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Swan
India
256 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 02 2011 : 01:10:11 AM
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The book for spinal breathing suggests not to practice any 'power yoga' or rigoruos asana before spinal breathing and deep meditation, which I started two weeks ago. I am not sure if sirsasana would be considered a power yoga.
I definitely had a little hard time while learning this, however as of now I do not feel much hardship about it, and I keep watch and stay away from overdoing. Still, I feel the crown pressurized after this asana. On the other hand, I read somewhere that sirsasana is good for tuning body-mind and it increases the effectiveness of meditation, if done after sirsasana.
So I wanted to know what more experienced people here think about it. Would you suggest me to continue sirsasana before SBP and DM or should I pick some other time for sirsasana? |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2011 : 03:33:22 AM
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| sirsana is NOT power yoga...it is classical hatha yoga...so yes continue doing it before SB and DM....it is the most important asana it gives great benefits |
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Kahlia
161 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2011 : 07:26:19 AM
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I love Sivasana, I find it very cooling and quietening for the mind and perfect for preparing the mind for pranayama and meditation.
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2011 : 08:07:56 AM
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There have been a few discussions on Sirsaana (headstand) at the forum before. Some say it activates the crown and so to stay away from it in the beginning. However inversion helps some people calm the excess energy in the head. So it varies from person to person, if you are comfortable with it, it is OK to do it. Just watch out for any crown symptoms that may make you feel uncomfortable, back off head stand before cutting back on other practices if this happens. Here are a couple of links. You can do search on "headstand" to see some more.
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....TOPIC_ID=833
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic....D=1742#13567 |
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nearoanoke
USA
525 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2011 : 12:36:41 PM
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The "Asana Starter Kit" created by Yogani has something similar "Shoulder Stand" that achieves inversion and is similar to the Shirsasana.
http://www.aypsite.org/asana.html
I think this set of asanas will do for the basic needs of deep meditation |
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Akasha
421 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2011 : 8:26:04 PM
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If you follow sirsasana ( supported , unlike this picture here :)) in whatever manner you've been taught or learnt it; if you follow up with savasana or deep rest/corpse pose, you should be fine.
Just be aware that combining practices acts synergistically; i.e they are amplified individually; the sum is greater than the parts. Also vigourous asana like vinyasa can result in a fairly potent cocktail when combined with the likes of AYP and especially seeing as you say you've just started just be careful so be sure to self-pace.With the wealth of information here and the repeated emphasis on self-pacing, a pillar of the AYP system you should be fine.
Best of luck!!!
And Enjoy.
P.S If you're playing around with the subtle energies or kundalini you really need or will benefit from some meditation to help with the right mental attitude and stability even if it's just sitting and withdrawing the sense inwards and/or watching etc etc then you've got the distance you need (from the body/mind complex) so you're not forcing and allow things to happen or evolve naturallly. The suggested approach is to adopt and integrate new practices within gentle timescales of at least a few weeks or months. If you've been doing asana or power yoga for a while now then adding on the AYP plate in an incremental fashion as prescribed in the lessons while respecting the self-pacing principles you should be fine.
Sirsasana is often called the King of asanas; i tend to use the bregma version and i possibly find it the most addictive asana. Some people might indeed practice few asanas but include this one.One can understand how it could have many benefits. |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 12:09:09 AM
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Thanks for your reply, I think it is mostly green from you people (I love the NOT in caps). Akasha, I do it with support (triangle with elbow), and thanks, I will start savasana when I practice this.
However thing have complicated a little here by now, as I am facing a crown issue [I posted that experience under kundalini forum, Topic – ‘Crown disturbance in two weeks of practice “]. Your comments are most welcome there.
Shanti, thanks for the reply, is there anyway I could know if this is helping me or causing trouble? I had crown issue but I was not doing sirsasana for two days before facing crown issue, as my nose were closing in inversion due to a little cold I got then – but I did it on the evening I had the isssue. ( sorry for making it confusing).
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HathaTeacher
Sweden
382 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 03:49:45 AM
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FYI: quite a few schools practice Sirsasana (the "king" of asana) always followed by Sarvangasana (the "queen").
(Sivananda schools recommend adding to these 2 at least Halasana, Matsyasana and Paschimotanasana w./wo. Purvottanasana after; their complete series actually works the chakras one by one from Sahasrara to Mouladhara,
www.ehow.com/how_4501736_per...a-asanas.html ). |
Edited by - HathaTeacher on Aug 04 2011 05:23:06 AM |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 05:53:42 AM
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quote:
their complete series actually works the chakras one by one from Sahasrara to Mouladhara,
i am biased...loll...but that is true Sivananda asanas sequence is the best...lolll
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Edited by - maheswari on Aug 04 2011 07:21:03 AM |
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HathaTeacher
Sweden
382 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 3:47:54 PM
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I meant, it's an interesting principle, independent of the particular asanas used for the purpose.
Plus Sivananda schools say, if you're in a hurry in the morning, you've at least worked the most important chakras.
But, suppose you've been in an extreme hurry for many mornings; you find yourself practicing 99% Sirsasana + 1% some of the remaining 11 or so. Then you're over-working your Sahasrara and negliging the rest  |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2516 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 4:38:32 PM
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oooppps...than it is better to stick to few rounds of sun salutations...in few minutes u will be done..
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2011 : 5:57:57 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by DawnCalling
Shanti, thanks for the reply, is there anyway I could know if this is helping me or causing trouble? I had crown issue but I was not doing sirsasana for two days before facing crown issue, as my nose were closing in inversion due to a little cold I got then – but I did it on the evening I had the isssue. (sorry for making it confusing).
Do it for a week before meditation and then cut back on it for a week and see which one works for you.
For now, I would say don't do it and do lots of grounding activities. Also, during the day, bring your attention down , to your heart area or even below that, when ever you are conscious that you are in your head. |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 06:31:06 AM
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This is a great idea, I will try it this way once I start with the practice again (I hope sooner than later as I am lot better now).
Could you please suggest me how to 'rest in the heart'. it seems I am not getting the technique. What would it feel like if I am resting/concenrating in my heart? In this context, I have (along with other thing as eating heavy) taken long walks concentrating on hip, thigh, and foot movement - this helped. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 07:55:00 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by DawnCalling
Could you please suggest me how to 'rest in the heart'. it seems I am not getting the technique. What would it feel like if I am resting/concentrating in my heart?
Not concentrating... concentration is a mind activity, and can soon become a mind game. So lets leave concentration out of this.
Anytime we become conscious we are thinking, see where we are thinking from? Our head. So we gently bring our attention down into our throat, chest, belly as low as we can go and think from there. It's like dropping/relaxing all the heavy thinking into some other part of our body other than our head.
We stay there as long as it happens naturally, and then we may lose it, not a problem. A few min/seconds/hours/days later we realize we are in our head, being the attention down.
Like meditation, we dont force it, we are gentle with it and repeat it any time we realize we are in our head.
Does this help? |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 08:58:21 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
Not concentrating... concentration is a mind activity, and can soon become a mind game. So lets leave concentration out of this.
This surely helps a lot, thanks.
quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
see where we are thinking from?
This is where i am losing tracks. I am not able to figure out where I am thinking from 
I would try to feel it please let me know if you have suggestions for me... |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2011 : 5:10:34 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by DawnCalling
quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
see where we are thinking from?
This is where i am losing tracks. I am not able to figure out where I am thinking from
I would try to feel it please let me know if you have suggestions for me...
Hmmm...
When you close your eyes, and notice your thoughts, where do they originate? |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2011 : 07:14:55 AM
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well, as i try it now .. they seem to originate in the brain.
now when I try to think from the heart - what it feels like is I am filtering my mind through the balloon shaped (not exactly mimicing the anatomy picture, just a simple balloon) brain ... through the narrow back bone (spinal chord is not distinct) ... and releasing it around the heart region. I get a feeiling that it's working, but that is a faint feeling and i am not highly convinced that it's really working. moreover, it feels pretty similar to concentrating, about which you have already suggested that concentrating is not the way for it.
so ...... {scratching head} |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2011 : 08:49:14 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by DawnCalling
now when I try to think from the heart - what it feels like is I am filtering my mind through the balloon shaped (not exactly mimicing the anatomy picture, just a simple balloon) brain ... through the narrow back bone (spinal chord is not distinct) ... and releasing it around the heart region. I get a feeiling that it's working, but that is a faint feeling and i am not highly convinced that it's really working. moreover, it feels pretty similar to concentrating, about which you have already suggested that concentrating is not the way for it.
so ...... {scratching head}
OK.. yes, this is right.
So, you have isolated the source of the thoughts, and have managed to bring it down to your chest area.
Now, notice how it feels when it is being released from the heart area. Put your awareness there. And slowly shift from the place the thought is arising to the place the thought is being release. This is what I mean by shifting the attention away from the head. It happens with practice and is definitely not an overnight process.
Also if it feels like concentrating, do it just a few times a day, till it becomes natural. With practice it does become natural and it becomes natural faster if you are not forcing it and getting frustrated with it and analyzing it. So just be as easy as you can be with it. If it seems too difficult, let it go for now and revisit it in bit.
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2011 : 12:50:27 AM
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Ok... great... I would be practicing this. Guess it will take some time, but it will be cool once I get there... many thanks.
As I am trying to observe and isolate now, I think my awarness are generally at the brow level. During SBP or sometimes when going to sleep, at times it feels that I have come down to the nostriles or mouth level (closed eye helps) and brows and eyes are placed little higher than 'me'. Is it the same with resting in/thinking from heart? Is it like I may feel my head and shoulder are placed higher than me? |
Edited by - Swan on Aug 08 2011 02:35:50 AM |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2011 : 3:54:29 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by DawnCalling
Ok... great... I would be practicing this. Guess it will take some time, but it will be cool once I get there... many thanks.
As I am trying to observe and isolate now, I think my awarness are generally at the brow level. During SBP or sometimes when going to sleep, at times it feels that I have come down to the nostriles or mouth level (closed eye helps) and brows and eyes are placed little higher than 'me'. Is it the same with resting in/thinking from heart? Is it like I may feel my head and shoulder are placed higher than me?
This is good... you can actually see now, that your attention is following your inner gaze (initially with eye closed only, later with practice it can be done with eyes open). Watch how your eyes are moving with that inner gaze. Once you can isolate this (attention following your inner gaze and eyes following you inner gaze), you will also notice that you cannot move further than your chin or throat with this inner gaze if your eyes are following too. So now bring your eyes back to the normal position or lift it very slightly so your inner gaze is at your eye level or your third eye, and then without moving your eyes, take your inner gaze (your attention will follow this inner gaze) down the back of your head, down the spinal cord to the heart leaving your eyes in the head area so that your attention is moving independent of the eyes. This takes time, but you can do it as much as it happens naturally a few times a day.
This is what we do in spinal breathing pranayama as well. We leave our physical eyes looking straight or slightly up but our attention follows the spinal nerve up and down synchronized with in and out breath. We are doing all of this with our inner gaze and not our physical eyes. |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 08 2011 : 10:11:27 PM
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| I had some progress in last couple of days practice, however, I indeed could not make it past chin with open eyes. Guess I will be able now... with some practice... thanks a ton. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2011 : 07:56:59 AM
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Here is something that may help with the eyes not following your attention. If you are not doing spinal breathing yet, don't do the breathing part of it. But you can practice moving your attention without moving your eyes.
Lesson 131 - Q&A – Coordinating sambhavi and spinal breathing
Pick an object on the other side of the room and gaze at it. Don't examine it, or even "see" it. Just put your eyes on it and leave them there. As you are doing that let your attention go to your perineum. It isn't hard to do, is it? Now, keeping your eyes on that object, let your attention go up the center of your spine to the point between your eyebrows. Don't worry about your breathing. Just do the gaze on the object and move the attention. When your eyes wander off the object, and you notice, just easily put them back on it. Use the object there in front of you as a visual feedback. Go up and down the spine a few times with your attention without taking your eyes off the object. Practice this for a while, until you can go up and down your spine with your attention without moving your eyes off that object very much. If the eyes or attention go off, then easily bring them back to the task at hand. It is a habit you are developing, much like learning to pat the top of your head with one hand while rubbing your belly in a circle with the other hand.
Keep doing the exercise until you can move your attention up and down the spine while keeping your unseeing gaze on the object. The object is your sensory feedback that enables you to keep your eyes in one place while your attention is going somewhere else.
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2011 : 04:01:01 AM
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Thanks for sharing, I have started practicing this and I did better than I guessed I would.
In the meantime, I was trying to be innovative and what I have come up with is really funny one ... LoL ... I was imagining I have got two long stems under my eyes - like a snail has got ... and the wired thing is I felt good with this as it seemed to work, and got as far as sacral bone (with no stretch or strain on my stems ... OMG) while walking.
If you feel like trying this, please let me know your feedback... |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2011 : 09:56:09 AM
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Cool that it is working for you.
Don't go too far into imagination and inventing too many things... remember, the more you add the more you will have to eventually let go... so just stick with the procedures described in the lessons. If adding a few things here and there helps, that is fine, but stay with it while it helps, and then go back to the procedure. The mind will come up with many games... so right from the beginning make it a habit to stay with the procedure.
Wish you all the best!!!
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2011 : 12:10:39 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Shanti
...the more you add the more you will have to eventually let go...
... but stay with it while it helps, and then go back to the procedure...
oops... thanks for pointing out... I am shifting gradually to lesson 131 - by now I am compfortable with this one also. |
Edited by - Swan on Aug 11 2011 03:30:16 AM |
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Swan
India
256 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2011 : 03:24:05 AM
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This lesson 131 rocks.... thank you...
While practicing this, I think I have felt my heart chakra for the first time . Firstly it was a pin point, then some energy movement (tiny compared to what I feel in perineum, ajna, and lately on top of the head), followed by some Goosebumps kind of feeling in the horizontal area of that point. Later two stayed for say 10 minutes. It was one week ago, and I felt it once more since then.
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Sirsasana before SBP and DM ???
