Creative Dynamic Meditation

This meditation blends a variety of meditational techniques. Those who suffer from acute and chronic stress may practise this technique to greater advantage.

This meditation can be practised either in the sitting posture or lying down. H you lie down you may tend to sleep. Those who do not get sleep due to stress and tension may practise this to get peaceful sleep.

It is a lengthy one. What you can do is ask one of your friends to read the following text and you may follow his instructions. A better way is to find a person whose voice is good and the whole text may be taped in his voice. During meditation you may listen to the tape and follow the instructions.

Alternatively you may procure the audiotape STRESS MANAGEMENT THROUGH MEDITATION from Tap Foundation International and listen to the tape during meditation. The following is the text of Creative Dynamic Meditation:

Sit comfortably. Close your eyes. Keep all your limbs loose and limp. Don't feel any tension in any part of your body. Don't open your eyes until I ask you to open them

Now be aware of the sound you are able to hear. (Leave a pause of two minutes to listen to the sound.) This is called Sabdha (sound) Meditation.

Be aware of your thought processes. (Leave a pause of two minutes to be attentive to the thought processes.) This is Chitta Meditation.

Be aware of your breathing processes. (Another two minutes for breathing processes.) This is Vipassana Meditation.

Now be aware of the existence of your entire physical body. Your whole body should be the object of your awareness. Relax your body mentally. Feel the sensation of total relaxation in your whole body - total and complete relaxation.

Again be aware of your breathing process - feel the sensation of breathing through both nostrils.

Feel the coolness of the air that you breathe in - now feel the cool air that you breathe in. Feel the warm air that you breathe out - the air that you breathe out should be warmer. Feel the difference in the temperature of the air that you breathe in and breathe out. The breathe-in air is cool and the breathe-out is warm.

Now mentally imagine that you are breathing in through the left nostril - you are breathing in through the left nostril. Again mentally imagine that you are breathing out through the right nostril.

You are not physically manipulating the nostril breath but using only your imagination. Again breathe in through the right nostril - breathe in through the right nostril - then breathe out through the left nostril, breathe out through the left nostril.

Breathe in through the left nostril - breathe out through the right nostril - breathe in through the right nostril and breathe out through the left nostril - breathe in through the left nostril and breathe out through the right nostril - breathe in through the right nostril and breathe out through the left nostril - this is similar to Nadi Shodhana Pranayama without physically manipulating the nostrils, using only imagination to operate the nostril breath.

This is called psychic breathing. You are mentally manipulating your breathing processes through alternate breathing. This would facilitate your using both sides of the brain. The left side of the brain takes care of the routine way of thinking, analysing and logical reasoning and the right side deals with intuition, creativity and imagination. In order to achieve something great and outstanding in life we should learn to use both sides of the brain. Psychic breathing is a marvellous technique to achieve this result. Continue the psychic breathing on your own until I give you further instructions. (Leave a pause of two minutes.)

You are now totally relaxed, completely relaxed, totally relaxed and completely relaxed, your whole body is totally relaxed and completely relaxed.

This is the time for you to repeat your Sankalpa - your resolve to become something great in life - your resolve should be simple and precise - if your objective is to manage stress very effectively, you may resolve to get rid of your stress and attain happiness ­ for this you may repeat the words BE HAPPY, BE JOLLY, BE CHEERFUL. Repeat this again and again at least five times.

Now again, be aware of your body - your whole body from top to bottom - from head to foot - be aware of your whole body.

Now you are going to enter into another area of consciousness. You rotate your consciousness over different parts of your body.

As I tell you of different parts of the body, you have just to be aware of the physical parts of your body - don't concentrate on anyone part of the body - as I proceed, you should also shift your consciousness as fast as possible.

You may mentally name the parts of the body: Be aware of your right hand, right hand thumb, right hand first finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger. Now be aware of your left hand, left hand thumb, left hand first finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger.

Now be aware of your head - the hair on your head - your forehead, your right eye, right eyebrow, your left eye, your left eyebrow, your left ear, your right ear, your nose, your right nostril, your left nostril, your mouth, your upper lip, your lower lip, your tongue, your teeth.

Now be aware of your chest, your heart, your lungs, the ribs on your chest, your right shoulder, your right elbow, your left shoulder, your left elbow, your stomach, intestinal organs in your stomach.

Now, be aware of your right leg, left leg, right thigh, left thigh, right calf muscles, left calf muscles, your right sole, your left sole, right toes, left toes.

Now, be aware of your whole body - feel your whole body is very heavy - your whole body is very heavy - feel the heaviness of your whole body.

Be aware of your whole body - your whole body - feel the lightness of your whole body - lightness of your body - your whole body is very light - very light.

Now be aware of your whole body - feel that the body is very cold - feel the chill in your body - feel that the body is very cold - your body is very cold - you feel like shivering - the body is very cold.

Now be aware of your whole body - from top to bottom - feel that the body is very hot now - feel the heat in the body - heat in the body - the whole body is very hot ­the body is very hot.

Again be aware of your whole body - from top to bottom - from head to toes - be aware of your whole body - be aware of your whole body.

Now be aware of your breathing process - you are breathing in and breathing out - breathing in and breathing out - be aware of your breathing process.

Now count your breathing cycle ­
      Breathe in............. breathe out............. 1
      Breathe in............. breathe out............. 2
      Breathe in............. breathe out............. 3
      Breathe in............. breathe out............. 4
      Breathe in............. breathe out............. 5
6...7...8...9...10 and then reverse...
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Now, be aware of your whole body - your whole body is totally relaxed - completely relaxed - no tension in any part of your body.

The mind is calm and peaceful, tranquil and serene, cool and collected - you have a wonderful feeling all over your body. With the relaxed frame of mind use your imagination - imagine that you are walking along the road - both sides of the road are full of trees - tall trees - you are walking along the road lined with trees.

Now, you find a beautiful park - a wonderful park which you had not seen so fa! in your life - the park is filled with fragrant flowers - what an enchanting fragrance of the flowers - you simply enjoy the smell of the flowers - the park is totally empty - no one is there in the park - you are all alone - there is a marble bench in the park - the atmosphere is very calm and quiet - the sky is very clear - there are not many clouds in the sky - you enjoy its journey in the sky -a flock of birds are flying across the sky - everything is peaceful, calm and quiet - it is a wonderful place to meditate.

What a nice place to meditate - mentally repeat the word SOHAM - SOHAM - you synchronise this word with your breathing process.
      Breathe in............. SO
      Breathe out............. HAM
      Breathe in............. SO
      Breathe out............. HAM
You feel wonderfully relaxed - completely relaxed - you feel the sensation of total relaxation.

Make sure you are not sleeping - you are awake - you are fully conscious - you are not sleeping - you are awake - you are fully conscious.

Now, follow my instructions carefully - I shall be naming a few objects and you should simply recollect those objects - you should bring those objects to your mental consciousness - as I mention the objects you should be able to bring those objects to your mental consciousness.

Table-cycle-book -elephant-lake-boat-paper-aeroplane-mountain-rat- TV -telephone­trees-window-bird -tiger-box -sunrise-bridge-ocean-sand -candle-tomato-tumbler-honey­toilet-train-house-car-shoe-watch-pencil-wastepaper basket-gem clip-calling bell-lorry. computer-flask-wall clock-snow-capped mountain-gold chain-gum bottle-tube light­ cow-road-star-palace-village-tray-magnifying glass-hotel-specks-visiting cards-biscuits­rope-soap-temple-punching machine-fan-grapes-bottle-shaving set-jug-mirror-moon-dog­typewriter-currency notes-envelope-cat-church-bureau-curtain-barber shop-swimming pool-cinema theatre-airport-football ground-mosque.

A small girl weeping bitterly - water gushing from a leaked pipe - an old man walking slowly on the road - a car moving at fantastic speed - tennis match in full swing - birds flying across the sky - a beggar eating food with gusto - a woman sitting in a park and discussing things - a small child playing in the middle of the road - a cyclist whistling and riding quite happily - downpour of rain - snow falling - five people climbing a mountain - wall clock ticking five - are you awake - don't sleep - listen to my instructions - now feel the sensation of taking bath - pouring warm water on your body - now wipe away the water after bath - you are now in the warm sun - feel the sensation of traveling in a car - do you hear the sound of a temple bell - you are now writing a letter to your friend - you are posting that letter in the mail box - you are now in a departmental store, buying toothpaste for your use - you are now watching a cricket match on TV.

Be aware that you are sitting in a chair - you are now listening to my instructions - be aware of your breathing - you are breathing in and breathing out - you are now fully relaxed - you are now fully relaxed - relax... relax... relax... Take your hands. Gently rub your eyes.

Slowly open your eyes - calmly and quietly open your eyes...

Significance of this Technique