We recommend strongly for everyone in their first Sun Meditation to be lead by an experienced practitioner. The first time of practice is the most critical moment so it is very important it is done correctly.
Something else we cannot emphasis enough is the importance of the mind preparation that is done before the meditation. It is to create an inner feeling that prepare you for the meditation with the Sun, for it to be safe, enjoyable and effective. We know from experience that this special feeling is best learnt in our courses that are very focused on the practical details.
There are three key ingredients for the mind preparation that is obligatory in Sunyoga:
- Do not look direct at the Sun. The eyes should be fully open, but the head need to be tilted down so we are looking through the third eye (Ajna Chakra) towards the Sun.
- Create friendship with the Sun. It is an inner feeling of uncondional friendship. Not easy to explain in words. Thats why to establish this on a deeper level, our courses are so indespensible.
- Remove all expectations and judgments. We are searching to surrender, until it is complete. Also this is not easy to explain in words and best learnt in our practical courses.
When starting the practice of Sun Meditation, the beginners should start by looking at the rising sun early in the morning, starting between the first and second hour after sunrise. You can also look at the setting sun, but it is not as effective as at sunrise because the energy is decreasing.
If you feel any trouble gazing at the sun, remember to focus the gaze a short distance above the sun. Try not to blink, but if you feel discomfort, blink several times and then start again. If you do this three of four times, your resistance power will be increased and it will be easy to look at the sun. Then, we can gradually increase the time that we gaze at the sun.
Beginners should start looking at the sun each day for a short period but we aim to do it for at least 30min. Then day-by-day increase the amount of time so that the eyes can gradually adapt without any harm. It is very important to maintain regular practice, as it will allow your eyes to adapt properly.
Some people may experience problems in the first few days of practicing Sun Meditation, which could be headaches or burning sensations in the eyes, or a ‘sunspot’ that affects your vision. This is quite normal, and the only way to overcome these problems is to continue practicing. It is similar to any physical exertion that may cause stiffness or pain, though it does not last long and it is best removed by continuing the exercise. For the Sun Meditation to be complete the mind preparation before and the body relaxation after gazing the sun is crucial. If that is not followed properly different problems of discomfort can occur.
When you can continue staring at the sun for ten minutes, the sun will seem to disappear. The inside of the sun will appear as blue sky surrounded by a ring of light, it will sometimes appear as two suns, sometimes rotating clockwise or anticlockwise. As your concentration develops and you can gaze at the sun for longer, you will be able to see a ‘black spot’ in the middle of the sun. Sometimes this black spot will be bigger, at other times smaller. After some practice, the black spot will remain fixed in one place. Suddenly, from this black spot, seven colours will emerge and move around the sun, sometimes clockwise, sometimes anti-clockwise.
As your concentration increases, a powerful beam of light will come from the sun towards your body. In the beginning this beam of light will not touch the body, it will come towards you and then retreat back to the sun. Eventually, as your concentration improves in the Sun Meditation, this light will touch your body and you will attain complete thoughtless condition. This is the start of the Pratyaharam stage, and indicates the beginning of Sunyga experience.
After being touched by this light, a vibration will start from the heart, allowing us to control three negativities that are shame, hatred and fear. With regular practice this vibration will increase and you will be able to gain control over five more negativity that are anger, greed, narrow attraction, ego and jealousy. As the vibration increases you will be able to control sexual desire and lust. At this point, the Pratyaharam stage is complete.
The next step, as the inner vibration increases and extends from the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine to the Sahasrara chakra at the top of the head, you reach the Dharana stage. As the inner vibration develops, we will discover that there are two more chakras, one above the head called the Dhyana chakra and one below the body called the Dhyanrodhak chakra. At this point, we will be able to hear a sound, which some people call AUM, and some have called it AMEN, while others have called it ALAM. We can then receive divine messages from the universe.
Next the sadhak will experience Sahaja Samadhi during which he or she will be able to see a bright light, inside of which there will be a beautiful structure. This is the Atmadarsanam stage, the ‘who am I’ stage, or the Sadaguru stage, or the Mukha stage. At that time the sadhak will feel, ‘I know him but I have never seen’ because it has always been within, our Sagunabramha structure. This marks the completion of the Dhyana stage.
The next stage is Nirvikalpa Samadhi, at which point further two chakras are discovered, one above the Dhyana chakra called the Samadhi chakra, and one below the Dhayanarodhak chakra called the Samadhirodhak chakra. Our mental force will be more than gravitational force, and at this point our soul will leave the body and unite with the supreme soul. Often we are told this is the final stage of Yoga, but is actually just the beginning. For Sunyoga many more stages are revealed below.
The Thirteen Stages of Sunyoga
1. Conquer all material desires.
(Shame, hatred, fear, anger, greed, narrow attraction, ego and jealousy, sexual desire and lust).
Related chakras: Anahata, Vishuhdi, Ajna, Manipura, Swadhisthana.
Related subtle body: Pratyahar body.
2. Develop Divine Energy.
Related chakra: Sahasrara and Muladhara.
Related subtle body: Dharana body.
3. Atmadarsanam – Discovery of Atma, the soul.
Related chakra: Dhyana and Dhyana Rodhak.
Related subtle body: Dhyana body.
4. Nirvikalpa Samadhi – Enlightenment started (Sunyoga Level 4 Course).
Related chakra: Samadhi and Samadhi Rodhak.
Related subtle body: Samadhi body.
5. Conquer hunger.
Related chakra: Amrit chakra and Amrit Rodhak.
Related subtle body: Amrit body.
6. Conquer thirst.
Related chakra: Jivanmukta chakra and Jivanmukta Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Jivanmukta body.
7. Conquer diseases (Sunyoga Level 5 Course).
Related chakra: Rogamukta chakra and Rogamukta Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Rogamukta subtle body.
8. Paramahansa – Adjusting the mind to all situations.
Related chakra: Paramahansa chakra and Paramahansa Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Paramahansa body.
9. Having no enemies – all enemies will be friends (including animals).
Related chakra: Chaityana chakra and Chaityana Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Chaityana body.
10. Longevity (this happens when the body’s vibration becomes the same as the environment’s) (Sunyoga Level 6 Course).
Related chakra: Amar chakra and Amar Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Amar body.
11. The body’s vibration and earth’s vibration will be equal.
Related chakras: Grahanusama chakra and Grahanusama Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Grahanusama body.
12. The body’s vibration and sun’s vibration will be equal.
Related chakras: Nakhatranusama chakra and Nakhatranusama Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Nakhatranusama body.
13. The body’s vibration and the vibration of the Universe (Supreme Soul) vibration will be equal – Full Enlightenment (Sunyoga Level 7 Course).
Related chakras: Brahmbhandanusama chakra and Brahmbhandanusama Rodhak chakra.
Subtle body: Brahmbhandanusama body