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sadhak77
Canada
18 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 20 2016 : 5:39:18 PM
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Hello,
For example, there was a Yogi called Baba Shivabalayogi who did major tapasya after receiving diksha into this one form of sadhana.
He offered diksha for this while he was alive:
http://shivabalayogi.org/
[don't got to http://www.shivabalayogi.ca/ - it is some nutty disciple who thinks they are the literal incarnation/embodiment of this Guru]
Anyway you can read about this form of meditation.
But then we also hear about meditation on the heart chakra/center, and on the tip of the nose or nostrils or abdomen (more Buddhist)
The question is what are the differences - what could be the pros and cons of these points of concentration as a serious daily sadhana?
In very general terms, I have read that meditation on the Ajna chakra (and especially the Sahasrara chakra) can cause all kinds of energetic problems and cause the person to become unrooted, too much up in the head area, and higher chance of a stronger and more chaotic kundalini activation/rising.
But I'd be interested to know what people think.
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Edited by - AYPforum on Jul 20 2016 11:34:29 PM |
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Blanche
USA
873 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2016 : 08:46:57 AM
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Hi sadhak77 -
The question you put is legitimate. All these points of concentration given are confusing. But this is because they concern different aspects of the the process of spiritual transformation. This question can be approached from three perspectives: the meditation object, the energetic process, and the process of awakening.
Concentration on an object during meditation calms and stabilizes the mind. Patanjali gives five options for focus: breath, sensations, inner luminosity, concentration on a stable mind, and the mind stream. Bringing your attention to the sensations felt at the nostrils, the coolness of air coming in on inhalation, and the warmth of air getting out on exhalation, is one way to stabilize the mind. In the AYP system, these initial stages of practice are skipped in the favor of the deep meditation with a mantra.
Concentration on a chakra during deep meditation influences the path of rising energy. Thus, focusing on Sahasrara is associated with the opening of the crown chakra. It is like flipping a switch to allow the cosmic energy to access our nervous system. It is great if our nervous system can support this tremendous energy. However, if the cosmic energy rushing through the crown chakra finds any impurities/blockages encrusted in our nervous system, it tends to dislodge them (more like rip them apart). Then we have to deal suddenly with all the garbage of karma floating freely inside. It is apparent that this scenario is not desirable. Better spend time doing "house cleaning" with daily deep meditation and other advanced yoga practices.
Concentration on the Ajna chakra bring energy to the third eye - the "control center." The wisdom inherent in the architecture of our being knows how to direct the process of spiritual transformation. Activating Ajna chakra assures that the process of purification unfolds smoothly. As the Ajna chakra opens and the nervous system purifies, the energy starts to "spill" toward Sahasrara, and the crown chakra opens at its own accord. You could see the difference: directing the energy to the crown involves a lot of ego - "I do this. I bring the energy up. I open..." etc. Allowing the crown chakra to open when it is ready is a process of surrender - "Thy Will Be Done."
Concentration on the belly - the Hara in zen or solar centering in AYP - seems to me to be related to deepening the level of awakening. Adyashanti speaks of three successive levels of awakening: in the head, in the heart, and in the gut. In yoga, awakening in the head is living from the Cosmic Consciousness, the sat-chit-ananda (pure bliss consciousness). Awakening to the heart (opening of the heart chakra) is living from the experience of the Divine - the God Realization. Awakening to the gut is the Unity Consciousness, living from the experience of the Oneness. The refinement and the embodiment of this seems to have no end, not in this human body anyway.
As Yogani says, just practice and everything else will happen automatically. And everybody engaged in spiritual practiced does it also for everyone else, because in the end there is no inner and outer, there is only One.  |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2016 : 09:19:07 AM
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quote:
Adyashanti speaks of three successive levels of awakening: in the head, in the heart, and in the gut. In yoga, awakening in the head is living from the Cosmic Consciousness, the sat-chit-ananda (pure bliss consciousness). Awakening to the heart (opening of the heart chakra) is living from the experience of the Divine - the God Realization. Awakening to the gut is the Unity Consciousness, living from the experience of the Oneness
Amen
quote:
The refinement and the embodiment of this seems to have no end, not in this human body anyway.
Adds to the joy of living in the here now.
quote:
As Yogani says, just practice and everything else will happen automatically. And everybody engaged in spiritual practiced does it also for everyone else, because in the end there is no inner and outer, there is only One.
Thank you for sharing your lovely writing.
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Blanche
USA
873 Posts |
Posted - Jul 24 2016 : 10:26:42 AM
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Sunyata
I have to work on proofreading my replies before posting them... |
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pranar
India
53 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2016 : 9:31:22 PM
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Meditated on the ajna chakra for a bit. Draws kundalini up rapidly and felt very ungrounded sometimes. Also experienced heat and pressure in the forehead.
The upside was that it's an easy technique which silenced the mind quickly and lead to immediately heightened states of perception and amplification of siddhis.
Didnt't feel like it was the right technique for a simple, stable, long-term routine in the context of combining it with just spinal breathing pranayama. However, the technique does happen to be advocated by some well-known paths.
Best wishes.
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Edited by - pranar on Jul 28 2016 9:52:39 PM |
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sadhak77
Canada
18 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2016 : 11:42:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by pranar
Meditated on the ajna chakra for a bit. Draws kundalini up rapidly and felt very ungrounded sometimes. Also experienced heat and pressure in the forehead.
The upside was that it's an easy technique which silenced the mind quickly and lead to immediately heightened states of perception and amplification of siddhis.
Didnt't feel like it was the right technique for a simple, stable, long-term routine in the context of combining it with just spinal breathing pranayama. However, the technique does happen to be advocated by some well-known paths.
Best wishes.
pranar - Thanks for joining in. Interesting that one often finds your kind of perspective on this practice. |
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sadhak77
Canada
18 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2016 : 12:05:14 AM
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[quote]Originally posted by Blanche
Hi sadhak77 -
The question you put is legitimate..................
Interesting perspective Blanche.
If we look at it from a practice/sadhana perspective, one finds every instruction under the sun - from sticking to one practice as with Shivabalayogi of receiving diksha and meditating as a witness on the Ajna - to moving through a complex maze of practices involving all chakras, mantras, pranayama, asana, etc.
And even the non-practice category - which is a bit silly because they are also practices : ) - like Dzogchen, or Self-Inquiry, or Adya's "true meditation", or Mahayoga's shaktipat lineage sadhana of surrendering to Shakti Ma during sitting meditation and throughout the day......
It really can be an overload of approaches, lineages, etc.
I am not familiar with Yogani or the AYP system so I can't comment.
Although I would say that while I take your point about focussing on the crown chakra as a potentially destabilizing and forceful approach - one could say there is the same potential in choosing the Ajna for one's meditation, or the anahata, or the tip of the nose - in other words it also has to do with one's understanding, approach, attitude, etc.
I tend to lean towards a softer, more simplistic, sadhana these days.
The busy yogic systems can feel dizzying to me - one also tends to find this kind of egoic investment/identification with maps, practices, experiences, levels/stages, siddhis, energy, etc
But I know that while there are plenty of pitfalls and wrong turns in the yogic/energetic system - there is every bit the potential for true Self-Realization - that is true, abiding, Realization - as with the so-called non-dual/advaitic paths.
People often forget that after Ramana had his awakening as a teenager, he was called to Arunachala, as though possessed by Arunachala Shiva as Guru, and underwent a kind of inner directed intense tapasya for some years before things settled into a more stable, abiding, Realization.
And in those years, he likely passed through more "yogic" trials than most yogis will ever do - so the truth is that the lines between advaita and yoga tend to be more blurred than people in either camp care to admit.
It is honestly such a mystery to me - the myriad ways that Truth wants to manifest. |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2016 : 05:26:08 AM
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Hi sadhak77
quote:
Originally posted by sadhak77
Although I would say that while I take your point about focussing on the crown chakra as a potentially destabilizing and forceful approach - one could say there is the same potential in choosing the Ajna for one's meditation, or the anahata, or the tip of the nose - in other words it also has to do with one's understanding, approach, attitude, etc.
There is more to it than "one's understanding, approach, attitude". Opening the crown is like taking off the roof of the house. You leave yourself completely open and totally without control. While Ajna means "Control" - it's the very name of that chakra.
You are right in that focusing on any chakra/point in excess can lead to trouble, but that is to do with overdoing i.e. lack of self-pacing. This can be brought under control by reducing the amount of practice or taking a little break from it. Not so with the crown - opening it is altogether of a different magnitude compared to other instances of overdoing in yoga practice. |
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Blanche
USA
873 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2016 : 3:04:46 PM
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Hi Sadhak-
As BlueRain explained, not all the practices are equal. You have the right attitude: curious and open-minded. Find the truth for yourself, by practising. If you do not have a practice, read the AYP lessons for instructions. If you have a practice, use the lessons for inspiration and to fill in gaps in practice.
Spiritual practice is like unravelling a sweater. You start somewhere, and as you keep up the practice, the thread keeps going in a pattern that is unique for you, until the old sweater is gone. No need to micro-manage the process of purification.
Best wishes for your path! |
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Meditation on Ajna Chakra vs Anahata, Nose, etc
