— Ashwini Guruji of Dhyan Ashram

Take a moment to think. What existed when there was nothing? How then were things created out of nothing? From where did plants and animals and land and water and space and millions and trillions of galaxies come into being?

The answer lies in consciousness . It is consciousness that manifested into the five elements that formed the creation as we see around us.

 Consciousness is everything that we see around and also that which is yet to manifest. That is, consciousness is the sum total of manifest and the un-manifest. We too are a part of the same consciousness and can manifest anything in creation by accessing it.

You might have noticed that many a times when you fear something and keep thinking that ‘just this should not happen’…your fear materialises. This is because of consciousness only.  If instead you would think that ‘this is how it should happen’, then that would happen. You can try it sometime. 

The science of yoga is based on tapping the phenomenal power of consciousness. It is with consciousness that saints and yogis are able to manifest things into the physical…the philosophy behind blessings and curses. It was with consciousness that King Bhagirath brought Ganga to Earth and with consciousness that Rishi Vishvamitra created a parallel Universe. That consciousness is in each of us, that is, each one of us has the ability to manifest anything from nothing. 

However, while the thoughts of a yogi or saint manifest instantly, the thoughts of an ordinary being might take years and at times even a lifetime to manifest. This is because a yogi can access the consciousness in its subtler form while an ordinary being relates to it at the level of elements.

To access the subtler states of consciousness, it is important to still the five elements which manifest in our body as the five senses. Till the time one is tied to the elements, he/she is unable to experience the consciousness from where they function. 

In Sanatan Kriya , one is introduced to the Paanch Mahaprana Dhyan to bring the elements in the body to a basic level of balance. 
As that happens, a practitioner’s ability of thought manifestation heightens. There are many Sanatan Kriya practitioners who have reported having changed their physical appearance and body structure without going to gyms or surgeons, just by sitting with their eyes closed. To a lay person, it seems like an impossibility, but now you know it is the consciousness at play. 

Once the basic balance of elements is restored, the practitioner is introduced to the practice of Bhuta Shuddhi or elemental purification, which under the guidance of a guru, has the effect of restoring the elements to their purest form. Once that happens, the being is called a tatva-gyani. Such a person can access consciousness in its purest state and even manifest devs and devis into creation.

The practice of yoga has to be done with patience and it has to be done by you. Looking at somebody else doing it or doing it impatiently gets no result. An exception to the rule is the energy of the Guru. When you make a Guru, it is possible to manifest your thoughts through him/her but then you have to make a Guru first.

Ashwini Guru ji is the guiding light of Dhyan Ashram and an authority on Vedic Sciences. His book, ‘Sanatan Kriya: The Ageless Dimension is an acclaimed thesis on anti-ageing. Log onto www.dhyanfoundation.com or mail to dhyan@dhyanfoundation.com for more.