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anthony574
USA
549 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 22 2007 : 8:40:48 PM
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| I barely know anything of asnas at this point and have only been doing AYP for two weeks. I just like doing headstands so I always end with a headstand for at least a minute...and I never have any bad symptoms. Should I be worried now? And what is the difference if I, say, tell a friend to do a headtand for hypothetically 10 mins, with no yogic influence or any asnas. Would he still have crown activity? I really don't understand asanas at all. |
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meenarashid
76 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 09:51:27 AM
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aum
why not practice dolphin until the legs *float* up
doesnt seem we can go wrong with allowing the breath to open our bodys up to the posture
aum |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 4:24:37 PM
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I was going to ask what the dolphin is, but I googled it:
pictures here:
http://www.sivananda.org/teachings/...eadstnd.html
The Dolphin strengthens your upper body in preparation for the Headstand.
Step 1 - Arms & Hands
Sit up on your heels, then catch hold of both your elbows with the opposite hands.
Lean forward and lay your forearms on the ground, directly beneath your shoulders.
Let go of your elbows, and clasp your hands together.
Step 2 - Head Down
With your arms in the tripod position, lower your head so that the top
of your skull touches the ground and the back of it is cradled in your hands. Do not
make any abrupt movements. Take the next steps slowly.
Step 3 - On Your Toes
From the crouched position with your head resting in your hands, straighten yoour
knees and push your hips up above your head. Then, keeping your legs straight,
stretch up high on your toes.
Step 4 - Half Headstand
Now bend your knees, bringing them to your chest. Arch your back slightly, as you
do when standing up; this will enable you to balance your body in this position.
Do not proceed unless you can hold this position for at least 30 seconds without
feeling any discomfort.
Step 5 - Knees Up
With your knees still bent, start to straighten your hips. Slowly and carefully,
raise your knees until they are pointing straight up toward the ceiling.
Step 6 - All the Way
Straighten you knees and lift your feet up toward the ceiling. Support your weight
by bracing your elbows against the ground. At first, hold the Headstand for 30 seconds;
as you become more skilled at adopting this pose, gradually increase the time to 3 minutes.
Always come down before you start to feel tired. Leave the pose slowly and under control.
Head in Hands: Rest the back of your head against your hands. Relax,
breathing through your nose.
Coming out
You should leave this Asana as carefully as you entered it. Do not move jerkily or
quickly, or you may lose control and fall. |
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meenarashid
76 Posts |
Posted - Apr 23 2007 : 7:45:09 PM
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ahh gotta love google :)
aum |
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kadak
79 Posts |
Posted - Jul 12 2009 : 8:20:12 PM
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Hi
Did anyone try to do headstand more than one hour a day ? I've read that this posture could lead to samadhi by itself, and that it makes the mind so clear that one can see all the nadis. It seems that some yogis do it 3 hours a day.
In fact I can't do it because of serious neck problems, but I've bought an inversion table which I've placed at 150° (I'm waiting for gravity boots before going at 180°), and I'm doing it one hour every day (I began 3 weeks ago with 20mn a day). I have to say that it is truly a meditation by itself, and after 15mn the effect is becoming really plesant, with some fresh feeling at the crown which I know to be "dripping white drop". It is rather difficult to drip the white drop (which is a great help to clean the head channels), but apparently, inverted posture does it naturally.
I don't see all my nadis yet  , but they're becoming clearer in some areas, and that's rather unexpected (I don't believe yogic tales about miracle postures or practices).
Anyway if someone tries it, I have one recommandation : don't get up quickly, I did it inadvertantly 2 times, the headache was awful. Usually I take 2mn to get up, and there is no bad after effects. Only good ones. |
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ZionMe
Brazil
8 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 1:25:01 PM
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Kadak,
beyond that you can perform the upside-down pose(in Brazil, literally: to plant the banana tree)
beside a wall, cause if you lose your balance the wall catches you.
the effects arent exactly the same but some are, like, inversion of the bloodstream and superbloodhead irrigation. A previous step for good performing of this pose is to do the uplift padmasan pose(using the arms with ur palms open in the floor to rise your body) or a Tai Chi exercise (try to squeeze the wall with ur fingers), both will strengthen the fingers, helping a lot to keep balance.(to strengthen the arm u can perform the crow pose).
This pose is completely away from danger if u perfom it beside a wall.
Like that: | |
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------
floor
By time with practice you should be able to stay still like a tree.
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Edited by - ZionMe on Jul 13 2009 1:42:45 PM |
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kadak
79 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 2:55:43 PM
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Hi
I understand, but if my aim is 3 hours of daily inverted posture in order to test the effect on clarity and inverted energy flow, I don't think I'll be able to keep the banana posture long enough.
(For people who might be worried, I'm one of those rare people who are unable to overdo, no matter what they do).
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yogani
USA
5196 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 4:04:50 PM
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Hi All:
What is being suggested recently here is not a recommended AYP practice. Many of the practices offered in the forums are not recommended AYP, and I generally do not comment much one way or the other. It would be a full time job. 
But in this case, it is important to mention that permanent neck damage can occur if correct procedure is not followed with headstand, and this should be gotten from a professional yoga teacher who is skilled in this posture. Even a small misalignment in practice without apparent discomfort (especially for long durations) can lead to serious neck problems later on.
For such long durations of practice, an inversion device avoiding neck compression would be a safer approach. Not that this is recommended in AYP either. Three hours per day is enough time to put together a really terrific twice-daily integrated practice routine covering all aspects of yoga, and leading to far greater results than doing any one practice for that duration.
Excess in any individual practice is not the way in yoga. More times than not, it will lead to problems. There are no magic bullets. Only balanced and prudent self-paced practice, integrated with an active life in the world.
Sorry to butt in here, but we don't want anyone going off and hurting themselves unnecessarily.
It should also be mentioned that there are many ways to achieve the beneficial effects of inversion without resorting to extreme measures. Shoulder stand and plow are effective postures for this, as is simply bending over and touching the ankles, toes or floor. These are the kinds of postures that are woven into the AYP approach as part of the broad range of practices designed for good overall results in cultivating abiding inner silence, ecstatic bliss and outpouring divine love. For more on the AYP approach to postures, see the Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas book.
Practice wisely, and enjoy!
The guru is in you.
PS: I also put in my two cents earlier in this topic, back in 2006, here:
http://www.aypsite.org/forum/topic...._ID=833#3459
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ZionMe
Brazil
8 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 4:57:09 PM
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Kadak,
im sorry i didnt mean that(3 hours).My intent was just to input an asana wich dont force the neck and still inverts energy flow. |
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kadak
79 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 4:57:59 PM
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Hi Yogani,
In fact I was not recommending what I'm doing. I was asking if someone tried inverted postures for more than 1 hour a day. Then I was told that I could try another posture, and then I explained why I couldn't.
In fact I'm practicing 6 hours a day since years, I've done thousands hours of pranayamas, meditation, mantras... anything except asanas because my back doesn't allow it.
I wouldn't try extreme methods if "normal" ones were giving more result.
You will probably say that I have to relax, but in fact, I'm as lazy as anyone, practicing 6 hours a day is difficult, and relaxing is easy. So, I know quite a bit about relaxing, which is my natural tendency...
Anyway, I find that inverted posture is astonishing, and I wouldn't do it if I didn't feel good with it. In fact, it's making meditation easier than anything, so I'll try to see if it really leads to samadhi by itself, as some yogis state.
Samadhi is produced by the dissolution of winds (vayus). Usually, I lose consciousness with the 3rd dissolution (fire element wind). Maybe a little more clarity could just help me to dissolve consciously the winds, instead of falling asleep in the middle of the process. |
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yogani
USA
5196 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 5:25:09 PM
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Hi Kadak and ZionMe:
My intention is not to limit personal preferences for practice or discussion here in any way.
However, there will be hundreds of people reading this, and my concern is for beginners jumping into something unaware that they could injure themselves without proper instruction.
So, with that now covered, do carry on.
All inputs are welcome. Many thanks! 
The guru is in you.
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Christi
United Kingdom
4381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 6:01:13 PM
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Hi Kadak,
What does your six hours a day practice consist of?
Christi |
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kadak
79 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 6:27:45 PM
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Hi Christi,
the average day is 3 hours pranayama, 90mn meditation, 60mn mantra, and 30mn smooth yoga. The proportions can change, depending on inspiration.
I tried more, I tried less, apparently that's that right amount for me to get some result... |
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Etherfish
USA
3615 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 7:54:53 PM
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| This is not for sensitive people; if you follow AYP methods, a lot of people will get overload from 3 hours pranayama and 90 min. meditation. |
Edited by - Etherfish on Jul 13 2009 7:55:45 PM |
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kadak
79 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 8:33:28 PM
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yeah, this overload thing is something I have a hard time to understand. I have seen tibetan monks who are practicing 10 hours a day or more, they don't overload. Still, one cannot tell they are insensitive.
In fact, I have enhanced the efficiency of my practices during years. For example, my favorite pranayma is crown bhastrika with long kumbaka (sometimes more than 5mn) between each set. I'm doing this since 3 years, with good result. Now I've enhanced my meditation (a buddhist method which is supposed to be very powerful) with inverted posture, and my mantras (a "kundalini kriya" transmission from swami Atmachaithanya) with the keysound of Jack Johnston. But still that's not enough. I'm just lacking strength to do more.
I have to add that during 10 years, I've followed the teachings of a tibetan lama who practiced 24/7, probably with very powerful practices (for example he said that with the OM AH HOUNG mantra, one can move stones, in fact he was referring to vajra recitation which he never taught, but I know by some books that this practice gives mastery over 5 elements).
Just to say that my teachers never spoke of overload, they only spoke of practicing more and better.
Maybe western and eastern physiology are very different. |
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yogani
USA
5196 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2009 : 11:43:53 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by kadak
Just to say that my teachers never spoke of overload, they only spoke of practicing more and better.
Maybe western and eastern physiology are very different.
Hi Kadak:
There is no evidence to indicate that geography or ethnicity have anything to do with how aspirants respond to practices -- at least not in the case of the AYP practices, which are being utilized everywhere around the world with the same profile of results. There are differences in response (karmic) in individuals (an area of ongoing research here), but that does not explain why one group will be doing 6 hours of practice, and be needing more, while another group will overload on one hour's worth of practice.
With such a wide variation in duration of sadhana and results between these two classes of practitioners, the arrows point to the practices themselves.
It is already well-known here that kriya yoga style sadhana involving mainly spinal breathing can be practiced for long periods with relatively little impact (no overload), as compared to AYP spinal breathing followed by deep meditation, where much greater results occur with short twice-daily sessions, to the point where prudent self-pacing of practices becomes essential.
Likewise, it is pretty well recognized here that some of the Buddhist styles of meditation can be engaged in for much longer periods without much risk of overload, whereas AYP deep meditation cannot. Again, the implication is that AYP-style deep meditation is more powerful in it's effects.
So, perhaps the difference between your 6 hours and AYP's 1-2 hours is the style of meditation in use. One way to find out is to try AYP deep meditation, as per the lessons, for a few weeks or months and see what happens. You might be surprised. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go out and live a normal life while having the benefits of powerful sadhana involving much less time? This is a path that fully integrates the fruit of yoga with everyday living. We call it "stillness in action."
Your choice, of course. Just throwing out a few thoughts for consideration.
All the best!
The guru is in you.
Caution: AYP deep meditation will make all other practices we are doing much more powerful. So, if we have been doing long sessions of pranayama, and then add deep meditation to the routine, much less pranayama will be necessary to achieve the same results. The same goes for asanas, and any other practice we have been doing. The efficient cultivation of abiding inner silence changes everything.
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christiane
Lebanon
319 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 09:38:28 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by yogani
It is already well-known here that kriya yoga style sadhana involving mainly spinal breathing can be practiced for long periods with relatively little impact (no overload), as compared to AYP spinal breathing followed by deep meditation, where much greater results occur with short twice-daily sessions, to the point where prudent self-pacing of practices becomes essential.
Caution: AYP deep meditation will make all other practices we are doing much more powerful. So, if we have been doing long sessions of pranayama, and then add deep meditation to the routine, much less pranayama will be necessary to achieve the same results. The same goes for asanas, and any other practice we have been doing. The efficient cultivation of abiding inner silence changes everything.
Hi Yogani,
I'm also very interested to understand why AYP DM combined with spinal breathing is more powerful than kriya techniques that, according to what you said, involve mainly spinal breathing?
I'm still experimenting here, and I've noticed - now it's clear to me - that whenever I do AYP SB + DM with the Shambhavi Maha Mudra technique I've been practising for almost 4 years now, without
the set of Shakti Chalana Kriya I usually do, I can feel that the Shambhavi effect is stronger, or let's say more ecstatic than when I only do Shakti pranayam + Shambhavi alone..
I mean what is the "secret" of the AYP combination?
Is it the visualization aspect in spinal breathing that makes it so ecstatically powerful?
The set of Shakti pranayam I'm doing usually is a combination of many elements (mudras-bandas) that, taken separately, are very similar if not identical to the stand-alone practices in AYP (kumbhaka, bastrika, shambhavi, mulabanda..)
Thank you for taking the time to read and answer my questions..
_/\_ |
Edited by - christiane on Jul 15 2009 09:42:28 AM |
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yogani
USA
5196 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 10:32:22 AM
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Hi Christiane:
I believe the power of the AYP core combination is that it addresses the three key elements of spiritual progress with effective practices in an integrated way, where each element is reinforced by the others. That is the cultivation of inner silence in deep meditation, ecstatic conductivity in spinal breathing, and the permanent stabilization of these qualities in daily activity.
If we focus on one to the exclusion of the others, or water down our routine with less effective elements of practice, something crucial is lost. Evidence of this can be found in other approaches that are skewed in one direction or the other. Keeping a balance in cultivation and stabilization between inner silence, ecstatic conductivity and daily activity is vitally important.
It is also important to maintain that balance when adding enhancements, as with mantra, and additional practices, such as asana, mudra, bandha, tantra, samyama, self-inquiry, service, etc. If we take care of the basics, the additions will take care of themselves according to our particular need and process of unfoldment.
Of course, what I believe is happening is not important. What is important is results, and this is much more in your hands than in mine.
The guru is in you.
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yogani
USA
5196 Posts |
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christiane
Lebanon
319 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2009 : 12:48:53 AM
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Thank you Yogani.
_/\_ |
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Headstand
