Preksha Dhyana Perception of Breathing

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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lower arm, elbow, upper arm and shoulder; left limb-thumb and fingers to shoulders.
5. Finally, relax the head from neck to scalp-throat, chin, jaws, lips, tongue, mouth, cheeks and all the other facial muscles, nose, eyes, ears, temples, forehead and scalp.
6. Experience that the whole body is completely relaxed. Retain the relaxed condition throughout the meditational session.
Second Step of Prekşā Meditation
Internal Trip (Antaryātrā)
Internal trip (antaryātrā, follows kāyotsarga. This exercise promotes better generation of the nervous energy which is necessary for the subsequent meditational practice. It directs the flow of your spiritual energy in an upward direction, thereby weakening the force of psychological distortions such as cruelty and fear.
Exercise :
Maintain the posture and the relaxed condition of the body achieved by Kāyotsarga. Focus your full attention on the bottom of the spine called sakti kendra. Direct it to travel upwards along the spinal cord to the top of the head - jñāna kendra, confining it to remain within it. When you reach the top, direct it to move downwards taking the same path until you reach sakti kendra again. Repeat the exercise for about five to seven minutes. Concentrate your entire consciousness on the path of the trip-spinal cord, and do not permit it to be diverted.
Carefully perceive the sensations therein caused by the subtle vibration of the flow of the vital energy -- prāna.
After some practice of this exercise, the rate of the ascending and descending conscious attention is to be synchronised with the rate of respiration. When the conscious attention begins to ascend, start exhaling, synchronising the rate of ascent with that of exhalation, so that the top of the head is reached simultaneous
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