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Meditation is not something that can be practiced in the way we typically think. What we can practice is concentration, which is different from meditation. Concentration means directing the mind from many scattered thoughts toward a particular symbol, aim, or target. This allows us to forget or temporarily calm the mind's restlessness. For example, we might concentrate by imagining a sunrise. A sunrise is beautiful, as is a sunset, but concentrating on a sunset is like moving from light into darkness. Therefore, we focus on the sunrise, which symbolizes moving from darkness to light: "Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya." The specific symbol—sun or moon—does not matter; it serves as a concrete point of focus, helping other thoughts to recede. Meditation itself is akin to deep sleep. You cannot practice sleep; you simply lie down, make yourself comfortable, close your eyes, and let it happen. If you think, "I must sleep now; I have to get up at four o'clock to go to the airport," you will not sleep. You will toss, turn, and check the clock. Sleep comes when you forget everything and become comfortable. Similarly, meditation arises on its own. For this to occur, the practice of mantra is essential. A meditation without a mantra is like a body without a soul. A mantra acts as a torchlight to guide you through the darkness of ignorance. The foundational steps are yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, and pratyāhāra. Before concentration, we must practice pratyāhāra—withdrawing the senses from the external world to the inner world. This means being 100% aware of the present moment and situation. If you are sitting to meditate but are thinking about the beach, you must fully acknowledge that thought. Pratyāhāra is about complete present-moment awareness. A yogī is like a tortoise, which can draw its limbs inside its shell or extend them at will. Similarly, you can become extroverted whenever you wish—to dance, run, and laugh. When it is time to meditate, you withdraw and become one with yourself, mastering your senses. We will explore techniques of self-inquiry meditation. This meditation has two aims. The first step is to know not "who am I?" but "how am I?" You must be honest with yourself. Are you a good person? Selfish? Do you have ego or greed? What wrongs have you done in life? What good? How much love, kindness, and understanding do you possess? A common problem is believing, "I am very good, but others do not understand me. I am not egoistic; they are stupid to say so." No one will say they are bad. A snake would never call itself a dangerous creature; it would speak of its kindness and its lack of limbs. So first, inquire: "How am I?" Then, finally, ask: "Who am I?" Realize you are not the body, mind, or senses. These are the two aims of this meditation: first to know how you are, then to know who you are. The self-inquiry meditation in the book "Yoga in Daily Life" is guided systematically across eight different steps. Do not hurry. Each part of yoga, comprising about eight exercises per chapter, concludes with instructions on how to meditate, for how long, and which exercises to do. This program is designed for three months, not one day. Please do not take the book and skip ahead, thinking you will know everything about meditation after reading it. This book is not a library book for mere reading; it is for practice. It becomes your master and teacher. Take it seriously. When you have completed it, begin again from the start. On weekends, you may practice your favorite postures, but the rest of the time should follow the systematic, step-by-step plan. The book also provides a step-by-step guide to breath techniques—which prāṇāyāma to practice at which level, which meditation to do, and how to perform the exercises, whether you call them Haṭha Yoga or something else. For each exercise, there is a described name, benefit, method, caution, and breathing instructions. Read carefully. Do not assume, "I know this from previous yoga practice." If that were so, what is different about this book? Breath is crucial for every movement. You must know when and how to breathe to be successful; otherwise, you risk causing damage to the body and will not succeed. Understand at which moment, in which situation, to inhale. Breath, concentration, and movement must coordinate. This is how it is guided. What we will try is not meditation itself; meditation is what happens when you sit and "off you go"—I do not know where. We will try to withdraw ourselves, concentrate on something, and bring ourselves to the point where we become one with ourselves. --- Recording location: Australia, Perth, World Peace Tour 2005