|
|
 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
SongAndWind
USA
5 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 24 2012 : 12:45:33 PM
|
Hello everyone,
I have recently been experimenting with adding sambhavi into my practice routine, but I am finding that in SBP my eyes are drawn downward and in, rather than up and in. Bringing them up to the brow doesn't pose a physical problem, but is somewhat of a distraction as opposed to their natural tendency. I notice a similar stimulation of the third eye whether they are up or down.
Should I work on forming a new habit of looking upwards, or will allowing their natural movement downwards produce the same results without the inevitable "clunky phase"?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks! |
|
|
LittleTurtle
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2012 : 5:53:11 PM
|
| Sambhavi sort of has it's own phases. You can start by focusing between the eyebrows but as strain comes or a feeling of needing to shift the gaze then you may drop the focus to about mid nose of tip of the nose for a time then back up again. Sort of like when you find yourself off the mantras then you just go back to it again. You will find after a time that sambhavi will feel very natural and comfortable like your eyes just naturally want to go there. A little bit of effort without strain will get you started and then you can experiment with comfort. |
 |
|
|
Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2012 : 6:11:08 PM
|
Hi SongAndWind,
if the physical eyes look upwards, the energies within the body rise up. There are some other points where the eyes can look with different effects.
Looking upwards is a physical method to move subtle energy to the third eye and crown area.
If you just practice SBP without any mudras or bandhas, then sooner or later they will arise too. Over the mid run, your eyes will start looking to exactly where your attention and the inner pranas are. In the short run, due to abstructions in the path way, the eyes may look to different places, down, left, right, up, even changing dynamically until the energy flows freely in all those areas and then the eyes will stabilize looking upwards.
If you favor this consciously through physically looking upwards while practicing SBP, then this will help accelerating the process. But you would find it out by your own over time too. So this is just a hint to make it clear and easier for you right from the start. |
|
|
|
SongAndWind
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 2:18:54 PM
|
Thanks LittleTurtle and Holy for the quick responses! Both of you said some things that helped me smooth out my practice. I thought I would wait until I really felt comfortable with the new direction my practice was taking before posting an update.
quote:
Originally posted by LittleTurtle
You will find after a time that sambhavi will feel very natural and comfortable like your eyes just naturally want to go there. A little bit of effort without strain will get you started and then you can experiment with comfort.
quote:
Originally posted by Holy
If you just practice SBP without any mudras or bandhas, then sooner or later they will arise too... If you favor this consciously through physically looking upwards while practicing SBP, then this will help accelerating the process. But you would find it out by your own over time too. So this is just a hint to make it clear and easier for you right from the start.
Your advice helped me realize that I had jumped into sambhavi a little too soon. Well, not too soon, but with too much fervor, perhaps. I was creating so much distraction, thinking about "are my eyes in the right spot?", "they should be up, but it feels good with them down" etc. that I was not allowing them to really do what was natural. I was so hung up on making sure they were engaged in some sort of sambhavi at all times, that I couldn't devote myself to the complete practice I was attempting! Eventually this became quite a distracting fixation, and my eyes would habitually turn up or down whenever I closed my eyes, which prompted me to post this topic.
My solution is, during the couple minutes of settling down before beginning SBP, I make sure my eyes are completely relaxed while closed. Then I do my best to leave them completely alone, and begin SBP. It took a while, but the habitual movement is all but gone, and I'm trying to let the breath take the lead in my SBP. When I get it right (happening more and more often!), sambhavi as described by Yogani in the lessons just sort of happens, like both of you said it would. When this occurs, it seems as if anything can happen! It also feels great!
Thanks for helping me clear things up! |
|
|
|
AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 2:38:24 PM
|
| Good to hear the update, and what you've done (and undone) to help it along. |
|
|
|
LittleTurtle
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - May 03 2012 : 4:57:11 PM
|
Hey thanks for the update and glad to hear of your progress.  |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| AYP Public Forum |
© Contributing Authors (opinions and advice belong to the respective authors) |
|
|
|
|
Sambhavi Question
