Steps of Raja Yoga Meditation

The folowing are the steps to begin for Raja Yoga Meditation:

Make an appointment with yourself for 10 or 20 minutes each morning or evening.

Find a quiet place and relax.

Play some soft music. It can create an appropriate atmosphere.

Sit comfortably upright on the floor or in a chair. Keep your eyes open and, without staring, gently rest them on a chosen point somewhere in your room.

Gently withdraw your attention from all sights and sounds. Become the observer of your own thoughts.

Do not try to stop thinking, just be the observer, not judging or being carried away by your own thoughts, just watching.

Gradually your negative thoughts will slow down and you will begin to feel more peaceful.

Create one thought for you, about yourself for example, "I am a peaceful soul."

Hold that thought on the screen of your mind; visualize yourself being peaceful, quite and still. Stay as long as you can in the awareness of that thought. Do not fight with other thoughts or memories that may come to distract you. Just watch them pass by and return to your created thought, "I am a peaceful soul."

Now think of the Supreme Soul, who is the ocean of peace, bliss, love, power, knowledge, purity, and truth. Think that you- the soul- is moving out of the body and going to God`s home.

Once you have reached God`s home- a place that is very beautiful and full of light- imagine that you are seeing God, who is also a point of light. Think of receiving a part of all is qualities.

Acknowledge and appreciate the positive feelings and other positive thoughts, which may spring directly from this thought.

Be stable in these feelings for a few minutes. Be aware of unrelated thoughts. Just think that you are gaining the qualities of God.

Now after your appointment with God is over you have to come back to the earth where your body resides. While coming back think of all those who are in misery and in want of peace, love, power, knowledge, truth, bliss etc.

Now think that you are giving your qualities that you gained from God to the needy. It is believed that the more you give the more will you gain. So give as much as possible.

After spreading the qualities around, come back to your body.

Finish your meditation by closing your eyes for a few moments and creating complete silence in your mind.