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Matt_The_Infinite
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2014 : 2:16:17 PM
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Hello everyone,
my name is Matthew, I'm from Birmingham, AL. I began practicing AYP daily for about 80 days ago roughly, and it's been an interesting ride. I ended up here because I realized that it was up to me to change myself 2 years ago, after I sort of had a breakdown/identity crisis and realized it's up to me to become the man I want to be. That led to me reading up on Buddhism and meditating irregularly, until this March when I read a book called "Supernormal" which talked about the altered state of mind known as Samadhi. That got me curious and led me down a path which ended up with me reading a book on Jhana/Samadhi called Focused And Fearless (advocated a breath-focused concentration meditation) which I followed for 2-3 months until I read Autobiography of A Yogi which led me to follow up on Kriya Yoga, which ultimately led me here!
I've had a few interesting experiences (vibrations in the root when i do SBP and DM consistently, and one time the back of my right knee started vibrating and felt really, really good lol)
I've been lurking the forums for a while, but recently i've gotten very frustrated with my practice. I've experimented with Sambhavi and Mulabandha, but I don't feel any sort of sexual sensations when i do it, so I'm going to focus on doing just SBP, DM, and Samyama till the end of the year, and then re-evaluate myself.
Anyway, that's my intro, my reason for posting is related to why I began my pursuit of spiritual evolution, Savikalpa Samadhi. Has anyone had any experiences they mind relating to attaining that state while practicing AYP that they mind sharing with me?
It's basically my big milestone I want to achieve in my spiritual practice, my desire/bhakti is to reach the point where I can enter that state at will so I can better concentrate on becoming a better man.
Sorry for being long-winded, and it's nice to meet you all! |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Sep 03 2014 : 4:55:34 PM
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Welcome Matthew
Your experiences are typical and our paths are atypical. My advice beyond my WELCOME! is to surrender and enjoy the passing scenery, do it twice a day, and when uncomfortable dial back on the gas pedal. So what if it doesn't feel sexual right now, sure enough that will change, and then change again. Say "how about that" and Godspeed ahead |
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adishivayogi
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Sep 07 2014 : 4:59:50 PM
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definitions vary. i feel most people come to the consensous that savikapla samadhi is that state when all awareness in near bregma, almost like ur being pushed up agaisnt the top of your skull. head expands to feel like it is several miles, hudreds of miles, thousands, infinity . eventually this grows into breathlessness/pulselessness. some lineages define savikapla samadhi as when all your prana becomes fixated in the center of the head and there is no perception of anything (body/mind/breath)just what i feel is an infinite placid lake of god. then you can push yourself thru bregma at some point(atleast im told, i dont know that by experince) and that is mahasamadhi. its all just words though. the states grow into each other. just keep doing kriya(or ayp; thats a type of kriya too however). lahiri said doing doing some day done. by imbedding ones focus into the sushuma the goal can be achieved. i will give you some advice if you bring focus to center of eyebrows. make sure you dont exit thru ur mouth and travel alongside of face. i feel many dont notice this when doing ayp so they just get face samadhi(bad joke?). id try to go a little higher into the brain n then focus will want to divert into the eyebrow area bc its easier for energy to escape there than it is for it to reach bindu v. and/or bregma. |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2014 : 09:34:37 AM
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Hi Matt. The conditions come and go. Samadhi isn't something you attain, its something you experience. Real samadhi only comes when you've let go of the desire to get it.
Anyhow, welcome, I admire your bhakti! |
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Anima
484 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2014 : 12:11:26 PM
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Welcome, Matthew
Sounds like an awesome and fundamental goal.
Not long-winded by my standards at all!
peace and love |
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Will Power
Spain
415 Posts |
Posted - Sep 09 2014 : 3:12:17 PM
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Hi Matthew!
Perhaps you meant Nirvikalpa Samadhi or Sahja Samadhi. I understand that the definion of Savikalpa Samadhi is a transient state and therefore not the goal, but a step towards the goal.
I totally disagree with you, Tonightsthenight. If there is no desire then there are no spiritual practices and in most cases nothing is reached (the same state of consciousness is experienced). With an ardent desire, you'll get up earlier to do your practices, practice twice a day and eventually you'll experience it. It happened to me in 2010 for the first time after two weeks of twice a day intense kriya Yoga practices following Ennio's book.
I suggest reading Yogani's book on Bhakti and devotion (continuous flow of desire).
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2014 : 09:04:03 AM
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quote: Originally posted by Will Power
Hi Matthew!
Perhaps you meant Nirvikalpa Samadhi or Sahja Samadhi. I understand that the definion of Savikalpa Samadhi is a transient state and therefore not the goal, but a step towards the goal.
I totally disagree with you, Tonightsthenight. If there is no desire then there are no spiritual practices and in most cases nothing is reached (the same state of consciousness is experienced). With an ardent desire, you'll get up earlier to do your practices, practice twice a day and eventually you'll experience it. It happened to me in 2010 for the first time after two weeks of twice a day intense kriya Yoga practices following Ennio's book.
I suggest reading Yogani's book on Bhakti and devotion (continuous flow of desire).
You're right Will, I shouldn't have been so curt. Matt's bhakti should be admired and emulated.
However, pining after a certain state of samadhi won't get you to your goal, and that is not bhakti. Its a fine line between the two, sometimes.
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krcqimpro1
India
329 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2014 : 12:14:25 PM
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Hi All,
The whole thing is a big paradox ! All scriptures, all teachings,tell you in very convincing language that if you take up this or that kind of spiritual practices sincerely and seriously, these or other great things will happen to you. But the majority of people find that little or nothing of what is "promised" happens. We must be clear that, whatever anyone might say,-- "it is the jet-route to nirvikalpa samadhi, or to "constant ecstacy",....,etc., it is a very long journey with hardly any scenery for most people. With most people it will take numberless life-times ! Unless you have already done most of the "labour" in previous lifetimes. Still, enlightenment, if it happens in whichever lifetime it does, is "only the first 'baby' step". There are many more steps to climb, each one more arduous than the previous ! Remember, it is all a "game" for the Almighty, and you bet he has made it the most complex game you can ever imagine. The best way is to have faith that such and such is the right method, and just keep at it till the end...whenever that may be.
I would urge all AYPers to read Dr. Michael Newton's "Journey of Souls" and "Destiny of Souls". They were real eye-openers to me.
Krish |
Edited by - krcqimpro1 on Sep 11 2014 12:18:36 AM |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2014 : 1:20:10 PM
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quote: Remember, it is all a "game" for the Almighty, and you bet he has made it the most complex game you can ever imagine. The best way is to have faith that such and such is the right method, and just keep at it till the end...whenever that may be.
I always suspected S/He had a sense of humor! |
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krcqimpro1
India
329 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2014 : 12:20:28 AM
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Yes ! He/She/It is perfect ! Can you expect anything less ?
Krish |
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Matt_The_Infinite
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - Sep 17 2014 : 4:02:00 PM
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Hey, thanks for the replies everyone! I'm just chuggin along with my practice. Things have been happening since this past sunday, felt this crazy mild but good feeling tingling that made staying still during DM freaking hard. (I had so much energy i was practicing my punches and stretching trying to get rid of it haha)
Gonna go check out that book Destiny of Souls too, sounds interesting. Looking forward to being more involved here from now on. |
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SuperTrouper
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - Jan 05 2015 : 10:30:07 PM
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I've experienced it only a couple times.
At the time, I'd been practicing asanas, pranayamas, and internal mantra meditation ("japa", like is practiced here) each day for about an hour each morning, and would meditate after work occasionally as well, it's the same stuff that's on this website, except the source was a textbook from Bihar Yoga Bharati on systematic yoga practices. I slowly began increasing my practice time and after about 8 months also began trying to be aware that I was aware at all times while I was awake during the day. After about a month of trying to maintain awareness, which I think Buddhists refer to as vipassana meditation, along with my normal standard of practice, and occasionally meditating to and from work on the bus as well, I suddenly had an other worldly meditative experience on two consecutive nights.
I was meditating on my mantra, which at the time was "om", though I don't think it actually matters, it was just what I picked. My focus was gentle, subtle, and intent, and as the time passed the thoughts interrupted less and less (which were few already at that point because of my practices for the months preceding), until there were no thoughts. Except I didn't realize there were no thoughts until after this whole experience when I came out. And I continued on meditating and meditating. I relied on a timer, so I never really thought about checking the time. It always just went off at whatever I set it (usually 30 min). At a certain point of being completely uninterrupted, just me and my mantra, I faintly heard a sound, like it was coming from the distance. Without thinking about it, my attention shifted from the mantra to the sound. When I did that, I perceived the sound as getting louder, and it sounded like a buzzing. Until it got so loud that it sounded like my head was in the middle of a very active behive. It was at that point that the thought entered my awareness, "Where is this coming from?" And immediately I started to become pulled out of meditation. Except that instead of just opening my eyes, it felt like energy was rushing downwards and out from my spine, enlivening my nerves, before I could see/feel/hear/smell again and I slowly became aware of my surroundings. It was a surreal experience. I stood up and went to the hallway in the basement of my parents house where I lived (I was 21) and as I was standing there, I suddenly had the feeling that my mom was going to call me up for dinner. And then a few moments later she did.
The next day after work, the same thing happened. Except this time as I was listening to the buzzing sound, it eventually started to recede. And then it faintly became replaced with a different sound. It sounded like chimes off in the distance. As I continued focusing, the sound grew, and it sounded like beatific, celestial music. It didn't have any rhythm or melody, just notes being played in succession. The only instruments that I could compare it to are wine glasses being played, or the "Armonica" (glass harmonica). And then the same thing happened, the thought suddenly cropped up "Where is this coming from" and I began being pulled out of meditation. For several days afterward I experienced unusual, almost disturbing psychic phenomena, but it gradually faded.
The coursebook I was using at the time had me change up my practices every 3-4 weeks, and when I transitioned away from mantra-based meditation, I never again experienced these states. I slowly quit meditating altogether for a few years until my life felt completely out of balance. And I have thusly picked up the practice again, using AYP's techniques and guidance. I think I'm a long way from experiencing this state again, but the progress I feel I've made in 2 short months gives me hope. However, I don't wish to practice nearly as intensely as I was when I was a fairly brash and reckless young guy (I'm 30 now.)
So, my advice is to keep on keeping on. You'll get there. The one thing I learned most about getting where I'd gotten is to trust your intuition. It will intimate to you what you need to do (or not do) in order to keep the pace on your progress. Intuition is very self-serving in that respect. I suppose it acts as the beacon home, and gets stronger as you get closer. |
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