Techniques for beginners and advanced practitioners alike — from simple mindfulness to deep spiritual meditation. Meditation is the seventh limb of yoga, the heart of the inner journey, and the most direct path to knowing your own mind.
Meditation is the practice of training the mind — to be present, to be steady, to see clearly. In the yogic tradition it is called dhyana, the seventh limb of Patanjali's eightfold path, and it is the gateway to samadhi, the state of absorption. But meditation is also simply this: sitting with yourself, honestly, without distraction, until the noise settles and what remains is the quiet truth of the present moment.
You do not need a guru, a special cushion, a paid app, or an hour of free time to meditate. You need only your breath and a few minutes of willingness. The mind will resist, the body will fidget, thoughts will pour in — and this is normal. Meditation is not the absence of thoughts; it is the non-identification with thoughts. You learn to watch the river of the mind without jumping into it.
At VAYOM we teach meditation the traditional way — free, simple, and without hierarchy. There is nothing to sell you and no level to unlock. There is only practice, and the quiet transformation it brings.
If you have never meditated, begin here. These foundations will carry you into every technique that follows.
Choose a stable seat — a cushion, a chair, or the floor. Keep the spine upright but not rigid, shoulders relaxed, hands resting in your lap. Comfort matters: a body at ease lets the mind settle. There is no "correct" posture beyond one you can hold without pain.
Close your eyes gently and bring attention to the natural breath. Do not control it — simply feel the air entering and leaving the nostrils, the rise and fall of the chest. When the mind wanders, return. And again. This returning is the practice.
Five minutes daily is worth more than one hour weekly. Build the habit first, then extend the time. Meditate at the same time each day — ideally early morning — so the mind learns the rhythm. Consistency, not intensity, transforms the mind.
Different techniques suit different minds. Try each, and let what works become yours.
The most universal technique. Rest attention on the breath at the nostrils or abdomen. When thoughts arise, label them gently ("thinking") and return to the breath. Builds concentration and presence. The foundation of all other methods.
Light a candle at arm's length and gaze softly at the flame without blinking. When the eyes tire, close them and hold the after-image at the third eye. Develops one-pointed concentration and stills a restless mind.
Repeat a sacred sound silently or aloud — such as "So Hum" (I am That) with the breath, or "Om." The mantra gives the mind a single anchor and carries it inward. Over time the repetition continues by itself, beneath thought.
Generate goodwill silently — first for yourself ("May I be well, may I be at peace"), then for loved ones, then for neutral people, then for all beings. Softens the heart and dissolves resentment.
Move attention slowly through the body — from the crown of the head to the toes — noticing sensation in each region without judgement. Releases stored tension and deepens the mind-body connection.
Let attention rest open and spacious, aware of all sounds, sensations, and thoughts without following any of them. The mind becomes a clear sky in which thoughts are passing clouds. A more advanced form of presence.
Once concentration is stable, meditation opens into subtler territory. Dharana (concentration) matures into Dhyana (uninterrupted meditation), where the distinction between the meditator and the object of meditation begins to dissolve. Eventually this ripens into Samadhi — absorption, the eighth limb — in which the mind rests in its own source, fully quiet and luminous.
Advanced practice is not about mystical experiences but about stabilising the quiet. The same returning to the breath that a beginner does, an advanced practitioner does — only the returns grow fewer and the stillness grows deeper. The sign of progress is not visions but a quieter mind, a kinder heart, and a steadiness that endures through daily life.
Advanced meditators often integrate pranayama before sitting to settle the prana, use a mantra to deepen absorption, and observe the witness — the awareness that watches the mind but is not the mind. Exploring the occult and tantra traditions can further illuminate these inner stages.
A complete, beginner-friendly meditation you can do every single day. Save it, screenshot it, share it — it is free.
Sit upright, eyes closed. Take three slow, deep breaths — in through the nose, out through the mouth. Let the body arrive.
Let the breath be natural. Feel it at the nostrils. When the mind wanders — and it will — gently return to the breath. No judgement.
Drop the focus. Let awareness be open and spacious. Notice the quiet beneath the thoughts. Simply be.
Bring gentle attention back to the body and breath. Open your eyes. Carry this stillness into your day.
Five minutes. Every day. That is the entire secret.
Meditation is the seventh limb of yoga — the natural continuation of breath and body work. Pair your daily sitting with pranayama and asana, or explore the inner stages described in the tantra tradition. The path is one path, walked in many ways — and every step is free at VAYOM.