When asked Who are you?
most people identify themselves in terms of their positions, roles, and relationships.
You might answer, I am a math teacher, or I am a mother.
You may identify with where you live, saying Im a New Yorker.
You may also define yourself in terms of your political affiliations, your hobbies, or your culture.
This is the source of all energy and creativity in life.
Breaking free from the prison of memory
All thoughts can be classified as either memories or desires.
The Sanskrit word for memory or past impression issamskara,while the word for desire isvasana.
The action that emerges from the desire is calledkarma.
We can think of this circuit ofsamskara,vasana, andkarmaas the software of your soul.
Meditation is a technology that enables you to temporarily escape this cycle.
The word mantra means instrument or vehicle of the mind.
These vibrations, used for thousands of years to quiet mental activity, are pleasing, resonant sounds.
This starts the transformation of your identity from mind to spirit.
Sit in a comfortable, upright position.
Close your eyes and visualize the site of the energy center.
Take a deep breath and on the exhalation, chant the mantra in one long syllable.
Notice how you feel in the meditation and how it affects you when you go about your daily activities.
Each center identifies a core human need.
