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machi
Belgium
35 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 10 2009 : 08:07:40 AM
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I try to meditate daily, for the last half year. I currently practice 20-30min. I try various exercises, but for the last 2 months, one exercise (~10-15min) is performed daily: I first stabilize the body posture and bring the mind at ease and then visualize the flow of prana through the spine. This visualization is done in three steps: First, visualize a fine tube in the back from mooladhara to ajna and concentrate on the breath running through the fine tube. After some time, visualize a second tube through which consciousness is run, at the same level as the breath. Subsequently, visualize prana running through the spine. In my case, this is a stream of electricity.
Since recently, I have found two remarkable (?) changes and was wondering whether they are related to a Kundalini preparing itself to rise up:
- a cold feeling running over the spine. This cold feeling is at the "outside" of the body and feels like cold air being blewn over it. The feeling is only at that point where my awareness is being concentrated!
- second inner (heart)beat. I'm not aware of this constantly. It runs about twice the speed of my heartbeat but has a different characteristic in general. The heart beats "twice", this pulses only "once". I have not found the exact location yet. When it beats (when I become aware of it), the pulse is rather "radiating".
Any suggestions for continuing the practice are most appreciated :-)
machi |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Sep 10 2009 : 2:56:49 PM
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Hi Machi
Welcome to the forum 
If I understand you correctly...you are not practising any mantra meditation, right ?...Your main practice is the visualization that you undertake after the mind has settled down some?
I practise AYP Deep Meditation, Spinal Breathing Pranayama and Samyama myself....so cannot really advise you as to how to continue with the visualization you are doing....I wouldn't know how to:-)
I'll share a perspective on it though When a meditation is a constant visualization....the mind will be somewhat employed all the time. This will make it difficult for it to "go beyond itself". And in the AYP pracices...this is crucial. Because mind cannot become completely still if it is constantly engaged in what it sees. It needs something to "die into". Hence we use a mantra.....as a tool to "fall into silence"....it is ...a non-doing....or the closest one can get to it. An effortless effort.
The symptoms you describe are probably prana moving through your Nadis (energy channels). As you know Prana is also the Kundalini energy....but whether your recent development heralds a proper Kundalini awakening (up the Shushumna) just around the corner...we cannot really know.
In the AYP system of practices......there are two main goals. One is the cultivation of inner silence (through Deep Meditation), the other is to stimulate the rising of ecstatic conductivity/Kundalini (through Spinal Breathing Pranayama and other techniques....Deep Meditation included).
The most crucial of the two is the cultivation of inner silence. It is this that is our core.....our source.....awareness itself...our inner guru. To cultivate inner silence so that it seeps into our daily life as a felt basis of calm, stillness and clarity permeating our daily active life....the mantra meditation is used as a means for the mind to "go beyond itself". Because one cannot "do" inner silence. So - the principle of "non-doing" is central in the AYP practices. We concider anything that happens during a meditation to be "scenery"...something we can enjoy when not in the sitting session....but while meditating we gently favour the mantra instead....no matter what kind of experiences that are appearing.
Spinal Breathing Pranayama (SBP) is used as an introducion to the Deep Meditation. Usually 10 min of it....and then 20 min of Deep Meditation (DM). It directly stimulates the spinal nerve and purifies it so that it is able to "conduct" the Kundalini through itself and spread it to the whole body and eventually far beyond it. Eventually inner silence and ecstatic conductivity will merge inside us....and it is this "marriage" that is the goal of Yoga. It leads to ecstatic Bliss......"stillness in action"....a continuous "spreading out" of divine love.
I don't know how familiar you are with the AYP practices, but if you are interested in reading about a balanced system of practices...that also answers all your questions regarding Kundalini....it is a good idea to read Yoganis Main lessons (click the link on top of this page). Start from lesson 1.
Here are the lessons on Deep Meditation and Spinal Breathing Pranayama.
http://www.aypsite.org/13.html
http://www.aypsite.org/41.html
Kundalini Assistance:
http://www.aypsite.org/69.html
Self-pacing (how to develop a balanced, safe, consistent practice):
http://www.aypsite.org/38.html
Here is the Topic Index...for you to easily find the topics you are most interested in:
http://www.aypsite.org/TopicIndex.html
Good luck with your practices whatever they end up being
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machi
Belgium
35 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2009 : 04:34:25 AM
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Thank you for your reply, it was very helpful to me.
The two exercises I follow to initiate the meditation session are taken from Dharana Darshan (Bihar School of Yoga). I first make sure the body and mind are stabilized by an introductory exercise: seeing myself in the mirror, not moved nor by heard sound nor upcomming thought, ... and finish this exercise by focussing on the breath. From this point, I continue to a second exercise visualizing the prana. After this, I continue "freestyle", i.e. any exercise I'd like to do.
This week, I decided to focus on a difficulty (or advantage?) that I discovered earlier when seeing myself in the mirror during the introductory exercise: I'd almost "automatically" leave the body behind when I observed myself sitting from above and go to a space where I usually encounter Ajna. A friend told me: "once you can observe yourself during meditation, try to observe the observer". This is what I did this week, observing the flow of prana in the observer (dhyana mudra is essential), and after a few minutes and generating a lot of internal heat, I can leave the body behind quite easily. The problem, however, is maintaining stability, and I find myself travelling back and forth from the body to inner space (?). I am going to introduce the Deep Meditation exercise to see whether it stabilizes the meditation. I'm grateful for your suggestion; I'd never "think" of singing/praying a mantra...
quote:
The symptoms you describe are probably prana moving through your Nadis (energy channels). As you know Prana is also the Kundalini energy....but whether your recent development heralds a proper Kundalini awakening (up the Shushumna) just around the corner...we cannot really know.
It is what I thought as well, though wasn't really sure... The cold feeling is intensifying session after session. In one way, it is exciting that an exercise so simple can give this kind of feeling. In another way, it is also frightening, especially because I'm not really sure whether I am currently "ready" to rise my Kundalini :) |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Sep 11 2009 : 08:01:29 AM
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Hi Machi
quote:
I am going to introduce the Deep Meditation exercise to see whether it stabilizes the meditation
That's great
Deep Meditation is a very powerful practice in itself. I never did anything else but mantra meditation and self-inquiry for years...and this alone gave rise to the proper Kundalini awakening here.
Just remember that it is always important to self-pace so that you do not experience any overload (which will bring discomfort). So...since you are not familiar with AYP Deep Meditation it will be a good thing to ....for a few days at least....try it on it's own first (or not in conjunction with the other practices). When you feel you are over the initial "cluncky fase" (which is normal in starting any new practice)....and are beginning to feel the effect of the DM.....you can include it in the rest of your routine. Just always be aware of the need to self-pace if it becomes too much.
Also - I highly recommend Yoganis books. I started with Deep Meditation, then Spinal Breathing Pranayama and then Samyama. The books are small, wonderfully clear and to the point, and a great resource to lean on and also be inspired by
(The Advanved Yoga Practises Easy Lessons for Ecstatic Living is also great and includes much more than what is on this website.)
Like previously mentioned...I cannot advise you regarding how the DM will fit with your other practices....but it would be great if you could come back and post about how you are doing. Many here will also be able to help if you post any questions 
All the best |
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Signs for awakening kundalini?
