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boris
Norway
68 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 17 2011 : 9:58:52 PM
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Hello,I have been doing breath and mantra"iam" for about equal time.I want to continue with the most powerfull one.The thing is that breath takes me a little deeper,feeling a little more buzzing energy in the body and gets a little more dizzi.But mantra on the other hand works more in the spine.which should I consider to be the best to continue with?
maybe someone with experience of both could comment on this?
is the spine activity with mantra more importent than the little deeper breath meditation? |
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Pheel
China
318 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2011 : 10:34:16 PM
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Hi Boris,
I think mantra meditation takes you further in than breath meditation in the long run.
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Ananda
3115 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2011 : 12:38:05 AM
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Mantra is strong, I think Sparkle who is a long time meditator (for almost 20 years now) have said that 20 minutes of mantra meditation are worth an hour and a half of breath meditation...
But not to make those of us who practice breath meditation feel down, they have to realize that they are at a stage where less is more and they are reaping the same benefits if not more in certain cases. And it's not about the time or advanced practices in their state, it's about progressing safely with caution.
Love,
Ananda |
Edited by - Ananda on Feb 18 2011 07:56:29 AM |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2011 : 09:05:37 AM
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Here are a few topics that may help:
Meditation: mantra vs. breath
breath vs. mantra
Here is Yogani's reply:
quote:
Originally posted by yogani
The main difference between breath meditation and deep meditation with mantra is that the mantra can continue as a vehicle to go much deeper after the breath suspends. With breath meditation, an additional vehicle (object of meditation) must be brought in to take meditation beyond the level of metabolic slow-down that is accompanied by the suspension of the breath.
This has been discussed several times before in the "other systems of spiritual practice" forum (can't remember which topic at the moment), and there it was mentioned by those with Buddhist background that in some Buddhist systems, additional objects of meditation are brought in to go beyond suspension of breath.
See this other post from today, which offers some explanation of the refinement of mantra: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=5128#44790
So the implication is that breath meditation is good as far as it goes, to suspension of the breath, and then another object is necessary to go further. What that object is can vary, depending on the system.
In deep meditation with mantra, it is all one process using one object (mantra) which refines going all the way in. This may explain the considerable differences in the experience that can occur between breath and mantra meditation, with more purification often going on with mantra, shorter sessions in general, "self-pacing" practice as necessary to avoid overdoing, etc.
In fact, in cases where a practitioner may be very sensitive to deep meditation with mantra, it has been found that breath meditation may be more appropriate for a time. See an interesting discussion on this here: http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....OPIC_ID=5115
Everyone is a little different in their inclinations and needs. The goal in AYP is to bring enough tools to the table so everyone will have sufficient resources to move ahead as quickly and as comfortably as desired.
All the best!
The guru is in you.
PS: Some styles of meditation involve the use of both breath and mantra at the same time. In AYP, that would be considered a distraction and a watering down of the deep meditation process. In other systems, it may be considered to be core practice. Different strokes for different folks. 
Here is a lessons that may help:
Lesson 106 - Q&A – Mantra and breathing in meditation
In my experience, the mantra serves 3 purposes.
First, during the process of saying the mantra and losing it and then coming back to it, we learn how to let go, surrender.. By not trying to control the mantra we are un-learning our mind's need to control and in the process gently letting go/surrendering to our ishta. This is the hardest step for many, just allowing the mantra to take over.
Second thing it teaches, is to access the gap.. the silence that is really us. During meditation, the point where we realize we are off the mantra and go back to the mantra we actually touch the silence. As we continue with meditation, this gap expands and we find we were lost in the silence.. between no mantra/no thought and mantra.
Third is the vibrational qualities of the mantra purifying our nervous system as we meditate on it. Yogani explains this in Lesson 188 - Q&A – Mantra Design 101. The mantra will slowly break down the obstructions and hence purify the nervous system and allow us to enjoy the silence in our every day life.
So if you ask me, doing mantra meditation is more powerful.  |
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boris
Norway
68 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2011 : 12:12:47 PM
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| Thasnks for the replays,it was exactly what I wanted to hear.I will continue with the mantra meditation |
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Marina_J
Australia
7 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2011 : 04:12:04 AM
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| Thanks Shanti to share such a nice post. Knowing difference between breath meditation and mantra meditation was interesting. I think mantra meditation makes me feel happy. |
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mantra vs breath
