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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 2:46:44 PM
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have you ever gotten to the point where you feel like you hate having to do practices? Having to do them two times a day and gettig to the point where you dread them and the path? I felt like that for a while and in the mornings I would want to stay in bed just to avoid them, and the avoiding would bring on more anxiety. I got so fed up that I just quit for a while. It can feel very ridged to "have to do 2 times a day" Some people on here seem to enjoy going into meditation and look forward to that practice. Can you send me some of that
just thoughts, cause I like to hear your insightful replys,
thanks
Neil
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tadeas
Czech Republic
314 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 3:27:36 PM
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Well, it always helps to review one's motivation for doing the practices. If there's no motivation, there's no practice :)
So why do you do it? Did it bring you something, is it bringing you something? Do you feel you're evolving with the help of the practice? Where are you heading in your life and ultimately? Where's your heart leading you? Is the practice of any help in this?
Also, it doesn't help much to push yourself into doing the practices and then resist your own decision with another part of yourself. You should resolve this and align youself with the deepest wanting or intention. Why do anything that you don't want to be doing?
You can consider doing a minimum practice for some time... just keeping up the twice daily habit. Maybe just sit for a few minutes, close your eyes, do the mantra if you feel like it. Just a suggestion.
Just try anything that would change your attitude from "having to do the practice"... actually, you don't even need an attitude, just do it and don't think about it at all. "Like brushing your teeth", no need to worry about that :) |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 3:53:03 PM
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I think Tadeas gave great advice.
For me it has been more and more fun to do the practices and I try to keep it that way. I do this by mantaining it confortable (never trying to do anything that I feel is too much or stressful) and by not making too much expectations out of it. On the other hand I feel deep down that this practices are good for me and I sense the results are positive, so that's my motivation.
Like tadeas I would suggest just keep your practice with less time maybe and see how you feel. Like brushing your teeth :) Sometimes it can be a drag as well, but you may feel deep down that it is a good thing! |
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Richard
United Kingdom
857 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 4:00:28 PM
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Hi Neil
quote:
You can consider doing a minimum practice for some time... just keeping up the twice daily habit. Maybe just sit for a few minutes, close your eyes, do the mantra if you feel like it. Just a suggestion
This is the best advice you could have maybe just do two 10 minute sessions of med a day for now and do it just like brushing your teeth expect nothing that shouldent be too much of a drag should it?
You have Bhakti and the time is right for you or you would never have started on this path.
Results WILL come and you will gradually want to do more and more, just try it and see  |
Edited by - Richard on Aug 15 2008 4:05:15 PM |
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anthony574
USA
549 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 5:25:29 PM
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I know how you feel sometimes. Just keep it twice a day for the sake of habit - even if it means just sitting and focusing on the breath for a few minutes. Just the ego's inertia resisting something new. Don't demonize the ego thinking "oh, well its just that bastard ego resisting the awesome light of meditation" or anything. Keep it simple. It's hard to do new things, especially for an hour a day everyday.
I reached this point strongly one time and went through a phase where I was doing very casual Buddhist style meditation for a month or two and sometimes nothing at all. Maintaining daily mindfulness (Buddhist or Tolle style) is great too. Also, there are deeper mechanisms at work thany ou think. Your Bhakti is always there in some form or another and even if you forsake the practices youll never really go back to pre-yoga. Itll always be there in your mind. once you go forward you can only stagnate. You cant ever go back! Sounds creepy like the Matrix...but honestly youll see for yourself or maybe you already have. Your Bhakti may just be a faint flicker of a candle flame but it burns nonetheless. Just go with it. |
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riptiz
United Kingdom
741 Posts |
Posted - Aug 15 2008 : 6:18:18 PM
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Hi,
Your experiences also sound like some purification going on, maybe you are overdoing practices a bit.
L&L
Dave |
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Divineis
Canada
420 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 11:41:13 AM
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| You can always drop everything haha. I dunno man, times like these, I think it's good to just sit and watch the habits of your mind, get to know what's sitting there, why it's there, just watching it rather than feeding, going into the emotions that come up. No need to throw beliefs onto that, to say it's this or that or whatever, things aren't always what they seem. |
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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 12:32:43 PM
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Yes I think I was overdoing things. For much of my life I have quit many things because I felt I had to. My diet got to the point where many people were concerned with my health because I lost too much weight. I felt I had to eat completely pure, no sex, no drinking, a lot of spiritual practice, etc..... at one point I was doing 90 minutes a day of postures everday, etc... I guess that somewhere I felt I had to do this to find myself. by forcing myself to do these things I thought it would create silence/peace of mind, but it seems it got me more detached and made the mind louder. I guess the thing is I was trying to throw away parts of my life instead of letting things fall away. I have added some stuff back that I threw away and my plan is to walk towards silence and let fall what may. I do like the approach yogani takes, increase silence first, everything else happens after that. I think I had tried to do everything else first and hope silence would happen after that. my objective now is to increase silence and if I do something "that I should not do" just accept it because if I judge it I will be decreasing silence.
just thoughts
Me
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machart
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2008 : 9:12:21 PM
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| Staleness sets in....Forget what you have been doing and make it all NEW! |
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cosmic_troll
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - Aug 17 2008 : 8:38:27 PM
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What you're feeling is natural. I'm pretty sure most of us have resented doing daily practices at some point along our journey. I know I have, more than a few times.
The good news is that is usually passes and eventually gives way to higher peaks.
This may or may not apply to you, but I find it helpful during these times to add some balance in my daily life. While continuing the 2x daily practice, I try to lay off other spiritual stuff (reading spiritual books, scriptures, etc.) and get more engaged in other activities (sports, creative work, going out with friends, etc.). |
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yogibear
409 Posts |
Posted - Aug 18 2008 : 1:03:05 PM
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Hi Tube,
quote:
Tube:
I guess the thing is I was trying to throw away parts of my life instead of letting things fall away. I have added some stuff back that I threw away and my plan is to walk towards silence and let fall what may.
I think you are headed in the right direction. I did this for a few decades and I wasted alot of my life. But really, it only seems wasted. It is never wasted.
My point is that now I lead a balanced life and pursue pleasure in all directions and on all levels. In moderation. Meditation is pleasure. Food, sex, family, work and play are all sources of fulfillment for me. Not too much of this and not too much of that.
In other words a full life.
I find this works best for me and there is no stress about meditating. Any stress about it is making sure I protect my meditation time from my other pursuits.
Best wishes, yb. |
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upset about practices
