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Meditation is a practice that can help us embrace the deepest truths and realisations of life. It is a practice that can help us find true happiness and peace. It is a practice that can help us think and act with great clarity and can relieve us of many of the stresses of life. Thus there are a variety of reasons why people take up meditation.<ref??>

Astaunga Yoga

Aśt́auṋga Yoga (also known as Raja Yoga, king of yogas) literally means "eight-limbed yoga". It is a selection of ancient practices of tantra, originally compiled by Patainjali (circa 300 BCE) in his book, The Yoga Sutras of Patainjali.<ref??> The eight steps or limbs of Astaunga Yoga include:

  1. Yama (How a person should behave in relation to society. This includes five sub-branches.)
  2. Niyama (Self-regulated conduct. This also includes five sub-branches.)
  3. Asanas ("a posture easily maintained." These postures are designed to cure any physical or psychic problems that interfere with spiritual practice.)
  4. Pranayama (Breath control, to help the mind concentrate in meditation.)
  5. Pratyahara (Withdrawing the mind from the external world, as part of meditation.)
  6. Dharana (To concentrate the mind at a particular point.)
  7. Dhyana (Meditation. An unbroken flow of the mind towards the supreme goal.)
  8. Samadhi (A merger or absorption of the individual consciousness into the Cosmic consciousness. In yoga this is considered to be a result of the previous seven limbs.)

Commentary by Anandamurti

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti has revised the system of astaunga yoga to some degree. He notes that the practice of astaunga yoga is the way to fill our individual self with the sense of universal consciousness.<ref??>

Anandamurti notes that these eight limbs are divided into three stages.<ref??>

  1. The first stage helps the mind to become free from material or mundane influences so it can concentrate more on its spiritual goal. This comprises the first four limbs.
  2. The second stage is to make the individual conscious of their spiritual nature, or as Anandamurti says, to realise that "I am not this body." This stage includes the next two limbs of astaunga yoga.
  3. The final stage is when one merges or unites their individual identity with that of the Cosmic Consciousness.

Meditation systems in Ananda Marga

There are numerous types of meditation. In the Ananda Marga system, as developed by Anandamurti, there are various levels of meditation practice, depending on the needs and qualifications of the person. All meditation lessons are taught by acaryas free of charge to any qualified and interested person. <ref??>

Sahaja Yoga

Sahaja Yoga is the standard meditation system taught in Ananda Marga. It consists of six meditation lessons, using concepts and practices similar to Astaunga Yoga. These are taught step by step over a period of time by the acharyas (the spiritual teachers) of Ananda Marga. As practitioners of this system of yoga are expected to practice asanas, they must also maintain a sentient vegetarian diet. <ref??>

Prarambhika Yoga

Prarambhika Yoga is an elementary form of meditation. It consists of the first two lessons of Sahaj yoga. It is taught to those for whom it is inconvenient to do the more extensive forms of meditation, such as sadharana or sahaja. As there is no requirement for asanas in this system, there are no dietary restrictions. If one’s circumstances change, it is possible to then learn the more advanced practices in the Ananda Marga system. <ref??>

Sadharana Yoga

Sadharana Yoga is an intermediate form of meditation. It is taught to those for whom the more advanced sahaja yoga is inconvenient to practice, or for some other reason they cannot practice sahaja yoga. It does not include all the meditation lessons of sahaja yoga and there is some difference in the way that the lessons are taught in sadharana or sahaja yoga. Asanas are not required in this system and there are no dietary restrictions.<ref??>

Vishesa Yoga

Vishesa Yoga is an advanced form of meditation. It is for those who are adept in the practices of sahaja yoga, who have an ardent desire to learn this higher yoga, and who can afford to devote sufficient time every day for the same. Vishesha yoga can only be taught by the senior acharyas of Ananda Marga who are considered adept in the practice of Vishesha Yoga.<ref??>

References