Sitting proper posture hands on knees palms folded on top of each other right palm on top of left spinal column is erect so energy flows more smoothly. Body and mind are closely associated. Pain affects the mind and if the mind operates the body is affected.
When we make tea we have certain preparations. We put the pan on the stove etc in the same way have certain preparations when we meditate. It is good to relax. The mind is like a teenager who does not want to be trained. The easiest way is to not close your eyes right away. Don't keep moving your eyes. Stare at a point in the distance or above. As you are watching your breathing the relaxation occurs and the eyes will close naturally. Just look at the ceiling for a minute or so with the eyes close without effort.
Om is a primordial sound the sound of the universe. Visualize the sound of om going up your spine and cleansing the atmosphere. Imagine that you are connected with nature and all beings. Slowly switch your awareness to breathing. Breathe regularly but with full awareness of every inhalation and exhalation. Feel the air that enters in your nose and into your lungs. Feel the renewed and refreshed energy; just like us small child. When you breathe out; breathe out all the negative energies feel the renewed energies in each and every part of your body. Bring. happiness for no reason.
Now, when you breathe in chant nonverbally the sylable 'ma' and when you breath out chant the sylable 'om'.
ma-in. ma-symbol of divine love
om-out om-symbol of divine lite
Now switch: om-when you inhale
ma-when you exhale
There's a subtle sense in sound. Feel the energy as you inhale and exhale.
Sometimes the breath may stop. Allow this to happen naturally not forcing it. Concentrate on the mind and as the mind starts expanding bigger and bigger feel the vibrations of the sound om and ma in every breath of your body. Become more and more expansive as vast as the universe as vast as space an explosion of light as if three or four suns were put together. Every cell of your body has become light.
Visualizing; feel the love. The love for each and everything in creation. Everything in this creation is part of you. Just like your hand. Feel the love and remain grateful for everything in this world . The trees the birds all of nature all other human beings. You support each other's existence. You cannot exist without all of these. Feel the gratitude the love and joy. The love for Mother Earth in nature. Everything in the universe, the planets , the stars and the sky.
Feel the mind as an expansive state. Be aware of yourself just be grateful for what you are.....for each and every object and animal. The people who have helped you to grow and have helped you be who you are. Just be grateful for them. Feel every cell of your body pulsating with love in this light. Feel the light of love from your heart going out from your heart to all the beings in the universe. Chant the prayer om lokah, samastha, sukhinu, bhavantu. That is: May the light go to all other beings in the world.
The more I think about these guided meditations; the more I realize that the swami was using descriptions of what takes place
when we deeply meditate and the expansiveness of the mind, the heart and consciousness that results from meditation.