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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2020 : 06:24:08 AM
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I thought that kechari was done throughout the sitting practices. I actually do kechari stage 1 in SBP, YMK, deep meditation and samyama. The practice chart on page 347 of Easy Lessons Vol 2 suggests that it is done only during SBP. Have I been wrong? |
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Dogboy
USA
2294 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2020 : 09:29:19 AM
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I do it, and have done it, in SBP and DM for years, without distraction. Ketchari does not have a strong energetic component for me as it apparently does for others. Anything that prevents you from easily favoring favoring the mantra is best avoided. If you are not distracted by ketchari, my belief is you can still employ it. |
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sunyata
USA
1513 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2020 : 10:09:36 AM
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Hi Cato,
Good advice from Dogboy already.
In AYP, Kechari is practiced during Spinal breathing. However, it's okay if it's automatic and one is not deliberating practicing it during DM and Samyama; and it's not interfering with the process of easily favoring the mantra.
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Christi
United Kingdom
4514 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2020 : 10:26:55 AM
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Hi Cato,
The advice is that during meditation and samyama, to only use mudras and bandhas if they are happening automatically. This is in order to avoid any unnecessary distractions as Dogboy says. But if they are happening automatically, then they can be used. On the chart, "automatically" is represented by an "A". So, if kechari is happening automatically it can me used during Deep Meditation, Samyama and Cosmic Samyama by advanced level practitioners. Kechari can always be used during Spinal Breathing Pranayama if someone has reached that stage in the lessons.
See lesson 55:
"During meditation, we don't deliberately do any of the practices we are doing in pranayama. If we find ourselves in mulabandha in meditation, we don't favor it or push it out. We just easily come back to the mantra. We want to keep our meditation as simple and pure as possible - just that simple procedure of using the mantra. You may notice a change in experiences in meditation as more ecstatic energy is naturally flowing through the body after pranayama. Ecstasy is just one more thing that can be happening during meditation, like thoughts, feelings and physical sensations." [Yogani]
Kechari mudra is used during Yoni Mudra Kumbhaka.
See lesson 91
"The maneuver with the tongue going to the roof of the mouth is the beginning stage of an advanced yoga practice called "kechari mudra." The tongue has a very important role to play as our practice advances. For now, we just want to comfortably seal off the air from escaping through the mouth during yoni mudra. Maybe that means the tip of our tongue is placed behind the front teeth. Or maybe further back. If we can comfortably reach the point where the hard and soft palates meet on the roof of the mouth, that is a good place to park the tip of the tongue. It does not have to be there though. Whatever works most comfortably now is what we want. There will be much more on kechari in future lessons." [Yogani]
Christi |
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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
Posted - Aug 19 2020 : 3:49:31 PM
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Thanks for the clarification everybody. Since I have done kechari for quite a while now in DM and samyama, I guess it's not really a distraction. It is like the sitting posture, I don't think about it once it is established (in this regard, I take distraction as something I may pay attention to if it is established or not).
Is distraction the only reason to avoid kechari in deep meditation or are there other reasons as well, i.e. an energetic component when silence should be dominant or the like? |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4514 Posts |
Posted - Aug 20 2020 : 09:04:51 AM
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Hi Cato,
Yes, if the ecstasy produced by kechari, or any other mudra or bandha, is causing a distraction during meditation, making it difficult to favour the mantra, then we would leave it out, in order to prioritise the cultivation of inner silence, bliss and samadhi instead.
If the ecstasy is not distracting, then we can continue with the additions, which can bring about a state where both ecstasy and bliss are present at the same time. This can happen even without using any mudras or bandhas or other additions, as ecstasy can simply be present in the body due to the process of inner purification taking place.
Christi |
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