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MyEmptiness
Germany
3 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 19 2012 : 03:31:39 AM
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hello to everybody :)
i am new to the advanced yoga practices and this forum. i read yogani's article about deep meditation and the mantra " I AM".
I am wondering how to say the mantra silently.
Do you inhale and say the whole mantra or do you exhale and say the whole mantra. The last option would be to inhale and say "I" and to exhale and say "AM".
Regards. |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2012 : 05:48:09 AM
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Hi Myemptiness and a warm welcome to the forums.
There is no requirement to synchronise the mantra to the breath. Also there is no need to break it down into separate syllables.
Just breath normally and gently put your awareness on the mantra. Repeat it as AYAM with no emphasis or meaning.
Sometimes it will be slow, sometimes fast, sometimes it will synchronise with the breath.
Just repeat it in you mind without any emphasis on any particular way of saying it.
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Edited by - karl on Feb 19 2012 05:49:49 AM |
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makingthesaint
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2012 : 08:27:55 AM
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hello,
karl nailed it. i'm only responding because i had this exact conversation with a friend a month ago. he, too, was struggling connecting iam with the breath.
as to your first question, when you read these posts, you "say" the words in your mind.
otherwise you use your mouth to say the words out loud.
as for "silently" saying the mantra, i liken it to when you sit at first, it feels as you are talking to a wall. after time the space opens up, mantra can "move" out into that "space" becoming more silent. also, as an experiment try whispering in your mind while reading a sentence, then shouting the next one in your mind. it seems intent is more important as there really isn't a "volume knob" in there. yogani chose the words perfectly, "easily pick up the mantra".
as for unsticking mantra to breath, try speeding up like a clock ticking for awhile. you will find what is comfortable. keep reading, most answers are in the lessons. i have found them to be priceless.
honestly, all this is mind stuff we bring to our meditation. it will clear up.
happy sitting! |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2012 : 08:43:11 AM
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The technique is this (the genius lies in its simplicity): easily favoring the repetition of the mantra when you realize you are off it. It is a fluid process, not a static one.
Any other additions to that simple procedure will add extra effort that will likely slow down the mind's journey to stillness. However, there are a few enhancements that can be added down the road once the initial practice has become stabilized--when there is sufficient inner silence present. But, first things first. 
Godspeed in your inner travels. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2012 : 09:00:10 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by makingthesaint
as for unsticking mantra to breath, try speeding up like a clock ticking for awhile.
FYI, the above suggestion would be an added effort that would complicate the procedure. If the mantra naturally synchronizes with the breath, that is fine. But there is no effort on our part to either synchronize or disentangle it from breathing. The only effort comes in the favoring of the mantra's repetition.  |
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MyEmptiness
Germany
3 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2012 : 04:02:32 AM
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hey everybody. thank you for your answers.
@karl:
"There is no requirement to synchronise the mantra to the breath. Also there is no need to break it down into separate syllables.
Just breath normally and gently put your awareness on the mantra. Repeat it as AYAM with no emphasis or meaning."
Although I feel that there is no effort on my side, i (naturally) syncronize AYAM with my breath.
However, I can see your point. Maybe I naturally / unconscius broke it down into seperate syllables, just because I thought it has to be that way. I will observe my AYAM in my next meditation sessions.
Thank you so far.
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Edited by - MyEmptiness on Feb 20 2012 04:27:48 AM |
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MyEmptiness
Germany
3 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2012 : 04:08:08 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bodhi Tree
quote:
Originally posted by makingthesaint
as for unsticking mantra to breath, try speeding up like a clock ticking for awhile.
FYI, the above suggestion would be an added effort that would complicate the procedure. If the mantra naturally synchronizes with the breath, that is fine. But there is no effort on our part to either synchronize or disentangle it from breathing. The only effort comes in the favoring of the mantra's repetition.
You just described my meditation:) I feel no effort. It just happens.
But I think that karl's standpoint is very interesting (and right). So we'll see what happens next:) |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2012 : 06:18:06 AM
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If it 'just happens' then that is right. Your query was 'how it should be said'. It should be gently favoured and allowed to go where it will.
I think of the Mantra like a balloon on a string. Just the slightest awareness of holding it in, let the hold be so gentle that it is at the point of slipping through your fingers. Every so often you will loose the balloon, once you realise it has floated off then just gently pick it back up.
When you stick with it rigidly, bending your will to hold it in focus it takes a lot of effort. Although there are still gains to made, it is easier if you just relax, not minding what happens to the mantra.
Another way of thinking about that is like being on a bicycle, sometimes it goes fast downhill, sometimes steady, sometimes slow uphill, just let that happen as it will. Sometimes you notice you have stopped pedalling, then just easily come back to it.
I am saying exactly the same as Bodhi Tree, even if it seems different. It's more down to our personal descriptions. If the mantra is following the breath then that's fine, as
Ong as there is no conscious effort to do so. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2012 : 08:23:37 AM
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| Beautiful! We are all in tune and on time. Karl, I posted on your thread about the elusive silver thread. http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....IC_ID=11079. It is very similar to what we're jiving about here in this thread, especially your bike metaphor. It's important to remember how our mind needs to know (if only vaguely) the beginning and end points of our trek, lest we get fixated on the pace, pedaling, or spinning of the wheels. |
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how to speak the mantra in meditation
