Where meditation is concerned, I am a purist. I must be; I am a
yogi. That does not mean that there is anything wrong with attending
meditation classes to relieve stress and achieve relaxation. It is simply
that as a practicing yogi, I have to declare the truth; you cannot med
itate from a starting point of stress, or bodily infirmity. Meditation is
the Olympic final for yoga. You cannot turn up half fit. All the pre
ceding stages of yoga have served to train you up to tip-top condition.
Yogic meditation is not a benign somnolence or torpor. It is not
placidity. A cow is placid, without practicing yoga. Meditation is
sattvic-luminous, aware. When it is tinged by placidity or torpor,
tamas (inertia) has tainted it.
Sympathetic wave patterns or vibrations act as mechanical stimuli
to bring the mind under control. I mentioned the calming effects of the
waves of the sea and could add the wind rustling the autumn leaves.
Regular wave patterns from natural sources have a sedative effect upon
the vibrations of the human brain in the same way that if you leave a
lot of pendulum clocks in the same room, the pendulums will all swing
in harmony, though the timing of the swings may differ. Yoga, how
ever, teaches you how to achieve harmony by yourself, without sym
pathetic support. The benevolent somnolence that such devices induce
are useful for reducing stress when you go to the dentist, which is why
they play background music of mountain streams, goats' bells, and
waves on the beach. They are pleasant, soporific, and not meditation.
What most people call meditation is really better thought of as stress
reduction or mindfulness training.
Yoga texts do suggest objects such as beautiful flowers or a divine
image as aids to meditation. Yoga also stresses that internal objects of
concentration are superior as they carry the attention inward toward
the soul. There are various points in the body that are recommended
for this, from the tip of the nose inward.
What I suggest is concentration on the breath. Nothing penetrates
deeper than breath or is more pervasive. Immt·diately you will ohjc�:t
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