All spiritual traditions encourage practitioners to have periods of time where they withdraw from the noise and distraction of worldly activity and spend some time in quietude, looking inwards. With the pace of modern life, away from nature and natural biorhythms, practices that help in this direction are becoming all the more important and popular. 

Over the last century, esoteric systems from the East were propagated in the West by different masters from varying traditions. These were also integrated into the cultural heritage of lay practitioners, causing an abundance of variations and new schools to be developed together with the more classical, authentic approaches. 

Language created an even more complex situation. Some schools use more traditional terminology from the original teachings, others more descriptive language to convey the meaning. Words are pointers. What they are pointing to depends on each person’s interpretation and understanding. Many Sanskrit and Pali terms in the original texts and teachings had to be described in modern or Western languages that did not have words for the respective attitudes and mental states and experiences that were recorded by the yogis. Terms around meditation are especially prone to obscurity. 

The term ‘Mindfulness’ is not commonly used in the Satyananda Yoga tradition. We have other words and phrases that indicate the same notion. Mindfulness was introduced from the Buddhist tradition and taken up by scientific and education communities where Buddhism spread. It is also referred to in ‘alternative’ and ‘new age’ schools of thought.  

What is the original meaning and aim of Mindfulness Meditation practice?  

During the practice of meditation the practitioner places their attention on an object. This object may be a physical external object such as a candle flame, a more intimate object such as the eyebrow center or the natural breath, or a more subtle object such as inner thoughts or a mantra. 

Anyone who has tried to meditate on an object, or even observed their attention span in every day life, will know that the attention sooner or later wanders away from the object. So, we place the attention on a chosen object and then at some point something alerts us to the fact that our mind has wandered off; the attention is no longer where we placed it originally. 

When we realize this, if we have sufficient interest and will-power (sometimes called caring concern), we bring the attention back and place it on the object again.  

Maintaining the attention on the object is the actual mindfulness. Mindfulness means keeping familiarity with an object, and if the attention strays, bringing it back to the object. Mindfulness is an awareness of what is going on moment to moment, like a mental glue holding the attention in place. 

Mindfulness meditation is practicing this. Mindfulness meditation is used to train the mind to become more steady, having a longer, continuous stream in a certain direction. 

For some people the English word ‘mindfulness’ could be misleading; not a very helpful translation of the original Tibetan term dran-pa. It may conjure up ideas of a mind being full, as opposed to empty, which is often thought to be the purpose of meditation: to empty the mind of all thoughts. The purpose of meditation techniques is not to empty the mind, but to help it, to train it to stablize. 

Mindfulness meditation is associated more with the meaning of the English word ‘mindfulness’ as in keeping something in mind, remembering, not forgetting or losing sight of an object or objective you are focusing on e.g. being mindful of our behaviour 

In a Satyananda Yoga class the teacher may give instructions like ‘keep the awareness on the breath’ and ‘awareness of every breath, without missing a single inhalation or exhalation’. This is an encouragement to maintain the attention on the breath; to stay with the practice and have a more conscious sustained experience of attention, which will eventually, spontaneously transition into concentration, dharana. 

What are the benefits of Mindfulness Meditation?  

We can see how this kind of training vastly increases our ability to monitor the attention and increase our attention span 

Mindfulness meditation is the perfect antidote to the dissipated and distracted mind of today. It can be a vital training and healing practice in schools and work environments, and has already been used by many educational and business institutions to improve well-being and performance 

Reduce stress  

The mind is constantly preoccupied with the past and with the future, dwelling on hopes and fears. It is the nature of the mind to move and not the intention of meditation to eliminate the mental movement of thoughts, images, ideas etc. However, there is a space where the mind can relax and become calm, and that is in the present 

Mindfulness meditation is essentially familiarizing with the present, moment by moment. 

Swami Niranjanananda, the current guru of the Satyananda tradition has designated ‘yoga from moment to moment’ as the aim of Yoga in the current era.  

An hour-long relaxing massage, during which our mind is lost in future fantasies or past regrets, is nowhere near as effective as five minutes of mindful breath awareness. Because being in the present is the key to relaxation and stress relief on all levels of our being. 

Better sleep quality and overall health 

Practicing mindfulness in a more formal meditation session, or on a more informal basis at different times in the day, essentially gives the mind more opportunities to relax. The less distraction and anxiety we feel at bedtime, the easier it is to succumb to sleep and surrender to that restful state. The deeper our sleep, the more refreshed and revitalised we are in the morning 

A good night’s sleep, where all the body organs and systems are rested, resorted and balanced improves our overall health. Any psychosomatic conditions exacerbated by stress can be improved e.g. a weak immune system, anomalies with endocrine secretions, a disturbed limbic system, blood pressure, skin conditions and digestive issues. 

Learning and Self-knowledge  

When we want to learn about something new, we need to be able to stabilise our attention on that object for some time, to get into it, to explore it deeper. Thus, mindfulness training facilitates the learning process of any subject that attracts our interest.  

Mindfulness meditation is essential though when we embark on the journey of self-knowledge, where the mind itself becomes the object of our investigation. 

Another important skill and attitude to develop in order to go deeper is taking the position of an impartial witness. This is extensively explored and emphasised in Satyananda Yoga classes and meditation sessions. Mindfulness meditation allows the contents of the mind to become more apparent, but identifying with the witnessing awareness is the key to evolving the meditation experience. 

How to start practicing Mindfulness Meditation?  

Mindfulness meditation is easy to practice once we understand its purpose. Even 10 minutes of the following practice on a regular basis can bring swift and positive results. 

Settle the body  

First, settle the body in a comfortable and steady position. This can be a suitable yoga posture or even on a chair, or lying down, as long as the spine it straight and we remain awake. 

Focus on breathing  

Bring the attention (often also called awareness, but the meaning here is attention) to the natural breath and maintain the attention on each inhalation and each exhalation, as they happen by themselves, completely spontaneously. 

This is an initial exercise in holding the attention in the present by using an object that is always happening in the now, i.e. the natural breath. 

Mindfully observe thoughts  

Shift the attention from the breathing to the mental space, which can be felt in the head region or located in front of the closed eyes. In Sanskrit this mental space or mental screen is called chidakash. 

Take the position of a person sitting in an audience watching a movie or a theater play. Identify with the observing awareness and watch the spontaneous expression of your mind. Watch each thought as it arises and disappears by itself. Whenever you are alerted to the fact that you are no longer watching the thoughts come and go, or are lost in some train of thought, then bring your attention back to the spontaneous thoughts. 

Continue training in this process of mindfulness for a little while. 

Ending the meditation practice  

Let go of observing the spontaneous thoughts and revert to the natural breath. Then start to extrovert the senses and release the sitting posture. 

 For online practices in meditation download the satyam yoga prasad app onto your computer which are guided by the gurus of our tradition. https://www.satyamyogaprasad.net/