We will begin with breathing through one nostril first –

Five rounds.

Breathing in and breathing out is one round.

Then five rounds through the other nostril.

Then five rounds of alternate breathing.

This is to balance both the sides of your being –

To harmonise and integrate your being.

 

Close one nostril with either your thumb or your finger.

Breathe five rounds through the open nostril.

The breathing should be strong, long and deep.

First one side, then the other,

And finally the alternate breathing –

Breathing in one side,

Breathing out from the other side,

Breathing in from the other and breathing out from the first.

This would be one complete alternate breathing.

 

Now, firstly, you breathe in from one side,

And breathe out from the same side.

Keep your attention on the breath.

 

Long breath,

It should be deep,

It should be strong enough –

To keep you energized,

To keep you centered.

You should be able to hear it.

 

So five rounds first –

Say with the left nostril,

Then five rounds with the right nostril open,

And then five rounds alternating:

Breathing in one side, let’s say the right,

Then breathing out from the other, the left,

Then breathing in from the other, the left,

And breathing out from the right.

This is one complete alternate breathing.

 

Keep your head straight and upright.

 

You are relaxed –

You are relaxing.

You are watching the breath,

You are being with the breath,

You are hearing the breath,

Your attention is all with the breath.

 

Breathe in, breathe out,

Rhythmic breathing.

Long, deep, strong breath.

First one side,

Then the other.

Then alternate.

 

Then breathing with both nostrils.

You breathe in, breathe out,

To help you to center yourself.

You continue with the breathing,

It helps you to draw yourself in.

 

Thoughts come up –

Whatever that comes up,

Allow them to pass,

Stand behind inside,

Watch over them,

Keep letting them go.

 

Breathe in, breathe out,

Fill up completely,

Empty out completely.

Long breath, deep breath, strong breath.

It should be strong enough to keep you energized.

You should be able to hear it.

 

Through the breathing to center yourself,

To arrive to a quietness in yourself;

Through being quiet reach to meditation.

 

Feel for the quietness, inner quietness,

Through the help of the breathing.

Thoughts come up,

Stand behind,

Watch over them,

Allow them to pass,

Keep letting them go,

They are no concern of yours.

 

Breathe in, breathe out.

Through the breathing to come to a stillness in yourself –

To come to a stop in yourself.

Stay with the stop,

Reach to meditation.

Keep with the breathing,

It will help you to stay centered,

It will keep you energized.

If thoughts carry you away,

Be aware of that through the breathing,

Remain centered in yourself.

 

To arrive at meditation,

You have to first arrive at a quietness in yourself,

To arrive at being centered in yourself.

And the breathing will help you do that.

So use the breathing.

 

You have to shift the focus of your attention,

From thoughts to your breath.

The thoughts have the tendency to suck you into them –

To draw you away.

And so we practice,

With the help of the breathing –

To shift the focus,

To shift the attention,

To the breathing first,

And then from the breath to yourself,

Centered in yourself,

To be centered in yourself,

To arrive to a quietness in yourself.

 

And if there are thoughts,

Or whatever that comes up,

Stand behind,

Watch over them,

Allow them to pass,

Keep letting them go.

You have to consciously apply yourself.

In that way you participate consciously –

In your meditation.

 

So breathe in, breathe out,

Fill up completely,

Empty out completely.

Long breath, deep breath, strong breath.

 

We will chant for ten minutes.

Take a deep breath each time before you chant.

At the end of each round of chanting,

Empty out of breath completely.

This helps you to stay centered –

It helps you to stay with the chanting.

 

Chanting:

 

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamoso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

 

From the unreal, the untrue lead me to the real, to the true,

From incompleteness lead me to completeness.

From darkness lead me to light, to illumination,

From ignorance lead me to wisdom.

From death lead me to immortality.

 

Feel the chant, feel the prayer.

Bring your heart into play.

 

Now for a few moments let the chant happen within,

And then let go of the chant.

Use the breathing to stay with yourself.

 

Breathe in, breathe out,

Fill up completely,

Empty out completely.

 

Long breath, longer the better,

Deep breath, strong breath.

 

Long breath, longer the better,

Deep breath, strong breath.

 

Stay with the breathing,

Through the breathing stay with yourself.

If thoughts come up,

Stand behind,

Allow them to pass,

Keep letting them go.

 

Stay with the breathing,

And through the breathing stay with yourself.

Thoughts come up,

Allow them to pass.

They are outside you.

Through the help of the breathing,

Stay within yourself.

If you keep the breathing strong enough,

It will keep you energized,

It will keep you centered,

It will help you to stay centered in yourself.

 

As you advance in your practice,

You will feel the tightening of the breath.

So keep with the breathing.

And that tightening is good.

Because of that tightening of the breath,

Everything will come to a stop in yourself.

This is Kumbhak in Yogic parlance.

Stay with the stop,

Reach to meditation.

 

As you breathe in, breathe out,

Keep yourself relaxed.

Allow yourself to relax.

It will draw you in,

It will bring you to a stop in yourself.

Stay with the stop,

Reach to meditation.

 

Whatever that comes up –

Thoughts come up,

Stand behind,

Allow them to pass,

Watch over them,

Keep letting them go.

You are a witness.

Everything – sounds, even thoughts, etc,

They are outside you,

They are all outside you.

 

With the help of the breathing

You draw yourself in, consciously.

Allow it to happen.

The rhythm of the breath is the rhythm of your life.

As you breathe, so you live.

 

When through the help of the breathing,

You arrive at quietness – Stay with it.

That quietness will bring a smile on your face.

Meditation is all about settling in yourself,

To arrive at a stillness in yourself.

And to stay with the stillness,

And to stay in meditation.

 

Keep to the breathing,

Through the breathing,

Keep to yourself.

 

We will chant again.

Take a deep breath each time before you chant.

At the end of each round of chanting,

Empty out of breath completely.

 

Chanting:

 

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamoso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

 

Few moments of chanting within,

Helping you to draw yourself in.

Then after a while to let go of the chant.

Through the help of the breathing,

To remain centered in yourself.

 

Breathe in, breathe out,

Fill up completely,

Empty out completely.

Through the breathing,

Stay centered in yourself.

You are relaxed,

Allow yourself to be drawn in.

 

You are quiet and you are in meditation.

Feel for the quietness, in yourself.

Thoughts come up,

Whatever that comes up,

Stand behind,

Watch over them,

Allow them to pass,

Keep letting them go.

 

Keep to the breathing,

Through the breathing keep to yourself.

Reach to Meditation.

 

Pushkar

27 December 2004