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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 09 2010 : 5:38:41 PM
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Hi,
A few days ago I added a "gentle lifting of the eyes" to my SBP. Since then my eyes feel sore when I move them around in my head, and I've developed a dull headache that doesn't go away. Headache possibly unrelated, but who knows. Did anyone else have an adjustment period where there was eye strain?
Thanks,
JDH? |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2010 : 7:04:55 PM
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| There is an adjusment period for any progression or change in practice. Your body is not used to the changes and it reacts in a similar way to muscle soreness after a workout. There also are refinements that happen once the initial change is done that are an adaptation phase |
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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2010 : 09:48:42 AM
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Thanks Victor. Here's an update to this. I had to back off "gentle raising of the eyes" for a few days, and I just added this back in last night. Much much more gently than before. I think I am probably only raising my eyes now to the level they are at during regular daily activity and I'll now slowly move them up from there as it becomes comfortable over the next weeks and months until they're high enough that it becomes sambhavi mudra.
With a few days perspective now, I think the headache was my first big self pacing sign. It didn't happen like I thought it would. I thought it would be too much energy flowing at once, like high energy experiences that I couldn't handle. But it's more like a long term exhaustion - like hitting the wall in a long distance run. The always present energy levels in daily activity levels were what bothered me. Like I needed a rest, but they kept flowing.
I had headache, irritability (got snappy with a guy who didn't really mean anything by his comments) and some depression (sat around feeling sorry for no reason) and I finally figured out what was going on. I lowered times on everything until I felt good again for no reason, which was last night. I'm still keeping them low until I can gradually raise times back up with the raised eyes.
 JDH |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Feb 13 2010 : 1:56:47 PM
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| It is possible that you are lifting the eyes before the rest of you is energetically ready for it. I don't tend to deliberately lift my eyes in practice but whenever I open them after meditation practice I have to bring my gaze down because they have been looking up with eyes closed. Perhaps it is a natural function of kechari, are you practicing that at any level? They go together as a combined unit along with the bandhas which become effortless with time and no longer need any grip or attention much at all. |
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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Feb 14 2010 : 1:19:37 PM
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Being curious, I did mess around with kechari after reading about it. I don't intentionally do it, but have noticed my tongue going up (but only near my teeth) during SBP/DM every once in a great while. Where I have noticed it much more is during sex, when it wants to go up and back quite often.
This is my first mudra/bandha that I'm adding. I was definitely raising my eyes too powerfully at first leading to the eye soreness, and it's more of a gentle/effortless/gradual transition upward that I need to favor over time until it starts happening on its own like you mentioned.
Not sure what caused the energy overload symptoms, but definitely feeling better now - still at reduced practice times. |
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eye strain
