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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 24 2013 : 2:38:36 PM
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Although I've only recently been diving deep into yoga/meditation in the past year, its been on my radar for quite a while. One of the longstanding questions/thoughts I've always had were about the origins of these techniques.
How were they first developed? How did these people know they were doing the proper techniques to achieve the claimed results? I've yet to experience anything out of the ordinary, or anything I couldn't attribute to simple physiological responses or my imagination. Because of this (lack of) experience, it seems if these techniques are valid they take some time to kick in. How did the original practitioners know they were headed down the right path?
The techniques are in no way intuitive, so it's interesting to me where the impetus to even try these techniques came from, and the will to stick with them to see if they produced any results.
I should say that while open-minded, I still have a skeptical mind that questions everything. I was however drawn to yoga/meditation and AYP in particular due to the "direct experience" approach which is what I want and was looking for. |
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illkeepmysol
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2013 : 11:25:19 AM
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Ok. my answer is gonna get a lot of opposition by everybody on this forum..but here it goes..
God.. Metaphor for pure conciousness perception.
It's coded in your dna. Just surrender your thoughts, body, and mind self to spirit. Let go.
It's called a kundalini awakening. In the process of kundalini awakening, energy will move the body automatically. Theres tons of vids online of this happeninng. I'm experiencing it myself. I don't meditate. Meditztion techniqes are relaxation techniqes. Techniques won't lead to enlightenment. They will help along the path..but sadly everyone has this idea that the mind doing something like concentrating will transcend itself. It's logic honestly. I have experienced spontatneous meditation, postures, pranayama, shouting, laughing, crying, clapping, dancing, shaking, convulsing. It's surgery, purification, adn just the right amount. I also have developed a good intuiiton and I use it daily and it doesnt fail me. Try reading jivanmukti gita, or go to siddhantayoga.com |
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illkeepmysol
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2013 : 11:30:09 AM
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Here's a quote from the avadhoot gita
"The Self certainly does not become pure through the practice
of six-limbed yoga.
It certainly is not purified by the destruction of the mind.
It certainly is not made pure by the instructions of the teacher.
It is Itself the Truth.
It is Itself the illumined One." - Dattatreya, Avadhoot Gita, v. 48
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Christi
United Kingdom
4430 Posts |
Posted - Apr 24 2013 : 10:08:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Yogaman
Although I've only recently been diving deep into yoga/meditation in the past year, its been on my radar for quite a while. One of the longstanding questions/thoughts I've always had were about the origins of these techniques.
How were they first developed? How did these people know they were doing the proper techniques to achieve the claimed results? I've yet to experience anything out of the ordinary, or anything I couldn't attribute to simple physiological responses or my imagination. Because of this (lack of) experience, it seems if these techniques are valid they take some time to kick in. How did the original practitioners know they were headed down the right path?
The techniques are in no way intuitive, so it's interesting to me where the impetus to even try these techniques came from, and the will to stick with them to see if they produced any results.
I should say that while open-minded, I still have a skeptical mind that questions everything. I was however drawn to yoga/meditation and AYP in particular due to the "direct experience" approach which is what I want and was looking for.
Hi Yogaman,
Once kundalini is awakened, and a certain amount of purification has taken place you can directly feel the effects of practices. So you can feel what happens to the energetic body when you trace the spine with attention for example, or when you hold your breath with the eyes raised to the ajna chakra. You can also feel the effect that a mantra has on the body when it is recited internally.
So I don't believe anyone was thinking along the lines of: "This might work, I'll give it a go for a couple of years and see what happens?" It would all have been much more direct than that. Some things would have been worked out through trial and error such as how to approach the crown chakra. A few people must have got things wrong at first and warned others, just as they still do today. So gradually a body of knowledge is built up based on cause and effect.
If you are wondering how the first person awakened kundalini, that also would not be too difficult as simply being relaxed and paying attention can be enough to raise kundalini.
Christi |
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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2013 : 11:17:40 AM
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Interesting Christi. That's what I gathered, that sensitive individuals may have stumbled on to this and then refined the practice. I guess I have the question because after 3 months of twice daily practice, my meditations do not take me into any "deep" place nor do I have any kundalini experiences. In fact the vague experiences I do have are more diminished now that it was before.
While a I do sense a bit of the peace in daily life that is mentioned, so many here speak of kundalini energy that is very pronounced and distinct, "ecstatic conductivity", and Yogani mentions how one will know directly that the techniques are working. I've experienced none of this. I feel like I am doing it wrong. People speak of such distinct and specific experiences and for me any effects are so vague that I feel that they are little more than wishful thinking, or psychosomatic.
I suppose I'll have to take it "on faith" that the effects are just more readily accessible to certain individuals and they were the ones to explore and pass it down. Thanks. |
Edited by - Yogaman on May 01 2013 11:33:26 AM |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4430 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2013 : 2:54:46 PM
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Hi Yogaman,
Yes, some people are naturally sensitive and can feel more early on. But remember also that a lot of people who are reporting experiences in the forum have been involved with spiritual practices for more than 3 months, sometimes a lot more.
In terms of kundalini, personally I didn't experience anything that could be called "kundalini" until about 7 years after I began spiritual practices. I wasn't looking for it, and in fact had never heard of it at the time. So it found me. 
That said, there are things that you can do to move your practice forward. Developing a daily asana routine, using mudras and bandhas, etc. One thing that I found especially powerful was going on retreat, as it is possible to go a lot deeper in meditation in a retreat setting than it is in normal life. If I could I used to go on retreat 2 or 3 times a year.
Going to yoga classes is also helpful if you don't do it already as the group energy will have an effect on your own practice. If you can find a yoga class with an element of meditation this is even better.
One more useful thing that I have found is not to set your sights too high. To hope to experience some peace and stillness during meditation is a useful initial goal rather than striving for kundalini awakening or ecstasy. One of the beautiful things about peace and stillness is that when they come, you find that you don't want for very much more. Once peace is found in stillness during meditation there is more of a sense that things can come in their own time when they are ready. That is also the time that peace and stillness begin to overflow into everyday life.
Christi |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2013 : 3:55:08 PM
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quote:
In terms of kundalini, personally I didn't experience anything that could be called "kundalini" until about 7 years after I began spiritual practices. I wasn't looking for it, and in fact had never heard of it at the time. So it found me.
same over here...with one difference it took me 9 years instead of 7
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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2013 : 02:10:43 AM
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Thanks for the tips. I should clarify that I wasn't being anxious for dramatic effects here on this post, it was more in reference to my question about how the originators knew they were doing the right techniques. I can't imagine someone testing random techniques out for 7 years to see if they worked :)
On a side note, I have found the basic daily stillness and less distracted mind to be reason enough to maintain the practice. I plan on looking into asanas and yoga soon, and a retreat is most likely in the near future.
Thanks again! |
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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - May 05 2013 : 02:13:08 AM
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| Re-reading my previous post, I see that I did go into a bit of off-topic discussion on my personal experiences. Thanks for the reminder that while perhaps new to AYP, not everyone is new to spiritual practices. It can at times feel like one is the last in line :) |
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adishivayogi
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Dec 22 2013 : 4:35:27 PM
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| the adiyoga (given the name shiva) is supposedly the first yoga and the one who got closest to that possibility |
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Historical origins of yoga techniques?
