What is meditation?

Raja Yoga is the system of yoga that deals with the practice of concentrating the mind and developing a calm, steady, continuous intensity of awareness without distraction. The ancient philosopher and yogi Patanjali composed a concise and detailed explanation of how raja yoga works and the methods to use so that you can experience the mental state of meditation. His explanation is known as the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and in it he explains how the mind works and how to over come its influence. The moment you become attracted to the changes within the mind, they influence your awareness. Concentration is distracted and you begin to follow a stream of thoughts. For anyone who wants to achieve success in their efforts of mental discipline, it is necessary to first understand the principles and practice of yoga.

The desire for happiness and contentment is natural and we strive to achieve our dream. We are attracted to pleasure and reject unpleasant confrontation hoping to avoid pain. Each of us has identified with a way of living that has its own philosophy and material aims. Money gives us power over physical ownership, but our mental and emotional experience is still unstable. Education and training empowers us with skills to earn material wealth but the life of inner feelings and mental confusion is always changing. Work, lifestyle, marriage, children, sensual pleasure and power over others has no permanent effect on the personal state of mind and emotions. Happiness is always a momentary feeling that comes with a sense of achievement and recognition. It is only a brief mental association with pleasure and is nothing more than a transition between satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In fact all the ideas that exist within the mind about pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow, joy and sadness are only concepts or ideas of the mind. They only exists as long read more