Day 29 - Meditation with Yantra

Day 29 of our 30 day meditation challenge.  WOW we are almost there to the finish line, but in this case the finish line is just the beginning.  For most of you the benefit of meditation is starting to take light in the shadows of your life, shinning a beautiful healing on your heart.  While I offered many suggestions, tips, options for people who are new to meditation, and for those who want to deepen their experience, meditation is still something you should deepen with the guidance of a teacher/guru.

Sri Yantra

While many leaders/schools in the world of meditation including Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ram Dev, Paramahansa Yogananda, and of course the highly respected Osho, it is fundamentally a practice that has it's roots in Vedas.  All the great gurus only share the beautiful practice that is ancient in ways to adapt to find enlightenment for todays practitioners.  With all these practices of Yoga, Kriya, Pranayama, and Meditation the ultimate goal is Samadhi. 

While I touched upon meditation with Sacred Geometry or "The Flower of Life" image, it is basically the concept of meditation with Yantra.  Yantra comes from the root sanskrit words "yam" (supporting or holding the essence of an object/concept) and "trana" (from the word tram which means liberation from bondage).  These visual tools are geometric representations of a deity, a way in which a deity receives devotion.  Some teachers will have students draw the Yantra, as it requires great focus, accuracy and patience.  Some astrologers utilize Yantra to analyze peoples astrological forecast.  Rather than go in depth to the power and symbolism in these archetypal forms let me just say that it is a wonderful tool for practitioners to transition from concrete reality to abstract truth. 

Some Geometric meanings include:

• Dot = bindu point or center of creation, the infinite
• Lotus = the chakras, with each petal representing a vriti or tendency
• Swastika = representing good luck, prosperity and spiritual welfare
• Circle = Energy of the element water
• Square = Energy of the element earth
• Upward-facing Triangle = Energy of the element fire; energy
• Downward-facing Triangle = Energy of the element water; knowledge
• Diagonal line = Energy of the element air
• Horizontal line = Energy of the element water
• Point = Energy of the element ether
• Vertical line = Energy of the element fire

For those more advanced in their meditation practice, this Yantra Meditation is a beautiful option I recommend with the guidance of a Guru.  These powerful shapes are found in all aspects of the Universe, resonate vibration, and activate the right hemisphere of the brain.  Each shape does have a powerful meaning, seed sound, color and connection to deity therefore due to the in depth mystical aspects behind yantra's I would suggest only use this option if you are advanced in your meditation practice and with the help of a spiritual guru.