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OmDivine
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 26 2013 : 5:09:44 PM
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Hi,
I have been practising Spinal Breathing Pranayam for a few days and I love it and have a question.
Do I visualize the spinal nerve from the outside or do I visualize it from inside the tube of the nerve?
I hope this makes sense.
Chris |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Jul 26 2013 : 7:58:46 PM
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If you can perceive it directly, you don't have to visualize it. But if you can't perceive it directly (which is totally OK and natural in the beginning!), then you can gently imagine the nerve as a tube or ball of light. What's important is that you don't strain. Also, the spinal nerve can be something you feel more than see. There are many, many ways it can be perceived, and the character and quality will change depending on the purification and opening occurring.
The sushumna is the super-highway of the inner world, and the spinal nerve is the vehicle and seat of consciousness which traverses that channel. The spinal nerve is playful and can take on a life of its own. We have the choice to direct it with breath and awareness, so it's a good partnership that's formed. That's what spinal breathing does.
So don't worry about trying to capture some exact image. Let your mind relax and your inner senses will naturally attune themselves to the nerve, which is like the spotlight of awareness, designed for you to explore.
Peace be with you. |
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bewell
1275 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2013 : 07:24:44 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by OmDivine
Do I visualize the spinal nerve from the outside or do I visualize it from inside the tube of the nerve?
Hi Chris!
Thanks for your question.
I have been reading the AYP SBP book. In his SPB teaching, Yogani's uses of the notion of "inside" in different ways. First there is the basic "how to" instruction:
"...keep tracing up and down with our visualization of the spinal nerve that goes from our perineum root to the center of our brow, inside the center of our spine in-between." (emphasis mine, p. 18)
Presumably here, the visualization is from an outside perspective, looking in, but the meaning is left ambiguous, with room for another perspective. Habitual SPB visualization practice can lead to a direct experience of a "feeling realm" or an "inner dimension". Thus Yogani also writes:
"How could such a tiny nerve become so big? It is the essential nature of our neurobiology. Our nervous system is the doorway to vast inner space. More than that -- it is the doorway to unimaginable peace, intelligence, energy, ecstatic bliss and divine love. All that inside a tiny nerve." (emphasis mine, p. 18)
Bodhi Tree has done a very nice synthesis of the teaching, IMHO. A post that rewards re-reading.
Be |
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2013 : 12:08:17 PM
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Hi OmDivine,
in the beginning you may need to visualize the sushumna nadi more from the outside. (variant 1)
After some months/years if you can: go yourself as the seer into the spinal nerve, like travelling through its inner space together with breath, feeling and visualization from within. When you reach the perineum, you as the seer with the mental and later astral percetion are there (and not the seer up in the head and the feeling down). In the same way, going up, you travel the spinal nerve from the inside and you like in an elavator land at the third eye. (variant2)
If you can bring it to this intensity of going into the central channel, the effects and results will be beyond scale in comparison to the outer visualization. All the energies enter the spinal nerve if you yourself enter it aswell.
According to the experience here, the first variant is more smooth, more easy and causes less strain on the body and mind. The second variant causes some heavy strain and may result in very strong instant spontaneous kriyas of the body and mind. If these do dominate the scene, then it may be better to go with the easier first variant. After some more months the pathway may be free enough for the second variant.
The second variant will develop all the inner perception faculties very fast and you may soon discover that you are not the body aswell.
Independant of any variant, may it be with visualization or without, may it be with looking/feeling from the outside or directly travelling through the spine, it is important to have the intent and to know, that you are breathing through the spinal channel.
The ideal habit is to again and again come back into the spinal channel whenever you notice you are moving out of it, as best as you can without straining the system.
It is natural to start from the outside and more and more go into the nerve with all there is.
Peace and happy practice :) |
Edited by - Holy on Jul 27 2013 12:22:48 PM |
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OmDivine
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2013 : 12:14:46 PM
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Holy, bewell, Bodhi Tree,
Brilliant answers. I am very grateful for your help 
As part of my practice I will return to what you have written several times.
Thank you so much
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arti
Christmas Island
18 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2013 : 6:28:27 PM
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| Holy how to ensure you enter sushumna, via intuition? :D |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2014 : 09:20:14 AM
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Hi, I have a similar question so I post it here:
I have been practicing spinal pranayama for some days and I feel that I naturally visualize the channel from the left, like If I was observing/tracing it from the left eye looking at the spine. Also, the breathing seems to happen more fully on the left side of the belly and chest, as if I was inflating the lungs using more the left side breathing muscles. I intentionally write "feel" and "seems" because I am really not shure if this really happens that way or if it is just the way my brain experiences it. Did ansbody experience similar things? Should I make some modifications? I will appreciate your suggestions!  |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2014 : 1:08:23 PM
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Great posts here from all, especially bewell, bodhi and holy.
Holy, I found your post very helpful. I've never actually tried variant two, visualizing from within the nerve, but just gave it a quick go, a couple passes, and it really blew my socks off.
Seems like variant 2 is a very powerful version. I might give it a try tomorrow and see what happens. |
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2014 : 2:08:28 PM
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Hi arti,
sry have overseen this thread :P Just have the intention to breath through it, intuitively know, you are in it. Over time you will experientally see. A good hint is to watch the nostrils, when you move within the sushumna nadi, both nostrils will open up.
@Ecdyonurus
is your left nostril also more open while this kind of breathing happens? It is here the same, if one of the nostrils is more open, then also attention moves more to that side of the sushumna nadi. If you come back again and again into the sushumna nadi, this will balance itself out. It may happen after some more breaths, it may take days, months, depending upon your concentration, slowness of breathing, daily practice, upon the amount per sitting practice and also depending upon your lifestyle. Lazy life styles will have more dominating left side activity, active life styles more right side. But the life style also balances out when by the practice you hit the central channel ;) When it was too lazy, it will change into active, when it was too active, it will change into more lazy and over the midterm it will be a balanced kind of living. This is not static, changing along the time, depending on the karmic release in those days, weeks and months. Just keep it up, balance will come :)
@tonightsthenight
if you can give it a try for 1-2 weeks and then back off :) it will most probably be needed anyway :P But you will learn quite something about spinal breathing :) Just to make it complete, variant 2 is not my own understanding alone, it comes from Gurunath, someone who has practiced this kind of breathing a little bit too much :P It was 2009, he was asked if one should practice it from looking at the outside, he then answered, that you yourself should go into the sushumna nadi and travel it up and down. 1-2 years later a similiar question came, he answered in the same manner. After doing it that way for some time, you will know why it must be so, but before it is not so clear :P Still breathing while looking from the outside does also a lot, travelling through it just does a lot more, but maybe too much aswell :)
Peace and happy practice to all :D |
Edited by - Holy on Jan 09 2014 2:40:33 PM |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2014 : 3:36:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Holy
is your left nostril also more open while this kind of breathing happens? It is here the same, if one of the nostrils is more open, then also attention moves more to that side of the sushumna nadi. If you come back again and again into the sushumna nadi, this will balance itself out. It may happen after some more breaths, it may take days, months, depending upon your concentration, slowness of breathing, daily practice, upon the amount per sitting practice and also depending upon your lifestyle.
Hi Holy, very interesting, thank you!
I have to observe the nostrils, I really can't say which one is more open when I start the pranayama.
In the last months I observed the nostrils often since I wanted to verify what I read about the nostrils shift during the day and in certain situations (stress and activity vs. beeing calm or even lazy). I noticed subtle shifts, and also that it is possible to balance both nostrils by concentrating on the blocked one.
I will observe the nostrils before, during and after spinal pranayama and post what I find out.
Again, thank you - I really appreciate! |
Edited by - Ecdyonurus on Jan 09 2014 3:38:47 PM |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2014 : 12:47:01 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Holy
Hi arti,
sry have overseen this thread :P Just have the intention to breath through it, intuitively know, you are in it. Over time you will experientally see. A good hint is to watch the nostrils, when you move within the sushumna nadi, both nostrils will open up.
@Ecdyonurus
is your left nostril also more open while this kind of breathing happens? It is here the same, if one of the nostrils is more open, then also attention moves more to that side of the sushumna nadi. If you come back again and again into the sushumna nadi, this will balance itself out. It may happen after some more breaths, it may take days, months, depending upon your concentration, slowness of breathing, daily practice, upon the amount per sitting practice and also depending upon your lifestyle. Lazy life styles will have more dominating left side activity, active life styles more right side. But the life style also balances out when by the practice you hit the central channel ;) When it was too lazy, it will change into active, when it was too active, it will change into more lazy and over the midterm it will be a balanced kind of living. This is not static, changing along the time, depending on the karmic release in those days, weeks and months. Just keep it up, balance will come :)
@tonightsthenight
if you can give it a try for 1-2 weeks and then back off :) it will most probably be needed anyway :P But you will learn quite something about spinal breathing :) Just to make it complete, variant 2 is not my own understanding alone, it comes from Gurunath, someone who has practiced this kind of breathing a little bit too much :P It was 2009, he was asked if one should practice it from looking at the outside, he then answered, that you yourself should go into the sushumna nadi and travel it up and down. 1-2 years later a similiar question came, he answered in the same manner. After doing it that way for some time, you will know why it must be so, but before it is not so clear :P Still breathing while looking from the outside does also a lot, travelling through it just does a lot more, but maybe too much aswell :)
Peace and happy practice to all :D
Hey Holy, I tried it this morning. Was so intense I quit the spb after a couple minutes and went straight to med.
I wonder if two minutes of version two can replace 10 minutes of version one?
I already do that I guess w the mantra. I can't tolerate 20 minutes once a day, but I do use the enhancement with no problems as long as I keep it to 10 m once a day.
I suppose this would be similar, a more powerful practice but a shorter practice time. What do you think? |
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2014 : 09:05:52 AM
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Hi tonightsthenight,
it is more efficient for sure. Regarding relations to the other variant, depends upon the concentration and continuity of concentration :P
To my experience efficiency is not the only factor, more important is if your body-mind can handle it or not. If variant 2 with 2 mins would do what variant 1 does in 10 minutes, but if your body-mind would not be able to digest variant 2 but easily variant 1, what is better? For me variant 1 would be better in that case. I've become a friend of overall effect rather than efficiency, still if a more efficient variant is doable with overall good effects, than surely it would be the better choice :P Ultimate efficiency, do nothing, get everything :D What we are doing is somethign inbetween, but in the end the body-mind must digest it.
Coming again to your question, you have one disadvantage if you do 2 mins variant 2 instead of 1 and that is the amount of oxygen and prana moved in the body-mind which adds to a healthy and balanced body-mind functioning very much. Mantra meditation and concentrated spinal breathing can fastly become unhealthy, at least it is here the case. But if it works for you, why not :)
Still variant 2 is where it goes to over the long term, if you do variant 1 in very high amounts, you will automatically land in variant two. this gives the hint aswell.
Happy practice with what works :) |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2014 : 07:49:11 AM
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| Hi Holy, after observing the relationship between dominant nostril and visualization side In SBP I found out a couple of things: first, when I start SBP there is no clearly dominant nostril at all (the breath circles on the pocket mirror are more or less identical); second, I discovered that I can chose to start SBP by visualizing the spine from the left side or from the right side, so it seems to be a matter of choice; and third and most important to me, I noticed that wether I start visualising from the left or from the right side, after 2-3 minutes I end up visualizing in the center. I wanted to let you know that I found your words helpful! |
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Visualizing the spinal nerve
