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Truth Seeker
United Kingdom
12 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 12:39:50 PM
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Hi everyone
I have been hanging around this forum for about six months now so thought it was about time I participated a little ! have found many of the the posts so helpful and interesting and offer my sincere gratitude for providing such a resource.
I have arrived from a Kriya yoga background, practising for 13 years. Although in that time I regret that my meditation just hasn't progressed as I had hoped. I am still a little hesitant to abandon this practice for another, after so much time and effort invested and I will always have deep regard for the swamis from whom I learnt Kriya, however I believe my meditation needs a kickstart of some description. I have tried AYP for a few weeks now but seem to be plagued with headaches. Not sure if it is due to the meditation or something else. Anyway I will continue for now.
Really love the forum and wish everyone happiness and progress with their meditation.
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1731 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 3:11:07 PM
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Hello Truth Seeker, welcome!
Does the onset of this headache correlate with a change in your yoga practices?
And are you saying you are combining Kryia practices with AYP or have you dropped the former while experimenting with mantra meditations? |
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Truth Seeker
United Kingdom
12 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 4:03:08 PM
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Hi BlueRaincoat
No I am not combining the practices, ive dropped Kriya while trying AYP, the headaches may be just a coincidence but yes they seem to coincide with the change in practice. I find the spinal breathing incredibly powerful (but delicious at the same time) so maybe this could be causing it ?
Thanks for your reply  |
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So-Hi
USA
481 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 4:12:00 PM
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Hello which branch of Kriya are you coming from, from reading what you have sharfed it is likely derived from Paramahamsa Hariharananda.
Which practices of AYP have you taken up, in what amount are you doing? with these answers may be able to discuss this with you as a former Kriya practicing person. |
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Truth Seeker
United Kingdom
12 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 4:36:48 PM
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Hi So-Hi
Yes Im from the Hariharananda branch of Kriya. I am doing 5 minutes of spinal breathing and 15 minutes of deep meditation at the moment twice daily. Its a shorter practice than i am used to, but seems more powerful for me. Maybe its just beginners enthusiasm, but i seem to be able to concentrate more easily with this technique, and go deeper, quicker, if you know what i mean.
I feel sad about kriya, i so wanted it to work for me, but i was finding in the latter stages i could do a whole routine and my mind could be somewhere else throughout. Retreats were always beautiful and much deeper concentration, but back in the real world i was getting nowhere. Maybe its good to try something else.
Thank you |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1731 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 4:39:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Truth Seeker
I find the spinal breathing incredibly powerful (but delicious at the same time) so maybe this could be causing it ?
If you feel that, then you should put it to the test by reducing or even dropping SBP for a few days.
Self-pacing is a really important part of AYP. If you haven't already, I suggest you read through the lessons about self-pacing.
You can find a list of links to self-pacing lessons in the topic index: http://www.aypsite.org/TopicIndex.html
I hope you iron out this issue soon. Smooth practice! |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 4:42:58 PM
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With regard to your headache.
I always view this as energy hitting an obstruction that you are holding on to.
Try to let go or reside in the energy and see if it goes away.
Hope this helps,
Tom |
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So-Hi
USA
481 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 6:45:02 PM
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Dear Truth Seeker, yes it is understood.
Part of what is happening is you are transitioning out of Crown practice to brow practice.
Other traditions of Kriya teach going to the brow most do in fact.
In the other lineages it is taught to start with no more than 12 and in some traditions 14 Kriya Pranayama Spinal breathing is very close to these traditions version of Kriya Pranayama not the one you are familiar with.
So it would be good if you have a mala and restrict your Spinal Breathing to 12 Repetitions.
When Spinal breathing is done to time there is no telling how many repetitions you have performed and starting out it is very easy to do too many, especially since you are carrying so many years of momentum with you from your previous practices.
Yes I know what you mean it is a far shorter routine. When it comes to Deep Meditation you may need to just start at 5 minutes like I do and go for quality not quantity of minutes, just remember easily favor the mantra.
Advise Keeping Mahamudra I do it as the second technique and as the very last before laying down and resting afterwards. Just stay out of the crown and stay in the brow.
ALWAYS rest after practice otherwise there can be unpleasantness and even headaches, just lie down and let the purification unwind you will know when it is ok to get up.
Deep Meditation compliments Spinal breathing and the unwinding purifications take some time to spin down.
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Christi
United Kingdom
4429 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2015 : 7:14:04 PM
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Hi Truth Seeker and all,
You have been given some good advice from others already.
I would agree with Blue, to drop Spinal Breathing Pranayama all together if you are experiencing headaches and simply practice meditation until things settle down.
I usually find that when people are getting a headache it is cause by one of three things. The first is coffee withdraw. So if you have given up coffee recently, that could be the culprit. The second is over-straining with the focus on the mantra. Deep meditation should be effortless, so any strain can cause a headache. Easing up on repetitions (gently repeat the mantra) and focus (gently favouring the mantra) is the cure in this case. The third cause is an over-sensitivity to the mantra itself. If this is the cause then switching to breathing meditation for a time can help.
Whatever you are doing, 5 minutes is not really long enough in meditation to cultivate any significant degree of inner silence, so if you cannot practice for at least 10 minutes using the mantra then you should look towards changing your meditation object to the breath until the headache goes.
You may find this lesson helpful:
Suggestions for over-sensitive meditators
It covers breathing meditation and other techniques you can do to reduce the sensitivity
Also the 5 lesson additions that follow it cover using Nadi Shodana Pranayama rather than Spinal Breathing and using the Passive Awareness technique.
Christi
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Truth Seeker
United Kingdom
12 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2015 : 08:24:44 AM
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Thanks to everyone for your suggestions and advice. I will try as suggested and cut out the Spinal breathing for now and re-introduce it a few breaths at a time later. I hadn't realised the potency. I had read the info regarding self pacing but kind of stupidly assumed I would be ok but maybe i should take more care, particularly transitioning from one meditation technique to another.
I dont think i have sensitivity to the mantra itself, but there maybe an element of straining to keep concentration, so i will try and ease off a bit. So-Hi thanks for the info re kriya parallels. To be honest i have rarely managed to get near the crown, a source of frustration for me. Third eye focus has always been easier. But I understand the transition process may require some care. Could you clarify why you decided to keep maha mudra in your routine ?
Thanks so much for your time and valuable comments
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So-Hi
USA
481 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2015 : 4:34:12 PM
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Hello, decided to keep Mahamudra for the health of the spine because without practicing this there would be pain from pockets of energy getting trapped in the spine.
Mostly felt in the lower back, between the shoulders and the base of the skull.
Mahamudra prevents this and also feels pretty darn good too.
When practicing I do not do the elaborate form of Hariharananda bringing the knees to the chest nor performing Boat position at the end or the feet and leg massages.
The version I practice is more than sufficient and far simpler.
The version involves spinal breathing sitting with the perineum on the heel and bending over grasping large right toe with right hand sole of right foot with left hand.
Chin is on chest inhale up the spinal nerve and the head lifts on its own like water forcing a garden hose straight to the brow and allow the body to dictate which Bandhas will take place like Mula Bandha happens on its own and several others. Head tends to go down on the exhale and chin seeks chest.
Never hold the breath just follow the path of the spinal nerve slowly for at least 3 breaths then switch legs, then finish with both legs out all the rest remains the same.
Have not discovered a need to do this three times per leg either once is enough.
Usually I agree with Christie 100% but not here with 5 minutes of DM not being enough, well to each there own, only you will know it really all depends how much silence there already is and quite honestly can go pretty deep with Spinal breathing so it really is an individual thing.
People who have spent a long time with Kriya especially the methods of Hariharananda and deeply enter the parabastha state of Kriya actually develop allot of inner silence, prior to coming to AYP, AYP however really is quite effective.
The reason I limit myself to 5 minutes by the way is so I can track my progress in terms of how daily life goes and it is my way to be simple and start with the least amount after 6 months will increase to 7 minutes then after another 6 months to 10 minutes and so on, it is just too easy to not know where you are at. Deep meditation is very powerful. So it is extreme self pacing but it does not mean everyone should.
So I guess with the crown not coming about for you second initiation was not pursued then?
Would not worry to much about the crown let it come on its own, otherwise you will just have to leave it before you can return again.
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Truth Seeker
United Kingdom
12 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2015 : 6:33:39 PM
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Hi So-Hi
Sounds like a nice form of mahamudra. I may give it a try later, but will stick to the basics for now unti I stabilise. I think kriya has at least given me a degree of inner silence to help me on my way. I did take second initiation some time ago. It helped with deeper meditations and certainly made the practice longer, but the crown eluded me. And tbh i am happy to forget about it for now.
Thanks again for your advice and for sharing your experiences. It is a great encouragement to me. |
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New to AYP
