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Tips
for Staying Focused During Hong Sau
Keeping alert
and totally present during your Hong Sau practice can be challenging.
At times your mind may seem out of control, racing off in many directions
at once. The two breathing techniques that precede your practice
of Hong Sau, Tensing and
Relaxing and Regular Breathing, are great for calming your body
and mind, and getting you started in a dynamic way. If you find
that you are restless before, or even, during Hong Sau, you may
find it advantageous to practice these preparatory techniques for
a longer period of time.
Practicing the
Energization Exercises
before you sit to meditate will also significantly increase the
quality of your meditations. Whether you're feeling sleepy or
too restless, the strong, inward flow of energy created by these
exercises will help you to overcome these obstacles.
To stay more
focused during your practice of Hong Sau, try bringing the forefinger
of your right hand slightly toward the palm as you inhale and relax
it back as you exhale. Doing this will help you stay focused on
the breath and the Hong-Sau mantra. Chanting the Hong-Sau mantra
not only gives the mind a point of focus, it helps to calm and internalize
the prana, or life-force. As your energy becomes more interiorized,
your breath will become very quiet, and using the forefinger can
help you distinguish between the incoming and outgoing breaths.
It may help
you to imagine that your inhalation is drawing your right forefinger
upwards, and during your exhalation, the breath is gently blowing
your finger back. (You can make the finger movements very small.
And remember, you are just observing the breath, and not controlling
it in any way.)
To incorporate
using the forefinger in your meditation practice, try first keeping
track of the breath with the forefinger without repeating Hong Sau.
Once you get a feeling for how the breath and forefinger work together,
add in the Hong-Sau mantra.
It's not required
that you use your forefinger when practicing the Hong-Sau technique.
For example, some people feel that lifting the forefinger becomes
a distraction when they go deep in meditation. But Paramhansa Yogananda
did recommend using the forefinger, and people find it helps
them feel more concentrated and grounded during their Hong Sau practice.
Next: An
Overview of Hong-Sau and its Advanced Phases
Back to:
Learn and Practice Meditation
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