By Sri Kapilnath

TWILIGHT YOGA

From rising to rising of the Sun is called Savana reckoning. By
that are determined the Savana days and by these the regulation
of the time of sacrifices. Surya Siddhanta 14.18

Twilight Yoga uses the rising and setting of the Sun for daily timing purposes. The exact time of sunrise is determined when the Sun is half its diameter above the horizon to the East, and sunset when the Sun is half its diameter below the horizon to the West. These are the two most important junctures of the Savana or ritual day. This timing is based on our physical position on Earth relative to the Sun. In this conception of phenomena and time, the Sun is the soul of All, the Atman. The supreme Cosmic Spirit embodied as the solar orb. Twilight Yoga begins before sunrise and extends after that point into the day. Twilight Yoga begins before sunset and extends after that point into the night.

Having established the timing basis for Twilight Yoga, now the method. Seat yourself in the circle of Yogis in a comfortable seated posture. Beneath you is your physical mat or seat, also called asana. This can be made of any material, but some suggest that natural fibers more easily collect and retain the divine vibrations generated during the work. A Yogi’s personal asana which has collected the vibrations and energy of so many yogas and exalted moments is a great personal asset. Virasana or Padmasana are ideal postures. Feel free to shift position slightly every 20 minutes or so to allow proper blood flow. Relax. Please avoid excessive fidgeting and movement. If you are new to meditation and can’t get comfortable sitting on the ground, please consider sitting on a large cushion with your legs folded in front of you or sit in a chair. Serious yogis always have their personal seat with them for use at any formal sitting.

Now being comfortably seated, the next step is to begin withdrawal of the senses by closing the eyes. This is being done so that we may more efficiently drawn our awareness within. This is the interior focus where we are directing our awareness back to its apparent source. This is the left turning path of the Tantrikas. We are going back to the source of consciousness from whence we came.

In this method, concentration is used to bring our awareness deeply into our breathing process in an unbroken stream for the entire duration of the meditation. The in and out breathes are timed to equal duration by the use of mantra. The duration of each breath is the same duration as the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” repeated two times for both the in and out breathes. This mantra recitation is done in complete silence and only intoned by the mind. Example: (In breath) Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya (Out breath) Om Namah Shivaya, Om Namah Shivaya. One will notice that it is necessary to keep the syllables moving at an active and even rate. In this version of this upaya or method, the mantra is inwardly repeated and coordinated with the breath in an unbroken stream for the entire duration of the meditation. Thus, the exposition of the method.

Concentration and clear intention are the key elements to successfully bring together our individual awareness, breath and mantra.

After the first hour of meditation I will be silently visiting a few participants during each meditation session and sharing my own meditation energy, (Shakti) with them. All of this will be explained and discussed at our first meeting on Sunday.

As a classical summation, this method or upaya of Twilight Yoga consists of: Asana, Pratyahara, Dharana, Pranayama, Mantra and Dhyana.

“Yoga is the transformation of the mind complex and its activity;
The helixform path of magick leading to higher spiritual levels;
To vanquish the conditioning and habits inflamed by civilization,
Restoring our original nature and magick charisma of divinity
By union of the individual spirit with the supreme Atman”
Shri Gurudev Mahendranath