In seated meditation, the breath is often used as a focal point for this purpose. In the practice of Indian Yoga, sometimes a practitioner will fix the eyes on one hand or another, or on a point on the wall. This technique is also used in hypnosis. By using a focal point for the eyes, the practitioner focuses the mind as well. When I was first learning to meditate, I used to contemplate the nothingness that I could see behind closed eyelids.
Another kind of focal point is a “mudra.” A mudra is a symbolic shape made with the hands or another part of the body. In a certain sense, then, it seems that any yoga posture could itself be a mudra. Furthermore, any cross-legged posture used in meditation could be thought of as a Yoga posture or as a mudra. In all cases, the practitioner’s attention is being placed on a focal point. (More)
Source: The Examiner
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