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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 02 2008 : 5:42:40 PM
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Hi all,
I've been reading a book by Eknath Easwaran called "The Mantram Handbook". It is a nice little book but I have a doubt.
In it the author advocates use of a mantra (silently specifically) throughout the day (not in formal sittings), whenever you have 5 minutes to yourself (while waiting in a cue, while bored, etc., etc.). Also, as a testimony, he talks about how the silent repetition of the mantra during stressful situations helped him remain calm through them.
I understand this is not the approach of AYP's deep meditation, which I am following and finding good results. I understand the mechanism of AYP's I AM meditation in which the mantra is used to go in (vertically) and so it is not advisable to use during the day, I undertand this.
Still, there are those moments during the day sometimes when anxiety may grip or you may be more nervous and, of course, it would be wonderful to have a "magic pill" to help in calming.
Do you think that repeating another mantra (other than I AM) in this situations could help? For example, for me, I find some resonance with the Buddhist mantra 'Om mani padme hum'. Or maybe this is just too much mixing of practices? Maybe just remain aware during this "anxiety episodes"? Thanks for your thoughts/experiences. |
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Scott
USA
969 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2008 : 6:07:44 PM
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"Big juicy lovingness gushing all over the place with the deepest peace falling on everything like snowflakes"
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tadeas
Czech Republic
314 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2008 : 6:11:35 PM
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Hi, have you read the self-inquiry book? If not, I'd suggest that. It's a form of practice that emerges naturally as your inner silence rises.
Depending on how much inner silence there is, you'll be able to deal with potentially stressful situations by seeing through them and releasing them into the silence/stillness.
I think deep breathing or repetition of some mantra would help in calming, but it's not the ultimate solution.
If you can find inner silence during the day, in activity, try dissolving the situation in it. This should have a relaxing and calming effect. And yes, be aware :) easier said than done, but if you just continue practicing it will be coming up naturally more and more.
I hope this helps a little :) |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 08:03:21 AM
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Hi,
Thanks tadeas. I know what you mean, thank you for the help. I have felt the benefits of inner silence rising and am very thankful for them but still there are those moments...but well, i guess there are no real 'bypasses' around them, just keep cultivating inner silence and keep going through life challenges as they come. And you are write about just being aweare - it can be easier said than done! But again, as inner silence rises, it will become even easier I hope.
Hey, scott, i'll try to remember that mantra next time i am in a stressful situation. ;) |
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riptiz
United Kingdom
741 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 11:29:44 AM
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Hi,
Using the mantra in this way does work although it may not be the AYP method.If you posted this question in the 'other practices' slot then I guess nobody would doubt this method as it is used in other schools of yoga frequently I believe.
L&L
Dave |
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AYPforum
351 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 11:43:53 AM
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Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 11:48:07 AM
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Dave,
You seem to be right according to the Forum moderator
Well, the author says wonders about it so it must be a formal practice for many yogis? Anyone out there practices this? |
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markern
Norway
171 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 3:07:32 PM
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| I don`t know anything about using mantra in such a way but I would think that over time being mindfull of the experience and getting in contact with the breath helps a lot. Using other mantras like this a lot could possibly conflict but if it helps you once or twice a week to do "om padme hung" for five minutes I don`t think that would be much of a problem. If you want something to calm you down in specific situations you could use the inner smile. Several AYP people use it in addition to AYP and it doesn`t apear to conflict. Once you have worked on the inner smile for a while you can get an instant effect by tuning into the smiling energy at any point througout the day. Accupuncture is pretty good against anxiety as well. You could also check out mindfulness based cognitive therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy online. The yoga pose called the rabbit helps with anxiety even in situations where you already are anxious |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 4:38:50 PM
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Thank you a lot markern, that is very kind of you. uau, so many hints!
Yes, I guess I will try to stick to the twice daily I AM mantra. Maybe I could try sometimes if there is any help with chanting another mantra in stressful situations, maybe once or twice a week as you say.
The inner smile also sounds good. That's the taoist technique of having this inner smile that brings energy to your eyes, is it not? Do you have a good internet reference for it maybe?
Mindfullness based cognitive behavioural therapy - yes, I think I'll try something along those lines, it might help.
Thank you again. |
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riptiz
United Kingdom
741 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2008 : 5:26:32 PM
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Hi Yogaislife,
Yes I use this technique as it is an integral teaching of Kundalini Maha Yoga, which I follow.I also use this anytime during the day.Another good book by Eknath Easwaran is called ' Love Is' I believe.
L&L
Dave |
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markern
Norway
171 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 10:23:46 AM
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Inner smile you can learn from mantak chia and michael winn. They both have books and tapes of it. Just google their names and inner smile and you will find it. At taobums.com many people use it also. The eyes are only part of it. You build up smiling energy around your mouth and eyes and then send it towards different parts of your body. You could try just sitting with a smal voluntary smile on your face and just feel the energy around your mouth and see what colours assosiate with it. Then try to spread it a bit if you get it going. Just to give you a starter.
Mindfulness based cognitive therapy actualy have quite a bit of research to back it up now. It shows realy good results. It´s the new thing in therapy.
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 11:34:23 AM
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Thanks again markern.
Yes, I tried the inner smile that you suggested and it does work, I feel an uplifting energy around mouth and eyes. Didn't know I could "spread it" across the body but will try. When is the best time to do this? Anytime of the day? Druing practice? If so, before meditation?
Yes, I dont know if 'Mindfulness based cognitive therapy' is what my therapist does exactly but I will ask her. What I know is that I decided to see her after being in an anxiety awareness workshop with her and she introduced us a little exercise in mindfullness and it really soothed me so it seems to be somethign there. In fact, the results and relaxaton/connection I felt with it are not unlike meditation in many ways, although they are different procedures. |
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riptiz
United Kingdom
741 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 5:58:27 PM
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Hi,
Consider this. If a person who goes to church every Sunday for a long time and suddenly finds one Sunday that they cannot get there for some reason, do they suddenly forget about God? No, the chances are they will think of God just as much and may look for other ways of being close to him/her or pray at home, or anywhere at any time.Using mantra in our daily lives is simply another way of sadhana that can be used if we find that we cannot practice sometime.Do you simply stop your sadhana because you have other things going on in your life?
L&L
Dave |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2008 : 6:17:50 PM
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| Yes, I guess you are right dave. No, you wouldn't stop. |
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markern
Norway
171 Posts |
Posted - Nov 16 2008 : 10:03:52 AM
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| You can practice inner smile at any time and almost as much as you want to. Personaly I do it after my other meditation but I think it would be ok before as well. I think the best way to go about it is to do sittings of 5-20 min daily for al little while so that you realy get the energy going. Then later it is much easier to coonect with and spread the energy in just a minute or even a few seconds as you sit on the subway or wait for a green light. You could also intermingle the smiling in asana practice. Mantak CHia does that. If you like the inner smile you could google lafter yoga as well |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2008 : 06:38:33 AM
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Thanks Markern, thank you.
Another question my friends, going back to the mantra during the day practice (maybe Dave, that I think uses this, could help me?).
I find some benefit in repeating quietly (or chanting) another mantra (other than I AM) during the day, especially in periods wehre I feel boredom (and/or accossiated restlessness) or while going to sleep (Eknath Easwaran advices this in his book to go into deep conscioussness). I chose for this the Buddhist Mantra Om mani padme hum. It soothes me. But I wonder: will I be overloading if I do the two daily sittings of I AM mediattion of AYP PLUS the repeating of another mantra during the day?
Probably you are going to say yes. But if so, how do I deal with those periods of restlessness that can become quite annoying? And/or the difficulty in sleeping? Should I just let them be and remain with AP or can I mix the two practices?
Thoughts appreciated, especially if coming from someone that knows and practiced teh two techniques. |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2008 : 07:16:39 AM
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during periods of boredom or restlessness, remember God. Either say the name in your head or think about increasing bhakti, and try to feel that feeling in your body. I feel it near the heart chakra.
If you do this a lot during the day, it improves your practices greatly.
If you can't believe in god, use your own highest ideal. |
Edited by - Etherfish on Nov 17 2008 07:17:58 AM |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2008 : 11:35:22 AM
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Thanks Etherfish but I don't think that would work.
You see, in moments of boredom (and although Deep meditation has significantly reduced this in me) my mind goes wild and all over the place, like a wild horse (because it is "bored") and I have a mind that easily creates stuff out of nothing (wild imagination, etc.) so, I can "fly" and "feel stuff", as well as "be eaten alive by the earth demons" if you know what I mean (I am exagerating here but it has happened in my life before. Some people need to take drugs to experience this kind of stuff  )
Well, I am not a religious person and I don't think thinking about "god" will help. Just sitting down and thinking or fixing on "god", wherever it might be does not help me. I would start imagining some more, creating probably a false being or presence in the air to whom I would be talking to or something. Again, more mind stuff. If I go and start "feeling in my heart centre" won't probably help either, I guess.
Soooo, the only solution I see is to transcend mind and I suspect that is why Deep meditation ayp-style has been so effective after years of "suffering" with this "disease". (I know do songs and other stuf to channel this creative energy...quite fun!) That is also why what Tolle talks about "being in the body" helps me as I turn awareness from the mind into feeling the inner body.
Weekends can be the worse...nothing to do, etc....And yesterday evening, after a weekend like that (reading a lot you see, does not help either) I felt a bit restless and remebered I had the book of Eknath Easwaran talking about boredom and how a mantra would help then and, in fact, it does help me. My concern now is mixing practices. I don't want to stop doing AYP but I am afraid of conflicts. I know what you probably will say: just continue deep meditation alone and eventually your mind will be easier to control. I know this is probably true (judging from what I achieved so far) but still wondering as some moments can be a bit overwhelming. Or maybe just stick with Tolle's little technique? Mantra during the data, inner body awareness or just AYP?
Thank you for listening. |
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markern
Norway
171 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2008 : 12:04:19 PM
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If you try using the mantras like this you will after a while see if you overload or not. Then you can cut back as needed otherwise just continue.
When your mind is flying you could just try being mindfull of the breath. You could also try to spend twice as much time on exhalation as on inhalation. That is very calming and demands more of a focused concentration and hence should be easier in the begining than just watching the breath.
If sleep is a problem yoga nidra is superb. It functions both as a "training" in falling asleep, in sleeping well, as a sleep replacement, in training mindfulness (especialy of the body), in getting you realy deep (evetualy Delta level) and cleaning your mind and working on the chakras and as a form of self hypnosis if you so desire. It should go well with AYP as it is so frequently used as an add on in many yoga systems but you could potentialy overload because of too many practices although i don`t think so because yoga nidra feels fairly light too me. If sleep is a realy big probelem for you I would actualy consider skipping on DM session each day and doing yoga nidra instead of it untill the sleeping problem goes away and then go back to DM. Atlhough DM is general is a better practice than yoga nidra, yoga nidra is better at correcting sleeping problems. During days when you have slept little you can use it in the morning as a sleep replacement and at night if you realy can`t sleep anyway you can do yoga nidra instead.
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2008 : 12:35:13 PM
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Hey, thanks Markern!
The tip on Yoga Nidra is very handy I think. But...how do you do it? Do you need a cd or tape for that? What would you advice?
Sleeping now it's not bad (and it was actually thanks to DM, that kind of grounded me, less friction in the mind, and that reflects in sleep as well) but the problem is that it is not deep you know? Not that refreshing feeling in the morning. I mean, I know I can sleep deeper. I am getting aware of the different layers and I know I get very superficial at nigh. I mean, I remember as a child going deeper, I think. Something funny actually happens to me for a few months (years?) now: I fall assleep but wake up soon after (20min to an hour max) in a subtle different "state" (of conscioussness if I can say that): I am back in my body but with a different feel. Can't really explain. Awake but "heavier" or "lighter", and I feel this electricity around my body, feels usually warm and kind of like tiny sparks. Can't really explain it. It seems like my body needed to rest but my mind needed to wake up at that stage for some reason. Well, sorry, can't explain it. But there is a subtle feeling that I should be going deeper, not waking up again, somehow. It is like regaining conscioussness but still wanting to go deeper, not to the surface... |
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markern
Norway
171 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2008 : 2:20:44 PM
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Yes you need a cd and you just listen to the voice thats all. No effort at all just lie down and listen. But its important to get a genuine yoga nidra cd. A lot of what is offered is just watered down relaxation not realy the authentic technique. Find something that is affiliated with satyananda or bihar school of yoga and you get the real deal.
The state you describe is actualy very similar to the yoga nidra state your body is asleep but your mind is awake. Many cal it yogic sleep. However your mind gets superb rest in yoga nidra. And yoga nidra teaches you exactly what you want - how to sleep deeply. |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 17 2008 : 5:25:34 PM
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Hi, thanks again Markern. Appreciate it.
Do you know Swami J? Would you recommend his Yoga Nidra cd? :
http://www.swamij.com/cd-bm-yn.htm
(I heard it praised somewhere else on the forums)
And what about a book on Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (I think he is from the Bihar School)? It is book so you have to do it on your own, but apparently teaches the techinque. You can see description in amazon if interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Nidra-Sw...60754&sr=8-1
Thank you!
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Edited by - YogaIsLife on Nov 17 2008 5:45:03 PM |
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markern
Norway
171 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2008 : 06:07:48 AM
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I don`t know Swami J but his stuff looks good. The watered down stuff is usualy quite ordinary relaxaton cds made by westerners and caled yoga nidra just because it is relaxation so this is almost certainly real yoga nidra.
Satyananda is I think one of those most responsible for bringing yoga nidra to the west. His stuff is excellent and I would absolutely recomend his book. I actualy have it somewhere myself. |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2008 : 06:42:03 AM
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| Cool, thanks Markern! Seem like two items worth having! |
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Mantra during the day
