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Jack
United Kingdom
305 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 06 2015 : 01:50:27 AM
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Hi,
I'm on final mantra enhancement for almost one year since being on retreat.
I'm going through a lot of stress, resistance, stuck patterns, refusal to change, and have been for some time. Physically, this is felt as a lot of 'gunk' in the front-centre of the body, from throat, through chest and into gut.
I also have been advised I may have TMJ, very tight jaw, neck and sboulders.
And a big resistance to dealing with some issues in my life. So it all adds up to a blockage, I reckon!
When I finish SBP and into DM, what happens firstly is that unless I keep my mouth slightly open, I stop breathing, I feel big contractions around solar plexus/heart/throat in front, then I will intentionally breathe.
Can blockages in the front channel lead to this kind of problem? Anything to 'do' about it? I already include stretches to open the front of the body... Alexander Lowen's "The Bow" and use of a "Bioenergetic Stool". Got some serious emotional constipation! |
Edited by - Jack on Feb 06 2015 02:50:32 AM |
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Blanche
USA
861 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2015 : 06:54:52 AM
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Hi Jack,
You are dealing with purifications on the highers chakras. There are a couple of things you might want to consider: The short program of asanas that Yogani recommends would balance the internal energy before the SB. The Chin Pump - Jalandhara mudra is a great tool to open the throat, relax the jaws. Spinal Bastrika is another way to direct purifications and make a smooth transition to a breathless state. Reading posts on this forum, it seems that many people are surprised by the breathless state, and might not feel quite comfortable with it. Some might find it scary to stop breathing. I find it curious, but focusing on the breathless state is a distraction from meditation and tends to start the breath again. The way I deal with it is to ignore it and focus on the mantra.
As you said, the discomfort might be related to emotional releases, so you might want to deal with them before pushing further. Discomfort might signal that you need to slow down, even with the techniques you have done for a long time. There will be a time when you can go back to them, without any problem. Take it easy, you are making great progress. Enjoy it! |
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Jack
United Kingdom
305 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2015 : 07:49:28 AM
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I wonder if breathless state requires a quiet mind? Because this can happen even when mind is quite busy.
I will look into the Asana sequence and other suggestions, thank you.  |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Feb 06 2015 : 08:17:37 AM
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Hello Jack
Blanche has given you some good tips.
I can add some of my own experience dealing with these sort of tensions.
I find that the best approach to them is acceptance. Once we label them "stuck patterns" or "refusal to change" it's all too easy to fall into a tendency to fight or oppose them. I believe these to be old insecurities/worries/anxieties. I have been holding on to some of these myself for many years and the mistake has been trying to "push them under the carpet". I am letting them come into the open now and just being aware of them. Directing your attention to them and sending them love is helpful. They are after all an unloved part of you. I actually say 'I love you' in my mind as I let my awareness take in the muscle tension, tightness in the chest etc. As you do this, you might get flash-backs to events in the past that have generated these feelings. Allow those too, in a mindful way (don't go into problem-solving, just be aware) and send love to that you in whatever moment in time the hurt occurred. You can do this during your yoga sessions whenever these feeling/sensations claim your attention and any other time throughout the day. It's a healing process. Be kind to yourself. It may take time, but patience will be rewarded.
All the best |
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Blanche
USA
861 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2015 : 08:51:18 AM
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BlueRaincoat, I like your way of dealing with emotional releases. I should try it.
Jack, you are probably right to link breathlessness and quiet mind. It seems to me that when the breath stops, the mind has trouble functioning, I can feel thoughts trying to form and falling apart... The more I get curious about this, the more distracted I am from the mantra - ah, the amazing ability of the mind to get distracted! Less concentration =more thoughts= beathing resumes with a little jolt - which might corespond to the contraction you feel before you start breathing again. Trying to ignore the process is less effective than actively focusing on the mantra, to the point where I do not notice other things. Nothing, nothing, but the mantra.
If there is discomfort or frustration, you could back off to the other mantra for a while. I enjoy kechari, but some days it is just too much, to intense, so I just let it go... The enlightment does not depend on a specific method. There are many ways to get there. Every little meager part of the creation has Everything in it.... |
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Jack
United Kingdom
305 Posts |
Posted - Feb 07 2015 : 3:45:49 PM
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Thank you both.
Letting the feelings come up without labelling them is the practice. The habit I need to relax is that of labelling the upcoming material as 'bad/undesirable' - this is a habit seeking to disassociate from perceived 'negative' traits so that I can be seen by others as a 'good person'. But analysing aside, this is complex karma that needs to be easily allowed with mindfulness. Thank you for the guidance.
With the breathing/contraction, it is a feeling of suffocation, like I'm not getting any oxygen and need to breathe. Which my rational mind would say is a perfectly valid feeling! I'll try to implement the given advice for my next sit and report back.
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Blanche
USA
861 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2015 : 8:16:49 PM
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| Mmm, if you feel like you need oxygen and you "suffocate", you need to breathe - this is a valid feeling! It might mean that the breathlessness is coming a little too fast to you. I do not experience any physical discomfort when this happens. I did notice that bastrika pranayama makes this transition smoother. Maybe the mantra is too strong for now. Changing the mantra is a big deal. You might consider backing off for a couple of weeks, returning to the previous mantra, getting to another stable state, and then trying again the mantra enhancement in a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks of purifications without discomfort may put you in a better position for this transition. The fact that you get to breathlessness shows that it is getting into reach, but do not rush to it. A gentle aproach is the fastest way to progress. It might be like a dance: two steps forward, and one back! |
Edited by - Blanche on Feb 09 2015 5:43:43 PM |
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BillinL.A.
USA
375 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2015 : 8:31:40 PM
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Wow Blanche each of your sentences are worth a paragraph.
How killer is this stuff. |
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Blanche
USA
861 Posts |
Posted - Feb 10 2015 : 9:05:06 PM
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| You are very perceptive, BillinLA, it is a killer. Unlimited gratitude to Yogani and the long line of teachers who made this possible! |
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Mantra, breathing, contraction
