Sahaj Marg or Heartfulness Meditation is a set of meditative practices first developed at the turn of the twentieth century and formalized into teaching through
Shri Ram Chandra Mission
Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) is a non-profit organization and a spiritual movement originating in India, which teaches the practice of " Sahaj Marg" or "Heartfulness Meditation". It was registered in 1945 by Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, U ...
in 1945. It is a form of
Raja Yoga
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
meditation system. Use of ''
pranahuti'' or yogic transmission and the cleaning of impressions (called
samskaras Samskara, saṃskāra, saṅskāra or sanskara may refer to:
* Sanskara (rite of passage), Hindu and Jain rites of passage
* Samskara (ayurvedic), a technique in ayurvedic medicine
* Samskara (Indian philosophy), the concept of imprints or impress ...
) are claimed to be unique to this method.
The Heartfulness Movement's headquarters is located in Kanha Shanti Vanam near Hyderabad in Telangana, India. The current global guide of the organization is
Kamlesh Patel (Daaji).
History
The organizational body
Shri Ram Chandra Mission
Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM) is a non-profit organization and a spiritual movement originating in India, which teaches the practice of " Sahaj Marg" or "Heartfulness Meditation". It was registered in 1945 by Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, U ...
was formally registered in 1945 by
Ram Chandra (1899-1983). As part of the Sahaj Marg spiritual practice, Ram Chandra adopted a technique called pranahuti as taught by his spiritual master bearing the same name
Ram Chandra of
Fatehgarh
Fatehgarh is a cantonment town in Farrukhabad district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located on the south bank of the Ganges River. It is the administrative headquarters of Farrukhabad District. Fatehgarh derives its name from ...
in India (popularly called "Lalaji" by his followers).
Practice
The system involves daily and weekly practices including solitary and group meditation.
["Sahaj Marg System of Meditation,"](_blank)
C. Suntharamoorthy, ''Daily News,'' Sri Lanka, August 4, 2003. Heartfulness practices include relaxation, meditation, cleaning (or rejuvenation) and prayer.
Meditation focuses on the practitioner's heart. A subtle
yogic transmission, also called ''pranahuti'', is a part of the system, and so is "cleaning" or "rejuvenation", which involves suggestions and positive affirmations. The practitioner performs a prayer before going to bed at night.
See also
*
Spirituality
The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape ...
*
Raja Yoga
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
References
{{Reflist, 30em
Yoga schools
Meditation