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maynard
USA
23 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 16 2010 : 10:27:32 PM
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| I am trying to incorperate the perscribed amount of daily mediatation, 20 min first thing in the morning and 20 min in the evening. My question is, do those of you who follow this protocol literally wake up out of bed and go right into the 20 min of meditation? I find that with out my morning cup of coffee if i was to do this I would get too sleepy. Conversely, I fear that having coffee before I will have trouble with sitting still and getting deep into slience. Do you guys drink caffiene even? Is caffiene a strong hinderance in progress? Sorry for all of the questions |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2010 : 01:00:52 AM
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| Good question. Personally I don't have issue with coffee and drink it myself but you may find that having something in your stomach might make pranayama less comfortable. I would say to experiment and see for yourself |
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amoux
United Kingdom
266 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2010 : 06:19:20 AM
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| I get up, rush round and feed the animals and so on, then sit down for 15 minutes with a cup of herbal tea. So I take that time to draw breath and then go straight into meditation. |
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karl
United Kingdom
1812 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2010 : 07:27:38 AM
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| Cup of tea and then meditation. Somewhere in something I read once it said you should have some water/milk/tea before starting but not to eat unless it was unavoidable. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2010 : 08:17:31 AM
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I agree with Victor. experiment and see what works for you. Personally I feel, adding coffee to your system before meditation will make you too outward focused... which will take away from going inward. However, some people are not affected by caffeine, so try it out both ways and see which one works for you. |
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Clear White Light
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2010 : 09:00:40 AM
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| I never meditate first thing in the morning. I practice the daily routines from satyananda saraswati's "systemic course in the ancient tantric techniques of yoga and kriya" before meditation, and that takes me about 45 minutes to an hour generally. Then factoring in answering the call of nature, jala neti, and getting something small into my stomach to abate hunger, it probably takes me about an hour and a half before I begin SBP and meditation. Also, I drink coffee pretty much every day and haven't noticed a significant negative impact from it. |
Edited by - Clear White Light on Feb 17 2010 09:06:54 AM |
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Yonatan
Israel
849 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2010 : 09:20:51 AM
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I don't meditate first thing in the morning, because I meditate only once (not to get overloaded, and it works for me), and I do it some time in the afternoon or evening. I meditate about an hour after I eat because for me it does interfere, but drinking something like coffee before meditation is no problem.
I am drawn to drink decaffinated coffee though I sometimes drink with caffeine, mainly because it makes me tense sometimes.
I agree with the suggestion to do what is best for you, try things out and see what works best.
Love,
Yonatan |
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Jivaakabhasana_Yogi
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2010 : 11:06:02 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by maynard
I am trying to incorperate the perscribed amount of daily mediatation, 20 min first thing in the morning and 20 min in the evening. My question is, do those of you who follow this protocol literally wake up out of bed and go right into the 20 min of meditation? I find that with out my morning cup of coffee if i was to do this I would get too sleepy. Conversely, I fear that having coffee before I will have trouble with sitting still and getting deep into slience. Do you guys drink caffiene even? Is caffiene a strong hinderance in progress? Sorry for all of the questions
Aauummm Ekadantaya
Vidmahe Vakratundaya
Dimahi
Tano Danti Prachodayat...
Aauummm Shanti Shanti Shanti...
Hi Maynard~
While I do my practices early in the morning, it is sort of a fusion of what other speak about...
I get up around 4:30 or 5:00 am, (just let the body wake me, no alarm...
I eat half a mashed banana, so that I might take necessary medications...drink a liter of room temperature water...over the next half hour, I have a weak cup of coffee, warm then cool shower, brush, floss, jala neti...
I then do my Hatha routine, for about an hour (I do not recommend an hour, I mostly agree with Yogani, yet it is an important part of my sadhana, because of my own personal "wiring." I then hang on the inversion table for 10 minutes, play with dogs and cat, by now it is about 6:15am...
I wash my face and neck, hands and feet with cold water again, and do 15 minutes of SBP and 15 of DM.
In the evening (I tend to meditate after dinner about 2 hours, it works for me), I do the prescribed 10 minutes of Hatha, go into my 15 of SBP, and 15 of DM, 30 of Samyama...
I then go to the park (directly behind my house), walk a slow mile on the track...and get ready for sleep (usually in bed by no later then 10pm, usually 9:30pm.)
I agree with Shanti, experiment and see what works for you...I most certainly do not recommend that you follow my (or anyone else's) routine, just to do that...try to stick with what our brother Yogani recommends, and "stretch" from there.
As for caffiene, I make a mixture of French Roast, that is 1/3 caffinated (sp?), and only have that one cup during the day...I might have white tea at other times. I also agree that it can "outward focus" you, although in my personal case, that is what is needed...again, experiment, and find what works best for you.
I most definitely don't recommend practicing with a full stomach, nor even a medium amount of food; did I not have to take important medications in the am, I wouldn't even eat that 1/2 bananna.
Don't be sorry for questions, the only ones you should be sorry about...are the ones you don't ask.
Regards,
~Jivaakabhasana Yogi |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2010 : 12:11:02 PM
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Hi Maynard and All
Personally, I get up in the morning, usually at about 6:20am, let the dogs out for a pee, then feed them, and hit the cushion (well, more literally the couch  ). Then I get ready for work, grab a soy chai latte, and begin my day. I don't find that I am too sleepy unless I haven't had a decent rest the night before. I also would not (personally) handle meditation well after drinking the chai.... I would be too externally focussed as Shanti says. But also as others have indicated, each person has their own unique "makeup" and some people tolerate caffeine differently then others. In the past I used to hit the bong before morning meditation, and for many others that would have put them right to sleep, but for me (at the time) it was exactly what I needed to motivate me to hit the cushion. So to echo others here, try a few different routines, feel out what works best for you, and continue!
Love!
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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2010 : 2:13:35 PM
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I don't like doing practices right out of bed. For some reason, I don't have much breath control unless I wait about a half hour after waking up.
I usually do practices just before lunch (about 4 hours after waking), and just before dinner (a couple hours before bed). To OP, like a lot of people have said, just experiment, and find whatever works out for you. |
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Rael
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2010 : 5:14:04 PM
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Dear Maynard! (Correction "sleepy" below)
It's possible that the coffee is not allowing you to be rested enough to awake fully ready to meditate. From what i have learned you might best actually BE slightly drowsy, so that you can fully relax the body and then the mind into the deep meditation state, but too sleepy means sleeping brain and possibly sleeping mind...it's a delicate balance!
I also heard once that Japanese Sencha Tea is the best for meditation, in Zazen practoice. You are probabaly blasting your system and taxing your nerves and adrenals with coffee.
Why not adapt a healthier life-style that promotes dynamic inner force and end the coffee career? I don't think coffee is healthy for much other than enemas, actually.
Best of luck and progress
Love
Rael!  |
Edited by - Rael on Feb 21 2010 02:46:12 AM |
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insideout
USA
44 Posts |
Posted - Feb 21 2010 : 12:25:17 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by maynard
My question is, do those of you who follow this protocol literally wake up out of bed and go right into the 20 min of meditation?
Pretty much. I do about 10 minutes of stretching, Nauli, then amaroli before starting the practices.
quote:
Originally posted by maynard
Do you guys drink caffiene even? Is caffiene a strong hinderance in progress?
It is doubtful that caffeine is a strong hindrance to progress. My experience has been that diet takes care of itself as you become more established in stillness. So, if you feel that coffee currently helps keep you awake during morning meditations, it's probably fine. More importantly, if coffee is actually helping you form the meditation habit, then by all means, keep drinking. |
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insideout
USA
44 Posts |
Posted - Feb 21 2010 : 2:30:32 PM
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Maynard,
On coffee see:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=2193
Also from Lesson 29. Just substitute coffee for alcohol
quote:
The rising experience of pure bliss consciousness will change your attitude about alcohol. Give regular practice of meditation a fair chance, and the things that are not good for you will tend to drop off naturally over time. Besides alcohol, people find the same thing happens with recreational drugs, tobacco, and even caffeine.
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morning routine question
