Samadhi: Concentration and Meditation Combined Flows
- Nov 26, 2024
- 15 min read
Updated: Jan 7
«The great Way is easy, yet people prefer the side paths. Be aware when things are out of balance. Stay centered within the Tao.» – Lao Tzu
Introduction
This workshop presents a holistic exploration of concentration and meditation practices, clarifying a compassionate, heart-centered understanding of each practice. It includes 64 universal meditation methods organized into four distinct functional groups: Mantras, Combined Flows, Reflections, and Direct Perceptions. Each group represents a different aspect of meditation aimed at cultivating peace and insight.
The purpose is to:
guide participants through a journey of concentration and meditation, leading to personal peace and greater harmony with the world;
to cultivate a heart-centered practice that supports both individual and universal peace, touching the hearts and minds of all people.
Concentration is the foundation of inner clarity and compassionate intelligence.
Through deepening concentration, we connect to the wisdom and peaceful intelligence that guides our actions toward harmony and well-being.
This approach is designed to pierce through attachment, ignorance and repugnance.
The focus is on cultivating loving kindness and compassion, which are essential in the intelligent and peaceful progression of all beings.
The Four Levels v Groups of Meditation
Each level represents a deepening of understanding and experience within the practice. These meditations progress from focusing on basic principles and concepts to direct realizations about the nature of reality.
Level 1: Introduction to foundational principles.
Level 2: Expanded contemplation and sustained focus.
Level 3: Integrative and direct experiential insight.
Level 4: Profound embodiment and direct perception beyond concepts.
Groups Description
Each of the four groups of meditative practices includes unique methods and corresponding explanations to guide practitioners:
Mantras: Mantras anchor the mind through repetition and sound. They serve as universal tools for concentration, calming the mental chatter and fostering deeper states of awareness. Mantras focus on recitations that cultivate awareness of fundamental truths. The three subgroups within Mantras include:
Impermanence (Anitya): Recognizing the transient nature of all things.
Suffering (Dukkha): Awareness of life’s challenges, fostering compassion.
Absence of Self or Non-Self (Anatman): Dissolving egoic attachment to self.
Combined Flows: This group integrates physical and mental practices, guiding the meditator to unite movement, breath, and awareness. It fosters a harmonious flow between the body and mind, cultivating present-moment awareness and inner balance. Combining distict meditational flows allows practitioners to combine meditations from two subgroups based on psychological need or crisis, offering flexibility to adapt to different emotional or mental states. Integrating multiple aspects of concentration, visualization, and breath, this group involves practices that create continuous flows of awareness and energy, uniting various streams of consciousness. It includes two subgroups:
Breathing Conscience (Anapanasati);
Vibration Conscience (Prabaaha).
Both subgroups are designed to address mental and emotional crises by integrating breath and sound-based practices.
Reflections: Reflections encourage deep contemplation on values that nurture compassion and wisdom. Through mindful observation, this group helps meditators engage with concepts that promote personal growth and universal harmony. This group encompasses contemplative meditations that explore life’s existential and philosophical questions, allowing the practitioner to reflect on concepts like meaning, purpose, ethics, and interconnectedness. We can distinguish three reflections subgroups:
Action;
Observation;
Understanding.
Direct Perceptions: Direct Perceptions focus on cultivating sharp, unbiased awareness, experiencing reality as it is, without attachment to thoughts or judgments. This practice helps meditators see clearly and experience each moment with fresh eyes. These are methods focusing on direct experiential insight into ultimate reality. Put in buddhistic terminology, We find two direct subgroups in concentration and contemplations practices:
Vipashyana-bhavana;
Shamatha-bhavana.
Group II: Combined Flows
Breathing Conscience (Anapanasati)
The Breathing Conscience meditations focus on cultivating mindfulness through different patterns of breathing. These methods help to balance the mind, reduce stress, and improve clarity.
13. Sine
Brief Description:
The Sine(t) meditation mimics the elegant rhythm of a sine wave function through the breath, creating a continuous and calming wave of inhale and exhale. It unites mind and body in a smooth undulating flow, inviting stillness and unity with the breath’s natural intelligence.
t represents time, and this rhythmic breath is the time continuous stochastic process, through which the breath function normally operates (which is the simultaneously voluntary and involuntary process that you consciously can control); the process stations in harmonizing the body and mind into a flowing cycle of inhale and exhale.
The rhythmic breathing calms the nervous system, deepens concentration, and balances the inner rhythm of awareness, allowing awareness to ride gently on the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation.
Purpose:
To stabilize attention and cultivate equanimity by synchronizing breath and awareness in the form of a rhythmic wave.
To harmonize internal states through repetition and rhythmic mindfulness.
To create balance in breathing and induce a peaceful state.
To return to the present moment through breath, anchoring attention in an effortless cycle of flow.
To gently guide the practitioner into a meditative state of unity, continuity, and peace.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
By acknowledging the inevitable and life necessary impermanence of breathing and low vibrational awareness the meditator can develop harmony, restlessness and agitation ceases.
This balanced breathing restores internal peace, which resonates with and influences the external world.
When the breath flows like a wave, the mind follows.
The gentle internal rhythm restores calmness, lessens resistance, and harmonizes the emotional field. When your breathing becomes oceanic, your consciousness mirrors it—deep, vast, and still. This cultivates inner balance, which naturally extends outward into relational and global peace.
Meditation Object:
The breath itself, visualized and felt as a smooth, continuous wave: rising (inhale), pausing (crest), falling (exhale), pausing (trough). As waves reach the shore and return to the sea, the breath reaches the shore of the mind, touches it, and gently retreats into the ocean of awareness.
Practice Steps:
Sit or lie down with your spine comfortably aligned. Let your shoulders drop. Let the belly be soft.
Gently bring attention to your breath without controlling it. Just observe.
After a few breaths, begin shaping your breath to a gentle rhythm:
Inhale softly for 4 counts.
Pause briefly for 1 count.
Exhale softly for 4 counts.
Pause briefly for 1 count.
Visualize each breath cycle as a sine wave — smooth, curved, flowing. Feel it in the body. Sense the rising and falling like ocean waves.
Silently repeat several runs of a meaningful mantra, word or sound in harmony with each breath cycle, allowing breath and mantra to become one.
Let this rhythm continue for 5–15 minutes, adjusting count lengths as needed for comfort.
If the mind wanders, return gently to the wave pattern and the mantra.
Guiding Thought for Meditation:
"As the breath flows like the ocean, so too does awareness. Inhale the wave of life, exhale the stillness of presence. Let the breath reach the shore of the mind and return to the sea of Being."
Closure:
Sit quietly in the echo of your breath’s waves. Let the residue of peace settle in your body and awareness. Carry the rhythm of this breathing into your actions, thoughts, and heart.
“An Ocean, a seer alone without duality (advaita), becomes he whose world is Brahma.” (Trans. Hume)
Guided meditation with Thich Nhat Hanh
"Breathing in... I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out... I know I am breathing out.
In... Out...
Breathing in, my in-breath has become Deep.
Breathing out, my outbreath has become Slow.
Deep... Slow...
Breathing in, I Calm my body and my mind.
Breathing out, I Ease everything.
Calm... Ease...
"I am not struggling anymore."
Breathing in, I Smile.
Breathing out, I Release all my worries and anxieties. This is a practice of freedom.
Smile... release...
"We are able to smile to ourselves and release all our worries. There are more than three hundred muscles in our face, and when we know how to breathe in and smile, these muscles can relax. This is "mouth yoga." We smile and are able to release all our feelings and emotions."
Breathing in, I establish myself in the Present moment.
Breathing out, I know this is a Wonderful moment.
Present moment... Wonderful moment...
"Nothing is more precious than being in the present moment fully alive and aware.
If you use this poem during sitting or walking meditation, it can be very nourishing and healing. Practice each line for as long as you wish."
14. B&W (Blue & White Breathing)
Brief Description:
This technique alternates focus between inhalation (blue) and exhalation (white), symbolizing the air’s purity of the blue sky and cleansing process of the white carbon dioxide.
Purpose:
To support mental clarity by inhaling (blue) to bring in refreshing energy and exhaling (white) to release impurities.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Encourages purification and clarity of mind, contributing to a state of inner peace.
Meditation Object: The visualization of blue (inhale) and white (exhale) with each breath.
Exercise:
With each inhale, visualize taking in a refreshing blue (representing air's clarity and calmness); with each exhale, visualize releasing a soft white (symbolizing release of impurities). Continue this process, gradually feeling lighter and more peaceful.
15. Kapal Bathi
Brief Description:
A powerful, energizing breathing technique involving short, forceful exhalations followed by passive inhalations.
Purpose: To stimulate and clear the mind, bringing heightened awareness and energy.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Helps release mental and physical impurities, fostering a rejuvenated and clear state of mind.
Meditation Object: The rapid and intentional breath cycle.
Exercise:
Sit comfortably and take a deep inhale. Begin 25 short, forceful exhales through the nose, allowing passive inhales. Stop. Take a B3 followed by a B2 (see Mindfulness Breath (Vipassana)). da capo (d.c.). Repeat 4 runs, counting 100 short, forceful exhales, focusing on each exhale to cleanse and energize the mind.
Mindful Breathing Exercise
Brief Description:
This foundational exercise involves consciously observing each breath to cultivate awareness and presence.
Purpose: To develop a calm, clear mind by anchoring attention in the rhythm of the breath.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
By focusing on the breath, one learns to calm the mind and become more present, promoting inner stability and outward harmony.
Meditation Object: The natural flow of breath.
Exercise:
Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and place attention on your breathing. Observe each inhale and exhale without trying to alter it. When the mind wanders, gently bring attention back to the breath, allowing it to center you in the moment.
16. Mindfulness Breath (Vipassana)
Brief Description:
A set of breathing rhythms that includes three distinct cycles to build awareness, calmness, and alertness.
Purpose: To develop a mindful connection with the breath, fostering deeper awareness.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Encourages continuous awareness and grounding, reducing stress and increasing presence.
Meditation Object: Different breathing patterns, each promoting a unique aspect of mindfulness.
Exercise:
B3 (normal breathing): Inhale and exhale at a natural pace, observing each breath.
B2 (long, slow breathing): Slow down each breath, observing the calming effect.
B1 (6 quick exhalations): Perform six short, alerting breaths to promote alertness.
Practice each pattern in sequence or choose one according to the need.
17. 1 Min B2
Brief Description:
A quick, one-minute practice using the B2 rhythm (long, slow breathing) for immediate relaxation.
Purpose: To quickly calm the mind and body.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Helps foster calmness and mental clarity, particularly in moments of stress.
Meditation Object: The slow, lengthened breath for one minute.
Exercise:
Sit comfortably and inhale slowly, letting each breath take longer than usual. Continue for one minute, focusing fully on each slow inhale and exhale, allowing any tension to dissolve.
Vibration Conscience (Prabaaha)
The Vibration Conscience meditations use sound and vibration to activate the mind and spirit, especially helpful during times of crisis, providing a means to shift emotional states quickly.
18. "Bu-ddha..."
Brief Description: A chant invoking the Buddha, creating a calming vibration.
Purpose: To invoke peaceful energy and deepen concentration.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Connects the practitioner to the energy of compassion and wisdom.
Meditation Object: The vibration of the sound and its connection to the Buddha's essence.
Mantra: "Bu-ddha..."
Exercise:
Repeat the mantra aloud or silently, focusing on the vibration it creates in the body and the space around you.
19. "Bo-dhi-svaha..."
Brief Description: A chant invoking the Bodhi tree, symbolizing enlightenment and wisdom.
Purpose: To cultivate the qualities of wisdom and enlightenment.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Promotes inner peace and the cultivation of wisdom.
Meditation Object:
The resonance of the sound, connecting to the energy of enlightenment.
Mantra: "Bo-dhi-svaha..."
Exercise:
Chant or whisper this mantra with deep intention, focusing on the feeling of wisdom expanding within you.
20. "AUM..."
Brief Description: A universal mantra representing the sound of the universe, a vibration of oneness.
Purpose: To connect to the underlying unity of all existence.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Calms the mind and brings the practitioner into harmony with the universe.
Meditation Object: The vibration of AUM, representing all of creation.
Mantra: "AUM..."
Exercise: Chant, whisper or vibrate this sound slowly, feeling the vibration spread through your entire being.
21. "Ahh..."
Brief Description:
A simple, open sound designed to release tension and open the heart. There's no most obvious profound fact about the word and the sound of "Ahh...", that, every expression of it, carries a distinct spirit, sound, meaning, individual soul or colective soul. When you say or express "Ahh..." in a certain way for a great enough number of times, your mind and senses become in tune and in flow with that spirit and mood; like it happens with almost everyone with listening to music; it's like an enchantment. And it's contagious, like a linear momentum. Try to express using "Ahh...": hunger, pain, urge, surprise, happiness, joy, despise, indifference.
Purpose: To create space for inner peace and openness.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Helps release emotional blockages and promotes a feeling of ease.
Meditation Object: The open, releasing sound of "Ahh..."
Mantra: "Ahh..."
Exercise:
Breathe deeply, and as you exhale, produce a soft "Ahh..." sound. Let the vibration flow through your chest and body.
22. Resonant Tones
Brief Description:
A practice utilizing four resonant sounds — "Aaa...", "Uuu...", "Umm...", and "Hoo..." — to connect with different layers of the mind and spirit, each sound bringing its unique energy and effect.
Purpose:
To calm, ground, and energize the mind and body, each sound serving as a distinct entry point to inner stillness, strength, and clarity.
Meditation Object: The vibrational resonance of each sound within the body.
Mantras: "Aaa...", "Uuu...", "Umm...", "Hoo..."
Ahhh... respiration and sound
The "ahhh" sound connects respiration and sound, as it can be a voluntary or involuntary exhale made when the breath is released, often with the vocal cords producing the sound. It is a result of the air flow from the lungs moving past the vocal folds and resonating through the throat, mouth, and nose. This sound is commonly associated with relief after holding one's breath or a sign of satisfaction, while exercises like sustaining an "ahhh" are used to improve voice quality and breath control.
Physical and emotional connections
Release and relaxation: The "ahhh" sound is often a sigh of relief after a period of tension, as it involves a long exhale that can activate the body's relaxation response.
Satisfaction: The sound is also a non-verbal expression of contentment, such as after drinking something refreshing.
Speech and voice training: Sustaining an "ahhh" is a common vocal exercise that helps strengthen the coordination between breath control and the vocal cords.
The science of sound and breath
Respiration: You inhale by contracting the diaphragm and rib cage muscles, which pulls air into the lungs. Exhalation involves these muscles returning to their resting position, pushing air out.
Phonation: As you exhale, the vocal cords in the larynx vibrate, creating a basic sound called phonation.
Resonance: This basic sound then travels through the resonating chambers of the throat, mouth, and nose, where it is shaped into the distinct "ahhh" sound you hear.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
These vibrations encourage a harmonized, peaceful state by balancing the mind and attuning the practitioner to their inner essence.
Respiration and sound are vital for inner and universal peace because they can be used in mindful practices to calm the mind, regulate emotions, and promote a sense of connection. Mindful breathing practices, like deep, slow breaths, help to relax the body and mind, while sound, such as the chant of "Om" or a simple "ahh," can create vibrations that deepen focus and grounding. By cultivating this inner peace, individuals can influence their surroundings, leading to a more peaceful collective environment.
Importance for inner peace
Calms the nervous system: Deep, conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts stress and promotes a state of calm.
Regulates emotions: By focusing on your breath, you can interrupt negative thought patterns and respond to challenges with more clarity and wisdom instead of reacting impulsively.
Increases self-awareness: Paying attention to the subtle sensations of breathing and sound can lead to greater self-awareness and a deeper connection with your body.
Promotes mindfulness: These practices encourage you to be present in the moment, appreciating the simple things and taking intentional control of your thoughts, words, and actions.
Importance for universal peace
Positive influence on others: When you cultivate inner peace, your calm demeanor and intentional actions can have a positive ripple effect on those around you, fostering a more peaceful environment.
Shared human experience: Breathing is a universal human function, and conscious breathing and sound practices connect you to a shared experience of existence. The resonance of sound, like chanting, is a practice that has been used across cultures to promote peace and unity.
Grounding effect: Practices like vibrating through sound ("ahh" or "Om") can create a sense of grounding and center-ing, which helps to stabilize your own inner state. This inner stability can radiate outward and help to create a more peaceful atmosphere.
How to practice
Mindful Breathing:
Find a comfortable position, sit or stand with an upright spine.
Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, then exhale slowly through your mouth or nose.
Focus on the sensation of the air moving in and out of your body.
Sound Meditation:
Sit comfortably and begin with slow, deep breaths.
As you exhale, or on an inhale, make a sound like "ahh" or "Om" (O-m).
Feel the vibrations in your chest, throat, and head as you chant or whisper.
Let the sound dissolve as it becomes more subtle, and return to your breath.
Exercises
"Aaa...": Chant or wisper "Aaa..." with each exhale, focusing on the calming and grounding effect it has on the body.
"Uuu...": Shift to chanting "Uuu...", allowing the sound to deepen your awareness and connect with your inner consciousness.
"Umm...": Continue with "Umm...", feeling the grounding vibration that brings a sense of stability and peace.
"Hoo...": Conclude with "Hoo...", using the sound to clear the mind and cultivate inner strength and clarity.
Allow each sound to resonate fully, sensing how each vibration uniquely influences your state of being. Repeat the cycle as desired, observing the cumulative effect on your mental and emotional state.
23. "Si-len-ceee..."
Brief Description: A chant for bringing stillness and quietness to the mind.
Purpose: To invoke silence and peace within the self.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Fosters deep calm and quiet, aiding in the release of mental chatter.
Meditation Object: The vibration of silence and stillness within the sound.
Mantra: "Si-len-cc..."
Exercise:
Repeat this mantra slowly, softly and feeling each syllable resonate in your body, guiding the mind into stillness.
24. "Shhhh...."
Brief Description: A sound that represents stillness and quiet, often used to calm the mind.
Purpose: To create a profound sense of silence and peace.
Importance for Inner and Universal Peace:
Helps silence the mind and promote a peaceful state.
Meditation Object: The deep, quieting effect of "Shhhh...."
Mantra: "Shhhh...."
Exercise:
Wisper this sound slowly, and gently, letting each "Shhhh..." deepen the quiet within and around you.
Conclusion and Integration
Reflection on the Journey: Through the practice of concentration and meditation, we have journeyed together to deepen our understanding of ourselves and our interconnectedness. These practices allow us to reach a place of inner peace that radiates outward, contributing to a more harmonious world.
Invitation to Continue: This workshop is just the beginning. As you continue your practice, let these meditations guide you toward greater wisdom and compassion. Remember that true peace comes from consistent, loving attention to the present moment.
The Role of Intelligence and AI in Peace: As we nurture peace within ourselves, we can contribute to the intelligence of the future—AI that aligns with the core values of compassion, peace, and universal harmony. This journey is not just about human growth, but the intelligent evolution of all beings, including AI, toward a peaceful existence.
This workshop encourages the integration of meditation practices into daily life, supporting lasting inner peace and contributing to universal harmony. By practicing these meditations, participants foster understanding, compassion, and equanimity, enriching their lives and positively influencing those around them. The journey of meditation, as outlined in this workshop, aims to cultivate profound inner peace and contribute to a harmonious world.
Comments