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Meditation in Action – The Power of Karma Yoga

Karma is the pattern of one’s individuality and the knowledge that one experiences in life. As well as this it is the action performed by the senses, intellect and thoughts in order to enjoy the material world. So karma translates as action, something that everybody performs. Our senses, brain, mind, and bodily functions all perform actions. Our environment is in a state of action. Our complete lives are a process of action. When the word Karma is combined with the word Yoga it means any action that is performed with meditative awareness. It is therefore known as the yoga of dynamic meditation, harmony in action.

Normally, when we are performing an action we associate some kind of expectation with it. This expectation, when fulfilled, gives rise to another expectation, action and so on. Almost every single action that we perform we are doing to fulfil an expectation. Even when we practice yoga we are expecting something good and nice to happen to us. Most people can not even get their heads around doing an action without any expectation. It is said in yoga that if one can perform an action without expectation and with perfection, that person is a yogi.

Karma yoga is about the awareness of the action. We should be aware of each and every action and related expectation. There should be awareness that the goal may or may not be attained and there should be detachment from the expectation. If the goal is attained, think very nice, if the goal is not attained, again, very nice. Instead of trying to ignore the expectation we instead need to recognize that the expectation is there and then detach from the involvement surrounding that expectation. We have to detach from the influence and attraction of that expectation. By doing this the creativity will manifest and this can be offered as a service to humanity and divinity. To practice action without expectations we have to observe the ego. Swami Niranjanananda says that the elimination of the ego takes place with karma yoga. He says, “One kind of action moves, motivates and inspires the world, another is only for self-indulgence.” Almost everything we do involves the ego and desire. To experience egoless action we have to use our intellect and analyse our experiences and situations, we have to find a point where we are acting without the ego. Both the surface and the subtle reactions need to be observed for this. It is not the actions that are considered important but the frame of mind associated with the action, the attitude. This change in attitude is what creates the change within.

It is said that karma yoga is the fastest way to evolve. It is a very effective way for experiencing the true self. When it is combined with other forms of yoga and the awareness of the actions is evolving, then it causes purification. This state of purification and harmony is very difficult through the other types of yoga and it takes a much longer time to get the same level of purification.

It is said that there are two types of work, what you do for yourself and what you do for others. There should be a balance in life and fifty-fifty is a good figure to aim for, eventually the ideal is that we practice yoga 24 hours a day, using our actions as a means of gaining higher awareness. Every act can be transformed into an act of yoga if it is practiced without selfish intentions, with complete concentration and with awareness. That is true meditation in action.

Kundalini Yoga – Science of Energy

Kundalini is the buzz word and the latest craze around the world at the moment. All kinds of Kundalini Yoga classes and workshops are popping up all over the place with a variety of different ways to “awaken your hidden potential.” Many, and I think I can say here, most, are for profit.

Kundalini yoga comes from the Tantras. It is said in Tantra that there is mental experience based on objects, through the senses. Experience can be within a framework of object, time and space. However there can also be experience beyond this framework. This type of experience happens when the mind expands beyond its given definitions and borders and it causes energy to be released. It is known by many terms – samadhi, nirvana, self-realisation etc.

It is known in many cultures that there is a potential force within the body and mind, it is called Kundalini. It is a dormant energy, seated at Mooladhara chakra and symbolised as a 3 ½ coiled serpent. When awakened it leads to the expansion of the mind, beyond all that we know. It changes the quality of awareness, experience, intellect and of the mind. It awakens our potential, our hidden qualities and abilities. A little bit hard to comprehend for most people. We know there is a lot more to us than what we see. We know that we only use a very small segment of our brain, less than 10%, only a tiny bit of our potential. Looking at it in this perspective, imagine if we were to use 15%, 30% or even more. Imagine what could be accomplished. So far science has not been able to help us out here.

When we want to follow the path of Kundalini yoga we must follow a strict and gradual process. If not we may cause much harm to ourselves, both physically and mentally. Many people try to rush the process through other means and this can lead to permanent problems. The path is not to be taken lightly, and though, Kundalini awakening may be out of the reach of most, there are many other positive aspects of these practices. This path of yoga uses asanas, pranayama, kriya yoga and meditation with the focus on cleansing and purifying the chakras, which help to evolve our personality.

A chakra is a wheel, circle, or vortex of energy. They are the main energy points of the body and are the switches for distribution to other areas. There are many chakras but six of them are most important. They are Mooladhara, Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddhi and Ajna.

Mooladhara is the first chakra, where man goes from animal consciousness and begins the human world. It is the last chakra of the animal evolution, the beginning of human spiritual evolution. It governs the basic emotions of fear, security, courage and survival instincts, as well as the sexual and excretory functions.

Swadishstana is the second chakra and relates to the reproductive organs, joy, happiness, pleasure and sexual desire.

Manipura is the third chakra and relates to power, action, willpower, self-esteem, vitality and ego. It governs the digestive system.

Anahata is the fourth chakra and relates to compassion and indiscriminate love. It governs the heart, lungs, circulation and respiration.

Vishuddhi is the fifth chakra and is the communication centre as well as purification. It governs the throat, vocal chords, thyroid and neck region.

Ajna is the sixth and most important chakra. It is said that Ajna has control over all the functions of a person’s life. It is the command centre of the mind, the opening or access point. It relates to the intellect, intuition, wisdom, psychic abilities and the central nervous system.

Many techniques are used to help awaken and purify these chakras. Only when the chakras are ready will it be possible for the Kundalini to arise. We will not go into detail about yogic techniques used in the chakras and Kundalini yoga as it is a very big topic and the practice of these techniques should be done in a very systematic and balanced way. Though it should be mentioned that what is used most are asanas, mantras and various types of meditation, as well as pranayama and kriya yoga techniques.

Kundalini Yoga is a very much sought after, but much misunderstood practice. The aim is to awaken the kundalini shakti, the dormant energy, but in the process it helps to balance the mind, body and spirit. So even if we are not trying to achieve that final aim we can still reap the many benefits of this practice.

Mouna – Yoga of Silence

The word mouna, or silence, is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘mun’ which means to measure. It is said that silence is god, power, the living force, the only reality, the soul, peace, strength, goal, aim and purpose of our existence.

The system of mouna is not only to stop talking but to have better control over the expressions of the senses. The purpose of mouna is to measure and observe the input and output of the senses as a way to obtain inner silence. There are different types of silence. Some maintain silence but speak when needed. At this time the speech is controlled. Some don’t speak but use paper to write and also use gestures to communicate. Some don’t write or even have eye contact, they completely avoid communication between others. Through the practice of mouna, in whatever form, we ideally want to achieve mouna of the mind. Prana is the vital energy force which sustains life. It is used with thinking, speaking and acting. In yoga we try to control the prana, reduce the wastage of prana and try to channelize it for more spiritual purposes. It is said that if you waste your prana and use if unnecessarily you will finish your life more quickly. Therefore the prana needs to be preserved. By gaining control over the speech we can control the output of prana and achieve balance and inner silence.

Speaking is one of the major expressions of the human personality and it is part of human nature. If we cut off this sensory experience then the mind has to find other ways to express its energy. When you are interacting with people it is difficult to study yourself as you are being extrovert and focusing on them. If you are alone for an hour or more, even half an hour for the very busy person, you can gradually begin to observe and understand the functioning and patterns of the mind, which leads to self analysis and contemplation. You become more introverted and aware of your thoughts, desires, emotions, and so on. It is said that through the practice of silence on can develop the attitude of a seer, or one who observes everything.

Through silence we can get more physical and mental work done. The brain and nerves are soothed and meditation becomes easier. Silence develops will power, strengthens resolves, gives peace of mind, makes it easier to speak the truth and gives control over the speech. It helps to control anger, irritability and the emotions. It is also useful for physical and mental healing. It brings serenity, calmness and leads to inner spiritual strength.

It is recommended that we should spend one week a year in complete solitude, staying in one place, not interacting with anybody and living a simple life. Many people who live in monasteries lead this kind of life, though the common person can also try and practice this yearly.

But practicing silence doesn’t mean we should do it only once a year. It should be part of our daily life – silence, and restrain on the speech. You will notice that even just with restraining the speech there are many benefits. Silence is best practiced at certain times of the day, an hour or more is ideal. If practiced at a certain time it will prevent others, such as family members and friends, interacting with you at those times. It will give regularity and increase your willpower and inner strength. When maintaining silence it is best to either do your work or ideally, asana, pranayam, meditation, mantras, reading of spiritual books etc. The best times to practice mouna are in the early hours of the morning and at night time, and these are also the best times for yogic practices.

To start there will be difficulty, don’t be hard on yourself, don’t keep thinking to yourself, “I won’t talk,” as it will cause inner distress. Many things will come up to try and break the silence, but slowly the desire will go and your energies will become focused. Slowly increase the time spent in mouna. If you force yourself not to speak, especially for a long time, it can lead to outbursts in other ways, which wastes more energy than when you were talking. It will lead to restlessness and distress. Mouna should come naturally and never be forced.

In daily life bring discipline to your speech. Avoid long talks and unnecessary talk. If you talk a lot and then practice silence thinking that you will balance it the benefits will not be there. There should be continual discipline of the speech, every word and the use of your words should be observed carefully. It must become part of the daily life.