BASIC STEPS TO GO INTO MEDITATION

SITTING STRAIGHT

Ideal meditation posture is in which the spine is straight and the head is balanced on top of the spine. 

Practice: Sit with the spine straight and the head balanced on top of the spine. Inwardly observe this posture and adjust the body to be poised and comfortable. Feel the muscles, bones and the nerve system. This posture is possible sitting in a chair, on a cushion, or on your knees. Ideally, a competent meditator will be able to cross the legs for meditation, either in full or half lotus. The hands are held in the lap, the right hand resting on the left, tips of the thumbs touching softly. In all cases, the posture should be natural and easy, and not cause discomfort, which is distracting during meditation. Look inwardly at the currents of the body. Observe their flow. 

Breathing: Breathe from the diaphragm in a relaxed manner without counting.

BREATHING

Breathe from the diaphragm in a relaxed manner without counting. Regulated, diaphragmatic breathing, known in Sanskrit as pranayam. 

Practice: Become aware of your breathing and consciously regulate it. Eyes are slightly open, crossed and looking at the nose. Breathe with the diaphragm, expanding the abdomen when you inhale, rather than the chest. On the inhalation, slowly count to nine, hold one count, then count to nine again as you exhale, softly contracting the abdomen as you expel the air. Breathe through the nose. The exhalation should be the same length as the inhalation. At first, the count may be faster than the heartbeat, but as the meditation continues, the two should ideally become synchronized.

FEEL THE HEAT

Body getting warm and psychic heat felt as meditation begins.

Practice: Feel the warmth of the body, in the head, through the torso, the hands and the legs. Begin by locating heat inside the body, then gradually become conscious of it emanating out through the skin.

Breathing: Continue the same count. On the inhalation, slowly count to nine, hold one count, then count to nine again as you exhale, softly contracting the abdomen as you expel the air.

FEEL THE NERVE CURRENTS

The feeling of energy, your life force, flowing through the network of nerves within your physical and subtle bodies. These nerves are called naadis in Sanskrit.

Practice: Feel your nerve system, all those thousands of miles of nerve currents throughout the body and the psychic nerve system within and around the body. Feel the energy flowing through this vast network. 

Breathing: Continue the same count. On the inhalation, slowly count to nine, hold one count, then count to nine again as you exhale, softly contracting the abdomen as you expel the air.

FEEL THE ENERGY WITHIN THE SPINE

It refers to the yoga of feeling the actinic energy within the spine. This is the pure life force flowing through the spine out into the nerve system.

Practice: Become aware of the actinic energy within the center of your spine. If necessary, move the torso back and forth slightly to locate the spine. Do not try to manipulate the spinal forces, rather simply become conscious of the already-existing power within the spine.

Breathing: Breathe in a normal and relaxed manner without counting.

DRAW THE ENERGY INWARD

The yoga of withdrawing the energy into the spine through the use of pranayam, breath control. 

Practice: Draw the energy from the five senses inward in a systematic way. On the first inbreath, bring awareness into the left leg, all the way to the toes, and on the outbreath slowly withdraw the energy from that leg into the spine. Repeat with the right leg, left arm (all the way to the fingertips), right arm and finally the torso.

Breathing: Breathe in a normal and relaxed manner without counting.

AWARENESS

The singling out of your pure awareness, allowing for the prolonged experience of being aware of being aware.

Practice: Be aware of just being aware. Achieving this, you will be aware without any object, feeling or thought. Experience stillness even for a brief time, and you feel renewed, clear-minded, centered.

Breathing: Breathe in a normal and relaxed manner without counting.

COMING OUT
In coming out of meditation the steps are repeated in reverse order. The return to normal consciousness through these same steps is quicker than the internalizing practice. 

Practice: Reverse the process so that the energy is flowing out of the spine into the nerve system in the physical and subtle body.

Sources - Merging with Siva and Himalayan Academy Website