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GregM
USA
51 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 12:41:35 PM
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In reading through the material, Yogani has stated several times where the addition of this practice/technique or that will be found to be stimulating energetically and/or sexually. I, personally, have not yet found this to be the case with the exercises I've incorporated thus far.
I'm currently doing DM, SBP with sambhavi & mulabandha, and the suggested asana routine. And I've played with Siddhasana (which I'm reading about now - Lesson 75), finding that it adds nothing to my level of stimulation and/or energetic activity either. I've also played with Kechari a little and, while I can touch the frenum between my nasal passages and even explore a little up the channel, I don't find it to be very sensitive or stimulating.
A little about me, so that a more complete picture can be seen... I started doing AYP steadily about a month ago, but have meditated (off and on) for years. I've no history of drug use. I used to smoke the occasional cigar, but no longer. And my consumption of alcohol is very moderate. In fact, the last time I had a drink was probably before I started up the AYP practices.
Note that I have not yet started feeling significant energy in my spine yet as a result of the SBP. It's only a hint of heat/coolness so far. It seems to be getting slightly stronger at this point, but is still faint.
Could it be this very fact as to to why I'm not feeling the stimulation mentioned so often throughout the material? That I just don't have or have not yet developed the requisite energy flow throughout my body? Am I under-sensitive? Or is my throat chakra block (mentioned in another thread) diminishing my returns more than I may have thought? Do I need to be more aggressive in order to overcome this? Or more patient? :)
Thanks all... 
Greg |
Edited by - GregM on Mar 15 2014 12:56:53 PM |
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mr_anderson
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 1:10:33 PM
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Hi Greg,
How long have you been practicing for?
Best
Josh |
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GregM
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 1:13:00 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by mr_anderson
How long have you been practicing for?
Around a month. I started with DM and then introduced asanas & SBP early on as the regimine just didn't feel "complete" doing DM alone. |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 4:34:56 PM
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GregM,
I can only speak for myself. What I have noticed is that over time I have become more and more sensitive to the energy and the practices.
I guess a good example would be asana's. I know many who do asana's and can feel the energy during the practice. Many people can feel it even though they don't meditate on a regular basis like many here do. Since I don't feel it yet I am assuming that it just takes time.
For a long time I was not sensitive to the energy and I just pushed ahead. I learned not to do that. We are all different but here are some personal examples.
It took me 1 year to be able to do 1 round of Samayama without overloading.
Siddhasana also took over a year to be able to handle. Sometimes it is like a fan is blowing on me, it is an amazing change in energy and purification.
One month is a very short time. Take things slow because I promise you these are some powerful practices and if you rush ahead to quickly it will sneak up on you and bite you in your @ss!  |
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adishivayogi
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 7:17:13 PM
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| you've only been doing it a month. be greatful you found spinal breathing and give it time |
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NoDogma
USA
123 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2014 : 9:02:35 PM
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yes, patience over aggression :-)
one month is too small a time frame for most people. Although I believe some (few) people might start noticing changes in that short time.
These practices almost guarantee results but they don't (and can not) give any guidance about time frame in which the results will materialize nor any strict order in which things change (there is some order but not necessary). It is important to have goals because they drive you to do the practice. But it can become difficult if one starts attaching time frame in which to get results (you're doing something that is not your hands nor in the system, but in your head :-) ..) . Best is to do the practice and observe changes in day-to-day life (not just during meditation time). After all, if our daily life improves then that's enough to be thankful for. At 2.5+ years, I can say that this is the single good thing I've ever done for myself but it was not like that till 1.5-2 years.
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1532 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2014 : 03:03:51 AM
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Dear Greg
Yogani often reminds us that is a marathon not a sprint. One month down the line, it is normal that you will not be feeling much in terms of energy flow. Doing DM & SBP for now is good enough. Get steady. A good indication of when you should be adding new bandha/mudras is when they are already practically happening on their own. When SBP starts doing its thing, energy flow will automatically be nudging you into Mulabandha & sambhavi & uddiyana. Then you know it is the right time for it. When the tongue start moving by itself to the roof of your mouth, then start thinking of kechari.
Good luck
Sey
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GregM
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2014 : 5:34:20 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by SeySorciere
A good indication of when you should be adding new bandha/mudras is when they are already practically happening on their own. When SBP starts doing its thing, energy flow will automatically be nudging you into Mulabandha & sambhavi & uddiyana. Then you know it is the right time for it. When the tongue start moving by itself to the roof of your mouth, then start thinking of kechari.
Is there a downside to incorporating these additional practices before that time (as I've done)? My thought was that, by so doing, I was further promoting the conditions whereby I might start to feel an increasing flow of energy. But perhaps I'm misguided? |
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tonightsthenight
846 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2014 : 6:28:04 PM
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Greg, one month is nothing. And not everyone here gets all the energy stuff.
Practice patience along with your routine
You can add practices as you wish, and they might make a positive difference, but just as easily you might end up whacked one day too much too soon. Probably wiser to add practices gradually and one at a time. |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Mar 17 2014 : 10:39:40 PM
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Hi Greg,
I would say be more patient rather than aggressive. After one month, you are already feeling cool/warm currents and sensing a blockage. Something's definitely happening. |
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digofarias
Brazil
63 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2014 : 12:42:29 PM
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Hi GregM,
Sometimes there are many gross layers to be removed and until they're gone we might be little sensitive. Keep going and know purification is going on if you're carefully following the exercises.
Rod |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2014 : 3:09:26 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by GregM
I started doing AYP steadily about a month ago, but have meditated (off and on) for years.
For reference, with respect to self-pacing precautions and setting a firm foundation in simplicity, I took more than 3 years of AYP on top of many years of other practices before that including meditation to build up to a fairly full routine. I still can't say in a yes/no answer that I'm energetically sensitive.
For the energy question, my mind insists on "definitely no," while my intuition and practice already work with "it," something the mind claims is its own creation 'of no substance resembling others' claims of chi/prana' even while intuition already manages its consequences in many ways, such as sleep, physical exertion, and effects of certain other systems practices like embracing the tree posture. Is it energetic conductivity, a distant (or not?) cousin of ecstatic conductivity? Is this different than prana? How many forms or frequencies are there, and which symptom is indicative of which form? I don't know, but even my mind admits it lacks the tools or input to make any definitive connections, so practice is the only method left to deal with this dead end. Energetic sensitivity itself might just be one of those things the surface analytical mind alone can't really grasp or interpret, at least not on an 'ordinary' state of consciousness, and might even temporarily obstruct by insisting on certain markers, or even certain practices that might make these markers more evident even if in the end it might not actually unblock the obstructions (granthis, etc.) preventing such sensitivity (perhaps partly as a natural barrier of protection that gives way when the conditions are appropriate) in the first place.
quote:
Originally posted by GregM
Is there a downside to incorporating these additional practices before that time (as I've done)? My thought was that, by so doing, I was further promoting the conditions whereby I might start to feel an increasing flow of energy. But perhaps I'm misguided?
AYP itself has no prerequisites.
You don't need to feel an urge or energetic sensitivity of any kind in order that the practices have traction. Having an urge or sensitivity towards specific practices no doubt can be a useful guide, but it is not a requirement, and sometimes as with automatic yogas can lead to overdoing specific practices as suggested in the lessons.
The practices do build on each other, and going too far too fast in my understanding is like neglecting due attention to its foundation, Deep Meditation and Spinal Breathing Pranayama.
Some practices and enhancements do require emerging sensitivity and experience, namely targeted spinal bastrika and crown practices, while others like deep meditation's mantra enhancements also fit in that category.
I can't recall the author of this quote, though I'm sure the principle is repeated in many places, which says 'without immanence, there would be no such thing as transcendence.'
The lessons make this into something more tangible and practical: the nervous system. They continuously hint at its inherent subtle connections that are an inseparable part of it as well as the very reason for its makeup and organization, whether we are able to feel these connections to whatever degree as to help inform practical application at this point in time, or not.
That said, it should be no surprise that I share the opinion that if you have the motive, motivation, bhakti, desire, or any reason whatsoever to take up practices, be it AYP and/or other systems, and then stick to them, then by all means build your own self-directed, self-paced practice. The lessons provide a lot of leeway for doing this, paired with examples on how to keep it efficient and on course, as in Lesson 85 which I feel really deserves the long direct quote:
"Then if meditation and spinal breathing are smooth, more can be added. This process of adding can take many months, years, or decades, depending on the person. The experience will be the determining factor, not some arbitrary schedule. And it should certainly not be directed by a reckless ambition to find a super fast short cut to enlightenment." "How long should one clean house with meditation before stimulating kundalini directly? It depends on the person. If the inner silence and stability are good, maybe soon. For others, meditating easily each day for years or decades will be a good route. It is a combination of your capacity and your desire (bhakti) that will determine your course. Some will be conservative. Others will be very aggressive." "Find your time line, know your capacity, and take it one day at a time. It is a long journey."
Plant the "silent seed" and till the soil of the nervous system as good as possible, by all means. Trying to go beyond that might be where the "less is more" principle becomes more obvious in an overt way, such as diverting time and energy from the simplicity of practices towards other areas that in the end might not make much difference, possibly by going to far 'under the hood.' |
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GregM
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - Mar 19 2014 : 5:08:56 PM
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Thank you all for your replies. I didn't see in myself that I was trying to "race ahead" to get to a subconsciously perceived "finish line". I've always been competitive in every active endeavor I've taken on and this is probably part of the reason for my impatience.
I may have also been mistaken in reading through the various lessons that if you do xyz asana/mudra/bandha, then you will more than likely feel this or that sensation... almost as though one naturally followed the other as a matter of course, irrespective of any personal, biological, or energetic differences.
Thanks for helping me to better understand the correct mental attitude in going forward.
Greg |
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Light
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Apr 13 2014 : 10:24:13 PM
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| @NoDogma -- Thanks for pointing this thread out to me by personal message/email (and sorry it's taken me so long to respond!). I hadn't seen it. I tried to find a way to reply to you while keeping my privacy (my email is my name), but I couldn't figure out how to do so on the forums, so I hope you see this post. |
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AumNaturel
Canada
687 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2014 : 11:46:47 AM
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| Light, you can always specify another email address in your member profile. The option is under "AYP Support Forums" heading at the top right as "Profile." |
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NoDogma
USA
123 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2014 : 7:44:13 PM
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| Light, you're welcome. Glad it helped and thanks for letting me know. |
Edited by - NoDogma on Apr 15 2014 07:38:17 AM |
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Yogaman
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2014 : 10:45:56 AM
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I too fall into the under-sensitive category with regards to the experiences described in the AYP literature. I know many say "don't look for experiences during sits", but with the vivid poetic imagery Yogani uses in the lessons and books, it sure sounds enjoyable and compelling to want to experience for yourself.
The physical experiences for me are signposts that the system is working. Vague observances of daily life getting "better" are too vague and subjective for my tastes.
Over the course of a year, I added spinal breathing, then mula bandha, sambhavi and ujayyi to my sits. Siddhasana as well. I had automatic yoga pretty early on after starting AYP. After about 8-10 months I started directly experiencing this inner energy flow (prana?) that was (and is still) unmistakable, now regular, and repeatable.
The vague term "inner energy" is something I'd have been very skeptical of hearing before I'd experienced it myself. The direct experience and openness of the lessons is what drew me to AYP in particular, and yoga in general. Having these experiences helps to solidify in me the desire to continue and the faith in the obscure techniques.
Like you, I read the descriptions of siddhasana in the AYP lessons, and have yet to experience any sort of of spike in apse station of any kind besides generic pressure. But I can say that with time, I've had direct experiences with the things described in the lessons, although much more slowly than I'd like or had come to expect based on the glowing descriptions. I figured even if I got 1% of the experience described! that would be good fuel to maintain the practices. |
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Level of stimulation in the exercises
