At the heart of Ananda Marga’s contemplative life stands a graded system of mantra-based, psycho-spiritual meditation rooted in Tantra Yoga and taught as progressive “lessons.” The foundational practice is Iishvara Pranidhana, in which the practitioner concentrates on Supreme Consciousness using a personal mantra (often called an Ista Mantra) received from a qualified teacher. This mantra is repeated mentally, usually with the spine straight, eyes closed, and the mind gently synchronized with the breath, cultivating the ideation that the Supreme is both immanent and transcendent. Alongside this, a Guru Mantra is also employed for frequent, silent repetition during daily activities, fostering a continuous remembrance of the Divine presence.

As the practitioner advances, the system introduces more specialized techniques that refine and deepen concentration. Certain lessons focus on the cakras, the psychic-energy centers along the spine, each associated with particular mantras and devotional ideations intended to purify latent impressions and elevate the mind. There are also practices that resemble Laya Yoga, in which the mind is gradually absorbed into subtler layers of consciousness, and methods that guide awareness from a limited individual “I-feeling” toward a more expansive, cosmic sense of identity. These stages are often framed in terms of dharana (focused concentration) and dhyana (sustained meditative absorption), forming a coherent inner discipline.

Devotional cultivation plays a vital supporting role in this path. Before seated meditation, practitioners commonly engage in kiirtana, especially the chanting of “Baba Nam Kevalam” (“Only the name of the Beloved”), often accompanied by rhythmic movement or dance. This practice is intended to awaken bhava, a tender devotional feeling that makes the mind more subtle and receptive to deeper meditation. Guru Dhyana, the visualization and ideation on the Guru as pure Consciousness, further strengthens this devotional current and aligns the practitioner’s inner life with the ideal of Supreme Benevolence.

Breath and energy regulation are also woven into the meditative curriculum. Certain lessons introduce pranayama—regulated breathing combined with specific ideations and mantra repetition—to steady the nervous system and sharpen awareness. In some practices, the flow of breath is consciously observed and harmonized with mantra, while attention is directed to particular psychic centers. Through this integrated approach—mantra, cakra concentration, devotional chanting, visualization, and pranayama—Ananda Marga presents meditation not as an isolated technique, but as a comprehensive sadhana aimed at transforming both the inner landscape of the individual and the quality of engagement with the wider world.