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journeyman
Australia
2 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 21 2010 : 01:27:52 AM
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Hi everyone.
I have been practising ayp yoga on and off for a couple of years.
What I have been doing for a year or so, is short light meditation on the train each morning as I go to college This tends to put me in a good spirit for the rest of the day, even if its a very light and somewhat disturbed meditation.
Recently (last 2 weeks) I have been doing a good solid *I AM* meditation for 20 minutes twice a day. My question is I have tried a number of times to do pranayama, but its never been comfortable for me. I tried to be as gentle as possible with the breathing, but end up over breathing or under breathing. The result is usually soreness of the lung area which tends to last awhile after woods.
Before I did ayp I use to do a visulation technique for moving the energy from the root to the third eye. There is no controlled breathing for this. The technique involved imagining a white light or coloured light and bring this light from the base to the third eye and back down again.
Could I use that before my DM? I would also like to add mulabandha with that visulation technique.
Thanks
Rich
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Medea
Netherlands
115 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2010 : 03:29:30 AM
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Hi Journeyman,
welcome to the forums! In AYP, additional practices are added only when you are stable in you current ones, so difficulties are prevented. Two weeks for getting stable is too short for most, which seems to be in accordance with you experience :) My advise would be to leave SBP alone for a few weeks, give the mantra some sufficient time to settle in, and try again later. There is a good chance that the problems you experience now won't be present then.
Apparently you have the desire to move forward. Desire is very important, as is self pacing. It has been said many times before here, but regarding AYP slow and steady definitely wins the race.
Good luck! |
Edited by - Medea on Nov 21 2010 05:15:35 AM |
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Victor
USA
910 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2010 : 04:09:23 AM
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Welcome Journeyman! Its very good to be doing meditation however one can find the time and 20 minutes twice a day is a nice solid practice so you are doing very well.
As for pranayama, it is a very subtle practice and very powerful and is not so easy to learn from a website or book and in a way even hard to learn from a teacher. I would say that it is something that can be learned by practice but not easily taught. It starts with breath sensitivity and exploration of the feel of the energy of the breath and while there is a technique to it one should never be mechanical in practice. Follow the guidelines here lightly but let your inner sensations be the real guide. If pranayama is for you then you will feel it, if not don't ever force it.
I would advise against trying to do timed breath ratios and instead let your body be your guide as you gently allow the breath to open and expand as well as release and contract with gentleness and subtlety. When it feels right you will know it. |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2010 : 10:15:20 AM
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Hi Journeyman
Welcome to the forum 
Thanks for sharing.
Like Medea and Victor are saying - staying with DM and maybe adding Pranayama later on is better than trying to force it to happen.
In the meantime, instead of the visualization you are suggesting - you can consider adding Alternate Nostril Breathing before DM. Are you familiar with it?
At the end of lesson 41 (which explains Spinal Breathing Pranayama) there is a short discussion involving Spinal Breathing Pranayama and Alternate Nostril Breathing:
http://www.aypsite.org/41.html
You may also find this post helpful:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=6639
All the best and let us know how you are doing. |
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JDH
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2010 : 11:01:06 AM
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| You can do the spinal breathing visualization along with your natural breathing rate if that's a comfortable starting point. |
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journeyman
Australia
2 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2010 : 6:13:18 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by JDH
You can do the spinal breathing visualization along with your natural breathing rate if that's a comfortable starting point.
Thanks JDH.
Keeping my breathing natural and unguided would be as you say a good starting point. I'll had this to my practice just before the DM, and see how it goes for a week or two. it will probably be a weaker version of the spinal breathing pranayama, but with out discomfort.
I use to do SBP for 5mins before for a year or so, with the addons, and found it was very good. Just the soreness afterwoods was the problem even with gentle easy breathing, so keeping the breathing on auto, not focusing on it, and using visulation instead will be helpful.
Thanks everyone for everyone for your kind words of wisdom.
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xir
Ireland
25 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2010 : 10:46:26 AM
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| There's too much love here hahahaha. |
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