is able to do so will conquer the senses. Such a person is yatindriya – one whose senses are tamed and whose mind rests in peace and does not wander in search of joy; a person who has attained the right balance in life. Yatindriya is not a person who denies his senses or lives a repressed life, but a person who experiences immense joy from within. He is a person who is free of all slavery and bondage.
By constantly practicing sadhana and dhyana, the urge to seek the Lord’s blissful form can be awakened in the heart
Man is enslaved to woman and woman to man as both are dependent on each other for sexual gratification. But a person who attains inner bliss will communicate at a different level; there can be friendship and understanding, but there is no exploitation in the garb of social relationships.
Man is not the master of his life as he proclaims himself to be – in actuality it is material objects which rule man. I remember a Sufi story:
Once, Sheikh Farid was walking in the outskirts of his village with his followers. They saw a farmer taking his cow for a walk. Farid asked his followers, “Who is the master, the cow or the farmer?” The followers replied, “Definitely it is the farmer, sir.” Baba again asked, “If someone hits the cow and the cow runs, who will follow whom?” All the followers started thinking. Farid went and hushed the cow; it started running towards the fields and the farmer ran after the cow cursing Farid for playing such a prank on him.
Then Farid spoke: “It looked as though man was the master of the beast. But the animal is least bothered about ownership, and in a way it is the cow that is being followed by the man and not the man being followed by the cow.”
Such is the pathetic state of our mind that we have enslaved ourselves to objects, to money, to status and to prestige. But Sri Krishna says that man can become the master of his own world; a human being can become yatindriya by following the rules given by him for meditation. One has to learn to get rid of the shackles; all chains and all bondages are to be broken. Then for the first time in your life you will be able to breathe freely. In another shloka Sri Krishna says: “Anger and tension take leave of such a person and he is satiated once and for all.” For those who taste the nectar of spiritual wisdom, this becomes an experience and does not remain a scholarly discourse.
As I have mentioned earlier, in ancient times two stones were rubbed together to generate sparks to light a fire for a yagna. Similarly, by constantly practicing sadhana and dhyana, the urge to seek the Lord’s blissful form can be awakened in the heart.
You have probably heard innumerable discourses on dhyana and yet you have not been successful in understanding their essence. Why? It is because you lack the practical experience of meditation. Many may have a mantra which they repeat mechanically while telling the beads of a rosary. But have you achieved single-minded concentration? Or is meditation a mere formality, a chore that must be performed to satisfy the conscience?
Knowledge is established firmly only by experience and not when it is based on hearsay. For instance, there is a general superstition that prevails about solar eclipses. People confine themselves to the four walls of their homes with the curtains drawn, so that even the rays of the sun do not enter and harm them. The period of the eclipse is considered very inauspicious, but a student of science knows that there isn’t an iota of truth in this blind superstition. When a solar eclipse occurred recently, crowds collected at places like Neem Ka Thana, Bharatpur and Calcutta, to observe the phenomena through special dark glasses. Slowly awareness and understanding has grown in the general populace that it is the shadow of the moon that falls on the sun and partially veils it.

Tulsidas says in a verse:

Until I see it with my own eyes
I will not believe the words of my dearest guru

Without seeing with my own eyes, how am I to have faith in my guru’s words? Not that Tulsidas was an atheist or a non-believer, rather he was a devotee – a bhakt of Sri Rama. Although a truly conservative person, even he says that his belief can not be based on mere words. Without experiencing something for himself, he could not accept it for what it was. We value our shastras, our ancient textures, the Gurbani and the Gita, but why not experience the message contained in them and know the truth for ourselves? I call upon all who want to tread this path; belief in the scriptures is not essential.
You are aware that the mind is always on the move, never still for even a moment. It is like a mad monkey that jumps restlessly from one branch to another. So what then is meditation? It is taking the mind to a state where the thoughts are stilled and emptiness prevails. But how does that benefit us? Normally the mind is in a state of turmoil, filled with anger, jealousy, worry, hatred and ill-will. It is continually pulled in different directions resulting in constant restlessness. An unhealthy mind with polluted thoughts invariably leaves its mark on the physical health; stress and pressures of the mind lead to a disease-prone body.
The economically weak class spends most of its waking hours engaged in strenuous labour, thereby having no spare time for unnecessary and unwarranted thoughts. Where diseases like blood pressure and cardiac ailments were once common amongst the well-to-do sections of society, today materialism has entered the fabric of our society to such an extent that every man from a rickshaw puller to an owner of a posh car is in a rat race, thus facing immense stress and suffering from stress-related diseases. Mammon is worshipped openly; money is the new god!
Exhibitionism, possessiveness, attachment and thrill seeking have become the common hobby of this generation. Instant gratification is desired; this generation that belongs to the times of instant noodles and instant coffee can’t wait to experience happiness in the future; they want everything now – be it fame, health, wealth or celebrity status. The hunger for titillation is so strong that morals, ethics and religion have been left to stagnate.
It is only when serious damage is done that people wake up from this blindness. No one is ready to listen; everyone wants to acquire wisdom, but perhaps the harder way and not like you, sitting comfortably in your seats and listening to the words of wisdom. I wonder: Are you really listening even now?
Psychosomatic diseases are spreading like bush fire. People can’t sleep well; all six systems of the human body do not work properly. Have you ever felt real hunger? Today people feel like eating when they watch food commercials or see billboards of food advertisements. They get hungry when they see advertisements of burgers and pizzas on the television – a false hunger takes over and they call for home delivery. When you eat because of false hunger, how will your stomach digest the food? It will simply rot in your intestines and will lead to various diseases. And when stomach ailments affect you, then you need medicines for indigestion, constipation, ulcer and acidity! When a sedentary life style complements a high stress job, insomnia is the result! And sales of sedatives rise!
Today’s is a cola, coffee, fast food generation. The result is: rash, brash and trash – diseases of mind and body; no deep sleep – often no sleep at all – no real hunger and no real happiness.

Normally the mind is in a state of turmoil, filled with anger, jealousy, worry, hatred and ill-will – leading to disease-prone body.
In meditation, mind moves to a state where the thoughts are stilled and emptiness prevails

Therefore meditation is extremely vital to maintain physical and mental health. Recently a conference was held in the US entitled ‘Medicine of Tomorrow’. Leading cardiologists from Germany, Japan, Canada and America participated in it. I too attended the conference and elaborated on the fact that for a healthy heart, medicine in the form of meditation is a must. Today the medical fraternity completely agrees with the observation that the rise in incidence of cardio-vascular disease is due to unhealthy lifestyles and high levels of stress. Some doctors are themselves victims of these diseases.
Prevention is better than cure. Why not pay attention to this often repeated dictum? Rather than visiting doctors and incurring heavy hospital bills and unwanted worries, take charge of your life and bring a wise discipline into it. Eat right, sleep right, meditate right.
Once a man was admitted to a nursing home after a severe heart attack. A week later when he was discharged, the doctor cautioned the family members against anything that would upset him or cause any sort of excitement as his heart was weak and would not tolerate the stress. Hearing this the patient promptly turned to the doctor, “Sir, then I sincerely request you to refrain from presenting me with the hospital bill as my poor heart will be unable to bear it.”
Keep your heart healthy. The scriptures say that god is in your heart – do not defile it with vices and ill will. Let it be pure.

Sri Krishna says:

O Arjuna! Though I am omnipresent
If you wish to find me, I am always dwelling in your heart!

If you wish to see the Almighty, turn inwards for He is to be found in the depths of your heart. He who resides within should be sought within. The source of ‘I’ is God who is present where you are. What you need to do is to go back deep into the source of your roots.
Meditation is the process of plumbing deep within; it helps us to unburden the mind. The mind becomes free of thought and thus we are able to feel the Lord with heightened perception. One who meditates takes care to follow the master in spirit; in the process of meditation he remains extremely vigilant and alert. One who is on the path of peace cannot be careless, lax or ignorant.
A mind which is a compulsive thinker suffers and spreads suffering to others too. Therefore, for your own benefit and for the benefit of those around, we need to learn the art of mediation, which in other words is the art of managing the mind.

Let us try to understand this in another way. If you are given the choice of running or walking to a particular destination, which would you choose? Obviously walking will be the preferred choice as it involves lesser strain. Then again, between walking and standing the choice would be to stand as it involves still lesser physical strain. Similarly, between standing and sitting it is obvious that sitting would be an easier choice. Between sitting and lying down one would prefer the latter, and if the choice is between just lying down and sleeping one would opt for sleep. And now the last question: Would you prefer sleep or death? Shouldn’t death be more relaxing, more peaceful than sleep? Isn’t it so? But you will mess up your death as you have messed up your life. What does all this teach you? You must understand that happiness increases with decreased activity of the mind!
Happiness increases with decreased activity of the mind!
The lesser the activity of the mind the more integrated and calm it becomes. Just as the body needs time to sleep and relax, the mind too needs time to rest and relax. Although sleep is designed by nature to provide us mental rest, we human beings have polluted our sleep with more of dreams and less of deep sleep; the time of restful sleep has decreased considerably. In an effort to sleep, people toss and turn in bed and as a result they wake up tired. If you cannot sleep deeply, you will lose your sanity within days. Sleep provides natural respite from the constant chain of thoughts; had there been no sleep, the entire human race would have gone mad!
When a person is asleep, the mind is seeped in the slumber of unconsciousness and so you do not really enjoy being asleep. Sleep provides some relief from the madness of the mind. Have you ever wondered why an alcoholic cannot stop drinking, knowing well enough that it is destroying his health and family life? The reason is that the mental relief he gets in drunkard-ness is so alluring that he is deaf to all counseling and advice. Human beings can’t really be pulled away from intoxicants unless and until they learn to experience a state of mind where one is conscious and yet not disturbed because of the mind; when one knows how to manage one’s emotions and feelings with detachment. This can be learnt only through meditation.
When one learns the art of meditation, then one truly understands the art of distancing oneself from the rumblings of the mind. As the mind becomes empty and non-productive, stressful thoughts vanish and the mind becomes determined and focused. It is then our best aide in helping with external interactions and it stops being a nuisance. As awareness grows, a quietude envelopes the mind and calmness simply oozes from every pore of one’s being. Serenity pervades your being and a singular joy is felt deep within.