Advanced Yoga Practices
Main Lessons
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Internet Lessons with additions,
see the
AYP
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Lesson 116 -
Meditation - First Enhancement of Mantra (Audio)
Note:
For an alternate
approach to mantra enhancements, see Lesson 369.
AYP Plus Additions:
116.1
- Meditation: Getting Started with First Enhancement of Mantra (Audio)
From: Yogani
Date: Fri Feb 13, 2004 3:18pm
New Visitors: It is recommended you read from the beginning of the archive, as previous
lessons are prerequisite to this one. The first lesson is, "Why
This Discussion?"
As we continue to use
the mantra, I AM, in that particular way that allows the mind to go to
stillness, we are clearing out obstructions deep in our nervous system. Over
time, our experience will become smoother and deeper as the purification
progresses. We will experience more inner silence.
With rising inner silence, at some point in time
we will be ready to take broader strokes deep in the nervous system without
getting bogged down too much on the surface of the mind. We will be ready
for an enhancement of our mantra.
Think of it as shifting
gears in a car. With a manual transmission, we go along in first gear, and
then at some point we are ready to shift to the next gear, which enables us
to go faster with ease because we have gotten up to an adequate speed with
the first gear. If we shift into the second gear too soon, what happens? We
bog down and don't get much out of it, because there is not enough speed
yet. Shifting too soon is a strain, and does not help us go faster.
Taking on a mantra enhancement is like that. If
we have smoothness and good depth in meditation with I AM, we can think
about moving to the first enhancement. It could be in a few months after
starting, or it could be in a few years. Everyone is different. It is one of
those situations where self-pacing is important. There is no rush to step up
too soon. We can make the entire journey using the I AM mantra for our
meditation if we wish. Nothing is missing. It is only a matter of how fast
we want to go. If and when it is time to shift, we will know. Then we can do
it and the transition will be reasonably smooth with minimal clunkiness,
like making a good shift of gears in a car.
The enhancement adds
syllables and sound vibrations to our mantra. This will make a "bigger
footprint" in the nervous system as we meditate. Meditation will be slower
going into silence and slower coming back out of silence. This creates the
effect of making pure bliss consciousness stick more in our nervous system
and in our awareness. That is the benefit of the enhancement. It speeds up
the cultivation of inner silence to be more prevalent and more steady in us.
It is a "higher gear."
The first enhancement is
an expanded mantra. It is:
SHREE SHREE I AM I AM
(audio)
We use it exactly the
same way as we have used I AM, following the same easy procedure of
meditation we learned early in the lessons. Once we have made the change,
this will be our mantra from then on.
We will notice a
difference right away. Our mind will go to stillness slower, and come out of
stillness slower. Interestingly, this slowing down of the attention moving
in and out speeds up the infusion of pure bliss consciousness into our
nervous system.
Think of the mantra as something we are
systematically penetrating the fabric of our subconscious with. A mantra
with few syllables goes through more quickly, clearing out obstructions
easily a little bit at a time. Then it gets to the point when we can use a
"wider" mantra and cover a bigger area as we go in and out through the
subconscious, clearing out more obstructions with each pass through. A
mantra with more syllables does this, but only after we have prepared the
ground with the first level of mantra - I AM.
If you have just begun meditating recently, give
yourself time to develop a good habit using the I AM mantra, and to develop
smoothness and good depth of inner silence before jumping ahead to the first
enhancement. Several months at least. It could take a year or two before
meditation with I AM clears the nervous system enough. Maybe longer. We each
have our own unique journey to take (and time line) as we open our nervous
system to the infinite. The mantra enhancement will be here when we are
ready, so let's take our time... and enjoy!
The guru is in you.
See this complete instructional lesson and all the expanded and interactive AYP Plus lessons at: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/116.html
Related Lessons Topic Path
Discuss this Lesson in the AYP Plus Support Forum
Note:
For detailed instructions on the
procedure of deep meditation, see the
AYP Deep Meditation book,
and AYP Plus.
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