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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 28 2022 : 1:48:55 PM
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Thanks, Christi, as always, for taking your time and sharing your insights. I also did not know of (or find) the possibility to take part in a survey.
quote:
Originally posted by Christi
As far as masturbation goes, or sexual release in general, yes, pure celibacy can be too much for many people, causing too much sexual energy to build up in the body. So, masturbation can be helpful as a release of energy, from time-to-time.
As I mentioned above, sexual release is the only way I can think of in order to find a middle path of moderation. If there are alternatives, I am open-minded.
quote:
Originally posted by Christi
As far as the question of which tradition to follow, that is very much a personal choice. I would say that if you are drawn to SRF, why not explore that? If you find something that works better for you, then that will be a good thing. I would be surprised if SRF practitioners never experience energetic overload? I am not sure who said that? But there could be elements of the practice that you may find helpful. It is not a system that I have ever practiced myself, so I cannot advise on that.
I do not know any practitioner of SRF nor do I have deep knowledge of the practices. I became aware of SRF after reading Yoganandas autobiography. I only dipped slightly into his teachings, and the teachings (for example breathing practices) define themselves as "totally safe and adequate". I take it as beeing not prone to building up energetic excess or overload issues.
quote:
Originally posted by Christi
But, it is important that breathing meditation remains a temporary alternative, otherwise the sliding-scale stops being free-flowing. If breathing meditation stopped being a temporary alternative to mantra meditation, but became a permanent change of meditation object, then people would be moving freely on the self-pacing scale of practices until they hit breathing meditation, and then they would never move on from that, even when they were ready to.
Based on that definition I assume that every practice on the scale must be seen as temporary, even DM and SBP. Temporary as long as it fits the current state of the nervous system. Otherwise it would likewise stop people from moving freely on the self-pacing scale. |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4514 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2022 : 2:41:45 PM
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Hi Cato,
quote:
As I mentioned above, sexual release is the only way I can think of in order to find a middle path of moderation. If there are alternatives, I am open-minded.
If someone is using sexual release (either solo or with a partner) as a way of balancing energy and avoiding the energetic build-up that can come with celibacy, then that is fine, and is beneficial. If someone is using sexual practices in pre-orgasmic mode, combined with spiritual practices, that is when they can run into trouble. It is the later that is advised against in the AYP lessons. There is simply too much potential, for too much prana to be flooding the system. I mentioned it because of this post, where you described spontaneous asanas with masturbation which does not always end in ejaculation. So, that would be combining pre-orgasmic sexual practices with spiritual practices. So, the alternative would be to not do that, as it would make it easier to regulate the energy in the body and to avoid overload in the future.
quote:
I do not know any practitioner of SRF nor do I have deep knowledge of the practices. I became aware of SRF after reading Yoganandas autobiography. I only dipped slightly into his teachings, and the teachings (for example breathing practices) define themselves as "totally safe and adequate". I take it as beeing not prone to building up energetic excess or overload issues.
I am not familiar with the SRF making that claim about their practices. I would take that with a pinch of salt. I have never come across any spiritual practice which was totally safe for everyone. Breathing meditation is probably the safest spiritual practice there is, and it can lead to energetic overload for some people. That claim could be more of a marketing technique, that is not based wholly in reality?
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Based on that definition I assume that every practice on the scale must be seen as temporary, even DM and SBP. Temporary as long as it fits the current state of the nervous system. Otherwise it would likewise stop people from moving freely on the self-pacing scale.
Yes, that's right. Every practice in the AYP system is a temporary practice, and whether we use it or not, depends on the circumstances that we find ourselves in. And the process of adjusting practices becomes more and more refined, as we become increasingly aware of the process of purification, and the effects of the practices.
Christi |
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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2022 : 3:31:23 PM
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| Christi, I love your way of looking at people's conditions and going through former posts in order to give a personal, balanced and thorough answer. Which you always do. Again, thank you very much. |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4514 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2022 : 11:09:48 PM
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Hi Cato,
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Christi
United Kingdom
4514 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2022 : 11:16:38 PM
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quote:
Would it make sense to have a forum section dedicated to sensitive meditators?
Hi BlueRC, I just checked and there is already a forum for over-sensitive and under-sensitive meditators to discuss their issues. It is called "Building a daily practice with self-pacing: Managing practices for maximum safe progress on the road to enlightenment.".
This is from the "sticky" post in that forum:
"When there is an excess in our experience, the advice is to "self-pace," meaning ease back a bit on the practice that is causing the excessive purification. Bring it back to a comfortable level of inner purification. Then we can continue our practice at that level for a while, and consider creeping back up when the symptoms have stabilized. The same applies to taking on new practices. We only do what we can assimilate, taking it step-by-step, always. It is a never-ending balancing act -- a vitally important balancing act on the path of yoga. Without a good awareness and application self-pacing, it will not be possible to progress steadily on this path, or on any path for that matter.
So, in AYP, with so many powerful practices available, everyone is in the position to move forward at their own pace, and that is what this forum is about. Do share your experiences with overdoing, and how you have self-paced your practice to correct any excesses. If you are having symptoms of excess now and do not know what to do, you should be able to find help here." [Yogani]
Christi |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2022 : 06:10:45 AM
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Early this morning, I thought I would try scaling back to just the "I AM" mantra - Oh la la  - not good at all! It is worst, I could not go past 5 mins. It hits narrower and deeper compared to the third enhancement I have been using which sweeps wider.
NAMAH hitting the lower scale is what provides much needed balance. 
Sey
Let me add a PS for those who may be wondering what is wrong.
P.S.
The feeling of ecstatic bliss turns into exquisite pain like a sharp tool scratching glass. <shudder> |
Edited by - SeySorciere on Mar 01 2022 06:16:23 AM |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4514 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2022 : 08:20:13 AM
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Hi Sey,
Yes, if we are very sensitive to mantras, then the longer, fuller mantra can be more gentle, and provide for less intensity. More syllables can mean that purification is happening in different places rather than just one place.
Personally I found the first enhancement (SHREE SHREE AYAM AYAM) quite challenging for some time. Progressing up to the full mantra (SHREE OM SHREE OM AYAM AYAM NAMAH NAMAH) made everything more smooth and gentle.
So, self pacing with mantras, does not always mean going back to a previous enhancement. It can also mean going forwards sometimes, to a more full mantra. This is discussed in lesson 367 under the section called "Fast Transcending and Modifying the Mantra".
But, sometimes, self-pacing with the mantra, can mean stepping back to a previous enhancement, or to the basic AYAM mantra, or to breathing meditation, or the passive awareness technique. So, some experimentation can be needed.
Christi |
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Rethinking practices
