There are many symbols that enter our mind throughout the day as well as during meditation. The symbols shape and affect conscious and unconscious levels of our being in a powerful way. How can we harness this power to bring about swift, positive, and lasting change into our lives?
It is often that our external circumstances will influence our mindset. If there is conflict in our world, it might be challenging to feel at peace, to have the right perspective, or to see clearly the solution to a problem. Making our external environment more positive will undoubtably produce effects on the mind over time. However, Yoga says that working with our inner world (the mind) should come first, and it is available to us now and at any moment. Creating a peaceful and positive system of reference internally will influence our everyday life, and indeed our everyday life is our spiritual life!
Spiritual Symbols
Yogic meditation is the process of focusing the power of the subconscious mind in a direction that we consciously choose. For centuries, yogis and other spiritual seekers have used symbols, such as chakras, mandalas, or a personal form of the Divine (ishta devata), to attain mystical states.
Each symbol holds specific qualities that are associated with its symbolic form, and meditating upon it releases energies that are beyond the form itself. Yoga suggests using meditation symbols that produce states of clarity and freedom from past mental conditioning. Such symbols are said to have a sattvic influence on the mind. In Yoga, sattva is the quality of perfect balance, luminosity, and pure intelligence. It is the awareness of the infinite divine potential within ourselves. It is the ability to live our life and to contribute to the needs of the world from a place of inner wholeness and freedom. This innate awareness is not bound by any external circumstances, such as family, cultural, religious, or material influence.
Symbols have various levels of meaning. The deeper levels affect the subconscious mind and are always more important. Often the meaning and the impact will be different from what we can understand consciously. For example, flowers are commonly thought of as a symbol of beauty, but if we take a closer look at their physical shape, we will notice a flame or a bright light of various colors. The colors hold high vibrations, dissipate lower frequencies and pour energies into the heart chakra that are similar to feelings of love. Flowers are, therefore, a symbolic representation of higher awareness and are often seen in places where people are engaged in spiritual development. On a deeper level, the flower is a symbol of our unfolding Spirit and the spiritual light within.
The object that we chose for meditation releases powerful energies and makes a strong imprint on our inner world. This in turn affects the conscious everyday realm. The more evolved meditation symbols reveal to us the meaning of inner wholeness and balance. Holding the feeling of balance gives us a greater awareness of our innermost Self, of the world that we live in, and of the matrix of life itself. It makes us feel less fearful and threatened by the world. In this way we can respond to life from the place of higher awareness, mindfulness, and intuition.
Beauty Awareness
One of the most balanced states of awareness is the feeling of beauty. It contributes to a peaceful and centered state of being. The energy that flows out of this state is harmonious, positive, creative, and beneficial to our life and the lives of others. We can use our own symbols to reach this feeling state as part of our spiritual practice and daily awareness. Try the following meditation technique to cultivate the feeling of beauty within you:
Object of Beauty Meditation*
- Find a comfortable position and take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind.
- Close your eyes and focus them gently in the space between the eyebrows.
- Select an object that is very beautiful to you. Ask yourself, what is the most beautiful thing at this moment. It can be anything: a sunset, an ocean, a flower, a person, or any object subtle or gross (it is better to use a concrete object in the earlier stages of meditation). An object of beauty is anything that evokes a feeling of beauty within you. It can also vary from meditation to meditation.
- Picture this object within your mind’s eye and look deeply into its form. Mentally feel it, touch it, perceive it in its entirety. If other thoughts enter your mind, gently return to the focus on the object.
- Now, gently shift your awareness from the form of the object to the feeling of beauty caused by the object. Allow this feeling to deepen within you. Allow this feeling to touch every cell of your being, holding within yourself the pure essence of beauty.
- With each inhalation allow the feeling of beauty to saturate each cell of your body and each petal of your mind. With each exhalation, send the feeling of beauty out into the universe.
- Practice for 1-5 minutes in the earlier stages and gradually increase the duration over time.
*adapted from meditation by Goswami Kriyananda/The Temple of Kriya Yoga
Please enjoy the guided video meditation here