Assignment Briefing Sheet
W3.3 Different Approaches to Meditation
a) What are the preferred conditions and postures for meditation? Refer to classical and modern texts
b) Discuss the main types of meditation, including any possible precautions with reference to the following classifications: I) Sight ii) Sound iii) Breath. Refer to classical and modern texts.
Assessment Criteria: a) preferred conditions for meditation; preferred postures for meditation; references to classical and modern sources; b) discussion of meditation using sight with precautions; discussion of meditation using sound with precautions; discussion of meditation using breath with precautions; references to classical and modern sources; bibliography and referencing.
W3.4 Teaching Concentration/Dharana and Meditation/Dhyana
List the order in which you might introduce concentration and meditation techniques to your classes, giving your reasons
Assessment Criteria: Sequence of introduction of concentration/meditation practices; reasons for the above choices; bibliography and referencing
The meditation written work is spread over three assignments, so it is important to be clear about what you are going to cover where. In W3.2 e) you are asked to discuss dharana, dhyana and samadhi. This is the place to discuss Patanjali’s approach to meditation, and the concepts and theory of concentration, absorption and the bliss state in detail. You will find that you have by far the most to write about dharana/concentration as this permeates asana, pranayama and life in general and can be tied into what the sutras have to say about the nature of the mind.
Next we come to W3.3. Although it isn’t directly stated in the question this is the place in your introduction to state at length what meditation is, why people should do it and the benefits. Then go on to cover the conditions and postures. Next comes another aspect which isn’t clearly stated in the question. Before you address types of meditation in the categories of sight, sound and breath, first cover the classic view of raja meditation – sitting and holding the mind in one pointed focus and then moving into meditation. Being able to do this is the end point of Patanjali’s system of Raja Yoga (royal yoga, ruling the mind) and also the most difficult. However it is the one that leads to various heightened states of consciousness and eventually seedless Samadhi for the dedicated few. It is because working directly on the mind like this is so challenging that many other meditation techniques using sight, sound and breath have been developed. But these are all preparation for traditional raja yoga meditation, even if the student never gets to that point in their practice.
Finally, W3.4 requires a short introduction setting out your approach to teaching meditation and then a list of practices, with precautions, you would introduce to encourage and develop meditation in your students. Remember that simple and easy is often best. Don’t forget that you are already preparing them and using meditative techniques like drishti and breath awareness, breath-led movement and pranayama to get your students into a meditative state. There are many relevant lead-in practices. There is a list of possible practices on the wiki and we are experiencing many in the P3.2s. You can include techniques that don’t fall into sight, sound and breath, such as walking meditation.