Active Meditations

On pages 19 and 20 of the book Learning to silence the mind, Osho says:

“What is meditation? Is it a technique that can be practiced? Is it an effort you should make? Is it something that the mind can achieve? That's not it.

All that the mind can do is not meditation, because meditation is beyond the mind and cannot be penetrated by it. Where the mind ends, meditation begins. Remember this, because in our lives, everything we do is done by the mind. So when we turn inward, we start thinking again in terms of techniques, methods and achievements, because our life experience shows us that everything can be done by the mind. Everything except meditation. Meditation cannot be done by the mind because it is not something to be achieved. Meditation is already there. It is your nature. It does not need to be won, it is enough to be remembered. It is there, waiting for you. Just turn inward, and it is available. It has always been within you.

Meditation is its intrinsic nature, it has nothing to do with your activities. You cannot have it, just as you cannot not have it. It cannot be possessed, it is not a thing. Is that you. It is your being.

Once you understand what meditation is, things start to become very clear. Otherwise, you will continue to stumble in the dark.

Meditation is a state of clarity and not a state of mind. The mind is confused, it is never clear. It can't be. Thoughts create clouds around you, subtle clouds. A mist is created by them and clarity is lost. When thoughts disappear, when there are no clouds around you, when you are just being yourself, clarity comes. So you can see far away. It is possible to see until the end of existence, and your gaze becomes penetrating, going to the center of being.

Meditation is that absolute clarity of vision. ”

Meditation is not technique, it is part of life. Technique helps to arrive at that state of being. Meditating is not the practice. The practice is for you to be more meditative in life. If not, it's of no use.

Active meditation techniques involve sound, breathing and movement and help us to get out of the hustle of the mind, to learn to live in a state of presence. They are to move physically, emotionally, mentally, neurologically and energetically. To change patterns, change our programmed ways of functioning in the world.

Osho has developed and used several active meditation techniques. They are techniques structured in science, which allow us to become observers of the mind, perceive ourselves in the world, see how we react automatically, and learn to be able to truly make choices in life.

Practicing active meditation can bring us numerous physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits. Among them: dissolving emotional armor, working with anxiety, eliminating tensions, releasing emotions and worries, self-knowledge, unblocking the chakras, increasing self-love, improving the disposition and flow of vital energy, improving the quality of life in general, increasing creativity, putting body and mind into activity, opening intuitive channels, releasing hormones linked to well-being and pleasure, bringing clarity to the mind, improving self-confidence, among others.

Active meditation techniques work with accelerated and/or smooth movements, sometimes repetitive movements, sometimes diverse, free and/or guided movements, dance, celebration, body and verbal expression.

They may seem like very crazy proposals to most people, they take us out of the patterns, out of the common place and can take us to great dives in our interior. These are great opportunities to exercise being ourselves, putting aside social masks. By allowing our real expression so much, it is possible to become more and more spontaneous.

When practicing them, try to be in the practice without expectations, without demands, without pressure, just surrender without expecting anything, do it, focus, have fun and feel what you have to feel. The more we practice, the easier it is to surrender.

Some examples of active meditations created by Osho and used in their therapeutic work:

• Mandala

• nataraj

• no mind

• Kundalini

• Nadabrahma

• Dynamics

• No Dimensions

• Whirling (Sufi Giro)

• devavani

• Chakra Sound

• Breathing Chakra

• Gourishankar

• Mahamudra

• Heart Chakra (This one was created by Karunesh and is also wonderful)