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Meditation is the key that unlocks the door to the Self.It is through meditation that we can experience oneness with the Universal Brahman and experience our Self as everyone and everything. Meditation is a fantastic tool in our yoga tool box along with asana which is used to prepare our body for long periods of sitting in Lotus pose. Asana is a body purifier and meditation is the mind purifier. It is through meditation that we can wash our minds clean by clearing out false impressions and negative thoughts and replacing them with positive thoughts and new ways of thinking... It's a kind of mind washing! In a good way!
Meditation helps remove the layers and layers of false identifications or veils we have built around our souls.
These layers are ego or I-ness and they are what keep us feeling separate for our true Self.
These layers range from the subtle to the obvious or gross.
I had a very big Ah ha moment the other day with how subtle I ness is when I realized after one of my meditations that I would even have to let go of the idea of yoga to truly merge with Universal Consciousness because we have to let go of anything that has my or I in front of it like "I am a Yogini."
But don't feel that this is what your meditations have to be about! Set small goals of trying to stop doing the "to do list" or writing your book or what ever it is your mind turns to when you finally sit down and stop. When your mind starts to wander just bring it back to the mantra or the breath. Focus on the Third Eye Chakra or the Heart Chakra and follow the breath.
Meditation is very challenging at first but with perseverance the rewards will be revealed to you. The secret is to not chase or attach to the fruits of your labor. This is very hard to not do in the beginning. It's human nature to want to measure and compare and wonder "I am progressing?". Just by the simple fact that you have managed to carve out time in your day with the intention to sit down and meditate you have just spiritually evolved!The results of meditation are very subtle at first but as you get deeper into your practice you will start to see that you react less and instead act with pure intention. What does that mean? Using myself as an example I was thinking of a friend whose primary element is air. I am Earth very gross element heavy grounded. But my 'air friend' is just that 'air' and as I thought about their air-ness I assigned it no value. It was neither good nor bad to me but just was. I thought to myself when did this happen? When did I stop judging? It's a very interesting place to be because I don't feel the need to react or have an opinion. Instead I see it as it is, nothing more, nothing less. This means that it allows me to use my energy in places of importance rather than leaking it out all over the place by judging this or tisk tisking that. It's like having extreme focus.
Be very diligent in the daily duty of sitting on your cushion and restraining your thoughts but do this action with kindness and compassion! The restraining should not be a cruel action but instead a kind reminder to return back to the breath or mantra if you have one. It's ok if the mind wanders around the entire time just make a resolve that the next time you sit down that you will look for the gaps between your thoughts and try and stop there and hang out in the gap.
We are only limited by the construct of our own minds! Knock down the walls of the mind and feel the bliss that is you! Eternal and unlimited!