The Aim of Practicing Meditation in Yoga

The Aim of Practicing Meditation in Yoga

In yoga, the aim of practicing meditation is to awaken the dormant areas of the brain. Initially meditation brings peace and calm to your life.  But perseverance and dedicated practice will lead to a deep sense of selfawareness, super-conscious and a super-human state of illumination and enlightenment.

The concentration techniques of Yoga are aimed at purifying and preparing the mind for the higher stages of meditation attained through other forms of yoga.

You have within yourself tremendous powers and latent faculties of which you have never really had any conception. If want to you awaken these dormant powers and faculties you must practice Yoga for many years, in order for sushumna nadi to flow.  You must develop your will and control your senses and mind. You must purify your whole being and practice regular meditation.

Meditation begins with the withdrawal and emancipation of the mind from the control of the senses. This is known as pratyahara - withdrawal of the senses.  The next stage is concentration exercises known as dharana.  Concentration is holding the mind on to a particular object for a defined length of time.  Concentration merges into meditation.  This stage is called dhyana.  Meditation is the unbroken flow of thought of the object. 

During meditation all worldly thoughts are shut out from the mind. With regular practice the layers of the mind are peeled away, allowing you to discover for yourself deeper realms of consciousness, transcending the mental and physical worlds.  These techniques take you to the inner most recesses of the soul.  The fruit of meditation is pure consciousness and complete absorption with the Divine.