it is necessary to strengthen it with visualization.
You can imagine how with each inhalation an energy ball of light rises up the spine from the coccyx to the crown, and with each exhalation this imaginary ball of light descends from the crown to the base of the spine into the coccyx.
Visualization is a powerful technique that sets energy processes in motion. We often talk about the famous principle: "if you can imagine something, it's already happening." As I mentioned, energy circulates through the spine whether you are aware of it or not, but you can enhance this process with your visualization.
Meditation is not about achieving something but contemplating what is already here and now. In meditation, you discover and notice what is already the essence of your being. In meditation, you don't need to strive anywhere, you just need to be yourself.
You begin your meditation by being aware of the breath, which is already happening, you just have to notice it. Then, begin to fix your attention on the divine, such as the image of Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, or Sathya Sai Baba. Over time, you will realize that you do not need to reach God, you just need to notice him, because he initially dwells in the depths of your heart.
The ancient philosophical text Avadhuta Gita perfectly describes what is the highest mystical experience that a yogi receives as a result of the practice of meditation "So-Ham":
“My Divine Consciousness does not appear and it does not disappear, it has no beginning and no end. The Higher Self is not created, originally free, not bound by anything, by its very nature it is perfect. I am free from birth and death, free from doubt and confusion, even the gods worship me. In my true nature there is no attachment, there is no liberation from attachment, in my true nature there is no desire and there is no detachment from desire.”
The poetic lines of the Avadhuta Gita perfectly describe the divine state that one who practices the So-Ham meditation receives. This meditation technique is based on conscious breathing. When considering breathing, it is easy to understand that the process of breathing occurs outside of your will or your decision. Of course, you can adjust the speed and depth of breathing, but the breathing itself is beyond your will. Who is breathing? God breathes in you.
Both in the Bible and in the Vedas, there are many images showing that God breathes life into a person – breathing is life itself given by God. In breathing, God manifests himself clearly every second in every person. People go on distant pilgrimages to the sacred mountains of Kailash or Arunachala, or to the sacred cities of Jerusalem or Varanasi.
All pilgrimages are made in order to meet with God, even while he is always present in the Spiritual Heart. True pilgrimage is conscious breathing that reveals the incorruptible treasures of the Spiritual Heart.
The Avadhuta Gita says:
“A person who makes a pilgrimage to the holy cities in search of the true Self, thereby rejects the omnipresence of the true Self, which is located in the spiritual heart. An enlightened sage lives happily in solitude, even if he lives in a large city, he is always in solitude, even if he is in the midst of human communication. The yogi gets rid of desires for material enjoyment and even desires for enlightenment, he dispels doubts, and his attainment of perfection occurs spontaneously.”
Everything happens inside, any external actions make sense only if they reveal the mysteries of the Spiritual Heart. The correct system of meditation begins with conscious breathing because breathing is the key that opens the gate to Divine Consciousness.
The true pilgrimage is made in the process of breathing. It is a journey into the depths of the soul. A person who is aware of his breath is in the awareness of the present moment.
There are many terms denoting the highest reality. All of these terms mean the True Self. You can call the ultimate reality Krishna Consciousness, Buddha Consciousness or Christ Consciousness; they are all the same. Different religious directions have been debating over terms for centuries, not seeing the original unity. “So-Ham” meditation leads to the experience of Christ Consciousness, Krishna Consciousness, Buddha Consciousness.
The practice of conscious breathing exists in many spiritual directions, in particular esoteric Christianity. Throughout the centuries of the development of Christianity in Greece, Egypt, Syria, Serbia and Russia, there has been the practice of the Jesus Prayer on the breath.
The original form of the Jesus Prayer was: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." This is a prayer of gratitude to Jesus for the Divine Grace that all people who pray and meditate on Christ receive. Much later, an absurd word was added to this prayer: "… a sinner."
Man is originally divine, for he was created by God in the image and likeness of God himself. The Holy Spirit is constantly present in the breath of every person. Every human soul, at every moment of its existence, is perfect and holy, even if it is not always aware of it. Breath is always divine, and thoughts can be sinful.
Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer, in which each person addresses God as Father. Jesus reminded that people, unfortunately, are prone to selfishness and greed. All negative qualities must be liberated. Once you recognize your mistakes, you should avoid repeating them. However, making mistakes does not make you a sinner.
By divine justice, everyone gets what he deserves; what you sow is what you reap. Despite all the cycles of being, each person still remains originally divine by the right of his creation from God. Man is perfect because he breathes, and breathing is the eternal presence of the Spirit of God.
61. Infinite Possibilities of the Spirit
This is a story told to me by Subba Rao, one of Sathya Sai Baba's most unique devotees. For many years he worked as an expert at the UN, was a successful politician and public figure, and
