To meditate, sit cross-legged on a thin silken or woolen mattress. Silk and wool retain energy that emanates from and around the body during meditation, hence the silk or woolen mattresses. If you cannot sit cross-legged for some reason, use a chair.

Make yourself as comfortable as possible. Keep your back straight but comfortable, with the hands placed on the knees. You must feel your body parts, from the toe to the head, relaxing, thus losing all muscular control over them.

Start with Pranayama

If you are a novice, it is a good practice to begin with pranayama. Two forms of pranayama could be practiced - Aalom Vilom (AV) and Kapalbharti (KB).

In AV, begin deep inhalation through the left nostril while plugging the right nostril using the thumb of the right hand.

Next, exhale through the right nostril, keeping the left one closed using the middle fingers of both your hands. Do this over a period of five to fifteen minutes, depending upon your capacity.

After AV, perform KB. You can alternate this with AV at five minute intervals. While performing KB, concentrate on exhalations through both the nostrils matching them with inward strokes of your belly.

It is a rhythmic exercise of blowing air through your nose gently along with inward contractions of the gastric muscles. An exhalation a second is the recommended norm.

You can now start your meditation

A session of pranayama soothes frayed nerves and brings you to a certain degree of calmness. This sets the stage for meditation.

Now, concentrate on an imaginary point at the centre of your forehead with eyes shut. Let the thoughts flow and watch them come and go like in a slide show. If you feel like falling asleep during this process, do not get alarmed or try to prevent it. If you are a beginner, you will invariably doze off. This is good; it takes you a step closer to relaxation.

Over time, you will start feeling moments of being not connected or associated with people, events and places, and even with your own physical being. You will have moments of imbibing the cosmic energy that you can feel flowing from the blue into your head and traveling through your body.

The yogi attains a state of mind where he feels like he is marooned on a desolate island, but without the fear of insecurity. Here the yogi is an observer, observing his own thoughts, observing himself and feeling like being the only creature in the entire universe.

Practise over a few weeks

A practice of a few weeks to a few months will take you to a stage of thoughtlessness while fully up and awake. The experience initially will be momentary. This moment will stretch over a period of time.

The process of meditation has to be experienced, for no amount of explanation can capture it.