Many of my clients are surprised to learn that yoga is as much about training the mind as it is about the body. Yogic meditation techniques, such as Trataka, Kundalini, and Chakra Dhyana, are powerful tools for mental transformation. These practices can enhance your yoga journey and deepen self-awareness. Let me share my favorite methods, and feel free to book a meditation lesson to explore them further.
13 Yogic Meditation Techniques
1. Meditation during asana practice
One of the simplest ways to begin yogic meditation is to bring mindful awareness into your regular yoga practice. Instead of treating asana as purely physical exercise, you observe your breath, body sensations, and thoughts as you move.
This transforms yoga from a workout into a meditative discipline and helps develop concentration and body awareness at the same time.
2. Nada Yoga
Nada Yoga is a form of sound meditation that uses both external sounds (like singing bowls or music) and internal sounds (nada) as objects of concentration. It is traditionally described as a path to deep absorption through listening.
- Start playing some relaxing healing sounds, like a Tibetan singing bowl or some Kundalini Yoga music.
- Take a comfortable position with good posture. The easiest way is while doing Shavasana. Lie on the ground on your back. Make sure your spine is comfortable (place a blanket under the small of your spine for extra comfort). Rotate your ankles out a little. Let your neck relax and elongate. Close your eyes.
- Focus your mind on the sound of the music you are listening to. Let your mind rest on the music. If thoughts enter your mind, simply label them as you would in Vipassana and then continue meditating on the sound. Your mind will begin to calm, and you will start to feel like you are one with the music. Continue to meditate on the music.
- Once you feel like you are one with the music, begin to tune in to your inner sound. Listen to the sounds of your mind and body. Meditate on them. Aim to be one with them. Keep meditating on your inner sound until you hear the ultimate sound that is “Para Nada”, the universal sound manifesting in “Om”.
If you would like to learn more about nada yoga I highly recommend the book The Law of Attention, Nada yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance by Michael Edward Salim.
3. Mantras
Mantras are all over religion and spirituality. And they are a yogic practice too. Indeed, some people think mantras started in yoga, but this is definitely not the case.
Mantras are most prevalent in Kundalini Yoga, from which we get the popular mantras “Sa Ta Na Ma” and “Wahe Guru.”
Deepak Chopra [founder, The Chopra Center] states that “mantras serve as a vehicle for the mind to transition from diversity to unity”. When you focus your whole consciousness on a mantra you achieve unification of the mind.
4. Chakra Dhyana
Chakra Dhyana is a meditation practice that focuses attention on the body’s energy centres, or chakras. In yogic philosophy, these centres regulate the flow of prana, or life force.
By visualising or concentrating on each chakra in sequence, practitioners aim to cultivate balance, emotional stability, and mental clarity.
5. Third Eye (Ajna Chakra)
Third Eye Meditation is a specialised form of chakra meditation that focuses on the Ajna chakra, located between the eyebrows. In yogic traditions, this centre is associated with intuition, insight, and mental clarity.
The practice often involves Shambhavi Mudra (gentle eyebrow gazing) combined with breath awareness or mantra repetition.
Here’s how to do Third Eye Meditation.
6. Trataka (“Still Gazing”)
This is one of the best meditations in yoga for cultivating inner-stillness and concentration, according to the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine [source]. And according to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh [Dynamics of Meditation] it opens the mind to psychic powers.
Here’s how to do Trataka:
- Place a lit candle on a table or shrine about a metre or so in front of you. Sit close, but, you know, don’t burn your face on the candle.
- Fix your gaze on the candle
- Meditate on the flame of the candle.
- Hold your gaze still and continue to meditate on the flame. Take 25 breaths
- Now close your eyes. You will see the candle in your mind’s eye.
- Meditate on the mental image of the candle for another 25 breaths.
When I practice Trataka I’m immediately more able to focus.
Note that we teach this method in our corporate meditation classes.
7. Bhakti
Bhakti meditation is a devotional practice in which attention is directed toward a chosen deity, spiritual teacher, or sacred symbol. The goal is to cultivate love, surrender, and a sense of connection with something greater than oneself.
Practitioners may use chanting, visualisation, or prayer as focal points during meditation.
8. Dhyana Yoga (Jnana)
Dhyana is the classical yogic term for meditation itself and refers to sustained, uninterrupted concentration. It is one of the final stages in Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga.
Through regular practice, Dhyana leads to deep stillness and eventually to Samadhi, a state of complete mental absorption.
9. Kundalini
Oh boy. Kundalini meditation.
Everyone likes tossing out the word “Kundalini” like it were this year’s must-have fashion item. So, what is kundalini meditation? It is a yoga meditation brought to the West by Yogi Bhajan. We use it to awaken kundalini energy (powerful feminine energy dormant at the base of the spine).
10. Kriya Yoga
Kriya yoga is a collection of meditative exercises taught by Indian yogi guru Paramahamsa Yogananda. It includes different levels of pranayama, mantra, and mudra practices. These are said to aid spiritual development according to Timothy Miller, author of the book America’s Alternative Religions.
Yogananda stated that the Kriya Yogi is dedicated to “directing life to the six centres of the spine that relate to the zodiac.”
For an example, read my guide to Kirtan Kriya Meditation.
11. Tantra:
Tantric meditation includes a wide range of practices designed to expand awareness by working with breath, visualisation, mantra, and bodily awareness.
While mainstream culture often emphasizes the sexual aspects of Tantra, traditional texts discuss numerous non-sexual meditative techniques aimed at spiritual awakening and the integration of mind and body.
12. Pratyahara
Pratyahara is a yogic method of training the mind that involves shutting out external stimuli to safeguard your mental well-being. According to Patanjali, Prathyahara is defined as “Withdrawal from the senses”. It involves eliminating negative influences from your life. For further information, refer to my comprehensive guide on Pratyahara yoga.
13: Samyama
Samyama meditation stands out as the most profound and intense of all yoga meditations. That’s why I’ve written a detailed guide on it. Click the link above to delve into it further.
Summary
Yogic meditation comprises a diverse range of practices such as breath awareness, mantra repetition, visualization, devotional exercises, and deep concentration states. Each technique targets a distinct aspect of the mind and nervous system, explaining why different individuals respond better to different methods.
If you’re new to yogic meditation, start with simpler practices like breath awareness, mantras, or meditation during yoga poses. More advanced techniques like Kundalini, Tantra, and Samyama are best explored gradually and preferably under guidance.
If you’re interested in exploring these practices in a structured manner, consider booking an online meditation session with me where I can help you select the techniques that align best with your goals and experience level.
Paul Harrison is a meditation instructor with 25 years of experience and a strong dedication to assisting others. Recognized for his compassion and genuine approach, he is committed to guiding individuals and groups towards mindfulness, clarity, and overall well-being.