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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 15 2009 : 8:17:13 PM
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Namaste Friends,
I feel this may by a bit of a "rookie" type question here, but I fear I may have been overlooking the role that karma yoga has been playing in my life lately. It just occured to me as I was cooking dinner tonight that perhaps my recent needs to self pace rather drastically has been due to a bit of an overload in the karma yoga department. As many of you know I work now at a homeless shelter and I use this very much as my "karma" yoga. Could this job be potentially playing a part in my need to self pace right now? Is that silly to think that? The thought had really never occured to me until just now. Sorry if this is a really dumb question. Thanks in advance for setting me straight folks!
Love,
Carson |
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cosmic_troll
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 02:33:28 AM
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Hey Carson
I don't know if it's possible to overload on karma yoga. I find that activity in general is grounding, even when surrendering as in karma yoga. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can answer.
Is there anything else going on that can explain the need to self-pace? Stress or being sick can also cause overload. Any changes in your practice or lifestyle?
It's not a dumb question at all. I am curious to the answer myself.
Peace!
cosmic |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 03:09:38 AM
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Hi Carson
Wise post there...from Cosmic :-)
If you are active at the homeless center, I cannot see how this could cause overload. As Cosmic said....this activity will be grounding if anything. Do you enjoy working there?
In my experience.....every time there is an overload - the mind has a tendency to start analyzing its causes. But the thing is.....sometimes the purification is a bit bumpier than other times. It just is so. If it is fairly easy to see the cause of energy overload (as in...the addition of a practise, or recently increased sitting time etc) - you will after a while in this "game" easily recognize its causes - if they are recognizable.
When it is not recognized....it is better to not think about it, right? There will be a tendency....because of the impatience....to lable the overload as something "wrong"...or "should not have been"...or "this-will-slow-my-process-down" type of thing. This is natural, since our Bhakti continuosly drives us on.
However - beyond all these thoughts...right here..... is that which knows very well what it is "not-doing". So all is well. And noone is "too late" for anything.
To be a rookie is great  If we can all remember to stay as rookies - all ears - then the journey will be smooth no matter the bumps
What is your practise routine just now? |
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emc
2072 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 04:21:17 AM
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I clearly remember Yogani having talked about overload from karma yoga! I think I got the suggestion to go do some dirty work for someone else when I had overload once, and then he added a comment of the type: "Just don't overdo that either" since karma yoga also is about being "spiritual".
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 05:04:16 AM
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you are far off from being a rookie my friend, and no there could be no overloading symptoms from doing karma yoga maybe from bhakti yoga but concerning karma which is mainly concidered as work yoga it's something which all the sages advise the aspirants to do a lot especially true advaita vedanta teachers like sri Atmananda krishna Menon for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Atmananda.
bcz if you work and at the same time stay in the state of witness than nothing can shake you.
you will be there all the time, this is the most grounding practice in the true self there is along with deep meditation which is brings the solid foundation.
i never spoke of sri Atmananda Menon a lot before even though i'm a big fan of his work and i got first introduced to the world of yoga and advaita by a person who is very affected by the teachings of one of his students "kamal joumblat."
i met him in a friend's store, i even had some beautiful and intense spiritual visions 2 days prior to meeting the guy and from there on my life took on a huge turn from the world of spiritualsim and suffism to the world of yoga and advaita.
now sri Atmananda is a teacher who even though he is an advaitan, his teachings do agree with those of yogani.
but the difference is that he insists on the practice of meditation and self enquiry on the true self and dislikes kundalini practices which he got paralized from for two days after practicing them for 6 months.
but as he was told by his guru, he had to learn this stuff in order to become a true teacher.
he had to learn both of the ways the universal and the direct path.
i guess we are doing the same here with AYP... except we know when to stop now before getting paralized or burnt like hell from the insides thks to the teachings of this great soul "Yogani."
light and love,
Ananda |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 08:15:24 AM
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Hi Carson,
Have you considered you maybe just tired and this is nature's way of making you get some rest.
Two jobs, 3 meditation groups, quitting many substance addictions, heart opening, life happenings, walking dogs, shoveling snow.. it can all add up ya know? Just relax and enjoy the time off your body is asking for/forcing you to take. |
Edited by - Shanti on Jan 16 2009 08:16:17 AM |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 10:25:08 AM
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Hi cosmic and thanks for contributing!
quote:
Originally posted by cosmic_troll
Is there anything else going on that can explain the need to self-pace? Stress or being sick can also cause overload. Any changes in your practice or lifestyle?
Not that I can really think of. I cut back on practices maybe about 3 weeks ago, (about that anyways) and am only doing about 10 minutes of asanas, 10 mins of SBP and 20 mins of DM, no kumbhakas, no chin pump, no bastrika, no samyama....really basic, but yes I have been sick and I have recently changed my lifestyle fairly drastically. 6 days ago I completely quit smoking pot and that is about the biggest lifestyle change I could make at this point. I definitely had an unhealthy attachment to the plant so maybe this has something to do with it I don't know. But come to think of it, my self-pacing issues started much before quitting weed so I don't think that has a lot to do with it. Who knows for sure though right?
Love,
Carson |
Edited by - CarsonZi on Jan 16 2009 10:26:30 AM |
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yogani
USA
5201 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 10:25:59 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by emc
I clearly remember Yogani having talked about overload from karma yoga! I think I got the suggestion to go do some dirty work for someone else when I had overload once, and then he added a comment of the type: "Just don't overdo that either" since karma yoga also is about being "spiritual".
Hi emc, Carson and All:
Yes, I did say it, but I don't remember where at the moment. 
It is covered from the standpoint of self-pacing in bhakti (spiritual desire) in the Bhakti and Karma Yoga book, which also covers our inclination to engage in karma yoga (service).
There is a difference between pure grounding activity (physical exercise, digging in the dirt, etc.) and service (doing for others). There is certainly a positive and useful overlap between these two activities as well.
The basic difference is that in grounding activity we are simply bringing our energy down, while in service we are letting our energy flow out into our environment for the benefit of others. Grounding is much more localized in our nervous system, whereas in service our energy is going out and engaging with other energies, specifically the needs of others. The latter can bring a grounding effect in simple serving situations (like doing chores for someone else, etc.), but in more complex serving situations, the demands on our energy can be considerable. This is certainly the case in the service you are doing with addicts, Carson.
This increased demand on the energy flow coming through us brings purification and opening like in any other spiritual practice, and it is possible to overdo.
"Burnout" is a well-known phenomenon in the serving professions. It is a visible indication of overdoing in karma yoga. So, yes, self-pacing is appropriate in karma yoga. It means backing off a bit when needed and doing some simple grounding activity that does not involve the needs of others so much. It is about finding our balance.
As we advance in our spiritual practices and experiences, our ability to serve will increase. The divine outpouring grows year by year, and in time the energy coming through us can help many without undue strain on our nervous system.
We will be called according to our capacity, and more. It is a form of automatic yoga that is tied in with our bhakti. As with any automatic yoga, there will be a limit to how much growth we can accommodate in a given time period. The signals of overdoing will be clear, and we should honor them accordingly with prudent self-pacing. Then we will be able to contribute the maximum over time. The idea is to avoid burning out in the short term, which will enable us to continue to purify and open as a channel of the divine outpouring over the long term. In this way, our capacity will keep increasing gradually, rather than being interrupted for extended periods by overloads. It is the same principle we find in utilizing all of our practices, as discussed throughout the lessons.
Yoga is a marathon, not a sprint, and that applies in karma yoga too.
All the best!
The guru is in you.
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 10:49:01 AM
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Hi Katrine and thanks for sharing....
quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
If you are active at the homeless center, I cannot see how this could cause overload. As Cosmic said....this activity will be grounding if anything. Do you enjoy working there?
I love this job like I've never loved a job in my life.  It's not a job really...it's karma yoga through and through. (It's penence for me in a sense I guess.) I can't believe I get paid to do what I do. All I really do is try to show people who rarely see any form of love, Unconditional Love, and help them with whatever they need at the time; stitching them up, sitting and listening to them, help facilitate transitions, finding food, work, some clothes, you name it. Anything we would do in normal daily life a homeless (and often substance addicted) person often needs help to accomplish. That is what I do. Help people get through another day. It's very humbling. Not to mention the reward of teaching many of them AYP and getting to share my "story" with them. Probably benefits me more then them , haha. I would not trade my job for anything in the world right now.
quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
In my experience.....every time there is an overload - the mind has a tendency to start analyzing its causes. But the thing is.....sometimes the purification is a bit bumpier than other times. It just is so. If it is fairly easy to see the cause of energy overload (as in...the addition of a practise, or recently increased sitting time etc) - you will after a while in this "game" easily recognize its causes - if they are recognizable.
You see, I thought that I would soon be able to start adding practices back sometime soon. In this thread here....http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=4984 you and I (and others) talked about what I learned to be a bit of early crown activity and I have been really self-pacing a lot since then but even with this self-pacing I am still a bit overloaded. I really didn't think I was until the other day when I was quite sick and didn't practice except for a group meditation. And what I have started to notice since then was that the LESS I practice the better and more stable I feel. I was in such a great mood all day yesterday and I think it was because I chose to only do 5 mins of DM in the morning and 10 mins in the evening. And I didn't have to work yesterday. (at the shelter) I know I hear "less is more" all the time, but really, THAT little? Come on, haha. So I wondered if maybe all the karma yoga I do has something to do with me not being able to do as many practices as I would like?
quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
When it is not recognized....it is better to not think about it, right? There will be a tendency....because of the impatience....to lable the overload as something "wrong"...or "should not have been"...or "this-will-slow-my-process-down" type of thing. This is natural, since our Bhakti continuosly drives us on.
Damn bhakti.
quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
However - beyond all these thoughts...right here..... is that which knows very well what it is "not-doing". So all is well. And noone is "too late" for anything.
Yes but it's "too early" to add back my practices and I kinda want to know why so that I can maybe change something so I can get back to my regular and oh so loved routine! Again...damn bhakti.
quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
To be a rookie is great If we can all remember to stay as rookies - all ears - then the journey will be smooth no matter the bumps
Yes it is important to remember that the journey never ends and we are all "rookies" compared to someone else!
quote:
Originally posted by Katrine
What is your practise routine just now?
Usually I do as I said to cosmic...10mins asanas, (with nauli kriya)10 mins of SBP and 20 mins of DM. Before I started self-pacing I was doing the same with chin pump, Yoni, occasional bastrika, and samyama. But if you remember from my above posted thread, my SBP started to really take on a life of it's own. That's when I really had to self-pace and the past couple of days I have dropped to basically just some DM. Anything else makes me really irritable and uneasy. Obviously there is some overlap to quitting dope here too. I'm sure anyone can see this.
Love,
Carson |
Edited by - CarsonZi on Jan 16 2009 3:23:45 PM |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 10:56:18 AM
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Hi emc,
quote:
Originally posted by emc
I clearly remember Yogani having talked about overload from karma yoga! I think I got the suggestion to go do some dirty work for someone else when I had overload once, and then he added a comment of the type: "Just don't overdo that either" since karma yoga also is about being "spiritual".
Thanks for this....you have any reference thread I can read? There doesn't seem to be much on pacing karma yoga in the karma yoga lesson. #120 I believe?
Love,
Carson |
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yogani
USA
5201 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 11:03:38 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by CarsonZi
Hi emc,
quote:
Originally posted by emc
I clearly remember Yogani having talked about overload from karma yoga! I think I got the suggestion to go do some dirty work for someone else when I had overload once, and then he added a comment of the type: "Just don't overdo that either" since karma yoga also is about being "spiritual".
Thanks for this....you have any reference thread I can read? There doesn't seem to be much on pacing karma yoga in the karma yoga lesson. #120 I believe?
Love,
Carson
Hi Carson:
We may have crossed posts. Take a jump back up here: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=5028#43580
Carry on! 
The guru is in you.
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 11:10:49 AM
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Hello brother Ananda,
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
you are far off from being a rookie my friend
Kind of you to say, but I am very much a rookie still. I really can't deny that.
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
and no there could be no overloading symptoms from doing karma yoga maybe from bhakti yoga but concerning karma which is mainly concidered as work yoga it's something which all the sages advise the aspirants to do a lot especially true advaita vedanta teachers like sri Atmananda krishna Menon for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Atmananda.
You can't see someone who does karma yoga for a living getting overloaded from giving away too much? You think it would just "drain" the energy? That's kinda been my original feeling on the whole thing, but now that I am deeply involved in actually doing karma yoga I find that this is not true at all. After a full day at my day job, and then a full evening at the homeless shelter, I find that I come home from work not tired, not drained, but overly energized and it takes me hours to wind down most evenings. Especially now that I can't smoke pot to bring me down. I didn't even think that this was a possibility until yesterday when it sort of hit me outta nowhere (really wasn't thinking about ANYTHING, let alone work, yoga or self-pacing...I was cooking dinner, something I rarely do) that maybe my need to self-pace is partly caused by an overload in the karma yoga department. The thought had never even crossed my mind until yesterday. Now it seems obvious to me that this is at least a partial cause. Maybe I'm wrong but my intuition says it is. Haven't had a chance to check out your link yet, but I will as soon as I am finished responding to everyone here. Thanks.
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
bcz if you work and at the same time stay in the state of witness than nothing can shake you.
You don't think it matters what type of work you are doing? Is scrubbing toilets no different from helping a homeless man break his addiction to alcohol?
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
you will be there all the time, this is the most grounding practice in the true self there is along with deep meditation which is brings the solid foundation.
Yes, but the less I practice the more I seem to be able to "witness" my life happening and manage to stay blissful despite the goings on around me and the more I practice the more emotionally unstable I feel.
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
i never spoke of sri Atmananda Menon a lot before even though i'm a big fan of his work and i got first introduced to the world of yoga and advaita by a person who is very affected by the teachings of one of his students "kamal joumblat."
i met him in a friend's store, i even had some beautiful and intense spiritual visions 2 days prior to meeting the guy and from there on my life took on a huge turn from the world of spiritualsim and suffism to the world of yoga and advaita.
now sri Atmananda is a teacher who even though he is an advaitan, his teachings do agree with those of yogani.
but the difference is that he insists on the practice of meditation and self enquiry on the true self and dislikes kundalini practices which he got paralized from for two days after practicing them for 6 months.
but as he was told by his guru, he had to learn this stuff in order to become a true teacher.
he had to learn both of the ways the universal and the direct path.
i guess we are doing the same here with AYP... except we know when to stop now before getting paralized or burnt like hell from the insides thks to the teachings of this great soul "Yogani."
Thank you for this. We are very lucky to have someone as wise and as grounded as Yogani to show us the way. And if it wasn't for those constant reminders to self-pace I'm sure a lot of us would be a lot worse off then we are now! haha
Love,
Carson |
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yogani
USA
5201 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 11:18:14 AM
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PS: Yes, Carson, if we are purifying and opening through karma yoga, it may limit what we can do with other practices. There is only so much growth the nervous system can accommodate in a given time period. On the other hand, the growth of inner silence and ecstatic conductivity in sitting practices is what enables the effectiveness of other practices, like karma yoga, so I don't think we should regard the rise in effectiveness of these outward flowing practices as a replacement for sitting practices. It is a matter of keeping a balance between them.
The guru is in you.
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 11:18:59 AM
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Hi Shanti,
quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
Have you considered you maybe just tired and this is nature's way of making you get some rest.
Two jobs, 3 meditation groups, quitting many substance addictions, heart opening, life happenings, walking dogs, shoveling snow.. it can all add up ya know? Just relax and enjoy the time off your body is asking for/forcing you to take.
Haha. Yes, yes...point well made and point taken. Haha. I am pretty busy when you state it all in one lump like that. And yeah I should be super tired. But miraculously I never am. I survive on less sleep then I have ever before in my life. Probably literally half the amount of sleep I used to need while on opiates. But I really am not physically or emotionally tired. (just still having these crown feelings anytime I do SBP and even sometimes even in DM...the sucking thing on the top of my head explained in the link posted to Katrine above) I look forward to every second of every day. And wouldn't trade a single thing that occupies my time now for anything else. But I will do as you say, and try to enjoy the extra time I have right now since I can't spend the time I usually do in practices . Haha. Thanks Shanti.
Love,
Carson |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 11:37:12 AM
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Hello Yoganiji and thank you for contributing! It's wonderful to hear from you!
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
Yes, I did say it, but I don't remember where at the moment.
Haha. VERY helpful! Haha. No offence, I'm just bugging you. I'm sure when you write as much as you do it gets a little hard to keep track of what is said where. No worries.
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
It is covered from the standpoint of self-pacing in bhakti (spiritual desire) in the Bhakti and Karma Yoga book, which also covers our inclination to engage in karma yoga (service).
This is one book I have not finished yet, and maybe I should. So many books these days to read...Real Love, Loving What Is, Bhakti and Karma Yoga, etc etc. (all of these have been started by the way,  ) Guess you can all figure out what I'll be doing with my spare time now that I can't practice for so long! haha.
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
There is a difference between pure grounding activity (physical exercise, digging in the dirt, etc.) and service (doing for others). There is certainly a positive and useful overlap between these two activities as well.
Yes I kinda had an inkling about this. I feel much different after taking a long walk then I do after a few hours of working at the shelter. Much more grounded after the walk, and much more energized after work.
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
The basic difference is that in grounding activity we are simply bringing our energy down, while in service we are letting our energy flow out into our environment for the benefit of others. Grounding is much more localized in our nervous system, whereas in service our energy is going out and engaging with other energies, specifically the needs of others. The latter can bring a grounding effect in simple serving situations (like doing chores for someone else, etc.), but in more complex serving situations, the demands on our energy can be considerable. This is certainly the case in the service you are doing with addicts, Carson.
And by doing the type of service I am doing it is possible to compound the energy even though it is flowing outwards? Sure I am giving and giving and giving at the shelter, but I recieve in ways I never thought possible and in amounts I never thought possible as well so this must be a recouperative type of service or something? Still don't quite understand how when I give so much energy away I come away feeling more energized then ever.
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
This increased demand on the energy flow coming through us brings purification and opening like in any other spiritual practice, and it is possible to overdo.
Well, since I can't really self-pace with the job without the clients suffering, I should just be self-pacing with my practices? Or is there another way you can see that I can self-pace that I may benefit from?
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
"Burnout" is a well-known phenomenon in the serving professions. It is a visible indication of overdoing in karma yoga. So, yes, self-pacing is appropriate in karma yoga. It means backing off a bit when needed and doing some simple grounding activity that does not involve the needs of others so much. It is about finding our balance.
Unfortunately my schedule is regulated to the minute. And I cannot really take time away from the shelter, so I have to find other ways to self-pace here. And there isn't as much time for grounding activities as I would like. So does this mean the only thing left to self-pace on is the practices or is there another aspect I am missing?
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
As we advance in our spiritual practices and experiences, our ability to serve will increase. The divine outpouring grows year by year, and in time the energy coming through us can help many without undue strain on our nervous system.
Yes I'm sure this will only get easier the less "rookie" I get.
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
We will be called according to our capacity, and more. It is a form of automatic yoga that is tied in with our bhakti. As with any automatic yoga, there will be a limit to how much growth we can accommodate in a given time period. The signals of overdoing will be clear, and we should honor them accordingly with prudent self-pacing.
And the signals with overdoing of karma yoga are the same as overdoing with practices?
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
Then we will be able to contribute the maximum over time. The idea is to avoid burning out in the short term, which will enable us to continue to purify and open as a channel of the divine outpouring over the long term. In this way, our capacity will keep increasing gradually, rather than being interrupted for extended periods by overloads. It is the same principle we find in utilizing all of our practices, as discussed throughout the lessons.
So, since my karma yoga time is regulated, and I have to do a certain amount every week, does this mean that my balance is always going to be off? That I am always going to have to keep my practices to a minimum or at least until I get rid of some of the karma yoga?
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
Yoga is a marathon, not a sprint, and that applies in karma yoga too.
Thank you Yogani for all your wise words. I take everything deep to heart.
Love,
Carson |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 11:39:47 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by yogani
We may have crossed posts. Take a jump back up here: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=5028#43580
Yeah I noticed, but I was working my way down the page responding in order....patience, I'm getting to you! haha. Just bugging you. No offence meant but I couldn't respond to you before I responded to Shanti!
Love,
Carson |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 11:43:14 AM
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Hi Yogani,
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
PS: Yes, Carson, if we are purifying and opening through karma yoga, it may limit what we can do with other practices. There is only so much growth the nervous system can accommodate in a given time period. On the other hand, the growth of inner silence and ecstatic conductivity in sitting practices is what enables the effectiveness of other practices, like karma yoga, so I don't think we should regard the rise in effectiveness of these outward flowing practices as a replacement for sitting practices. It is a matter of keeping a balance between them.
Yes, balance is always key. Acheiving balance can be hard sometimes though especially when one of the factors is a job with a regulated period of time necessary every day. Make sense? Just hoping I have not got more karma yoga in my schedule daily then I am able to handle. Am really hoping this need for self-pacing is more of a delayed effect from a month or two ago and is still dragging on and is not an indication that I need to spend less time at work. That would be really hard for me to deal with at this point.
Love,
Carson |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 4:43:42 PM
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hi Carson, i must admit that you are one hell of an energetic person...
concerning scrubbing toilets, i have no problems in doing that i have a lot worse on my mind whom i don't mind doing especially in helping old people or a drunkard like you said.
i cleaned the toilets in both the house and the store i work in more than once and cleaned the store even though we have someone who comes to do that stuff for us every now and then.
and i think that even though someone is doing this kind of job then yes from the witness state he can turn that into something spiritual like a lesson in humility and one hell of a self conditioning.
take jesus for example he washed the feets of his disciples.
and don't worry you don't have to check on the site, you have enough on your plate it was just smthg that came up.
the best advice which i can give for someone like you is do everything in moderation and i agree with Shanti you should take a break now and then i know i do from time to time.
light and love,
Ananda |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 4:49:51 PM
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and concerning the less and more practice, i say practice less in your case just relax and chill bro you need to go out for the mountains or the sea that would even be nicer it has a smooth calming effect.
and speaking for myself i have two practices who are permanent with me: ketchari mudra and deep meditation; concerning the others i always do self pace on them... |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 4:59:33 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by yogani
quote:
Originally posted by emc
I clearly remember Yogani having talked about overload from karma yoga! I think I got the suggestion to go do some dirty work for someone else when I had overload once, and then he added a comment of the type: "Just don't overdo that either" since karma yoga also is about being "spiritual".
Yes, I did say it, but I don't remember where at the moment.
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=2884#30500 |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 5:05:18 PM
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Hey Bro,
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
i must admit that you are one hell of an energetic person...
Hahahaha. Thanks for the laugh Ananda. Anything in particular that makes you say this or is it just my life in general that makes you feel this? You are very right though. Naturally I have more energy then 100 people combined I think. This was part of the reason why marijuana became such an issue for me....It slowed me down to a comfortable and "more normal" level of energy compared to others. Then when weed stopped doing this I started using heroin! Haha. Yes energy gallore! Not always a good thing though and I have no idea how to deal with it without keeping myself super duper busy! Especially now that I have no substance that is keeping my levels lower.
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
concerning scrubbing toilets, i have no problems in doing that i have a lot worse on my mind whom i don't mind doing especially in helping old people or a drunkard like you said.
I think you missed my toilet point. What I was trying to get across is that scrubbing toilets can be a form of karma yoga as can helping a homeless man break his addiction to alcohol...BUT the difference in how I feel after doing one over the other is very different. Scrubbing toilets is very grounding. Helping the homeless man break his addiction seems to compound the energy issues. I seem to give a lot of energy away but always end up with twice as much at the end of it all. Understand my meaning now?
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Originally posted by Ananda
i cleaned the toilets in both the house and the store i work in more than once and cleaned the store even though we have someone who comes to do that stuff for us every now and then.
Very noble of you!
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Originally posted by Ananda
and i think that even though someone is doing this kind of job then yes from the witness state he can turn that into something spiritual like a lesson in humility and one hell of a self conditioning.
Of course! Karma yoga in action!
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Originally posted by Ananda
take jesus for example he washed the feets of his disciples.
I did an excersize when I was in Sunday school as a child and washed anothers feet who I had an issue with and it was one of the most heart-opening and humbling experiences of my life. I highly recommend this to anyone!
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Originally posted by Ananda
and don't worry you don't have to check on the site, you have enough on your plate it was just smthg that came up.
Don't worry bro, I already read it and checked out most of the sites linked at the bottom of that wiki page. Thank you!
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Originally posted by Ananda
the best advice which i can give for someone like you is do everything in moderation and i agree with Shanti you should take a break now and then i know i do from time to time.
Yes, good and timely advice to be sure. Unfortunately with bhakti running wild and outpouring love going out of control it is a little hard for me to police myself sometimes. Usually what happens is my BODY ends up MAKING me take a break and this is what happened to me on Wednesday as I was so sick I could not make it to work....The only thing I did all day (besides puke, haha) was go to the weekly Buddhist study and meditation group that I just enrolled in. And that was my only meditation that day as well. Gotta love it when life says "enough is enough!"...take a day off already! haha. Thanks for the wise advice my friend.
Love,
Carson |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 5:07:00 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
and concerning the less and more practice, i say practice less in your case just relax and chill bro you need to go out for the mountains or the sea that would even be nicer it has a smooth calming effect.
and speaking for myself i have two practices who are permanent with me: ketchari mudra and deep meditation; concerning the others i always do self pace on them...
A trip to the mountains would be amazing right now....if only there was time! Gotta learn to make time I guess.
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 5:08:26 PM
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Hi Shanti.....
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Originally posted by Shanti
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=2884#30500
I knew I could trust you to find this for me! You are the one with the elephantine memory after all! Just bugging....
Love,
Carson |
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2009 : 5:47:37 PM
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point well taken now god bless you, i wish you all the best in everything someone like yourself is very deserving.
actually b4 i got back home i was having dinner with a friend and during it we were speaking of someone like yourself who gets back on his feet and cultivates good habbits back and goes to the world and usually achieves more than others. (of course i didn't mention you during the talk, it was something very general concerning work on one's self even though this and that...)
and after seeing what you're going through energy wise i think you should check on some good heavy diet advice and inlist yourself in a gym and work on some weights or swim rather than enlisting in a buddhist group or you can do both whatever suits you.
warmest regards |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2009 : 3:06:04 PM
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Hi Carson
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Still don't quite understand how when I give so much energy away I come away feeling more energized then ever
Yes....*laughing*....
This is how I feel any time I engage in something that even remotely resembles service....*laughing*....
When the hands are used for healing......spontaneous conversations with people in different kinds of need (anyone, anywhere, anytime).....in touching animals or silent contact with birds......consultations with people at the kitchen table......AYP meditation group on Wednesdays.......or if I sing or play for someone as a "medicine".......all these.......result in expansion.....and increased love and clarity.
This is what is happening to all of us. Just give your body the rest it needs. Be kind to it.....it is this vessel that allows for the outpouring. What you do to it, yo do to all .
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And what I have started to notice since then was that the LESS I practice the better and more stable I feel. I was in such a great mood all day yesterday and I think it was because I chose to only do 5 mins of DM in the morning and 10 mins in the evening. And I didn't have to work yesterday. (at the shelter) I know I hear "less is more" all the time, but really, THAT little?
Yes. THAT little
I have had periods where even that was too much......and then I sing instead Now I sing devotional songs.....or love songs.....and it has a clensing and....balancing effect. And is still a sort of practise (he, he). I know well the moods you speak of....*laughter*.....it's great, isn't it? It is what happens when you give yourself some slack, ya know What you are right then is balanced. And this is very GOOD for you, Carson
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So I wondered if maybe all the karma yoga I do has something to do with me not being able to do as many practices as I would like?
Would it matter if you knew? Karma yoga is also practise....
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Yes energy gallore! Not always a good thing though and I have no idea how to deal with it without keeping myself super duper busy! Especially now that I have no substance that is keeping my levels lower.
No. But you have AYP now. Look at it this way, Carson: When there is better balance between inner silence and ecstatic conductivity in you.....hurray.....what an outpouring it will be!! It is already happening....how else do you think all this could come about And as you keep practising and more and more is released.......the restlessness is transforming before your very eyes. Just give it time to unfold....as it already is.... yes?
You see....*laughing*......inner silence is coming to get you, Carson.....it is too late to run......
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Jan 19 2009 : 1:56:52 PM
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Good day Ananda,
quote:
Originally posted by Ananda
...after seeing what you're going through energy wise i think you should check on some good heavy diet advice and inlist yourself in a gym and work on some weights or swim rather than enlisting in a buddhist group or you can do both whatever suits you.
Sorry it has taken me so long to respond but I had a fun (and work) filled weekend (http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=5044) and didn't have much time for the forum.
Thank you for the helpful suggestion my friend....I have been eating "heavy" (meat) now for about 5 maybe 6 months. I was vegetarian for 10 years prior and stopped not too long ago. I also see the need for plenty of excersize and I have been trying to do my best. I took a long hike this weekend, but unfortunately I had major surgery on my left knee when I was 17 (compressed it so badly I had to have all the cartilage replaced and my right knee isn't much better) and this limits what I am able to do and for how long...For example after sitting in full Siddhasana (without much of a cushion....stupid maybe) for an hour prior to my hike, and then hiking for a couple of hours, today I can hardly walk. My knees hurt so badly that I wonder if I did some serious damage again. I really hope not. And I used to work out at the gym when I was younger, but I found that I always ended up getting into physical fights there and have pretty much stayed away from that where I can. Swimming though, I had never really entertained as an option and I quite like this idea and will likely try to find some time to start soon. Thank you for the wonderful suggestion and I hope you have a wonderful week!
Love,
Carson |
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Karma Yoga Self-Pacing
