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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 09:50:05 AM
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Want to share a couple of techniques that have helped me a lot. Maybe many already knows these, however, maybe there are a few like me who will find this helpful.
The first one is bringing awareness to the heart. When I would find myself really caught up in mind, I would bring my attention down to the heart. The way I did this is I would use my mind to put my awareness on my heart and think from my heart. But there is a more effective way to bring attention to the heart... just drop into the heart from the inside. So you are in your head, now just drop from head thru your throat into your heart. It's a subtle relaxing movement from head to heart while following your awareness from head to heart. The mind is not involved in bringing attention to the heart, the mind is left back in your head. When you can do this, there is an experience of emptiness and thoughtlessness (even if for a few second) when you "drop" in here. (Works great for solar centering too.)
Another one that is my favorite. At the point when you are just falling asleep and yet you are awake, talk to your ishta. You are really relaxed and on the verge of falling asleep and yet you are awake enough that you are subtly aware (without being consciously aware) of your body and surrounding and know you are not unconscious yet. This is a very powerful place to pray from. I generally talk to Nithyananda from here and the beauty is, generally Nithyananda never is in the form of Nithyananda, he has morphed from Krishna to Jesus to Ma Kali to Durga to Ramakrishna and some gurus I don't even know. Any intention you have at this point will manifest... mainly I think its because your mind is relaxed and ready to sleep and is out of the way and your intentions at this point is pure. |
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christiane
Lebanon
319 Posts |
Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 11:11:24 AM
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Shanti
Thank you for sharing those treasures.
It's been a while I haven't experimented with both techniques.
Especially the second: this state between awake and sleep feels
so relaxed and peaceful.. I had it maybe twice in the past...
And the heart one is just what I need now! And it is amazing how it works immediately!
Thanks a lot for the precious reminders!
Love..... |
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sagebrush
USA
292 Posts |
Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 11:43:34 AM
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nice ideas to try.
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Tibetan_Ice
Canada
758 Posts |
Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 11:49:01 AM
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Thank you Shanti for these suggestions and thoughts.
:)
TI |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 12:43:46 PM
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Thank you Shanti! Love the "dropping" into the heart.
I have a very sensitive friend and she does say there as a huge space in the heart area. Let's see if I can feel that... With practice, and being there, I am sure I can. |
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Scott
USA
969 Posts |
Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 12:58:37 PM
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Dropping into the heart...
Something you can try instead of starting from the head and dropping down, is beginning with the awareness within the heart and imagining/feeling that you're shining or radiating outward. Then the energy in the head is naturally sucked down without trying.
Everyone is different, so this is just a perspective shift that may make it easier for some. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Nov 23 2009 : 7:26:52 PM
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Thanks all. I wonder if there is a formal technique/teaching somewhere on the second one. It is so powerful that I doubt it has not been put down somewhere.
Scott, I do something similar... I drop into my heart and then let the awareness expand outward. This allows me to stay in my heart longer. But I still need to do that initial drop in order to be rooted in the heart. Thanks for sharing. |
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christiane
Lebanon
319 Posts |
Posted - Nov 24 2009 : 12:03:13 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
I wonder if there is a formal technique/teaching somewhere on the second one. It is so powerful that I doubt it has not been put down somewhere.
There are similar techniques in the Book of Secrets..
I remember the one which says to focus on the breasts (for women).. and sure there are others methods that deal with the heart..
like the one which says to feel the peace in the heart area.. (this one I tried, and I cannot tell you how powerful it is.. I had an exceptionnally peaceful and blissful sleep right after till the morning)..
I think any technique that comes from our heart or inspiration is powerful for it comes from within..
All the "formal techniques" come from humanbeings after all!
It is all IN US. If only we can clear our vision and ears...
This is where growing silence within is necessary, vital.. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Nov 24 2009 : 09:20:23 AM
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Hi Christiane,
Thanks for your reply.
quote:
All the "formal techniques" come from humanbeings after all!
It is all IN US. If only we can clear our vision and ears...
This is where growing silence within is necessary, vital..
So true. Thank you.
I know the heart technique is taught in many books. Osho is one. There are a few others.
I was wondering if the sleep technique is there is print somewhere. Like you said, all techniques are in us and that is where the written versions come from.
Maybe I just answered my own question. I used to follow a technique taught in Silva's Mind Control that was similar. |
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krcqimpro1
India
329 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2009 : 02:55:34 AM
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Hi Shanti, a small point for clarification from you, not related to this topic. Some time ago you had indicated in a post that you used to plug your ears to shut out noise distractions while meditating. Do you still do this? I do this and find it a great help. I hope it is not "not-recommended".
Krish |
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miguel
Spain
1197 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2009 : 07:47:56 AM
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| Thanks shanti.Please,continue sharing with us._/\_ |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2009 : 08:39:16 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by krcqimpro1
Hi Shanti, a small point for clarification from you, not related to this topic. Some time ago you had indicated in a post that you used to plug your ears to shut out noise distractions while meditating. Do you still do this? I do this and find it a great help. I hope it is not "not-recommended".
Krish
Hi Krish.
I have never used ear plugs... OK that would be lying... I used it once during the Sunday group meditation when my neighbour was having a picnic and had a gazillion people over, laughing, talking, screaming kids, music and the works. But other than that I have never used earplugs.
There is nothing wrong with using earplugs if they help. We (at AYP) generally don't encourage them, becasue they then become a crutch that you cannot do without. So if you are not carrying your earplugs and you are not at home and need to meditate, it will be hard to do so since you are used to meditating without them on.
However, if you have them handy and are used to them, it will not affect your sadhana in any way. My dad uses one... he lives very close to a highway in Mumbai and you can only imagine the noise level there. Some others here use them too. There is no "not-recommended" here, just "not-encouraged" |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2009 : 08:39:53 AM
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| Thanks Miguel._/\_ |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Nov 25 2009 : 6:44:33 PM
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One more technique that came to me yesterday.
It is like a combination of heart breathing and spinal breathing. During in breath, you being your awareness from the head to heart... like the first one I talked about above, drop into your heart and at the same time move your awareness and energy from root to heart. In the out breath you let go in the heart and let it expand.
It feels like the union of energy/shakti and Shiva/silence. There is a feeling of complete stillness in the heart which moves outward. The expansion had been changing from emptiness to light. It is beautiful. |
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Couple of techniques
