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Bro, good question. Hmmm... I will ask him that next time. I met ustad ji many times, though it never occurred to me to ask him about his background. I just mostly talk about myself. Next time I meet up with him, I will ask him about his background.
Well he doesn't belong to any one sampardya. He is kind of a freelancer in that respect.
Yeah I think so. I met Ustad ji in Canada. Where do you live? He could come meet you at your place too. Just give him a call. Here's his phone number - (286) 627-2926. Talk to him on the phone before setting the meeting.

I doubt he will come right away because he is a very busy man. He might show up at your house unexpectedly so be ready for that.

When you call him, show him how you pronounce the word. You might need to pronounce it multiple times. If you care about pronunciation and you show him how well you can pronounce the word, and if he sees you are determined to meet him, he will be more willing to meet up with you. He can judge over the phone whether or not you are serious about this topic.
 
Gyani Gurbachan Singh Bhindranwale ji sounds like a cool guy.  Level 108? That's sounds pretty special bro. Ustad Nar Singh Narayan ji is at Level 1 still. That's nothing, I know. But he is still a good teacher though.
I still think you should give him a call. He is still worth meeting with, honestly, even if it's only for a bit. I still meet up with him, even though he has already taught me more than I ever knew before, about a lot of subjects, including pronunciation of words. He is teaching still, after all these years.

Good topic and good post.
I will just add a little because I feel that it may be a technique or jugtee that is given. I think it was the bellows mention in translations tat made me think of breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out....I'm not disagreeing with your post or anything, but I think we can dig a little deeper and see something that is practical and for us to use?
I think it may be saas saas gurmantar jap. We jap using bellows of body core(stomach navel and lungs), the gurmantar has to be done with dhyian and single one-pointed focus.  We merge with and into anhad naad. Get amrit rus and ching-ching-->a minted coin of naam begins to accumulate in our body-crucible.
...Have a look below and see what you think?
Patience of the goldsmith. ...This is essential because to get the final end product, the goldsmith has to sometimes work very patiently with small intricate details. In this case, he mentions the end product as a mint/taksal coin. Not an ordinary coin that would just be considered a coin shaped disc, but one with an official royal mint like seal to make it authentic.

 
Understanding/intelligence -->Anvil, ...this is to what the "object" is hammered and shaped...... The "mat" is Guru's mat or gurmat.
Using guru's mat, we use guru's mantra.....gurmantar.
The hammer/hathiyar, used to shape the gold and make it authentic has to be specific in order to hammer the details. I think this is reference to "naad' because "gurmukh naadan, gurmukh vedan, gurmukh reha samayee" ....In simran,you have to listen and merge into the naad..... this leads to naam amrit.
 
The "bellows" are used to pump forced air into a furnace to get the molten gold. ....Action of bellows is by expanding and contracting manually. This is analogous to stomach and lungs using saas graas techniques of breathe in-out, in-out, wahe-guru,..wahe-guru.. As per our prana,  this area of the body is where heat is produced. ->the TAPAS is the heat energy generated by any yoga practice.  Too much is not good, but to get the end product we still need it providing we can cool down the object in question. .....The cooling energy is higher up from the stomach and comes from moon energies of bindu chakra....Amrit is also considered as cooling and in gurbani it mentions in places how amrit cools the agan or brahmagan(fire-heat).
NOTE- a lot of people get confused and think that they should avoid body heat production. They feel this because of problems with too much inner agani ....therefore, they avoid many practices, foods etc.... Sadly, they don't realise that we need both, but they have to be balanced. This is why yoga describes sun and moon energies distributed around the body. The sun/ right eye or pingula side is heat. The moon/left eye or ida side is cool energy. Guru ji mentions in gurbani that the sun and moon are both needed to nurse us, just as we have daylight and night.
The crucible is where the product is collected of poured into. In this case, the body. Remember that the body has been pumping the gurmanta like a bellow from the body core. This will have generated the tapas heat.. The next step was to get the gurmantar into  an authentic molten naam ras....and this happened using the ved from the naad. The next step would be to have the molten naam ras poured into the body crucible.
 
Only now, after the molten amrit rus is poured, is the shabad and the coin of naam produced. This coin has the official seal to make it mint and give it an official currency value.
Why would we need an official mint shabad/naam need value?
Because the Wealth of naam is the only thing that we can take with us. Nothing else is of any value. We can't use fakes, we can't buy naam on black-market. We need the official naam currency just like the royal mint coins and US presidential seals on currencies.
 

Paaji, I wouldn't be so quick to state Anhad is low levels of spirituality. Agree there are very basic sounds heard in the ears or head which may not be classed as True Anhad by various individuals, but one must be careful to not make bold statements claiming Anhad is nothing but early stages either. In the past and present I have on quite a few occasions heard sounds in my ears coming from near and afar, sometimes constant, sometimes harmonic. Yet I feel they don't have a kind of pull or any kind of intoxicating effect on me so I will not class them as Anhad yet. To others they may be on a scale of 1-10, stages 1 to 3. But if you ever experience stage 5 for example it does certainly startle you the first time you hear it.
Anhad can occur in various forms and intensity at different stages right up to when at the abode of Waheguru. Take the few pangtis below on Ang 888. How can we call this stage for example where Anhad is heard early stage of spirituality? I believe this is not talking about some local sangat in a gurdwara. It is talking about very high avasta in the very deep inner realms where pure consciousness's are uniting close to the True Source..
The Panch Shabad, the five primal sounds, echo the perfect sound current of the Naad. (The combination of the 5 shabads produce the Naad)
panch sabad tah pooran naad.
The wondrous, amazing unstruck melody vibrates.
anhad baajay achraj bismaad.
The Saintly people play there with the Lord.
kayl karahi sant har log.
They remain totally detached, absorbed in the Supreme Lord God.
paarbarahm pooran nirjog.
It is the realm of celestial peace and bliss.
sookh sahj aanand bhavan.
The Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, sits and sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord.  There is no disease or sorrow there, no birth or death. Pause
saadhsang bais gun gaavahi tah rog sog nahee janam maran.
There, they meditate only on the Naam, the Name of the Lord.
oohaa simrahi kayval naam.
How rare are those who find this place of rest.
birlay paavahi oh bisraam.
The love of God is their food, and the Kirtan of the Lord`s Praise is their support.
bhojan bhaa-o keertan aaDhaar.
They obtain a permanent seat in the infinite.
nihchal aasan baysumaar.
No one falls there, or wavers, or goes anywhere.
dig na dolai kathoo na Dhaavai
By Guru`s Grace, some find this mansion.
gur parsaad ko ih mahal paavai.
They are not touched by doubt, fear, attachment or the traps of Maya.
bharam bhai moh na maa-i-aa jaal.
They enter the deepest state of Sunn Samaadhi, through the kind mercy of God.
sunn samaadh parabhoo kirpaal.
 
I can't even comment on Sunn Samaadhi because I can't even get myself into basic Sunn beyond the 9 gates through abhiyaas. I can only hazard a guess to what it is like based on teachings I have heard. It's like when your in deep sleep beyond body consciousness and are awoken by only the intoxicating sounds of anhad music. Your consciousness is aware of nothing else but listening to this sound or voice of God because of its pure strength and intensity. I have only ever once in my few years on this path ever come close to experiencing anything like this and I could not withstand the intensity or knew at the time what it was. I wait for that call to come again, and I hope by his grace this time I can hold on a little longer without fear setting in and running in the opposite direction.
I am not in the little bit qualified in any spiritual way to talk of Bhramgyan avasta or posess any such knowledge to even comment on where that begins. We are already discussing concepts way beyond our own practical experience which is based other peoples journeys. 
My advise dear brother is always look at where you are standing on the path in terms of experience. Looking too far ahead or at the final goal will definitely sound exciting but we as individuals are no where close to understanding such states. Yes it is encouraging and inspiring at times to look at those on a higher level to you but do spend time working on yourself also.

Bhul chuk maaf

For those of us on their high horse of pride/ego should ponder on this shabad.
SGGS Ang 224
 
ਗਉੜੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Gauree, First Mehl:
 
ਬ੍ਰਹਮੈ ਗਰਬੁ ਕੀਆ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥ ਬੇਦ ਕੀ ਬਿਪਤਿ ਪੜੀ ਪਛੁਤਾਨਿਆ ॥
Brahma acted in pride, and did not understand. Only when he was faced with the downfall of the Vedas did he repent.
 
ਜਹ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਿਮਰੇ ਤਹੀ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥੧॥
Remembering God in meditation, the mind is conciliated. ||1||
 
ਐਸਾ ਗਰਬੁ ਬੁਰਾ ਸੰਸਾਰੈ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਿਸੁ ਗਰਬੁ ਨਿਵਾਰੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Such is the horrible pride of the world.The Guru eliminates the pride of those who meet Him. ||Pause||
 
ਬਲਿ ਰਾਜਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੀ ॥ ਜਗਨ ਕਰੈ ਬਹੁ ਭਾਰ ਅਫਾਰੀ ॥
Bal the King, in Maya and egotism, held his ceremonial feasts, but he was puffed up with pride.
 
ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਪੂਛੇ ਜਾਇ ਪਇਆਰੀ ॥੨॥
Without the Guru's advice, he had to go to the underworld. ||2||
 
ਹਰੀਚੰਦੁ ਦਾਨੁ ਕਰੈ ਜਸੁ ਲੇਵੈ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਇ ਅਭੇਵੈ ॥
Hari Chand gave in charity, and earned public praise. But without the Guru, he did not find the limits of the Mysterious Lord.
 
ਆਪਿ ਭੁਲਾਇ ਆਪੇ ਮਤਿ ਦੇਵੈ ॥੩॥
The Lord Himself misleads people, and He Himself imparts understanding. ||3||
 
ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਹਰਣਾਖਸੁ ਦੁਰਾਚਾਰੀ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਨਾਰਾਇਣੁ ਗਰਬ ਪ੍ਰਹਾਰੀ ॥
The evil-minded Harnaakhash committed evil deeds. God, the Lord of all, is the Destroyer of pride.
 
ਪ੍ਰਹਲਾਦ ਉਧਾਰੇ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਧਾਰੀ ॥੪॥
He bestowed His Mercy, and saved Prahlaad. ||4||
 
ਭੂਲੋ ਰਾਵਣੁ ਮੁਗਧੁ ਅਚੇਤਿ ॥ ਲੂਟੀ ਲੰਕਾ ਸੀਸ ਸਮੇਤਿ ॥
Raawan was deluded, foolish and unwise. Sri Lanka was plundered, and he lost his head.
 
ਗਰਬਿ ਗਇਆ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਹੇਤਿ ॥੫॥
He indulged in ego, and lacked the love of the True Guru. ||5||
 
ਸਹਸਬਾਹੁ ਮਧੁ ਕੀਟ ਮਹਿਖਾਸਾ ॥ ਹਰਣਾਖਸੁ ਲੇ ਨਖਹੁ ਬਿਧਾਸਾ ॥
The Lord killed the thousand-armed Arjun, and the demons Madhu-keetab and Meh-khaasaa. He seized Harnaakhash and tore him apart with his nails.
 
ਦੈਤ ਸੰਘਾਰੇ ਬਿਨੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਅਭਿਆਸਾ ॥੬॥
The demons were slain; they did not practice devotional worship. ||6||
 
ਜਰਾਸੰਧਿ ਕਾਲਜਮੁਨ ਸੰਘਾਰੇ ॥ ਰਕਤਬੀਜੁ ਕਾਲੁਨੇਮੁ ਬਿਦਾਰੇ ॥
The demons Jaraa-sandh and Kaal-jamun were destroyed.Rakat-beej and Kaal-naym were annihilated.
 
ਦੈਤ ਸੰਘਾਰਿ ਸੰਤ ਨਿਸਤਾਰੇ ॥੭॥
Slaying the demons, the Lord saved His Saints. ||7||
 
ਆਪੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੇ ॥
He Himself, as the True Guru, contemplates the Shabad.
 
ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਦੈਤ ਸੰਘਾਰੇ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਾਚਿ ਭਗਤਿ ਨਿਸਤਾਰੇ ॥੮॥
Because of the love of duality, God killed the demons. By their true devotion, the Gurmukhs have been saved. ||8||
 
ਬੂਡਾ ਦੁਰਜੋਧਨੁ ਪਤਿ ਖੋਈ ॥ ਰਾਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਕਰਤਾ ਸੋਈ ॥
Sinking down, Durodhan lost his honor. He did not know the Creator Lord.
 
ਜਨ ਕਉ ਦੂਖਿ ਪਚੈ ਦੁਖੁ ਹੋਈ ॥੯॥
One who makes the Lord's humble servant suffer, shall himself suffer and rot. ||9||
 
ਜਨਮੇਜੈ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥ ਕਿਉ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵੈ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਨਿਆ ॥
Janameja did not know the Word of the Guru's Shabad. Deluded by doubt, how could he find peace?
 
ਇਕੁ ਤਿਲੁ ਭੂਲੇ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਪਛੁਤਾਨਿਆ ॥੧੦॥
Making a mistake, for even an instant, you shall regret and repent later on. ||10||
 
ਕੰਸੁ ਕੇਸੁ ਚਾਂਡੂਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥ ਰਾਮੁ ਨ ਚੀਨਿਆ ਅਪਨੀ ਪਤਿ ਖੋਈ ॥
Kansa the King and his warriors Kays and Chandoor had no equals. But they did not remember the Lord, and they lost their honor.
 
ਬਿਨੁ ਜਗਦੀਸ ਨ ਰਾਖੈ ਕੋਈ ॥੧੧॥
Without the Lord of the Universe, no one can be saved. ||11||
 
ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਗਰਬੁ ਨ ਮੇਟਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਧਰਮੁ ਧੀਰਜੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਇ ॥ 
Without the Guru, pride cannot be eradicated. Following the Guru's Teachings, one obtains Dharmic faith, composure and the Lord's Name.
 
ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ॥੧੨॥੯॥
O Nanak, singing the Glories of God, His Name is received. ||12||9||
 

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I read in some abhiyasi book that this ru sound strikes the navel point and lotus at the navel centre which is in downward direction facing genitals for general folks (non mantra practising ones) then start blossoming in upwards direction towards our heads. Here abhiyasi saw darshan of Lord's feet. It is mentions in Sohila sahib's 3rd shabad.
hir crx kvl mkrMd loiBq mno Anidnuo moih AwhI ipAwsw ] 
ik®pw jlu dyih nwnk swirMg kau hoie jw qy qyrY nwie vwsw ]4]3] 
Ratwara Sahib Sant Jee specifically told to elongate this ru sound.

yeh man....Don't waste time-->  "Just Do It"
I've spent countless hours deciding when to fit in some time to sit and meditate. Everyday for the past couple of years, I usually wake up and plan the day mentally in terms of when I will later sit down and meditate. I even got into a habit of making the bed and arranging the pillows so that I could come back in the afternoon and sit straight down into simran....as you know, some thing always comes up and then I would go back into bedroom later and be disappointed,.. and like everyone else, I would then plan to better the next day..and so on...
Nowadays, I do attempt it many times throughout the day and especially if I'm on my own and not talking to someone.....walking...on the bus...in the gym...in fact I've probably had more fruitful and sweet amrit sessions whilst sat in the gym steam room!... doing a cardio workout is also a fantastic way to just close your eyes(or just fix your gaze) and do saas saas from the stomach up. 
 

OK,..I've noticed a couple of things that have given me some conclusions about amrit taste and naam amrit. I am just going to give one of my earlier ones here that will help understand and describe the 2nd conclusion that I shall talk about later.
The first result can be 'sort of' verified with gurbani as regards to sweet amrit/nectar.    A few months ago whilst in yoga, we were doing a kriya that involved the chant of "har" (and using stomach force).   That day, I wasn't too well physically and was trying to settle in and override my aches and discomforts... So I knew that I was nowhere near a meditative level. However, I noticed that with the chant of "har" and along with the kriya movement...I immediately felt the sweet taste in my dry/anxious mouth!  Usually, when the sweet taste comes unexpectedly, I always try and think back to exactly what I was doing and where/how my state of mind was. .....Most of the time it is when I hear gurbani, simran or any kind if sift salah, but this usually involves the rom rom kicking in as well, or further magnifying in amplitude...... So, I was a little surprised in the class that day, but I kept it in memory that I was doing "har har" when it started and to note it my mental log book.
Just recently we were doing another kriya and this also involved a chant of "har", and again, the sweetness taste was immediate. The first thing that came to my mind was "amrit bani har har teri"  .. then I thought that there must be more to this link of "amrit" and "har"
Looking into the shabads, there are so many like..
ang 99
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਰਸੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਪੀਆ ॥
Amriṯ ras har gur ṯe pī▫ā.,
ang 95
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਵੈ ਮਿਲਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਜੈ ਜੀਉ ॥੨॥
Har har amriṯ har man bẖāvai mil saṯgur amriṯ pījai jī▫o. ||2||
The Ambrosial Nectar of the Lord's Name, Har, Har, is so sweet to my mind. Meeting the True Guru, I drink in this Ambrosial Nectar. ||
ang 119
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸਬਦੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਹਰਿ ਬਾਣੀ ॥
Amriṯ sabaḏ amriṯ har baṇī.
The Shabad is Amrit; the Lord's Bani is Amrit.
 
Something like 164 single line tuks that reference "amrit" and "har" ... and funny enough, I was surprised that I never heard it mentioned by any one or any kathavachik.  The problem is that you can't play around and test it to see if it works with "har" or not because your attitude and state of mind has to be correct. If you approach with intention that I wanna see if "ram ram" works or not, then you have already shifted your state of mind for experimental, self gain, maya purposes without noticing....and this approach won't work or bear any fruits...... btw "ram ram" does also work, no doubt.
So, is there a theory for this?.............Well, I'm sure there is a better one than what I can explain. From what I know and have read, they say that a mantar has to be such that it should  complete the internal breath cycle of coming from navel, up the sukhmana, lungs, throat , mouth and to go back down and start again. For this they say that the tongue should touch the roof of the mouth to aid the cycle completeness and flow.
in "Har" it is the "arrrrrrrr" motion that does this. In "wahe-guru", it is the "urrrrrrr" motion,  in "ram" it would be the beginning "rrrrrrrr" motion.    My little self-theory is that this "mechanical" affect of jap is important. However, this is just for saas graas and saas saas simran, which is non-silent, and not full internally mental jap. But for complete silent and mental simran, we should sit with the tongue resting or touching the front roof of mouth and this will promote dripping of "naam/charan amrit" that has a slightly different affect in taste and I will speak about this later.

These 9 types were taught by Bhagat Prahlaad ji and were first mentioned in the Bhaagvat Puran.

quote -
(22) Hiranyakas'ipu said. 'Now tell me Prahlâda, my son, what you, well taught as you are oh love of my life, consider the best of all that you all this time have learned from your teachers.'

(23-24) S'rî Prahlâda said: 'To listen, to sing, to remember Vishnu, to attend to the feet, to offer worship and prayers, to become a servant, to be a friend and to surrender one's heart and soul. These are the nine characteristics of the devotional service to Vishnu delivered by the devotee. This is the way one should relate to the Supreme Personality. That I consider the best that one can learn.'
 
http://bhagavata.org/canto7/chapter5.html

If person sincerely reads Gurbani and ponders on its meanings, and make genuine effort in this direction. Then its eventually the battle between Gurbani and vices of the person and Gurbani always wins this battle.
 

If person sincerely reads Gurbani and ponders on its meanings, and make genuine effort in this direction. Then its eventually the battle between Gurbani and vices of the person and Gurbani always wins this battle.
 

If person sincerely reads Gurbani and ponders on its meanings, and make genuine effort in this direction. Then its eventually the battle between Gurbani and vices of the person and Gurbani always wins this battle.
 

If person sincerely reads Gurbani and ponders on its meanings, and make genuine effort in this direction. Then its eventually the battle between Gurbani and vices of the person and Gurbani always wins this battle.
 

Dhan Guru Nanak toon hee Nirankaar --- Dharna Kirtan
 
 
Bhul chuk maaf

Hi Neo, this is what I think, we all have a general idea about most of the regular forum members how they think and their personal viewpoints, which is perfectly fine. But problem arises when you start vomiting the same opinion again and again, without trying to understand what the other person is saying, and then replying again and again, and arguing without any second thought. If you don't agree its fine, but why put words in other person mouth and drag the issue unnecessarily. Hell don't reply.
I mostly come here to know learn something new, you know there are few gems here on forum, its privilege to learn from them. Also latest news like from kotkapura incident, which I know only because of the forum, its my medium to get news. I am not ungrateful but the forum just drains your energy with the B.S. going on in recent past. You are the boss, find a way to fix it. I guess some members might agree forum is in loop mode.
Bring topics from which we all can learn and contribute to, about quality, be more strict, people will change their habits if you force your hand, sikhkhoj is an example, that dude.

Cultivating Concentration (to Support Meditation)
If you think that the goal of meditation is to make the mind blank, you have created an insurmountable obstacle to developing a rich, nourishing meditation practice. As Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood observe in How to Know God, if making the mind blank were desirable, this condition could be “easily achieved by asking a friend to hit you over the head with a hammer.” It is not the mind’s nature to be blank, and trying to force it into that state is both futile and harmful. A meditative mind is a concentrated mind—a mind that is not blank; it is one which has become stilled by holding an unbroken, one-pointed focus on a single object for an extended period of time. In short, meditation is sustained concentration. (i.e. concentration on WaheGuru Gurmantar)
Concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and spiritual absorption (samadhi) are interwoven. At the beginning of the third chapter, the Yoga Sutra explains how one state merges into the next: “Concentration is focusing attention on one object and holding it there. When awareness flows evenly toward the object of concentration, that is meditation. When in meditation the true nature of the object of concentration shines forth, undistorted by the mind of the perceiver, that is samadhi.”
Multiplying Concentration
Experienced practitioners tell us that concentration is 12 seconds of unbroken attention on one thought wave. Sustain this for 144 seconds (12 x 12) and you have reached a state of meditation. If the mind can maintain that state for another multiple of 12 (12 x 144 seconds, or 28 minutes, 48 seconds), it will have entered the first stage of samadhi.
Trying to meditate without training the mind to concentrate is like trying to write a novel before learning to read—it can’t be done. Until the mind is trained to concentrate, it will never flow into a meditative state. Yet we may avoid training the mind to be one-pointed because we’re accustomed to thinking of concentration as a mental effort, like the effort required to analyze a calculus problem. Concentration seems tension-inducing somehow, and not particularly “spiritual.” But the sustained inward focus that is a prelude to meditation is neither stressful nor unpleasant—it is relaxed, focused awareness, a state of mind that is soothing and calming, once you get the knack of it.
Making a Start
If you doubt this, try the simple breathing practice that follows. It fosters relaxed concentration and is a good way to introduce the mind to the pleasures of one-pointed attention.
Sit comfortably, with the head, neck, and trunk aligned and the body relaxed. Close your eyes and focus on the flow of the breath as it passes through the nostrils. Feel the warm touch of the exhalation and the cool touch of the inhalation. Breathe smoothly and evenly. Pay particular attention to the transition between the exhalation and the inhalation because it is here that the mind has the greatest tendency to wander off.
When your attention has come to rest on the breath, begin to count your inhalations and exhalations from 1 to 5 and 5 back to 1 again in the following pattern: Exhale 1, Inhale 2, Exhale 3, Inhale 4, Exhale 5, Inhale 1, Exhale 2, Inhale 3, Exhale 4, Inhale 5.
Work with this practice over a period of days or weeks—as long as it takes—until you can attend to it for five minutes without getting lost or confused. Notice how relaxed and refreshed you feel. This is the beginning of the one-pointed focus that, with time and practice, merges into meditation.
 

3 Common Meditation Questions Answered
Q: I’ve heard it said again and again that you should sit with your head, neck, and trunk straight when you meditate. Why is that so important?
There are three main reasons why it’s important to sit with your head, neck, and trunk straight when you practice meditation.
1. This is the healthiest and most comfortable way of sitting. In this pose, the spine is stretched up, the chest is expanded, and the head is held in place effortlessly. Due to the straight spine and expanded chest, the lungs, heart, and muscles of the diaphragm work efficiently and in a relaxed manner. The weight of the whole body is centered on the base of the spine and distributed through the buttocks.
The weight creates pressure on the bottom of the spine and this pressure increases heat. As the heat increases, the pranic force at the base of the spine expands, rising upward. Because the spine is straight, the pranic energy flows freely upward along the spinal column toward the head, burning up sloth and inertia and at the same time providing nourishment to the organs located between the base of the spine and the top of the head. As a result, in this pose the practitioner will be relatively free from sloth, heaviness, and inertia, while still remaining relaxed.
2. At the base of the spine, between the first and second chakras, there is a particular energy channel called the kurma nadi. The kurma nadi originates here and runs all the way to the hollow of the throat. It regulates the stability of the body and mind.
According to yogic mythology, there is an enormous and powerful kurma (tortoise), on whose back sits shesha naga (the cosmic snake). This snake has a thousand heads and it holds the earth on one of them. When it shifts the earth from one head to another, earthquakes occur. The most powerful earthquakes happen when the tortoise—who holds the snake who is holding the earth—moves slightly.
The root of the kurma nadi is the tortoise. The stability of the spine and all that is centered around it depends on the firmness of kurma nadi. By keeping the head, neck, and trunk straight and sitting in a meditative pose, one attains firmness in the energy that is controlled by the kurma nadi.
3. Sitting in the same pose every day is a way of training our bodies and minds to be aware of the truth on which we meditate. The pose and the practice that goes with it have great impact in the formation of a fruitful meditative habit. The following story illustrates the point.
Once upon a time there was a student. He was sincere, hardworking, and quite intelligent. But his teacher was somewhat bewildered because this young man seemed completely incapable of coming up with any answers in the classroom. The teacher spent extra time with him, reviewing each lesson again and again and asking him, “Do you follow?” The student would always say, “Yes sir.” But the next day, his mind again seemed blank. Finally one day the teacher lost his temper and kicked the student so hard that the poor fellow fell down. (Thank God this didn’t happen in the West.)
As he rolled on the ground his memory returned and he recited the entire lesson flawlessly. The experienced teacher immediately understood the problem and admonished him: “Son, study your lessons sitting with your head, neck, and trunk straight, not reclining on your bed.”
Time, space, and causation are basic conditionings of the mind. How we sit and where we sit creates a deep groove in the mind. It is important, therefore, to sit for meditation every day and to sit in the same meditative pose each time. The best pose is the one in which the head, neck, and trunk remains in a straight line.
 
Q: Why is it that some people practice meditation sincerely for a long time and yet still seem to display “unspiritual” qualities—like greed, selfishness, and overbearing egos?
This happens because their meditation is just a mental exercise, not a spiritual practice. In order to make meditation spiritual, the aspirant has to infuse it with a spiritual flavor. Sincere meditators who fail to experience a spiritual unfoldment usually place their emphasis on the process of concentration. Consequently, that’s what they get. Concentration alone cannot help us transform ourselves.
Spirituality is like a bird that can fly only if both its wings are intact and equally strong. These two wings are a one-pointed mind and constant awareness of the higher goal of life. A person gains one-pointedness by practicing concentration, whereas constant awareness comes through contemplation. Meditators who simply concentrate on the object of their meditation may develop a relatively one-pointed mind, but may fail to use their own one-pointed mental energy for inner transformation.
 
Q: Doesn’t an object of meditation, such as a mantra or yantra, automatically pull the mind in a spiritual direction?

In theory, yes. But in practice, it is too much to expect from a mantra alone. It depends on who gave you that mantra, whether the person who initiated you is connected to the source, or whether the mantra you were given is an awakened mantra or is simply a word or phrase taken from a book. The result also depends on how lovingly, faithfully, and one-pointedly you meditate on that mantra. Are you really practicing with full determination or are you just experimenting with one of the techniques you’ve heard leads to enlightenment? All these factors make a big difference in the efficacy of a mantra practice.
An even more significant factor is how you manage your daily life outside your meditation sessions. Even if you behave like a sage during the thirty minutes you meditate every day, if during the remaining twenty-three and a half hours you do not keep an eye on your thoughts, speech, and actions, then it’s like pouring a cup of milk in a barrel of muddy water and expecting to get a barrel of milk.
Greed, selfishness, and overbearing egos are deeply rooted in our unconscious minds. Constant meditation, which is supported by self-observation and self-analysis, can help us identify these subhuman characteristics in ourselves. Once we recognize these characteristics in ourselves and come to know their exact patterns and in which particular areas of life they spring up most frequently, we can begin to work with them. This requires contemplation, which is why the prominent yoga texts, such as the Yoga Sutra and Bhagavad Gita, constantly advise us to make svadhyaya (self-study) an integral part of our practice.

There is a salok in sanskrit which praises Harad/Harde which is one of the 3 components of Triphala, my father would recite it so many times that i kind of picked up it is like this :

Yassya Maata nassyati tassya Mata Haritaki

Which means one who doesnt have a mother, her/his Mata is Haritaki (Harde)
A mother takes care of the child and makes sure the child is disease free, similarly Harde too keeps one free of diseases.

Shabad can help.   but for obtaining a child.....not choosing boy or girl...but any gender child!
ਪ੍ਰਗਟਿਮਹਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਧੁਰ ਕਾ ॥ਰਹਾਉ ॥
the pre-ordained is what becomes pargat(manifest).. this is what is likhiya(written) ..by Waheguru.....rahao
 
 

**Taken from www.sabh13.com**
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh Jio,
A Sikh once approached Sant Baba Isher Singh Ji Maharaj at Karamsar, Rara Sahib and asked Sant Ji, what must be done to acquire just one of the many  'Ridhiya Sidhiya' (spiritual powers).
Sant Ji Maharaj with devotees Sant Ji answered that "One must do Seva (self-less service) in the Langar (free community kitchen for the congregation) for 40 days".
The Sikh replied with "What? Are you sure? Is that it? That doesn't seem difficult!"
However, Sant Ji replied "Hold on, listen to the full answer before you start making assumptions, one must do seva in the Langar, and consider all those that eat as though they were the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj."
The Sikh replied, "How so?"
Sant Ji explained, "When serving an individual, when picking up their dishes, when cleaning their dishes, you must do it with so much love and devotion as though, you were serving Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj"
The Sikh accepted this and in his mind considered this task to not be so difficult.
If one goes to Karamsar, Rara Sahib, even today the Sangat (congregation), eat Langar in the masses and it's not an exaggeration to say that they are 100-150 members of the Sangat eating at one time. Sant Ji gave a command to the Sevadaars (volunteers) at Rara Sahib to always have Langar ready for 200 members of sangat at all times.
The Sikh began his Seva within the Langar and served the Sangat with as much devotion as possible. He began to closely observe how people were eating. He watched how people were spilling their drinks and food upon themselves and on the floor whilst eating (as per normal in most Langar's) and immediately began to get doubts in the bachan (holy words) of Sant Ji. In his mind he was saying "These are the people who Sant Ji considers Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj? They don't even know how to eat their food, let alone anything else!" However he remained quiet and didn't respond in the attempt to fulfil his hunger for spiritual powers.
On the 8th day, a fellow Sikh was eating in the Langar and had an excessive amount of Rotiya (chappatti bread). The Sikh who was following the bachan of Sant Ji had not responded to any of the behaviour he had seen until now, until the fellow Sikh asked for yet another Roti. The Sikh got very angry and disgusted at the fact that this fellow Sikh had eaten so much already and was asking for more! He then replied in a rude manner "Look how much you've had to eat already, you don't need anymore!"
Sant Ji was standing behind and began to laugh. "O Sikh, you've fallen already? It's only been 8 days! You've yet 32 days to go!"
The Sikh realised his mistake and apologised to Sant Ji for not being able to follow their bachan.
I'm sure reading these posts upon this blog, people will draw their own conclusions/morals and perhaps some people will learn more from this story then myself. However, in my humble opinion, I think the moral of this story is, that doing Seva is and especially regarding the Sangat as though they are Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj is a very hard task, which we sometimes take for granted. We will surely get kamaiee (spiritual wealth) for doing Seva, but we will get double kamaiee if we do Seva with love and devotion!
Sant Baba Isher Singh Ji Maharaj gave bachan after this whole episode, that doing seva in the Langar for 40 days, and considering everyone as though they are Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj is the equivalent to doing 12 years of bhagti (mediation)!
Maharaj didn't say for no reason that 
ਖੰਨਿਅਹੁ ਤਿਖੀ ਵਾਲਹੁ ਨਿਕੀ ਏਤੁ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਜਾਣਾ ||
The path they take is sharper than a two-edged sword, and finer than a hair.   The path of Sikhi and it's lifestyle is very hard to commit to! It's easy to wear a chola, to tie a dastar, however it's very difficult to do Naam, Baani and Seva. The closer one gets to the Guru, the more tests the Guru poses to test the love and devotion of his beloved Sikhs. As Sikhs of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, it should be our daily Ardas, to pray that Maharaj blesses us with Sikhi, day in day out.   Please forgive sevadaars, if we have made any mistakes whilst narrating this story.   Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh Jio,