Practice and Instruction at Sophia Meditation Center
Authentic Meditation
The term meditation can be used in different ways today. At Sophia we base all of our offerings on established principles found throughout the world’s contemplative traditions.
In particular though we focus on the teachings of raja yoga. Raja yoga means the “king of yogas,” or “union with royalty (divinity).”
Raja yoga has a long and reputable history. It was the method relied upon by so many brilliant masters, such as Krishna, Patanjali, Vivekananda, Sivananda, and Samael Aun Weor. (Of course, today there are many deceivers and fakes, so one has to be on guard).
The wonderful thing about raja yoga is that it does not require much book study to learn. It is very simple and easy to understand, so you do not need to rely on external “guides” or “masters” to learn it. You can do it yourself, provided you understand the steps accurately. This is why we rely on it as Sophia.
Eight Steps to Experience Meditation
The main text of raja yoga is Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Raja yoga is also called ashtanga yoga, which means “eight-limbed,” because it has eight aspects.
The eight steps of raja yoga are universal. They are like a map. A map gives a route that anyone can follow. A map describes a place that exists, and anyone who follows the map can reach the goal. Raja yoga is like that; it is not a belief or exclusively Indian. Raja yoga can be applied to any religion.
The term yoga in the our modern culture only refers to physical postures. In raja yoga, physical posture (asana) is just one of the eight steps.
Yama: self-restraint
Niyama: observances, precepts
Asana: relaxed and still posture
Pranayama: stillness of life force and breath
Pratyahara: suspension of senses
Dharana: attention settled on one thing
Dhyana: perception of internal images
Samadhi: experience of reality
The eight steps of raja yoga are the essential stages of reaching union with reality. In other words, if you want to experience reality, the truth, God, Allah, Brahma, you have to experience these eight steps.
You can call them by other names, or no names, but these are not theoretical: they are scientific, exact, and precise, and refer to qualities of consciousness, or perception.
If you learn what these are in your own experience, you will experience yoga, no matter what religion you follow. Stated another way, all saints, masters, buddhas, experienced reality, and they did so because their consciousness passed through these eight steps, even if they did not know these words.
How to Learn Meditation at Sophia
Sophia Meditation Center endeavors to be a place of refuge and peace for all people. We provide classes that suit a person just looking for the basics, and also a program for those aspiring to go deeper into the steps. See our calendar for our current offerings.
Beginners or first time visitors are encouraged to attend a Beginners Meditation class or attend our introductory meditation course. The eight week course gives a brief introduction to the eight steps outlined above.
For those who want to go deeper, we offer step-by-step practice instruction and guidance. Based upon in person discussion, a student is given a practice related to the step they are on. This practice is to be done at home and at Sophia until the required results are achieved. Once achieved, it indicates that one is ready to start practicing towards the next step.
If this is something you are interested in, speak to one of our instructors in person.