Affirmations

For a person just beginning to meditate, it can be difficult to focus the mind. Beginning with a period of Yoga postures and Yogananda's recharging exercises can be helpful. The meditation techniques taught in the correspondence course offered by Self Realization Fellowship are excellent. But for the individual without these resources, affirmations are a useful tool. After a period of stillness, a thought is spoken out loud, softer and softer, and then mentally repeated. I prefer affirmations written by Yogananda, as I want to improve my thinking. The western mind is used to thinking in words, so this technique is not foreign. You may also write the affirmation for a change of pace. Each of the Self Realization Fellowship lessons includes an affirmation. There is also a book availalbe, Scientific Healing Affirmations.
I find affirmations especially helpful when the mind is ruffled and disturbed. I recently was reading an old issue of Self Realization magazine and found an affirmation I have been using the last few months. "Joy and I are one. God and I are one in divine ecstasy. Oh infinite spirit, surcharge my body, my mind, my soul with thy heavenly bliss. Give me realization that I may consciously feel thy presence within me.
There is a lecture on affirmations by brother Anandamoy When I play the CD in my car I feel as if he were riding in the car with me. Even as adults we are influenced by our peers, and it is a privilege to have lectures that allow me to hang out with people who have many years of meditation practice and service to others as their way of life.

The word Yoga means union. The individual is uniting with a higher state of consciousness. Meditation is concentration upon God. Many people have a negative concept of God due to negative experiences with religion. It is not necessary to believe. Applying techniques and seeing what results you get is a reasonable and logical approach.

The goal of the physical yoga poses, called hatha yoga, is to prepare the individual for meditation. It is a good beginning point for many people, because we are used to the idea of controlling the movements of the body. Controlling the mind is much less familiar to us. Many of the yoga classes today are very physical and active. I prefer to mix in breathing techniques and mental relaxation techniques. My goal for my classes is to create a deeply relaxed state, through stretching the muscles, breathing and mental techniques. The student should leave the class refreshed with a feeling of well being and kindness.