After we start a heart-based meditation practice, we soon begin to appreciate the benefits we experience from daily practice. We also start enjoying the condition of stillness and composure we experience after each meditation in the morning.
Progressively, this condition starts to extend throughout the day. We remember the inner state more frequently, and with this undercurrent of stillness we are able to fulfil our world responsibilities effectively, with minimum emotional disturbance. In other words, we start becoming meditatively active – with an inner meditative state, we are outwardly active. This is an important transition, because active meditation leads us to be meditatively active.
It is often short-lived, though, as it is difficult to retain a meditative state in the midst of day-to-day activities. It recedes as the day goes on, we end up losing the state of remembrance, and we find it difficult to retrieve. What if we could extend this meditative state throughout the day?
To reach the stage where it becomes permanent we need a method, and it is explained through the acronym AEIOU. It is a way of deeply absorbing the meditative state within us. This method is practiced after meditation for a few minutes. It can also be done at other times during the day for a few minutes, like switching between activities, so as to retrieve the meditative condition into our consciousness.
How to practice AEIOU?
“A” is Acquiring the condition. To do this, we study our condition closely right after meditation. For example, we may observe our breathing pattern, the quality and intensity of our thoughts and feelings, any activity or movement we experienced in the chakras during meditation, and any inspirations. We can contrast this with what we observed before meditation. Then we can appreciate what we have acquired.
This story is from the November 2023 edition of Heartfulness eMagazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 2023 edition of Heartfulness eMagazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BEYOND the Beat
The Heart’s Intelligence in Compassion and Healing
The Devil's Tree
DR V. RAMAKANTHA, retired forest officer, who lived, raised a family, and worked in forests for most of his adult life, returns to our pages in 2025 to share his vast knowledge of medicinal plants, and the fascinating stories associated with them. In his signature style, this month he weaves together science, folklore, and traditional knowledge to tell the story of the Devil's Tree, Saptaparni.
The Joy of Unity
SARAVANAN SUBRAMANIAM, Director of HeartyCulture Natural Products, India, introduces us to a new type of grafted mango at the nursery in Kanha Shanti Vanam. Not only does this new variety bring diversity to our taste buds, but also symbolizes the unity in diversity we all wish for in ecosystems that include human beings.
The Beauty and Transformative Nature of Prayer
In the first episode for 2025 on spiritual practices, DAAJI offers us an inspiring and scientific explanation of prayer and its importance on the inner journey. He demystifies prayer by going beyond the religious connotations to its true purpose and the benefits it offers us as a means of evolution.
Parenting: A Purifying Experience
MEGHA BAJAJ is a new mother. She celebrates the life-changing joy of parenting, and the way the equilibrium of parental love keeps the world intact.
The Sacredness of Human Development
CHRISTIANNA DEICHMANN is the Director of Education at the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH), where she educates both professionals and parents on fostering the most nurturing environments for welcoming new life into the world. She is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. With a multidisciplinary approach, Christianna blends Craniosacral Therapy, massage, and pre- and perinatal psychology into her holistic practice. Her work uniquely combines science and spirituality.In part 2 of this interview, Christianna continues to shares her expertise with DR. SNEHAL DESHPANDE, a Developmental Therapist, PPNE, and the Director of Heartfulness Family Connect Programs, offering a rich dialogue on Birth Trauma and Obstetrical Intervention.
ONCE UPON A Saturday
SULOCHANA SANTHOSH is a young and inspired writer who reminds us of the need to care for our ocean and the environment in general. What are you doing to make a difference?
Seven of Us
is a lecturer at the Bangkok School of Management, a wellness coach, and the co-leader of the Bangkok Women's Writers Group. Here, Bhavna writes about her inspiring experience of cleaning up the garbage in the city that is her home.
UNLEASHING OUR Extraordinary Capabilities
LYNNE McTAGGART is one of the central authorities on the new science of consciousness, and the award-winning author of seven books, including the internationally bestselling The Intention Experiment, The Field, The Bond, and The Power of Eight. Here, Lynne is interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN about the transformative power of intention, the profound impact of group intention, and the potential for individuals to create significant change in their lives and the world.
FROM Annoyance Serenity ΤΟ
SARALA UPADHYA shares her experience as a college professor to come up with a working model for how to manage annoyance both usefully and kindly. She has now reduced her “annoyance factor” making life more serene for herself and those around her.
