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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 23 2015 : 7:42:46 PM
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Yes, simplicity is best, BlueRaincoat. So here's a very simple breakdown:
Effective: To recognize symptoms of overload as they arise, and to find remedies via the means of self-pacing, grounding, wisdom from the community, and most importantly, the inner guru.
Not-So-Effective: To form a mental belief that you are an "HSP", "empath", "alcoholic", or whatever, and to force your mind to operate from the narrow perspective of that identity/label/construct, rather than taking the symptoms on a case-by-case basis from our foundation of attentive serenity.
You see, when we push our mind to cling hard to ANY identity whatsoever--even a pretty, glittery, noble or spiritual one--there is a very subtle contraction in the heart that stifles the outpouring of divine love. Obviously, the outpouring of divine love is the optimal condition of enlightenment. So, all we have to do is let any residual, hard clinging dissolve in rising stillness.
Now, it's very, very important to recognize that identities in themselves are not enemies, per se. It's how we regard them internally that matters. So, for instance, when I sit in an AA meeting and say, "My name is Cody, and I'm an alcoholic," I say it tongue-in-cheek and in the spirit of: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." However, I don't believe that identity. But there are many people in AA who do believe it (with the hard clinging maneuver), and they suffer accordingly.
Part of the whole deal is that when divine love is flowing, there isn't much need for the ego to cling to any identity because it becomes so obvious that there is a power from within Our Being that is moving on its own accord...stillness in action. The ego has cooperated with, and opened up to, that mysterious source. Therefore, the ego is very much necessary. In this sense, the ego is not eliminated, but rather illuminated. That is why Yogani has said: the ego is the vehicle of enlightenment.
I think one of the reasons that Eckhart Tolle (and other teachers of his fold) portray the ego as an enemy is because their ego is not trying to accomplish anything particularly colorful or textured. They're just trying to be teachers who can authentically speak with a spiritual vocabulary of non-duality (which is kind of bland and boring to me), so their main focus is sticking with the witness stage and detaching from the ego. Or perhaps they've already completed a successful career and are basking in retirement? Good for them, but what about a dancer who uses their body like a beautiful instrument? What about a civil engineer who needs to understand sophisticated conceptual frameworks? For them, the body and mind (ego) must be dear and intimate friends. Such artists and craftsmen might say, "I am a dancer", or "I am an engineer", but if they are abiding in inner silence, they will recognize those identities as very thin reflections of what they are DOING. And they will also recognize that what they are DOING is merely a reflection of their BEING, which is infinite potential (stillness).
Labels and identities are convenient at best, and detrimental at worst.
The trick is that we have to fall into inner silence, then bounce back into the ego (hello samyama!). That's why the teachers I admire most have displayed, demonstrated, and expressed their inner divinity though a medium beyond the ad nauseum repetition of non-duality logic and word games. Yogani has creatively expressed himself by writing a very realistic, adventurous novel that inspires readers to pick up practices and embrace the divine feminine (hurray Devi Wilder!).
None of this brilliant creativity, ingenuity, or divine love requires clinging to any identity. Nor do we need to resist any identities either. They may float around in our mind, or get pinned onto us by others, but they will have no real power. This happens automatically when self-inquiry is relational (occurring in the flow of stillness).
Now, some affirmations can be helpful, in the same way training wheels on a bike are helpful. "I am a child of God"; "I am an evolutionary creature full of potential"; "I am stillness in action". Such affirmations have intrinsically wide parameters, unlike the other limiting identities previously discussed. Even so, the positive identities don't need to be harshly clinged to--only passionately uttered and ultimately dissolved in stillness, like every other thought or feeling.
OK. I know I just went off on a long tangent, but bringing it back to the topic of sensitivity, it's helpful for me to regard the body/mind as the temple in which the Spirit dwells. The Spirit surely goes WAY beyond my body/personality, but here I am, still functioning as a unique individual.
Hope this helps.  |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2015 : 10:08:04 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by SeySorciere
When talking of over-loading/self-pacing it is good to note that one cannot expect to be moving prana in the body without any discomfort at all. You will be feeling energy moving through the different parts of the body, in particular the chakras such as a tension at the third-eye; you will be feeling differently about a number of things. As long as the discomfort is not too much, we ride it out. It will pass. Don't go unnecessarily so far into self-pacing at the expense of our progress. As always common sense prevails.
The Guru is in you 
Hi Sey,
I qualify as a sensitive meditator. I have been able to go back to mantra meditation by being very gentle. Any physical or mental discomfort, I stop the mantra until it passes. This works for me. My life is so much better. There seems to be absolutely no push through or just deal with it. I seem to not be able to " ride it out". But very gentle mediation works. |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2015 : 11:37:51 AM
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quote:
Hope this helps.
Helped me!  |
Edited by - Dogboy on Feb 24 2015 12:01:56 PM |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2015 : 11:58:28 AM
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quote:
It reminds me of a video clip with Eckhart Tolle, where he is explaining how things can be acknowledged as they are (what is is), but without sticking a label on oneself (or others...I guess "being a sensitive person", according to Tolle's view is a "conceptual judgement" and it freezes that feature into an identity. But it is possible, he says, to take that reality into account using "non-conceptual intelligence" - a deeper knowing, which will lead you to what is needed in that situation.
Yes
Hence, I think why Yogani emphasis inner silence as a prerequisite to adding on practices. Inner silence is the rise of the inner guru which guides you both in your inner world and outer world until they become "One" and then "beyond". Inner Silence acts as a buffer and does not let you cling/identify but at the same time accept/recognize ones personality. In duality, there is personality and I think this is what makes life flavorful.
Sunyata |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Feb 24 2015 : 12:05:38 PM
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quote:
Hi Sey,
I qualify as a sensitive meditator. I have been able to go back to mantra meditation by being very gentle. Any physical or mental discomfort, I stop the mantra until it passes. This works for me. My life is so much better. There seems to be absolutely no push through or just deal with it. I seem to not be able to " ride it out". But very gentle mediation works.
Agree
Holy,
Thank You so much for your pointers and indepth explanations.
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2015 : 12:36:18 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by lalow33
quote:
Originally posted by SeySorciere
When talking of over-loading/self-pacing it is good to note that one cannot expect to be moving prana in the body without any discomfort at all. You will be feeling energy moving through the different parts of the body, in particular the chakras such as a tension at the third-eye; you will be feeling differently about a number of things. As long as the discomfort is not too much, we ride it out. It will pass. Don't go unnecessarily so far into self-pacing at the expense of our progress. As always common sense prevails.
The Guru is in you
Hi Sey,
I qualify as a sensitive meditator. I have been able to go back to mantra meditation by being very gentle. Any physical or mental discomfort, I stop the mantra until it passes. This works for me. My life is so much better. There seems to be absolutely no push through or just deal with it. I seem to not be able to " ride it out". But very gentle mediation works.
Dear all,
The Guru is always in you. Some prefer going gentle and slow; some would like to ride bhakti always close to the edge. I added this paragraph so that newcomers can expect to feel prana without getting alarmed.
Sey |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Mar 09 2015 : 3:19:56 PM
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Hello Friends,
I just wanted to add a few observations to this thread. For sensitive mediators who are not able to do SB and DM- taking up asanas classes seem to help along with exercising self pacing when required.
I've noticed that Hatha classes-where poses are held for longer dissolve impurities faster and causes overload. Whereas Vinyasa classes are more suitable for sensitive meditators where you transition from posses quicker. Vinyasa class is helping dissolve the emotional/energetic blockages without causing too much overload.
Sunyata |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2015 : 03:12:26 AM
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quote:
I've noticed that Hatha classes-where poses are held for longer dissolve impurities faster and causes overload. Whereas Vinyasa classes are more suitable for sensitive meditators where you transition from posses quicker. Vinyasa class is helping dissolve the emotional/energetic blockages without causing too much overload.
commercial yoga business created something called yin classes, meaning holding poses for long time, and they claim that these classes calm the energy
this is not true....
mouvement, whether slow or fast (vinyasa) is female
only meditation is static male
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one day we might feel holding postures made the energy calm down...another day we might feel that vinyasa class made the energy calm down...none of it is absolutely true, it varies from the state of practictioner on that day..asanas always stimulate energy |
Edited by - maheswari on Mar 10 2015 03:13:46 AM |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Mar 10 2015 : 09:28:34 AM
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quote:
commercial yoga business created something called yin classes, meaning holding poses for long time, and they claim that these classes calm the energy
this is not true....
mouvement, whether slow or fast (vinyasa) is female
only meditation is static male
...
one day we might feel holding postures made the energy calm down...another day we might feel that vinyasa class made the energy calm down...none of it is absolutely true, it varies from the state of practictioner on that day..asanas always stimulate energy
Thank You for the info, Maheswari. Yes asanas stimulate energy and may vary from practitioners. I've tried both classes for months and it has proven to be true that Vinayasa purifies with less intense overload. I just wanted to share this incase someone who has similar road blocks like myself may benefit from it.
Sunyata |
Edited by - sunyata on Mar 10 2015 09:29:19 AM |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2015 : 12:32:38 PM
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Hello my friends
I have got news on the sensitivity front - I have been feeling a lot more stable since the beginning of March.
The energy is still there, but there is less friction. I feel the obstruction that was causing the turbulence is much reduced. The back pain is less and there is generally more peace. Also I'm less prone to being carried away by flights of bhakti these days.
I have not stepped up practices significantly yet - breath meditation still seems the most appropriate practice, but mulabandha is coming up automatically and it's not overloading me (big development!). I'm trying to move towards mantra meditation and some days that is taking off. Most days however the breath seems to impose itself over the mantra. When that happens, I stay with the breath.
I expect I will have more to report after I come out of the current fasting period. The increased stability came with a need to lighten my diet. At the moment I'm eating pretty much vegan. This is not my normal diet, so I call it a fast and I count it as one of the practices (I did love my dairy rich diet, but my joints got a bit stiff, so a little fast will do me good).
That's about it - a bit long winded, but I wanted share the fact that my sensitivity is reducing. Will keep you posted. |
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BillinL.A.
USA
375 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2015 : 1:33:37 PM
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So good to hear things are going better for you Blue.
A lot of AYP forum peoples depend on you. At least I know I do.
Your comment about dairy and joint stiffness struck me and so I've been reading up on it.
Butter and cheese I use as major protein sources and get joint inflammation often but I never connected the two. I'm going to cut way down on them.
Anyway thanks for the heads-up.
Nice article here about it:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natur...-a-bad-idea/ |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2015 : 2:54:39 PM
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Thank you BillinL.A. I am honoured to be given any insights that might help anyone in any small way. Between us, I think we're bound to come up with some good answers in these forums, as we bring to the table a variety of situations and experiences.
Thank you for the link. I wasn't aware dairy had been specifically linked to joint inflammation. I have to say I like it very much, but I have always felt some vegan breaks to be very beneficial to my health and mood. After these breaks I return to a mostly vegetarian diet and enjoy milk and cheese even more. Till I stop enjoying it and then I know it's time for the next vegan break (or rice fast). |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - May 04 2015 : 5:06:43 PM
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| Happy for you Sister Blue! |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - May 06 2015 : 04:53:34 AM
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| Thank you Dogboy! |
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Beehive
USA
117 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2015 : 12:17:34 AM
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| This is an incredibly helpful thread.... even to a new person. Maybe especially to a new person! I've noticed in the lessons that there is a tendency to not be too specific about overload, sensitivity, purification - no doubt for the reasons that it is both complicated and different in each person as well as to discourage people from creating it for themselves. But I actually thought my nervous system was so unsettled that I wouldn't know if it was overloaded or not. Then just this week as some odd fear and extreme fatigue hit I read this thread and felt my first knowingness and relief from self pacing. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2015 : 02:15:06 AM
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Thank you for the good news, BlueRC.
As of late, I am fond of contemplating the 5 elements (water, air, earth, fire, inner space), and how they relate to my purification and opening. I'm of the mind that befriending--and dare I say mastering them--will be highly advantageous. Sounds like you are on a similar track as you fine-tune your diet, which is a kind of romance with these elements.
We are making love to the matrix of the cosmos.  |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2015 : 08:54:59 AM
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Thank you Cody.
Yes, it nice to be able to fine-tune. The last few months my diet was driven by kundalini. I just had to eat to keep on top of it. A respite at last. Hurrah for stability!
A slightly different way of being in love with the universe. |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2015 : 7:29:47 PM
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Update
A symptom of purification that has been recurring for me is...fuzziness. I feel a fuzziness all around my body. Sometimes it is pleasant, sometimes a little overbearing. The sensation kind of feels like being wrapped in an electric blanket, and the blanket itself is made of inner space (akasha). Therefore, there can be a hyper-sensitivity to my immediate surroundings, as well as to far-away happenings.
I think part of the sensitivity is a result of lack of buffer (due to internal abrasiveness from my past), and so I keep doing things to increase the inner firewall buffer--not just energetically, but for the cellular organism (fine-tuning diet, hydration, and again, integrating all four elements). There is definite improvement, but I wish for the day when the fuzziness has dissolved completely into a zero-friction interface. Believe me, I have experienced that kind of fluidity before for a couple years of adolescence (pre-drug use), so I know it's possible to sustain for long stretches, maybe even permanently. Now I am directly experiencing the meaning of: "You don't know what you have until you've lost it." The clarity of perception cannot be taken for granted.
Anyone experience that kind of fuzz and/or friction? |
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Charliedog
1625 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2015 : 03:43:46 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Bodhi Tree
Update
A symptom of purification that has been recurring for me is...fuzziness. I feel a fuzziness all around my body. Sometimes it is pleasant, sometimes a little overbearing. The sensation kind of feels like being wrapped in an electric blanket, and the blanket itself is made of inner space (akasha). Therefore, there can be a hyper-sensitivity to my immediate surroundings, as well as to far-away happenings.
I think part of the sensitivity is a result of lack of buffer (due to internal abrasiveness from my past), and so I keep doing things to increase the inner firewall buffer--not just energetically, but for the cellular organism (fine-tuning diet, hydration, and again, integrating all four elements). There is definite improvement, but I wish for the day when the fuzziness has dissolved completely into a zero-friction interface. Believe me, I have experienced that kind of fluidity before for a couple years of adolescence (pre-drug use), so I know it's possible to sustain for long stretches, maybe even permanently. Now I am directly experiencing the meaning of: "You don't know what you have until you've lost it." The clarity of perception cannot be taken for granted.
Anyone experience that kind of fuzz and/or friction?
Bodhi,
The closer to the stillness the more sensitivity occurs. It is my believe and experience that the more open, the more you take in, also from further away. I hear you. There is also the paradox, the pain of the other, you feel it and would like to solve it. You would like to do something about it, to make them feel better. But also that is a doing and not possible, because everybody is unique, has his or her own path to follow. On the other hand it is also not a not doing, you can be there for the other, share an experience which helped you. Be in his or her company and then stay neutral, not being irritated because your wise advise is not heard....been there, done that. There will be a moment you say to yourself ok now its done, I will stop with helping, let it be. Let him or her talk, be interested, do not give advise, stay with myself. That can feel hard, because you would like them to be happy, you love him or her. You can not give happiness, happiness is from inside out. Everybody has to find that inside. And then sometimes after some time, you will see little miracles.
Live is unfolding in my opinion, it is not a doing and not a not doing. It is be-ing, sharing, loving.
When the apple is ripe it falls of the tree, in the apple is aleady the apple tree and the new apple. You can not force it to grow....
The friction is a sign that you need to surrender, to who you really are at this moment. You are not the boy with the personal problems anymore, you know this.
If I may advise you , take time for yourself, only you, alone, in silence, write a song with all your deepest feelings, play your guitar be still and listen, Listen to your silence, all ingredients are there, you are on the right track.
Love
Edit; there was a time I was constantly aware of the ending of all things, nice moments, unhappy moments, all ending.
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Edited by - Charliedog on May 21 2015 04:21:34 AM |
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Bodhi Tree
2972 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2015 : 12:55:11 PM
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Thank you, Charliedog. I think you're spot on about the sensitivity. It comes part and parcel with the proximity to stillness. It's definitely not like being sedated, or in a trance, but rather being fully alive. It's a good deal.
I will take your advice about songwriting and deep feelings. That's a great way to smooth things out.  |
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Over-Sensitivity to Practices
