Consciousness in Meditation

In meditating we aim for a harmonious flow of thought awareness rather than erratic statements of thoughts and ideas without a common thread. In meditation one's self consciousness of thought changes to a state beyond the process of thinking to a state of higher awareness or state of being.

We learn to build a bridge between the differing realities of the material and spiritual states of awareness. In states of relaxation and meditation, these two worlds tend to blend. Ultimately they will become one to the extent that they will no longer seem isolated one from the other, but will unite to create the integration which has inspired the name of Yoga.

Through meditation we learn to manage the mind and its resources and faculties; to cultivate the best of our capacities for creative thought and ideas; to inhibit the growth of negative elements intruding from inside or without; to establish a simple philosophy to give us confidence in the values we choose to live our life by; to grow in understanding of the deeper purposes of life; to respect nature and to experience for ourselves the reality of the greatest intelligence that directs all natural processes - the Universal fountain of power and Consciousness we call God.

In relaxation practice we learn to trust and surrender ourselves to life. Meditation begins with self knowledge and an ability to extend consciousness beyond the usual limitations of the body and the material world in which we live. We identify with our enduring soul and thence if we choose, to also trust and surrender our soul and its limitations, to a greater life that will energise and refresh our whole psyche before returning to everyday consciousness and our life of action.

To maintain a state of inter-connection between the higher regions and lower consciousness ensures the 'magical' capacity of the mind is free to function. Once regular practices become routine and this is not difficult as we learn to enjoy the experiences within our inner 'place of peace', we can expect to experience many interesting and even exciting new states of consciousness. We can entertain moments of realization of truths or conceive wonderful new ideas that can occur as a spontaneous happening, or in moments of inspiration. Although many share similar types of experience, we should not hold any preconceived ideas as each of us is different and our inner experiences are unique to us.

When we awaken in the morning we are connecting again with the material world after a sojourn in the unconscious state of sleep where our minds are free to indulge in many hours of existence but in dimensions usually beyond our capacity to remember. When we willingly and usually eagerly surrender our daily mind to sleep we release our memory from the mundane and for many hours seem to depart this material world. But in fact we as individual entities maintain consciousness of some kind whether subconscious, unconscious or in the extended dimensions of the superconsciousness that exists beyond material work, daily routines and family responsibilities.

There remain many questions yet to be answered as we explore human consciousness with our aim not only to be aware of the different spheres of our nature and awareness but to integrate all the aspects of our being. In this we are aided by meditation.

Sally Janssen is a writer, health educator and Yoga teacher well knowniboth in Australia and abroad for her skill in demonstration of the Hatha Yoga practices and her wisdom in applying the principles of Raja Yoga -the study of the mind and consciousness. More details at http://www.essence-of-yoga.net

Her book Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-help Guide explains the principles of mental fitness that can be applied by us all. The book may be found here: http://www.mentalhealthandfitness.com/blog.