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Ethereal_Ecstasy
USA
32 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 7:19:29 PM
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Hello,
Although I've been following the forum for about a week now, this is officially my first post, so here goes:
Recently, I have felt more at peace with myself than I ever have before. In the past, when I knew I had some type of obligation to fulfill, I often wouldn’t do it because I “wasn’t in the mood”. But recently, after I had come up with a good mental trick to better make the transition into doing an “undesirable” task, all of my daily tasks have henceforth become far less stressful. Heck, I’ve even used this trick to visualize daunting tasks, such as completing my spiritual journey. I used to be scared about the thought of reincarnating back on earth hundreds of thousands of times, but the practice of using this mental trick has relaxed me to the point where I can imagine myself doing it and not have it bother me in the least like it used to. I also visualize myself being able to better handle life’s low points because I feel that I’m more impartial to what comes my way and I am better grounded and able to live in the moment because I can better lose myself in whatever I am doing. Although it is indeed a “trick”, I have the feeling that its effects are pervading me on a deeper level where having to re-initiate it is becoming less and less frequent.
Although I have registered with other spiritually-inclined forums, I guess I chose to post here because I feel drawn towards the integrated practices that AYP offers. Even though I’m no stranger to spirituality/yoga, I’ve never been able to set my mind on practicing any discipline in particular, always feeling that there was a better, more effective discipline waiting out there for me. Any flaws about a certain discipline or leader I had read about both disenchanted me and sent me off yet again to search for something better. As a result, I have amassed a large collection of literature over the years, my underlying intention being to eventually merge all my eclectic resources into one viable routine. Of course, without a strong knowledge base, it has been rather difficult to accomplish. After someone referred me to this website, however, all that seemed to change. Like a lot of other people in a similar position as me, Yogani’s concise, yet insightful writing style and decades of experience with spiritual practices have finally given me the confidence to undertake a sadhana. For that, I’m eternally grateful towards him. 
Well, that’s my introduction/background/life story! Not forgetting the first part of my post, can anyone comment on my current situation? Is it okay to use the technique, granted I don’t overlook DM? If it is a hindrance while practicing AYP, is it possible that the practice of DM would naturally help me outgrow the need to use it?
Anyways, I suppose I should try to bring this very long post to a close. Any form of input would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. If you guys don’t mind, I recently posted a few more questions (forum abuse, woohoo…jk! ) I promise they’re a lot shorter, too.
~Ethereal Ecstasy
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Yonatan
Israel
849 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 7:54:56 PM
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Hi Ethereal, very nice to meet you, and welcome!! 
I think using a mental trick is ok, if it helps, why not. But in my experience as time passes and you keep on doing practices, the need for any involvement with the mind gradually goes away, cos that's freedom, I suggest exactly what Yogani says in the lessons, do practices with self pacing, and go out and Live your life the best way you see fit.
Happy Journeys!
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Edited by - Yonatan on Jul 21 2010 7:55:41 PM |
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Ethereal_Ecstasy
USA
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 8:04:31 PM
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Such a short reply to such a long-winded post. I like it!  I can rest easy knowing that it will naturally become unnecessary over time.
My two total posts from this convo makes me feel less like a newbie already. Thanks!
~Ethereal Ecstasy |
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NSB
Australia
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 10:23:50 PM
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| Uh... what is your mental trick? I think I need it!! |
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Ethereal_Ecstasy
USA
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 21 2010 : 11:57:56 PM
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Hehe. I’m honored to be able to help someone on the forum (especially because I’m asking a lot of questions myself).  But first, let me try to describe to you where I’m coming from:
By nature, I tend to be a person who tends to be overly sensitive to incoming stimuli. For instance, when someone tells me I need to do something, the instant that comment registers in my mind, my automatic reaction is a subconscious “groaning”, so to speak. Perhaps you feel something along the lines of this. At that point, you feel almost angry because you’re being pulled out of your comfort zone against your own will. I speak from experience when I say that this becomes very taxing when you feel this happen to you multiple times during the day. And by the end of the day, I was feeling pretty crabby.
Maybe I’m exaggerating when I say this, but when you’re dragging your feet throughout the days, weeks, and months, it becomes almost like a living hell, a perpetual state of suffering. Of course, it could be a lot worse, but that’s how you see it when you’re not able to pull yourself back and observe your situations objectively.
Anyways, hopefully the context that I am describing is conjuring familiar mental pictures of similar experiences. Now, for the technique:
After you feel that subtle “twinge” or “groaning” from realizing that you have to undertake an undesirable task, pause for a moment. After you’ve paused, mentally verbalize something along the lines of “No effort”, “Effortless”, “Path of least effort”, etc. Make sure to say it as gently as possible without it sounding indistinct. During or slightly after you have said this, your mind should feel like it has been cleared of your depressing and destructive reactions you initially received. In that moment of clarity, try to perform your intended task. Although you are probably performing your task with the same intensity you always have, it is likely that you feel less energy being drained because of the lack of subconscious resistance you initially felt before. Whenever you feel like those unwanted feelings are coming back while performing your task, just gently recite your chosen phrase and continue.
After a while, this procedure will eventually become habitual, requiring you to recite it less often because of its growing effects. Soon, like me, you might find that your ambition increases, as well as your ability to be a silent observer of things, both good and bad.
Of course, I realize that because this is, as I put it, a “mental trick”, this doesn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, replace DM (Full credit to Yonatan, of course  ). Although ironically, the “gently favoring the phrase” aspect kind of reminds me of the AYP’s DM, even though I had developed this technique independent of reading the lessons! Funny how things work, I guess.
Hopefully everything I’m saying is coming out clearly enough. Of course, I’m making assumptions about your perspective on things from my point of view, and if I’m totally off-base with anything I have said, then I apologize beforehand for that. I only hope that you find some use for this mental trick that I today find so valuable to my daily routine.
My highest blessings,
Ethereal Ecstasy
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 02:26:08 AM
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Hi Etheral_Ecstasy
Welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing
If you haven't already, you might like to check out Yoganis lesson 150 on the practice of Samyama:
http://www.aypsite.org/150.html
Your mental technique has elements of Samyama in it too - and from your post it sounds like your level of inner silence is part of why the technique is working for you. Also - pausing in life is a powerful practice in itself. It reconnects you to yourself (awareness) - the presence of the present moment.
Check the lesson out and see if it inspires you to include 5 min of Samyama after your daily meditations (that is if you feel stable in your practice and has not added anything just recently).
All the best |
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Panthau
Austria
149 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 04:00:23 AM
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Wow, interesting technique Ethereal, thanks for sharing!
Sounds really like a form of samyama, as Katrine said! |
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Ethereal_Ecstasy
USA
32 Posts |
Posted - Jul 22 2010 : 09:23:26 AM
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Katrine and Panthau,
Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe there's more samyama in my technique than DM. (I guess the title of Yogani's book, Samyama: Cultivating Stillness in Action just flew right over my head!).
And yes, maybe there's a prerequisite for inner silence before the technique is truly effective. However, when I discovered the technique a while back, I had been feeling a bit anxious and unsettled (although admittedly I had been developing mind tricks on and off beforehand). Maybe it's like those times where something traumatic happens and when you "let go", all that remains is peaceful inner silence. But, I think I can fairly say that the technique continues to work because of the inner silence that I've been cultivating for the past week or so that I've been using it.
I encourage anyone who has anxiety problems to try it out and see if it delivers results!
~Ethereal Ecstasy |
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Mental Tricks and AYP
