Mantra Meditation

Meditation is a process of spiritual upliftment and self-realization, which I started few years back. I started with the mantra meditation. What is mantra? The word mantra has two parts: "man," which in Sanskrit means "mind," and "tra," which means "instrument." A mantra is therefore an instrument of the mind, a powerful sound or vibration that one can use to enter a deep state of meditation. Silently repeating a mantra as you meditate is a powerful way to enter the silence of the mind. As you repeat the mantra, it creates a mental vibration that allows the mind to experience deeper levels of awareness. The mantra then becomes increasingly abstract and indistinct, until you're finally led into the field of pure consciousness from which the vibration arose—your spirit.

 I was told by my guru to meditate early mornings, as they are quiet and refreshing. I was told to sit in ardha padmasana(type of posture in which you sit with folded legs) with back straight. Sitting in this posture for long time was tough initially. I closed my eyes and repeated the mantra. While I was repeating the mantra, I was experiencing thoughts running through my mind and I was not able to concentrate on the mantra. I tried controlling my mind to stop thoughts creeping in. I realized that we are at the mercy of our mind. Our mind controls us completely. The more I did not want to think about it, the more I kept thinking. I was not able to concentrate. The train of thoughts did not end. One thought lead to another. I sat for a long time trying to clear my mind, but to no avail. After having gone through this process a number of times, I observed that I was thinking as well as repeating the mantra at the same time. After few days, I was able to concentrate on the mantra without any distractions and my mind experienced stillness.

One important thing to note from this experience is that, we have to be observant of every thought, feelings that come across without getting caught in the complexities and become aware of it. Do not suppress them and let the thoughts flow through your mind and experience the journey they take you on.  Thoughts and worries gradually give way to the calmer mind. Relaxation comes naturally. I was able to attain those very few seconds of emptiness. Regular practice helps to increase the time of emptiness. This emptiness or thoughtlessness is called as  dhyaan (meditation). 


Reference/Source-http://sufficientlygrounded.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/blue_star_meditation.jpg
http://www.chopra.com/ccl-meditation/21dmc/mantra.html