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catrynn
Ireland
68 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 08:23:31 AM
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Hallo everyone.  I am new here but I find already that there are many like minds here for me! I have been looking through the Course and found myself getting slightly lost with all the new terms and one part seeming to lead to another which may be some lessons down the road. I just wondered if anyone had ever done something like a Mind Map showing how all the various parts interlink together. Tony Buzan was good at showing how to do this. I found it invaluable when topics had plenty of parts that interlinked in different ways.
I have come to the Course from the Self Realization Fellowship. I have followed that for three years but found that the techniques did not quite work for me and often left me tired and tense. In fact I seem to have got ill enough times to make me rethink what I was up to. It was in this spirit of enquiry to find a practice that I could actually do successfully, that I was led here. I was so struck by the clarity, openess and warmth that I have decided to give this a go. In this information and self-help age, this is exactly what I was looking for.
Blessings to all who have prepared the way for us and to all who are here on this way.
Catherine |
Edited by - catrynn on Apr 17 2013 08:35:23 AM |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 09:02:08 AM
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Welcome Catrynn,
the main directory and topic index might be helpful to familiarize with the terms as they are introduced throughout the lessons. There is minimal terminology introduced, since the focus is on easy and clear learning of advanced concepts, and practice. The course or lessons listed on the website are the two volumes of the Easy Lessons books. There are also the Enlightenment Series which as well come in audiobook or electronic format (which makes it easy to quick-search terms, ideas, or phrases), each of which introduces one topic at a time according to the subject in the title.
A mind map I imagine would usually have a set of relationships between different concepts. Which parts of the course do you think a mind map would be helpful in? The bit of terminology introduced is more self-contained and universal to other writings. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 09:36:33 AM
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Welcome to the AYP forums Catrynn!
We have what we call the core practices that includes Deep meditation, spinal breahing and to some (not all) samayama
We start with deep meditation and then once we get comfortable with it add spinal breathing. This is the true core practices. To this, then many enhancements can be added.
Here is a lesson on the summary of the practices:
Lesson 204 - Summary of principles, abilities, and practices
The best thing to do is to read from the beginning : http://www.aypsite.org/10.html
I know it can seem confusing at first, but once you start reading and you will get the idea of how the lessons are laid out. Hope this has helped a bit.
Let us know if we can help some more.
PS: This lesson gives an example of a "Moderate "full plate" routine:"
http://www.aypsite.org/209.html
But it takes a while to build up to that. And many may never do all of it or some add all of it and then just move back to the core set of practices.
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catrynn
Ireland
68 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 10:43:27 AM
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Thank you very much Shanti for giving me some guidance. I found lesson 204 very interesting indeed but of course I am far off that at the moment.
Thank you too AumNaturel. I think mindmaps could help all parts of the course. as our brains very quickly take in their colours and patterns and images. Pages of words are actually not so easily taken in by the brain. Try it for yourself. Put a big circle in the middle of a sheet of paper with AYP practices written in it and draw lines outwards like the hub of a cart wheel. At the end of each line write a practice and circle it. Put big circles round the important ones and even number their circle beginning with 1 for the most important. Link the most important with lines between the word circles. See what happens. Of course colours and images can be used as well. Its just a help for the brain really and would answer such questions such as 'Where does Bhakti come in? - and Asanas? and Mudras?'... If we see Bhakti linked to Meditation or linked to everything, Asanas linked to spinal breathing or whatever practice it relates to, we get the idea very easily. For instance in that Lesson 204 there are lists of things. What is important? Try a mind map just of the practices on it - just the names- and see if you can relate them - which parts belong with which, which are important. Of course this might not be your way of doing things at all so feel free to pass on it! I am only suggesting it for initial clarity. That's all. Perhaps someone has done some. |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 11:31:13 AM
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| You might also want to have a look at the book form of the Volume 2 (Lesson 385) that include a chart with the main practices and relationships between them, as does a similar version in The Secrets of Wilder novel. I am more clear about what you mean with mind maps with respect to the lesson concepts. I have personally used them and other more graphical representations at times in trying to understand other difficult or highly abstract concepts (eg. translations of Eva Wong), or even at school. To me, they are equal part a learning method in creating them yourself as a possible teaching tool. Either way, thank you for the suggestion, and as Shanti mentioned, do post if there are other questions or further ideas in working with the lessons. |
Edited by - AumNaturel on Apr 17 2013 11:32:09 AM |
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kami
USA
921 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 12:16:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by catrynn
Its just a help for the brain really and would answer such questions such as 'Where does Bhakti come in? - and Asanas? and Mudras?'...
Hi Catherine,
Welcome to the forums!
Great questions, and already great advice from Shanti and Aum..
Where does everything fit in? The short answer is that eventually, it depends. All practices support each other.
1. Bhakti. In order to come here (to be interested in this path), there is the necessity for bhakti. Bhakti is not to be understood as a sappy devotional path, but as described in these lessons, the desire or draw towards practices, this type of literature, satsangs, etc. All of these stem from wanting to know something about existence/God. It can also masquerade as curiosity in some cases ("Is there something beyond this?"). Bhakti drives everything else. It is the first building block. Bhakti can be also the predominant path, where the core practice is surrender. This appeals to those who are primarily emotional by nature. However, surrender is hard to "do" as a stand alone practice - meditation and other practices help open us up to surrender more and more deeply.
2. Spiritual practices. There are innumerable practices out there, as you already know. In general, there are two primary aspects of practices - cultivation of inner silence, and cultivation of the energetic side. The two go hand in hand, where inner silence eventually will lead to opening up of the energetic side, and vice versa. In AYP, we work on both aspects simultaneously and in an incremental manner.
3. Meditation. Meditation is the first core practice of AYP. It is recommended that this be taken up before adding on any other practices that cultivate the energetic side.
4. SBP. Once comfortable with a steady meditation practice, SBP is added. With this, there is exponential opening on both sides - silence and energy.
5. Asanas, mudras, bandhas. These are added to enhance 3 and 4 above. While asanas are practiced widely, in AYP, they are used to enhance the cultivation process. Mudras and bandhas are best added when already stable with 3 and 4.
6. Samyama. Samyama is the art of letting intentions, thoughts, desires go into silence, i.e., surrender. Samyama is added once the practitioner feels there is a certain degree of inner silence.
7. Self-inquiry Self-inquiry works best when there is enough inner silence cultivated via above methods. This is for "seeing through" illusion, including (some would say), the practices themselves. Like surrender and samyama, self-inquiry can be a difficult and frustrating stand-alone practice.
So, it seems to be a vicious cycle - bhakti drives practices, practices give rise to silence making samyama and self-inquiry effective, these two intensify bhakti and other practices.. What comes out of this mix is true karma yoga in daily life - of doing and letting go. And peace with all that is going on at the moment.
If you have been on this path, bhakti is what is driving you. If you are eager to start a practice, deep meditation is the way to go (along with asanas, if that is appealing to you), while simultaneously reading through the relevant lessons. You will find that the other incremental practices (SBP, asanas, mudras, etc) will "call" to you..
Hope this helps (even though it isn't a pictorial. )
Love,
kami |
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catrynn
Ireland
68 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 12:54:40 PM
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Thank you everyone! I am completely amazed how quickly my questions have been answered with such clarity from you all. I think this is one of the strengths of AYP - the sharing of experiences by everyone. It is wonderful! Thank you AumNaturel for your comments. I haven't got the books - I have the e-books. Perhaps those diagrams could be put on the site somewhere? Kami your post was really clear - although being new it took me a while to realize what SBP was  ! I found it all very helpful and your turn of phrase was pictorial enough to make up for the lack of images. Thank you. |
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yogani
USA
5242 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2013 : 4:58:00 PM
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Hi Catrynn, and welcome!
Here is a link to the practices chart that is in the AYP Eight Limbs of Yoga book. It is the same one AumNatural is referring to, which is also in AYP Easy Lessons Volume 2.
As several have pointed out, it's best to take things one step at a time, and the lessons are set up for that. The Enlightenment Series books are more modular, with most of them taking one category of practice at a time. How it all fits together is dependent primarily on the practitioner's inclinations, though there is a "baseline" structure that is suggested throughout the lessons and books.
Wishing you all the best on your continuing path. Practice wisely, and enjoy!
The guru is in you.
PS: Asanas (postures) were not included in the chart because they can be taken up at any time. Their role is discussed in the Eight Limbs book, the Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas book, and elsewhere in the AYP writings.
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catrynn
Ireland
68 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2013 : 05:05:54 AM
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| Thank you Yogani. I think that I need to look at the Eight Limbs book really. I gather you put it all together there. When I have finished Spinal breathing and Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas books... Not to mention the Lessons! I will get there eventually having learned the wonderful tool of self-pacing. Perhaps it is only that I got into a mess before that I can now really appreciate this tool |
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A map of the course
