Internal Sunrise Meditation
by Clayton Horton
The Inner Sunrise meditation is a style of meditation based on connecting with natural planetary rhythms. Since time immemorial, yogis, fakirs, shamans, monks and the like have awaken before sunrise to conduct their spiritual practice. All of life on planet Earth begins to awaken as the Sun’s early rays begin to fall upon the planet. The atmosphere is highly charged and provides the essential food to all living organisms in nature. Being still and quieting the mind at this auspicious time of day is transformational on cellular, glandular (endocrine), energetic and spiritual levels.
This practice is simple and can be experienced by anyone. Arise before dawn, have some tea, empty the bowels, sit in a comfortable upright position with a straight spine. Close your eyes, gently drop the chin a bit, softly place the tongue at the roof of the mouth where the front teeth meet the gums. Begin to turn your attention inward. Make a conscious effort to reduce the activity of the mind by listening to the sound of your breath. As the mind, body and breath become still, bring your inner gaze to the middle of the head where the right and left hemispheres of the brain meet. It is helpful for a practitioner to visualize a small point of light, yantra, their favorite Deity or Patron Saint.
If one is familiar with the chakra system, one can spend three to seven breaths (or more) at each chakra. Begin at the base of the spine center, Muladhara chakra. Move upwards one center at a time, working with discipline (Tapas) and concentration (Dharana). Work your way up the spinal axis to the crown center, Sahasrara chakra. Eventually bringing your awareness and attention to Ajna chakra (third eye) at the center of the forehead / eyebrow area.
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the breath is the carrier of our subtle vital energy or Prana. It is a well known yogic axiom that Prana flows where our attention goes. Working with the practice of the Internal Sunrise meditation, one is able to harmonically distribute and direct Prana in the body on a daily basis from the lower centers (root, sexual and navel) towards the heart and higher centers in the brain.
Living at the rapid pace of the modern technological world, humankind has become disconnected from the natural rhythm within and without. Working with this meditation practice at sunrise will allow the practitioner to re-establish their own inner clock to the natural rhythm of planet Earth’s diurnal cycle of light and dark. Individuals in due course of time will recognize through their own experience how their mood and mental perspective throughout the day can be positively enhanced. Latent and dormant parts of the brain will begin to awaken. Specifically the pineal gland is stimulated and the practitioner is able to establish a clear, illuminated way of being known in yogic terminology as Sattvic.
The primary purpose of Yoga is to connect with the inner-divine. According to Patanljali, the compiler of the Yoga Sutras, the state of harmony with nature is attainable when the effort is sincere, consistent, and the practitioner is not attached to the results.