How to Meditate Using Chakras, Mantras, and Breath (Book and 2 CDs) (Paperback)

by Dennis Chernin (Author) "I have written this book to help students understand the theory of meditation as well as to establish a systematic and precise meditation practice..." (more)
Key Phrases: red lotus petals, blue lotus petals, hatha yoga asanas, Big Bang, Star of David, Meditate Using Mantras (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The book is really exceptional. You could single-handedly shift the consciousness of Ann Arbor if enough people read it." -- Crazy Wisdom Newspaper/Calendar January 2002

The book is exceptional. It's taken alot of information and depth of knowledge and put in a concise, readable format. -- Crazy Wisdom Review/Calendar January 2002

Product Description
This book can be used by both beginning students who want to learn about the theory and practice of meditation as well as by individuals who have had experience with meditation and breathing techniques and would like to refine or deepen their practice.

· People with specific physical illnesses or mental health concerns can also use this book if they are interested in using meditation and breathing techniques as part of their treatment plan.

· There is an overview of the goals of meditation. We explore the question of why we practice meditation, and look at what it means to attain expanded states of consciousness.

· Different forms of meditation are described from both Eastern and Western perspectives.

· Misconceptions about meditation are clarified, and there is a discussion of the differences between meditation and concentration, contemplation, and prayer. We explore emotional, psychological, and spiritual benefits of meditation as well as the similarities between meditation and psychotherapy.

· Personal qualities that we must cultivate to begin the process of meditation and to sustain an ongoing practice are detailed, including openness, curiosity, effort, persistence, simplicity, tranquility, and mindfulness.

· We discuss the importance of applying the principles and approaches of meditation to daily activity.

· We explore medical research on the benefits of meditation in such areas as decreasing levels of hormones related to the stress response, controlling high blood pressure, and helping depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The mechanism of the stress response is outlined, followed by a detailed description of how meditation and breathing techniques help us better control the autonomic nervous system and other brain functions.

Another section in the book deals with the underlying concepts of the philosophical systems Tantra, Samkhya, and Vedanta. These great schools of thought form the theoretical basis and provide the actual techniques for the type of meditation presented in this book.

· The five components of the mind that are presented are thoughts, the sensory-integration component, the sense of self, decision making, and memory. These aspects of the mind are all strengthened by the practice of meditation.

· The system of raja yoga is described in detail because the form of meditation presented in this book closely follows the eight steps on this path. This includes five restraints on behavior and five observances to prepare us mentally for meditation, the postures and practices of hatha yoga, breathing exercises, withdrawal of the senses to deeper states of awareness, concentration techniques, sustained concentration (the actual definition of meditation), and absorption with the highest states of consciousness.

· In order to deepen meditation, we must have an object on which to concentrate. These objects, which need to have the inherent ability to guide the practitioner to expanded levels of awareness, are generally chakras (energy centers in the body), mantras (subtle inner vibrations), yantras (geometric shapes that reflect a condensation of the seen and unseen universe), and the breath (control of energy or prana within the body). Several sections in this book focus on these powerful objects of concentration. Since the form of meditation presented in this book uses concentration techniques focused on the chakras, a detailed, colored image of the chakras appears on the front cover of this book.

· Later in this book we focus on the techniques used to prepare the body, breath, and mind for meditation. We analyze the relationship between hatha yoga and meditation. Hatha yoga postures are useful not only to improve flexibility, but also to strengthen the spine so the practitioner can sit for longer meditations.

· In the next chapter, there are descriptions of several sitting postures used during meditation. Breathing techniques (pranayama) are discussed in detail because these breathing exercises have many important functions in the process of meditation. They have positive effects on the body and mind, helping such health related concerns as sinus problems, hypertension, thyroid disease, and anxiety. Pranayama also is very important in helping to focus the mind for deeper meditation, and there are specific techniques that help to activate latent energy in the body (kundalini).

· The following chapter explores the idea of kundalini, or latent energy that is stored in the first chakra, located in the lowest part of the spine. This primal force is activated and moved upwards to the higher chakras during meditation, and as it moves through the seven major chakras, physical, psychological, and spiritual transformations occur.

The final part of the book describes the preparations necessary to begin a meditation practice as well as the specific meditation technique itself.

· The actual meditation technique is divided into several phases so that readers can systematically and slowly develop their own practice at their own speed. It is designed so that a person can choose to practice simple diaphragmatic breathing and breath awareness to relax and focus his/her thoughts. The reader can also choose the greater complexity of using mantras and concentrating on moving energy through the chakras with the goal of experiencing more expanded states of consciousness.

· The final chapter briefly describes meditation techniques that can be practiced by more advanced students who are working closely with an experienced teacher.

Audio CDs that systematically lead the practitioner through the various phases of the meditation described in this book are also available. They can be used in conjunction with and also separately without reference to the book. World famous drummer Muruga Booker accompanies Dr. Chernin in the tracks that prepare the student for meditation.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 161 pages
• Publisher: Himalayan Institute Press (January 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971455813
• ISBN-13: 978-0971455818
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #690,080 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide for Beginning or Advanced Meditation Students, February 16, 2004

By	IAF_67 (USA) - See all my reviews

I had always wanted to know how to meditate. I remember when I was younger, I would sit in my room and try to be at peace, but I just couldn't do it for very long, because I never felt as if I had anything to concentrate on -- my mind would always drift on to something else. Thus, I began to wonder if I would have a reason to continue meditating, as I never had any experiences of inner peace or any of that. Then, a few years ago I was sitting in a chair, moreso because I just wanted to relax than anything else. The room was slightly warm, and suddenly I just felt spontaneously happy -- not the kind of happy like getting a new gift or a large sum of money, it was as if I was ecstatic just being alive. Later, upon reading this book, I found out that, "The quality of joy arising during meditation and providing inspiration for continued practice is unlike the temporary pleasurable feelings that come from having a desire satisfied. Joy arising from meditation is different from the experience of simple pleasure because it arises from feelings of unification of our own body, heart, mind, and consciousness with universal forces greater than ourselves" (pgs 38-39).

Since that experienced opened my eyes to the power of meditation, I have since tried to learn as much about the theory and practice of meditation as I could. As I said before, one of the main problems I had with meditating on my own was that I never felt as if I could sustain a deep meditative state without having something to take my mind off of my everyday problems.

This book solved that problem in a big way. First, I had heard about the chakras before, and I understood that it was necessary to raise your "life energy" (whatever you want to call it) up through your "root chakra" and try to get it to the top chakra "crown chakra". However, I never really understood HOW to do that...until I got this book, that is. Basically, the main thing that I was missing was that you needed to focus on each chakra individually, thus activating the energy within it. As this book says, "As the energy rises through the chakras, each center is activated and the physical, mental, and spiritual qualities of each chakra are experienced" (pg 122). This helped me understand a lot about life, such as how some people can be very creative (they've activated the fifth chakra), or loving (fourth chakra).

This book also gets into some yoga postures, but unfortunately, doesn't describe the steps that go into achieving the pose that the model in the book does. Frankly, if you try to do some of the postures in the book (such as "The Plow", "The Bridge" or "The Spinal Twist", to pick a few) without a good step by step guide you may end up hurting yourself. The same is true for the Kriyas (cleansings), which are described on page 109.

The part of this book that I used the most were probably the two CD's that came with it. Yes, the same meditations are described in detail in the book, but if you are meditating, do you really want to keep opening your eyes to read what the next step is? Therefore, I have found that listening to the authors' voice on the two CD's that are provided greatly enhanced the speed in which I was able to learn the particular meditation. If you don't feel any benefits from this, it's important to be patient, as the book states, "Patience is vital on the path of meditation. There are moments when a person feels like nothing is happening in spite of regular or intense meditative practices. Discouragement is quite common and progress is often slow" (pg 38).

Another chapter that I liked was the chapter dealing with meditation and health. Many people who don't meditate seem to think that it is somehow "New Age" -- even though, as the author states on the back cover of this book, these practices have been "...handed down from teacher to student for thousands of years." Thus, many people don't believe that it actually works (the Holistic Healer episode on the popular TV show "Seinfeld" emphasizes this point). However, if people can understand that meditation (and yoga) are actually good for the body, then they may take it more seriously.

Overall, this book achieved for me what the author set out for it to do, when he said that he hoped readers would "find this information useful in helping to understand the theory and principles of meditation and as a systematic guide to establishing a consistent and deep meditation practice" (pg 11). Without this book, I would still be unable to concentrate long enough to get anything out of meditation, nor would I have understood what I was even meditating for. Now I know, and it has allowed me to live a more peaceful and compassionate life.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, YOU can meditate, March 25, 2002

By	Carol (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This book is a must read for anyone interested in meditation. Beginners and advanced students alike will attain insights into the many benefits of meditation. Divided into five parts, this book is concise, easy to read and put into practice. Part five of this book is dedicated to step by step instruction on how to meditate that is clear and easy to follow.
My thanks to Dr. Chernin for writing a book on meditation that, as a book store manager I can recommend to any of my customers with confidence.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful , January 24, 2009

By	Mary Daigle (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book assured me that I was meditating the right way. Chakra meditation is an effective way to awaken kundalini.