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Bourgo
USA
57 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 09:07:28 AM
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Hi all, I had a quick question about exactly when to add the first mantra enhancement.
Yogani says this in lesson 116 (I think): "If we have smoothness and good depth in meditation with I AM, we can think about moving to the first enhancement."
I was looking for some clarification on the underlined portion. Most of the experienced/advanced posters here seem to argue that you should not worry about the "depth" of meditation sessions, etc. because it is not an indicator of progress. However, here, Yogani specifically mentions depth in meditation as an indicator of progress...... so I am wondering what exactly this means? How do I gauge when to add the first enhancement?
I have been meditating about 4 months now, but I'm not sure what anyone would consider "deep" in terms of meditation. Are there signs of different depths of meditation? How can I tell?
I have tried 1 meditation session with SHREE IAM NAMAH, with no ill effects or odd symptoms. The only thing I can say is that the mantra "fell away" fewer times than normal during that session. I would say that I normally find myself in thoughts and have to come back to the mantra probably about 20 times per session with IAM, and with SHREE IAM NAMAH, I probably "got lost in thought" and needed to come back to the mantra only 10 times. Those are rough estimates, but you get the point.
What should I do? Thanks!! |
Edited by - Bourgo on Apr 24 2012 09:08:02 AM |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 10:22:55 PM
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You're a precise one, Bourgo. Like me. 
All I can share is from my personal experience, in which I prematurely advanced to the first mantra enhancement. I had only been meditating two months, I think, and I started doing as much AYP practices as I could. Enlightenment!--full speed ahead! But then I realized I was spinning my wheels and trying to accelerate to a warp speed, when in actuality, I lacked the necessary fuel to maintain such an ambitious pace. The fuel, of course, is abiding inner silence--within and outside of meditation.
It's good though, right?--because the enthusiasm is an expression of bhakti. But bhakti needs wisdom, honesty, and acceptance of where we're at on the path, as well.
You may indeed be ready to introduce the first enhancement, but if you're wondering what "smoothness and good depth" means in relation to both the DM practice and the presence of inner silence in your life, chances are that you may want to find that depth and smoothness via the baseline mantra. But again, I have no idea.
It's kind of like being in love. If you've ever been smitten with someone (or something), you don't really have to ask: am I in love with this person? You just know.
The same could be said of DM practice and progress. You'll just know. It'll be a solid, gutteral affirmation coming from within--rather than a desperate or delirious attempt to chase the ever-elusive enlightenment. You know in your heart and in your gut.
There is much to be said about the virtue of patience. Obviously, bhakti/devotion is the necessary ingredient to cook up the stew of enlightened living, but faith, trust, and patience are part of the recipe as well. All in good time.
Godspeed, amigo!  |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 11:09:41 PM
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| "Just knowing" is also what I rely on primarily. I find the mantra to have subtly become smoother a bit without necessarily rattling in the background (except when I lose my center momentarily). It has more of a faint impulse behind it now, as opposed to earlier when it was mentally vocalized in a rather 'loud' way. Maybe it was my excessively clunky transition from silent breath to mantra, or a real type of refining over the year of using it, but I prefer to stick with it still and not try an enhancement. When it is time, I think I will 'just know,' perhaps by slipping off the mantra too quickly too often (good depth). |
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cosmic
USA
821 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2012 : 11:19:42 PM
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Hi Bourgo 
I agree with Bodhi that you will know if you're experiencing depth and smoothness in meditation... it's experiential and not something you can take another's word on.
For some, it can take time to re-sensitize yourself enough to know if you're experiencing inner silence or not.
If you have any doubt, I'd suggest waiting on the mantra enhancement until there is clarity. The first time I ever tried a mantra enhancement, I figured I was beyond ready because I had been practicing AYP for 4+ years. But it turned out to be too much, and it took me another 1-2 years before I could maintain the first enhancement.
But we are all different, so you must trust your bhakti and intuition. If there's any doubt, better to chill for a bit and try again later.
Best wishes
AUM [img]icon_heart.gif[/img] |
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Bourgo
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 08:37:52 AM
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All good advice. Thank you.
Maybe I will wait a bit. The reason I question my "readiness" is because I really have no "symptoms" of any of my AYP practices...other than increased calmness and control in daily life. My increased calmness is obviously paramount, but when I say "symptoms" I mean, I've never felt the need to self-pace because I was over- or under-doing my practices. Now maybe this is just inexperience talking, but if you have no indicators that you can judge from, it's difficult to be confident in your conclusion to push forward or slow down a bit. That said, I could either interpret my lack of "symptoms" as my being at just the right level of practices constantly....or that I am just very slow to progress....or any number of other negative interpretations.
I realize I am probably over-analyzing (which can be a bad thing), but I am a research scientist and it is inextricably my nature.
Thanks all for the help and replies, I'm so fortunate to be a part of this wonderful community. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Apr 25 2012 : 6:07:28 PM
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Increased calmness......a sure sign of progress and proof that DM is working!
We're riding this blissful cosmic wave together. Great job, Bourgo! |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 05:08:07 AM
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Dear Burgo,
I would suggest that you "spike" up your practices a little by adding some mudras and bhandas first if you have not already done so. It is easy to add or remove those if they lead to overload. Mantra takes time (months) to settle in - like river erosion, has to keep flowing in the same groove. Changing mantra often - not good.
Sey |
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Bourgo
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 08:49:04 AM
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Thanks Sey!
I am currently doing:
1. An abbreviated set of Asanas (I just introduced this)
2. 5 minutes of Spinal Breathing
3. 20 minutes of meditation
4. Samyama for 5 minutes
I do this twice daily, morning and night, and I make sure to do it outside whenever the weather is nice. If anyone hasn't tried to do their practices out doors, I recommend they give it a try....it is wonderful. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2012 : 11:23:17 PM
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Meditated outside today beside the water and the setting sun. Radiant and beautiful when I opened my eyes.
Of course, pure bliss consciousness is radiant whether we're indoors or out.
May our glimpses turn into ever-expanding panoramas. Previews into full movies. Quests and yearnings into fulfillment. |
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lostandfound
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Nov 10 2012 : 8:37:02 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bodhi Tree
You're a precise one, Bourgo. Like me.
All I can share is from my personal experience, in which I prematurely advanced to the first mantra enhancement. I had only been meditating two months, I think, and I started doing as much AYP practices as I could. Enlightenment!--full speed ahead! But then I realized I was spinning my wheels and trying to accelerate to a warp speed, when in actuality, I lacked the necessary fuel to maintain such an ambitious pace. The fuel, of course, is abiding inner silence--within and outside of meditation.
I'm new here, and I found this post while searching for an answer to my problem. I've done that exact thing you described - went from I AM to SHREE SHREE I AM I AM before I should have.
I'm wondering...what did you do about it?
Did you go back to the original mantra or did you carry on with the enhanced version?
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Wafu
United Kingdom
76 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2012 : 04:31:42 AM
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Hi lostandfound,
If you are experiencing any difficulty with the new mantra enhancement then the advice is to return to the initial mantra, rather than persevering with the first enhancement.
Since posting the original lessons on the mantra enhancements, Yogani has offered an alternative to SHREE SHREE I AM I AM, which is SHREE I AM NAMAH. I found this to be a more stable and comfortable mantra than SHREE SHREE I AM I AM, which led to a excessive amount of energy building up in the head. NAMAH resonates in the heart and helps open up the pathways for energy to move into this area. Maybe you could consider trying this mantra next time you feel ready to add an enhancement.
All the best |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2012 : 4:25:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by lostandfound
I'm new here, and I found this post while searching for an answer to my problem. I've done that exact thing you described - went from I AM to SHREE SHREE I AM I AM before I should have.
I'm wondering...what did you do about it?
I went back to baseline mantra of I AM, with very good success. |
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Rinaldo
Italy
47 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2012 : 09:10:45 AM
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just to be ready in the future... "shree" is like three?
and namah, is like nama-ste but with "ah" in the end right?
Thank you^^
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Edited by - Rinaldo on Nov 18 2012 3:40:47 PM |
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Wafu
United Kingdom
76 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2012 : 3:23:21 PM
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Hi lostandfound,
If you are experiencing any difficulty with the new mantra enhancement then the advice is to return to the initial mantra, rather than persevering with the first enhancement.
Since posting the original lessons on the mantra enhancements, Yogani has offered an alternative to SHREE SHREE I AM I AM, which is SHREE I AM NAMAH. I found this to be a more stable and comfortable mantra than SHREE SHREE I AM I AM, which led to a excessive amount of energy building up in the head. NAMAH resonates in the heart and helps open up the pathways for energy to move into this area. Maybe you could consider trying this mantra next time you feel ready to add an enhancement.
All the best |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2012 : 4:29:46 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Rinaldo
just to be ready in the future... "shree" is like three?
and namah, is like nama-ste but with "ah" in the end right?
Thank you^^
Exactly. Of course, in "SHREE", the "SH" is pronounced as it is in the word "should" or "shore" or "shrimp". The "th" in "three" is a different sound. |
Edited by - Bodhi Tree on Nov 18 2012 4:30:32 PM |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2012 : 03:19:30 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bodhi Tree
the "SH" is pronounced as it is in the word "should" or "shore" or "shrimp".
Bodhi Tree, are you sure on that? Because, whenever I have heard shree, in real or telemedia, mostly the pronunciation has been like as in 'Sidney' or 'simple'. 'Shree' is used in our language as an word (mostly as a prefix to a name to show respect, somewhat like Mr. in English, and in the puja mantras, shree also means beauty and has some other usage also) and it is pronounced as i said, like 'simple'. However, what struk me after reading your post is, the way it is written - the starting letter still indicates 'sh' as in 'should', like you said. Now the pronunciation might have changed and deviated from the original way through the evolving course of language over the centuries, and people being unaware of the purpose could only help the deviation.
Bad thing is I do not know anybody in India who can guide me to the correct pronunciation specifically for the spiritual path. Any input on this will be very helpful.
Much love ... |
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Rinaldo
Italy
47 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2012 : 03:58:17 AM
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| the best thing would be if yogani make an audio with all the mantras... for people who are not american:)so no more doubts!! |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4514 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2012 : 04:41:51 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Swan
quote:
Originally posted by Bodhi Tree
the "SH" is pronounced as it is in the word "should" or "shore" or "shrimp".
Bodhi Tree, are you sure on that? Because, whenever I have heard shree, in real or telemedia, mostly the pronunciation has been like as in 'Sidney' or 'simple'. 'Shree' is used in our language as an word (mostly as a prefix to a name to show respect, somewhat like Mr. in English, and in the puja mantras, shree also means beauty and has some other usage also) and it is pronounced as i said, like 'simple'. However, what struk me after reading your post is, the way it is written - the starting letter still indicates 'sh' as in 'should', like you said. Now the pronunciation might have changed and deviated from the original way through the evolving course of language over the centuries, and people being unaware of the purpose could only help the deviation.
Bad thing is I do not know anybody in India who can guide me to the correct pronunciation specifically for the spiritual path. Any input on this will be very helpful.
Much love ...
Hi Swan,
Bodhi is right, the SH in Sanskrit is pronounced the same as in English. So Shree is the same as Should or wash.
The EE part is the same as the English See or Been.
I just looked up the meaning in the dictionary and it seems to be "One who is mingled with radiant light" when used as a prefix for a name.
Christi |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2012 : 05:20:24 AM
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| Christi, thanks a lot. That is very helpful. It turns out that when I tried the mantra enhancement previously, the pronunciation (I mean the subtle repeatation) was not done in the best way. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2012 : 5:34:26 PM
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| English can be a tricky language because letters don't always represent the actual phonetic sounds of pronunciations. But when English transposes a word from another language (like Hindi or Sanskrit), the goal is always to be as phonetically representative in the letter choices. So, having not heard the actual audible version of Yogani's teaching, I am relying on this principle of phonetic interpretation. |
Edited by - Bodhi Tree on Nov 21 2012 4:41:53 PM |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2012 : 07:28:32 AM
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| Cool, thanks for sharing Bodhi Tree |
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lostandfound
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Nov 24 2012 : 06:49:10 AM
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Thank you, Wafu and Bodhi Tree!
I actually started using the alternate modification of SHREE I AM NAMAH.
It feels right, so I'm staying with it. I've learned my lesson to not rush the process.  |
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yogani
USA
5242 Posts |
Posted - Nov 24 2012 : 4:04:30 PM
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Hi All:
After all this time, I finally added MP3 audio clips in the online lessons where the base mantra and enhancements are introduced. You can find them here:
Baseline Mantra (I AM): Lesson 13
Mantra Enhancements (alternate approach): Lesson 369
The original mantra enhancement lessons are linked in Lesson 369, and audio clips can be found in those lessons as well.
It should be emphasized that mantra pronunciation is a starting point for our meditation and it should not be clung to during our sittings, or analyzed too much during or outside meditation.
The purpose of a mantra in deep meditation is to naturally bring our attention to stillness. In doing so, the mantra will be lost and easily favored again when we realize we have not been thinking it. Part of this process can be changes in pronunciation, rhythm and clarity of the mantra, all which are perfectly normal during the process of meditation. The experience of the mantra during meditation will change according to the process of purification that is occurring within us. Subjective experiences of "shallow" or "deep" during meditation are not an indicator of the progress of our meditation. How we feel outside meditation in normal daily activity is the best measure of our meditation. Over time with daily practice we will notice symptoms of "abiding inner silence" coming up in our life -- more peace, creativity and energy.
While meditating, as we go back to the mantra when we realize we are off it, we easily pick it up where we left off, which may not be a clear pronunciation, rhythm, etc. It can become very faint and fuzzy. So these audio clips are not representative of what the mantra will be at all times during our meditation -- only a starting point. Once we start, it is our unique process of purification and opening occurring, utilizing the specific procedure of meditation with the mantra at whatever level of manifestation it may be in our awareness at the moment. We remain very easy about it, starting the process and then letting it go with the simple procedure that naturally allows our attention to settle inward.
One of the reasons I held off for so long on including audio clips in the online lessons for the base mantra and enhancements (I AM has been in the Deep Meditation audiobook from the beginning) has been to avoid tempting people to fixate too much on a sound coming from outside. It has always been about encouraging everyone to engage their own internal process of deep meditation with the procedure provided. So once you are clear about your starting point with the mantra, let it go inward naturally and avoid digging the mantra up for mental analysis too often, during or after meditation. As we have said time and again, over-analysis can be a detriment to our practice and results -- "analysis paralysis."
It makes me cringe a bit when these long discussions on mantra occur in the forum, because that is an external evaluation, and not very conducive for going within, which is a very intimate process occurring in us. So the hope is that these audio clips with put to rest the public examinations of the AYP base mantra and enhancements that sometimes occur. Probably not ("open source" strikes again!), but at least you have my two cents on the subject.
That said, I think most are doing very well with the written instructions. For those who need some extra clarity on mantra pronunciation, the audio clips are offered. And if anyone has been using different pronunciations than in the audio clips, not to worry about it. The most important thing is results in daily activity. If life is getting better, you have got the right mantra.
All the best on your continuing path. Practice wisely, and enjoy!
The guru is in you.
PS: If you have been to any of the referenced lessons recently, you might have to refresh the page in your browser to get the current version with the audio clips.
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Nov 24 2012 : 5:09:40 PM
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Bravo, Yogani, bravo! 
Cringe not, for anyone that undertakes Deep Meditation will soon recognize the malleability and dissolving quality of these inner sounds.
Global unification through consistent and persistent techniques! |
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Adding the first Mantra Enhancement
