Yogic Breathing

Yogic breathing (pranayama) is a series of active breathing techniques that calms, energises and balances the mind and body. Not only do these techniques divert the mind by giving it something else to focus on, they also help provide more vitality and energy by assisting to move vital energy through our subtle body.

The vital energy (also called life force or prana) is what keeps our body alive. We get this energy from the air we breathe, the food we eat and cosmic energy. The yogic breathing techniques control and direct the breath/vital energy to unblock and balance the channels within our subtle body. This provides many health benefits as well as preparing the mind for deep meditation.

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Mantra

A mantra is a word or sound that is repeated. Mantra repetition helps to divert the mind, to clear the mind of conscious thoughts and to help the mind be in silence. The mantras taught by Saraswati are Vedic mantras. These mantras are more than words, they are sounds which hold a positive and high vibration that can influence the vibration of the cells in our body in positive ways. Chanting or singing these mantras help to focus the mind and reach a deep state of meditation. They help us connect more to our higher self, reach a state of deep peace and expand our consciousness. Mantras have a definite effect on the human energy field, chakras and human psyche. They assist with deep healing and transformation on many levels.

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Meditation

Meditation is a state of being which occurs as a result of these stages:

• Keeping our body physically still
• Stabilising our mind in the present moment
• Awareness of our thoughts, feelings, impulses
• Detachment and being a witness of those thoughts, feelings, impulses
• Connecting through silence to the deeper part of ourselves (our intuition, our heart)
• Connecting and expanding into greater universal energy and consciousness

Meditation involves mastering the mind and easing into the stillness within. To begin to know ourselves as far more than our body-mind. To gain trust in the universal intelligence that speaks through our intuition. To know which thoughts serve us in positive ways and which we can let go. To gain mental clarity and intuitively navigate through life. To experience more and more peace, joy and fulfilment in our lives.

Various techniques are taught by Saraswati to assist in falling into a deep state of meditation. The techniques involve focused concentration, visualisation and contemplation.

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Devotion

Devotion is necessary to progress on our meditation path to help dissolve negative ego tendencies and open our heart to Divine grace. Devotion is a practice of cultivating love for the Divine in full faith and with selfless service. Traditional practices include chanting, puja and worship, but can include any action taken with love and with full awareness of the Divine. It involves a letting go and complete openness to follow our heart, discovering more of our Truth. Devotion gives us the strength to continue with our practices and the courage necessary for the transformation we seek.

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Service

Being of service without expecting anything in return is fundamental to leading a happy and fulfilling life. By being of service to another living being we get out of our own thoughts, troubles and dramas and create happiness in another. This not only helps the other, but also brings great happiness to us. Service can be offered at any moment in time, to our family or friends, nature, animals or strangers. Service can be big or small, and could mean a random act of kindness, donating money to charity or helping at a homeless shelter. At Joy-filled living, we learn to focus on the importance of service and be inspired to give more to the world.