Stephen Sturgess - 19 Feb

EVERYDAY
YOGA MEDITATION

Stephen Sturgess

EVERYDAY
YOGA MEDITATION

Still your mind and find inner peace through the transformative power of Kriya Yoga

Everyday Yoga Meditation

Stephen Sturgess

This edition published in the UK and USA in 2018 by

Watkins, an imprint of Watkins Media Limited

19 Cecil Court

London WC2N 4EZ

First published in 2014 as Yoga Meditation

Design and typography copyright Watkins Media Limited 2013, 2018

Text copyright Stephen Sturgess 2013, 2018

Cover artwork copyright Charlotte Day 2018

Artwork copyright Watkins Media Limited 2013, 2018

The right of Stephen Sturgess to be identified as the Author of this text has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Managing Editors: Kelly Thompson and Daniel Hurst

Designers: Georgina Hewitt & Karen Smith

Production: Uzma Taj

Cover artwork: Charlotte Day

Commissioned artwork: Christiane Beauregard & Stephen Sturgess

Commissioned photography: Jules Selmes

Make-up Artist: Justine Martin

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78678-208-3

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Typeset in Archer

Colour reproduction by XY Digital

Printed in China

Abbreviations used throughout this book:

CE Common Era (the equivalent of AD)

BCE Before the Common Era (the equivalent of BC)

b. born, d. died

www.watkinspublishing.com

Note/Disclaimer: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred in relying on the information given. In particular this book is not intended to replace expert medical or psychiatric advice. This book is for informational purposes only and is for your own personal use and guidance. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or act as a substitute for professional medical advice. The author is not a medical practitioner nor a counsellor, and professional advice should be sought if desired before embarking on any health-related programme.

This book is dedicated to my guru Paramhansa Yogananda (18931952), who brought the supreme technique of Kriya Yoga meditation to the West.

The wholehearted practice of meditation brings deep bliss.
This ever-new bliss is not born of desire; it manifests itself
by the magic command of your inner, intuitive-born calmness.
Manifest this serenity always.

PARAMHANSA YOGANANDA

What is True Happiness?

Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all seeking lasting happiness: a sense of calm, balance and completeness, true joy of total fulfilment, and freedom from suffering, pain and sorrow. Yet we can, at times, feel out of sync, lacking in joy, overwhelmed by life or have a sense that something is missing.

We may have all the material comforts that life can give us a house, a car, beautiful clothes, the latest technology, a good marriage or relationship, sex, family, friends, a successful career and good health all the things that are believed by most people to bring happiness and security. But happiness may still elude us or feel all too fleeting overshadowed by moments of worry, discontent or self-doubt. And what good is success in the external world if we have not found contentment, inner peace and true joy within?

Through not understanding the distinction between pleasure (an attribute of the senses) and happiness (an attribute of the mind), we often try to give our lives meaning and purpose by turning our minds outward. Hence we fill our time with external events, activities and objects pursuits that can bring only transitory happiness.

If, on the other hand, we choose to turn our mind and senses inward through the practice of Yoga Meditation, as outlined in this book, we have the chance to transcend the everyday external limitations by which we are held back and be united with our true, innermost, joyful Self. This is known in Sanskrit as Sat-Chit-Ananda: ever-conscious, ever-existent, ever-new bliss. By encouraging the thinking mind to become still through meditation, we will allow the light of the true Self to start to shine from within.

As such, we can realize, and start to become established in, the awareness of what is often called in yogic terms our own divine nature, which recognizes the union of the individual self, or consciousness, with the Absolute, or Supreme, Consciousness. This allows us to experience a sense of underlying unity in the world and vibrant connectedness with everything.

When everything we do in life is an expression of this inner divine state of bliss, we regain our balance, freedom and joy, and experience true happiness every day. As such, it is a wise investment to devote some regular time to the Yoga Meditation practices in this book, as they will guide you on this path of emotional and spiritual discovery, calming your mind, heightening your clarity, enhancing your joy, awakening your inner spirit and allowing you to realize your fullest potential for creative thought and action.

What is Yoga Meditation?

To fully understand Yoga Meditation, it is useful firstly to gain an understanding of yoga in its true, broad sense rather than in the context of the limited physical, on the mat practice that has come to be associated with the term in the West.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, which means to yoke, join or unite. The ultimate meaning is the union between the individual self and the Universal Self. It is establishing oneness between the finite and the Infinite, between the inner being and the Supreme Being. So, as well as helping us to attain optimum health and a calm and peaceful mind, yoga can also lead us to self-realization and ultimately spiritual liberation and a sense of oneness with the Self.

Divine joy is like millions of earthly joys crushed into one.

PARAMHANSA YOGANANDA

The Yoga of Meditation

In this book the emphasis is on what is known as Raja Yoga the yoga of meditation which is principally concerned with the cultivation of the mind by learning to quieten or master its many fluctuations in order to experience deep stillness, joy and, ultimately, enlightenment. However, the pages that follow also contain physical purification practices for the body, breath and mind that derive from Hatha Yoga the wider practice of yoga as defined in Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Such physical practices are also an essential part of Raja Yoga; Hatha and Raja Yoga are interdependent.

One way to think of the interaction between Hatha and Raja Yoga is that the physical practices of Hatha Yoga asana, purification and pranayama practices (see chapters 46) represent the cleaning of the temple windows (the physical body and mind) in order for the spiritual light of Raja Yoga the meditation practices (see ) to shine into the inner sanctum (the inner Self). After all, your physical body and mind are your primary tools for all spiritual practices. So without a strong, healthy body and mind, it is difficult to attain spiritual joy.

The teachings of Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga teachings can be traced back to around 200 bce when they were systematized by a great sage called Patanjali, who formulated them into 196 aphorisms called the