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Wafu
United Kingdom
76 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 21 2013 : 03:43:13 AM
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Hello all 
I would like to share a question with you, in the hope that some out there will be able to shed a little light on a puzzling observation.
Recently I relocated from a smallish but busy town in south east England (Canterbury) to a very quiet and rural village in North Yorkshire.
Since moving there has been a pronounced difference in the state of my inner experience, both during practices and throughout the day. To put it as simply as possible, I experience a great deal less ecstatic energy during practices, and in whatever else I am doing. But the discrepancy is much more noticeable while I am practising.
To illustrate the difference, I have begun to incorporate 2-3 rounds of Yoni Mudra Kumbhaka per session to coax more energy into my practice. Before my move I was unable to perform YMK without experiencing uncomfortable overload symptoms. I also do not feel the need to rest much at the end of practice, 5 mins is usually enough compared to the 10+ I am used to.
My current routine is: 10 mins SBP, 2-3 rounds YMK, 20 mins DM, 10 mins Samyama, 5-10 mins rest.
Could anyone suggest what underlying principle may be responsible for the experiences I've been having? My feeling is that there is a reduced intensity in the ambient energy/field of consciousness due to there being generally fewer souls living here, and there is somehow less energy "available" here.
Love and thanks |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2013 : 04:29:59 AM
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| Wafu, while I do agree that different areas definitely seem to have different energy fields that can be felt in meditation I would disagree that a more populated area would tend to feel like a stimulus to inner energy sensations. Many traditional yogis have chosen to live away from people in remote mountain caves as ideal places for practice. There may be a number of factors here. One might be that if you are used to living in a more stimulating atmosphere then living in the country may make you bored and so less energetic feeling. It could also be a quality of that particular place or even the weather. Personally I have noticed in the United States that when I visit the east coast, particularly cities like New York or Philadelphia i may feel an increased external stimulation due to the activity around but I feel much reduced feeling of that inner energy that I have become accustomed to living on the west coast. The change for me seems to me to be the Rocky Mountains but also have felt that energy in eastern Canada more than in the east coast cities. This may be my own personal comfort zone but I perceive it as something more subtle yet tangible. I would just be attentive to these things when you travel and see for yourself. |
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Wafu
United Kingdom
76 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2013 : 06:57:47 AM
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Hi Victor,
Thanks for your reply! I agree that my observations seems to be contradicted by the habits of yogis who have sought out seclusion from society for their practice. But did they make this choice to be in the most spiritually uplifting environment from an energetic perspective, or was it to avoid the distractions from their path that living in society could present? I am not sure.
One thing I can be sure of is that it is not due to boredom. Even on days when I am quite busy and socially very active, doing things that I associate with feeling energetic, the bright and vibrant energy simply is not present to the same degree. Conversely, I spent many days sitting around doing nothing at all under my former living circumstances and often needed to take exercise in order to ground myself enough to be able to sleep well.
I am not made particularly unhappy by the reality of things as they are, although I confess that I do feel a little flat, and it feels that my practices are not having the tangible effects that they once were. As I have increased my practices in response to bhakti in the past, it now feels like bhakti drawing me to do more in my practices to compensate for the shortfall in my experience. It has made me very curious about the factors at play here. |
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Arman
Australia
47 Posts |
Posted - Apr 21 2013 : 12:13:47 PM
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I think there are more factors than we could ever consider. Population, weather, sealevel, astrological relativity, distance traveled, your hair colour, how many ants you stepped on that day, whether or not you can say 'she sells sea shells by the sea shore' ten times quickly back to back... and more 
As for the mountains, while I agree part of it is to avoid distractions, from my own experience, the difference between meditating in my suburban home and meditating in tall mountains is quite palpable. I had effortlessly found myself drifting into deep states when I was on a mountain and I think there is a thread where it seemed people were agreeing that the "energy" on mountains are higher. Whatever that means. |
Edited by - Arman on Apr 21 2013 12:59:28 PM |
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Wafu
United Kingdom
76 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2013 : 06:49:19 AM
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Hi Arman,
I have a feeling that your suggestion of multiple factors being involved is good intuition.
Your own experiences of meditating in the mountains illustrates what is possible. I will investigate this other thread you speak of and see what others have to say on the subject. The only difference being in my own case, I was not sitting in mountains when I found it comparatively easy to drift into deep states, I was in the bedroom of my old house.
I don't know if you are male or female and can relate to the comparison I am about to make, but I could liken my current experience in practices to the way I used to feel after a big prana drain following sexual release. It's a very noticeable difference for me. Actually I am doing quite well at conserving that energy at the moment, so I'm pretty certain it's not down to that.
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2013 : 2:08:19 PM
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| Have you moved to a low land area? Maybe experiment by going to some hills and meditating there just to see. Mountains always seem to be traditionally preferred. Or try by a stream or river. I suspect that it might have to do with ionization. |
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Wafu
United Kingdom
76 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2013 : 5:07:09 PM
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That's what I would have said in most cases, Victor. I used to work in a large air conditioned building and the air there was decidedly de-ionised. I noticed whenever I did practice on my break.
Except, I've moved to a higher altitude rural setting with much less pollution, the air here should be better if anything. I'm still stumped! |
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Leo17
USA
29 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2013 : 10:21:44 PM
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I have also noticed how environment plays into my energy levels. For example, I am from the Northeast in the more quiet and peaceful New England setting. I moved south to Florida for a year or so and was beyond overwhelmed by the energy of the people / city life down there. It wasn't exactly "good" energy.
I have since relocated home to New Hampshire and have been trying to re-adapt to a less hectic and "stuffy" energy. My only advice from my experience is to listen and trust your intuition. Try to have the wisdom to decipher the difference between energies and follow the one that overall feels best.
I have also devoted much thought to this. I realize I prefer a setting more in nature away from hustle and bustle. Hope this helps. |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2013 : 01:39:51 AM
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This could simply be a "country mouse' vs "city mouse" phenomena.
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2013 : 07:27:47 AM
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| Yes, too many factors to know for sure. Maybe you have graduated to "the next level", and the parameters are entirely different. Just moving itself shows there is a big change in your life. While it is not true that lots of people mean more energy, lots of people are drawn to where the natural energy is greater. Good or bad or both. Perhaps it is a time for more silence. |
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mikkiji
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2013 : 7:09:38 PM
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When I studied with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the mid-1970's, he ALWAYS preferred to have us be in the mountains. We had an ashram in the Catskill Mountains in the US, and when we moved to Europe with him to finish our training, we were in either the French or Swiss Alps. He also said that certain bodies of water had positive effects on meditation--waterfalls in particular, and bigger the better, and at one point was shopping for property for an ashram adjacent to Niagara Falls! In my extensive world travels, there are definitely some places that have different vibes, both during meditation and during activity. Volcanoes, especially active ones, have amazing power--the Big Island of Hawaii has remarkable vibes, and Crater Lake in Oregon, formerly Mt. Mazama, site of one of the largest eruptions ever in North America, has a vibe worthy of a special pilgrimage. There are other, "holy" spots with different vibrational qualities--The Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Vatican, the Acropolis in Athens, The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul are all places of immense spiritual power and influence. However, Maharishi also used to tell us that wherever we can think, even on a crowded city bus, we can think the mantra, and if we can think the mantra, then we can meditate...!
Michael |
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mr_anderson
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2013 : 08:35:41 AM
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It's interesting how the area effects you. In my family home in Dorset, UK we live in a valley, and it is often cloudy there. It's very isolated in the countryside. My meditations are never as deep or ecstatic there.
When I lived in an apartment on the 35th floor of an NYC apartment building, the meditations were very powerful. Something about being very high up definitely affected the experience. In fact, I always find living in elevated positions is more conducive to ecstatic spiritual energy.
Whenever I can, I live on the top floor of the building. |
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Influence of environment/surroundings on yoga
