Meditation and Self Hypnosis

Meditation to understand ourselves, takes us to a different level. This is where it gets to be personalized. Human temperaments are different, and while all are necessary to accomplish any task, each individual has a leaning ranging from a trusting devotion, to analytical, to those who want to jump right into something and experience it themselves.

Thus, one with a leaning towards an intellectual analysis will find oneself attracted to techniques that offer food for such a mind. Others, who are more faith /devotion oriented, may wonder at someone’s need for constant queries!

Thankfully, in our eastern philosophical system, (Sanatan Dharm in particular) all these temperaments are honored and Gurus have presented methods to suit all degrees of awareness. There are many kinds of meditations, each one a prelude to the next step, each one enhancing the other. Here is a brief introduction to the different kinds.

There are two broad categories – Passive and Active meditation. Passive methods are those that take us into the silence. . Examples of passive ones are mantra meditation, yantra (picture or mandala or geometric pattern) meditation, or Breath meditation.

 Active ones are those that utilize the silence to trigger creation. Examples of active ones are visualization, and others that actively instigate changes.

A third kind of meditation is in Buddhist traditions, and within our own yoga tradition in some ways is  Present Moment (Mindfulness) meditation, whose focus is to learn to be very in accord with the present moment.

Therefore, if you are focusing on the present moment when you drive, or ride a rickshaw, or in fact when washing dishes, yes, you are doing a form of meditation. Whenever you can be in total experience of the current moment, you have dipped into the vat of bliss, one soak at a time. This it will lead you to your next step.