1

The Brain Yoga Manual

of Mantra Meditation:


Transcend to Better Health Anytime, Anywhere
in 12 Minutes.




C. Richard Hulquist, M. D.











Nothing can bring you peace but yourself
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance


2






GramercyParkPublishingCompany

5042WilshireBoulevard,Suite#15141

LosAngeles,CA90036



Copyright2009byC.RichardHulquist
DesignandcoverartbyBillSampsonandC.RichardHulquist

ISBN13:9780983128403

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorreproducedinanymanner
whatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermissionexceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsembodied
inreviewsand/orcriticalarticles.

GratefulacknowledgmenttoTimeandTodaysHealthforreprintedphotos.
Allrightsreserved.

PrintedintheU.S.A.


3




Contents


1. Brain Yoga: What & Why

2. Brain Yogas New Features

3. Your Mantra

4. How to Do Brain Yoga

5. 1
st
Phase: Getting Centered

6. 2
nd
Phase: Mantra Brain Wave

7. 3
rd
Phase: Transcending

8. Reentry

9. Questions/Answers

10. Diagram of the Technique

11. About the Author







4
Brain Yoga Meditation: What & Why


What is Brain Yoga Meditation? Its a new, friendlier way to do classical
mantra transcendent meditation (T M) without all of its usual baggage.

What is a mantra? It is a private, even mystical phrase, word, or group of
syllables repeated to your self during meditation.

What does transcendent mean? Literally it means, going beyond the
usual limits.

So what is this transcendent method? It comes from the early Hindus
who learned how to use the mantra method in order to transcend, or to go
beyond this world, and Brain Yoga has made it practical for people like you and
me.

How does Yoga fit in here? There are many kinds of ancient yoga. T M
stems from one of the earliest schools of yoga, the ancient Hindu Mantra Yoga,
which developed mantra meditation; so Brain Yoga truly is yoga for the brain.

How can I learn T M from a real guru? You can go to Asia, but some
Asian gurus also have been teaching T M here and in Europe. Their ways
often are related to Eastern religions involving a change from our Western life
style and they are often costly.

Is mantra meditation hard to learn? Its not easy by the usual methods.
The various people that are pictured on the next page appear to be doing very
little, but they are performing a dynamic exercise, clearing their minds of
thoughts. It requires a specialized procedure that usually needs lots of time,
patience, and money.


5


6
Whats so different about Brain Yoga? It easily bypasses all of the stiff,
outdated and alien rules. This makes learning T M not only faster but also fun.
And there are no fees or tuition!

Brain Yoga has six new design features to make T M vastly more practical for
daily use. Now anyone can learn to transcend the friendly Brain Yoga way.


But can I do it? Find Out!
Try out this exercise. R






This is a glimpse of just one of the feedback routines all set to help you do T M
the friendly Brain Yoga way. Its shortcut to the centering process. When you
start to feel these gut reactions you will have a good time learning T M this new
way.

Why 12 minutes? Its enough time for a novice to learn using this system and
it helps keep up the momentum of daily practice. Even veteran meditators find
they take advantage of T M much more with Brain Yogas rapid and easy access.

Can I do it longer? Yes! 12 minutes is only to make it a practical learning
program. You may use these same instructions for longer learning sessions, like
20 or 30 minutes, which are fine but only if you can keep it up daily. Brain
Yoga feels so good you dont want to quit, and after learning it you can use it as
long as you want whenever you have the time.

EXERCISE
Close your eyes and breathe deeply
as you push down on your feet, tense
up your thighs, hands, and buttocks;
hold for a count of 10 but keep
breathing. Relax and feel a wave
from your feet up to your stomach
and back down.


7
Do I have to use Noise? You get to use noise for convenience and
effectiveness. I know it seems contrary! Well discuss later how noise helps and
how to use it.

Im too busy. Why do T M? Its famously empowers your life with serenity,
peace of mind, and potency. But T M also improves your health. I know of
several medical patients helped by T M, and medical science now widely accepts
that T M helps to relieve not only anxiety and fatigue but also:

Depression
Addiction
Hypertension
Heart Disease
Obesity, and
Other Disorders

Well look at this briefly again later, and research references may be requested
through my website at www.BrainYogaTM.com.

Is transcend a new word just for meditation? No, its old. It comes
from the Latin trans, "to go out of, plus scandere, to climb out of or across to.
This gives us: to go or climb to somewhere else. So the term, transcendent
meditation, means to take yourself beyond, or outside yourself, by subduing
your thoughts with a special mantra process.

Is Brain Yoga a trance? No, it is wakeful process, but Brain Yoga leads to
an out of body experience.



8
Are T M and TM
TM
the same? No. They both refer to the transcendent type
of mantra meditation, but TM is the trademark of a specific, commercial
school of transcendental meditation, not to be confused with Brain Yoga.

Dont some people meditate without a mantra? Yes. The mantra aids
T M greatly, but non-mantra schools use other focusing tools such as these:

Breath: Focusing on (or counting) deep, slow breaths.
Visual: Seeing certain images in your mind.
Sensory: Letting sensati ons such as tingling or heaviness
dominate your thinking.
Sounds: Listening to outside sounds, often bells or a waterfall.

Why doesnt Brain Yoga use these other ideas? It does! A big plus of
Brain Yoga is that it uses all of the above in addition to the mantra. The mantra
is the critical factor, but Brain Yoga easily blends in these other devices to give
it another cutting edge for success.

Now lets see about those new features so we can put them to work.









9

Brain Yogas New Features
Brain Yoga has six new design features (see box) to make T M vastly more
practical for daily use. Now anyone can learn to transcend the friendly Brain
Yoga way.
The New Features of Brain Yoga:









1
st
Feature: Using Recycled Noise.
This is a big breakthrough in making T M a realistic part of your day. Meditation
is an exercise in not thinking, not an easy thing because our unruly brains tend
to jump around to many thoughts.

Here is a new and very important fact: Your mind is the main obstacle to
meditation, not noise. Youre going to put noise to your advantage now by
letting it remind you to get back to your mantra listening, the basis of T M.

What kind of noise? Not expected or pleasant sounds like talk or music that
interests you. Accidental noises are best to remind your restless brain that its
thinking again. Good noises are those from streets, households, neighborhoods,
crowds and traffic. Recorded sounds arent random and haven't worked well so
far but Im working on that.

1
st
Feature: Using Recycled Noise.
2
nd
Feature: Enlisting your Other Brain.
3
rd
Feature: Using Feelings to enable T M.
4
th
Feature: Learning with fun Exercises.
5
th
Feature: Recruiting your Center.
6
th
Feature: Using Key Words to gain focus.





10
Crack a window open for 12 minutes or sit in a parked car. It's worth the effort
to find some random sounds. Strict privacy isn't needed and some intrusion
won't hurt. Youll get over feeling shy about it.


2
nd
Feature: Enlisting your Other Brain to help.

What other brain? Its a less known but critical part of your brainpower.
Your total brain is divided into:

1) a voluntary or thinking part, and
2) an involuntary, non-thinking part, sometimes called the other brain.

The hard part of any meditation style is to control the thinking of your voluntary
brain; your non-thinking, other brain will help you to do that, and you can enlist
its help by simply letting it feel good. The other brain is mostly ignored by us
but it s very willing to help out if we give it a little attention and thats very easy
to do.

The other brain or Autonomic Nervous System in this diagram is all of the
parts below the upper, wavy area of the brain, and on down through the spinal
cord, plus its attached vital networks shown in front of the body (a couple of
areas are mixtures of the two systems).









11
You neednt understand this
picture, but simply know that
you can enlist all of this
system to help you, simply by
doing some ordinary things.
For example, you can activate
a key spot in this system,
called your center (soon to
be explained) by just
breathing deeply.

I know the other brain looks
complex, but its easy to use it
for Brain Yoga!

So, how do I use my
other brain? You can't talk
directly to your other brain
but you can recruit its help
with these every-day actions:
Breathing, hearing, seeing
and feeling. (These also are
the other focus tools we
talked about earlier).

These actions are simple: 1) Deep, slow breathing is the most basic of these
natural acts and becomes even more potent with what I call the breath-pause,
meaning to breathe in deeply and pause briefly. 2) You will hear your mantra
and also hear outside noises. 3) You will see in your minds eye some of the
actions going on inside your body. 4) The feelings that help T M are explained in
the following new feature.


12
3
rd
Feature: Using Feelings.
The feelings are like relaxation waves that you might not have felt before, but
you will find them easy and very useful. You will feel them in four areas: first in
your legs and hands; then in your abdomen to arouse your center; then in your
upper body; and in your head. The first three sensations are blended to reach
full centering, a very pleasant condition.

The last feeling is a forehead rush that is used with your mantra to transfer the
centering state to your brain; this triggers activity in a special part of your brain
that allows transcendence. Youll learn about it a bit later.

4
th
Feature: New Exercises to identify the feelings.







These are bio-feedbacks, like games, that quickly show you the feelings.
Feedbacks are natural body reactions that are fun and easy to do after a couple
of tries. These little workouts move you more swiftly to the point where you will
transcend. You briefly tried out one of them on page 2. They will appear in side
boxes and youll learn each one when needed.

What if all of this sounds a little weird? Just give me 12 minutes a day
for two or three weeks. The six steps may seem unusual because they are
original, but they work. Veteran meditators would have learned much easier
had they just known about the noise asset or using the other brain. T M has
been hard because it hasnt had these shortcuts. Give Brain Yoga a try. I
know its going to help you.
Feelings Exercises:
Lower body wave feedback (youve tried it out)
Center (stomach) feedback
Upper body wave feedback
Mantra brain wave feedback




13
5
th
Feature: How to use your Center.
What is my Center? It is the Celiac (or solar) Plexus located deep inside the
abdomen near the spinal cord (note label at the top of next diagram). Its a vital
part of your other brain, a complex nerve center lying underneath the stomach.
You can stimulate it by moving your diaphragm with deep breaths.

Do I have to learn anatomy? No! This following picture is just to show you
that your center really does exist in your body, but you only need a rough idea of
its location. Brain Yoga will soon show you how easy it is to use your center.















Anatomy of the abdomen: View beneath some of the main organs.
From wwwBartleys.com

Your center has been called the pit of the stomach. It's often used to start up
relaxation, like taking some deep breaths to calm down just before a speech.
Note in the next figure where you feel your center; it is near the center of your
abdomen a little bit above your navel.


14









Your center may feel muted
if youve not tried it out, but it
likes to be used, and you can
coax it into action with one of
the exercises that youll learn.







6
th
Feature: Key Words.

My subjects and I have learned that the guidance words, center and relax, are
more helpful than your mantra in the early phase of meditation. Your brain
really needs simple instructions about what to do, and these two easy words will
help it. Using the power of the mantra is better reserved for the last two phases




15
Your Mantra


A mantra is a special word or phrase that helps you to transcend. Priests or
gurus chose it and charged for it in former times, and commercial meditation
people still want your money for a mantra, but you aren't joining an Eastern
faith or a cult, so you won't have to pay one of those people to get a mantra.


How do I get one? Choosing your own mantra is proving to be highly
effective. Since your mantra is very personal and private it's good for you to try
out or one or more for yourself, either from a list or by using any word you like.
You dont have a religious need to buy a mantra, and selecting your own mantra
lends it a unique identity. A mantra from a guru or priest can be long, but I
think using one or two short words will work better for you. The following list of
mantras might help you.




You need not spend a lot of time on your choice as you can change it later. Your
mantra will gradually acquire its own aura from the good feelings it sets off.
You dont need your mantra until Phase Two, so there is some time to think
about it.




Mantra Examples are listed alphabetically on the next page. Many of the
Eastern ones are Sanskrit words.






16
Western Eastern

Abba Aadhi
Adonai Amma
Akbar Anbu
Allah Arul
Ava Aruk
Baruch Aulum
Christ Aum (ouwm) Ohm
Christi Barukh
Christo Cahm
Credo Eenba
Dios Eenna
Eleison Gandhi
Eternal Hare (ha-ray)
Ever Hamsoh
Gloria Homsha
Glory Humm (Hoom)
God Jai
Heal Kaar
Holy Kali
Jesu Kama
Kyrie Karsh
Lord Krishna, Krish
Love Lahm
Magna Laus
Marantha Mara
Mercy Maranantha
Missa Meena
One Metti
Oneness Namah Namaha



17
Western Eastern
Psalm Nilu
Peace Nim
One Metti
Oneness Namah Namaha
Psalm Nilu
Peace Nim
Renew Olam
Sacre Paas
Sacred Paraa
Sahra Rama, Ram
Sari Ram Nam
Seer Rahim
Serene Reen
Shalom Sabthi
Soul Sahm
Spirit Seela
Spiritu Shanti
Thee Sharim (Shreem)
Theou Shiyama
Thou Shodha, Shodhana
Truth Shree
Unitas Tama, Tam
Unity Tanni
Unos Thaar
Veritas Theer
Water Thon
World Twan
Yaweh (Yah-way) Unma
Yes Vee


18
How To Do Brain Yoga

Brain Yoga is divided into 3 parts or phases:






And these are divided into 6 short steps to make it even easier, like this:


The 6 Steps to Transcendence (3 Phases)

(1) Lower body wave to your center

(2) Center Focus XGet CenteredX

(3) Upper body wave to full centering

(4) Mantra brain wave XShift CenterX

(5) Mantra escape
XTranscendX
(6) Mind Levitation

1. XGet centeredX

2. XShift centerX

3. XTranscendX


19
In short, Brain Yoga lets you focus the relaxation of your entire body onto your
center, then shift that center focus to a special part of your brain so it can
transcend.


Brain Yoga applies two special functions of medical science that are very useful
for us: Sequential Relaxation, and Recruitment. But you wont learn about them
because youll be using them without knowing it! If some of the words sound
odd at first, they are describing actions new to you, but each step is quite easy.


Novices learning Brain Yoga have asked some good questions and the following
instructions include a few of them in italics. Most questions are found later in
the Q/A section and you may look back there for an answer anytime you have a
question.













20
The 1
st
phase: Getting Centered
Here is the posture for all steps: Sit in a chair, or anywhere with good back
support, feet flat on the floor, hands folded in your lap.

In this phase you will be using two of the body feedback waves that smooth your
path to T M. Before you
start the 1
st
step, do the lower
body wave exercise. R

Look below at the lower body 4
wave diagram and repeat the
exercise to get the feel of the
lower body wave that you will
use in step 1. This wave energy
aids the centering of your body.
4


Step 1: The Lower Body Wave
Use a simple trigger motion (instead of the
exercise) as follows to get the lower body wave
sensation started. Here are the instructions to
begin Step 1:

Wiggle your toes slightly to start the
wave feeling up your legs and hands to
your stomach as you breathe in deeply; let
the wave fall back down as you breathe
out.

Lower Body EXERCISE
Close your eyes and breathe
deeply as you push down your feet,
and tense your thighs, hands, and
buttocks; hold for a count of 10 and
keep breathing. Relax and feel the
release response like a wave from
your feet up to your stomach and
back down.


21
Practice this a bit. Repeat the wave exercise as needed to recall the sensation.
Youll soon be able to start the wave with just the toe trigger motion.

4 Look again at your center in the figure at left.
Now, try out the center exercise; breathe deeply twice, and
do this exercise: 4








Close your eyes and repeat this a several more times to get more familiar with
the release feeling in the center of your abdomen (its your center lying just
beneath your stomach). Next, lets combine your center feeling with the body
wave to complete Step 1 like this:

Relax, eyes closed, wiggle toes to start the wave up; breathe in
deeply and say center to feel and see your stomach (center)
attracting the wave up to it.

Repeat the above, and as you breathe out say to yourself lax (for
relax) as the wave goes down making your hands and feet feel heavy.

This is all of Step 1, the longest one; all the steps are easier from now on.
Work on Step 1 until you more easily feel your center. This step empowers your
center by letting it feel good with the help of: (1) breathing deeply, (2) seeing
your center, (3) hearing key word instructions, (4) feeling a trigger motion plus
feeling the waves. When you get Step 1, you have nailed the problem zone
where most dropouts occur in the old styles of T M.
Center EXERCISE
Breathe in and hold your breath while tensing up
your stomach muscles tightly; hold it for a few
seconds (10 if you can), relax and notice the
feeling in your stomach its actually your center
that you feel.



22
Why do I need to use these trivial seeming words, center and relax?
These are the Key Words of the 6
th
Feature. Your mind is so jumbled with
thoughts that it needs constant, plain reminders about what to do. These simple
words keep the brain focused on its task, and are helpful even for regular T M
users (many dont know and struggle without them).

Repeat the words on the breaths in and out as slow or fast as you like, e.g., relax,
lax, lax, or just laaax once, whatever seems good. You also may shorten center
to cen if you like.

Each new step always includes what you learned in the prior steps. How long it
takes to learn will vary with each person for many normal reasons. You can try
moving on anytime and just move back a step if you get off track.

When and where should I meditate? Use any place that has some random
noise where you wont be disturbed. For learning, its ideal to use a routine time
and place as much as possible. Later on, this system will easily let you meditate
in a variety of places, conditions, postures (e.g, lying down), at various times,
and in public.

How do I get ready to meditate? Get the new step in mind before each
session, then do a setup, which is always as follows:
No phone. Arrange for minimal disturbance. Put a note on
the door if needed.
Arrange for random noise; maybe open the window a crack
or go outdoors or sit in a car.
Sit in a seat or chair, your back well supported (sit anywhere,
but a chair good for now).
Set the timer for 12 minutes.
Take a deep breath, pause, and let it out slowly. Do it again.


23
Youre ready for Step 2, which is shorter; in fact, from now on its all down hill!

Step 2. Center Focus
This step makes useful changes in breathing and in key words. Get into the
Step 1 pattern before adding the new items.

Pause for a moment at the end of a deep breath in before letting it
out. This breath-pause intensifies the effect on your center. Repeat a
few times.

Next, leave out the toe wiggle, say cen and visualize your stomach
pulling the wave up; accent your center with the deep breath-pause.

When the center feeling grows good, you dont like to leave it, so
just stay focused at your center saying cen as you feel the wave drop
back down.

Omit "lax" and use only "cen" as the key word (just as your center is
the key to T M). Move on when these things feel natural. When you sense the
release feeling in your stomach at the end of a breath-cycle, you are well on the
way to total centering.

Why am I sometimes just saying, but not hearing the word cen? Half
of your mind is on a thought. Its common so dont fret, just smile at your crafty
brain when you catch it thinking; it just believes its helping. Treating your
other brain to the good vibes of our features gives it the power to gradually
subdue the thoughts of your fired-up mind.

Youre about ready to wrap up the big first phase and are getting close now to
complete centering--a splendid event.


24
Step 3: Upper Body Wave, Full Centration.

This step uses the feedback for the upper body. To learn the sensation for the
upper body, do this funny upper body wave exercise:






Look at the new wave pattern below and repeat the exercise workout a few times
before we start the step instruction. Repeat the exercise anytime as needed to
recall the wave sensation. Here are the
directions for the upper body wave start your
lower body first and then add this.

Move your fingers slightly, say center,
breathe deeply to pull a wave down to
your center from your throat and chest.
The waves often free up tenseness that wasnt
evident to you.

Be aware also of your relaxed, heavy
lower body, but keep focused at your
center--the waves are just side events.

Picture these waves and your center in your mind as you feel them.
Drop back to the previous step any time youre not sure. There is no rush.

Let the pull-down wave include the back of your shoulders and
neck, often a big tension hold out.
Upper Body EXERCISE
Tighten stomach, shoulders, neck and jaws (like Frankenstein!) for 10 seconds,
keep breathing, eyes closed; release and feel the wave from your jaw, head,
and neck down to your stomach.


25
Last, include the top of your scalp. When you get it all combined
your whole body is unified and focused on your center. Combining
these flows is new to you. Repeat this daily. You may need to repeat blending a
bit until the parts stay unified easier.

Its great when you can reach full centering with a kind of glow at your center,
maybe a tingle in your scalp, and the heavy sensation in your feet. All kinds of
thoughts may still occurroutine ones, bad ones, and even happy thoughts that
are hard to let gobut being centered makes it easier to just casually observe
and ignore passing thoughts.

Congratulations for reaching complete centration! It is an equipoise event, a
poised balance of the body and mind that few people ever know. It is the
highest level of some meditation styles. You will start reaching it more quickly.
To me, it feels like my breathing and my body waves start a little engine at my
center that soon takes me to full centration.

Have you chosen your mantra? Youll want it soon.

What if the timer goes off just as I'm catching on? This will happen and
the trick is not to get upset about it. You can feel a little frustrated but it doesnt
do any harm. You may skip forward now to the Reentry section to learn more
about this. Then come back here.


The first phase is the longest. Youre now halfway through the full plan!






26
Brain wave EXERCISE
Screw up your face and forehead into a big frown, and tighten your
stomach hard; keep breathing, and hold it for 10 seconds; relax and
let yourself feel a wave from your center up into the top, front of
your head.


The 2
nd
Phase: Mantra Brain Wave

I like it already; do I really need to go on? After learning the pleasure of
centering, some people are tempted not to bother learning more. Its okay to
stay at that level. Centration is a powerful tool that transcenders often use by its
self in some situations. But the second phase has only one step and its really a
great one so I encourage to you to try it out.

Step 4. The Brain Wave.
First, look at where were going.








Now try out the brain wave exercise.
4







Its time to use chanting and in a bit well put your mantra to work. First, do the
chanting by saying cen in a low monotone as a hum or a droning. You will


27
add these new actions onto your routine:

Hear the keyword center, or cen as a low chant; breathe deep;
wiggle your toes and your fingers to pull a new wave from your
center up into your brain. Your contented center may resist any change at
first. Use the wave exercise again as needed. Your chant and deep breath pauses
help to build the new wave feeling.

Let yourself enjoy a release feeling in your forehead that is set off
by this wave. This action builds a new center focus in the brain and you can
feel it along with your old center, like the two are twins.

Hear and feel the two centers at the same time. You often can feel the
wave as it passes behind your eyes, and you might see lights, or your scalp may
tingleits okay.

When your mantra brain center starts to surpass the lower one,
chant your Mantra instead of cen. This helps your brain center take
over as the main center. The lower center feels like a part of the new one.

The new center takes control and acts as a calming feedback to the
rest of your body. Your stomach center still feels good but its no longer
dominant. Repeated mantra wave action will awaken an unused brain area. A
new kind of scan (an fMRI) on subjects who are doing this phase of meditation
reveals rarely seen activity in this seldom-used region of the brain.

Why do I still have thoughts? Don't worry its normal. Free-floating
thoughts won't entirely stop, but they will get subdued and less important as
your mantra brain wave gets more in control. Just casually observe them,
smiling at them, and go on hearing your mantra, and seeing and feeling the
wave.



28
The 3
rd
Phase: Transcending

Why go any further? You have already reached a level that few meditators
ever know, and research indicates that there are good health benefits from it.
But you will benefit even more from transcending and youre about there.

Ideally you want T M's full reward, which can link your inner being to a new
level of reality; it's what has made T M endure for thousands of years, far longer
than any other method.

What if I cant do this next part? Its okay, but you neednt learn any new
things to find out. Once youve gotten this far, it will just happen if you keep on
enjoying your mantra wave. Transcendence is a big word, yet it is a natural,
unused event and it starts to occur after repeated mantra focusing at the brain
center.

Your brain has a basic desire for the escape feeling (the reason drug and alcohol
abuse is so common) and the power of the brain release will lead you to a super
effective form of escape, useful as successful substitution therapy for addictions,
for health hazards, and for unwanted habits.

Step 5: Mantra Escape.

Trying to make this happen doesnt work, but a little patience and your brains
innate capacity for it and allows it to occur. Want to use longer sessions now?
Fine, but they dont make up for skipped days. It is vexing to just be catching on
when your 12 minutes are up, but it also happens with longer sessions (see
Reentry). You will learn to transcend by just enjoying your 12-minute sessions.


29
Lets look at escape. It comes about in two ways:



In the first one, brain floating, pictured below, your mantra seems suspended
floating through and beyond your brain. It evolves as the mantra brain release
grows, aided by relaxed, deep, slow breathing and breath-pauses. One student
called it brain cruising.

There are no instructions except to
keep doing the mantra brain wave, but
here is how brain floating may start:

Calmness to take over all that you
hear and feel. Your mantra seems
to be coasting or gliding through
and beyond your head.

You know where you are and you
hear sounds, but a part of you feels
bodily removed from your physical
state.


It feels so nice that you dont want to change anything and there is no need to;
just keep on coasting. This state is the apex sought in the main meditation of
some famous transcendental schools. It is a very serene condition and research
has shown it to be a very rewarding level of transcendence, so youre at a great
place with no need for anything further.

1) by Brain Free Floating and,
2) by Mantra Echo.
.


30
Yet, the other route, mantra echo is equally good and is perhaps more often
linked to the highest state, brain levitation (in the next section). This 2
nd
kind of
escape is the mantra echo pictured below. Again, trying to make this happen
usually doesnt work so you neednt seek this phase, but it may emerge from the
floating stage, or it might even come directly, bypassing the other.

In the echo stage, your mantra chant starts to escape to a place somewhere
above you as a higher pitched echo. It often starts as if a channel opens into the
space above you and you hear the other mantra, gradually or quite suddenly.

The only directions are to keep
doing the mantra brain wave,
as you cant make this happen,
but here is how this stage may
arise:

Your mantra starts to move
out of your head and winds
up somewhere out in space
(you dont quite know where).

This effect may come and go
at first. It's often like a twin
of the mantra in your brain
but a little higher pitched.

The outside mantra has a tranquil effect and, like the
floating one, sends a calm feedback to your body.

This escape is like being linked to an outside place, a peaceful place fully
removed from your physical location.


31
Should you tense up, fearing youll lose the echo escape, move your
hands a little and note that the escape isnt easily lost, as your brain
wants this access to a tranquil, outside place.

What if escape isnt happening for me? Dont think about it and just keep
on enjoying the brain release of your mantra wave. It may not occur early.

Step 6: Mind Levitation (full transcendence)

You did it! Youve learned to transcend by one or both of the two stages
of escape. A further stage of escape sometimes occurs, as seen below. It
usually arises from the mantra echo stage. It is a displacement of your
awareness to an outside place, creating an out of body experience. It may need
longer sessions, as old hands sometimes don't reach this stage in a few minutes.

Here is how to encourage this unusual degree of transcendence may take place:


Read the notes, and do a careful set up.
Noise is still a key need. Dont set the
timer. After youve reached escape, let
your slow, deep breath-pauses seem to
open a channel from your head into
space.

The mantra at your brain center blends
with its outside twin until the outside one
takes over.

The peaceful sing of your chant out in
space draws you out there to be
suspended with your space mantra.


32
You are aware of noises, of thoughts passing by, but not caring
either. The mantra becomes a higher pitched chant and takes you
further away.

Floating with your distant mantra hum gives you a superb feeling of
lightness and oneness with the universe.

Were you able to do it? Did you get that light feeling of being suspended in the
universe? It is the grand equipoise of all meditation. You may drift in and out
between levitation and other levels. Yet, once you've caught a piece of it, you
will reach displacement on future occasions.
Congratulations! Let it enrich your life.

What if I haven't gotten to the highest level? Do not be concerned about
it. You've already learned T M and are beyond most other meditators in the
world. The basic escape stages are so useful that this last degree of escape isnt
crucial, and it will likely occur anyway with time if you dont worry about it.











33

Reentry: How to Finish Your Meditation

It is ideal to finish your session by a gradual return back to your actual habitat.
When possible, do your reentry like this: Turn off the timer if using one. Keep
your eyes closed and slowly sit up and stretch as you keep on hearing the hum of
your center or your mantra, if youre that far.

Open your eyes a little, then close them. Open them more fully. Keep hearing,
and feeling, the hum as you get up and slowly walk away. Take that sound and
that feeling away with you and recall them at suitable times during the day to
remind you that your meditative state is always waiting there for you.

There are often times during learning where you dont feel ready to stop when
your timer goes off or when something else makes you stop. As I mentioned
earlier, it isn't harmful if you don't let it frustrate you. This can happen with
long or short learning sessions (as well as to veterans).

The key is to take along the best parts of your session, maybe jot down new
insights, and know that you can apply these gains later.



34


Other Levels

Some Eastern religious practices think that there are even higher degrees of full
transcendence. These levels are usually graded by how far into space you are
carried by transcendence. They believe this is important because their main
meditation goal is a religious one, and the further away they are out in space,
the closer to God they must be.

This concern doesnt appear to have value for our needs and it is more fit for
Eastern priests meditating many hours a day. For you to analyze your degree of
displacement isn't needed and may interfere with the experience itself. It's
true, though, that your mantra can carry you very far away while you are still
aware and centered. It's not something you need to try for, but at times it may
happen to you.
















35
Questions and Answers

Q: Why am I thinking so much?
A: Its natural. We all do! But you get better at rerouting your thinking to
just the directions and key word.

Q: Why is simple breathing so important?
A: Brain Yoga is made of very basic and natural events and the most
basic is deep, slow breathing. Breathing is like the key card to your center.

This next question was considered earlier, but it cant be stressed too much.
Q: Why am I sometimes just saying, but not hearing the word?

A: This happens a lot and its when only half of your mind is on a thought.
Dont fret, just smile when you catch your crafty brain thinking again; your
mind is just trying to do its job. But youll get it subdued the other brains good
vibes and with the power of your repeated mantra.

Q: Am I going slower than I should?
A: No, not if you are giving it 12 minutes every day to get used to the
newness of these innate abilities.

Q: How do I know Im doing it right?
A: You're likely doing fine, but if you have any doubt, compare the
directions with what youre doing -- they are simple, but clearing up a word or
two can really help. The instructions are essential, and they can only be your
teacher if you let them.

A mental block may curb the enjoyment of the centering and the brain wave if
ones subconscious is wary of the source or it doesnt feel entitled to this
pleasure. You can fix it if youre just aware of it.


36
Q: Why is my progress kind of erratic?
A: It happens and is no big deal. Its like working out in a gymits easier
to feel the progress some days and not others; and your body may get weak later
while Brain Yoga is now fine-tuning a talent that is yours for life.

Q: What if I haven't gotten to the highest level?
A: Do not be concerned about it. You've already learned T M and are
beyond most other meditators in the world. The basic escape stages are so
useful that this last degree of it isnt crucial, and it will likely occur anyway with
time if you dont worry about it.

Q: Isnt T M just an escape?
A: Its an escape but its different from all of the other kinds that just blot
out reality briefly, like dreaming, or alcohol, or trances, or happy pills. Instead,
with T M you stay aware of reality and you see how to deal with it in a practical,
dynamic way.

Q: How can T M make my health better?
A: Scientific studies show good changes in brain chemistry from doing
T M. There are ongoing studies and findings from universities like Harvard, Yale
and MIT showing that deep meditation can have a beneficial effect on brain
fitness.

Q: Are the Brain Yoga health benefits as good as other T M styles?
A: Brain Yoga is too new to have absolute research confirmation of that
question. But Brain Yogas endpoint is the same and even better than standard
T M so the results must be as good or better.

Q: Arent there other kinds of meditation?
A: Yes, there are several. The two main types are the Western and the
Eastern styles, and they differ a lot. Brain Yoga derives from Eastern styles.


37
The Western style usually is prayerful thinking or pondering about lessons such
as scriptures.

Q: Is it better for my mantra to be long or short?
A: Whatever appeals to you. Shorter may be easier, you can use word or
phrase of several syllables by saying two or more syllables on the breath in and
the remainder on the breath out.

Q: How do I know when to progress from the lower body waves to
the upper body?
A: When you can steadily feel the heaviness in your hands and feet. Its
ideal to also get the feeling of your center started.

Q: What if I start to feel the upper body wave or the brain wave
before Im ready?
A: This is a time to go ahead and think! Think hard of your center while
you feel and listen there. Keep the sensations of your limbs, etc. less important
than your center they can feel too good and tend to take over.

Q: Is it ever okay to move on quickly to the brain wave?
A: Yes, if you feel your heavy feet and tingling scalp unified with your
humming center. But enjoy your centration a bit and dont rush.

Q: Why do I sometimes start to fall asleep while meditating?
A: Extreme physical or mental fatigue may cause this. One student did
this even when he didnt seem tired and it seemed that he got bored with the
procedure before centering could take hold. Falling asleep after either full
centering or transcendence is very rare, kind of surprising considering how
relaxed you are then. But centering and transcendence also are uniquely able to
keep you calmly alert.



38
Q: What if I think of something very important during Brain Yoga?
A: Meditation is famous for generating creative thoughts. Some people
keep a pad and pencil handy to jot a note, but others wait until after the session.
I put an object on the floor to remind of the idea. A true eureka idea will likely
return again later, so it might be better to ignore all thoughts unless you realize
the bathtub is overflowing!

Q: Dont cults use mantras?
A: Yes, some do, and there are people who distrust all mantra use
because of religious cults, such as the Hare Krishnas. Also, some Western
religious leaders are concerned that the mantra method, and yoga, originated
from Eastern Religions. Be assured that Brain Yoga has no ties to any
organization; it is unrelated to the practice of any particular religion, and its
goals are the exact opposite of cultism.








39
A Diagram Summary
of Brain Yoga
Heres a diagram of the 3 phases (steps numbered) of Brain Yoga
starting at the bottom of the page:
+



+
g
g
g
+ g



7
7
7
7



g
BEGIN HERE
Shift Center
4. Mantra Brain Wave

Get Centered
3. Upper Body Wave to
Full Centering
2. Center Focus
1. Lower Wave to Center

Transcend
6. Mind Levitation

5. Mantra Escape



40
2). Center EXERCISE
Breathe in and hold your breath while tensing up
your stomach muscles tightly; hold it a few
seconds (10 if you can), relax and feel your
center (near your stomach).

Upper Body EXERCISE
Tighten stomach, shoulders, neck and jaws (like Frankenstein!) for
10 seconds, keep breathing, eyes closed; release and feel the wave
from your jaw, head, and neck down to your stomach.

4). The brain wave EXERCISE
Screw up your face and forehead into a big frown and
tighten your stomach hard; keep breathing, and hold it
for 10 seconds; relax and feel a wave from your center
into the top, front of your head.

1). Lower body feedback EXERCISE
Close your eyes and breathe deeply as you push down
your feet, tense up your thighs, hands, and buttocks; hold
for a count of 10 but keep breathing. Relax and feel a
wave from your feet up to your stomach and back down.
The 4 Feelings Exercises:












41
TO SEE
Action
Diagram

Start BELOW
4
Transcend
BecomeDisplacedtoOutsideYourself

HearMantraInsideandOutsideSelf

ActivateBrainArea

^

TransferCentertoBrain
Z
Z

BEGIN
HERE!

The BRAIN YOGA Action Diagram

KeyWord
Listening
Sequence
Relaxation
Center+Mantra


42





About the Author




C Richard Hulquist, M. D. is a physician who has also long been interested
in meditation and in writing. He was in the general practice of medicine
for three years prior to Ophthalmology postgraduate studies in London,
Vienna, and New York. He served two years as a Navy doctor at sea.

Articles by Dr. Hulquist about meditation have appeared in the Los
Angeles Times and other local journals. He has also published a popular
booklet called, The New Cataract Technique, telling patients in clear
language what will happen to them at each step of the way during the new
surgery method and how the eye operating room will look. He also has
published other lay works.

Dr. Hulquist has done much original research in Ophthalmology with the
results published in leading medical journals. He has also presented his
original work to leading medical groups such as the New York Academy of
Medicine, American Academy of Ophthalmology, UCLA Jules Stein Eye
Institute, American Medical Association, and others.




43
As a Clinical Professor at the UCLA School of Medicine Dr. Hulquist is
involved in the teaching of students and young doctors at the famous Jules
Stein Eye Institute in Los Angeles. He has taught surgeons who visit Los
Angles from the U. S. and from around the world to learn new surgical
techniques.




In the photo below, Dr. Hulquist is teaching eye surgery to Resident
Doctors of the UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute.












44
Dr. Hulquist is a UCLA Consultant and Teacher at the Venice Family Clinic,
Los Angeles, as seen in the photo below. The Venice Clinic is the largest
volunteer medical clinic in the U.S.




Dr. and Mrs. Hulquist have three children and seven grandchildren. They
are in involved in numerous artistic, music and church activities in and
around Los Angeles. And they serve on committees and boards of various
community service organizations. Dr. Hulquist especially enjoys family
activities, music, reading and travel.



45

















This shows a younger Dr. Hulquist meditating on the Ganges River, India. It
was a beautiful, quiet place that he thought would be ideal for T M but his mind
often drifted to thinking rather than meditating! Few of us can find such a
setting on a daily basis, and such a quiet, peaceful setting is actually not the best
place to transcend, as shown by the findings in this book. Brain Yoga makes
T M practical and readily available to all of us every day!


46
Endorsements for
The Brain Yoga Manual
of Mantra Meditation


Dr. Hulquists new meditation method gives us a neat way to fit
daily meditation practice into our busy lives. I congratulate him on
providing another useful way for us to work for peace!
Debbie Robins, highly respected corporate, executive and
career coach, and author of Shovel It: Kick-Ass Advice to Turn
Lifes Crap into the Peace and Happiness You Deserve and
Where Peace Lives.



Dr Hulquists Brain Yoga Manual is a concise and
stimulating read. His technique is a promising and
much needed tool for improving our nations mental
and physical health.
Henry Haye, M. D., former head of Psychiatric Services,
Glendale, CA Adventist Hospital; Author of Med-U-Care: How
to accomplish a fair and practical single payer medical
insurance plan.




47




48









Copyright: C Richard Hulquist, 2009.
TM
& Pat. pending.

All rights reserved.



Questions or remarks are welcomed

Please send them by to: DrHulq@gmail.com