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MatthewC
Japan
13 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 16 2007 : 01:10:39 AM
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Hello all,
I've been using the first mantra enhancement for the last few weeks. It's my second time round now, and it's all going well - no real trouble, though I was quite spacy and buzzing for the first two day. The rest time after meditation I have found to be absolutely essential to me for helping keep me balanced. Days when I rush it, ot skip it I'm irritable and always end up with a headache. I had a period of about 6 months last year where I really neglected my practice and meditated very sporadically. It was a stressful time in my life, thankfully I got through it ok but I know I could have handled it better with my daily practice.
Anyway, the important thing is I'm back on track and have begun to look forward to daily meditation more than anything else I do. I realised I had to set up my life to fit around my meditation practice, rather that trying to fit it in where I could.
So with the mantra enhancement number 1, I am getting a variety of experiences. Not that I am looking for experiences, but sometimes I feel I don't get any rhythm with the shree shree i am i am at all, and my mind is wandering all over the place with much random chatter. I'm wondering if it's from lack of self control/will power with it or it's a natural stage as I get used to it. Sometimes I get sessions where it's so deep and peaceful and timeless, but other times I feel like my mind is a radio that I can't turn off.
Would love to hear any ideas or thoughts.
Thanks,
Matthew |
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weaver
832 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2007 : 01:43:11 AM
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Hi Matthew,
It's good to hear that you are back on track with meditation again.
By what you write, having been irregular for a large part of the past year, and sometimes experiencing lots of random noise with the new mantra (enhancement), I have a sense that maybe it's too soon to think of an enhancement of the mantra. On the other hand, any time we start a something new in Yoga, we can expect a clunky stage in the beginning, which can be expected to smoothen out.
Yogani writes in Lesson 116 (my underlining): http://www.aypsite.org/116.html
"If we have smoothness and good depth in meditation with I AM, we can think about moving to the first enhancement. It could be in a few months after starting, or it could be in a few years ... There is no rush to step up too soon. We can make the entire journey using the I AM mantra for our meditation if we wish. Nothing is missing. It is only a matter of how fast we want to go. If and when it is time to shift, we will know."
In my own case, even if I do have smoothness and good depth in meditation with I AM after 2 years of regular meditation, I like the simplicity of I AM so much and I feel that I can go much farther with it. I might be wrong about this, but I don't think I would switch myself unless I felt I had reached the limit with I AM and needed something more. But, of course, this might not be the optimum approach.
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Edited by - weaver on Feb 16 2007 02:06:32 AM |
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Kyman
530 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2007 : 01:48:33 AM
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I have been enjoying using the bathroom to do the mantra. Om. I cleaned out the bathroom as best as I could and turned it into a healing chamber. It seems to have great accustics. Showers, huh, go figure.
While laying in the tub, my body submerged in water, I om. It feels like I am in a giant vibrating tank, which I suppose I am.
I've also tried doing the om under water.
I wonder what kind of effects this has on both the water and the body, considering the relationship between, water, thought, and structure. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2007 : 10:14:30 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by MatthewC
So with the mantra enhancement number 1, I am getting a variety of experiences. Not that I am looking for experiences, but sometimes I feel I don't get any rhythm with the shree shree i am i am at all, and my mind is wandering all over the place with much random chatter. I'm wondering if it's from lack of self control/will power with it or it's a natural stage as I get used to it. Sometimes I get sessions where it's so deep and peaceful and timeless, but other times I feel like my mind is a radio that I can't turn off.
Would love to hear any ideas or thoughts.
Thanks,
Matthew
Hi Matthew,
Looks like you have one big thing figured out very well.. take plenty of rest after, else you will get irritated and angry all day. Esp. with the enhancements.. since it takes longer to go in deep.. you have to come out of it much slower too.. So you have got that part of it down very well.. 
quote:
though I was quite spacy and buzzing for the first two day
You said, you don't feel it anymore.. so that is good.. just keep in mind that shree goes to your crown.. this may also have something to do with the spacey-ness and buzzing you felt.. so if you do feel this again (or any other crown related symptoms).. do plenty of grounding stuff like physical exercise, walking.. You could also add a few light yoga asanas before spinal breathing (if you are not already doing it).
The problem you are having with too many thoughts.. random chatter.. is temporary. Remember, there is always an adjustment phase with every new practice. Mantra enhancements take a bit of time to get used to.. since there are a few more words added to your mantra... at first it may seem a bit long.. and you may lose your place in the mantra.. if you do.. start from the beginning of the mantra (not time wise.. just from shree again).
The chatter that is going on .. believe it or not.. is a kind of purification.. so don't focus on it.. don't think about it.. whenever you realize you are off the mantra and your mind has wandered off.. just slowly bring your mind back to the mantra. Don't get frustrated with the process.. remember.. this too shall pass...
Keep in mind, in AYP.. we are not trying to control anything.. we just let the practice do its thing.. some days the meditation is peaceful and some days it's like a constant radio playing in your head.. no worries.. just the mantra doing it's thing. It is not our job to analyze and dissect each session.. all we do is.. meditate for 20 mins twice a day.. We measure our progress with how we feel inbetween our practice.. in our daily life.
Give it a bit of time Matthew.. and it will smooth out.. You are doing very well.
Wish you all the best.
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Edited by - Shanti on Feb 16 2007 11:18:58 AM |
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MatthewC
Japan
13 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2007 : 11:03:22 PM
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Thanks Shanti, Weaver and Kyman,
Weaver - I will keep your comments in mind and if I sense I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, will ease off and get back to the simple I AM on its own. I am quite sensitive to when things get out of hand and if I can function fine throughout the day in a pretty stressful job, I'm happy.
Shanti - I do the Asanas and Spina Breathing beforehand. That helps but the rest afterwards is heaven, I could stay like that all day. I've been getting really vivid dreams too recently with people from all different stages of my life. Some big changes going on now so I guess everything is getting a bit of shake up. Lots of fun, and very interesting.
Thanks all for your replies. The bathroom thing sounds interesting Kyman. Will give it try sometime!
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2007 : 10:43:09 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by MatthewC
if I sense I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, will ease off and get back to the simple I AM on its own.
Matthew, keep one thing in mind.. once you have moved to a mantra enhancement.. Yogani advices not to go back to the previous mantra..
quote:
Lesson 186 - Meditation – Second enhancement of mantra
A false start with a mantra enhancement can happen, but we should
avoid it if we can. The reason is it takes time for a new mantra to
settle in. If we have shifted too early and are trying to settle in
with the new mantra, and then decide to go back to the previous one,
it will take time again to change the pattern of the mantra deep in
the mind. For this reason we do not change mantras often, up or down.
We want to be going deep with our mantra in one place. These
enhancements are for facilitating that process. Beyond these basic
shifts we do not switch our mantra around. Neither do we try and use
multiple mantras, not with the approach in these lessons. We want to
cultivate the ability to go deep in every sitting. To do this, we
will be best served by using a single vehicle, our mantra.
So let's take our time, and do everything we can to produce good
progress while maintaining stability and comfort in our routine.
quote:
Originally posted by MatthewC
I've been getting really vivid dreams too recently with people from all different stages of my life. Some big changes going on now so I guess everything is getting a bit of shake up. Lots of fun, and very interesting.
Like a veil lifted????
Enjoy!!!!! |
Edited by - Shanti on Feb 18 2007 11:05:29 PM |
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Mantra Enhancement
