A HANDBOOK OF PREKSHA
MEDITATION FOR THE TRAINERS
Muni Mahendra Kumar
PERCEPTION OF BODY
Introduction to be given prior to the exercise:
The practice of the perception of body consists in concentrating the mind on
each part of the body, one by one and perceiving the sensations and vibrations
taking place in each part. Of course, here the perception does not mean the
visual perception, but the mental one. The sensations may be superficial
sensations of the skin such as the contact with your clothes warmth or
coolness, itching and perspiration etc, or they may be the sensations of pain,
numbness, tingling etc. felt in the muscles or the vibrations of the
electrical impulses in the nervous system or any other type of vibrations.
Starting from the surface you have to penetrate deeply inside and try to
become aware of the internal and subtle vibrations. Remain completely
equanimous towards the sensations; try to keep your mind free from like or
dislike.
The third step of preksha meditation is perception of body. Concentrate your
mind on the big toe of your right foot. Allow it to spread and permeate
throughout the whole portion of the toe. Perceive the sensations and
vibrations taking place in that region. Become aware of them, experience them
without any like or dislike; use deep concentration and remain fully alert.
Now shift your attention to each part of right limb one by one. I shall now
indicate the name of the part of your body on which you have to concentrate
your mind and perceive it: The other toes, the sole, the heel, the ankle, the
upper part of the foot, the calf-muscles, the knee, the thigh, upto the
hip-joint. Perceive the whole part, experience the sensations and vibrations
taking place in each part. Maintain equanimity.
In the same way practice perception of all the parts of your left limb.
Thus the trip of the lower body is completed. Now, start the trip of the
middle body from the waist upto the neck. Concentrating your mind on each part
one by one--perceive the waist, the navel, the abdomen including the big
intestine, the small intestine, the kidney, the spleen, the liver, the
pancreas, the duodenum, the stomach and the diaphragm. Then the whole portion
of the chest including the lungs, the heart, the ribs, the throat and the
vocal cords. Concentrate your mind and perceive.
Then practice the perception of the whole portion of the back including the
spine, the spinal cord and the neck. Now concentrate on the whole portion of
the right hand and arm including the thumb, the finger, the palm, the wrist,
the lower arm, the elbow, the upper arm and the shoulder. Perceive each part
one by one. In the same way concentrate on the left hand and arm. The trip of
the middle body is completed.
Now we come to the upper body. Concentrate your mind on each part from the
chin upto the head. The chin, the lips, the inner portion of the mouth
including the tongue, the teeth, the palate, the cheeks, the nose, the right
ear, all the three parts---the outer, the middle and the inner, the right
temple, in the same way the left ear and the left temple, the right eye, the
left eye, the forehead and the head. Perceive each part one by one. During the
perception of the tongue allow your tongue to remain hanging freely, without
touching anywhere inside the mouth.
While perceiving the head, perceive all parts of your brain--the front, the
back, the right, the left, the outer and the inner. Allow your mind to
permeate throughout the brain. The trip of the upper body is completed.
Now practice the perception of body as a whole. You may stand up slowly and
carefully, keeping your eyes closed. Allow your mind to travel from the big
toes to the head and from the head to the big toes, rather speedily. Passing
through each part of the body, perceive the vibrations throughout the body.
Experience a tingling sensation in each and every muscle, skin, nerve and cell
produced by the contact of your conscious mind. You may also practice the
holding of breath for a while intermittently. Get yourself completely absorbed
in the perception of body.
Now allow your mind to travel throughout the body rather slowly. If you
experience pain or any other peculiar sensation, you may stop there for a
while and perceive it with equanimity without any like or dislike.