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Green-eyed-Lady
USA
5 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 10 2011 : 11:31:17 PM
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Hello! First I want to thank Yogani and whoever else is helping with this site, and offering such a fantastic forum, along with the wonderful books Yogani has written - what an incredible resource and blessing! I just finished reading "The Secrets of Wilder" and "Deep Meditation" and am so excited to read the rest of Yogani's books! (I've now got them ALL on my Kindle, just waiting for me to get to them!)
And next, I have a couple questions - first - I am very new to meditating, and am wondering this: Sometimes I do actually sit and meditate, but more often I am likely to meditate while walking... either outside or on my treadmill (this works especially well, as I am able to close my eyes and really focus on meditating, without worrying about tripping, etc.) For some reason I feel like I have better/easier time meditating when walking than sitting still, though I'm still trying to do at least one session of sitting meditation each day, even if only for 10 minutes or so. Does anyone else do some of their meditating while walking (or other exercise)? Is this still beneficial, do you think? (I *feel* like it is, but maybe just feel good from the exercise) 
And next: I've read/heard a lot about EMF lately (electro-magnetic frequency "noise" or "electro-smog" - from cell-phone towers, wireless internet providers, etc.) and how these signals and frequencies can/do affect humans, causing us to be less "connected" to ourselves/our higher selves, more depression, headaches, general body fatigue, and various other symptoms.
After reading a book called "Earthing" I am convinced that some of the EMF electrical noise-pollution DOES have an effect on us, and my husband and I now sleep with a special grounded pad on our bed, and I have another grounded pad under my feet at my computer desk. I do think it has made a difference for me, seeming to reduce long-time chronic pain that I have due to degenerative disc disease and multiple-level spinal fusion surgeries...
Does anyone have any knowledge or opinions on this area of info? There is a certain member on Youtube that has some very good videos about this, (EMF/cell-phone towers/wireless internet being linked to physical and spiritual problems, even including cancer) but I wasn't sure if it would be okay to link to that or not. (?) He also has a video about a process called "de-switching" which is supposed to help re-connect the 2 hemisphere in the brain and help re-connect us with ourselves and Spirit. I thought it might be helpful to add it to my meditation practices, before I start Pranayama. What do you think?
I know I covered more than one or two questions - sorry about that. I don't know anyone "in real life" that is an experienced meditator, or knows anything about the EMF topics that I'm wondering about; hoping maybe someone here will know something about it. :)
Thanks for any input/help!  |
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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2011 : 12:19:19 AM
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Hey Lady, welcome to the forums!
Walking is a great natural meditation. It calms the mind, and exercise feels great. But it's something different than the AYP Deep Meditation. For that, it's best to wait 30 mins or an hour after any exercise (or eating), and do it sitting. This allows the body and mind together to go into deep stillness. It's a deep stillness... the breath slows down, and the metabolism slows down, but consciousness does not.
EMF is all around us, no doubt about that. Radios, microwaves, sunlight :). It's everywhere, and we are certainly electrical creatures with electro-nervous systems, so there must be some interaction. Maybe there is something to it. You can add any practices into the AYP mix. It is a tried and true baseline that you can tweak to your own fit. But you'll get the most bang for you buck if you do the pranayama and deep meditation back to back.
Glad you are here.
JDH |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2011 : 04:47:25 AM
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As JDH advised you should really just follow the AYP instruction. Except, and I'm going out on a limb here, there is no reason why we need to sit in a quiet room, as it is just as important to be able to meditate whatever the circumstances, if we can manage it sitting on a plane, or while sitting in the car at a traffic jam then why not on a treadmill.
If the truth is that we go no where and do nothing, provided your senses are totally introverted inwards and don't rely on the running as part of the meditation then I say go for it! It's not exactly to the AYP plan, but if it works then what's the harm?
As to the radiation, well if you believe it's happening then it is. That said, nothing is bad, everything is just as it is supposed to be even those things that outwardly seem to be wrong. It's more important to realise your own contribution first and alter that first. |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2011 : 10:57:26 AM
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Hi Green-eyed-Lady and welcome!
In AYP the suggestion for daily life outside of the practice sessions is to generally do as we please, which also works to ground and integrate the practices with daily life. It makes so much sense also, going as deep as possible with the specific practices, and then coming out of that to stabilize, as opposed to being in a constant 'in-between' state that has neither extreme, which indeed feels stagnant. There's also no reason why you can't try to work into a comfortable sitting practice routine very gradually over time and see if it becomes more enjoyable on average.
There are also many internal martial arts systems which are indeed a form of meditation in motion as well as in static postures. I've done my share of them, but even those usually pair up with a formal sitting meditation session. The AYP stance on that is that they can help with grounding, and add some opening. Exercise too is part of AYP and you will come across it in your readings, but the core of the practices are the way they are with good reason, backed up by experience in ancient yoga systems and AYP.
In short, I do sometimes whenever I feel like it naturally do either meditation, introspection, reflection, or some self-inquiry, while exercising or doing things which don't require my full attention (absorption on tasks itself can also be quite special because it is a form of trance), but I consider them only a form of maintenance of the effects that come out of sitting practices, or even a form of enjoying the effects in a way that tries to facilitate them as opposed to indulging in 'scenery'. I do find it beneficial to the point that I try to arrange my lifestyle and relationships around it (even if it means opting out of a lot of things and opportunities), however I also know that the sitting practices take care of everything else, and also take my natural approach outside practices to a higher level than was possible before starting meditation before even coming to AYP. |
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Green-eyed-Lady
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2011 : 8:47:19 PM
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Thank you for your replies! I appreciate y'all taking time to help me out. :) I will work on doing the AYP meditation program twice a day (instead of once a day sitting and once walking on treadmill) ;) I just have to figure out the best times to do it twice... with a high-school-aged son and a daughter in college (still lives with us, and is in-and-out all day long) and my husband, after work, it will be challenging to find 2 times when I can be guaranteed privacy. I guess I'll have to go hide out in my bedroom and tell them "I'm napping, don't bug me!" LOL!
Our family has long been very involved (I used to be in the church band) in a kind of "fundamentalist" type Christian church - but I do not attend anymore, decided it wasn't the path for me), and my husband thinks Eastern practices including Yoga and meditating are "wrong/bad" so I almost feel like I have to "sneak" to do it without him rolling his eyes at me and insinuating that I'm "wrong" to pursue this rather than his chosen path (and my *former* chosen path).  He doesn't understand that even if I'm pursuing God through a different avenue, it's still real/true and NOT "wrong" or fake, or worse, "evil". :( |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - Oct 11 2011 : 9:19:52 PM
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If you read Yogani's book "The Secrets of Wilder" you will see meditation from a more Christian perspective. There is nothing non-Christian about Yoga and meditation. You can belong to any religion you want and meditate, or none at all; it still works.
This is because God is connected to us inside; he doesn't have to be given to you by someone else, or a scripture, or a group of people. This is completely compatible with the teachings of Jesus, but some people frown on it if you don't follow them or their church.
People ask me if I'm a Christian, and I have to say I don't think so. But I follow every one of Jesus' teachings. Ironic isn't it? |
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Green-eyed-Lady
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2011 : 12:46:42 AM
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Etherfish, I completely agree with you. I am amazed by the new things I've been noticing - things that Jesus said that TOTALLY fit with this 'system' Things like "The kingdom of God/Heaven is within" and so many more - I just ran across a couple more today, when I was reading in Yogani's AYP "Easy Lessons for Ecstatic Living" (Vol 1). When I see Yogani point out these verses, and how they apply to AYP, it makes me all the more convinced that Jesus was into Yoga! Hahaa! I think *I* have gotten past the stage where I thought this might be at odds with any Christian belief or doctrine, but it will take a while to get my husband to see it... not sure I want to go there quite yet. lol! I see it more every day... the connections and "fit" between yoga and Christian doctrines - it's really amazing how well they fit together, and I never noticed it until the last 6 months or so!
Thanks for your comments. :) |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - Oct 12 2011 : 07:52:14 AM
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Yes, Jesus may have been into yoga. But as he said in your quote, "the kingdom of heaven is within". So it was not necessary for him to think of yoga as a special truth, just to go within.
So many people think of religion like every other earthly thing - they see what people are like that belong to the group, and decide "I want to be like that", and join the group. Meditation is different because instead of copying others you are finding your own true self.
A person who has found their true self inside tends to be followed, and that's how religions start. Thank God for people like Yogani who decide it's not all about them. It's about each individual going within.
Religions that emphasize all kinds of earthly activities might do a lot of good for mankind, but they do a dis-service to the individual if they don't make going within a priority. |
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Jett
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - Oct 20 2011 : 1:01:17 PM
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From what I understand from studying eastern philosophy~Yoga philosophy is the basis of all religions. Here's a link to a very good set of videos explaining the connections.
http://www.youtube.com/swamiramahimalayas#p/u |
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Hello! Newbie with a few questions...
