“Yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind.”
Yoga Sutra
Each of us contains inside our being a huge potential, in a dormant state, inviting us to discover it. The main goal in meditation and any other authentic spiritual practice is to gradually cease the mental agitation and discover that which lies beyond it – the Ultimate Truth, the Absolute Consciousness, the Uncreated Light, God, the Supreme Self.
It is like removing the clouds that cover the sun – so under its brilliant influence, all our inner treasures also start to sprout and blossom.
What we find by practicing meditation can be hard to imagine from the beginning. We start for a certain reason, such as searching answers to some questions, wanting to improve something in our life, curiosity etc. With practice, we obtain these and even much more.
This course is part of NATHA’s evening school program. The course follows the guidelines for support for adult education in Copenhagen and is approved by the City of Copenhagen.
Dette kursus er en del af NATHA’s aftenskoleprogram. Undervisningen følger retningslinjerne for støtte til folkeoplysning i København og er godkendt af Københavns Kommune.
What is Esoteric Meditation?
Mental Agitation: Our Real Enemy & Biggest Challenge
At the root of our separation from our true inner nature, and of most problems we encounter in our lives, is mental agitation.
Patanjali’s famous statement “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind”, indicates the essential role of controlling the mind’s tendency to move chaotically.
The lifestyle of modern people is characterized by a high level of inner and outer agitation. Most of us have become so used to daily agitation, that we consider it a basic part of life!
Mental Agitation: Our Real Enemy & Biggest Challenge
We are bombarded with stimuli and information, at a much faster pace than our capacity to process them. Moments of inner peace, prolonged inner silence and profound contemplation are more and more rare.
This overexcitement and over-use of our mind cause us to have a very limited control over our attention, and make our reactions and emotional life to be formed mainly by conditionings and behavioral patterns, leaving us very few real choices, limiting our life and letting our inner autopilot in charge.
Amongst the results of mental agitation we find:
- Stress, anxiety, tiredness, health issues and eating disorders
- Incapacity to focus and concentrate, decreased learning skills, ADHD
- Lack of efficiency, scatteredness, hesitation, mental fatigue
- Emotional issues, relationship and family problems
- Depression, inner emptiness and feeling of meaninglessness
- Absence of healthy ideals, virtues and values. Lack of compass in life
- Feeling of being disconnected from ourselves and others
Practicing meditation gives us back our life and puts us once again in the driver’s seat. Even a few moments of silence causes our whole mode of functioning to change, reflected noticeably in our brain waves.
Meditation – The Most Advanced Stage in Yoga
Contrary to popular belief – which considers meditation something anybody can do, that just consists of sitting down and closing our eyes for a few minutes and following the guidance in some headphones – practicing meditation for real is considered the highest form of practice and most advanced stage in ancient authentic spiritual lineages.
Being the most advanced form of practice, it needs to be approached in a systematic and step-by-step manner, and it needs solid preparation.
In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali outlined 2000 years ago the royal 8-step pathway to meditation. He revealed that in order to truly meditate, we must first prepare ourselves – by improving & harmonizing our character, purifying & strengthening our body, gaining control over our energies, and finally purifying & disciplining our mind.
For this, improving our inner attitudes, hatha yoga postures, pranayama techniques and concentration exercises are necessary steps on the path leading to the practice of actual meditation.
Practice Makes the Master
Our results in the meditation practice will be proportional to our daily practice at home.
Once a week we come together in the class to be guided, learn new steps and address occurring issues in our practice, and practice together.
At the end of each class a new ‘homework’ will be given to apply the new teachings and help us transform in a systematic manner.
The daily individual practice typically consists of:
- Specific hatha yoga exercises (asanas and pranayama)
- Concentration and meditation exercises
- Observing certain attitudes during the day, such as moral virtues and impulses of awareness
Learn the Specific ‘Mechanisms’ of Meditation
In this course we explore how meditation actually works. Meditation appears to most people as a subjective experience, yet in reality it follows very precise, objective ‘laws’.
Rather than aiming to practice a specific form of meditation, our focus is on exploring the very nature of consciousness and the road map of meditation, so that the skills we obtain can be applied in any form of meditation.
Some of the skills we learn include:
- how to focus the attention at will in any moment
- focusing and remain in a state of inner silence and serenity continuously for longer periods of time
- surpassing the tricks of the mind, such as distractions and sleepiness
- accessing higher levels of consciousness such as intuition and even to attain the state of samadhi
Course Curriculum
The Course Topics Include
Introduction to Meditation
- Goals in meditation and the path to happiness
- What happens with all our mental capacity?
- Mapping the human energetic system, subtle anatomy and the force centers (chakras)
Mechanisms of the mind
- Manas, the “monkey mind” and how to control it
- The reflexive capacity of the mind
- The mysterious and fundamental process of occult resonance
- Exercises for mental training & the importance of mental training
The levels of the mind and consciousness
- The brain and brain waves
Manas, the mind and its importance given in the modern civilization. The “mental hygiene” concept - Vijnanamayakosha, the supramental structure. The principle of perceptive presence in the present moment,
- Vipassana meditation, building a state of witness
- Anandamaya kosha, the body of beatitude. Prayer, happiness
The Course Topics Include
The 8 stages of YOGA of PATANJALI
- Yama & Niyama – moral and ethical guidelines providing the state of inner harmony and harmonious relations with the surroundings
- Asana, the discipline of resonances – selected hatha yoga postures
- Pranayama, control of energy flow – the full yogic breath & pranayama exercises
- Pratyahara, the practice of withdrawal – exercises to create pratyahara, mauna
- Dharana, mental concentration – exercises for mental concentration, principle of repetition, advices for the advanced training of mental concentration
- Dhyana, meditation – awakening the third eye, 3 steps of dhyana & exercises for meditation
- Samadhi, state of super consciousness
Advanced steps in meditation
- Obstacles in meditation and their solutions
- Meditation and the spiritual heart
- Training of the spiritual heart
- Secrets of Long Meditation. The principle of Rhythm
- Secrets of Attention
Revelation of the Supreme Immortal Self ATMAN
- 7 step method for the revelation of the Supreme Immortal Self ATMAN, gradually studied and practiced over a period of 3-4 months
Structure of the Class
Meditation classes are 2 hours – including 80 minutes of practice & 40 minutes of theory.
There are 46-48 classes per level – 1 class per week. Classes start in September, pause in August, and resume again in September each year.
New students start at Level 1. Skipping levels is not recommended, because the higher levels build upon the foundations set in earlier levels.
Practice
Each class includes a practice session of approx. 80 minutes and consists of 3 phases:
1. Initial awareness & warming-up exercises
The practice begins with an initial phase of awareness and warming up, which activates the beneficial subtle energies (both psychic and mental) that exist within your being.
2. YOGA techniques selected for facilitating meditation
Practice can include asanas, pranayama, and other techniques taught in the course.
It always ends with the complete yogic relaxation to create an ideal state for meditation.
3. Mental training exercises & meditation
Various exercises will be given to help students discover & develop the mechanisms of the mind and consciousness.
Theory
Each class includes around 40 minutes of theory, with a curriculum designed give students a deep understanding & preparation for success in meditation.
Those who already have meditation experience will discover that they are finally able to pass beyond the obstacles and blockages they naturally encounter and which keep them stuck at a certain level.
Each Class Also Includes
Elements to support the student in their journey, in the form of written material and personal support from the teachers and the community.
Weekly Course Materials
The course materials include descriptions of the techniques you will learn, and the effects of these techniques on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level.
Due to the depth of the courses, the course materials often contain more information than is possible to discuss in the class – so we highly recommend you study and keep them!
Personal Guidance
You will be guided by experienced teachers who check and correct your postures & technique in the practice.
Each class also includes time for questions & answers and group discussions. And you can also schedule 1-on-1 meetings with your teacher(s) for more personal advice on specific issues or life situations!
As a Student, You’ll Also Get
Community Membership & Student Discounts
You’ll be considered an active student and receive discounts on all upcoming workshops, events, and retreats.
You’ll also be invited to student-only workshops & community events (like our Special Summer Program and Christmas Party)!
1-on-1 Meetings With Your Teacher(s)
You can ask them anything – about the class, how to use the techniques & methods in your daily life, or even advice for specific life situations.
As a student, you can ask any one of them for a 1-on-1 meeting – they’ll be happy to speak with you!
Access to Daily Hatha Yoga Classes
Hatha Yoga classes are held on all weekdays except Sunday. They are a great way to maintain a daily yoga practice in the spirit of togetherness!
These classes are open to students of all levels.
Teachers
Adi
Adi started practicing yoga almost 30 years ago. Quickly, his curiosity grew, discovering through yoga and meditation practice that the world is much vaster and more complex than the physical universe, and exploring it can lead us to discover who we actually truly are.
Now he passionately shares with others his discoveries. Much of the time you would see him enthusiastically practicing Karma Yoga (Yoga of Action) for the benefit of the school, aiming to awaken in himself and his fellow brothers the state of Vira (spiritual hero).
Course Schedule
Sign Up for Meditation
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Meditation + Yoga OR Tantra
10% Discount for Both
- If you enroll in Meditation and either Yoga or Tantra, you will receive a 10% discount on both courses.
- If you would like to receive this discount, please email us at natha@natha.dk or come ask our receptionists during opening hours.
- They will be happy to sign you up for this offer!
- Please note that this offer cannot be combined with any other offers.