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crazymandrew
USA
121 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 03:30:04 AM
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I've had to quit my practices for nearly a month now because of irritability and other symptoms of excess. I just tested it again last night and I'm still having problems. I feel like I could have to break another 2+ weeks, maybe even another month.
I've been testing it once a week, is that too frequent? The reason for once a week is because I didn't think I would have to take such a long break from my practices.
I was only meditating 10 minutes twice a day. This is surprising to me since I've already been meditating for a year, I stayed at 5 minutes for the majority of the year. I'm probably going to stay at 5 minutes for a long time after this, maybe even once a day.
I still think this issue stems from some mental health problems. I'm frequently irritable-moody so I really have a hard time telling the difference between symptoms of excess and health problems. Although I'm starting to notice the more distinct characteristic of symptoms of excess. |
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yogani
USA
5242 Posts |
Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 11:09:48 AM
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Hi Crazymandrew:
If you have not already, it is suggested to review Lesson 367 on over-sensitivity to deep meditation with mantra: http://www.aypsite.org/367.html
If the "standard methods" for dealing with sensitivity discussed in the lesson are not working, then you may find using breath as object in meditation instead of mantra to be more soothing and effective (covered in the lesson).
Also, if you have been inclined to do pranayama before meditation, and spinal breathing is not helping, it will be best to discontinue that until your meditation practice and its effects are stable.
When considering pranayama, a gentle alternative to spinal breathing can be a few minutes of alternate nostril breathing before meditation.
Most important, be sure to self-pace your practice if having symptoms of excess, as you are doing now.
Stopping and starting meditation every few weeks will make it difficult to find a stable practice routine. I realize you may not have a choice in this right now, if anything you try with meditation is destabilizing. You are right to discontinue that.
Hopefully, breath meditation will help ease the situation (it is suggested to skip the long mantra solution covered in Lesson 367 in this case). If short daily meditation sessions with breath can be maintained with stability, that will be better than doing longer sessions and having to stop completely for a few weeks at a time. Much better to have a daily practice that we can be stable with. With the more gentle methods being suggested, you will hopefully be able to find that. Make sure to take plenty of rest when coming out of your meditation sessions.
On the mental health side, it is suggested to keep in touch with your doctor as needed, and work toward a balance between medical assistance and yoga practices. In relation to any medical measures being considered, it will be good to let him/her know what you are doing in yoga.
All the best!
The guru is in you.
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crazymandrew
USA
121 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2009 : 04:04:41 AM
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Thanks Yogani,
I definitely try breath meditation after my break, probably less the 5 minutes to help get me started. I have experience with breath meditation in the past so I should be easy.
One quick question, I had also been increasing my pranayama time back in September and in October. Do you think this could have contributed the crash of my practices? I've experienced symptoms of excess from pranayama in the past and it didn't feel like I was over-doing pranayama. |
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yogani
USA
5242 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2009 : 10:41:29 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by crazymandrew
One quick question, I had also been increasing my pranayama time back in September and in October. Do you think this could have contributed the crash of my practices? I've experienced symptoms of excess from pranayama in the past and it didn't feel like I was over-doing pranayama.
Yes. And delayed reactions are common with pranayama, so it is good to increase in a small increment and wait at least a few weeks to see how it settles in. More than 5-10 minutes of spinal breathing before deep meditation will be too much for most practitioners. If other forms of pranayama are being used in the same sitting or day, the effects will be compounded -- we call that "doubling up" on similar practices.
It should be mentioned that those who are accustomed to doing a lot of pranayama without effects of overdoing will find a different dynamic occurring when spinal breathing pranayama is done before deep meditation. These two practices have a dramatic effect on each other, making them both much more powerful, so less practice will often be more. Without a keen awareness of self-pacing, proceeding with these together in sequence can be like driving a powerful race car for the first time with no brakes. 
So you are wise to be self-pacing, using the brakes to slow down when necessary. 
The guru is in you.
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yvangkwheng
China
2 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2009 : 10:32:28 PM
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| haha, cool. nice job, yogani. |
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crazymandrew
USA
121 Posts |
Posted - Dec 23 2009 : 01:45:19 AM
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Wow I feel stupid. I was testing meditation in the evening and that was the problem. I really didn't need to take a 6 week break, 2 weeks probably would have been plenty. My metabolism is very weird, if I haven't been meditating in the morning my metabolism seems to have a bad reaction to the evening meditation. I started with a morning meditation and I feel great.
Anyways, I have been having some ecstasy break threws lately at night since I started my practices back up. In bed at night I feel like I'm sinking and my body just goes crazy with ecstasy.
Maybe I was holding this back by overdoing my practices. Also it seems like I'm getting less side effects from breath meditation. |
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crazymandrew
USA
121 Posts |
Posted - Jan 15 2010 : 12:34:58 AM
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Well I'm down to just 2 minutes of meditation a day and I've had to quit Pranayama. Although I feeling really good at this meditation time. I guess I should just hold out for a while and maybe I'll get past this bad phase.
I'm really disappointed about having to quit Pranayama especially since my sex drive is really low (which pranayama was really helping with). Also pranyama was helping with insomnia which has returned since I quit. Oh well.
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Long break from my practices still having problems
