Meditation Therapy - Part I

Meditation and exercises are meant to keep a person healthy and are primarily preventive measures. People have used them in every age in every society. Exercises are more familiar and have now become an integral part of a healthy life style. The advances in technology have made different types of exercises more convenient and easily accessible to meet the varying needs of people in different walks of life. Meditation on the other hand is not as common largely because it deals with the body at a different level. For this reason technology has not had any impact on it; science has not made enough progress to deal effectively with the body beyond the physiological level. But meditation can be as effective as exercises. As with exercises meditation can be practiced at different levels. An athlete preparing for a competition does exercises with a different degree of intensity compared to a person whose aim is to keep in normal health. Similarly a person does meditation following different techniques depending on the goal he is pursuing. There are some exercises which are an aid to meditation and at some point these exercises blend with meditation. It is this blending that makes the two effective in preventing and curing physiological disorders.

We are all familiar with physical therapy as a part of modern medical practice; it involves physical exercises. Meditation becomes effective as a therapy much the same way but it brings in the mind to act on the body in order to resolve the physiological problems; meditation exercises the mind and then the mind exercises the body. Different forms of meditation use different techniques but the basic premise of meditation therapy is the same - using the power of the mind to heal the body.

The meditation technique and the exercises described here are those that I have practiced for years. This is by no means an attempt to teach meditation or yoga exercises; it is simply a description of my own experiences in normal daily life in which bodily afflictions are inevitable occurrences and the daily practices have to be modified to meet new requirements. The techniques are described in as simple terms as possible although some key terms are introduced to cover the basic concepts. It is neither possible nor desirable here to go into the details of either the meditation technique or the exercises, since the purpose of the book is to give an account of my experience in dealing with physical disorders. But I do believe that they have played a significant part in the cure and an overview of the techniques may provide a better understanding of their therapeutic role.

Meditation. Meditation means different things to different people both in terms of the process and the goal. However, in general meditation involves the interaction of the mind with the subtle body, and through it, with the gross body. There are several meditation techniques, the one discussed here is based on the Kundalini yoga system. According to this system there are seven major energy centers called chakras in the body, they are located along the spinal column and provide the life sustaining energy to the body. The main energy channel is a nerve (called sushumna) lying within the spinal column. Although the locations of the chakras have a rough correspondence with the major plexuses they are not physiological entities and exist only as parts of the subtle body just like the mind. The word chakra means wheel which in its dynamic state is in circular motion radiating energy outwards. There are seven of these providing energy to and controlling different parts of the gross body.

The first and the lowest is called muladhar chakra, it is located at the base of the spine just above the anus and coincides with the sacral plexus. Mooladhar means the main base and it is here that the latent divine energy called kundalini resides slumbering like a coiled snake. When awakened it rises through the sushumna to the other chakras providing them the energy. This energy center feeds energy to and controls the genitals and the lower parts of the body. The second energy center is svadhisthan chakra, it is located just above the genitals and corresponds to plexus hypogastricus. The word swadhisthan means ones own abode. From the point of view of gaining immortality through progeny this is the center where a person really exists. It controls the organs of excretion and procreation. The third is called manipur chakra, it is located in the navel region, and corresponds to the solar plexus. Manipur literally means jewel city and this center has a special significance; it is through the navel that the life is sustained before birth and it is here that the vital energy is stored on its downward path from the highest center. This center controls the parts of the body around the navel - lever, stomach, pancreas etc. The fourth center is anahat chakra located in the heart region; the word anahat means that which is not killed and in this sense it is associated with the soul. The physical correspondence of this center is with plexus cardiacus and it controls the heart, the lungs, shoulders and arms. The fifth is vishudha chakra, it is located at the base of the neck and corresponds to plexus larengeus; it controls the neck and the throat. Vishudha means purest of the pure. The sixth energy center is called aagyaa chakra; aagyaa means command and the name simply denotes that this is the command center for the body both gross and subtle. It is located at the top of the spinal column in line with the midpoint between the eyebrows known as trikuti which is often talked of as the chakra itself. The physical correspondence of this center is plexus covernus and it controls the head and the organs therein. The seventh and the highest chakra is sahashrar chakra located at the crown of the head; it corresponds to plexus choroidus. Sahashrar mean thousand petals and is symbolic of the lotus flower that is regarded as the seat of the divine. It is important to remember that all these energy centers lie within the spinal column and the kundalini rises through them elevating the person to the highest state of consciousness.

In the literature of this particular yoga system one often comes across terms such as arising or awakening of the kundalini; these terms refer to its transformation from the dormant to the vibrant state. Many practitioners assert that they have felt distinct sensations during this transformation. However, some people may feel a throbbing sensation just below the skull. It may feel as if some thing is gyrating; sometimes the sensation may be very strong. The only thing I can relate this sensation to is the fact that babies in their first few months have palpitations in this region where the skull is not yet fully formed. But there may be a physiological explanation of this sensation that I am not aware of.

Although the ultimate goal of the practice of kundalini yoga is to attain reality (sat), consciousness (chit) and bliss (aanand), it is also used to condition the physical body to the state of perfect health since the spiritual objectives cannot be attained without a healthy body. By extension the practice is also used as a therapy to correct any disorders in the physical system. Since the mind plays an essential role in the process, for this purpose meditation becomes a process of influencing the physiology of the gross body by a conscious mind working through the energy centers in the subtle body.

A disease occurs when some parts of the body, gross or subtle, malfunction. The seed invariably lies within the body; even when the cause is apparently external the malfunction occurs because the immune system of the body succumbs to the external influence. The proper flow of the vital energy to these parts is somehow disrupted, which must be restored in order to correct the problem. The medical science does it using chemicals or by direct intervention using the knowledge of the anatomy. The meditation technique attempts to restore the flow using the internal resources of the body. The healing process through meditation will be inherently slow and if the disease has gone beyond a certain point it may not have enough time to be effective at all. But that is true for modern medicine as well; it is not an exact science and the outcome is always governed by probabilities.

Healing through meditation is an old concept although the medical profession has only recently given any thought to it. Meditation is not something that was discovered by anyone; it is a product of human experience through the ages, which transcends all religious and cultural divides taking different forms in different regions and times. It is a universal experimental discipline used by man to attain perfection of body and mind. Contrary to the misconception held by many, meditation is not seclusion or withdrawal; it is total awareness of everything happening within and without. It allows one to see the reality and view things as they are, untainted by the projections of ones own conditioning. In meditation the paths are many but the goal is one; in fact as one goes along, the path itself becomes the goal because the journey is endless. One can never reach a point and say, I have arrived. In this context therefore meditation becomes a part of life, the process continues beyond the particular sessions.

When we consider meditation in these general terms, the healing or therapeutic aspect may seem to be a minor side issue. But in a larger sense it is not. A healthy mind requires a healthy body and any physiological malfunction can be hindrance in the path. Even enlightened people can get sick and require the healing power of the mind to assist in removing the obstacle. The healing process involves harnessing this power or awakening of the mind in order to open up hither to hidden channels of ones own energy. In that sense healing is an integral part of meditation. For beginners in particular these ideas may be confusing, even overwhelming. However, learning meditation is like learning anything else. The important thing is to get started and keep the practice simple. Once set on the course the possibilities begin to unfold showing the benefits. In meditation therapy the short-term goals are well defined. With the problem recognized and accepted one should strive to make the positive aspects grow and eventually subdue the negative aspects of the problem.

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What is meditation?

Meditation usually refers to a state in which the body is consciously relaxed and the mind is allowed to become calm and focused. Several major religions include ritual meditation; however, meditation itself need not be a religious or spiritual activity. Most of the more popular systems of meditation are of Eastern origin, though there exists also various forms of Christian, Jewish and Muslim meditation.
Meditation as a form of alternative medicine brings about mental calmness and physical relaxation by suspending the stream of thoughts that normally occupy the mind. Generally performed once or twice a day for approximately 20 minutes at a time, meditation is used to reduce stress, alter hormone levels, and elevate one's mood.
A discipline in which the mind is focused on a single point of reference. Employed since ancient times in various forms by all religions, the practice gained greater notice in the post war US as interest in Zen Buddhism rose. Meditation is now used by many nonreligious adherents as a method of stress reduction; known to lower levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress. Enhances recuperation and improves the body’s resistance to disease.
Meditation is an easy and simple way to balance a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. It is easily learned and has been used as an aid in treating stress, anxiety, pain management, and as part of an overall treatment for other conditions including hypertension and heart disease. Research shows that meditation decreases the heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen consumption, and even decreases blood pressure.