Saturday 5 May 2012

Ramana Maharshi’s Meditation Technique for Enlightenment

Self inquiry is one of the most powerful and effective meditation techniques used by thousands of people all over the world. Taught by the enlightened Guru, Ramana Maharshi, this meditation technique alone has helped many people experience profound states of meditation, samadhi and even self realization. 

At the most mundane level, self inquiry is asking "Who am I?" In asking this question, your attention reverses back onto itself, the mind becomes still and for however long it lasts, you experience nothing but pure consciousness, pure attention itself. Dualistic subject/object perception is gone and there is only the experience of one infinite consciousness. 

The amazing thing about this meditation technique is that it uses the mind to stop the mind. "Who am I" is not an intellectual question, instead it is a question to cut right through the intellectual mind. Because if you really look to find the answer, you will find that your name, body and occupation is not what you are. 

Certainly intellectually, these things would be your answer. But if you really inquire into the nature of what you are in this moment, you move past all mental definitions and come to something which cannot be put into words, something that actually silences the words. 

So in practicing the self inquiry technique, in asking "Who am I," your attention moves inward instead of outward, past intellectual knowledge to that which cannot be described or defined. You begin to experience what is here beyond your thinking, beyond all ideas and definitions of what you know intellectually. This experience of pure consciousness, pure attention is often referred to as the Self, Atman, the feeling of 'I am,' stillness, silence, the void and the absence of me. 

All of these words may point in the direction of what is here, but it is necessary to note that the words themselves are not the answer. The answer is the silence, the mystery that is there every time you ask the question. You use the self inquiry meditation technique to take you to the essence of what is here beyond thought and in that you learn to remain in that essence, to rest in pure consciousness. 

When you begin practicing the self inquiry meditation technique, you may ask "who am I?" and the experience of pure consciousness may only last a moment before you are again caught up in thinking. So then you repeat the question to again take you out of thinking and into your natural state of pure consciousness. At first, it may be that you ask "who am I" with every inhale and then on the exhale you experience what is here beyond thinking. 

But as you improve, you can remain in your natural state of pure consciousness for longer and longer periods of time. At first, the experience of pure being may last 2 seconds, then 5 seconds, even 30 seconds before you are again get caught up in thinking. 

But with practice, you come to a point where the question is no longer needed; you come to a point where the feeling of pure consciousness becomes dominant enough that your attention can remain in that without actually needing to use the question any longer. 

It is here the meditation technique no longer becomes an inquiry, but rather you simply relax into pure being, you surrender in pure consciousness. You begin to be able to directly experience this moment beyond mental perception, without having to use your mind. You begin to experience that you are not your thoughts, but the consciousness behind the thinking, the consciousness from where the thoughts arise and disappear on their own. 

It is important to note that a large part of Ramana Maharshi's teaching has been overlooked, and that is the Guru himself. Ramana Maharshi radiated Shaktipat, the energy of enlightenment. Just by sitting in Ramana Maharshi's presence, people would effortlessly experience deep states of bliss and self realization, without having to practice any meditation technique. 

You can receive this same Shaktipat by listening to a very unique meditation CD. Simply by listening to meditation music, this Shaktipat is awakened in you and you effortlessly attain deep states of meditation and bliss. 

The World’s Finest Worship Training

Worship training is available in many types as of late, from worship conferences to online training and most of it, especially online, is relatively inexpensive. Which means that there are ample opportunities to receive training, but many inexperienced worship leaders either select not to get worship training or cannot find the related materials that can provide them a huge benefit as they be taught to guide their congregations in inspired, anointed worship. 

Get the Right Worship Training Your self 

Like most types of lessons, worship training requires some time and effort in your half, and often some expense. Some material is offered on the internet without cost, however this tends to be patchy and haphazard at best, that means which you can study the skills over a long period of time, but you cannot shortly and successfully study what you might want to supercharge your worship leading gift. Blogs like ours, for instance, provide numerous material and our free podcast is one other amazing instrument to help younger worship leaders study the skills required to turn into more effective. Nonetheless, the actual training is far more potent, easier to apply and offers far superior outcomes to the countless hours of looking out the web for training! 

Different worship leaders provide completely different features of training relying on their explicit slant on the skills you need. Many talk about your motivation and getting your coronary heart proper, and that is extraordinarily necessary, however within the numerous seminars I've run most individuals want me to go a unique direction. What many inform me they need is practical, straightforward to use techniques for making the worship expertise wonderful, together with things like tips on how to mix songs, learn how to go up keys and how to organize and produce the songs themselves. 

So in case you are starting out and taking a look at training ideas, be sure you study materials which is sensible and works in your state of affairs to rapidly and effectively improve your worship leading abilities. 

Decide to Worship Training for Your Staff 



I consider that a terrific worship leader is not solely gifted and anointed at leading worship, however brings the very best out of his staff members. This is the reason you could not only get the most effective worship training for yourself, but it is advisable to cross it on to your staff members in order that they too proceed to develop in their talents and gifts. 

Henry Ford as soon as mentioned, “My best good friend is the one who brings one of the best out in me” and that is what a worship leader must be for the crew members. Whether or not they are nice or poor at their instruments or singing, my purpose is all the time to develop their items, skills and relationship with Christ to the point where they continue to develop, enhance and get higher of their field. 

So, one of the best training in worship leading is not just one thing you should use but something you can go on to encourage and improve the members of your team. The query is, “How do you introduce worship training to your staff?” 

Develop Worship Training in your Practices 

The most sensible and effective way to develop training in your team is to do so in practices. Most often, practices are simply rehearsals for the songs being finished on Sunday, or learning new songs, however if you're getting nice worship training yourself, why not put aside quarter-hour to go on some nuggets of fact to your workforce? 

Skills like music arranging, mixing songs, going up keys, developing solos and open worship can and ought to be explored collectively as a workforce, and the skills you be taught in your training might be passed on to others. This not solely helps them by enhancing their skills and talents, but it surely additionally builds your credibility with the band and improves the general worship experience. 

The world’s greatest Worship Training is something which you could acquire yourself, then pass on to your team members in order that together you can lead your congregation in anointed, dynamic worship!