I have been meditating for over 20 years. I started with a type of meditation, or Hatha Yoga, which was a little more physically difficult than what I practice now. We did a lot of asanas, or postures, literally putting our bodies in all kinds of positions. It was great for my health.

After an extended search for a path I was more comfortable with, I embarked upon Surat Shabd Yoga, which is a kind of meditation on the Inner Sound and Light. Surat Shabd Yoga is not new. It is not part of the New Age movement. It has been around forever, and actually is a practice which teaches one how to truly "Love."

In the olden days Surat Shabd Yoga was called the "Royal Path". To follow it one did not have to give up anything outwardly, so the kings and the queens in the old country would study this form of meditation. They wanted to study spirituality and by studying Surat Shabd Yoga they could continue to have their kingdoms, subjects, wives, and their children.

Surat Shabd Yoga is very simple and natural. You can practice it sitting, or laying down and it is very comfortable. Surat Shabd Yoga is meditation on the Inner Sound and Light, which we all have within us. This Inner Sound and Light, which is always there, has always been there, is something we can tap into. It is actually our Higher Self.

Even though Surat Shabd Yoga, or meditation on the Inner Sound And Light, is very natural and feels very comfortable, we still have our minds to conquer. We sit in meditation and the mind literally says: you need to do your shopping; you need to pick up the kids at 3:00; you have to take Johnny here; you need to take Mary there.

The mind jumps around very fast. We can be in Chicago one moment and New York the next. We can then quickly be in Berlin because the mind, until we learn to control it, can jump around like a monkey.

There are two main practices to Surat Shabd Yoga. Number one is repetition of a word or words that have a warm, loving meaning to you. The second practice is total concentration on the Sound and Light within you.

Repetition of the word or words gives the mind something to do. It focuses the mind. We do not say the word or words out loud. We repeat the silently, to ourselves, with our mind only. The words should not make us think of some worldly event. They should not make us think at all. The goal is to train the mind to stop thinking except when we command it to do so.

Meditation is a reprieve from normal life. It is a haven, an oasis, and a break from daily life. It gives you a chance to feel love, warmth and beauty from within. In the beginning the mind struggles but over time it begins to purr like a kitten.

The ultimate aim of meditation is to allow us to experience more love in our lives. The Inner Sound and Light is the Source of Love and when we tap into it we become one with that Source. We start realizing that that Source is within all living things, and we begin relating to and identifying with that Source everywhere. "Love" in our life increases because we finally realize that the same source within us is within our very neighbor.