The Ideal Environment for Meditation
   If we were to walk into a discotheque right now, chances are the atmosphere there would not make us feel like taking a nap. In a cathedral, we’d probably not feel like shouting and chasing about. This is because environments have a distinct effect on the way we are inclined to behave. By the same token, there are certain surroundings which make it easier for us to meditate, and Yoga provides us with some valuable guidelines in that regard.
   It is not necessary for everyone to adhere rigidly to all the recommendations discussed below; rather, we should each feel free to create our own uniquely personal meditation environment, using the guidelines for general reference. If our present living situation makes some of the recommendations seem impractical, or if our religious or philosophical beliefs make us feel uncomfortable about sonic of the tools which Yoga recommends, we should simply disregard these for the time being. Remember, the techniques of Yoga are designed to help us overcome obstacles, not to burden us with more. With these precautions in mind, let’s examine briefly what Yoga describes as the optimal environment for meditation.

Physical Environment
 Since external distractions make it difficult to direct our attention inward, the place in which we meditate should he as dark and quiet as possible. Ideally, a small room should be set aside solely for meditation, but where this is impractical any comfortable area may be selected, preferably one which no other activity will take place. Each time we enter a space in which we have performed only one activity repeatedly; we tend to be more easily drawn toward the performance of that same activity.
   The decorations we choose for our meditation area should also be selected with the same idea in mind. Each of us should include whatever items best help us to feel closer to the inner Self. Some of us will prefer the more traditional form which includes a formal altar and pictures of great beings who have realized the Self through meditation; others will find that personal items which elicit love or devotion in us are the most effective.
   This approach also applies to the clothing we wear for meditation. It is better to have a special outfit which is not used for any other activity, but beyond this, any loose-fitting, comfortable garment is fine.
   Since all decorations and equipment used for meditation are either symbolic of the inner Self or representative of our intent to experience the Self, these items should be treated with great respect at all times.

   Everyone who meditates experiences the fact that internal energy is amplified. Some spiritual sciences liken the human body to an electromagnetic core with the positive pole at the head and the negative at the feet. The energy field around this core is called the human aura, which can now be photographed by scientists. In the average person (Fig. 4-A) this energy field is weak, bottom-heavy due to the pull of gravity, and much of it is dissipated without being recycled. The person who meditates daily, however, produces a strong, positive aura which resists the pull of gravity and minimizes dissipation (Fig. 4-B).
   In meditation, the polarity of the body is reversed and our energy is recycled with much greater efficiency. This reversed flow, however, is adversely affected by the energy field of the earth (Fig. 5-A) unless an insulating material is placed between the meditator and the ground (Fig. 5-B). The yogic Rishis tell us that the best material for this purpose is wool (preferably white) and it is for this reason Yoga recommends that we place a woolen mat or blanket beneath us when we meditate

   This sort of energy control is the basis of every physical technique of Yoga, and since most of us are not aware of the incredible swirling ocean of energy which surrounds and fills us, many of the recommendations Yoga makes in this regard seem strange to us. For example, we are told that the best direction to face during meditation is either East or North, if practical, and the best times of day for meditation are dawn and dusk. Each of these suggestions has to do with arranging the most favorable flow of energy, both within our own being and in relationship to the world around us. Even, when we are advised to meditate with an empty stomach it’s because after a meal so much energy is consumed in the process of digestion that little is available for meditation.
   In short, to minimize the physical dissipation of energy during meditation, Yoga offers us advice in the following areas: (1) asana (including body posture and insulated seat), (2) compass direction, (3) time of day and (4) diet. Every other recommendation we are given has to do with arresting the mental dissipation of energy.

Mental Environment
The mind is our greatest spendthrift of vital energy; the more it fidgets, the more energy we waste. Bringing the wandering mind under gradual control can be a difficult, tricky business, and in this endeavor Yoga advises that our most powerful support lies in the practice of ritual.
   A yogic ritual is any action repeatedly performed for the explicit purpose of directing our awareness toward the Self. Daily meditation is of course our most important ritual, and the more ritualistically our meditation is performed each day, the more benefit we can derive. Ideally, meditation should be performed each day at the same time and place, in the same way, because ritual becomes second nature through constant repetition. Just as athletes develop their own unique rituals of thoughts and actions which they run through before every event in order to bring them selves to peak performance level, so each should develop our own personal ritual to focus all our energy on meditation

Though the rituals recommended by Yoga are also employed by many religions, the rituals themselves are not religious; they are simply known to be the most effective techniques in helping us to focus both our mind and senses on the inner Self. Religions use them for the same reason meditators do—because they work.
   One such ritual is kneeling and bowing. Though the current religious connotation of this ritual act is that of  “groveling” or placing one’s self in a submissive relationship to some external will, the true meaning of this ritual is quite different. Kneeling and bowing are meant as gestures of Self-affirmation, not Self-denial. Kneeling is a gesture of humility, which is traditionally recognized as one of the finest qualities a human being can possess. Today humility is thought to be synonymous with self-abasement, but in reality it is a sign of enormous strength. The king who abdicates his throne and becomes a beggar is practicing self-abasement, not humility, showing that he is incapable or unwilling to fulfill his responsibilities as sovereign. However, the king who, as a dinner guest, chooses to seat himself at the foot of the table rather than at its head is still a king, but in displaying humility he shows us that his power is so great that he need not rely on external signs of status for support.
   Bowing is the simple act of placing the head below the heart. Meditators bow before and after meditation with the understanding that they are bowing to their own inner Self, and when they bow to some external thing they only do so with the understanding that the object they are bowing to is symbolic of their own Self.
   Traditionally, meditators light a candle and incense before meditation; often they ring a small bell and chant certain mantras. Again, these rituals are not utilized because religions use them, but because they effectively enthrall the senses and focus the mind on the inner Self. The flame represents the light of the Self, as actually perceived in meditation; similarly the incense, bell and mantras are all employed because of the resemblance they bear to things we experience inside us during meditation.
   Many people will find these traditional rituals to be valuable assets, but in the event that some of us do not, it is far better to simply set them aside for the time being rather than use our resistance to them as an excuse to suspend our meditation practice. The purpose of ritual is to help, not hinder us in meditation, and a ritual is only effective if it truly reminds us of the inner Self; otherwise it is an empty ritual, a waste of time. Mental ritual is much more potent than that which is merely an outward show. Kneeling is meaningless unless it is performed through a desire to learn humility; bowing is meaningless unless performed with an attitude of Self-reverence, or at least a desire to acquire such an attitude.
   Within the framework of each individual’s ethics and philosophy, some set of rituals should be evolved to systematically lead our mind away from agitation and toward the stillness of the Self.