PDA

View Full Version : The Third Eye....



Soul of Light
15 December 2014, 11:13 AM
Namaste!
Is anyone know the most effective meditation to awaken ajna chakra.
-Pranam

LightofOm
15 December 2014, 12:18 PM
Namaskar,

I'm not sure what the best method is, but I will share my method, which is very effective for me.

-Light a candle and place it a few feet in front of you at eye level (sometimes instead of a candle flame I use an indigo crystal).

-Sit in a comfortable position on the floor with spine erect and with the tips of the index fingers gently touching your thumbs, with palms facing skyward, resting on your laps.

-Begin slowly inhaling, then hold your breath for a few seconds, then slowly exhale (do all of this through the nose, not the mouth). As you are doing this, stare into the candle flame (or indigo crystal) and do not blink and try not to become distracted by anything; hold your gaze for roughly two minutes while continuing your breathing.

-Gently close your eyes, then open them halfway and focus your awareness on the ajna chakra (this means your eyes will be looking upward behind your eyelids).

-Visualize the flame or indigo light in your mind's eye to strengthen the chakra (don't forget that you are still practicing the breath work).

-Begin chanting AUM every time you exhale and as you chant, visualize a divine bright, golden light flooding the chakra and then shining forth from it.

-After roughly two minutes, stop chanting and open your eyes once again and stare at either the candle flame or indigo crystal, but this time stare longer than two minutes (stare for as long as you feel comfortable). Remember, you are still maintaining the breathing the entire time.

-Gently close your eyes once again, then open them halfway and focus your awareness on the ajna chakra.

-Visualize the flame or indigo light in your mind's eye to further strengthen the chakra.

-Begin chanting AUM every time you exhale and as you chant, visualize the bright, golden, effulgent, divine light shining forth from the chakra and piercing through your head.

-Continue the chanting and breathing for 45 minutes.

I like to practice this meditation by starting from the muladhara chakra and going upward. I either use a candle flame or the corresponding crystals for each chakra as a point of focus and concentration. When done this way, I only focus on each chakra for about five minutes rather than 45. I feel it is a more complete meditation, but you can still focus on just one chakra at a time if you want (for instance, set aside one chakra for each day, that way after one week you have completely awakened/cleansed all chakra centers).

Sometimes I end the meditation with japa rounds followed by more pranayama exercises. The whole process can take hours, so I normally wake up very early in the morning to give me sufficient time to complete it all.

Again, this may not be the most effective meditation for you, everyone is different; I am just sharing what I have found to be effective for me. I wish you all the best in your journey to awaken yourself.

With Love & Light,
LighOfOm

Soul of Light
16 December 2014, 04:20 AM
Thank you so much LightofOm for your reply, I never listen this method....
Thanx for giving detailed info.
Have a nice day.
-Pranam

Eastern Mind
16 December 2014, 06:46 AM
Vannakkam: In more traditional Hindu lineages, these types of things (kundalini, third eye opening, chakra balancing) are seen as natural outcomes of sustained sadhana and meditation under the guidance of a qualified teacher. No effort is put into attempting to do such things until the Guru recognises ripeness in the devotee. Yes, it may seem duller, but to do one's dharma following the guidelines of the yamas and niyamas gives the necessary balance or preparation for the soul when it does come time. Mostly it is the ego that needs to be sufficiently subdued before readiness can occur.

Before that, it is warned to be 'playing with fire' and can actually cause harm.

However, in 'new age' circles all these mystical things are more out in the open, and it's more or less a free for all, anybody trying anything, based on individual desires to do so.

Aum Namasivaya

Soul of Light
16 December 2014, 07:34 AM
Vannakkam: In more traditional Hindu lineages, these types of things (kundalini, third eye opening, chakra balancing) are seen as natural outcomes of sustained sadhana and meditation under the guidance of a qualified teacher. No effort is put into attempting to do such things until the Guru recognises ripeness in the devotee. Yes, it may seem duller, but to do one's dharma following the guidelines of the yamas and niyamas gives the necessary balance or preparation for the soul when it does come time. Mostly it is the ego that needs to be sufficiently subdued before readiness can occur.

Before that, it is warned to be 'playing with fire' and can actually cause harm.

However, in 'new age' circles all these mystical things are more out in the open, and it's more or less a free for all, anybody trying anything, based on individual desires to do so.

Aum Namasivaya

yes, there is a need of guru to do such things, but its so difficult to find one true guru in this age of fake baba's,
in this condition my lord shiva and universe becomes my guru.
And you are right EM ji I am also attracted to this mystical things, I don't give efforts in this due to lack of timing but I desire to do as whenever I do such things for even 1-2 minutes I experience many things. [e.g.- I can see aura (only white light), psi energy (as fost), once I saw lucid dream, and once I feel kundalini energy (intense burning like feeling initially, but when I learned there is strictly need guidance in kundalini I quit to do kundalini meditation) I only try to do meditation which will cause no harm, but this experiences make my belief stronger in god I know true devotee should not require this proofs but honestly it sometimes encourage me to go further in spiritual path.
I don't know does lord shiva wanted me to do such things but destiny always brings me to this secrets, hope I should on right path
-Pranam

saswathy
16 December 2014, 09:52 AM
Dear friend ,
yes , it is a bit dangerous to do the concentration on chakras with out proper guidance . It is also true that it is very difficult to get a guru . The best method is to go to that end through intense bhakthi . In bhakthi yoga the personal deity always protects the devotee .

Eastern Mind
16 December 2014, 12:03 PM
Vannakkam: From western influences, we've lost patience. The one-life idea has infiltrated the Hindu psyche. So people want all this quick fix, quick enlightenment stuff, and that want it now.

True Guru arrives when the devotee is darn well good and ready. It may be 100 lifetimes from now, and not any sooner. So focus on what you can do ... which is dharma, living according to human morals, ahimsa, controlling mindstuff, and all that. Then ... when you're ready, Guru will appear. Seek contentment in that, and be happy. There is absolutely no hurry. Mother will come.

Aum Namasivaya

LightofOm
16 December 2014, 09:19 PM
Namaskar.

Dear Soul of Light,

You are welcome. I tried to give the best information I could from my personal experience to help you in your journey. You wanted an answer and I gave you one. However, I do agree with what most are saying here: guru knows best, so follow that, as I'm certain you will.

With Love & Light,
LightofOm


Vannakkam: From western influences, we've lost patience. The one-life idea has infiltrated the Hindu psyche. So people want all this quick fix, quick enlightenment stuff, and that want it now.

True Guru arrives when the devotee is darn well good and ready. It may be 100 lifetimes from now, and not any sooner. So focus on what you can do ... which is dharma, living according to human morals, ahimsa, controlling mindstuff, and all that. Then ... when you're ready, Guru will appear. Seek contentment in that, and be happy. There is absolutely no hurry. Mother will come.

Aum Namasivaya

You speak words of wisdom!

"No hurry, mother will come."

Beautiful. I always enjoy reading your posts.

Aum Namasivaya,
LightofOm

Anima Deorum
17 December 2014, 04:31 PM
Namaste,

Do be cautious with the ajna and sahasrara chakras.

Hari Om

IcyCosmic
17 December 2014, 06:03 PM
Namaste,

Speaking on the Ajna chakra, usually when I lie in bed, my pineal gland buzzes
very potently, more than when I meditate. I mean it is really very intense. This can last for extended periods of time. This is when I'm just lying in bed getting ready to sleep.
What is the reason for this? Should I be worried?

saswathy
18 December 2014, 08:53 PM
Dear friend ,
The buzzing sensation in the pineal gland suggests that you are ready for inner travel which can be said to be a long very long journey. .

Soul of Light
20 December 2014, 06:55 AM
Vannakkam: From western influences, we've lost patience. The one-life idea has infiltrated the Hindu psyche. So people want all this quick fix, quick enlightenment stuff, and that want it now.

True Guru arrives when the devotee is darn well good and ready. It may be 100 lifetimes from now, and not any sooner. So focus on what you can do ... which is dharma, living according to human morals, ahimsa, controlling mindstuff, and all that. Then ... when you're ready, Guru will appear. Seek contentment in that, and be happy. There is absolutely no hurry. Mother will come.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EM ji,
So, I need to quit meditating on chakra and all this psychic stuff? I have feeling that I am not going to get guru in this life, you have the experience so I am asking you that what this things do in our spiritual path, our relationship with god, I am not interested in moksha, I like to stay with my aaradhya ( lord Shiva), I love him and wanted to stay with him throughout my all life, between two lives, wherever I am! ( so I am not doing this for enlightment but to stick my roots deeper in spirituality) so tell me what is best for me and for all!! ( means should I quit all meditation till I get true guru and I will be ripened devotee or I should try some safety things which doesn't need guru)
- pranam and sorry to disturb u again

Soul of Light
20 December 2014, 06:57 AM
Thank you all for your replies

Eastern Mind
20 December 2014, 08:07 AM
Namaste EM ji,
So, I need to quit meditating on chakra and all this psychic stuff? I have feeling that I am not going to get guru in this life, you have the experience so I am asking you that what this things do in our spiritual path, our relationship with god, I am not interested in moksha, I like to stay with my aaradhya ( lord Shiva), I love him and wanted to stay with him throughout my all life, between two lives, wherever I am! ( so I am not doing this for enlightment but to stick my roots deeper in spirituality) so tell me what is best for me and for all!! ( means should I quit all meditation till I get true guru and I will be ripened devotee or I should try some safety things which doesn't need guru)
- pranam and sorry to disturb u again

Vannakkam: i wasn't suggesting you HAVE to do anything. We Hindus give guidelines, offer suggestions, etc. There are no really strong and fast rules. I'm in no position to advise about anything.

Maybe you could go to a mutt somewhere and ask a Hindu Guru about this stuff. Internet forums aren't exactly places of Guru-sishya relationships.

I'm sorry if my suggestions upset you in any way.

Aum namasivaya

Soul of Light
20 December 2014, 11:13 AM
Vannakkam: i wasn't suggesting you HAVE to do anything. We Hindus give guidelines, offer suggestions, etc. There are no really strong and fast rules. I'm in no position to advise about anything.

Maybe you could go to a mutt somewhere and ask a Hindu Guru about this stuff. Internet forums aren't exactly places of Guru-sishya relationships.

I'm sorry if my suggestions upset you in any way.

Aum namasivaya
I am not upset by your reply, you have much experience than me in spiritual and normal life too (in my post I only try to seek ur advice, very politely and with nice mood but when I read my post after ur reply it looks like I am very angry and asking u rudely. Sorry if my post really convey this, I respect u lot and never upset from u) one more thing that my family don't know anything abt my spirituality. I am little shy person and don't want to be open in all this as people may interpt differently so I am not able to go to any guru as I worship my god in the temple of my heart, and also I am not able to recognise true guru in very first sight and fake people act as a guru can spoil our whole spiritual path and may give us wrong advice and turn us in superstition to make some money so I fear and also not desiring to go to any aashram etc. So, I was asking for ur advice. But I understand ur consurn that its harmful to meditate on chakre without advice of guru. But I have greatest guru lord Shiva, destiny will guide me in my path and knowledge of forum members will also help me.
Sorry but please don't misunderstand me if my posts appear differently :)
-pranam and thank you for guidance
May god bless all!!

Amrut
03 January 2015, 12:01 AM
Namaste SOL,

I have earlier meditated on chakras. Opening chakras does not mean 'to invoke' psychic powers. It simply means activating it. Each chakra is attached with emotions (psychology) and physiology i.e. body parts, internal glands.

Ajna or AGYA chakra is connected with pineal gland and indirectly influenses eyes and so the back of head. There is a small chakra exactly opposite to 3rd eye on back of head. If you draw a line from centre of 3rd eye to back head chakra, then it passes through pineal gland. Chakras are like flowers. They bloom, open if looked from front side, but they are connected by a stem (just like flower has stem) to SusumnA nADI. I think this stem touches pineal gland. Pineal gland is very important. If something happens unexpectedly, it is ok, as it is a natural process, but from my personal experience, I can suggest not to try to focus much on Ajna chakra, as it may give result to heaviness of head or even a strong headache which does not go away by taking pills (medicines).

It is highly advised not to play specially with Ajna chakra. This chakra is even connected with 'Will' and so with focus and concentration. So you know if it gets too much over activated, then it could bring imbalance to the glands and organs it controls and to the emotions it controls. Better leave it. Please do not play much with chakras, as if thing go wrong, specially with SahasrahAra chakra, then one may even loose mental balance. I am not trying to scare you, but at times some people over exert and try to use force to activate it and try to force the feelings that they had got when they practiced it first time.

If you feel strong vibrations and your 3rd eye gets heavy, then pray to God to take away all excess energy. Visualize chakra getting small in size until it become normal i.e. it is not over activated. Some, including myself, find it better to meditate on chakra (heart chakra) then 3rd eye.

OM

Soul of Light
03 January 2015, 07:49 AM
Thanx amrut ji for ur reply.....
-pranam

G.S. Iyer
25 May 2015, 12:15 AM
I am sorry, Soul of Light, but the reply to your question was posted (I think) in the wrong forum - 'How to chant OM'. I am new to forums and do not even know how to view what I have posted where, and I do not find the forum's site very helpful in this regard.

It would seem from all I have read (which is over 50 years) that the only ways to activate the Ajna Chakra are: (1) Pranayama and other severe Hatha Yoga techniques and (2) Chanting of the OM mantra. The sort of lifestyle that has become prevalent today almost entirely rules out option (1) as an area of proficiency for most of us. Option (2) is still eminently possible if we adjust our lifestyle even moderately and agree (with ourselves) on adopting a somewhat different discipline from hitherto. Hence, I present to you my viewpoint and practice below and hope you find it to be of some benefit.

LightofOm is forthright in his remarks and, therefore, appears severe. I, however, consider him to be mild and polite. It takes guts to acknowledge realism, and that is what he is doing.

*******

OM Chanting Methods

I write this post after extensive research in the subject of OM and after practising OM chanting for a fair amount of time. Further, the views and experiences written here have been vetted by Sri Sathya Baba of Puttaparthi, whom many acknowledge as an incarnation of the Lord.

I have been practising yogāsanās and prānāyāma for several years now in order to maintain my health despite the difficulties of living in a highly urban centre like Bombay. I continue to do so even now (I have just crossed the age of 73). Whereas my practices are nowhere close to achieving perfection, they have served the purpose of keeping me physically fit. To an extent, I can also take advantage of these physical practices when it comes to spiritual practices, particularly in terms of posture.

THE CHANTING OF AUM
Mantra Shāstra says that AUM, the Pranava, can be chanted in 107 ways!

Madame Blavatsky of the Theosophical Society of India researched ancient Indian works and noted that AUM can be chanted in 250 different intonations and that each intonation has a different effect on the person and the surroundings.

AUM can be chanted aloud, slowly or fast; or mentally, with a movement of the lips; or silently with no external movement.

Mentally, AUM can be chanted silently by synchronising the chanting with the heartbeat; in which case, one can visualize AUM at the Anāhata chakra (heart centre) as though it were a candle flame the size of your thumb; or, mentally synchronising it with the pulse at the space between the eyebrows (the Ājnā chakra) and visualising the AUM in that space.

Whichever method one uses, AUM should be pronounced so that it is a harmonious sound. It should be “like the continuous flow of an oil stream and like the vibration of a bell. This is the way to pronounce AUM and to really know its meaning” (Dhyānabindu Upanishad). One can also write AUM daily a certain fixed number of times in a book kept especially for this purpose.

A. AUM Chanting by Shri Sathya Sai Baba
(From Baba, the Breath of Sai, Grace J. McMartin, Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust)

“The early dawn recital of the OM should be done 21 times. This is how it is laid down at Prashanthi Nilayam. This number is not arbitrary; it has a significance of its own. We have the 5 senses of action (the karmendriyas), the 5 senses of perception (the jnānendriyas) and also the 5 vital airs, the prānas (prāna, apāna, udāna, samāna and vyāna) to sustain us. Again, we have the 5 sheaths, the koshas (annamaya, prānamaya, manomaya, vijnānamaya and ānandamaya) enclosing the Divine Inner Reality. These make up a total of 20. So, the recitation of OM 21 times purifies and clarifies all these twenty components and makes man the 21st entity, ready for the final merger with the Absolute.

“Finally, end the OM recital with the recital of the Peace Mantra (OM Shāntih) 3 times.

“The first call for Peace is for purity of the body, the second for purity of the mind and the third for purity of the Spirit. That will complete the process of clarification and purification.

“AUM must be recited slowly and with deliberation. It has a fading ‘M’ sound that tapers into silence - a silence that must be felt and experienced.

“It has to be chanted in a rising crescendo as slowly as possible, coming down just as slowly. Do not take it in two stages, arguing that your breath will not hold out for so long. Persevere, until you are enthralled by the upward sweep, the downward curve and the subsequent silence.

“The sound must be like that of an aircraft approaching from a distance, coming to the spot where you are and then flying away into the distance – low, at first, but gradually becoming louder and louder, and then slowly relapsing into silence. This silence after each recitation is as significant as the AUM itself.

“In the Bhagavad Gītā, the Lord has assured us that the person who dies with the OM filling his last breath is sure to be liberated. However, the mere calling to memory of this word will not help; the glory of AUM ought to have been appreciated throughout life. It must stand out before the mind at the time of departure. Krishna tells Arjuna, “Your progress is in accordance with your spiritual discipline and your practice. Meditate constantly on OM.”

“Spend your time in the recitation of OM. It is the origin of Creation; it is its source, its sustenance and its strength. It is the Vital Air of every being. (“It is in Him that we live and move and have our being”, says the Bible.) OM is the primordial sound of the Absolute. It is the primal effulgence and source of all knowledge. It is the Ultimate, Absolute and Eternal Reality.

“The Pranava japa (the recitation of OM and the contemplation of that mystic syllable) will help to calm the roaring waves (of the mind). OM is the sum of all the teachings in the Vedas about Godhead and of all the systems of adoring the Godhead; OM iti ek?ksharam Brahma: OM, that one syllable, is Brahman! OM is a composite of three sounds: A arising from the region of the navel, U flowing through the throat and tongue and M ending up at the closed lip. It has to be pronounced rising in a crescendo as slowly as possible, and as slowly coming down, until, after the M, there will be the echo of the silence reverberating in the cavity of the heart. Do not take it in two stages, arguing that your breath will not hold so long. Persevere, until you are able to be stirred by the upward sweep and the downward curve and the silent sequel. These represent the waking, dreaming and sleeping and the fourth, beyond the three stages. It represents also the flower of one’s individuality growing into a fruit and filling itself with sweet juice out of its own inner essence, and then the final release from the tree.” (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 10, Chap. 13)

OM AND THE MANIPŪRA CHAKRA
“When you chant the OM, let it vibrate in the Manipūra Chakra. All the power of creation, the entire universe, is present deep inside you. Let it vibrate in each cell of your body.” - Swami Vishwananda

A. The Manipūra Chakra and its importance
The human system consists of three components: (1) The sthūla sharira - the gross body, with its various anatomical structures and physiological functions; (2) The sūkshma sharira – the subtle body, which represents all of the non-physical man; and (3) The ātmā – the soul, which is the Overseer of all.

Within the body are 72,000 nādis – 36,000 subtle (hidden from view) and 36,000 physical – that carry energy to and from various parts. These nādis meet at junction points within the body known as chakras and it is through these chakras that energy is distributed within the body and to the brain.

All the nādis, however, pass through the Manipūra Chakra; this is, therefore, the one single point through which all energies must be directed so that they may be distributed to the various parts of the body. This tells you the importance of the Manipūra Chakra.

The Manipūra Chakra is the sūkshma (subtle) counterpart of the physical Solar Plexus. It represents a second brain. It is common knowledge that a hard blow to the Solar Plexus could even kill a person.

The Manipūra Chakra represents the subconscious mind, the child within, intuition, the psychic centre, gut feelings, the control centre and projection centre for both positive and negative feelings, habits and desires. It functions in close relationship with the astral body and the animal kingdom. It is directly connected to solar energies and solar beings. Higher development of this energy centre brings about peace and serenity to the body as well as the transformation of the lower chakras and the rise of psychic abilities with a high spiritual focus.

The ākāshic memory in the higher chakras faithfully records the soul’s impressions during its passage through a series of earthly existences as well as in the astral-mental worlds that lie in-between these earthly existences.

Thus, the OM must be chanted such that its vibrations are especially felt in Manip?ra.

Kriyā Yoga (propounded by Mahāvatār Babaji and the disciples in his line, including Paramahamsa Yogānanda and Swami Vishwananda) offers the following technique to do so.

B. OM in the Nābhi Chakra and Manipūra Chakra
(Kriyā Yoga for purifying the debris of attachments)

Nābhi Kriya is done into the Mūlādhāra chakra in the front and the Manipūra at the back.

To practice Nābhi Kriya, first do Pratishtā to initiate this exercise; then, with all your attention in Sahasrāra and opening for God, tilt your head forward to touch the chest with your chin and chant 100 OMs into the Mūlādhāra.

Then, tilt your head back as far as you comfortably can and repeat 25 OMs into Manipūra Chakra. After finishing your 100 OMs into Nābhi Chakra and 25 OMs into Manipūra Chakra as described above, terminate this exercise by doing Visarjan.

C. Stimulating the Manipūra Chakra
Because of the importance of the Manipūra Chakra as described above, it must be kept stimulated as much as possible, so that its response to our practices increases by the day. The Manipūra Chakra is stimulated by following some breathing and twisting practices as prescribed by traditional yoga practices:

(1) Kapālabhāti tones up the entire abdominal area and the parasympathetic nervous system, carrying its influence right up to the skull (kapāla).

(2) Uddiyāna Bandha is a splendid exercise and is almost specific to the Manipūra Chakra in its effects.

(3) Ardhamatsyendrāsana is a twisting posture. However, if this is not found convenient or even possible, one could do a variation of it, as follows:



Sit in Padmāsana.
Hold the left knee with the right hand (this involves a certain amount of stooping of the spine) and place the left hand on the left thigh.
Begin twisting the spine towards the left and carry your head along with the twist. As you are twisting, gradually – very gradually – release the stoop of the spine. Hold the posture for a few seconds; then repeat the same twist on the right side.


A COMPREHENSIVE METHOD OF CHANTING OM
We give below a method that fuses the following aspects in the practice of OM chanting: (1) The importance of synchronising AUM with the breath; (2) The relationship of the breath and AUM with the chakras and our samskāras; and (3) The importance of the Manipūra Chakra in OM chanting and how to stimulate it.

We give below a method that fuses the above aspects in the practice of OM chanting.

A. Preliminaries
All spiritual practices are methods of conditioning the mind, often through conditioning the body; therefore, it is important that they must be done under the same surroundings and environment every day.

Discerning persons will soon realise that it will be helpful to ensure the following conditions: (1) a proper posture, (2) a relaxed state of the body and mind and (3) the ability to stimulate the Manipūra chakra. Specific yoga exercises are of immense help in ensuring that the practice of OM chanting is acquired smoothly and retained without much effort. (They are also of immense help in ensuring general health).

In the previous page, some exercises have already been explained; some more can be added to good effect. These are: Kapālabhāti, Jala Néti and Trātaka; Padmāsana and Sukhāsana; Bhrāmari, Ujjāyī, Bhastrikā; and Mūla Bandha, Jālandhara Bandha, Uddiyāna Bandha and Mahā Bandha.

Since this post is not intended to be a treatise on asanas and pranayama, one will have to refer to authoritative texts on the subject (preferably books by Swami Sivānanda or Shri B.K.S. Iyengar) for their correct practice.

B. The Method
1. Close your eyes and sit comfortably in Sukhāsana, which is the usual position in which one squats. (The Padmāsana posture is the best, but not many people might be inclined to sit in this posture). Close your ears with ear plugs, so that external noise and sounds are shut out to a large extent.

2. Hold the spine erect, but do not do so by forcibly or artificially stretching it. The head must be kept slightly lowered such that the chin is about an inch away from the chest.

3. The hands could be clasped in front or over the knees; it is not important where they are so long as they do not disturb the comfort of the sitting posture.

4. Relax each muscle in the body from head to toe (as is done for the Savāsana posture). Notice that the breathing is already becoming more relaxed and smooth!

5. Continue with the relaxed breathing for some time until you feel you can maintain this style of breathing. Then, pause for half a second after each inhalation and for half a second after each exhalation. You will notice that this makes the inhalations and exhalations deeper and richer.

6. At the pause after the inhalation, start chanting the AUM.

7. The sound of the AUM must flow along with the outward breath, but must be directed down the spine. This will happen automatically if the chin is depressed towards the chest, as explained above. The lips must be opened only enough to be able to utter the sound of A and U. The M sound of the AUM is produced with the lips closed. To achieve this, simply try to hum the AUM; it is like producing the hum of a bumble bee or of an electric motor (Bhrāmari).

8. The volume of sound produced in the chanting must be as little as possible and its pitch (sur / swara) as low as possible. Despite the low volume and pitch, the reverberations of the chant will be heard loudly and in the entire region of the skull, since the ears have been plugged. Such reverberations are essential, as they excite the Sahasrāra and Ājnā chakra, which latter is the seat of the AUM.

With some practice, the sādhaka will know what pitch and volume are comfortable for him. It is exactly the position of an Indian musician who is undergoing preliminary training to find out the pitch that suits him most appropriately. This pitch is his resonating frequency.

9. A single intonation of the AUM should be continued until one has completely breathed out. That is to say, the intonation must be synchronised with the breath.

10. The pitch of the chanting should remain the same during the entire outward breath. It is, in the words of Shri Sathya Sai Baba, as though an aircraft is approaching you and then receding from you. Anyone who recollects this will realise that the pitch of the aircraft’s sound never varies as long as it is within our hearing; only its volume changes.

11. If the breathing is smooth and easy, the AUM chanting will be steady and unwavering. Achieving this will, itself, take a few weeks or more; so, some amount of patience is required.

12. The AUM originates from the Ājnā chakra, the seat of Siva, first travelling upwards to stimulate the Sahasrāra chakra. Visualise it then traversing down the spine, stimulating and energising each chakra on its way, and ending with the Mūlādhāra chakra, where sits Shakti in the form of the serpent Kundalini, eagerly awaiting the call of Siva for union. Visualise the AUM as being distributed to every corner and cell of the body through the Manipūra chakra (refer to the paragraph on OM in the Nābhi Chakra and Manipūra Chakra above). [Note: Such visualisation must accompany the chanting; which means that the breath has to be controlled enough to be let out slowly.]

13. Chanting must be done for a minimum of 21 times initially, as prescribed by Shri Sathya Sai, and eventually increased to 108 times. Even chanting 21 times is not going to be easy initially, since AUM chanting goes hand in hand with disciplined breathing, which is a matter of some practice. A minimum of 9 times, however, is an absolute must.

14. As you become more comfortable and relaxed with this practice, you will feel your attention being drawn inwards. Since the eyes are closed and the ears are plugged, you have temporarily de-sensitised these organs - at least partially. Your world will now consist only of sound and breath!

15. Listen only to the sound of the AUM that you are producing; make your mind dwell on it to the exclusion of everything else.

16. It is necessary to physically feel the vibrations of the AUM during chanting. This sound ought to be felt along the spine, both at its front and at its rear, particularly in the lower three chakras, especially the Manipūra. If the neck were held erect, feeling the vibrations is almost impossible; but, if it were bent forward, with the chin an inch away from the chest, and the sound of the AUM being deep and low, it is entirely possible, with just a few weeks’ practice, to feel the vibrations in the front of the spine, at the lower three chakras. (To feel these vibrations at the rear of the spine, one needs prolonged practice and some proficiency in prānāyāma).

It is when you physically feel the vibrations of the AUM that you have begun to make progress. All the chakras along its pathway are being exposed to this universal vibration and are being stimulated and energised. The Manipūra Chakra – that excellent gateway – distributes these vibrations to all the nādis throughout the body, so that every fibre and cell receive it and begin, over a period of time, to vibrate uniformly and in resonance.

17. Complete the chanting session with the shanti mantra three times: OM Shanti Shanti Shantih!

18. Within a few days after you begin experiencing these vibrations, you will observe that your nādis have suddenly opened up and that you are breathing more easily and more comfortably. You will realise that the AUM has begun to purify the nādis and the chakras; the process of cleansing them of the various subtle impressions (the samskāras) that they have been carrying within them over several births has begun!

OM! OM! OM!

Ashish_Marathe
04 September 2015, 08:37 PM
Namaste,


Is anyone know the most effective meditation to awaken ajna chakra.

Any meditation, as long as it is meditation, is the most effective meditation to awaken the third eye.

Ash2440
07 March 2017, 05:39 AM
Dear friend , yes , it is a bit dangerous to do the concentration on chakras with out proper guidance . It is also true that it is very difficult to get a guru . The best method is to go to that end through intense bhakthi . In bhakthi yoga the personal deity always protects the devotee . You are right.

JohnGE
03 April 2020, 11:03 PM
Namaste and greetings from distance. We must stop coronavirus. Obey the rules. Third eye is watching you!

JohnGE
17 April 2020, 08:55 PM
The third eye refers to the gate that leads to inner realms of higher consciousness. The third eye symbolizes a state of enlightenment.


Good luck to India: world's largest coronavirus Covid-19 lockdown continues


https://www.igorbnews.com/2020/04/india-worlds-largest-coronavirus-covid.html