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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 24 2013 : 06:10:52 AM
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Hi Kami
yes over here too no more dramatic PMS since 2 months....and the menses are less and less since 1 year |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Mar 16 2013 : 12:26:47 PM
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this month before full moon i decided to do 90 minutes of Thai massage...cause quite frankly i dont like oil on my body nor feeling greasy
in short Thai massage ROCKS....not only oil is not used but also it is much more powerful...personally during a massage i like to be "grinded "and the oily massage were not only oily but also too gentle (at least for me..off course each one has different preferences)...The masseuse uses her elbows ,her feet, the weight of her entire body ...so the massage is really deep and i enjoy this "pain"
i noticed few things:
1.when she massaged my inner thighs i felt so sad and had tears rolling on my checks for several minutes
2.when she massaged my upper body,the back,arms,shoulders,neck ...i would automatically do ujjayi breath..it was powerful exhalations from the nose/throat,heavy breathing and release....so i had around 30 min to 45 min of continuous ujjayi breath
also till now i dont feel at all the urge to resume sitting practices...still feel that my body has enough kundalini to deal with
really looking forward for my next Thai massage  |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2013 : 3:14:10 PM
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Ahh the moon..
In the last few months, I've noticed an interesting phenomenon - appreciate input from anyone else noticing anything similar (or any hypothesis)..
There are no more emotional upheavals. But, typically about 2-3 days before the full moon, there is excessive soma and copious amrita. There is nothing I can do - stop practices, ground, change diet, etc. In fact, heavy foods make it a lot worse (potatoes, starchy things exacerbate it greatly), and I have to eat much lighter, skipping meals to deal with the blown up belly. The air/bloating can be aided a little by practicing nauli, but never abates fully. The amrita is greatly intoxicating, especially because bhakti also seems to escalate with all this. Within a day or two of the full moon, the buddha belly subsides and it is back to business as usual..
The super moon yesterday gave a new meaning to buddha belly.
Anyone else has this happen?
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2013 : 3:56:44 PM
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quote:
But, typically about 2-3 days before the full moon, there is excessive soma and copious amrita.
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quote:
Within a day or two of the full moon, the buddha belly subsides and it is back to business as usual..
are both happening over here too...headstand helps in the bloating
but eating heavy still helps me a lot ....i dont skip meals even if i dont feel a big appetite
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Zanyan
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2013 : 6:39:58 PM
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I'll have to pay more attention to the moon cycle next month, but I posted last week about having "Buddha Belly" to an uncomfortable degree during my meditations. I replied to a post on the same thread this morning saying that it had subsided over the last couple of days, but then I realized while reading your post that I had only done the most minimal of meditation routines yesterday and the day before because we were traveling.  . This morning, I noticed the soma in the belly/solar plexus rising but to a minimal degree.
Now you have me curious.  |
Edited by - Zanyan on Jun 24 2013 8:00:11 PM |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jun 24 2013 : 8:20:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Zanyan
I'll have to pay more attention to the moon cycle next month, but I posted last week about having "Buddha Belly" to an uncomfortable degree during my meditations. I replied to a post on the same thread this morning saying that it had subsided over the last couple of days, but then I realized while reading your post that I had only done the most minimal of meditation routines yesterday and the day before because we were traveling. . This morning, I noticed the soma in the belly/solar plexus rising but to a minimal degree.
Now you have me curious.
A-HA!!
Maybe you, Maha and I suffer the same full moon-big belly syndrome, Zanyan.
Do either of you have any theories? High tide? Gravitational effects?
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2013 : 03:59:20 AM
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| duno lol...it is just happening with full moon |
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Zanyan
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2013 : 3:48:57 PM
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| I don't know either, but I'll be sure to pay attention to the phase of the moon and any manifestations now. Sounds like fun . |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2013 : 9:35:00 PM
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| I am so grateful for this thread. I have been suffering for the last few days. Today, I was thinking there has to be someway to balance these energies out; I log on, and here's this thread. So thank you ladies, I need the help! |
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whippoorwill
USA
450 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2013 : 11:01:44 PM
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The belly is ballooning over here too!  . Ballooning moon = ballooning belly? Maybe we should pursue this question scientifically. |
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whippoorwill
USA
450 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2013 : 11:19:54 PM
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Hi lalow33!
(((HUGS!))) The full moon and the menses provide lots of opportunities to observe and let go. A lot comes up during these times for me, and it seems especially intense when they coincide, which they do for me in the Summer. |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 06:46:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by lalow33
I am so grateful for this thread. I have been suffering for the last few days. Today, I was thinking there has to be someway to balance these energies out; I log on, and here's this thread. So thank you ladies, I need the help!
Hi lalow,
You're most welcome! Do share your perspective if you're drawn to do so. Looks like we are forming a sizable league of big bellied yoginis.
Love. |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 11:03:18 AM
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Right now, I feel like vibrating cement with pressure in my head. This cycle feels particular bad but maybe I'm just more aware of it now? Yesterday, I felt fiery with flashing seconds of pure rage. It reminded me of my mother's rage. Things would break when she got furious. Kinda scary.
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Zanyan
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 12:14:52 PM
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quote:
The belly is ballooning over here too! . Ballooning moon = ballooning belly? Maybe we should pursue this question scientifically.
This is what sounds like fun to me. Yesterday I downloaded an app to my phone that tracks the phases of the moon. I thought I could note the moon phase and the degree of Buddha Belly (or Balloon Belly  ) for scientific purposes, of course.  I'd like to keep it casual, because I don't like to put too much emphasis on "the scenery," but I find this connection very interesting.
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 12:44:45 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by lalow33
Right now, I feel like vibrating cement with pressure in my head. This cycle feels particular bad but maybe I'm just more aware of it now? Yesterday, I felt fiery with flashing seconds of pure rage. It reminded me of my mother's rage. Things would break when she got furious. Kinda scary.
Hi Lalow,
This calls for some serious self-pacing. When you say cycle, do you mean menstrual cycle?
There is a reason why in the olden days in India (perhaps elsewhere too), women were asked to do nothing but relax during menstruation. The high energies arising during menstruation were held in great respect, that they could cause overload in everyone living under the same roof. Hence, the advise was to not cook (where those energies could permeate the food everyone ate), etc. Unfortunately, it came to be misunderstood to mean that a woman was "dirty" or "impure" during periods and she was made a temporary outcaste.. Such is the dilemma of incomplete knowledge..
Of course, this sort of isolation is not possible in these times. However, by staying in tune with what is going on, I find that I'm just not inclined to do any practices for those 2-3 days, and tend to isolate myself kind of naturally. But, this was not always the case - menstrual and moon cycles had no effect on me until about a year ago. Thereafter, for some months, I experienced overload and discomfort if I used to push through with practices during menstruation. And it is no longer imperative to stay off practices - if I feel inclined to sit, I do, and it makes no difference.
It is all constantly shifting, and it is best to go along with it, IMHO.
What is your current practice routine?
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 1:01:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Zanyan
quote:
The belly is ballooning over here too! . Ballooning moon = ballooning belly? Maybe we should pursue this question scientifically.
This is what sounds like fun to me. Yesterday I downloaded an app to my phone that tracks the phases of the moon. I thought I could note the moon phase and the degree of Buddha Belly (or Balloon Belly ) for scientific purposes, of course. I'd like to keep it casual, because I don't like to put too much emphasis on "the scenery," but I find this connection very interesting.
Hi Liz and Zanyan,
Actually, it is true that more information on these phenomena is direly needed. There is so much information out there on yogis and the alchemy of sexual and GI essences in the soma/amrita process, but relatively very little in terms of the unique hormonal matters of yoginis. Although most teachers will say it is similar, no parallel can be accurate because during child-bearing years, pretty much every organ system in a woman's body is influenced by the monthly hormonal changes. A woman's body/mind is pretty much under the mercy of the glands, with imbalances causing all kinds of problems. Yet, there is not much known about the specific alchemical changes in a woman's system brought about by spiritual practices. Additionally, there is hardly any information on the effect of mixing practices and hormones that so many women are on (for birth control and hormone replacement) and take for granted.
All of this has been "swept under the rug" in yoga/spiritual traditions, with the primary focus being on men. Perhaps these kind of discussions will enable furthering the knowledge on the specific issues that yoginis face.
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 4:29:25 PM
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Hi Kami,
My routine is 5min of the most basic SBP and 20min DM. I attend 2 yoga asana classes a week and have a 20-30minute gentle home practice on the days I don't go to class.
I couldn't meditate yesterday because of the pressure in the head. I did do some light stretching to help the pain in my hips, nothing meditative, I even left the t.v. on. I did feel a little better, but later on last night I was sitting on the porch listening to my headphones and my body starts doing its on dance (some sort of undulation) and here comes the mantra as a shimmering light. I've had that happen once before when I tried to skip a day. So I'm not sure if I meditated yesterday or not.
Trying to do zero practices today. Wearing spikenard oil, and it's helping.
Thanks again! And I did mean menstrual cycle. |
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whippoorwill
USA
450 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2013 : 5:49:58 PM
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Hi lalow! What, specifically are you doing to ground the energy? This might sound weird, but when it gets intense for me, I put my forehead on the ground. If I'm outside, I lay on my belly in the grass, propped up a bit on my elbows and with my forehead on the ground. If I'm inside, I do child's pose on the bathroom floor, which has ceramic tile and is usually quite cold. Walking is great. Really heavy exercise is great. Sticking your hands in the mud is great. Advil is great.
Hi Kami! You mentioned eating potatoes to try to ground through a heavier diet but, according to Amadea Morningstar, potatoes are sattvic if they're not fried to death. I wonder if tamasic foods like meat, onions, or refrigerated leftovers would be more grounding.
I agree, there's not nearly enough good information on spiritual practices in relationship with the female hormonal cycle and in relationship with an artificially regulated hormone cycle.
Hi Zanyan! I agree it's all scenery, and I know what you mean about wanting to keep it casual. But I think it's fine to look closely at what's happening within the body. (I have a moon phase app too. ) I see a difference between closely observing a phenomenon and making a big story out of it in which we become the main characters. Know what I mean?
Love!
--Liz |
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Radharani
USA
843 Posts |
Posted - Jun 27 2013 : 02:42:59 AM
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| I've been having "Buddha belly" off and on to a disturbing degree since around January, but in my case I don't think it is related to the moon or amrita or anything, but rather perimenopause, illness, stress and excessive eating and drinking. Since moving into Lothlorien House on June 1 it's actually decreased somewhat and the last few days, with the full moon, hardly noticeable. I've been eating much lighter since I moved and have lost 5 pounds. Being perimenopausal my cycles are completely crazy and no longer in synch with the moon. This last one occurred on the new moon and was only 15 days! Now that you ladies have pointed it out, though, I am interested to pay attention and see whether or not there might be any correlation with the lunar cycles as time goes on. |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Jun 27 2013 : 11:07:33 AM
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Liz,
Thanks for the tips. I have clay, so I can mix it with water and make my own mud. I'll do that today.
I can now look back and see the warning signs that I ignored and will try to be more aware in the future. Bhakti + non-harming = balance |
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Zanyan
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - Jun 27 2013 : 1:27:04 PM
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quote:
Hi Zanyan! I agree it's all scenery, and I know what you mean about wanting to keep it casual. But I think it's fine to look closely at what's happening within the body. (I have a moon phase app too. ) I see a difference between closely observing a phenomenon and making a big story out of it in which we become the main characters. Know what I mean?
Haha! Yeah, I know what you mean, Liz. Thanks for making the distinction between close observation of an experience and creating a story about it - so true!.
kami - Thank you too for the encouragement to do a study (with an N of 1) with regard to moon cycles and manifestations of spiritual practice. The kundalini experiences in my body have not followed the pattern expressed through the ages, and I had begun to suspect that part of the reason that is true is because I'm a woman. I'm glad to contribute any information I can to help flesh out the yogini experience of kundalini.
Radharani: I'm in peri-menopause, so I've only had two periods in the past 8 months, but the last one, which began mid-April, lasted a whole month. Needless to say I had to self-pace big time during that one. I was also under a great deal of stress at work, so I'm sure that contributed to the crazy length of the period. I bought the book recommended here on a different thread that I found by searching "menopause": New Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way by Susan S. Weed. I'm applying the suggestions which seem right for me, which have proven to be very helpful. I've always been very sensitive with regard to my hormone cycles, and to the cycles of the moon. Somehow, I didn't connect meditation experiences to the moon, though the connection to triggering overload during hormone/menstrual cycles has become quite clear.
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Edited by - Zanyan on Jun 27 2013 1:31:24 PM |
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seek123
India
12 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2013 : 08:13:11 AM
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. This is not my zone but may be, you will laugh at my research findings. Enjoy anyways.
I initially moved ahead to other threads after reading this one but this issue of connection between moon and women's issues lingered. I did a little survey to find out help if any. Here's my report -
1) Lady 1 (She is a social scientist working with a large NGO). She said, primitive men used full moon to double advantage. One, there was enough (moon)light to hunt at night so they could safely venture out and secondly, they also had peace of mind as their women could be left without suspicion of adultry back home (moon light worked for them). It is possible that full moon played a part in influencing their hormonal cycle overtime. 
2) Lady 2: (She is biotechnologist with a WHO funded research organization) She said, There has been some research to find connection between hatching of tortoise eggs and moon cycles. The graph shows maximum hatching on full moon nights. Can there be a link between ova eggs and full moon  Dunno. 
3) Lady 3 : (A yogini minded person with deep devotion to God) She said, Purush Sukta says "Chandrama manaso jataha, chakshu suryo ajayata . . " meaning, From the mind of the Purusha (God), moon was born and Sun, from His eyes. Connection between mind and moon is well known. She added that connection between mind-in-a-sensitive-state because of resonance between new spiritual state vibration and moon cycle vibration is less known.
Dont know if that helps . God bless all. |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2013 : 12:52:14 PM
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Thank you Seek.
Yes, the association between moon cycles and many events in nature are well-documented, including the behavior of several animal species. Don't know about adultery - wonder if that just demonstrates the pitiable insecurity of human males?
The Purusha Suktam, an ancient Rig Vedic hymn, is the description of the manifestation of the Universe from Ishwara. The way I've thought about that verse is that the life-sustaining, self-luminous sun represents the self-luminous Atman/Consciousness, that which illuminates the mind. The mind cannot exist without Consciousness, just as the moon only reflects the sun's light. Purusha, the primordial Seer, "creates" the sun (Consciousness in all sentient beings) from His eyes and the moon from His mind (a projection of maya, illumined by Consciousness).
The association between the moon and disorders of the mind is well known.. Including legends of supernatural powers obtained cyclically with the moon's phases (werewolves and all)..
The association between menstrual cycles and mental disorders is also well known. In the olden days, "hysteria" was the term used for it; the popular thinking at the time was that women afflicted with it had the unusual condition of the uterus (hystera = uterus) moving about in the body. That theory has been debunked, happily. The image of a uterus running around is a tad disturbing, I'd say!!
The question still remains about the association of spiritual practices, openings, and shifting sensitivity to both the moon and hormonal cycles. Perhaps it is just a matter of becoming more attuned with those changes that were there all along and were just not noticed due to thicker layers/veils covering or obscuring perception.. As those veils start thinning, we just notice what was already there.. Just a theory.
All theories are welcome!!
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BillinL.A.
USA
375 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2013 : 1:36:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by kami
wonder if that just demonstrates the pitiable insecurity of human males?
No doubt about it Kami...when I'm more lustful I'm more egotistical and insecure. |
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winovy
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2013 : 10:13:59 PM
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| You may find it revealing to study Astrology and Tarot in the context of the moon and female cycles. Within the Tarot is a card titled "Moon" and it is specifically interpreted to apply to cycles, spiritual consciousness, intuition, and female mysteries. Then again in Astrology the moon rules Cancer, which is a cardinal/water sign. This means that it is a very powerful feminine sign. When the sun enters cancer on the longest day of the year (summer solstice) then darkness begins to increase as the feminine mystery unfolds. Nine months later a baby is born, which is the beginning of spring. The entry point of the masculine cardinal/fire sign Aries. The moon moves through the signs every two days making a full cycles in 28 days, which is an astrological month. You can easily observe the moon's influence on shifting perspectives by noting personality changes in yourself and others corresponding to the moon sign moving every two days. I'm an Astrologer and an Intuitive reader and I mention this because I think you may find your moon/menstrual/mystical correlation in myth rather than science simply because myth is the science of the future. Science can only count on its fingers so therefor can't figure an equation until the parameters are recordable through objective measures. |
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Dynamic sensitivity to practices?
