Raja Yoga is a form of meditation in which the mind is trained to be focused at one point. Raja Yoga is mainly concerned with the mind, its modifications and its control. The practice of the methods prescribed in Raja Yoga leads to the cessation of all miseries and attainment of eternal bliss. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali covers the whole range of meditation practices, including those for the beginner as well as the highly advanced meditator. Our practices for this session are:

1. Effortless attitude (Asana)

2. Focusing on infinite (Pranayama)

3. Perception and contemplation (Pratyahara)

4. Meditation on the subtle (Dharna)

5. Object and objectless (Dhyana)
   1. Ajapajapa: “tat japah tat artha bhavanam” (1/28)
   2. Concentration: “tat pratisedha artham eka tattva abhyasah” (1/32)
   3. Balanced Consciousness: “vita raga vishayam va chittam”(1/37)
   4. Subjective meditation: “vishayavati va pravritti utpanna manasah sthiti nibandhani” (1/35)
   5. Yoga Nidra: “svapna nidra jnana alambanam va” (1/38)
   6. Emotional Balance: “maitri karuna mudita upekshanam sukha duhka punya apunya vishayanam bhavanatah chitta prasadanam” (1/33)
   7. Luminous Space: “vishoka va jyotishmati” (1/36)
   8. Objective Meditation: “yatha abhimata dhyanat va” (1/39)
   9. Prana Vidya: “prachchhardana vidharanabhyam va pranayama” (1/34)
   10. Devotion: “Ishvara pranidhana va” (1.23)
   Stages of Meditation: Whatever Gross Object is chosen for meditation (visualized images, sensation, breath, energy, mantra, or attitudes, etc.), the process moves inward through stages (Gross, Subtle, Bliss, I-ness, Objectless). 1. Gross (Savitarka): There are numerous gross level objects on which one can concentrate for meditation, including physical objects or their mental forms, attitudes, and a variety of thought processes. Some schools of meditation base their practice on only one of these objects. In Yoga Meditation, these are very

important practices, but are seen as preliminary preparation for the subtler practices.
2. Subtle (Savichara): Beyond the gross objects of meditation above, there are subtle level objects. Because these subtle objects are either the building blocks of the gross objects, or are the mental instruments of cognition, there are far fewer subtle objects. For example, all of the objects with shape and form are built of earth, water, fire, air, and space (bhutas are gross; tattvas are subtle). All of the perceptions and attitudes are experienced by the sensing instruments, which now are themselves objects of meditation and inquiry.

3. Bliss (Sananda): When attention goes beyond the gross and subtle levels of meditation, these recede into the background, as one is aware of the underlying bliss, a reality far subtler than mere emotion. In this still subtler experience, there is a simplicity, in that the multiplicity has been replaced by the awareness of bliss (ananda).

4. I-ness (Sasmita): Beyond all three of the above levels (gross, subtle, and bliss), there is meditation on I-ness itself. This is not an ego level, along with the many personality traits, wants, wishes, images, or forms. Rather, it is meditation on individuality itself, untainted by all of those more surface level experiences. Though very deep, it has a simplicity in that it is a single I-ness, rather than a diversity of choices of gross or subtle objects

5. Objectless (Asamprajnata): All of the four stages above have an object on which attention is focused. Thus, they are called samprajnata, which means with support. Beyond all of these levels comes objectless attention, which is without support, and is called asamprajnata. It is not merely empty-mindedness, but as a vast stillness that is indescribable to the typical level of waking state mind.