Instructions for Dukkha Harana
Dukkha Harana is a 30-minute meditation, with 3 parts of 10 minutes each. Use the ASP instruction tape if you have one, else use an alarm clock, or have someone monitor the timings.
For the first 10 minutes, work with your breath.
Begin to breathe deeply, chaotically.
What is chaotic breathing?
In chaotic breathing, there is no definite rhythm. Just breathe as deeply as you can. Forget everything else, just breathe, breathe deeply. Become the breathing!
During chaotic breathing, when the body intelligence is allowed to take over, the body will take in however much oxygen is needed. There is no need to control your breath - this is not pranayama.
If you have a heart problem, do it as much as you can without discomfort. Otherwise, put your whole energy into it!
The heat generated in these 10 minutes will melt all your solidified negative energies. The subconscious will be thrown open.
There are no particular breathing exercises. Let your body behave as it wants. You have to be standing, that's all.
The next 10 minutes is called catharsis.
Catharsis is the process of opening the 'seed body' which is inside your being. During catharsis, you throw out all your suppressed emotions in a controlled environment, without harming others, and without internalizing it as disease.
Make your body as tense as possible. Throw your limbs around. Clench your teeth. Rotate your head. Whatever the body wants to do, allow it to do. But keep every limb tense, taut. Just throw out all your dukkha. If you feel like crying, screaming, laughing – just do it. For these ten minutes, don't control your body. Just go crazy.
Don't worry, this technique is not going to make you mad – in truth, it is only going to bring out all the madness already inside!
Don't be afraid of the violence that is bubbling up inside you. Once all the violence is spent, a peace will start blooming inside your Being. Without your knowledge, from deep inside your consciousness, you will experience a stillness, a silence arising.
At the end of ten minutes (if you are using the tape), you will hear the word, STOP!
At that point, just stop – in whichever position you are. Just become a frozen statue.
When you switch suddenly from frantic action to total silence, your mind is totally stopped, arrested for a moment. In that moment, you may even experience samadhi. This is especially possible in the master's presence. The moment your mind stops working, you will feel a tremendous energy rushing into you.
After a few seconds, you will see that thoughts are again rising in you. Then just sit down, in a pleasant mood, and slowly start witnessing those thoughts. Breathe normally. Don't concentrate on anything. Meditation is not concentration. Meditation is awareness.
So just be aware of your thoughts, witness what happens inside your body and outside your body.
If you want to test the efficiency of this technique, go and have your picture taken today.
After 15 days of practising this technique, have another picture taken and compare the two. I assure you, your face will look completely different! Your eyes will have become more pleasing. You will have blossomed.
DAY 2