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thezuck
USA
24 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 07 2011 : 7:55:44 PM
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Hello all. Truly blessed to have access to such an evolving and inspiring community of wisdom and exploration..... many thanks.
I just wanted to get some feedback on my ever-evolving experience with pranayama. I have been doing doing AYP Practices since March (so about 7 months). Added Pranayama to DM after about 6 weeks. Then samyama a few weeks after that. I have experienced pretty consistent results (peace, self-confidence, awareness, clarity) since starting my practice. When my routine was solely meditation, the results were very intense. After starting pranayama, the results were definitely evolving and growing, but seemed to smooth out in intensity.
On the few occasions where I have only had the time to do meditation, the results typically have "appeared" to be more powerful, both in the session and afterwards in my day. Im concerned that the breathing exercises focus my mind on my body and breath a bit too much. Is that possible? Im worried that I strain and try to control my breath rate and volume...and it takes away from my concentration and depth of focus in meditation.
If anyone has had a similar experience, I would love to hear about it. Maybe I only need to add the pranayama when my energy levels start to get a bit unwieldly? Any thought would be very much appreciated.
Best Regards,
Shane |
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chas
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2011 : 8:49:07 PM
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Hi, Shane
We do pranayama primarily to cultivate the nervous system so that we can have a more effective meditation. As our focus moves up and down the spinal nerve with our breath, energy moves with it and clears obstructions in our nervous system. Deep meditation can then make a larger sweep and becomes much more effective. There shouldn't be strain in breathing in pranayama or DM. With pranayama, just go easily up and down the spinal nerve with the breath. With DM, we aren't focusing on our breath, only the mantra.
The experiences occurring during meditation are increasingly seen as being much less important than our spiritual progress, with rising inner silence being wonderfully transformative to our entire being. Making a habit of daily practices has been key for me. It sounds like you are progressing very nicely. Thanks for sharing.
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thezuck
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2011 : 9:10:37 PM
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Hey there Chas!
Thanks very much for the reply.
Just so Im clear, do you not put any extra effort during pranayama? Do you just breathe totally normally, and trace the breath as is? Ive tried that and it definitely feels physically more natural, but my breathing is just faster and harder to deeply focus on. Its doable...just not as precise.
I usually try and have slower and more full breaths as I get more settled into the session. A few weeks ago, my body would take over the process, and energetically breathe by itself, without any managing at all. But that doesnt seem to happen every time. |
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chas
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2011 : 9:33:21 PM
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Hey, Shane. You're most welcome
Yes, it should be deep breathing, but not straining. Just easy full breaths. Here is a paragraph from lesson 41 found here: http://www.aypsite.org/41.html
quote:
Sit comfortably with back support, and close your eyes just as you do when you meditate. Now, keeping your mouth closed, breathe in and out slowly and deeply through your nose, but not to the extreme. Be relaxed and easy about it, breathing as slowly and deeply as possible without discomfort. There is no need to be heroic. Work your muscles so each breath begins in your belly and fills you up through your chest to the top of your collarbones, and then comes back down slowly. Next, with each rising inhalation of the breath, allow your attention to travel upward inside a tiny thread, or tube, you visualize beginning at your perineum, continuing up through the center of your spine, and up through the stem of your brain to the center of your head. At the center of your head the tiny nerve makes a turn forward to the point between your eyebrows. With one slow, deep inhalation let your attention travel gradually inside the nerve from the perineum all the way to the point between the eyebrows. As you exhale, retrace this path from the point between the eyebrows all the way back down to the perineum. Then, come back up to the point between the eyebrows with the next inhalation, and down to the perineum with the next exhalation, and so on. quote:
In my experience, it becomes habitual and lung capacity and breathing becomes much deeper. But first, there does need to be effort to apply the proper procedure. I think that before long you will acclimate to it and it will be very natural. |
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chas
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2011 : 10:12:18 PM
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| As we become more relaxed in our pranayama session, sometimes breathing does tend to shallow. Upon noticing this, we should return to comfortably full breathing. In DM, just allow your body to breath normally. Hope this helps. |
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thezuck
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2011 : 02:25:14 AM
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Thanks Chas for the posting.
Its been a discussion thats been repeating inside for a while....and your post definitely puts some of it to rest. I tried being completely passive physically but mentally focused on the "thread" in this evening's practice. Basically, a few things happen. After a little bit of pranayam...all of the main parts(mind, breath, body...) of "me" align....so there isnt anyone "controlling" the process..its just happening smoothly almost by itself. But to get the process started, like you said, there does need to be a bit of easy participation. I guess when I feel like I need im straining, I need to ask why? ...and just relax about it.
Additionally, Im sure some asanas would help calm the body and allow things to flow more consistently. At some point, I should probably build up that part of the routine.
Several years ago, a very clear yoga teacher taught me about the three gunas.....tama, rajas and sattva.. Maybe its just finding that "sattvic" expression of the process...allow it to be smooth and steady....and the natural intelligence of the process will emerge. Would imagine that would work in other areas of life as well...but thats a different topic.
Thanks again for your reply....
Have a good weekend! |
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chas
USA
209 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2011 : 10:14:48 AM
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Perfect, well said, and I agree... Enjoy!
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HathaTeacher
Sweden
382 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2011 : 3:43:15 PM
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Hi Shane,
yes the gunas are a slightly different topic, but you're right their interplay is applicable to everything in the manifest universe.
And yes, the Sattva quality is the key, or vehicle, to take us from just "practices" to yoga, including DM and pranayama. |
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Personal Experience of Pranayama
