Search - Dennis K. Chernin, Muruga Booker :: How to Meditate Using Chakras, Mantras, and Breath

These two audio CDs of four guided meditations produced by Dennis K. Chernin, M.D., M.P.H. accompany the book How to Meditate Using Chakras, Mantras, and Breath. They may also be used separately without reference to the book. These meditations have been handed down from teacher to student for thousands of years and systematically lead the student to more relaxed and deeper states of awareness. Both beginning and more experienced students can use the four meditations presented in these CDs. Until a person feels comfortable meditating and establishes a steady and consistent practice, he or she should progress slowly through the following phases. Each of the four meditations follows the same sequence before they progress to the next complexity level. A person may decide to stop at any phase or may want to work with the more detailed practice. It is recommended to spend at least two to four weeks on each meditation before progressing to the next meditation practice. The mantra used in this meditation is the universal mantra OM. One should feel free, however, to substitute his or her own personal mantra, if one has been give to them by their meditation teacher. It is important to become familiar with the geometric form of the chakras or energy centers described in this meditation before adding color to them. To help with the visual images of the chakras, one can refer to the front cover of this CD. For those listening to the CDs and who are also reading the book, the seven phases of the meditation of the book have been integrated into the four meditations on the CDs. On the first CD, meditation I incorporates phases one, two, and three of the book and meditation II summarizes phases four and five. On the second CD, meditation III corresponds to phase six and meditation IV presents the completed meditation found in phase seven. At the beginning of the first CD, there is a short introduction. Before each of the four meditations, there is a prolonged presentation of the mantra OM that lasts about two and one half minutes. The world famous drummer, Muruga Booker plays the background drums and cymbals for this part. While this is not part of the actual meditation, it is meant to create a meditative mood and a sense of relaxation. These meditation practices can help the listener experience deeper inner personal calmness and joy, to feel and experience greater compassion and love for others, and ultimately leading to a sense of expanded consciousness.