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Jamespyle357
USA
5 Posts |
 Posted - May 25 2018 : 6:43:24 PM
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Hi there, I really like this website thank you for all of this amazing information. I am very new though and I am not part of the AYP journey/process. I was wondering if you could help me with this problem I'm having. You see one year ago I started getting really into meditation and over the course of a couple months I started to build up my practice to 4-5 hours a day. eighths ago I switched to doing this practice called the prayer of the heart which is a very powerful technique that enables you to experience an extremely large amount of bliss and love for the whole world. I was able to do this practice 4-5 hours a day since I started. Then late February I started praying 8 hrs a day, thinking that it would be good if I pushed myself. Then a month later I get completely worn out and unable to be able to do any spiritual exercise whatsoever. It has been a month now and I still can hardly do any spiritual practices. I am very saddened by this and I really wish I could do them again. I experience a pain in my heart chakra and a disconnection from my body whenever I try to do any spiritual exercises. I hope you can help.
Thank you very much, James Pyle |
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2018 : 12:00:06 PM
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Welcome to the forum James. Don't beat yourself up over it. It is an indication that the tool has done its job and the next step in your evolution is ready to begin. Many people in the path of devotion have faced such a situation and evolved into fine models that we can emulate.
Good luck on your path. |
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Dogboy
USA
2201 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2018 : 12:58:18 PM
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Hi James, Welcome
Imagine you go to a buffet for lunch every day, and never miss a day. Each day you eat as much as you can because it is advertised as "All You Can Eat", and why not?! You absolutely love food and the variety of tastes spread before you. In the short term this was great, you ate well and cheaply, but over time you gained weight, your metabolism slows down, your blood pressure and insulin levels soar, you are sluggish and depressed because your relationship with food has changed for the worst. You are left with no choice but to avoid the buffet for many weeks to change that relationship, to enjoy your meals in smaller portions, to chew slower and enjoy every bite again, to perhaps fast for a day or two periodically, to relearn that food is fuel, and too much fuel floods an engine and shuts it down. It's hard to enjoy food when you are puking it in the toilet.  
Long, sustained hours of yoga is not good for your neurobiology. The problem isn't the yoga, it's your relationship to the yoga. You need a shorter practice that allows your system to digest and incorporate, and soon you become aware of the hunger signs, and are ready for more practice.
AYP asks but two half-hour sessions daily, and then you enjoy the fruits of practice and share these fruits with others as your practice opens you to love, kindness, patience, your Witness and your Inner Guru. Everything in Moderation. Know Thyself.
https://www.aypsite.org/10.html
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Jamespyle357
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - May 26 2018 : 11:25:00 PM
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| That's great! So what can I do now to help the situation that I am in? What is the next step in my evolution? |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2018 : 04:49:43 AM
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Hi James
You are obviously very keen to make progress spiritually. That is important, but it is also important to find a good method for it. Improvised practice like what you've described can land you in a pickle and hinder you progress instead of helping it.
You need to find a teacher or a practice system that has been tried and tested. One option is right here, on the AYP website. Depending where you live, there may be other yoga schools in easy reach. You need to find a teaching that suits you, which you can follow in the long term.
I would suggest reading the lessons on this website, see if AYP resonates with you. All the teaching is documented - online, books, audio etc. There are retreats where you can meet other AYP practitioners, and for day to day support and advice, we have this forum.
All the best on your path  |
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Dogboy
USA
2201 Posts |
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Jamespyle357
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2018 : 5:15:46 PM
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| I've read lesson 69, its not very helpful. I want to know more on how to deal with a Kundalini Awakening. I would like to start getting into the AYP path but as of now I seem to be unable to do any sort of spiritual practices. I want to know what to do to help solve this. It has been 3 months since I last did any spiritual practices so I know its not time that is a factor. I want to figure out what exactly is wrong with me and how to fix it. Thanks for the help! |
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Blanche
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2018 : 10:44:52 PM
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Hi James,
It is probably frustrating to see that all this intense effort you put in your spiritual practice has to stop. The symptoms you are experiencing - heart pain, feeling worn out, disconnected from the body – suggest that something is not going well. What things move in the right direction, there is an ease and a flow, and we are supported by life. When we take a wrong turn, things become difficult. The fact that you are dealing with these uncomfortable symptoms means that pushing on with this technique is not the thing to do, not for you. Even if somehow you feel better overnight, it would not be wise to go back to practicing the prayer of the heart for 8 hours a day – at least this is not a good idea for now.
There is some blockage, somewhere. It is hard to figure out what happens without a personal connection. Here is where a face-to-face interaction with a teacher would help. In the AYP system, the focus is on the long-term objective of enlightenment, and less on the day to day managing of chakras. There are warnings in the yoga tradition that working with a chakra could stir considerable problems. When the focus stays at a more general level, the practice itself manages the small adjustments from day to day.
What are the options? You could wait until the symptoms subside, and then proceed with caution to re-start your spiritual practice. Or you could work with the symptoms, directly or indirectly. Instead of considering these symptoms a hindrance, look at them as an opportunity to grow and progress on the path. At some level, any symptom is a part of us not completely accepted, a part of us that asks for recognition and integration. You could keep a journal; talk with a friend or a therapist to figure out the problem. Working out every day would also help. In “The Way of a Pilgrim,” the man who does the prayer of the heart is continuously on the road. Walking, hiking, gardening, swimming, and so on are great ways to increase the capacity of the body to support increasing energies and the spiritual transformation. There are other things you could do: Get good rest, eat a nutritious diet, spend some time in nature every day, spend some time with people with similar interests, express you creativity, focus on helping others.
This situation is a puzzle, but you can probably figure it out. It will be something new to learn, a chance for growth and transformation. It will not be a small trick to solve this. It took you some months to get here – it might take some time to get out of it. But this too shall pass.
Best wishes
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Jamespyle357
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - May 27 2018 : 11:52:08 PM
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| Thankyou very much, that was very helpful. |
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Blanche
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2018 : 06:44:08 AM
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If the problem persists, you may also consider seeing a doctor to rule out any medical issue.
Best wishes for your chosen path
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Jamespyle357
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - Jun 07 2018 : 11:11:33 PM
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Hey just a question, it seems like people on this site seem to take building their meditation practice up extremely slowly. I mean I read a lady on here say that 15 minutes of different practices was only for people who had been practicing for years. If that's the rate that you're progressing then you will never get anywhere with your practice. How fast should I increase my Prayer of the Heart practice?
Thankyou, James |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1532 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2018 : 01:27:34 AM
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Dear James,
The AYP practices on this website are very, very powerful. 20 mins of meditation is more than enough. We start with meditation but add the other limbs of Yoga over time for an integrated system of practices. In AYP "less is more" is a popular phrase, for good reasons.
Sey
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Christi
United Kingdom
4377 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2018 : 9:55:40 PM
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Hi James,
With your "prayer of the heart practice" it would be best if you go back to your teachers for advice on that.
Things will settle down in time though, especially if you follow the advice given in lesson 69. You have overdone things and it could take more than 3-months for things to settle down. It could take more than a year.
When you are able to begin using spiritual practices again, I would recommend starting at lesson 10 and building up a safe practice, by following the lessons through from there.
If you are concerned at the moment about your situation, then feel free to answer the questions in this post, so that we know more about your situation and are in a better position to offer help.
Christi |
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lalow33
USA
966 Posts |
Posted - Jun 08 2018 : 10:04:03 PM
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Fill out the survey, James.
If you look at the Forum heading (Kundalini not related...)and click on it, you will see it.
It's in the top part labeled "Sticky". |
Edited by - lalow33 on Jun 08 2018 10:10:31 PM |
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Blanche
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2018 : 10:24:52 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Jamespyle357
Hey just a question, it seems like people on this site seem to take building their meditation practice up extremely slowly. I mean I read a lady on here say that 15 minutes of different practices was only for people who had been practicing for years. If that's the rate that you're progressing then you will never get anywhere with your practice. How fast should I increase my Prayer of the Heart practice?
Thankyou, James
Hi James,
Different practices promote different rates of purification. Progress depends on the type of practice you do, the skillful way you practice (including how intense you practice, for how long, self-pacing, having an efficient set of practices for yourself, etc.), and your unique condition. For example, breathing meditation is gentler to induce purifications and works slower – this is one reason you see zen practitioners spending long days in meditation. Mantra meditation/deep meditation is more efficient, it promotes faster purifications – this is one reason 20 minutes of deep meditation twice a day works well for most people.
Accelerating our practices has to be done skillfully, the same way we drive a car. Pressing the gas pedal to the floor is not necessarily a good idea, if the road is not smooth or the wheels don’t stay of the road – as you have discovered when you increased your meditation time quickly. Going too fast may get us in trouble, and force us to stop practices for days, weeks, months, or years. Some practices described here in the AYP lessons are very powerful, this is one reason they used to be secret, and they should be approached wisely. Sometimes, the slow way is the fastest way – doing daily practices over a long period of time, while continuing our daily life. The situation of your regular life is usually design to help purify your unique pattern of obstructions. In time, one gets to a point where everything is a spiritual practice.
On this forum we do not have enough practice with the prayer of the heart to advise you specifically, but you can read Lesson 38 on self-pacing and Lesson 365 on sensitivity issue to learn about ways to handle overloading problems. Lesson 384 discusses how to build your own system of practices. Generally, reading the AYP lessons will provide information and skills useful on any spiritual path – another form in which everything we learn and do becomes spiritual practice.
Warm wishes |
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Problem With Heart Chakra
