Setting up a lifelong meditative practice

TL;DR: Flow of Sahaj Marg/Heartfulness practices - both daily and weekly - must be natural and become increasingly lighter for lifelong practice. Simple interest or curiosity, and enjoyment are sufficient.

What I have observed is that long-time abhyasis, including me, have trouble with

• the why aspect of the practice,
• the self-assessment of progress,
• which technique(s) to use when, and
• understanding that sporadic intense efforts (somewhat like all-nighters at college) are counterproductive in this field which needs daily, but increasingly lighter -- and lifelong -- inputs.

Sahaj Marg [Heartfulness] is simple, but not easy.
~Chariji

The reason for difficulties with regular daily practice boils down to something equally simple -
lack of priority as daily tasks or activities.

Prioritization comes naturally from

• simple interest,

• a desire to repeat some familiar and pleasant experiences daily, and

• a desire for new and unfamiliar experiences daily - those which pique the interest again.

Essentially, a meditator goes blind and deaf into a strange territory of vibrations. Sensing works very differently here.

The inner guide helps unfailingly, but that help may not occur the way one wants or expects, and more importantly, the help can also be felt only with an increase in sensitivity.

Sensitivity in turn increases only with a) repeated practice in turning attention inward while detaching it from outer sensations and (inner) memories (thoughts, emotions, sensations, etc.). In other words, daily meditation.

Sensitivity also occurs only when b) the consciousness or attention can both move or expand freely, and rest equally freely. For this free movement and light rest, daily cleansing away of emotional weight, or emotional residues, of past events is absolutely necessary.

Inner sensitivity also occurs only when c) an inner connection is used so much that it becomes palpable. Put differently, signals or data or inspirations come through that inner channel. But they must be regularly and actively solicited, received, and used. This is done by the daily prayer.

Individual sittings with a meditation trainer/preceptor cleanse deeper and subtler samskaras from the farther past, and give glimpses and tastes of subtler levels and conditions.

Meditation trainers are interchangeable. The best trainers anyway try to step aside, or let go of their agency for inner work, so that the abhyasis' inner connections are free and clear, allowing them to draw through those channels whatever they need for spiritual progress.

In a sense, a trainer is only a thermometer or some such measuring instrument for the inner connection. Or perhaps a hose, controlled by a gardener who changes the flow as needed.

Still, since it is difficult to let go of outer or outward relationships with other humans, one can aim for minimal scheduling effort and set up a weekly routine with the same preceptor for individual sittings . This gives maximum time and effort to the inner journey.

The last element, satsangh or group meditation with others, again should be as light and natural as possible, with maximum attention given to the inner journey and minimum attention to social interactions. Interactions, though, let abhyasis understand their
- inner journey,
- inner connection, and
- inner peace better, and
- gauge how many deeply-buried samskaras still remain to be cleaned away.

In sum, there are

• individual at-home practices,

• paired practices, and

• group practices.

All are intertwined and have complementary effects.

Understanding

• why to do,

• what to do, and

• when to do

different parts of a practice are crucial.

But simple interest, curiosity, and

• a light,
• positive,
• unstressed,
• enthusiastic or heartful, and
• caring or mindful,

attitude yield wonderful understanding and motivation.

 NOTES

Crucial for transition of attention from inside to outside and retaining the meditative condition are:

• progressively turning attention inward --surround sounds/sensations, relaxation-- and
• developing awareness of the gifts of meditative practice through the AEIOU and balancing exercises

Also crucial for motivation and palpable spiritual progress are:

• bhaṇḍāras through ecstatic large-group meditations and the physical presence of the Guide.

But they are not covered in this post on why a lifelong meditative practice should be (re)set up at all.