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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 04 2020 : 4:54:28 PM
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Hi everybody,
I got two questions today:
- I understand overload as mainly being due to adding practices for which one is not yet ready. Is it possible that you go into an overload with a fixed set of practices and a fixed timescale? For example because you manage to go deeper into DM/SBP/Samyama resulting in more purification and therefore in an overload?
- When doing samyama, I try to let the sutras go into silence. Sometimes I feel that there is too much thinking in my mind and therefore repeat the sutra again - sometimes as long until I think I mangaged well to let it go into silence. Is that okay or should you stick with two repetitions no matter what?
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interpaul
USA
525 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2020 : 6:00:01 PM
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| Cato, I have experienced overload during stable times for the reason you describe, i.e. I enter deeper into the practice. Generally, when that happens for me, the overload symptoms are mostly ecstatic and manageable by just being mindful of the situation. I have found this type of overload resolves much quicker than when it occurs after adding new practices. I haven't had any significant overload in over 6 months following the usual self pacing guidelines. I'll leave your second question to the more experienced practitioners but suspect they will caution against too many repetitions except possibly for the final 5 minutes when you are allowed to choose one sutra to repeat for 5 more minutes. I find samyama surprisingly powerful energetically and wonder if your second question may actually be the explanation of the overload. |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2020 : 04:29:40 AM
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| Thanks so far, interpaul. My overload with too many practices used to be irritability. Now I am experiencing extreme tiredness - I found in the forum that this can be an overload symptom as well. I will keep an eye on it (it can of course be due to other things as well). I was asking because the practice was reasonably stable for some weeks now and all that changed was that (I think) I got deeper into meditation and samyama and (I think) it's easier to follow all the way up and down the sushumna during SBP. Not always, but from time to time. It makes sense that there is more purification going on with corresponding symptoms. |
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Stille
Germany
76 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2020 : 05:56:42 AM
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Dear Cato,
quote:
Is it possible that you go into an overload with a fixed set of practices and a fixed timescale? For example because you manage to go deeper into DM/SBP/Samyama resulting in more purification and therefore in an overload?
In my experience that can happen easily around the full and new moon days. I've become sensitive to the lunar cycle due to practises. Also when new pathways open which are not yet as purified as the rest of your system is/you go deeper than before. Self-pacing is not a fixed thing. It is to be adjusted to the circumstances constantly since your system is purifying and thus changing, constantly also.
quote:
Sometimes I feel that there is too much thinking in my mind and therefore repeat the sutra again - sometimes as long until I think I mangaged well to let it go into silence. Is that okay or should you stick with two repetitions no matter what?
I have a question for you to think about: What is "letting go"?
Is accepting and observing the processes in your mind passively what we mean by letting go? Or is trying to force a desired result (state of mind, e.g. calmness of thoughts) by repeating the sutras over and over again letting go? By doing so, you reject the state of your mind in this very moment. You desire a different state of mind.
I don't know you Cato, but your threads in this forum give me a strong feel that this is what hinders you on the spiritual path the most. You are not really giving up control/letting go. Instead you want to micro manage stuff and conciously push it forward. The divine isn't pushed through the door though. It comes to your house when you are joyfully inviting it, whether it really shows up or not.
Just my two cents and much love 
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Christi
United Kingdom
4369 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2020 : 09:00:03 AM
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quote:
When doing samyama, I try to let the sutras go into silence. Sometimes I feel that there is too much thinking in my mind and therefore repeat the sutra again - sometimes as long until I think I mangaged well to let it go into silence. Is that okay or should you stick with two repetitions no matter what?
Hi Cato,
Stille is correct, the advice in AYP is always not to judge any practice by the effects that you get during the practice. And especially not to start changing the practice, during a sitting, because of the effects that are experienced. If we start doing that, what we are doing is chasing experiences, rather than doing the practice.
In the case of samyama, if you want to have more time to go deeper with each sutra, then the practice can be extended, increasing the number of repetitions of each sutra up to 4, and increasing the time at the end working with one sutra, to 10 minutes. This takes the whole practice up to 20 minutes. But if you make this change, then you would be doing 4 repetitions of each sutra in each sitting, rather than 2, and continuing at that level each day. You would not be changing the number of repetitions from one day to the next.
Bear in mind that if you increase the number of repetitions to four and the overall time of the practice, then it will result in more purification. So, you will need to keep an eye on how that develops.
See this lesson:
"For those who are full with bhakti for enlightenment, samyama repetitions can be increased to four for each sutra, and then ten minutes with a preferred sutra at the end (default is the lightness sutra). This is about twenty minutes of samyama practice. Make sure to take plenty of rest when coming out of your routine of practices, especially when doing samyama. Lying down for five or ten minutes at the end is good. As always, use self-pacing in your practices. Mental techniques such as meditation and samyama are very powerful, so to overdo them is to court uncomfortable energy flows. We each will find our comfortable limit through prudent self-pacing." [Yogani]
Christi |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2020 : 05:16:41 AM
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Thanks, Stille and Christi. I recently was acually thinking about me chasing experiences. It was more in relation to pleasurable experiences I was after. It is pleasant during practices but the price/overload comes afterwards. I never thought about silence to be an experience as well, but of course it is.
You have a good point, Stille. I have a scientific background, nature and an analytical mind with a tendency for micro management (or even controlling). I guess it is very challenging for me to let go and accept - also in other areas of my life. It helps to hear it from you (it seems to be quite obvious when you are able to distill it from some forum threads  ). As with the sutras - my thinking was that when the sutras should be let go into silence, at least there should be some form of silence, right? But again, too analytical and controlling. So next stop acceptance! ;)
I'm so grateful for you guys along the way! |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2020 : 04:51:56 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Cato
As with the sutras - my thinking was that when the sutras should be let go into silence, at least there should be some form of silence, right?
Silence and thoughts can coexist. So your samyama practice will be just fine while following the procedure in the lesson.
quote:
Originally posted by Cato
I understand overload as mainly being due to adding practices for which one is not yet ready.
Yes, we have been talking about "being ready for a new practice" on various threads on this forum. It might be helpful to understand that it's a relative "ready". That is, being able to pack more practices into your daily routine does not equal more advanced. This is what Yogani means by "sensitivity to practices" - some people progress fast with just meditation. Others need more to progress at the same speed. The sensitivity level can change along the journey.
quote:
Originally posted by Cato
Is it possible that you go into an overload with a fixed set of practices and a fixed timescale?
Yes. Because the effect of practice is cumulative. It's also possible to hit a difficult purification zone, during which you might need to temporarily take your foot off the pedal to avoid discomfort.
The bottom line is this (and people who are sensitive to practices will know what I mean): The top priority is to safeguard your meditation practice. If the energy practices are making you so unstable that you have to stop meditating, then it's better to let go of energy practices, at least for a while. It doesn't mean there will be no progress on the energy front. Once the system is primed, the energy will do its thing. So your practice is more of a question of assisting it than pushing it.
I'll illustrate with my example. I'm sensitive to practices. I wouldn't even dream of touching kechari. Yet things are happening in the energy channels where kechari operates. For a couple of months, my tongue looked as if it were scalded. There is a flow of energy there as if I physically made the tongue-to-roof-of-the-mouth connection. It might also help you if I told you that the most advanced practice in the AYP book that I reached is siddhasana, and even that practiced sporadically. This has not stopped me reaching the stage of unity. I'm saying all this to take the pressure off you and reassure you that you can progress fast by working within your level of sensitivity.
Hope this helps.
Edited to correct typos.
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Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Aug 07 2020 3:11:19 PM |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2020 : 05:32:50 AM
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It indeed does, as always. Thank you so much, Blue  . I indeed had in mind a correlation of more practices to progress/advancement. And I guess progress is what we are all striving for. Your hint helps a lot and takes away a kind of pressure, as you say.
Man, this thread was helpful to me. Thank you all |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2020 : 11:10:57 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
Silence and thoughts can coexist.
This one kept me thinking. If silence is not absence of mental noise/thoughts, was is it then? |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2020 : 3:02:21 PM
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As silence gets established (through the practice of meditation, of course), it becomes a canvas for everything we experience.
Have you ever experienced a silent quality to noise? Maybe coming into a noisy street, have you ever noticed that even the sounds were imbued with a sort of peace? Noise or thoughts don't make the silence disappear, not the kind of silence we are talking about here :) |
Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Aug 09 2020 3:38:54 PM |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2020 : 05:02:26 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
Have you ever experienced a silent quality to noise?
Hmm, not sure what you mean. It's difficult to grasp. I notice that some (equally loud) noise levels sometimes bother me and sometimes bother me not. Perhaps this is related to some inner silence being present or not... |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2020 : 2:21:20 PM
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Not to worry. Keep meditating and you will start to experience things like that. 
Also there can be a lag between silence starting to develop and noticing it. It's subtle at first, then it becomes more obvious as you progress with your meditation practice.
Best wishes |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2020 : 11:57:16 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Stille
Dear Cato,
quote:
Is it possible that you go into an overload with a fixed set of practices and a fixed timescale? For example because you manage to go deeper into DM/SBP/Samyama resulting in more purification and therefore in an overload?
In my experience that can happen easily around the full and new moon days. I've become sensitive to the lunar cycle due to practises. Also when new pathways open which are not yet as purified as the rest of your system is/you go deeper than before. Self-pacing is not a fixed thing. It is to be adjusted to the circumstances constantly since your system is purifying and thus changing, constantly also.
I think I made some progress regarding overload and irritability. Nevertheless, as you describe, I am still quite sensitive to the lunar cycle. The general question that arises is: What should be taken as a baseline? When you are comfortable most of the time but still irritated during full and new moon days - does that mean you should wait with adding practices? Or does being comfortable most of the time overweigh so you can start adding practices?
(I am far away from adding practices, I am just wondering )
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Christi
United Kingdom
4369 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2020 : 6:13:16 PM
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Hi Cato,
It is good to be stable all of the time, before adding new practices on. If there is some instability, then adding new practices to our routine will likely make the instability worse.
Christi |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2020 : 05:35:42 AM
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Thanks, Christi.
So, the lunar cycle around the full and new moon days is my litmus test . |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2020 : 05:58:43 AM
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Hello Cato
The lunar cycle especially full moon brings high energy.Usually new moon energy is quiet.If you feel overload during new moon too, then you need to cut down practices.It simply shows you have too much purification going on regardless of the moon cycle
Another thing is that the high energy might be present also during big religious celebrations going on around the world, it depends on your degree of your sensitivity .I am very sensitive and i currently picking up the energy of Navaratri |
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Cato
Germany
225 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2020 : 11:54:16 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by maheswari
Another thing is that the high energy might be present also during big religious celebrations going on around the world, it depends on your degree of your sensitivity .I am very sensitive and i currently picking up the energy of Navaratri
Interesting, this is a new aspect. As you have experienced it, which exactly are those celebrations you feel the presence of high energy? As they are around the world, there should be some... |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2020 : 12:28:12 PM
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Hello Cato
I just gave you different examples to show that high energy is not only related to moon cycle.
What applies to me might not apply to you. But in all cases, new moon should be smooth.If it is not for you , then cut down practices on new moon and full moon.Find out for yourself how you are fluctuating . That said dont go too much into observing and making it a problem. Try to keep it simple, whenever energy seems uncomfortable,regardless of external cycles and events, cut down practices.
Less is more, so listening to what you need does not mean you are being lazy, on the contrary, by reducing practice time you are giving yourself a big favour, the favour of smoothly sailing your evolution |
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Purification and sutras
