When Bhagavan's mother lay dying, he put his left hand on her head and his right hand on her heart. This symbolizes our basic meditation unique to this teaching: a concrete landmark, or earthing of the Spirit in the physical vehicle.
It is a shining linga in the dark jungle of differing meditation systems. The centre of gravity of thought, with all its patterns of association, is felt to be in the brain. The centre of gravity of the Self as Bhagavan taught, based on his own experience, is to the right hand side of the chest. By focusing the attention from the brain the intellectual faculty, through the ajna chakra between the eyebrows (the pineal gland) into the right side of the chest, we have an anchor and a compass-point to direct us to the Self. This is meditation on the Heart Centre: see Talks with Ramana Maharshi (p.116):
Of course there is also the practice of meditation on the heart centre. It is only a practice and not investigation. Only the one who meditates on the heart can remain aware when the mind ceases to be active and remains still; whereas those who meditate on other centres cannot be so aware, but infer that the mind was still only after it becomes again active.
To practice single-minded concentration, what better place? Depending on the resistance of the veiling (the play of the gunas and vasanas), our quality of attention can either: enter the silence; probe for the root of the "I"-thought or egotism; encounter the sphurana, the subtle "pulsing" in the right side of the chest, which indicates the Self; or dive deep to reach the frontiers of the samadhis.
Here are some definitions that seem appropriate, as Bhagavan told Paul Brunton in Conscious Immortality (ch.4, p.46):
1) Holding onto Reality is samadhi;
2) Holding onto Reality with effort (i.e. by means of practices, meditation, spiritual disciplines) is savikalpa samadhi ("savikalpa" means “with doubt and change”);
3) Merging as Reality and remaining unaware of the world is nirvikalpa samadhi. The bucket is let down into the well and fully immersed, but is then drawn back up into the "I"-thought, with the separative 'memory' of the experience ("nirvikalpa" means “without the modifications of the mind”) – this is a pure experience such as arises in deep meditation but it is conditional to that state;
4) Remaining effortlessly in the primal pure natural state is sahaja samadhi (“sahaja” means “natural, true, native”) – this is unconditional, there being no experiencer to differentiate it at any place or time, the bucket disappears in the well, as the well itself.
Beware of laya. As Bhagavan said to Mudalier, "You must never rest content with the pleasure of laya (temporary suspension or abeyance of the mind, experienced when thought is quelled). You must press on until all duality ceases.”
A voyage of discovery awaits us. Time can be spent morning and evening, or as we are guided. If the mind is too restive, we can watch the flow of breath from the nostrils until we quieten down, or simply witness whatever takes place without criticism. We can repeat our mantra (japa): “Om Namah Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya”, tracing the source from where it arises. We can, in practising the vichara as set out in Bhagavan's booklet, Who Am I, trace the currents of thought as they arise and bring them through attention back into the Self.
We can abide in the unspoken bliss of the Self and be open to receive inspiration and guidance. Eventually we can bring these practices to life while alone or sleepless, or waiting, or in a train or bus, or while about our daily tasks or encounters, always feeling the undercurrent of the shakti (divine force from the Self as it causes us to function instrument ally.)
Meditation can also be on a religious text, which deeply moves us, such as "All this is Brahman", or "God is Love". It can dwell in the clear space of non-duality, such as I am He, or seeingness, or on a favoured religious figure or deity, like Lord Shiva.
The cradle of Bhagavan's teaching is Southern Shivaism. To commence the flow of bhakti, we can think of someone we love, and then move the current to Bhagavan and the nameless and formless divinity of all religions. Meditation is a constant opportunity for relaxation and refreshment from the tensions and fatigue of life, and a great aid to Self-Realization. Self-enquiry is not an effort to be forced, but a frictionless welling up from real interest, as with Diving into the Heart.