Meditation is Instinctive

Meditation is an instinctive ability we all have and we each have our own unique style. We thrive in meditation when the approach we take goes with our svarasa, our own inclinations and instincts.

Meditation is the most natural thing in the world, a relief, a time to be with yourself and everything you love about life. All you have to do is select, from among the thousands of techniques developed in Yoga, Tantra, or Buddhism over the past 2500 years, the style that fits you. To fit you, a meditation practice has to be in tune with your physical, emotional and mental nature - your prakriti. In tune with your body, your heart, your soul, your daily life.

When you do this - when you meditate in accord with your nature, meditation can be something you look forward to, as you would a bath and a good meal. It can be something you crave, like time to listen to your favorite music.

Svarasa

”One’s own (unadulterated) juice or essence, natural flavor, one’s own inclination, the feeling for one’s people, instinct of self-preservation”

Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, p. 1282 and 1276:

• m. own (unadulterated) juice or essence MBh. Car. &c
• natural or peculiar flavour W.
• proper taste or sentiment in composition ib.
• a partic. astringent juice or decoction MW.
• the sediment of oily substances ground on a stone W.
• own inclination (-tas , " through own inclination " , " for pleasure ") A1pS3r.Sch.
• feeling for one's own people Ka1v.
• instinct of self-preservation (?) Yogas.
• analogy L.
• mf(ā)n. agreeable or pleasant to one's taste , congenial Katha1s. TPra1t. Sch.
• m. N. of a mountain Pur.

And in the Spoken Sanskrit Dictionary:

स्वरस
svarasa

instinct of self-preservation



There are simple principles you need to know to develop a meditation practice based on your essential nature. These are learnable and teachable. Most of the intricacy of meditation is not the technique per se, but rather the challenge of accepting all your emotions, sensations, and instinctive wisdom.

There really are tens of thousands of different styles and techniques. They can probably be divided into groups of a hundred or so, with many variations on each. So don’t be confused - the different styles of meditation are like different styles of cooking. Some people eat raw spiders and worms, because they are a good local source of protein.