In order to stay in meditation for longer durations, one has to learn the technique of turning the heart off. Somewhere, I have described this technique in previous blogs as Yogananda Maharaja explained it to me about 4 years ago.
It takes a long time to reach that stage. However, right before this stage is reached this is what happens. We get absorbed in deep meditation at the Agna Chakra. The sound that is mostly heard is that like a long drawn out drum or like a roaring sound. Then, for whatever reason, there is a sudden jolt or a very strong pulsation or heart beat felt. It is just felt once. But it is so strong, it immediately breaks our meditation. This strong beat is not the constant rapid pulsation felt in early stages of meditation. This is different. Slowly, one begins to learn not to get distracted by this throb and remain established. It takes time.
I would like to relate a story of my Gurudev at this point. I heard this from Gurudev but I am sure there are some subtle variations which others have heard.
Gurudev had complete awakening of his shakti in 3 months. He was meditating at the Shiv temple right outside his Matha. The temple has a low lying ceiling. At the end of 3 months, Gurudev’s shakti fully awakened and his body immediately went up in the air with tremendous force. Although Gurudev was not aware of his body, the Antarkarana is awake and with his antarkarana he knew that if his body went any further up, it would tear his skull apart. Kashinathdada, in his infinite compassion and mercy, suddenly said, Om Om Om, three times. The sound came from the Shivlinga and there was a strong throb which Gurudev felt in his body and his prana which were soaring up fell down.
Gurudev left the temple but could barely walk a step and his body would go flying again in the air. At that time he closed his eyes and there was a sentence there which said, “Eat something. (The sentence was in Gujarati and it said, “Tara petma pathar nakha”) He quickly had Mataji prepare some shiro and he ate some and then with much difficulty his body was able to stay on the ground.
I wonder if the strong beat that I feel of late, and I feel it just once but it is enough to break my meditation is the same beat Gurudev was describing? In any event, that strong beat has to be mastered in order to stay in deep meditation for a long time!
Bhavin