The Brahma Kumaris teach Raja Yoga Meditation
- Meditation can calm you down, lift your spirits, and give you mastery over your mind and emotions.
- Meditation can enhance your relationships, allowing you to understand yourself, and the way you interact and communicate with others.
- Meditation will empower you to adopt new habits and replace unwanted ones.
- Meditation may give you a more positive outlook, and help you to find meaning and purpose in life.
- Meditation allows you to tap into your potential, access your creativity and develop your spirituality.
Regular meditation practice can reveal answers to your deepest questions.
These are just some of the ways that regular meditation may benefit your life.
In Raja Yoga we describe the being as a point of light – like a star radiating light. That is what the ‘being’ part of us is. Light is energy, and the energy of the being drives the body. We might think of the brain in the body like the engine of a car – it has immense potential power – and we might think of food as the fuel that powers that engine. But can a car function without a driver? No. In the same way, the body cannot function without a being to drive it. I am the being in my body, and I am the being that makes this body function.
Commonly Asked Questions
Do we keep our eyes closed or open when we are meditating?
In the form of Raja Yoga we practise, we meditate with our eyes open. This creates a higher awareness as we go about all the things we need to do in life. Practising meditation with the eyes closed might lead to distraction when we open our eyes again. If I keep my eyes open when I meditate and my mind is working on that higher awareness, then I can keep this awareness as I get on with other things in life. When I am alone I can sit looking straight ahead; when I am in a gathering and someone is conducting the meditation I can look towards the centre of their forehead or I can look towards an image of a point of light. Just as I am a non-physical being of light so is the Supreme. So to keep the eyes open is to focus my thoughts on the Supreme.
When is the best time of day for practising meditation?
In Raja Yoga we consider the early morning the best time for daily meditation, and meet for Amrit Vela (meditation practice) at 4am each day for 45 minutes. But whether you meditate in the early morning or again at night time, I still ask, ‘Well what are you doing all day?’ When people say that they have no time for meditation I say whenever you are teaching, looking after children or nursing patients, or whatever your daily task might be –if you are carrying out your work in a meditative state of mind then you are engaging in meditation.
Even when we are extremely busy, if we focus on keeping the mind full of awareness and filled with love and faith then in a wonderful way we will be able to see the multi-fold result of meditation. If you are making equal internal spiritual efforts with your thoughts, words and actions you will be recharged all the time and will feel refreshed – you will never feel tired. That is the wonder of meditation.
What is the secret of happiness?
Remember that the mind is like a baby; you need to take care of it very well and offer it good food. Treat the mind well and your heart will be happy. Make the quality of your thoughts good and you will be able to watch how your mind and heart become happy. Keep your intellect clear and clean; become honest with yourself. Those who are honest are greatly loved.
‘I, the soul, am peaceful and full of all qualities. I am the creator of my thoughts. The Supreme Being is my friend. Through my thoughts I can come close to the Supreme Being and experience the Supreme as my friend.’