Preparing for Siddha Yoga Satsang

Toward the end of the live video stream, Gurumayi spoke about the importance of preparing to participate in satsang. Gurumayi referenced a few of the customary preparation practices on the Siddha Yoga path, such as establishing a steady and comfortable posture, becoming aware of your breathing, bringing your focus to one point, hearing the vibration in your own body, and feeling the vibration in your own body. Gurumayi explained that preparation is essential if you wish to get the most out of satsang—if you wish to experience the shakti of the satsang in all its fullness.

In a lot of ways, I find this teaching to relate to what Gurumayi had said earlier about how crucial the body is for sadhana. Our capacity to comprehend the Guru’s words, to absorb the shakti of the Guru’s satsang, to experience the light of the sun in all its divinity and effervescence is dependent on the state of our body and mind. If our bodies are uncomfortable, our attention to the satsang is splintered. If our mind is disquieted or full of thoughts, we cannot fully appreciate the teachings we are receiving. We do the preparation so that we can keep potential discomfort and distraction to a minimum and better maintain our focus. Then we are able to bring our whole being into the hallowed space of satsang.

It is worth taking a few moments to consider what it means to focus. I have learned from Gurumayi that focus, especially in relation to spiritual practice, requires more than just an amorphous sense of “being present.” Focus requires an object. And this object of focus might differ for each one of us. Consider, for example, that you are sitting for meditation with several other people. You might choose to focus on the mantra—on the vibration of each syllable as it arises from and recedes back into your being. The person next to you might hold in their awareness an image of the Guru’s padukas. Someone else might bring their attention to their breath. The possibilities are manifold.

When it comes to participating in satsang, it is useful to identify ahead of time what we’d like to focus on. You might be wondering what I mean, given that satsangs on the Siddha Yoga path are composed of a curated sequence of elements. Wouldn’t we just focus on whatever is happening in any given moment?

Well, yes and no. In theory, it’s a nice idea. In practice, it lacks specificity. Again, focus requires a clearly defined object. So rather than planning to focus on “whatever is happening” in satsang, we can articulate for ourselves what those things might be and choose one or more of them to give particular attention to when they occur. Maybe it’s the Guru’s words we choose to focus on. Maybe it’s the Guru’s darshan. Maybe it’s the chant or the meditation. Maybe it’s all of these things. But the seemingly simple act of identifying our focus beforehand, of making a kind of “game plan” for ourselves, allows us to be more active and intentional in how we participate.

It is like preparing our asana, taking our seat with care and deliberation, as opposed to simply flopping down on the chair in front of us. It is the difference between passively receiving whatever is happening in the satsang hall and remembering, over and again, that we want to really hear this and be present for that. When we focus in this way, we gain even more from the satsang. Our learnings are precise. Our understanding is deep. Our ability to retain the teachings is exponentially enhanced. And our overall experience—of the satsang, and of the teachings Gurumayi imparts—has a hugely beneficial impact on our Siddha Yoga sadhana.

In light of this, why don’t you give some thought to how you will prepare for each Siddha Yoga satsang you participate in? How will you continue to modify your preparation as you learn more about what supports your participation? Have you placed your preparation plans in the forefront of your awareness, especially since hearing Gurumayi talk about this during the live video stream on January 14?