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IcedEarth
73 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 3:03:13 PM
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Every time I practice spinal breathing, or any other breathing exercise, I am beset with a great deal of psychophysiological problems. I have been experimenting with practices for the past four years, and I discovered AYP three years ago. It is utterly frustrating to not be able to practice any pranayama, since it is the most powerful tool of yoga.
Here are the uncomfortable symptoms I experience most strongly when I practice spinal breathing:
Immense tension headaches
dizziness
Tingling/hot/cold pains in the face and neck
Shakiness
Strong feelings of rage and anxiety, followed by depression and frustration
On days when I try to practice pranayama, symptoms generally taper off but may last throughout the whole day, and are mostly gone when I wake up the next day.
I recently stayed for a couple of weeks with a yoga teacher who has been practicing Kriya yoga for 20 years. I went to get help with this frustrating problem, and he gave me a couple of techniques to work with. He showed me the SRF energization exercises, which consist of lots of tension-relaxation of the muscle groups, accompanied with a double breathing technique. He also suggested daily fasting until noon, which I have been doing for the past month. The energization exercises have fixed most of my symptoms of discomfort, yet I still cannot practice seated pranayama comfortably.
When I described to him the practices I have been doing, namely spinal breathing and deep meditation, he displayed strong criticism toward the techniques, describing them as unscientific and borne of the dark ages. He stated that the IAM meditation is a weak technique will not result in self-knowledge. I described to him yoni mudra kumbhaka as practiced in AYP, and he did not consider it a good technique, still commenting of it as being born of the dark ages and potentially dangerous to health. Of course, this is all up for debate. He suggested not going back to these practices again, and told me to try square breathing, counting 6 in, 6 out, and after becoming stable over a period of weeks/months, add holding the breathe for 6 seconds. This would be a kind of preparatory exercise for learning Kriya yoga. Unfortunately, I still experienced uncomfortable symptoms when attempting this exercise.
So for now I practice twice daily, performing the energization exercises followed by deep meditation. If I didn't experience such strong headaches and anxiety following pranayama, I'd be able to practice. I think at some level these symptoms may be caused by psychological problems that have found their expression as discomfort during and after yoga practices. I've developed a habit of smoking marijuana most evenings to deal with the physical pain, but I need to ease up or stop because it is not helping so much anymore.
I hope Yogani will read this and give his thoughts on the perspective of 'dark age' practices prescribed by AYP, and my difficulties with pranayama. |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 3:37:56 PM
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How do you do if you just sit, without practicing anything?
Then, add just allowing your attention to follow your breath. How does that feel?
Before you sit down, visualize all the living beings in existence, and dedicate your practice for the good of all. Briefly contemplate your love for everything, then just sit.
When I troubleshoot things, I try to find a baseline. Knowing how you feel when just sitting and not practicing anything is a baseline. Then, just adding simple breath attention is the next click up toward practice. If we know how you feel under these conditions, that would help me at least know better what's going on with you.
You will often get advice that amounts to: do what I do, it's the best. But, as you may have adduced, it's trial and error. |
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yogani
USA
5201 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 6:13:00 PM
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Hi IcedEarth:
If you are sensitive to pranayama, it is good to back off it and do what is comfortable, which is what you are doing. It is right practice. Nothing wrong with that. There is plenty else you have to work with.
Deep meditation is a much more fundamental and powerful practice than any form of pranayama. If you are comfortable with twice-daily deep meditation without pranayama, then you can make good progress in cultivating abiding inner silence, clearing out inner obstructions, and in time those emotional (energy) reactions from pranayama will become less. You are wise to be self-pacing now, and it is self-pacing that will carry you forward in managing practices in the future.
Regarding the energization exercises, that is great that they help smooth things out. You may like to try adding a short set of asanas on the front end, before energization exercises and deep meditation. What you cannot do with pranayama right now, you can work on gently with the physical practices coming from the outside, and deep meditation coming from the inside. If that works without discomfort, you have a very good practice, and you can evolve your routine gradually from there.
As for AYP methods being "dark age," that is standard sectarian-speak for, "I don't know anything about that, and don't want to." 
All the best!
The guru is in you.
PS: If you find the routine just described to be smooth after a few months, you may like to consider adding samyama. Or perhaps a mantra enhancement. These are ways to gradually broaden the purification coming from inside, from inner silence. One step at a time though...
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IcedEarth
73 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 7:15:32 PM
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Thank you for the suggestions konchok and yogani. I need to learn to befriend my breath, because somehow my mind-body has created a negative learned-response to what I've been doing. The discomfort I feel seems far more chaotic than what one would expect from a few minutes of pranayama.
What I really want is to sit for longer periods, as in having a bit lengthier of twice daily practice with less outer-world activity. I really think it is important to spend enough time conserving energy and looking within. If more pranayama isn't going to help, perhaps I should skip SBP and try adding samyama next, which I actually practiced for a year despite energy problems associated with pranayama. This whole situation just makes little sense to me because physically I am young, strong and healthy. I run and lift weights regularly. Having had no job or girlfriend for the past several months surely doesn't help the situation, but I shouldn't expect things to change once I get those things in place...
If anyone has some simple suggestions for ways to befriend my breath without physically attempting to regulate the depth and slowness of it, I'm all game to try something new. |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2009 : 11:34:47 PM
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Hi Iced Earth, :)
From reading your previous posts back to 2007, I must comment that it looks like your kundalini has been very active for a while now and you have been experiencing similar severe symptoms for quite a while too.
Have you gone to see a doctor? Have you ever had an MRI for brain tumours? How is your blood pressure? Do you eat a lot of salt? How is your blood sugar? Do you eat a lot of sugar/alcohol/refined carbs? The current list of symptoms suggests to me that you might be diabetic: headaches, dizziness, tingling/hot/cold pains in the face and neck, shakiness, extreme mood swings (rage followed by depression). To me, these are blood sugar issues. How is your memory? To me, these are symptoms of diabetes (or a similar disease). You can mitigate the effects from diabetes with exercise to a degree, also by controlling your diet (eating low carb foods) be eating frequently throughout the day etc.. but if you are type 1 diabetic you should get yourself on medication.
When was the last time you went for a checkup and explained your symptoms to a doctor?
If you have a clean bill of health and you have been tested for diabetes, then this is what I would suggest (this is my own advice, I borrow my knowledge from many varied sources, not any one source in particular and my agenda is to try to help you).
Go find a shaman, guru, priest, reiki healer or someone who is familiar with kundalini energy flows and get them help you. Someone on this forum (I think it was Kirtanman) pointed out a link on kundalini that I've read twice now. The main idea is that kundalini, once activated will try to leave the body through the hole at the top of the head. This can be a very painful procedure, lots of pain and pressure in the head. Sometimes kundalini blows a hole right through! There was mention in the article of feeling like the skull was about to split apart. If you think these are your symptoms and that that is what is happening to you, find a shaman, guru etc to help you out.
Here is a link to that article:
http://www.mountainrunnerdoc.com/kundalini.html
Having done the Self Realization Fellowship Energization Excersises for two years, I would say that they are very powerful but I would be concerned with the whole body tension exercise. The end result of that exercise is tremendous pressure in the head because of the sequence of tensing (tensing from the feet/outerlimbs to the head). It also drives all your energy into your head. Towards the end of the two years I had to quit those exercises because I didn't like sleeping only 3 hours a night. (but I did feel great, powerful and energized). However, if you had the lessons, you would see that the lessons have their own style of pranayama involving mild body tensions which is very similar to conventional pranayama (end of second year lessons). Coupled with an active kundalini, I'm kind of perplexed as to what exactly those exercises would do. For the most part I think all exercise stimulates kundalini. Also, their style of meditation is the Hong Sau meditation, which follows the breath.
The other recommendation that I would have is to do the practice of meditation called the Hollow Body meditation. It is a buddhist practice and it is said to cure serious energy imbalances. You can find it from the "Clear Light of Bliss" book by Kelsang Gyatso at this link (page down a page first):
http://books.google.com/books?id=Oi...e&q=&f=false
The last thing I will mention is this. I think Eckhart Tolle's "Sensing the Inner Body" meditation is really great. (you had inquired about it a few years ago). You can find instructions on his "Gateways to Now" CD. Not only is it supposed to help heal and balance the inner body by adding more consciousness to the body and less to the mind (so it stills the mind too), it feels so good that I end up doing at least 50 minute sittings twice a day. I just sit, relax the body completely and let go. Become the watcher, not the doer. Let go. Feel the inner body as a unified field of energy.
Ok. Doctor first, then the self-help stuff.. right?
Hope that helps.
I will add you to my prayer list.
:)
TI
**Please note, the opinions and advice given in this post do not necessarily reflect AYP philosophy or practices.
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Edited by - Tibetan_Ice on Oct 29 2009 11:48:37 PM |
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riptiz
United Kingdom
741 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2009 : 03:29:19 AM
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Hi,
Might I suggest that you try sbp in reverse starting from the crown to the root.This is the method used in the lineage of Kundalini Maha Yoga I belong too.In my experience the root upwards stimulates Kundalini more and is used by us solely as a method of stimulating shakti to rise once it has been awakened.From the crown down to the root is used for clearing the sushumna and seems gentler.Nothing gained, nothing ventured.
L&L
Dave |
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IcedEarth
73 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2009 : 2:31:39 PM
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Wow I really appreciate the post Tibetan Ice. If you read my posts from 2007, you read about the seemingly life-threatening position regarding energy that i was stuck in for half a year. Soon after returning home I saw a psychologist/therapist. I described my whole situation and worked with him for a year. He strongly believed the physical discomfort was caused by a mind-body disorder, and did not believe the yoga practices were the main culprit of my symptoms. I had mind-body symptoms, physical pain problems before I started yoga, and I started practicing yoga to try to relieve my problems. It seems like my body is always trying to create pain somewhere in my body. For the past year it has been my left hand, as I play guitar for 2-4 hours a day. It doesn't necessarily mean there is a structural/functional problem with the area where there is pain.
I do not have diabetes. It does not run in my family. Don't think I have a brain tumor :) These pains are stimulated when I practice pranayama, and yes they do get worse if I haven't eaten in a while. That is the nature of pain. My diet is generally very healthy, I eat a good amount of refined carbs but my body doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
Yeah, the whole body tension exercises may be exacerbating the problems. I experience slight nausea directly after performing the one where you tense the whole body slowly then drop the chin the the chest. I probably should not drop the chin for that one. Also I probably should not be tensing my head so much during the exercises and it seems to create slight discomfort in my head. But overall, the energization exercises have mitigated the pressure in the head.
I'm familiar with the 'inner body' exercise you mentioned. It does seem effective, because if I am in a quiet place and just close my eyes and feel inside for a while, everything slowly loosens up on its own accord and I feel calmer. Unless I am too anxious, in which case I can't fall asleep and must find some other activity to do. Like staying up a couple hours playing some metal on guitar :P
riptiz, I didn't ever try the reverse spinal breathing exercise, but I don't feel comfortable trying it right now. Perhaps a few weeks or something.
From my perspective, the whole process of healing the pain comes from fixing brain structure and function. The brain has an intricate network of body maps which inform a person of the body's physical condition and position in space. The plastic nature of the brain is such that the maps are constantly changing in response to our interpretations of our bodies and outside events. Painful symptoms can result when the maps get distorted, resulting in pain signals being sent to particular areas of the bodies. It is my belief, and scientific evidence has shown, that yoga and meditation practices significantly alter the brain's body maps. Mental interpretations of our body can change body maps. Many case studies have shown this to be true. Therefore, meditation and certain exercises can change our perceptions of the body, and hence interpretations of pain. So what I'm getting to, is that we can heal ourselves using our mind. Or hands-on-healing from another individual.
I haven't found a guru, shaman, or healer who I'm comfortable seeing regularly. I saw an acupuncturist/energy healer 2-3 years ago, but the relationship was not serving my needs at the time. Perhaps by being on the look out for one I may find one.
All being said, I'm optimistic about the future of my healing. I think I'm heading in a better direction with the practices I'm doing, and it is good to know that there is room for spiritual progress even if I cannot currently practice sitting pranayama. Thanks for your caring insights! |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2009 : 9:29:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by IcedEarth
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For the past year it has been my left hand, as I play guitar for 2-4 hours a day. It doesn't necessarily mean there is a structural/functional problem with the area where there is pain.
Have you seen a chiropracter? I used to play bass professionaly for 16 years but I had to quit because the pain in my back was too severe. It would feel like I was being stabbed by a knife, especially after a 4 hour gig. A chiropracter fixed that. I also that discovered that the pain in my chest, which I thought was lung damage from pnemonia, but it wasn't, because the chiro made it go away.. So your back can be 'out' and it will affect other parts of your body that seem unrelated.
quote:
I do not have diabetes. It does not run in my family.
Have you ever been checked for it? You could do a self test. Go buy a blood sugar tester from a drug store and start poking your fingers before and after you eat. I have a BG tester and strips and did track my blood sugar for a few weeks. I was programming some diabetic software and I wanted to get the full picture of Blood Sugar tracking... Better yet, go get checked by a doctor. What have you got to lose? Diabetes can be dormant in family blood lines and then reappear..
quote:
Yeah, the whole body tension exercises may be exacerbating the problems. I experience slight nausea directly after performing the one where you tense the whole body slowly then drop the chin the the chest. I probably should not drop the chin for that one.
Maybe your neck is 'out', how heavy is your guitar? I know strats and les pauls aren't as heavy as bass guitars but they still must be a good 10 to 12 pounds.
quote:
But overall, the energization exercises have mitigated the pressure in the head.
Have you tried putting your tongue on your palatte to help drain the excess energy buildup in your head? This really worked for me.
quote:
I'm familiar with the 'inner body' exercise you mentioned. It does seem effective, because if I am in a quiet place and just close my eyes and feel inside for a while, everything slowly loosens up on its own accord and I feel calmer.
What I do is this. Sit in easy posture. Put your hands palms up on your thighs. Rest your back on a support like a wall. Close your eyes. No sambhavi, kechari or other "doings". Now start to relax your body. Focus on your hands and relax them and feel them until they feel like magnetic fields of vapour. Treat the sensing as your meditation object. Once both of your hands feel comfortably numb (I had to put that in.. Pink Floyd, ha ha), proceed to do the same thing to your feet. Spend a few minutes on both feet. Next, sense the hands and feet at the same time. Continue relaxing and letting go. Just feel. By this time I notice that my brow has become a large magnetic pressurized hole. I then consciously dead-pan my face and let it go. Then, I start to sense the whole body as one energy field. At that point, and sometimes even when I'm just doing the feet, the root chakra starts pulsing and emitting ecstatic energy waves. I become one oval shaped ball of blissful energy. If you keep relaxing, say, at the end of every breath, you make more effort to let go, eventually your breathing slows down to the point where it is just one small little breath every ten seconds. Then the lights appear..
It's a great technique for breaking the dream state barrier as well as for healing, feeling great and shutting off the mind..
A few weeks ago I discovered (thanks to Konchok) that "sensing the inner body" is a powerful meditation technique that Buddha presented: "Mindfulness Immersed in the Body ". Here is the link: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipi...19.than.html
:)
TI
**Note: The techniques discussed here are not meant to represent AYP practices and should not be construed as such. |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4430 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2009 : 04:55:19 AM
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Hi Icedearth,
Sorry to hear you are still having problems related to your kundalini.
quote:
If anyone has some simple suggestions for ways to befriend my breath without physically attempting to regulate the depth and slowness of it, I'm all game to try something new
Many people in the forum have found that simple breathing meditation helps when energy imbalances are happening. Here is a description of it:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....ID=6503#6503
If you are practicing pranayama and finding immediate symptoms of discomfort, this is a good way of knowing that you are suffering from kundalini problems and not a medical condition. Medical conditions rarely flare up in response to spinal breathing pranayama. Having said that, there can be no harm in getting checked over by a doctor.
The effects of kundalini are the same whether you are young or old, in good health or poor health, or have a good diet or a poor diet. In fact, exercise can increase kundalini flow, as can eating a very pure diet, so they would be things to cut down on if you are having a lot of kundalini related problems.
The most important things to avoid are things which directly stimulate kundalini. Pranayama (any kind) is the first on this list, followed by all the bhandas and mudras including kechari mudra. Siddhasana is also a major stimulator of kundalini, as is sexual activity. You may also need to cut back on meditation times as meditation can also be a stimulator of kundalini. Grounding activities, such as going for long walks can be a major help.
Once you are able to find a stable base where you feel comfortable (which may just be a few minutes of deep meditation, or breathing meditation twice a day with a lot of walking in between), then you can begin to gradually build up your practice again.
Building up your practice from a stable base (once you have found it) is a matter of adding a few extra minutes of one practice at a time, and then going with that for a while to make sure the unpleasant symptoms don't come back, and adding more if you find that they don't. Never add two practices at the same time, because if your symptoms return you won't know which is causing them.
All the best,
Christi |
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manigma
India
1065 Posts |
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
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Konchok Ösel Dorje
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2009 : 6:51:04 PM
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| How about just sit and breathe, knowing that you sit and breathe? |
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IcedEarth
73 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2009 : 6:43:43 PM
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I actually have had to stop all practices for the time being. I have had pretty severe anxiety for the past 72 hours or so and if I try to meditate my head feels tense, and I get all jittery. I'm going to try the energization exercises again before I put meditation back in because I can't even sit without losing my mind. It's pretty sad.
The same problems occur if I do weight lifting for 30 minutes. I get really dizzy, jittery and feel extremely anxious. I'm having a hard time getting everything back in order and stable. |
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Akasha
421 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2009 : 10:14:58 PM
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Hi Iced Earth,
Sorry to hear of your issues.
What i say may be redundant but i'd like to offer suggesstion if it might help. Of course i'll let you be judge of that, that is, whether my suggesstions may or may not be useful.
Regarding SbP:-
I touched on in another thread here about uncconsciously favouring areas of the body where our attention more naturally resides. This is something i was made aware of on the last couple of sessions.My DM practice had to take this into account when i started here, a deficit in awareness in some areas of the body/bodies when i began this AYP journey.
Of course this may just apply to me:-
But,if you have a left-right imbalance you may unconsciously favour one side where there's more awareness than the other.
Is one's attention more on one side of the perineum than the other-like skwewed more towards one leg??
This could relate to a distorted body image. So when we inhale on the root- Is one's attention skewered towards one side of the groin.Personally I have found this helpful in releasing blockages in the legs if anyone finds it difficult to sit in siddhasana.
If you conisder the subtle anatomy and when one reaches the end of the spinal nerve one is at the tip end of the sacrum which then point inwards and towards the perineum- the Seat of Mulbandha,as they say.
quote:
it is good to know that there is room for spiritual progress even if I cannot currently practice sitting pranayama.
If anyone is unable to sit in siddhasan( or perhaps you might mean sit in any fashion, or do SbP without ill-effects) because of tight legs/hips then using an object under the perimeum to stimulate this region as well as the brain is more effective htan it might seem.
This post may or may not be useful but I'm totally with you on this one
quote:
From my perspective, the whole process of healing the pain comes from fixing brain structure and function. The brain has an intricate network of body maps which inform a person of the body's physical condition and position in space. The plastic nature of the brain is such that the maps are constantly changing in response to our interpretations of our bodies and outside events. Painful symptoms can result when the maps get distorted, resulting in pain signals being sent to particular areas of the bodies. It is my belief, and scientific evidence has shown, that yoga and meditation practices significantly alter the brain's body maps. Mental interpretations of our body can change body maps. Many case studies have shown this to be true. Therefore, meditation and certain exercises can change our perceptions of the body, and hence interpretations of pain. So what I'm getting to, is that we can heal ourselves using our mind.
There's a premise in a mind-body discipline called hanna somatics that goes like this: someone with areas of tightness( or energy blockages in eastern subtle anatomy viewpoint) has poor sensory awareness of those areas. Also if you can sense something you can change it. What i have found is that in such areas of holding,tension patterns and/or blockage(energy.. whatever) when it is free there is a feeling of hollowness in the inner body. Or where there is blockage or stuckness it the holloowness feels more dense, is not so hollow. And one's awarness is restricted there.
Therese are issues i've had to consider with both of the 2 core practices,as i continue to work with my own unique matrix of obstructions.
other things to think about-
-just folloowing the spinal nerve( without marrying it consciously with the breath- this was mentioned in a lesson - http://www.aypsite.org/131.html - on how to coordinate and integrate all the elements of SbP such as coordiinating the eyes upwards towards the third-eye eye with sambhavi mudra whilst giving arrention on the spinal nerve.Also just focusing the eyes on a (visual) object without the sensory/attention stimulation at the Third-Eye.
-stimulation of the the perimeum- the seat of muldhara/mulabhanda.-
-inner hollow body meditation - the last 2 sutras you may find helpful- innersensuality and akasha which to me, gives me thsi impression of lightness( still exploring a full boat of practices)
- you could try watching the breath,vipassana- through the nostrils for instance or the belly),nadi shodhana
-less is more
-samyama and/or asana are other things to consider
I have found myself of course experimenting more with my meditations, often when i am transtitioniing between one practice to another,seeing as i ha some understanding of first principles in DM & SbP, and some of the reasons behind the various AYP methods.
So, in a nutshell:-
Really start to feel the whole groin when you start off on the inhale at the perimeum with SbP( might help smooth the subtle nerves flowing into the legs). With DM here it's a matter of letting those areas go.And with SBP by imagining those areas as more hollow it tends to invite greater awarness into that areas, and so we can move the prana more freely there with our attention ,and intention ,to release those blockages.
The tension excercises you reference i personally am not totally familliar but i believe have tried but not found helpful- maybe i was'nt doing it properly or shown the right way :+).If i try something once and i get a negtive effect with it , as i say am not particularly enamoured by it. Perhaps if i learn in the presence of an experienced hand helping i could get positive effect.I saw something on the ananda.org website and some yoga teachers may teach something like that.
Fasting is good, if you can do it.
Myself- i've got this blockage in my manipuraka chakra area that i've had for a few years but the practices are working for me , especially if you approach many fronts as we do here, so iam just wokring in a leisurely way on a stable & wise self-pacing strategy.It would seem to be that regular practice over irregular practice produces results & quicker 'progress'.A regular stable platfrom should mean effects are more predictable.So i just stop practices and then resume with just the 2 core practices, SbP and DM of late, a known stable platform, when i get openings, and see how that goes.
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Edited by - Akasha on Nov 07 2009 11:06:18 PM |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Nov 07 2009 : 10:26:53 PM
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Hi Iced Earth,
You may try every time you catch your mind dwelling on your energy balance and the perceived location of it, bringing your attention to your two feet simultaneously instead. Hence slowly over time consistently bringing attention to feet each and every time the instinct comes to "check" on or each time you notice any energy imbalances throughout the day.
This can change the habit, remember energy flows where attention goes and we can inadvertently amplify energy imbalances by dwelling on them.
Best of luck! |
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IcedEarth
73 Posts |
Posted - Nov 08 2009 : 11:54:07 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Anthem11
This can change the habit, remember energy flows where attention goes and we can inadvertently amplify energy imbalances by dwelling on them.
This is a confusing point for me. Often spiritual teachers will suggest that bringing awareness to places of energy imbalance can result in healing and decrease pain. But then some people from AYP say not to put attention on the areas of imbalance. I think that rather than concentrating solely on the area of discomfort, it might be best to put awareness throughout the whole body. I usually cannot find much discomfort in my body anywhere except my head, and my left hand if I play guitar for several hours.
I get aches and pains in my head when I meditate, and it usually lasts for about an hour or so until it being to taper off. I have no interest in adding SBP to my practices right now because I have a bad history for it. |
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NSB
Australia
32 Posts |
Posted - Nov 08 2009 : 12:35:11 PM
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In rebirthing, which is a kind of breathing technique to purify the mind/body/spirit, a lot of people including myself experienced negative emotions caused by breathing at first. The theory goes that we all have the power to suppress negative emotion by not breathing fully, and when we resume breathing fully the negative emotion makes its way out.
If that were your case (and it's not something physical) then a few sessions of rebirthing also known as breathwork could bring about a huge change in experience.
The first time I did rebirthing, I felt dizziness, tingling (called tetany), strong energy symptoms and emotions. I suspect that your pranayama is slowly activating and purifying you. But rebirthing was faster! Of course this is not an official AYP opinion.
I strongly doubt that I'd be able to meditate as peacefully as I do now if I had not undergone the purification of rebirthing first. I could barely stand to sit still and breathe before.
I'm disappointed that someone can meditate for 20 years and still be so egotistical as your yoga teacher. |
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Nov 08 2009 : 5:25:32 PM
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quote:
This is a confusing point for me. Often spiritual teachers will suggest that bringing awareness to places of energy imbalance can result in healing and decrease pain. But then some people from AYP say not to put attention on the areas of imbalance. I think that rather than concentrating solely on the area of discomfort, it might be best to put awareness throughout the whole body. I usually cannot find much discomfort in my body anywhere except my head, and my left hand if I play guitar for several hours.
I get aches and pains in my head when I meditate, and it usually lasts for about an hour or so until it being to taper off. I have no interest in adding SBP to my practices right now because I have a bad history for it.
Fair enough, I can see how that could be confusing. From my perspective, if you had just one area or specific location with a blockage that you became aware of it certainly could help to bring awareness to that area in an attempt to move energy through it and release things.
In your case though, from what I understand you are referring to a long standing chronic condition of feeling discomfort through numerous places on your left side and head and that you have been looking at for quite some time now. There could be multiple blockages in numerous locations contributing to the symptoms, causing energy to be stuck and over-amplified. In this case bringing attention elsewhere could certainly help balance things out, particularly the feet which are grounding.
It may not work for you either but could certainly be worth the try.
By the way, good idea to back off pranayama if it is causing discomfort.
Best of luck!
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IcedEarth
73 Posts |
Posted - Nov 09 2009 : 11:59:54 AM
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| I recently switched over to the longer mantra as suggested by yogani's most recent lesson, and I also now lie down on the floor for my rest period. I also added siddhasana to my seat for a boost in pleasure and as a distraction from the headaches during my practice. I have come to think that much of the headaches are from my current situation in life. I have no job and havent had one for several months, and I'm running out of money and must find something very soon. I also have no women in my life, besides my mother, and I haven't for a very long time. I think these things have been necessitating some of the physical discomfort I feel, and hopefully I can get these things sorted out sometime soon. |
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yogani
USA
5201 Posts |
Posted - Nov 09 2009 : 12:00:07 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by IcedEarth
This is a confusing point for me. Often spiritual teachers will suggest that bringing awareness to places of energy imbalance can result in healing and decrease pain. But then some people from AYP say not to put attention on the areas of imbalance. I think that rather than concentrating solely on the area of discomfort, it might be best to put awareness throughout the whole body. I usually cannot find much discomfort in my body anywhere except my head, and my left hand if I play guitar for several hours.
Hi IcedEarth:
Not sure if the point has been made yet in this topic that there is a difference between focusing attention on a physical sensation (often accompanied by a strong emotion), versus allowing awareness to naturally be with (witness) an emotion/sensation. There is a difference. The first will tend to amplify the sensation, while the second will tend to dissolve the sensation.
This is analogous to clinging to the mantra on the surface in deep meditation versus allowing it to fade, or clinging to a sutra on the surface in samyama versus releasing it in stillness.
It is important to make the distinction between focusing (clinging) versus witnessing (allowing) in these matters. Witnessing may be somewhat problematic before we have some inner silence present, because before then all attention tends to cling (identify with the objects of perception). But as inner silence comes to abide, the process of witnessing gradually takes over and obstructions dissolve much more easily simply by allowing our awareness to be with them. In the meantime, we can intellectually understand the difference between focusing and allowing, and continue meditating within the limits of our necessary self-pacing.
On that, perhaps you have become somewhat sensitive to deep meditation. If that is the case, I suggest looking at Lesson 367.
Other lessons that might be of interest are:
Lesson 15, for using awareness (witness) to dissolve excessive sensations occurring during deep mediation.
Lesson 207, on left or right side imbalances. Not necessarily to encourage spinal breathing if it is not working for you, but to avoid too many attempts to manipulate energy, which does not work in the long run. Much better to be easy and stick with practices that cultivate abiding inner silence (witness), and the natural purification and healing that come with it. This is in line with and supports effective body awareness techniques, no matter who is teaching them.
All the best!
The guru is in you.
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yogani
USA
5201 Posts |
Posted - Nov 09 2009 : 12:04:08 PM
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PS: IE, we crossed posts. Sounds like you are on it. You may want to go easy with the energy cultivation (siddhasana) until you know things are stabilizing in the inner silence department. It may be the last thing you need right now is an energy roller coaster ride. 
It's up to you.
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Anthem
1608 Posts |
Posted - Nov 09 2009 : 11:03:56 PM
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quote:
Not sure if the point has been made yet in this topic that there is a difference between focusing attention on a physical sensation (often accompanied by a strong emotion), versus allowing awareness to naturally be with (witness) an emotion/sensation. There is a difference. The first will tend to amplify the sensation, while the second will tend to dissolve the sensation.
Thanks for making this distinction Yogani, it explains it perfectly. |
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Breath regulation causes me severe discomfort
