Experiencing the Impact of Siddha Yoga

The effect of meditating under this form of yoga differs from practitioner to practitioner. Beginners find it difficult initially to hold their wandering mind on to one spot and focus on Guru Siyag’s form. Sounds around the spot where a practitioner is meditating – honking of cars in traffic outside, songs blaring out of TV/radio sets or noisy machines working in the neighborhood, those present around conversing loudly, wind rattling the windowpanes or rain drumming on the roof, etc.- can easily detract the meditating person. Greater distraction is caused by waves of thoughts constantly crashing through mind. However, a practitioner needs to go on practicing patiently without getting upset or losing hope. He will soon realize that his concentration is improving very fast. External sounds or thoughts begin to give way to a new calm. Some then begin to see the image of Guru Siyag or other divine entities during meditation. As the practitioner progresses on the path of meditation, he gradually reaches the stage when he can achieve Samadhi, a trance-like state. Samadhi is an important milestone in yoga as it prepares the practitioner to begin to feel and perceive subtle forces active in the universe around us. And here begins what Master Yogi Sri Aurobindo has described as “Adventure of Consciousness.”
Deep meditation not only leads to purification of body and mind, but it also opens up new vistas of consciousness. The practitioner begins to realize that there are several planes of existence outside our physical existence. Although we don’t realize it, these subtle planes of conscious impact us in various ways. There is also a visible or tangible impact of Siddha Yoga on practitioner’s body and mind in many cases. Many practitioners experience automatic yogic exercises or body movements such as swaying, bending forward or backward, nodding of head, rapid swinging of head from one end to another, inflating or deflating of belly, uncoordinated movements of hands, prostrating on the floor, clapping, laughing or crying. Some perform gestures of prayers to God during meditation. Some others experience the presence of divine bright lights, scents or sound and visions and revelations, in which they can witness the events that have taken place in the past or those that are destined happen in the future.
A beginner sometimes panics when he/she experiences some of these automatic yogic movements, thinking that something has either gone wrong or he/she has been ‘seized’ by some unseen force. But these fears are unfounded. In fact these Yogic Kriyas or body movements are ordained by the divine force and are specifically unique to each practitioner like a custom-made program. This is because the divine force that is at work here through Guru’s spiritual powers knows exactly which specific postures the practitioner needs to undergo to rid himself of body and mind ailments, and to progress on the spiritual path. The yogic postures under the Siddha Yoga are therefore not standardized nor are they orchestrated willfully like those in a conventional Yoga school. The practitioner can neither start nor stop these Yogic Kriyas willfully. None of these body movements will ever cause any bodily or mental harm. However, if a practitioner is too scared to continue the experience, he can simply pray to Guru Siyag to stop these movements. The prayer will immediately result in stopping of these movements.

An unattached observer watching people participate in group meditation under the Siddha Yoga is often astonished to notice that almost each participant undergoes different yogic postures. The automatic body movements may seem strange and somewhat alarming to an observer. However, most practitioners undergoing these movements experience a sense of exhilaration and joy during meditation that they had never experienced before.