I had my first opportunity to learn meditation as a college freshman when I needed a “filler course” that would not conflict with my Chemistry class I was taking over the summer. My Chemistry professor also taught a Yoga class, and since he was a great guy, very purely spiritual, I also signed up for his Yoga class. Did it help to open the brain power? Let’s find out.

I expected a course in Hatha Yoga exercises.

We did practice the Yoga postures called Asanas during the first hour of each class, but after we were sufficiently relaxed in body by the exercises, it was time to concentrate on relaxing and focusing the mind through learning meditation. It is important to learn meditation from someone who is trustworthy, without an agenda or ulterior motive.

Learning how to meditate looks, at first glance, to be simple and easy. But, quieting, relaxing, and focusing the mind to prepare for meditation can be almost impossibly difficult. The simplest technique that we learned was to sit or lie quietly with eyes closed and “watch” your breath, visualizing it entering and leaving the body through the Third Eye chakra, an energy point that is located on your forehead.

Just sitting quietly in lotus position or lying on a mat and trying to focus on your breathing is an exercise in mental discipline, because you will find that unexpected thoughts will constantly try to intrude into your consciousness and disrupt your concentration and focus. If you are in a class with others, you will have the added potential for distraction created by hearing someone sneeze, giggle, snore, etc. Try to pick a place that is free from noise and external distractions to practice your meditation, especially when you are just learning to meditate. Later on, you will use sounds such as mantras and chants as focal points in your meditation.

The exercise of meditating on the seven chakras in the body is a good practice for beginners. You will learn to see the distinctive colors of each of the seven energy centers with your mind’s eye. Also, when you become adept at chakra meditation, you will have gained an important tool to help you raise your consciousness from an animal gut survival level or a primarily sexual level to levels which encompass the higher chakras of the heart, mind, and soul. And this is your one of your mind tools as well.

Many people use a holy picture of some type as a focal point, or point upon which to focus all of their attention. The traditional Hindu tool is a Mandala, which is a picture made of geometric shapes, and is usually brightly colored. However, a picture of a Christian Saint, or Pagan God or Goddess could also be used. If you are visually challenged, as I am, you can use sounds as a focal point. During natural childbirth, the meditation techniques that I learned were invaluable, and my focal point was simply the sound of me tapping on the bed.

This is a short intro into the real experience, but even it shows that it is definitely worth trying to start increasing brain power. Not for the sake of becoming smarter (which is great), but for the sake of becoming wiser.