Meditation and Relaxation

Meditation is an invaluable and proven science to optimize health and elevate the quality of one’s life. It not only promotes physical health, but also markedly improves emotional balance and psychological wellbeing. There are many types of meditation and in this article we will explore the popular and powerful Concentration Meditation Technique.

Concentration Meditation Techniques:

These are probably the most common and well know of all the meditations and often meditation is defined by these kinds of meditations exclusively. They are closely related to the Insight Meditation Techniques, with the difference being that Insight Meditation Techniques utilize the active application of intelligence and discernment, while the Concentration Meditation techniques use the power of focused attention to a greater degree. To some extent these meditations lay the groundwork for the Insight Meditations which need a high degree of concentration as a prerequisite to being effective.

1. Breath Meditation Technique (Zazen):

The heart of Zen Meditation is Zazen, the meditation of the Buddha. In this meditation, awareness and concentration are brought to the breathing process to help build mastery over the mind and free the system from dualistic thinking.

To practice Zazen one takes a seated posture and then begins to count the flow of one’s breath. Counting each inhalation and exhalation starting from one to ten. So, an inhalation is one, the next exhalation is two, and so forth. When one reaches the count of ten, one returns to one and starts counting again. This helps focus the mind and prevents it from drifting endlessly from one thought to another.

As one develops one’s ability to count undistracted from one to ten, one starts to count each breath cycle, instead of the inhalation and exhalation separately. So now one counts an inhalation and exhalation as one, the next complete breath as two and so forth till one reaches ten. After reaching ten, one returns to one and repeats the meditation.

In the advanced form of Zazen, one simply becomes the breath. In this form counting is dropped altogether and only keen awareness of the breath is maintained. One should not progress to this level until one has mastered the previous two.

Zazen breath meditation helps develop the power of focused concentration and creates a serene, peaceful mind capable of penetrating the veil of dualistic thinking.

2. Another breath based meditation is Vipassana:

In Vipassana one extends one’s awareness from one’s breath, to the body and the sensations that rise and fall within it. The objective being to have insight into the workings of the mind through self-observation. This form of meditation is also called Insight Meditation as it helps one develop insight into the true nature of things.

3. Object Concentration Meditation Technique:

There are many meditations that utilize an external object as a focus point for the mind. Zazen and Vipassana belong in this sections as well, but due to their widespread use I mentioned them separately.

The objects of focus can be anything from a point on the ceiling, to a flower, to external sounds in the environment. These meditations all develop focus, concentration, self knowledge, calmness and the witnessing consciousness. Their ultimate objective, though, is to have the meditator finally drop the object of concentration and encounter the non-dual nature of Reality directly.

Some examples of these meditations are Sound Awareness Meditation Technique and candle flame gazing (Trataka). Both these meditation utilize the sense modalities to accomplish the goals of concentration meditation.

Summary:

So you see from above that there are many types of concentration meditation techniques. This allows one to choose a type that is most suitable for their personality and disposition. The best way to discover the enormous benefits of meditation is to jump in and participate. What are you waiting for?

Anmol Mehta is a Yoga & Zen Expert. His site, Free Guided Meditation & Chakra Kundalini Yoga Exercises, offers Free Third Eye Chakra Yoga Meditation. You will also find great discussions on Free Guided Meditation Practice, Kundalini Yoga Poses & Zen Meditation Blog.

Those who do real meditation increase their joy, even if they live in most trying circumstances.
We utilize a meditation technique based on the process of deep, analytical thinking on a seed thought. Through proper meditation, a person will be able to expand his consciousness slowly and safely. Meditation helps us understand the mysteries of life. Meditation, in essence, is the path of contact with our soul.

Meditation is the process of learning to clear the mind and emotions of automatic reactions and replace them with clear thinking and observation in the light of the soul. Those who learn to do real meditation increase their joy and creative living even if they live in life’s most trying circumstances.

We utilise the meditation discipline known as seed thought meditation. In this method, the student prepares himself by the purification of his environment and his bodies, attains a quiet emotional body, a serene and focused mind, and then, the student will think about a given seed thought. This thinking process will be simple at first, and slowly will deepen and expand commensurate with the expansion of his mental mechanism. In this process, the person learns to observe a tangible or intangible aspects of life from various persectives. In so doing, the person learns how to see life in a larger perspective.

Our meditation lessons are based on the teachings of the Ancient Sage Patanjali. Torkom practiced this method and based his courses on how he learned to meditate. He meditated continuously throughout his life. As a result, he had boundless creativity and energy and his life and works are a testament to his ability to focus and think clearly.

Our meditation lessons are based on the courses taught by Torkom Saraydarian. He meditated continuously throughout his life. As a result, he had boundless creativity and energy. His training was based on the solid instructions given for meditation and expansion thousands of years ago by the Great Teacher Patanjali. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, instructions are given that are still valid today. See for example A. A. Bailey’s magnificent commentary on the Sutras titled The Light of the Soul.

The courses that were designed by Torkom have benefited thousands of students all over the world. These are still in use today. New courses have been added and continue to be added based on the same tradition.

The meditations taught at The Torkom Saraydarian University follow this ancient tradition. The courses are based on the concept of seed thought meditation. In this method, the student prepares himself by the purification of his environment and his bodies, attains a quiet emotional body, a serene and focused mind, and then, after saying various mantrams, the student will think about a given seed thought. This thinking process will be simple at first, and slowly will deepen and expand commensurate with the expansion of his mental mechanism.

Below are a few excerpts from Torkom Saraydarian on the subject of meditation. You can also read the entire first chapter of The Science of Meditation, “What is Meditation”.

“Meditation in the New Age is creative thinking through the light of the Intuition and in conformity with the Divine Plan. In the New Age, meditation will involve not only the mystical efforts of humanity, but it will involve, as well, the political, educational, philosophic, artistic, scientific, religious, and economic fields. It will create harmony within and between all these fields under the rhythm of the Divine Plan, of the Divine Will. Thus, meditation will be not only to gain insight, to contact great powers, to have inspiration and joy but also to bring them down to practical life, to transform our life on all levels, healing the wounds of humanity, building bridges and revealing the unity, the synthesis behind all creation.”

The Science of Meditation, p. 19

“The purpose of meditation is to annihilate hindrances on the path of this expansion and to make you more aware of your Cosmic relationships and your Cosmic destiny. Meditation leads you into freedom, and instead of being the slave of your egocentric viewpoints and cravings, you become a part or even one with the Cosmic viewpoint. Thus you help to end the misery of all former civilizations which grew out of human tears, sufferings, pain, and blood.”

The Science of Meditation, p. 20

“Meditation is a process of harmonisation and attunement with the purpose of the incoming energies form the higher realms and from outer space. Our civilization and culture are the result of our responses and reaction to the incoming energies. These energies may hinder our progress toward liberation if we are not ready to assimilate and translate them through our life and consciousness, or they may stimulate and release our inner glory if we are able to respond to these energies in pure compassion and in active service to our fellow men.

“Meditation prepares us to become sensitive to these incoming energies. It enables us to be charged with them and to translate them in the form of light, love, and will-to-good. This is how a new age man is born, a man who is in tune with the purpose of the incoming energies and with the highest aspirations of humanity.”

The Science of Meditation, p. 20

“It is a fact that negative emotions wear out our body, and worries separative and selfish thinking cloud our minds. Meditation releases light upon these three levels, and we start to regenerate our vehicles and radiate vitality, peace, and serenity. Meditation makes you more able in your daily duties and works because it increases your right judgment, sharpens your power of observation, increases your control over your body, quickens your actions and makes them more accurate.

“Meditation gradually cleans you of your glamors to such a degree that you are no longer the slave of your emotions and their effects. Because of this you do not leak energy, you waste no time, and you do your work better and in shorter time.”

The Science of Meditation, by Torkom Saraydarian p. 21

by Gita Saraydarian

Gita Saraydarian is the Founder and President of TSG Foundation, and TSG University. She is the daughter of Torkom Saraydarian. Gita is a teacher and lecturer on the Ageless Wisdom Teachings and has established a worldwide audience as a creative educator for progressive ideas, transformation, and goodwill. TSG has offices in

London, Peru, Germany and USA

Gita writes a popular blog on diverse topics showing how to understand contemporary life issues through the application of the Wisdom Teachings.
Read more about Gita

The Power of Concentration Meditation Technique

About Meditation By Gita Saraydarian