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Crowstick
United Kingdom
13 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 29 2014 : 02:01:19 AM
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| Hi there, I am having a problem with visualising and staying with the upward and downward tracing of the spinal nerve during pranayama. Does anyone else have this problem? Anybody found any techniques to help? |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2014 : 4:42:29 PM
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Hi Crowstick,
To be honest I think most people have trouble visualising the technique.
Can you feel it? Don't try, just relax into, it may start off with a visual and then change to a feeling or vise versa.
Let me know how that works. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - Sep 29 2014 : 5:35:04 PM
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It doesn't necessarily have to be a visualization. It can be a faint feeling, a sensation, a presence. Just easily favoring the sushumna (central channel) will do the trick. The spinal nerve can be perceived in many ways--sight, sound, feeling, taste, smell, or just vast space. It's like the microscope/telescope of consciousness...ranging from very small to very big. It's why you're able to focus on singular things, and then zoom in and out. It's also why you're able to dissolve into the unity of being, beyond division of objects or separateness.
Also, you could ask the question, "Where is the spinal nerve?" and release that question, without expecting an immediate, exact answer. Then you are settling into the nerve without trying to objectify or grasp it. Settling in is the key. The spinal nerve is the seat of consciousness. We're just settling into the cup which is holding the water of phenomena.
From the command center of the third eye, you can move it around. You can place your attention wherever you like. Inside, outside, big, small. No limitation. The spinal nerve is the vehicle of attention.
Hope this helps. Godspeed.  |
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krcqimpro1
India
329 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2014 : 07:41:18 AM
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Hi Crowstick,
I have responded to a similar query in another post by someone under another topic. I had the same problem many years ago. I got over it by taking a stick, about 12 to 14 inches long, holding it in one hand and tracing the spine from the outside(back) from the bottom to the point upto the neck on my in-breath, and using my imagination for the remaining stretch through the head to the third eye, keeping pace with the breath all the way as convenient. I repeated this with the out-breath on the way down.My attention followed the tip of the stick tracing the skin of my back all along. This ensured there was no break in the process of tracing the path with my attention as it was easy to "feel" my way up and down. After a few months of this I was able to discard the stick.
Krish |
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Mykal K
Germany
267 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2014 : 08:04:00 AM
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In my experience, just doing it without worry about if it's right or not, in time does the trick.
I think the intent is what matters, and that it's not a problem if you do not feel anything (or if you feel stuck or whatever). You can put it under 'scenery'.
That's how it was for me anyway.
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Crowstick
United Kingdom
13 Posts |
Posted - Oct 01 2014 : 11:29:26 PM
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| Thank you to all of you. All your responses are very helpful indeed and I have learnt some techniques and philosophies to help me develop this practice. Much love to all. You are all wonderful for taking the time to help me. |
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cosmic
USA
821 Posts |
Posted - Oct 02 2014 : 11:06:17 PM
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| I'm not a visualizer either. All that's really needed is for the attention/awareness to travel the spinal nerve. Seeing or even feeling the nerve isn't necessary. Simply moving the attention works quite well. |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2014 : 01:46:52 AM
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Does that mean that you guys never 'see' anything? That's a bummer. The subtle body and inner world (chakras and flow of energy in the shushumna and nadis) is so beautiful - distractingly so.
Sey |
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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2014 : 12:55:56 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by SeySorciere
Does that mean that you guys never 'see' anything? That's a bummer. The subtle body and inner world (chakras and flow of energy in the shushumna and nadis) is so beautiful - distractingly so.
Sey
I never "see" anything whatsoever. These kinds of descriptions of experiences make me feel like I am doing something wrong. Some say "oh, it's all very subtle", others like you say "dazzlingly distracting!" I'd love to have the confirmation and experience of the dazzlingly distracting imagery. I know it's supposed to be dismissed as "just scenery", but let's be honest here :) And I'd like to know more :)
But to speak to the original post, I never really visualized the spinal nerve all that accurately but eventually once the inner energy sensations kicked in, I can literally feel it so there is no need to visualize it any longer.
I tried to be very "accurate" especially at the beginning. As others mentioned, just be relaxed with it. When it kicks in, you'll think "oh, NOW I see how it goes". The same happened for mula bandha and sambhavi mudra.
I think you just need to condition the body to be able to even have the experience, so the general attention to the visualization is enough when starting out. |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Oct 06 2014 : 01:54:40 AM
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I get the general impression men are able to "feel" the energy more, whilst women "see" more. That is from talking to practitioners over the years.
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Crowstick
United Kingdom
13 Posts |
Posted - Oct 06 2014 : 08:33:04 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by SeySorciere
Does that mean that you guys never 'see' anything? That's a bummer. The subtle body and inner world (chakras and flow of energy in the shushumna and nadis) is so beautiful - distractingly so.
Sey
Sey, is it possible for you to describe in greater detail your above statement? How did you get to this point, was it a case of being able to go deeper as time went on or were you able to go into this state of consciousness from early on in a purely natural way? |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Oct 06 2014 : 12:14:49 PM
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It is all a matter of letting go. Just practice twice daily as often as you can and let go of expectation or wants and desires. You will get there.
Not everyone "see's" things.
Now this is just my experience over the last few months of being able to feel things.
I can feel flows of energy in my chakras now. The flow into the different chakras lets me know if it is a male or female. Sometimes depending on who is at a higher level the flows can changed. That is rare.
Depending on the being Ecstatic waves also do occur. You don't have to be in person to experience it. Chat seems to work well enough.
It is interesting in that when you have a group that gets together you sort of harmonize and automaticlly do a group meditation. Maybe not all groups... i am new but the few I have encountered it has happened.
Opening the heart is the first step.
Also, seeing is of the local mind. Your mind is interrupting what the light is sending. That is why you are told to ignore the scenery. With more progress and more universal mind the flows become a knowing, the exctasy is no longer exctasy because the feelings is the friction to the flow to our lower chakras. No exctasy at the higher level chakras, more pure.
Anyways, sorry to get off topic.
Take care,
Tom |
Edited by - jonesboy on Oct 06 2014 1:22:55 PM |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2014 : 01:57:51 AM
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@Crowstick
It was nothing specific that I did. I just followed the techniques as given by Yogani. I am not sure there is anything specific that you can do. I have friends who have been meditating much longer than I and they can't see anything - Plus, like mentioned by Jonesboy above, it is beautiful scenery and you should not let it distract you from the SBP or the mantra. Keep the goal in mind. That said - I can tell you of my experience.
When I first started SBP, I was quickly able to visualize the spinal nerve as a silver thread and was soon actually seeing the nerve. Then I gained the ability to trace from inside the little tube. Something different happen from being "inside". The flow of energy was seen as Fire or Water or Air or Earth or in Spirit. I was going up and down in fire (for e.g). This went on for the first couple of years. Then I also started seeing the different chakras (beautiful spinning flowers), the lotus and the silver serpent at the crown; the rainbow coloured energy lines surrounding the body which at very high vibration crystalizes into a diamond. Fascinating stuff!
Now back to carrying water and chopping wood 
Sey
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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2014 : 12:26:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by SeySorciere
@Crowstick
It was nothing specific that I did. I just followed the techniques as given by Yogani. I am not sure there is anything specific that you can do. I have friends who have been meditating much longer than I and they can't see anything - Plus, like mentioned by Jonesboy above, it is beautiful scenery and you should not let it distract you from the SBP or the mantra. Keep the goal in mind. That said - I can tell you of my experience.
When I first started SBP, I was quickly able to visualize the spinal nerve as a silver thread and was soon actually seeing the nerve. Then I gained the ability to trace from inside the little tube. Something different happen from being "inside". The flow of energy was seen as Fire or Water or Air or Earth or in Spirit. I was going up and down in fire (for e.g). This went on for the first couple of years. Then I also started seeing the different chakras (beautiful spinning flowers), the lotus and the silver serpent at the crown; the rainbow coloured energy lines surrounding the body which at very high vibration crystalizes into a diamond. Fascinating stuff!
Now back to carrying water and chopping wood
Sey
Wow, yeah nothing even close to that here. I can see why someone would be gung-ho over meditation if those kinds of experiences started happening.
The earlier question was asking if this was something that took time to achieve and if so, how long? Or was this something off the bat for you?
Question: when you say you "see" the spinal nerve, I am often confused by that description. Is it from a perspective of being outside your body and looking back at it? Or is it like looking down at the body and seeing "within" the physical body to the spinal nerve as if overlaid on the physical spine?
And then when describing being "inside" the silver spinal nerve, again where is one's body and physical spine in relation to this? I'm having difficulty envisioning what exactly Yogani and yourself are trying to describe when explaining this experience. |
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Crowstick
United Kingdom
13 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2014 : 10:45:34 PM
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quote:
Wow, yeah nothing even close to that here. I can see why someone would be gung-ho over meditation if those kinds of experiences started happening.
The earlier question was asking if this was something that took time to achieve and if so, how long? Or was this something off the bat for you?
Question: when you say you "see" the spinal nerve, I am often confused by that description. Is it from a perspective of being outside your body and looking back at it? Or is it like looking down at the body and seeing "within" the physical body to the spinal nerve as if overlaid on the physical spine?
And then when describing being "inside" the silver spinal nerve, again where is one's body and physical spine in relation to this? I'm having difficulty envisioning what exactly Yogani and yourself are trying to describe when explaining this experience.
Yer me too
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2014 : 03:21:31 AM
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Well, I cannot remember how long it took for me to start seeing but I would say pretty soon after starting SBP, some months maybe.
So what am I seeing and how am I seeing?
If I "stand outside" the spinal nerve - what I see is a large column of sparkling white light. It shines bright and I radiate this light (I guess - that is the Radiance dropped in samyama). I am really seeing with the third eye I would say. The physical body is not seen. I am seeing "within" i.e. the subtle body.
The spinal nerve grows outwards to encompass your physical body and beyond, sometimes way way beyond. That is when you start realizing that everything is within you. I get that with sounds - like my son would be bouncing his ball upstairs whilst I am meditating downstairs that ball is felt as bouncing right within me. When first tracing the spinal nerve, you do so inside the physical spinal column but that changes and moves to form a central column infront of the physical spinal column. It is then just a central channel running down your subtle body.
I would say it is also a doorway to higher realms.
Now a tip to try and help you see inside the nerve. Situate your awareness at the medulla (sit there) i.e. the spot where your physical spinal column goes into your skull. Now look down the tube to mulabandha. Look across the tube (thru the brain) to the third eye. Someone reported seeing worm-holes or something recently.
There are many beautiful fascinating things that happen during and outside of meditation. My inner life has become a lot more exciting than my outer life 
I hope that was helpful
Sey
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Crowstick
United Kingdom
13 Posts |
Posted - Oct 13 2014 : 10:17:29 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by SeySorciere
Well, I cannot remember how long it took for me to start seeing but I would say pretty soon after starting SBP, some months maybe.
So what am I seeing and how am I seeing?
If I "stand outside" the spinal nerve - what I see is a large column of sparkling white light. It shines bright and I radiate this light (I guess - that is the Radiance dropped in samyama). I am really seeing with the third eye I would say. The physical body is not seen. I am seeing "within" i.e. the subtle body.
The spinal nerve grows outwards to encompass your physical body and beyond, sometimes way way beyond. That is when you start realizing that everything is within you. I get that with sounds - like my son would be bouncing his ball upstairs whilst I am meditating downstairs that ball is felt as bouncing right within me. When first tracing the spinal nerve, you do so inside the physical spinal column but that changes and moves to form a central column infront of the physical spinal column. It is then just a central channel running down your subtle body.
I would say it is also a doorway to higher realms.
Now a tip to try and help you see inside the nerve. Situate your awareness at the medulla (sit there) i.e. the spot where your physical spinal column goes into your skull. Now look down the tube to mulabandha. Look across the tube (thru the brain) to the third eye. Someone reported seeing worm-holes or something recently.
There are many beautiful fascinating things that happen during and outside of meditation. My inner life has become a lot more exciting than my outer life
I hope that was helpful
Sey
Very helpful, many thanks! |
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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Oct 15 2014 : 12:12:03 PM
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Yes thanks for sharing. I do not do so well with locating my awareness in different areas of the body (or outside of them). When I "visualize" the spinal nerve, it's more of a "feel-ize" (as opposed to a visual-ize…).
At present it is quite distinct and independent at times. But still no lights, tubes, wormholes, intergalactic connectedness. Just the dark. |
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - Oct 19 2014 : 12:21:23 AM
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| Does the spinal nerve reach the roof of the head or begins to turn at about th ear level? |
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Difficulties with visualisation during pranayama
