Vigyan Bhairav Tantra Meditation Techniques: An Introduction

The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra is a short classical text in the form of a conversation. Bhairavi asks Bhairava about the nature of reality; instead of a philosophical answer, he replies with a series of meditation techniques — traditionally counted as 112 — each described in a verse or two. For this reason the text is often called a manual of meditation. Read the overview What Is the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra? first if the text is new to you.

Why so many techniques?

People are different. One person settles easily with the breath; another is restless with the breath but becomes still when listening to sound; another is moved by the sense of open space. The text offers many doors so that each practitioner can find the one that opens for them. The point is not to practice all of them, but to find one and go deep.

The main families of technique

• Breath — attention to the breath, and especially to the moments where it turns: the pause after the in-breath and after the out-breath.
• Sound — chanting a sound or mantra and following it as it fades into silence; listening to sounds without naming them.
• Space — feeling the body, or the mind, as open and spacious; contemplating the sky or empty space.
• Sensation and the body — resting attention inside the body, or in a single sensation, until the sense of a separate observer softens.
• Everyday moments — the beginning and end of a sneeze, a moment of surprise, the edge of sleep: ordinary moments in which the habitual flow of thought briefly stops, and awareness can recognize itself.
• Contemplation — reflections on the nature of mind and experience, practiced as meditation rather than as ideas.

A simple practice to begin: the pause between breaths

• Sit comfortably with the spine upright and close your eyes.
• Breathe naturally. Do not control the breath.
• Notice the moment where the in-breath ends and, before the out-breath begins, there is a tiny pause. Notice the same pause at the end of the out-breath.
• Rest your attention lightly in those pauses. Do not lengthen them; simply be present in them.
• Continue for ten minutes. When the mind wanders, return to the next pause.

This practice is gentle and suitable for beginners. Many practitioners find that the quality of attention in the pause gradually spreads into the rest of the breath, and then into the rest of the day.

Why study it with a teacher

The verses are brief and can be read in many ways. A teacher helps you understand what each technique points to, choose one that suits you, recognize common mistakes — straining, or confusing a pleasant state with the goal — and integrate the practice into daily life. The Vigyan Bhairav Tantra is a central text in the teaching of Yogi Shri G. Niranjan.

Study the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra with Yogishri

• Vigyan Bhairav Tantra — the teaching
• Vigyan Bhairav Tantra courses, including the complete course for teachers
• Live online meditation sessions, where techniques from the text are practiced regularly