Sadhvi Vishrut Vibha
Sharir Preksha
In Preksha Meditation, great emphasis is laid on the physical body because it houses the soul and is thus the gateway to the invisible soul. However, in order to know and understand the soul, one must first get oneself acquainted with the subtleties of the physical body.
Perception of the body involves observation of the body from the crust to the core i.e. moving from the gross body to the subtle body, and finally to the consciousness. During the perception o the body, vibrations are felt all over the skin, followed by perceptio and awareness of:
- Superficial sensations on the skin such as contact with clothes, warmth, itching, etc.
- Sensations of muscular movements
- Deeper sensations of internal organs
- Subtle vibrations of bio-electrical impulses in the nervous system
Objectives
The main goals of the perception of the body are:
- To comprehend the realities of the physical body
- To detach from the material world
- To perceive the subtleties of the inner world
For perception of the subtleties of physical body, one needs to withdraw from the external world and allow the mind to incline towards the internal vibrations. In order to be able to do so, the practitioner begins the perception process from the toe and moves all the way to the top of the head, while intensely focusing on every part of the body, and observing the sensations and vibrations happening in the body.
Technique
The practice of the perception of body consists in concentrating the mind on each part of the body, one by one and perceiving the sensations and vibrations taking place in each part. Here the perception does not mean the visual perception, but the mental one. The sensations may be superficial sensation of the skin such as the contact with your clothes, warmth or coolness etc., or they may be the sensations of pain, numbness etc. felt in the muscles or the vibrations of the electrical impulses in the nervous system or any other type of vibrations. Starting from the surface one has to penetrate deeply inside and try to become aware of the internal and subtle vibrations. While practising it one should try to keep ones mind free from like or dislike.
Benefits
Perception of the body helps in achieving the following physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits:
(a) Physical
- Strengthening of the immune system
- Improvement in the digestion efficiency
- Regulation of the blood circulation
- Balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
(b) Psychological
- Improvement in the mental concentration and alertness
- Allows to visualize and focus on the internal phenomena of the body
(c) Spiritual
- Realization of the soul
Conclusion
Sharir Preksha helps us to obtain greater insight into the nature of our inner self. It can act as a complementary therapy, when followed along with the main course of medication. This helps to boost our physical and mental health and play a vital role in alleviating several psychosomatic diseases.
