Insight into the 5 Upayas – Meditation

This practice is all about breaking meditation down and understanding how to question who we are and what we are as we uncover more of the thoughts and sensations that come up during our meditation practice. Meditation will reveal more about yourself and it is these revelations that this practice will help you focus on. Understanding why these revelations are there and what is it trying to tell you. How you can learn from it and most importantly how it can serve your mind, heart and body awakening.

Breaking it down by focusing on 3 parts of your meditation-

• form which within meditation can be your Asana,
• creating stability by focusing on your breath and
• go deeper into your meditative awareness

You as the seeker can put these ideas and revelations into practice both into your meditation and in your daily life and this is where the 5 Upayas (or skilful means) are used to do just that. This practice will help you get the most out of meditation by helping you create a more disciplined practice and giving you tools to identify that which comes up during meditation and how to use those revelations and questions as a teacher both on the mat and off the mat.

The Adhikara is made up of 5 essential ingredients or skilful means called Upayas. These Upayas are 

• 1. Shraddha: Faith, Trust, Serenity. 
• 2. Virya: Strength, Courage, Determination. 
• 3. Smirti: Memory of vital information, what matters most, higher purpose. 
• 4. Samadhi: Absorption, Wholeness, Oneness. 
• 5. Prajna: Illumination, Light of Awareness, Rootless Intuitive Wisdom.