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sboney
18 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 27 2006 : 5:58:55 PM
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Hi everyone! I am following the steps in the book in a basically orderly way after years of being away from formal meditation practice. In my daily mediation I am bit like a kid taking a bath -- don't want to get in the tub but once there, don't want to get out!
Is there any benefit to chanting the AYAM mantra or any mantra during daily tasks? I work from home and spend a great deal of time alone there or in the car. I can easily chant without creating a bunch of difficulty and the AYAM chant comes naturally (as do others).
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weaver
832 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2006 : 7:02:32 PM
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Hi sboney,
This is a natural question that may come up about mantra and meditation. The deep meditation we do in AYP is an inner process of the mind that will take the mind to inner silence, and this process works completely different from saying the mantra aloud. So, therefore it's best not to use the same mantra we use for deep meditation for outer purposes (except of course saying I am about ourselves when we talk about ourselves). Yogani has also addressed this in the AYP lessons, but I forgot which one. |
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riptiz
United Kingdom
741 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2006 : 7:24:17 PM
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Hi,
Well I can tell you that chanting the mantra silently as fast as possible leads to greater levels of purification.This is one of the practices taught in Kundalini Maha Yoga in the lineage I am in.The effect is felt in the third eye and leads to deeper meditation.Of course you always run the risk of further cleansing so I guess yogani would caution self pacing.
L&L
Dave |
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Richard
United Kingdom
857 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2006 : 7:30:37 PM
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HI sboney I think yopu will find all the imformation you need in this lesson
Some mantra particulars
Chanting I AM is not recommended if you are using it in your daily
meditation.
Richard |
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Scott
USA
969 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2006 : 7:32:10 PM
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Sboney,
Good questions! In my opinion, the best thing to do during daily tasks is mindfulness and surrender. Mantras outside of our practice time will interfere with the effects of our practices. Our practices don't only work during the time we do them...they're working all the time, even when we are done practicing and out doing our daily tasks.
Here's a good analogy: yoga is like going down a waterslide. When you're at the top and you first push off to go down..that's the practices. That's when you do all the nifty stuff like meditation and spinal breathing. Then when you get up to do your daily tasks, that's when the real fun starts....that's when you're going down the slide. It's where the real action is.
About how to practice mindfulness and surrender during the day... Mindfulness is just being in the present. Being conscious and alert about what's going on. If you're doing dishes, mindfulness would be not day dreaming...but simply doing the dishes. Pretty easy. It shouldn't be forced, like if you catch yourself day dreaming you scold yourself. You can be mindful to day dreaming...it's all taking place in the present moment. "It's all good." And surrender is just accepting things for what they are. Being easy going. Letting go of your unnecessary anxieties.
You say that you feel like you don't want to get out of meditation...like a kid taking a bath..haha. Yep, I know exactly how you feel. I think of meditation as a tool more than a way to feel good - because that's really how it is. We are using our tool twice daily to bring about the good feelings all day. We can feel that way as we are doing our daily tasks. Even if we're doing the dishes (something which I'm procrastinating right now)!
That time will come very soon, as long as we follow the guidelines.
I know it's easy to want to do more and more about yoga...but the practices we do are so powerful. Soon enough, I'm sure you'll find out we don't need to do much.
Good luck, Sboney! |
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sboney
18 Posts |
Posted - Oct 27 2006 : 11:18:57 PM
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| Thanks for the replies and the direction to lesson 59! I have been taking the lessons slowly and have not read that far. My guess is I will be hitting the forum with a bunch of questions that are answered like that! |
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Kirtanman
USA
1651 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2006 : 03:41:21 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by sboney
Thanks for the replies and the direction to lesson 59! I have been taking the lessons slowly and have not read that far. My guess is I will be hitting the forum with a bunch of questions that are answered like that!
Hi Sboney,
Excellent -- that's one of the reasons (I would guess) several of us are fairly-to-very active in the Forum -- the shared communication facilitates as much learning and growth (or nearly so) as studying the lessons, and practicing do.
To comment on chanting:
I agree with the general consensus that chanting "Ayam" proactively during the day, may not be a good idea (and probably isn't, per the lessons).
That doesn't mean, however that chanting is bad -- especially kirtan chanting.
As Yogani points out, kirtan chanting is a much more external (physical plane) tool than simple mantra repetition.
But aren't we still essentially repeating mantras when chanting kirtan?
Yes -- though there are a few key points that make a big difference (in my experience).
*When doing something _as_ external as driving, your attention is drawn outward enough, that there's some inherent energetic balance on that level (analogy: think of the difference between giving or getting a mild to moderate massage all over --- and having someone dig their thumb - or you digging yours -- into a tight muscle -- for the same length of time. The former is like chanting kirtan - that latter is like repeating a single mantra, with deep focus and attention).
*In kirtan, the music matters - the meter, the rhythm, the melody and the dynamics are all structured to facilitate certain effects - for instance, many (if not most) kirtan songs start out slow, and build up and up and UP (much like good sex) - and then AHHHHHhhhhhhhh .... you relax, slow down, and bask in the afterglow. All kinds of cool physical, emotional, mental and subtle effects can and do result --- in ways that have been designed, tested and validated by very conscious teachers for a very long time.
*Per the point above, kirtan chants have been designed to be safe -- and that's one of the reasons you don't see a lot of creativity, lyrically -- Hare Krishna Hare Ram (aka the mahamantra), Aum Namah Shivaya (also cited as the mahamantra -- I'm neutral -- they're both Maha to me .... , and several other kirtan / bhajan "mainstays" have been shown to be conducive to spiritual / neurophysiological evolution, even for beginning sadhakas (yogic practitioners).
Chanting Ayam (outside of meditation) however, is in a completely different class, in my opinion.
I would liken daily kirtan chanting (which, per my moniker, I do - though I was already doing it as a core part of my sadhana when I found AYP -- and while I am completely comfortable that this is beneficial for myself - I don't pretend to be qualified to make that determination for anyone else -- I would say that Yogani and/or your Inner Guru are the only qualified resources in that regard - speaking to how AYP and personal kirtan chanting fit together, as daily practices -- for you) to getting a good general workout at the gym.
I would liken chanting Ayam to working one muscle over and over and over (i.e. the 20 minutes in meditation is likely "more than plenty" - and best case, you won't get additional benefit by chanting it outside of meditation - and worst case, you could actually hurt your practice - or at the very least "worst case", kick in some undesired and uncomfortable levels of purification).
And for the record --- it's certainly not something I would do myself.
I chant Hare Krishna (specifically Track 3 - Rock in a Heart Place - from Krishna Das's All One album) on the way to and from work (10-12 minutes each way) -- and often mix it up with other chants -- and have only noticed great benefit (though again, for anyone reading this -- I trust my Inner Guru here --- and urge you to either rely on yours - or, if you need "human help" - check in with Yogani).
This isn't because Yogani is any kind of a guru (per his own many statements on the matter) -- but because he is the most experienced and qualified person in terms of stating what probably fits well, and what probably doesn't fit well, with AYP, specifically.
So, if "per all of the above" you still feel like chanting - get some chant CDs (I recommend Krishna Das as an ideal starting point) - and have a good time.
As far as Ayam goes - probably best to leave it in meditation - repeating it throughout the day seems much like never touching a computer (or barely) -- and then clicking your mouse for hours at a time ----- it may seem harmless --- but you may be wearing a sling due to carpal tunnel in the near future, even though it seemed harmless.
Ultimately, it's a balance thing ---- so many of us in this age, in the West -- want the "magic pill" --- and think "more pill is better" -- if two aspirin will help, twenty-six should really do the trick -- right?
"Not right ....."
I'm not a huge Maharishi Mahesh Yogi fan, but one quote of his I like (speaking about meditating) --- "You don't have to stay in the bath all day, to get clean!"
(Seemed fitting, per your bath analogy!)
Hope this helps!
Peace & Namaste,
Kirtanman |
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sboney
18 Posts |
Posted - Oct 28 2006 : 12:19:46 PM
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Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I have an SRF cassette (which dates my practice since it was pre-CD!) that has a number of chants by an SRF choir. Beautiful! I will check out Krishna Das.
I am definitely off the idea of chanting "AYAM."
This is a "trust the practice issue" and I am peeling back that onion as I continue on.
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Chanting question
