Meditation after having dinner!
Should I meditate after dinner?
A disciple once asked Swami Sivananda this question. The God-realized sage replied: Generally, after a sumptuous meal, people tend to feel drowsy. Therefore, while you may imagine that you are meditating, it may purely be sleeping in a sitting posture. However, if you take your dinner meal early, say before 7 p.m., then you can sit and meditate from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
A disciple once asked Swami Sivananda this question. The God-realized sage replied: Generally, after a sumptuous meal, people tend to feel drowsy. Therefore, while you may imagine that you are meditating, it may purely be sleeping in a sitting posture. However, if you take your dinner meal early, say before 7 p.m., then you can sit and meditate from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
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| Should I meditate after dinner? - Swami Sivananda |
As a matter of fact, meditation
at night, a second sitting, apart from the one in the morning at Brahma Muhurta
preferably, is necessary. Unless you have adequate time in the evening, you may
still meditate for a couple minutes, say, 10 or 15, before you go to sleep. By
so doing, the spiritual Samskaras will increase. The spiritual Samskaras are
valuable assets and priceless treasures for you.
Furthermore, you will have no bad
dreams at night. The divine thoughts will be carried during sleep. The good
impressions will be there. Before proceeding for morning or night meditation,
practice simple Pranayama for two minutes. Feel the indwelling presence of the
Lord and his form within you. Picture the features of our creator, for example
love, enjoy, flawlessness, all-pervading intellect and bliss-absolute. Think of
the Lord's omnipresence that is His presence everywhere, think of the Lord's
omnipotence that is His Supreme powers which supersede everything and feel of
the Lord's omniscience that is His all-knowing Ability. Think of all these qualities
of the Lord residing in you and around you. Meditate now on the form of your
Ishta Devata that is on the way of the Divine which is closest to your heart.
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| Meditation - Swami Sivananda |
When the mind runs away, again
and again, bring it back to the point. Do not be discouraged. With practice,
the mind will eventually become steady. Always remember that regularity in the
practice of meditation is the preparing and the divinizing of oneself for
God-realisation.
Therefore, do not neglect your meditation as it is most important. Cherishing this practical advice on the
meditation of Swami Sivananda in our hearts, let us meet again.
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| Meditation in the night |
