SRI VIDYAMEDITATION

Dr. Sri raghunath Swami

SRI Shree sampraday
Printed at
ContentsSri Vidya Meditation – Part 1
Page No.
Chapter 1
Introduction 7What is Sri Vidya Meditation ? 8
Chapter 2
The story of Lord Siva 11
Chapter 3
The Way of Silence 13
Chapter 4
Which Mantra ? 23
Chapter 5
Pranayama or Breath exercise 27
Chapter 6
A note of warning 31
Chapter 7
The practice of Omkar Meditation 346
ContentsSri Vidya Meditation – Part 2
Page No.
Chapter 1
Introduction 371. Purification of the mind 382. Spiritually charging your mind 393.
Stabilizing the spiritual mind power 41
Chapter 2
What we need to know before 42we begin our practise
Chapter 3
Sri Vidya Meditation 51
Chapter 4
Spiritually charging your mind 557
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SRI VIDYA MEDITATIONPart 1

1
Introduction
India has various cults and creeds. Hinduism ismore a League of Religions than a single
religion with adefinite creed. The traditional Indian schools of Philosophy that are known
as
darsana
or realization andare: The
Advaitha, Dvaitha, Visishtadvaitha, Nyaya,Vaiseshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa,
Vedanta
andthe
Saiva Siddhanta.
Hinduism has, within its fold, varioustraditions like
Ganapatyam, Kowmaram, Saivism,Saktism, Vaishnavism
and
Sowram.
The
Ganapathya
expresses the ultimate truth, that the creator lord
Ganesha
was the cause of creation. The
Kowmaram
understandsthe life as winning over the evils.
Saivam
explains theconcept of the five elements and the path of meditation.
Sowram
worships the solar energy as the Supreme Being.But,
Sri Vidya is known
as Brahma Vidya, which is thenon-dualistic
–
advaitha
philosophy,
Athma Vidya
-
thegreat realization of the
Athma. Maha Vidya
means thegreat one and Sri Vidya
,
is the ultimate knowledge thatone can realize.8
What is Sri Vidya?
Sri Vidya is the philosophy of Global Oneness. Itis a sect, cult or a fellowship which is
defined by a Sanskritword Sampradaya that comes from Saktism which is a branch of
Hinduism. Sri Vidya is based upon the onenessof the Universe and refers to it as the Mother
Goddess -Lalitha, who is the unified form of Siva and Sakti - themale and female energies. It
is intended to furnish a rightmethod of philosophical enquiry into every subject andobject
of human knowledge, including the process of reason. It is a non-dualistic approach. It is
a method for attaining peace, concentration and Godliness. It is a theoryand practice of
becoming, which is the real transformationfrom the unreal to the real.There is however, a
traditional path of Sri Vidya,which is nothing other than the attainment of
realizationthrough personal penance and rituals. They also worshipand meditate upon the
Sri Yantra the Goddess. Theyseparate themselves from the real world, thinkingthemselves
as people of high purity. Some other peoplefrom the tantric cult try to attain all the earthly
treasurethrough tantric practices or left oriented techniques of
tantric worship.There is a strong misconception towards the tantriccult regarding the
adoption of certain rituals that are relatedwith the usage of
Mamasa (
flesh),
Matsya (
fish),
Madya(
wine),
Mudra
(gestures), and
Maiduna (
fornication). Inthe light of vedantic realization the word
Mamsa
has been9explained as the sacrifice of earthly attachments, the
Matsaya
denotes the unrest of the mind and mastery over such senses,
Madya
means the nectar emerging from thetop of the head and coming down through the inner
tonguewhile practicing kundalini yoga,
Mudra
are the meaningfulcommunications with the divine energy and
Myduna
denotes the unifcation of the male and female conceptswithin oneself.However, after
twenty years of my saint hood andthe practice of Sri Vidya, I realized that I had been
directed by the Great mother Goddess to develop our consciousawareness of Sri Vidya by
not only performing rituals, butas a process of transcendence in the present time and
spacethrough meditation and selfless service for which I am inneed of writing texts to
explain the new dimension. Thusevolves the Sri Vidya meditation. Sri Vidya
meditationleads to global unity, peace and happiness. It is an integral philosophy which
goes beyond all the discriminations of class, caste, creed and religion.All of us; human
beings, animals, birds, creatures,living and non-living things, devils, demons, evil and
holyspirits…. all are the children of the Great Mother Goddess.There is no two. All are one.
It is not only a form of religion but a way of life. We realize the true love of theMother
through Sri Vidya. Our philosophy is Sri Vidya.The deity is Sri Lalitha. The holy text is
Sri LalithaSahasranama
.
The path of attainment is Sri Vidyameditation and the way of life is selfless service. The
ethicsof Sri Vidya is truth, righteousness, peace, love and non10violence. The people who
follow the Sri Vidya way of living should study all other faiths and respect them.
Theyshould lose their identity in the ocean of humanity. Theyshould sacrifice their ego for
the sake of the well being of the global society. This path is called Sri Vidya way of living
based on serenity and integrity. For this purposewe teach various meditative techniques
like omkar meditation, mantra meditation, meru meditation, srichakrameditation, light
meditation and universal meditation. Inthis book let us study the nuances of omkar
meditation,which is the first part of Sri Vidya meditation. In the second part we will deal
with Sri Vidya Kundalini techniques.
\
11
2
O
ne-day Lord Siva was at His Celestial assemblysurrounded by Divine music and dance.
Then Brahmaentered with Lord Skanda, the child God and the secondson of Siva. Brahma
said; “His Majesty, I have by your orders started to educate your son. At the start of theHoly
day when I was doing the first lesson of “OMKAR”,suddenly Skanda held my hands and
requested me to advisehim about the meaning of the “OM”. I some howwondered about
this boy who is not even capable of producing the basic scripts but tends to know about
themeaning of the great “OM”. But he knew more than meand scolded me very badly and I
was right to be afraid of him because he had suffocated the great demon,
“Tharakasura”
within seven days of his birth, so Iexplained to him the various nuances of “Omkar” in
itstwelve thousand variables. When he listened to this,however, he made fun of me saying,
“Brahma, you don’tknow!” But my lord, I am highly ignorant about the Omkar and its
twelve thousand meanings and therefore kindlyseek your help to educate Him about the
eternal substanceDHIRGA PRANAVA or the basic rhythm of all lives!”Siva wondered at the
intelligence of His son, sotaught Omkar in one hundred and twenty thousand
ways.Listening to his teaching however, it was Skanda whoreplied, “Reverend Father, it
was actually my mistake tohave said that Brahma was the only one who does notknow
about the meaning of Om; because you also do notknow!”, He also giggled while he was
saying this.12Thence, Lord Siva himself requested Skanda tosay how many meanings there
was for “OM”, the singlesyllable word.The Child God who resides at the
“mountains”revealed the significance of OM in one hundred and twentymillion forms.
Later, Skanda was identified as the “ChildGod who taught the mantra to his father”. Siva
was verymuch pleased and blessed the child to reincarnate on earthas
“Thirugnanasambanda” at Tamilnadu to teach themeanings of DHIRGA PRANAVAto all
beings upon earth.How great is the symbolism of Omkar!
\
13
3
The way of silence

Find a place of quiet and sit on the floor with your legs crossed, or with the legs in half
lotus; that is with oneleg pulled up onto the opposite thigh or if you can manageit sit in the
full lotus position. Do not worry if you can notdo this immediately, it will come with
practice. For nowthe important thing is to be as comfortable as you can.Keep your back
straight, so that the spine is upright.Be quiet. Let all sounds of speech, the voice of the radio,
T.V, fan and others, be put off for a while. Havea phase of just silence and listen carefully to
those soundswhich echo around you: the sounds from trucks on theroad, the noises coming
to you from the neighbours, thesound of an aircraft up in the sky, etc., Listen, listen
keenlyand observe those you listen to. Now further listen tothose voices, which are quieter
and more distant. Try toconcentrate and travel with those voices and try and listento that
which is the furthest away.Observe all these things while sitting in a lotus position and
close your eyes. Now all the voices havestopped and there is no sound at all. It is the silence
of thevoid; even then there is no absolute silence! Beyond allthe voices and the silence,
there is something which vibratesin the form of m…m….m… Where does it come from?It is
the holy “OM” which is eternally vibratingaround us in the universe. What holy voice is it?
When did it start? Will it end or not? How come we have not being aware of it before?That
is Omkar whose atomic voice is eternallyvibrating around us in the universe and is
presenteverywhere. It can be found in all the particles of an atom.It is visibly found in the
passage of air or at the vibrationof the musical chords and in the ringing of the temple
bells.Even if we close our ears we can feel the vibrations of thering from the bell go through
us. It is an excellent feelingto hear its voice. It is great ecstasy to listen to it. Itrequires a bit
of practice in the art of concentration of the mind to listen to the voice of Omkar.The Vedas
and Upanishads have tried their bestto explain the birth of Omkar. Here, we try to
giveconsolidated details from the text about this eternal substance, which comes as a secret
transmission from areligious master to his/her disciple, about the origin, meaning and
method of meditation. If we understood that to practice this it would bring us peace in our
day-to-daylife, we would grow spiritually and eventually merge withthe extreme ecstasy
(ANANDA) and above all help us to escape from the turbulent sea of our lives.

When we first come to stillness our mind is like a raging sea, very wild and turbulent,
always restless.Sometimes it is described like a monkey, always on themove jumping from
place to place. It is not clear, it is notcalm. Whereas when we come to sit still we become
awareof all this ‘turbulence’, eventually if we keep faithful to15meditating daily at a set
time, the turbulence subsides, thewater becomes clearer, calmer, and we can penetrate
itsdepths. We become less inclined to rush about, we becomeless agitated when things go
wrong, we become more patient and kind, simpler and less complicated. Even theTV loses
its attraction.OM is a single syllable Sanskrit mantra. It isDHIRGA PRANAVA. It is Brahma,
the mighty one. It ismade up of the concepts of BRAHMA, VISHNU,RUDRA and sounds
eternally with no end or beginning.
Patanjali
Yoga
Suthra
(aphorisms) mentions it as,“TASYA VACHAKA PRANAVA:” which means that Pranava is the
name of
Eswara.
He is the Supreme Ruler untouched by misery, desirous actions, and their result.He is the
infinite. He is beyond the limitations of time.There are thousands upon thousands of names
for GOD. But the thought about God is the same in all of thereligions of the world. OM is the
basic sound from whichall alphabets; all languages and all thoughts emerge. It isthe mantra,
which explains the holy characters of
MAHASAKTHI,
the great energy of the universe. It willgive the blessing of the divine. Pranava means
themeaningful sound, which is everlastingly new. Pranava isnothing but
MAHASAKTHI
which is ever new. It is themeaning of all mantras, found and explained by SIVA inthe form
of the universe itself.16
Sastra
holds the view that this first relationship iscalled SAKTHI.
Purana
indicates when the God Easwar produced a few mantras while he was in spiritual
penanceand he explained that Brahma was the meaning of eachand every sound. “Ma” is
the word taught by a mother toher child which when the child repeats brings
resultanthappiness to the mother. Likewise
Easwar
too will behappy just like the mother mentioned above when mankind pronounces the OM,
which was taught by the Almightyhimself.Pranava is meant as the ferry which is used
tocross the sea of life. It means the boat to cross the dullsea of our being.
PRARAPTHAKARMA
is meant for eachand every being that after completing each of its karma it

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retreats to give birth again through sky, air, rain, seed, andsperm to this world and redo its
karma. It has to redo itskarma again and again and finally should fall into theOmnipotent
nucleus, lose its identity and mingle with thenucleus as one and the same! The sole source
to attainthis union is to grip the ferry of Omkar…Omkar is such afeature of
Mahasakthi
to enable one crush the fetterscreated by the turbulent day-to-day life and identify
themwith it. No negative forces or bad elements or Evil willreach one who practices it
sitting in a lotus position. Onehas to practice it chanting in repetitive forms concentratingin
between the eyebrows. No mantra can be equated withit and it is the mother of all
mantras.When we leave all thoughts and deeds and practicethis, new doorways of meaning
will open to us. The soul17will find its origin as well as its goal and the
Sadhana
or practice will rightly co-travel with us even after we departfrom our physical bodies, we
will finally merge ourselveswith it and it would lead us to fix within the Siva
Tatva
(Tatva-philosophy).Omkar can be chanted as a short – expression asOM or as a long
note O….O….O….M. This is calledDHIRGA PRANAVA Mantra. One who practices it for three
hundred and sixty million times will merge with theOmnipotent who is also the base for
creation, protectionand destruction.Omkar cannot be controlled by present, past or future.
It does not have time or space. The
Panchabuthas
or five sources of energy are bound to it. One who controlsall five senses and concentrates
on Omkar will attain
Moksha –
EMANCIPATION. He/she will not becontrolled by either present, past or future or by time
andspace. That is the reason why any
yagna
or practice of mantra is always preceded by chanting Om. The
Gayatri
mantra also naturally begins with the DHIRGAPRANAVA, Om.It is the divine Ganges that
washes away all sins,for the one who confesses and surrenders totally beforethe great
Omkar. The Omnipresent, which is known either as
Mahasakthi, Easwar, Bhagavan, Narayan
,
and Christor Allah – has no forms and end. Let us assume Omkar,as a tiny mustard seed at
the beginning of the birth of the18Universe. Some inner pressure develops within it
whichmakes it expand larger and larger. Let us assume that ithas grown like a fireball, a
Nebula. This ball then burstsultimately into several beings making many galaxies, worlds

and these worlds in turn expand. Several universes andlives originated in them. This is the
same way that sciencedescribes the origin of the Universe. The universe, whichexpands
endlessly, will shrink one day or other. Then allthose that have grown will
become destroyed. This kindof expansion and constriction also takes place continuouslyin
each being, soul and also atoms as well. It is a cyclicactivity. It cannot be found easily what
came first, theexpansion or the constriction. The two types of changesare highly
alternative. Expansion is birth and constrictionis death. The basic factor of the first,
primary power isOmkar, the DHIRGA PRANAVA – all are bound to it. Itis the beginning and
it is the end. It is the expansion and itis the constriction, we all are those who came from
Omkar,the Brahman himself and have to resettle in it with nomore births at our
credit.Brahman is described as Om, Tat, Sat. It wasunderstood that Vedas,
yagna
(the fire ritual of the Hindus)and people who do
yagna
were born from Om. Themeaning for Om Tat Sat is: ‘Om is truth’. Om is sound(noise) and
from that the world is born. It is the voice of Brahman, the combination of all voices. They
vibrateeverlastingly. The word “tat” mentioned in the Vedas isnothing but Pranava. It is not
mentioned in any proper noun form but is generally known as ‘That is’. Sat is the19truth
that Om is Brahman, which cannot be modified.Therefore, the Bhagvad Gita says that Om is
Brahman inthe form of all Sounds (noises) and is the eternal substance.
Madhvacharya
explains the birth of Omkar fromthe work “
Tantrachar”.
The origin of
Mahavishnu
is notknown. He also does not any have parents. Brahma wascreated from a lotus on a tube,
which arises from the navalof Vishnu. The child Brahma strangely looked all aroundafter
being created on the lotus bed. It was surrounded bydarkness all over. He agonized as to
who he was andwhere he was? Later, he understood that he was seatedon a lotus, which is
the flower from the abdomen of Vishnu.He hails Narayan; “Oh! Sriman Narayana; who are
theholy, happy, and mighty forms. Your name is ‘Om’”. ThenBrahma equates in his own
mind that Narayana is Omkar and Omkar is Narayan, who is
Sathya
(Truth),
Prema
(Divine love), and who is also
Dharma
(Righteousness).Omkar has three forms like three eyes either of coconut or Easwar. In the
coconut we can find three eyes,out of which one will germinate. The other two will
remainas they are. Just like the coconut, the Lord Siva or Eswaraalso has three eyes. We
have the third eye as the agna

chakra in between our eyebrows. This universe is madeup of three activites like creation,
protection anddestruction. The ‘A’ in the beginning of the Omkar refersto
Brahm
‘A’ and creation. The ‘U’ in the middle of Omkar refers to
Vishnu
‘U’ and protection. The ‘M’ rightly refersto ‘M’
(Rudhra
or
Maheswara)
and destruction. These20three are the main features of the supreme power. Theyare
interlinked as if without the other one cannot survive.There is no creation without
destruction and there is nodestruction without creation. There is no creation
or destruction without protection.The truth is ONE, which is the oneness of theUniverse,
the
Mahasakthi
or the great energy. The secretof this Universe is ONE, which becomes TWO and
TWOcombines into ONE. The split of one is happiness. Whenit becomes two it is
unhappiness. When it is united withthe first, it is great happiness. Until then the life,
which isfull of births, karmas, sins and sufferings, will continue totake place.The
Siddha
cult mentions the six
Chakras
in our body as
Adhara –
energy centers. They are:
Mooladhara,Swathishtana, Manipuraka, Anahada, Vishudhi
and
Agna.
The ‘ONE’ is called as
Paramathman
and the ‘TWO’(two) is called as
Jeevathman.
The ‘ONE’ (one) is Sivaand the ‘TWO’ (two) is
Shakthi. Shakthi –
the
Kundalini,
is the one, which resides in our body in the form of a snake.The raising of that snake to
make it operate through the
Adhara
chakras and to make it unite with Siva is called
Kundalini,
which is also known as the unification of
Sivasakthi.
This is well known as the great happiness or
Paramananda
that is, becoming one. Now we canunderstand that in all forms of life duality exists. That
isthe reason for our unhappiness and happiness. The practiceof Omkar leads us to (be) the
ONE. It spontaneously21raises the
Kundalini Shakthi
and takes it through the
Adharas
and combines with Siva who resides at thethousand petalled lotus, inversely hanging above
the
Sahasrara.
The truth attributed by DHIRGA PRANAVA isthat this world is not meant for you.
Whenever we chantOm, we pray to
Mahashakthi
to purify our sins and the purified soul escapes from the ties. DHIRGA PRANAVAis classified
into
Bindhu
and
Nadha.
One is
Sukshama
themicrocosm and the other is
Brahmanda
or the macrocosm.The former is
Shakthi
and the later is
Siva.
The
Panchabuthas
are born from Omkar. The
Bija
mantras
or the seed letters are accumulated from OM.So we have: Hum-sky, Yam-air, Ram-fire,
Vamwater,Lam-earth and OM are the all (Dirgha) Pranava.In the final, Atman mixes the
(Dirgha) Pranava from whichit is born. All unhappiness exists as long as the body existsand
the soul later takes birth. When
Jeevan
functions intoa concrete body it then paves the way for
Sukshama
tomix with Omkar. The endless means of the chanting of Omkar will pave the way for
unification with Siva andthereby stops the birth.The
Mandukya
Upanishad explains about Omkar.We can perceive Atman only through our being. The
four stages of consciousness of a being are: the awakeningstage, dream stage, dreamless
stage and finally ‘
Thurya’
(highest consciousness). The Atman at awakening is‘
Viswam’
and in dream it is ‘
Daijasan’.
In the dreamlessstage it is ‘
Prakjan’
and the source for all the stages is22
‘Thurya’. Mandukya
means frog, which does not walk but instead jumps. Since the Upanishad deals
withknowledge related to jumping from one stage to another it is known as the
Mandukya
Upanishad. From the abovementionedstage of awakening we could achieve thedreamless
sleep stage, through the practice of Omkar andleave atman to settle with
Thurya.
This is Pranava Yoga.
One who achieves this does not have birth or death, says
Gaudapada.
There are several powerful mantras found in the sky. Great seers have obtained a few of
them to this world. They can see and hear them. Swami Vivekananda says he has seen Sri
Chakra
.
The people who worship Devi consider Sri Chakra very important.
Adi Parasakthi Sri Lalithambiga
resides in it in the form of
Siva-Sakthi.
The
Gayatri
mantra is also the one; widespread in the visualform of Omkar is ‘SRI CHAKRA’. Ernest, the
German physicist produced the rhythm of Omkar through aninstrument. A screen was
produced before it. Later, thesound waves were converted into visible forms.
Severalcircles, triangles, square and dots danced on the screenand finally turned into the
form of Sri Chakra.The DHIRGA PRANAVA is made up of five features:
Akara, Ukara, Makara, Bindhu
and
Nada.
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23
4
Which mantra?
Gayatri
mantra is the mother of all mantras. It is

the sole force to get rid of our sins and purify our souls.When one practices it with a pure
heart and goodconcentration it gives high benefits. Since, the
Gayatri
mantra is made up of
Uma –
the form of energy,
Lakshmi –
the form of riches and
Saraswathi –
the form of wisdom,the mantra will render energy, riches and wisdom.
Om Bhoor! Om Bhuva! Om Suvaha! Om Maha!
Omkar is earth! It is Bhuvar Loka! It is Swarga or heaven!It is also makar loka!......
Om Jana! Om Thaba! Om Sathyam!
Omkar is Jana Loka!It is Thapo Loka!It is also Sathya Loka!
“Om Bhur Bhuvasuvaha Tat Savithur Varenyam Bargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyoyona
Prachodayat…………….!”
The
Gayatri
Mantra, which is also known as theGuru Mantra, is the most important mantra in the
HinduScriptures. Its recitation and meditation ends all sufferingsand miseries and brings
success and beatitude. If a persononly recited this one mantra all day and night, he need
notresort to any other form of mantra, and for those peoplewho desire knowledge,
understanding and an intellect that24is inspired, reciting this Mantra, 1,000 times daily
bringsmiraculous results.O Supreme Mother! You alone are true. Youalone are worthy of
glorification and oblation. You arethe creator and sustainer of all. You are the giver of
life.Divine Mother, the source of existence, intelligence and bliss, you are all-powerful, all
wise, eternal and merciful.You know my feelings. Nothing is hidden from you. Iwant to
worship you in the temple of my heart. I want tofeel your divine presence in me, and in
everything. Youare Great, Good and Pure. Help me Mother, to live agood, pure and sinless
life. Illumine and inspire myintellect. Grant me great understanding and a peacefulmind
that I may live in the Presence of your Divine Glory.Please bless the world humanity, to
understand and tofollow the Sri Vidya path to serve, to Sacrifice and toSurrender to your
divine feet.Let us meditate upon the great light of Good whichinduces wisdom and energy
in us and that soul is the greater one which makes everything.When Omkar is chanted by
a holy man or womanit not only gives them knowledge about this Universe, butit also gives
them knowledge about the inner energy within themselves. An average man or woman can
become holy by the way of chanting it. Whenever one is on the spiritual path with whatever
philosophy he/she is pursuing, they no doubt will obtain unification with the great soul
eventually, but it is advisable for them to practice Omkar to minimize their efforts and
escalate their practice and prayer. This Mantra is a panacea for all students. One who
chants “Om” when they wake up and again before going to sleep, their whole day will be
protected by it. It is the fortress around them. There may be results of headaches and
other physical strains while practicing it. If so, it would be better for them to have the
advice of a master. The headaches hint that we have to progress more in holiness. The
vibrations found at the backbone are also not worthy of fear. If it is found one should
seek the advice of a master and escalate kundalini sadhana.
Manu says that, “Every student of Veda should chant OM before and after his Vedic classes,
or otherwise the fruits of education will erode from him, and nothing will last long”.
According to Kato Upanishad, “Which word was recorded by the Vedas, which word
was practiced by students of spirituality, if such a word Om is known by either higher or a
lower person he will attainwhatever he wishes”.The
Prasanna
Upanishat says, “Whether it is thehigher being Brahman or any least one both are
mentioned by OM.” One will attain a good birth by meditation onthe Rig Veda and also
become an advanced student of Spirituality. While practicing ‘A’ and ‘U’ he will be
guided by the phrases of
Yajur Veda
and take birth into the middlestage of
Chandra Mandala –
the zone of bliss and lives happily to escape from the life cycle like a snake from its26frail
vessel.
Samaveda
is also bound to Omkar like the RigVeda. The methodology of it is explained in both. The
Chandukya
Upanishat hails that the practice of Omkar will give the result which cannot be given by any
worshipor fire ritual to a
sadaka (one who practices Omkar meditation).
It highlights that if one has just started tothink about Omkar they will soon attain spiritual
powers.
\
27
5
Pranayama or breath exercise

This is made up of three parts: Inhale –

Puraka,
breath intact –
 Kumbaka
and exhale –
Reshaka.
When ittakes place at the left hemisphere it is
Idakala
and at theright it is
Pingala.
The function at the right, on behalf of the heat is called
Suryakala
and the left because it is cold,is known as
chandrakala.
The inbetween stage is
Sukshama
or
sambu nadi
(the neutral one). It is the stagewhere the mind should settle at the identity with
greatenergy. When we practice this breath exercise both themind and physical instincts can
be controlled. ‘SOHAM’is the term used for inhaling the breath and ‘HAMSA’ for exhaling
which respectively means ‘God within’, and also‘we are with God’. Inhaling is
Sakthi
that is life, exhalingis
Siva
that is the end.
Kumbaka
is creation that is Brahma.When we begin to chant Omkar, all of thesefunctions of
Puraka, Kumbaka
and
Reshaka
startoperating. We tend rush about in our daily lives goingfrom one thing to another,
the result being a loss in vitality,we feel tired, we become ill very easy, it makes
our breathing faster. Fast breathing will only result in the lossof energy and short life. The
practice will also give onegood health and a long life. The practitioner will attain
Moksha:
the liberation. Through Omkar one canseparate the body and the soul and also can extend
the lifespan more than one hundred years.28Sri Vidya Meditation has become the
important practice to remove the inertia of this hectic world. It iseven advised by
physicians and it is also widely known,that people who practice meditation are healthy.
They arefar from being neurotic. They have a sound mind and ahealthy body. When one sits
in the lotus position one canchoose to meditate on either God’s form, a thing, a mantraor
ones master. This is known as the
Rupa,Ishta, Veda
and
Nama
way of meditation. From time immemorial,especially from the Vedic age; Omkar is
considered to bethe holy form of meditation. Swami Vivekananda saysthat Omkar is the
holiest of all the holy Vedas and is themother form of all mantras. It is the symbol of
Mahasakthi.
It is the wholeness of the wisdom of God. It reflects Godhimself. It is the Brahman.
Japa –
is the chanting of a word repetitively. It isa wide practice followed by all the religions of the
world.We become what we think. We become part of Omkar aswe meditate upon it. It
avoids lust, anger, misery, glamour and all evils. It controls disease, laziness,
suspicion,feelings, downfall from spiritual development andinstability.

Therefore, whatever the hurdles we may find in the practising of Omkar, like maybe
headaches: this is only the root cause, and we should not stop the practice. All efforts have
hurdles. Look at someone who trains for the Olympic games, nothing is a problem to
them, they experience, aches and pains, they arise early in the morning to do so many
hours training before they go to work or 29college. Nothing stops them for obtaining
something that is perishable. Even when learning a musical instrument one experiences
pains in the fingers and one has to push beyond that so that the muscles become strong and
accustomed. Yet the moment it is to do with our eternallife, the first obstacle and we run
in the opposite direction. Therefore we also are in training when we come to practice
Omkar. We cannot easily solve the great sum of our Karma! The
Atharva
Veda describes that the Lord
Indira
won demons just by way of chanting Omkar. The
Yajur
Veda describes that by chanting Omkar repetively, and also thinking and meditating about
it one can understand Brahman. The
Kato Upanishad
confirms that Omkar itself is the eternal Brahman. The
Mandukya Upanishad
revealsthat by meditation of Omkar the Atman mixes itself withthe Brahman. In the
Bagavad Gita, the Lord
Krishna
Says that “I am OM in words”. The
Patanjali
yoga
sutra
says that chanting the mantra several times and thinking about its meanings is the right
route in spiritual achievement. Omkar gives new meanings each time it is meditated upon,
because it is ever new; like seeing new cities that come into view in a highway. The journey
only becomes obstructed if it becomes impossible to discover new places. Likewise, Omkar
will manifest eternal ideals as it travels on its ferry at the velocity of meditation. For that
we just have to simply think about the meanings of Omkar as a course, and it will give new
vistas and it is the shortcut for spiritual advancement, and ecstasy.30Worship is divided
into three: 1. Prayer and this is the beginning. “God bestow me”, is of such a kind.
2.Meditation without claiming anything materialistic, thinking only about God, in
unification and in matters of emancipation. 3. Staying with Brahman, which is the truth of
Great Nirvana (attainment). The Omkar meditationwill lead the practitioner very rapidly to
mix with Brahman.
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31

6
A note of warning
Mantras are of four kinds.
Sidha, suchida, satya
and
ari; the
classification rightly falls on the basis of their result giving nature.
Sidha
is the one, which gives a result after chanting it for a certain time. A few mantras will yield a
result after one has chanted it for one thousand and eight times, a few mantras will yield a
result after a hundred thousand and eight times, and a few will give results after five
hundred thousand times, etc.
Suichida
is the one, which gives an immediate result; and only a master should properly initiate it.
Satya
is the one to be chanted endlessly until it gives a result. A few mantras will give negative
results if they are pronounced wrongly! These are called Ari. This way of the art of learning
about mantras, their suitability at responding to individuals is known as‘
Siddharikoshta’.
Masters researching on the basis of this method initiate mantras, and the right decision is
made on individual disciples to teach the respective mantras. Nowadays, people tend to
practice mantras through learning from spiritual magazines, books or just by willingness.
This is an
unlawful practice.
One may lose their energy by shouting mere words; or to the diabolic extent will have
negative results. But, Omkar is beyond all doubts, that anyone can practice it. It is beyond
caste, creed, religion or language. Omkar is the prime source of all mantras. In the
‘Devaram’,
this holy script praises the Almightly, “Thou art Sound (noise)”. Brahman is in the form of
Sound (noise); which is known as (noisy Brahman);
Sabtha
Brahman (
Sabtha
means Sound) and is widespread throughout the universe. All forms of this universe
are born from it. It was only Dirgha Pranava at the primevalstage and that is the “Atomic
Voice” form of Omkar; andthat is the source of all noise, voice or sound; and that isthe one,
which vibrates in all souls and glares in the Atom.Omkar is the abstract voice of all the
voices we get inconcrete form. Just like the Universal voice of Omkar,the abstract voice
emerges from our Muladhara and iswidely known as
‘Para’.
The sound, which emerges from our heart, is ‘
Paisanthi’
and when it mixes with awareness it is
‘Madyama’
when this sound leaps through our mouth it is
‘vaikari’
. This is the function of energy, which starts as a concrete sound and results into abstract. It
is for this reason that to explain sound the Lord Siva is shown to have a ‘tun-tun’ in his
hand and is dancing. Also in many

temples in India we can find many people who dance in ecstasy through listening to the
sound of ‘tun-tun’ or ‘tomtom’. All sounds would be classified as
Ahada
and
Anahada. Ahada
is the one when something hits another one. It is the sound of the friction between two
objects.When the sound is independent, it is known as
Anahada.“Yogasandhya”
describes, that the yogi shouldlisten to the sound of
Anahada
by way of closing both hisears, using his hands. That abstract Omkar is abstractmantra.33
‘Nada’,
the eternal rhythm is the primary sound of all sounds.
Mahashakthi
resides beyond that level. Thatsound is understood as ‘Unheard sound’.Though we
hear several sounds, in reality could it be possible for us tohear the sound of Omkar? It
requires practice and maturityto hear the sound of the Eternal.The Universe is made up of
thirty-six eternalfeatures between
Nada
and
Bindu.
Nada is the Eternalrhythm and
Bindu
is the Eternal atom. Those featuresthat create, protect and destroy the Universe are
thosewhich are found in between ‘….O… ‘and ’…M…..’.
Nada
is sound and
Bindu
is light. Creation partakes betweenthese two to happen, stay and you get destroyed.
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34
7
The practice of Omkar Meditation
How does one practice Omkar meditation? One has to choose a place where constant
worship is done, getup by four O’ Clock in the morning, complete ones routine, and after
having taken a bath should sit in the lotus position to practice. Or at least if one cannot
manage the lotus position use the half lotus position or sit cross-legged as mentioned
earlier. Do not worry if you cannot do this immediately, it will come with practice. There
are four various forms of Omkar:
Krusva, Dirgha, Plutah
and
Apyayana
, from which
Plutah,
thethird is explained: Inhale and chant Omkar while it has tolinger like taking a gulp
of water or swallowing it.Hence, the breath can mix with the natural energyexisting in and
around us and the mind will settle in peace.We will be moving towards success if we
practice thiswithout fail every day. One has to practice Omkar for twenty seven times, daily.
Then the number of times werecite it has to increase from 108 to 1008 gradually. Whenwe
practice this for at least 108 times daily, several changes
will manifest in us. If we complete chanting Om for ninetymillion times we can attain one
of the
Panchabutas.
Whenthe first cycle is complete - earth, can be won. In thesecond - water can be tamed. In
the consequent cyclesother energies, fire, air and sky can be won. When35 practiced at
least 1008 times daily, desires, anger and pridewill vanish and purity and peace will settle
within us.Omkar is the simple and great source to withdraw into us putting an end to all
wrongful deeds.The tasks of chanting a particular quantity of mantrais called
‘Puracharana’
and a master rightly initiates it inrelevant months according to the
Agamas.
The meditationof Omkar can be done through three means. One is
‘Manasa’
that is the chanting of ‘OM’ in the mind. It is a difficult practice and difficult to follow since
everything is very noisyaround us, but it can be attained after having practised for along
time. The second method is called
‘Upamsu’,
which ischanting to the level of hearing one’s own. This is such asimple and dynamic
method. It also helps us to raise our concentration power. The third one is
‘Vachaka
which is thesounding of ‘OM’ loudly, so that others can also listen to it.Within all these,
Manasa
is considered to be very eminent.But the most best and complete way of practising
Omkar meditation is if we begin with
‘Vachaka
and continue with
‘Upamsu’
reaching the ‘
manasa
’ in the final stages.Omkar! Its various meanings! The great energyof Omkar, Meditation,
Mantra,
Gayathri, Pranayama
and
Japa,
is a sound thinking , which unites all these variousconcepts under one roof – Omkar. One
who has the questfor self realization advances towards the final goal of thesoul.One who
thinks that nothing is in our hands, andeverything is the action of
Mahashakthi,
is relieved of all36earthly sorrows. He/she will be blessed with all riches andspiritual
light.Sri Vidya Meditation is mainly based on mindconcentration,
pranayama,
mantra and
japa.
It is not aneasy task to regulate the mind stream. One who practicesmeditation using
various techniques may fail in mindconcentration but Sri Vidya Omkar meditation, which
isan integral path, never fails!The chanting of Omkar itself will result in theconcentration of
mind. Whenever we chant Omkar it isequal to a complete
pranayama.
Om is a great mantra byitself. Omkar
japa
becomes a complete meditation.Just say Om…Om…. Now you are in meditation.

Here on after Omkar will take care of you. As soon asyou awaken in the morning you can
chant Omkar 21 timesand while you are going to sleep you can chant the same. Now you
are in the total protection of Omkar.Chant….Om…….Om….Om…!
OM TAT SAT.
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37
\
SRI VIDYA MEDITATION
Part 2
1
Sri Vidya meditation is a specially designed methodto re-program your mind towards
conscious being. Youhave to only spend a little time daily, but those minuteswill make a
remarkable change in your life. It has three parts and they are:1. Purification of the mind2.
Spiritually charging the mind by Sri Vidya energy3. Stabilization of the Sri Vidya energyIf
you practice the above spiritual meditationregularly in the early morning for 27 days there
will beimmense benefits. You will be blessed with good health,well-being, intellect,
character, wealth, social status,spiritual bliss and universal peace. The eight-fold benefitsof
meditation can be attained. Let us discuss these one byone.38
1. Purification of your mind
Why do we need mind purification? The mind islike crystal clear pond. The purity is spoiled
even becauseof a small disturbance. There are three possibilities for the contamination of
our mind. Our sub-conscious mindhas records of our ancestors in subtle form. This has to
becompletely erased. Then only we can feel the brightnessof our life. Secondly, many evil
vibrations created by otherscontaminate our thoughts. We are unable to realize thereal
light of our life due to this disturbance. Thirdly, wemeet with many miseries in our life as
the out come of our selfish deeds. These sorrows, depression, failures, fear and anxiety are
some of the forms of impurities loaded inour mind. Sri Vidya meditation aims to purify our
mind by removing the impurities. There is a stream of thought,one thought following
another in succession. Thesethought forms are the spontaneous output of the mind,

coming into existence and becoming non-existent at thesame moment without the control
of the thinker. Oneshould learn to streamline these thought forms. This can be achieved
only through the cleansing of the ManipuraghaChakra, which is explained in the following
paragraphs.39
2. Spiritually charging your mind
The Human mind has two concerns. One is material and the other is spiritual. Also one
cannot exist without the other. The mind learns and realizes easilyabout the material
world, which is sensible through thefive sense organs. But, the question is though, how
tounderstand the spirit? There is an inner light, called self or spirit. The more you approach
the real light of self, themore the darkness of delusion vanishes. The inner lighthas to be
ignited or induced with the help of spiritual practices. That is nothing but a fearless stage,
with boldness and tremendous love. The vast majority of peopledo not understand the
meaning of this reality. What is theuse of searching for spiritual power outside of us
in anoutward journey? It has to be attained within us. SriVidya meditation teaches you to
charge and energize your inner mind with the help of sacred syllables. After thisstage one
can trace the presence of the spiritual energiesin and around.The doctrine of the Sri Vidya
meditation postulatesthat our body consists of exactly the same elements asthose of the
Universe. What is in the Universe is alsothere in the body as well: and what is there in the
body isalso there in the Universe. In other words, by correlatingthe centres found in our
body to the countless stars and planets in the Universe, it may be concluded that
theUniverse and the body are one and the same. The40connectivity between the Universe
and us is all-important.If we lose the signals we may not be able to live properly.Sri Vidya
meditation enables us to realize the inner self andidentify the same with the Universal
abundance.41
3. Stablizing the spiritual mind power
It is due to our ignorance: that slowly we lose theconnectivity or the charge of the spiritual
energy. In order to stabilize the invoked energy we have to learn certain techniques and
processes. Many of us think that spiritualityis related with certain Gods or Goddesses,
caste, creed or religion. In fact spirituality is nothing to do with religion. It is the realization
about the abundant invisible energy dwelling all over the Universe. Human beings are the

complex creations of body, mind and spirit. The first oneis the physical manifestation and
the rest are subtle. Thereare ‘Nine’ stages of existence: Earth, Water, Fire, Air,Sky,
Conscious mind, Sub-Conscious mind, Superconsciousmind and the Supreme Being of
Universalexistence. These stages are there in the human (body) as(energy) centres. The life
forces that make us alive anddwells from the toe to head through these energy centresare
connected with the Supreme Being. The spiritual lifeenergy flows from the Supreme Being
and enters throughthe human body, through the conscious mind centre in the body. But
due to other reasons the connectivity isdisconnected. That is the reason for all our
suffering. SriVidya meditation helps us to stabilize the spiritual mind power and to spread
the same to others.
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42
2
What we need to know before we begin ourpractise
Before trying to start Sri Vidya meditativetechniques, it is necessary to understand the
mightyKundalini energy found (hidden and inherent) in our own body. It is Kundalini, the
serpent power (female energy)of the mother Goddess, in the form of a snake, coiled inthree
and a half turns, waiting to wake up at the root chakrato reach and unite with the ultimate
male energy at the-Crown.Kundalini means energy in the form of a coiledsnake in three and
a half turns. Kunda means coiled.Kundalini is also called or known as
‘Bhujangini’ –
Serpent power. The three coils represent the three-root characters:
Sattva –
Truth, purity and equilibrium – the non-movingnature of the Universe.
Rajas –
The Kinetic power of theuniverse - the moving nature of the Universe, and
Tamas –
The power of Inertia, the lower of the three
gunas,
theconstituents of
Prakrithi,
or material nature- the neutralnature of the Universe. Half a turn – represents
the beginning status of
vikritis
the modification of
Prakrithi
or material nature. This indicates the transcendence of the soul from ignorance to the
great light of realization.There are six basic energy centres namely; - Earthcentre, Water
centre, Fire centre, Air centre, Sky centre,Conscious mind centre, and Sub-Conscious mind
centre,43Super conscious mind centre and The Supreme Being of Universal existence
which is beyond the body, mind and

spirit consciousness. The large expanse over the head isknown as the Supreme Being of
Universal existence. Letus now see in detail the abodes and characteristics of allthe above
centres.44
Earth Centre:
(Root or Base centre)
MOOLADHARA CHAKRA
(
for Adhara Chakra):(Sacral) Sacro-Coccygeal Plexus
This centre is at the lowestof our ribs. This may beconsidered to be in the shapeof a lotus
with four petals.The subjects referred to hereas petals are only the energycodes. The
Spiritual mind power or
Kundalini energy
rests here in the form of aserpent of three and a half (turns, in spiral shape) -spirals. In the
doctrines of thefive elements the root centreor Mooladhara Chakra is the discipline of the
earth. In the nine planets system this is
Mercury.
In the Universe theroot is the earth. This is thecentre, which forms the basisof self-
consciousness,memory, nervous system,intellect and learning.45
The Water Centre:
(At the linga or the origin of the reproductive organ)
SWATHISHTANA CHAKRA:
(Prostatic Plexus)(It is in between the root centre and the navel).
It issituated above the rootcentre and slightly belowthe navel with six petals inthe spinal.
Its element iswater. Conforming to thetheory that all life originatedfrom water, this centre
isrelated with all creations.Its planet is
Venus.
This isthe basis for family life. It may lead to dissatisfactionin conjugal life or impotency, if
this centre is blocked or energy less.46
Fire Centre:
(Naval or Nabhi Centre)
MANIPURAKA CHAKRA:
(Solar Plexus)
This centre with ten petalsis located in the spinal chord just directly above thenavel. Its
element is Fire.The spiritual mind power isenhanced here and developsthe act of
maintenance or protection. The planetwielding power here is
Mars.
Labour and theconsequent wealth aregoverned by this centre.The people who improvethis
centre will be blessedwith prosperity. It is theheaven amongst all of theworlds.47
Air Centre:
(Heart Centre)
ANAHATHA CHAKRA:
(Cardiac Plexus)
It is located in the spinefocused on the chest, above theheart. It is a lotus with twelve petals.
Its element is Air. Thespiritual mind power rules here asthe force of fury and
accomplishesthe act of destruction of the EGO.Its planet is
Jupiter.
In theexalted state of the guru thespiritual mind power destroysarrogance;
destroysunrighteousness and upholds justice. Those who energize thiscentre will be
blessed with boundless knowledge andwisdom. Victories and leadershipwill be theirs. They
will also be

accepted and respected as Gurusto others.48

Sky Centre :
(Throat Centre)
VISHUDHI CHAKRA:(
Laryngeal Plexus)
Its location is the hollow of the throat. This is a centrewith sixteen petals. Thespiritual mind
power ruleshere, as the doctrine of concealment. Infinite love,sympathy, mercy,attachment
andmotherliness are parts of this manifestation. This isan ether (space or sky)doctrine. Its
ruling planetis
Saturn.
Those whoenhance the spiritual mind power at this centre will be bestowed with
divine boundless love.49
Conscious Mind Centre
(Brow centre or Third Eye centre)
AGNA CHAKRA:
(Cavemous Plexus)
It is the centre located between the eyebrows. Itis the lotus with two petals.It is here that
the role of thefive elements ends and thedomination of the mindemerges. The
reigning planet is the
Moon
and itsworld is the world of reflection. It is this centre,which receives allinformation with
the help of sense organs andmanipulates the thoughtforms.50
Sub-Conscious Mind Centre:GURU CHAKRA
(Pineal gland)

This is at the centre of the head. The sub-consciousmind is the guiding principle for our life.
It is the greatknowledge, which knows all past, present and future. Ithelps us to take the
right decision at the right time. Weshould induce the spiritual mind power at this centre
inthe belief that the divine energy, which guides us, isenshrined here. We should praise our
Guru’s feet and feelthat it touches our head.
Super Conscious Mind Centre:GAYATHRI CHAKRA:
This is above the sub-conscious mind centre; it isthe stage for super conscious mind. By
concentrating atthis centre we will be relieving ourselves of all impurities.This is the
centre, which helps for purification.
Supreme Being of Universal Existence:SRI CHAKRALocation of the Thousand Petals:
It is the stage where the hands reach to join abovethe head. We will feel and receive the
boundless love of the abundance, and be bestowed with love, wisdom andstrength. The
realization of spiritual mind power is a simpleecstatic experience. We can sense spiritually
the rays of
Sun.
This meditation is the realization in our-selves of the omnipresent and omnipotent divinity.
Worldly life isinterpreted only through the eyes of the world. So, themind is always being
attracted towards the world outside;and consequently becomes corrupted.
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51
3
Sri Vidya Meditation
Sri Vidya meditation practice may be treated asthe Master’s level in meditation. Next to
that, we canreach the self-realization stage, the ultimate goal of life.The dynamics of the
mind is the basis of human life: Thenfollows the Mind, Intellect, Conviction and Ego. The
base
centre
is only the site of a sign in the last of the ribs (theabove rib itself is in the shape of a
triangle). As a matter of fact, if we carry out a surgical operation, it will beimpossible to
physically identify any part of the body asthe base centre or the brow centre. One is not
able toidentify and isolate something as the mind of man, life or spirit. In the same way, the
centres
also cannot be isolatedand identified. However, these are the sites where the
allpervasivelife, mind intellect and spirit are supposed todwell and take their roles.They
are like important intermediate junctions like

when you travel in a train. These centres of movementsof energy cannot be compared to
the physiological partsof the body like the brain, heart or lungs. They are differentanatomy
in that these spiritual energy centres are subtleand invisible. With this fundamental
understanding, let us proceed to study the nature of spiritual mind power practice.The
Masters of Sri Vidya meditation affirms thatthe spiritual energy lies in the shape of
a spiralled serpent52as a spark of light. If we move a glowing joss stick in acircular path in
the dark, it would appear like a circle.The spiritual energy is similar to this. Spiritual mind
power practice is the arousing of the Kundalini energy throughthe centres, the spiritual
energy which dwells at the basecentre, raising it to the confluence at the
centre
betweenthe eyebrows and then to allow it to pervade its ownexpanse.To attain this state,
one is led (through sound, light,mind, and spiritual exercises) to four stages. One whowould
like to practice Sri Vidya spiritual mind power technique should first of all learn the basic
concepts beyondany doubt. Following this, a test practice will have to beundertaken. Then
he or she will be initiated into the practiceof meditation. Only then the person will be given
regular practice; and then the person will gain experience.Let us now see how the Sri
Vidya meditationtechnique is practised.You may sit facing the direction of the east. Youmay
have before you a light (or lighted lamp), a windowthrough which light comes, a lamp or
idol of (Gods/Goddess) as you wish. Sit on a wooden plank, a mat or acarpet making your
position comfortable.First of all, practice the breath exercise.53
The Breath Exercise – Easy Technique for(Purification of your mind)
1. Close the right nostril and breathe in through the leftnostril.2. Close both the nostrils and
retain the air for 30 seconds.3. Open the right nostril and breathe out.4. Close the left
nostril and breathe in through the rightnostril.5. Retain the air in the body for 30 seconds
closing boththe nostrils.6. Open the left nostril and breathe out.7. Breathe in through
both the nostrils.8. Close both the nostrils and retain the air for 30 seconds.

9. Open both the nostrils and breathe out.A cycle of the above nine steps is considered as
oneunit. You should repeat this cycle three times.
Purification of the physical body, subtlebody and karmas:
Take a deep breath sitting in the meditative postureand bring your thoughts to the
Mooladhara chakra andexhale. Once again take a deep breath and bring up your mind
concentration to the Swathishtana chakra. Like thissend the breath and mind energy to
each chakra. Whiledoing this imagine that all your sorrows, physical ailmentsand negative
thoughts are burnt in the fire of Kundalinienergy.54
Purification of the thoughts and links of theancestors:
The Manipuraga chakra is the link with your ancestors. Keep your right palm closing
over the naveland raise your left palm facing the sky. Now meditateyour known and
unknown ancestors and try to see themin a golden light. Then Chant: “Om Shanthi,
shanthi,Shanthi, (OM PEACE, PEACE, PEACE!) once. Whilstchanting the shanthi mantra the
first shanthi should beuttered in a louder voice, then reduce your sound for thesecond
shanthi and chant the third shanthi in a whisper.
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55
4
Spiritually charging your mind:
Step 1:
Then remain in a state of absolute silence for threeminutes. As you are doing this you will
perceive a dot of light at the centre between your eyebrows. It is that dotof
golden light
that will henceforth direct all your activities.
Step 2:The Mooladhara Chakra:
Breathing in quickly, imagine that a dot of red lightmeets your base centre, performing at
the same time,
theact of contracting and expanding the anus in rapidsuccession five times (Aswini Mudra).
Now you aresubtly at the base centre. Now form a position with your hands, and bring
both the hands together, keeping themtightly against the lower abdomen, and keeping both
thehands in
Chin Mudra.
Now chant at the base the‘OM’mantra 12 times. Now the red dot of light wakesup the
Kundalini and makes it begin to rise upward.