Withdraw your attention from external sights, sounds, and physical sensations. Direct your awareness inward. 6. Concentration (Dharana)
The center of the chest or heart space (best for emotional temperaments). Types of Mantra Repetition (Japa)
The tongue and lips move, but the sound is barely audible to others.
The path of mind control and scientific meditation.
He distinguishes between:
by Swami Vishnudevananda is widely considered one of the most comprehensive and authoritative modern guides on mastering the human mind. Published originally in 1978, this spiritual classic distills thousands of years of Vedic tradition into highly actionable steps for modern practitioners struggling with stress, anxiety, and digital distraction.
You don’t need the full PDF to start today. Here is a 15-minute routine distilled from Swami Vishnu Devananda’s method:
In his book, Swami Vishnudevananda explains that the mind is like a turbulent ocean. Thoughts create continuous waves that distort our perception of the true Self. Meditation and mantra repetition (Japa) serve as tools to calm these mental waves, allowing the practitioner to experience deep inner peace and self-realization. The Four Paths of Yoga
Swami Vishnudevananda (1927–1993) was a primary disciple of Swami Sivananda and the founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres . Known as the "Flying Swami," he was a tireless peace activist who famously piloted his own plane over conflict zones like the Berlin Wall and the Suez Canal, "bombing" them with flowers and peace leaflets instead of weapons. Meditation and Mantras: Swami Vishnudevananda
Meditation and mantras : Vishnudevananda, Swami : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. Internet Archive (PDF) Mantra Yoga: An Overview - ResearchGate
The Ultimate Guide to Meditation and Mantras by Swami Vishnudevananda
If you have no guru, start with OM – the universal mantra.
