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GregM
USA
51 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 07 2014 : 11:55:33 AM
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Hello,
Upon reading through a section in the book, "Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas" on... well, mudras and bandhas, I discovered that I had been incorporating some of the additional elements in my SBP sessions in a different order than what's recommended in the book.
I've been doing Sambhavi from the beginning (but not Mulabandha) and have just recently started sitting in Siddhasana. I'll likely back up a bit and stop doing the Sambhavi practice for now, but my experience with Siddhasana is that's it's quite easy to do and hasn't (as of yet) caused any instabilities or energetic surges that I can detect. So I feel no need to back off of that element. However, what Yogani says in the book gives me pause. It reads, "Siddhasana can take months to stabilize, and it is suggested not to add anything else until it becomes second nature".
The order recommended in the book is that Mulabandha and Sambhavi be added to the practice first and simultaneously, followed by Siddhasana some time months later. Is this why I'm not feeling the powerful surges he's insinuating? That by doing it out of sequence, I'm retarding my progress?
Thanks for any clarifications and/or insights... 
Greg |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2014 : 8:26:29 PM
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Hi GregM,
in my understanding, the order of taking on new energy practices isn't exactly preset. I've tried to incorporate them in the order they were introduced, but found that soon enough I'd be adding practices mentioned very late in the lessons. Some are reserved for later use, and the instructions indicate when this is the case. I believe this extra leeway is built-in so that practitioners can take advantage of what they are attracted to early on, and so are able to 'wear in' a steady baseline routine.
There's many elements at play when dealing with a system of practice. It may be that what is brought to the table plays a large role as much as how it is used, the skillful application of what's there. The doorway that did open when I first started reading the lessons was recognizing that these practices can be done no matter where you find yourself. There are no prerequisites so long as there's an inner seeking of some kind, an ideal, or devotion to something already there to always fall back on no matter the outcomes.
Some of the thoughts lately during practice can be "I sense no x, or see no y and z after so and so much time" and so each time convert that up to bhakti, like an offering in samyama, that such conditioned states and lack of stillness are signs of the very obstructions being worked on, so that otherwise x, y, and z might have already been here, and at once acting as transcending elements as opposed to stumbling blocks as scenic distractions.
Whether to keep sambhavi alongside siddhasana or not is up to how you feel about it. The simple suggestion out of the lessons is to give each practice enough time before adding more or scaling up. While on that topic, my impression is siddhasana and its tantra-enhancement is more for a very soft surface like a bed. I've talked to others who share my preference for hard and minimally padded surfaces like a folded towel or a yoga mat without back support, and having done siddhasana for some time decided to change to a hybrid alternative that incorporates siddhasana without the heel. This has worked quite well so far. So even there, plenty of leeway is made available right from the start. |
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GregM
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - Mar 08 2014 : 01:15:25 AM
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Ok, that's very helpful. Thank you.
As I was sitting down to do my SBP this evening, I decided to try the Mulabandha/Sambhavi bandhas to see how they felt. And it was awkward, as expected. But beyond that, it seemed as though the Mulabandha/Sambhavi combo was easier to hold on to during the Ujjayi exhalation than upon inhalation with the throat relaxed. I expect this is due to the similarity between the active/contractive effort involved in the locks and the Ujjayi.
So, my question is, are these bandhas/mudras to be held during both inhalation and exhalation or should I obey my natural inclination to release them during inhalation?
Thanks,
Greg |
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mathurs
United Kingdom
197 Posts |
Posted - Mar 11 2014 : 07:20:25 AM
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Hi Greg,
The bandhas and mudras are to be held gently throughout. If during SBP you realise that you have released them then you just engage them back again.
The awkwardness is replaced by comfort with more practice.
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Importance of following sequence?
