Novak - How to meditate: a step-by-step guide to the art and science of meditation

Jyotish Novak is a close friend and student of Swami Kriyananda, direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda. In 1968, Swami Kriyananda founded Ananda World-Brotherhood Village near Nevada City, California. Jyotish is a founding member of this yogic community, which is one of the most successful intentional communities in the world. He is also, along with his wife Devi, the Spiritual Director for Ananda Worldwide. As head of the Ananda Monastic Order, he offers spiritual guidance to hundreds of dedicated seekers in the various Ananda communities around the world. An inspiring teacher, he has spoken throughout the United States and Europe on spiritual subjects and yogic concepts. He is the author of several books on meditation and related subjects.

Jyotish and his wife live in Ananda World-Brotherhood Village.

I have taught and practiced this wonderful science for over forty years, and have been able to observe the effects of meditation (especially the advanced technique of Kriya Yoga) on many of hundreds of friends and students. During most of that time I have lived in Ananda Village, a spiritual community based on meditation and the associated spiritual lifestyle. I also have been part of the staff of The Expanding Light, which is one of Californias premier yoga and meditation retreats that serves over one thousand guests each year. All of this experience gives a broad base for observations about the value of meditation and allows a long-term perspective.

One of the things Ive seen is that people benefit from meditation very quickly. Many guests report that within days of learning to meditate they have important, sometimes life-changing insights. Those who stay with their practice often feel that it is the single most beneficial thing they are doing for themselves.

A second important effect is that meditation is a catalyst for other important changes in behavior and attitude. People who meditate begin to look at how to improve other aspects of their lives. They tend to eat better, exercise more, and eliminate self-destructive habits like smoking and drinking. They also begin to introspect and eliminate harmful attitudes and behaviors.

While the benefits can be profound, meditation is not a magic pill. Meditation, like exercise, builds its power slowly but surely. Physiological and psychological changes need time to develop, especially if habits are deep seated. It takes commitment and effort to continue a daily practice, and those with false expectations can sometimes become discouraged. That said, meditation is extremely effective over the long run. Many people feel that meditation gives them back a part of themselves that has been missing. Most importantly, meditation begins to put us in touch with our own deepest nature and helps us find our authentic purpose. A life based on meditation is simply a happier way to live.

When a group of meditators live together, the power is amplified enormously. Ananda Village has some 250 members of all ages and races living a life based on spiritual principles. Seeing the harmony of life at Ananda, one gets a glimpse into a glorious future possibility for mankind. What happens when you have a life based on meditation, cooperation, healthy living, and mutual support? In over forty years at Ananda there has never been a truly violent act. Nor do we have a problem with crime, drugs, or prejudicethings that are pandemic in society at large. This is not because the members are passive. In fact, they tend to be even more strong-willed than normal, having had to swim against the current to choose this kind of life. It is, rather, because meditation gives us the supreme tool to work on the root causes of conflict: those individual tendencies that protect the ego at the expense of others. I have experienced personally, and seen in others, the ability to go through some of lifes deepest tests with equanimity and joy. The forty years of experience at Ananda gives an abundance of proof that meditation can be the basis for a wonderful, happy life.

Paramhansa Yoganandas great book, Autobiography of a Yogi, ends with this sentiment: Far into the night my dear friendthe first Kriya Yogi in Americadiscussed with me the need for world colonies founded on a spiritual basis. The ills attributed to an anthropomorphic abstraction called society may be laid more realistically at the door of Everyman. Utopia must spring in the private bosom before it can flower in civic virtue. Man is a soul, not an institution; his inner reforms alone can lend permanence to outer ones. By stress on spiritual values, self-realization, a colony exemplifying world brotherhood is empowered to send inspiring vibrations far beyond its locale.

I sincerely hope that you have experienced inspiring vibrations from this book. And I pray that the practice of meditation will bring joy into your life and light into the world.

CRYSTAL CLARITY PUBLISHERS

Crystal Clarity Publishers offers additional resources to assist you in your spiritual journey, including many other books, a wide variety of inspirational and relaxation music composed by Swami Kriyananda, and yoga and meditation videos. To see a complete listing of our products, contact us for a print catalog or see our website: www.crystalclarity.com

Crystal Clarity Publishers

14618 Tyler Foote Rd., Nevada City, CA 95959

TOLL FREE : 800.424.1055 or 530.478.7600 / FAX : 530.478.7610

EMAIL : clarity@crystalclarity.com

ANANDA WORLDWIDE

Ananda Sangha, a worldwide organization founded by Swami Kriyananda, offers spiritual support and resources based on the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda. There are Ananda spiritual communities in Nevada City, Sacramento, Palo Alto, and Los Angeles, California; Seattle, Washington; Portland and Laurelwood, Oregon; as well as a retreat center and European community in Assisi, Italy, and communities near New Delhi and Pune, India. Ananda supports more than 140 meditation groups worldwide.

For more information about Ananda Sangha communities or meditation groups near you, please call 530.478.7560 or visit www.ananda.org

THE EXPANDING LIGHT

Anandas guest retreat, The Expanding Light, offers a varied, year-round schedule of classes and workshops on yoga, meditation, and spiritual practice. You may also come for a relaxed personal renewal, participating in ongoing activities as much or as little as you wish. The beautiful serene mountain setting, supportive staff, and delicious vegetarian food provide an ideal environment for a truly meaningful, spiritual vacation.

For more information, please call 800.346.5350 or visit www.expandinglight.org

Meditation is one of the most natural and most rewarding of all human activities. The great master of yoga, Paramhansa Yogananda, defined meditation as deep concentration on God or one of His aspects. Practiced on a daily basis it produces astonishing results on all levels of your being: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It connects you with your own inner powers of vitality, clarity, and love. When done deeply, it also gives you an expanded sense of connection with life and an experience of profound joy.

Meditation has three aspects: relaxation, interiorization, and expansion. The process, stated simply, is: a) Relax completely, both physically and mentally; b) Interiorize your mind and concentrate one-pointedly, usually at the point between the eyebrows; c) Focus your concentrated mind on an aspect of your own deeper self or of God, such as love, joy, or light. This will help to naturally expand your consciousness.