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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
 Posted - May 26 2024 : 9:05:10 PM
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Hi everybody,
assuming an unchanged practice, how often do you roughly need to self-pace?
How long does self-pacing need until you go back?
What are the symptoms that show you that self-pacing is needed?
It would be interesting to now whether I find myself in a reasonable zone.
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interpaul
USA
551 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2024 : 01:16:06 AM
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Cato, I often find these types of questions difficult to answer as there are so many variables. Yogani and Christi often will suggest self pacing if you feel "discomfort". Definitions of discomfort are all over the board. False attribution is a risk. People can feel heat and not be sleeping well only to later find out they are hyperthyroid. I have not had to self pace for a couple years (although I sometimes will feel a bit more intense energy during a practice and I may shorten SBP or DM that day). That doesn't mean I haven't had periods of agitation or dis-ease. I was watching Midnight Cowboy the other night and it triggered a lot of anxious feelings from repressed early childhood trauma. I was disappointed with myself for not feeling at ease. The following day after some journaling and conversations with friends I returned to my usual baseline. I find my capacity to recover quicker as I get older (and with my regular AYP practices). I did have a need for self pacing over the first few years of my practices as I was slowly adding more and more practices to my daily routine. It is true people can develop imbalances even with a stable routine but I suspect this is more likely related to things going on in their life that trigger them.
For me these practices have gradually brought me in touch with painful feelings about unresolved conflicts in my life. I can experience these as agitation, insomnia, anxiety, etc. My read on Yogani's writings is these "obstructions" are what is limiting our capacity for living in ecstatic bliss. I've made a deep commitment to facing my fears and seeking solutions to problems as they arise, rather than suppressing these feelings. It does seem there is no way to feel more at peace in life without facing our inner demons. I suspect many people aren't willing or able to tolerate the emotional roller coaster that comes with a deep commitment to personal growth. I see self pacing as a tool to avoid going too fast during those periods when things are stirred up.
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2024 : 07:50:25 AM
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In my experience symptoms that call for self-pacing are not subtle. They are unmistakable.
Sey |
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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2024 : 09:41:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by interpaul
I've made a deep commitment to facing my fears and seeking solutions to problems as they arise, rather than suppressing these feelings. It does seem there is no way to feel more at peace in life without facing our inner demons.
Hi interpaul,
I totally agree. However, in my experience those obstructions and feelings, those episodes of feeling blue perhaps, arise out of nowhere. Even though I'd like to face the roots of it, I cannot trace them. It is often said to sit calmy, observe the feeling and watch what might arise. I cannot say I have had much success with this approach of facing my inner demons.
Sey, I indeed struggle to attribute symptoms to practice or things happening in life. Feelings of restlessness or agitation can have a lot of sources. What symptoms do you have that can unmistakably attributed to your practice? |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4512 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2024 : 10:55:46 AM
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Hi all,
The advise to cut back on practices if you are experiencing discomfort does not mean not get checked out by a doctor as well. Most people would not go to a doctor if they have a slight headache, but anything that could be potentially serious should be checked by a health professional. The advise to self-pace downwards and increase grounding is because if someone is engaged in a powerful spiritual practice then there is the potential for the symptoms to be caused by the practice, so it is a preventative measure.
Symptoms of energetic overload can be mild or strong. As we get more used to recognising the symptoms and adjusting our practice accordingly, any symptoms of energetic overload will tend to be mild rather than strong. There can be a stage where we are adjusting our practices on a daily basis in order to remain on the comfortable side of things. This can happen during the mid-stage of the kundalini process. |
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Cato
Germany
239 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2024 : 11:24:36 AM
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So it is not unusual - perhaps for sensitive meditators more that for others - to regularly adjust the practices?
My symptoms of discomfort include essentially restlessness and irritation. I tend not to immediately cut back practices when those symptoms arise. There might be lots of reasons, lack of or too much sleep, stress and so forth. However, would it be better to cut back practices as soon as restlessness and irritation occur? |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4512 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2024 : 1:29:34 PM
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Hi Cato,
Yes, I would recommend cutting back straight away. Otherwise things can build up over time and you can end up in a worse situation. One way of telling if something is a symptom of practices rather than of something else is that overload symptoms respond to self-pacing and grounding. Over time we can develop a sense of what responds to self-pacing and grounding and therefore develop a sense of when we need to self-pace and when we don?t. |
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Self-pacing details
