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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 08 2019 : 9:25:55 PM
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| I will probably start out real slow, like 5 min a day. Maybe twice a day, five min each .Last time i tried, i immediately got automatic mudras, this time i will attempt to ignore it |
Edited by - AYPforum on Jan 17 2019 12:53:21 PM |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2019 : 1:48:41 PM
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| Not so sure now. Been having spiritual experiences, it feels like with the grace of God. Maybe God is trying to tell me to follow a different path, besides meditation? |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4364 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2019 : 2:41:13 PM
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Hi gchristine,
If you want to meditate then do. It will benefit your life. You can follow the simple directions here.
More than that, you also need a strong desire to bring real freedom and divine love into your life. If you don't have that, then your meditation practice won't last for long. That is discussed here:
Lesson 12 - The Essential Ingredient - Desire
Experiencing spontaneous mudras is not a problem at all. It is something that happens to many people on the path and is a good sign that spiritual purification is happening. It is rare for someone to awaken spiritually without experiencing any mudras (automatic yoga).
People who have spent many lifetimes practicing can often find that in this lifetime things begin to open up spontaneously without any effort. But it is almost unheard of for someone to become enlightened without a regular spiritual practice. There are some stories of people who did it, but when their lives are examined, it is almost always the case that they actually practiced for a long time.
There is a saying that for every step we take towards the Divine, the Divine will take ten steps towards us. But we still need to take our steps. 
When you are ready, it will be the right time.
Christi |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2019 : 2:57:39 PM
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christi,
can meditation be dangerous? I have had wierd and scarey experiences from meditation and pranayama |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4364 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2019 : 3:37:57 PM
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Hi gchristine,
Both meditation and pranayama will purify the subtle nervous system and begin to awaken us. So, we need to use practices that are safe and use them in a safe way. Not all forms of meditation and pranayama are safe, and not everyone knows how to practice in a safe way. So, we need to learn meditation and pranayama from someone who has decades of experience and who knows what they are talking about.
The AYP lessons her were written by Yogani, who has more than 40 years of yoga practice experience. The practices are safe, and as you work through them, there is guidance on how and when to introduce them and how to pace your practice in a manner that will be safe over the long term. The primary techniques used in AYP to maintain a safe level of practice are called self-pacing and grounding. They are described in lesson 69.
It sounds as if you are a very sensitive person and a very spiritual person. My advice would be to start at the beginning (lesson 10) and work your way through the lessons slowly. Everything is explained as you go.
The practices described in the lessons are Deep Meditation using a mantra and Spinal Breathing Pranayama. These are both safe practices, but are powerful. If you find that they are too strong for you, then you can switch them for breathing meditation and alternate nostril breathing. For guidance on this see this lesson:
Lesson 367 - Suggestions for Over-Sensitive Meditators
If you are not familiar with alternate nostril breathing, it is described here (on the AYP Plus site):
Addition 41.1 - Nadi Shodana Pranayama (Video: Alternate Nostril Breathing)
Give the practices of Deep Meditation and Spinal Breathing a go first, as they are the more effective practices in terms of purification (taking them on as described in the main lessons) and then if you are too sensitive for them, then you have another option.
If you do find that you need to switch over to breathing meditation and alternate nostril breathing because of your sensitive nature, then consider that as a form of temporary self-pacing. So, you would be thinking in terms of progressing back up to Deep Meditation (with the mantra) and Spinal Breathing, later on, when you are more able to handle spirtual energies without fear arising.
Christi |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 09 2019 : 6:42:11 PM
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Not all forms of meditation and pranayama are safe
can you be more specific?i have experience unpleasant entities in the past,and dont want that happening again |
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smileforme
USA
29 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 04:21:49 AM
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Om Shanti, What all Christi trying to say is that make your foundation strong. If your foundation is rooted in an unshakable way, whatever you think scary experiences and weirdness will come silly.
Most of the time when we are learning about new things or when we perform whatever new things, it is normal or natural to over think act this way. We became frustrated. Take a simple example like your first kiss, how many times have you thought about it before it happened? You see my point, let alone something beyond the physical realm. If you are watching specially videos from youtube I assure you that you become frustrated before you start meditation.
From what I observed there are so many people who just post videos for the sake of followers without thinking about the consequences of their actions. I saw a video titled "Hell is Real People".  From my understanding hell is what you create. Now intertaining a thought like whether it is real or not is hell for me. It doesn't nourish my soul.
Meditation can not be dangerous. You are the one who is going to make it dangerous by entertaining a thought that doesn't even deserve your time. like the one you picked from Christi.
You were so worried. You just ignored the positive and picked the one which gives you negative vibration.
Be positive. Take only ideas and knowledge which uplift your energy. Om Shanti |
Edited by - smileforme on Jan 11 2019 06:49:12 AM |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2019 : 10:55:55 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by smileforme
Om Shanti, What all Christi trying to say is that make your foundation strong. If your foundation is rooted in an unshakable way, whatever you think scary experiences and weirdness will come silly.
Most of the time when we are learning about new things or when we perform whatever new things, it is normal or natural to over think act this way. We became frustrated. Take a simple example like your first kiss, how many times have you thought about it before it happened? You see my point, let alone something beyond the physical realm. If you are watching specially videos from youtube I assure you that you become frustrated before you start meditation.
From what I observed there are so many people who just post videos for the sake of followers without thinking about the consequences of their actions. I saw a video titled "Hell is Real People". From my understanding hell is what you create. Now intertaining a thought like whether it is real or not is hell for me. It doesn't nourish my soul.
Meditation can not be dangerous. You are the one who is going to make it dangerous by entertaining a thought that doesn't even deserve your time. like the one you picked from Christi.
You were so worried. You just ignored the positive and picked the one which gives you negative vibration.
Be positive. Take only ideas and knowledge which uplift your energy. Om Shanti
Dealing with unpleasant entities isn't "silly" to me. I would like to start meditation again, but i also want to know what i did wrong the first time. i am nearly positive it happened due to meditation, and me doing something wrong to bring it on.
i was doing pranayama, meditation, and visulization practices. I felt entities once during a kundalini experience, and then another time i experienced an entity for two weeks,and communicated.both situations turned out badly.
what i want to know is, am i opening my mind somehow to these entities,or are they some kind of product of my subconscious? |
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smileforme
USA
29 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2019 : 03:35:40 AM
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Om Shanti, you haven't done anything wrong. I have said it will be silly I never said it is silly. We have all have been in your place and we have experienced that. What happens is that when you awaken your awareness to a higher level, you become aware of things that surround you. You understand how your own body works and what it's like, what it doesn't like. What gives you energy, what takes the energy away from you. In fact I have to tell you that I have never sat for meditation for a very long time other than doing it while walking, eating, cooking, remembering the creator which I assume in my imagination being of light. By considering myself to be a soul (light) and just remembering the supreme light.
So all of a sudden I wanted to start meditation which I have done over 15 years ago. I haven't noticed how far I have gone. I have already advanced without sitting for meditation. Now I remember that correctly, crown chakra has been activated over 5 years ago. Third eye 12 or 15 years ago. However, I was afraid of opening the third eye which was already open over 15 years ago. What I'm trying to tell you is that we might think we are just getting started, but in reality we are advancing more than we understand where we stand.
Just like you have experienced, I have experienced the one which paralyzes while sleeping, It just happened once or twice but every time it happens I used to say Omshanti. Sometimes it looks like it doesn't go away but evenutally it does. And it will go away. In fact I was afraid of sleeping in the darkness. But I know where that comes from.
When I was 5 years old my brother and family were gathered together in the living room and I was one of them who was sitting and enjoying, and all of a sudden they started talking about Jesus holy spirit and also continued talking about negative energy and my brother kept talking about how one old guy who came into his room wiped the floor and all of a sudden he held his throat and tried to suffocate him. As a kid and who has never experienced that I was laughing and I never knew how damaging it was even to listen and entertain those kinds of thoughts and ideas. I went to sleep and the same night it just happened to me. But to be honest the same night, it was the beginning of my question. Where was the Jesus that I have been told when all these things happened to me? Long story short, I never even thought it would happen to me. It just happened. I was laughing and positive about it. But it just happened to me.
When I started meditating, the same thing happened to me but I kept meditating. Once or twice I experienced them and then they never came back. However, the more you realize that you are not alone. Mind you, you are going from body conscious to soul conscious do you expect to experience what you experience while you used to assume that you were the body. The more you enjoy soul consciousness and those that I told you are silly become an illusion of the subconscious mind.
When you become soul conscious the whole experience will change. When I say they will become silly, first they will never come back eventually they will disappear and get lost through the purification that you will go through. Second, even if they come back, which will never happen and lets assume they did, by then you are already spiritually in an unshakable way and you don't even get bothered.
Finally, after all I have written my conclusion is "They are giving me a hard time, They are chasing me, This they" First they don't exist it is the awareness of "I" which allows them to exist. Meditate and kill the awareness of "I" and you will be free. To be free, Christi has already told you what you will do. Om Shanti |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Jan 16 2019 : 2:07:48 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by gchristine
i was doing pranayama, meditation, and visulization practices.
Can you be more specific, please? What form of meditation and what pranayama did you try? Did you practice any AYP before? |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2019 : 10:15:19 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
quote:
Originally posted by gchristine
i was doing pranayama, meditation, and visulization practices.
Can you be more specific, please? What form of meditation and what pranayama did you try? Did you practice any AYP before?
I have never done ayp.
I did my own form of meditation, which is just sitting still or lying down and breathing, not focusing on anything, until my thoughts cleared.
Pranayama- I don't know what it's called. I breath in at a normal rate, hold the breath for a second, then breath out, hold the breath for a second, breath in.
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AYPforum
351 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2019 : 12:53:21 PM
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| Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2019 : 12:56:13 PM
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Holding your breath is quite a powerful practice. You energy troubles might come from that. Also you're not saying for how long you are practicing meditation and pranayama each day.
It sounds like you are improvising your own method. For a beginner, that is dangerous. You have no self-pacing discipline in place, so don't be surprised if you get into trouble.
I would advise you to find yourself a method or a teacher and stick to system of practice that has been tried and tested. The AYP lessons are a free resource you can access on this website. You could have a read and see if they inspire you. Or try to find a teacher whom you trust.
Take care and good luck! |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 17 2019 : 6:52:54 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
Holding your breath is quite a powerful practice. You energy troubles might come from that. Also you're not saying for how long you are practicing meditation and pranayama each day.
It sounds like you are improvising your own method. For a beginner, that is dangerous. You have no self-pacing discipline in place, so don't be surprised if you get into trouble.
I would advise you to find yourself a method or a teacher and stick to system of practice that has been tried and tested. The AYP lessons are a free resource you can access on this website. You could have a read and see if they inspire you. Or try to find a teacher whom you trust.
Take care and good luck!
All spiritual practices are "dangerous". |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2019 : 04:41:24 AM
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There is a risk associated with spiritual practices, if you abuse them or practice unwisely.
But you don't have to walk into the lion's mouth, which is what you are doing be improvising your own practice and having no self-pacing discipline. If you take risk unwantonly, you shouldn't then wonder that you're in trouble! |
Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Jan 18 2019 04:45:07 AM |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2019 : 10:29:42 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
There is a risk associated with spiritual practices, if you abuse them or practice unwisely.
But you don't have to walk into the lion's mouth, which is what you are doing be improvising your own practice and having no self-pacing discipline. If you take risk unwantonly, you shouldn't then wonder that you're in trouble!
All yoga is intended to awaken kundalini, which is dangerous for anyone. |
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Christi
United Kingdom
4364 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2019 : 11:00:59 AM
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quote:
All yoga is intended to awaken kundalini, which is dangerous for anyone.
Hi GChristine,
As BlueRC says, there are risks involved in all spiritual practices. But that does not make them dangerous. It is a bit like walking to the shops along the sidewalk. Is it dangerous? No. Why not? Because you can do it everyday perfectly safely. Could you get run over by a car or mugged? Yes, but those things are so rare, that we would not say it was a dangerous activity.
However jaywalking is dangerous, because we could easily be hit by a car. It is the same with spiritual practices. We need to learn how to navigate them safely and to use them in a safe manner.
Used wisely, spiritual practices can bring us to a state of bliss and love and awaken kundalini in a manner that is safe. Used unwisely, they could be dangerous. The practices described in this website are safe and a lot of guidance is there as to how to apply them in your daily life.
I have been teaching AYP for the last 10 years and run AYP retreats in various countries around the world. The experience of the vast majority of people who come is that they experience increased inner silence, creativity, energy, peace and joy in their lives as a direct result of the practices.
Try not to be afraid. You will be alright!
Christi |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2019 : 11:28:46 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Christi
quote:
All yoga is intended to awaken kundalini, which is dangerous for anyone.
Hi GChristine,
As BlueRC says, there are risks involved in all spiritual practices. But that does not make them dangerous. It is a bit like walking to the shops along the sidewalk. Is it dangerous? No. Why not? Because you can do it everyday perfectly safely. Could you get run over by a car or mugged? Yes, but those things are so rare, that we would not say it was a dangerous activity.
However jaywalking is dangerous, because we could easily be hit by a car. It is the same with spiritual practices. We need to learn how to navigate them safely and to use them in a safe manner.
Used wisely, spiritual practices can bring us to a state of bliss and love and awaken kundalini in a manner that is safe. Used unwisely, they could be dangerous. The practices described in this website are safe and a lot of guidance is there as to how to apply them in your daily life.
I have been teaching AYP for the last 10 years and run AYP retreats in various countries around the world. The experience of the vast majority of people who come is that they experience increased inner silence, creativity, energy, peace and joy in their lives as a direct result of the practices.
Try not to be afraid. You will be alright!
Christi
Can you stop kundalini once it's started? Is there ever a time when you have any control over it? |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2019 : 1:56:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by gchristine
All yoga is intended to awaken kundalini, which is dangerous for anyone.
You are clearly misinformed. It is dangerous for those who awaken kundalini too early. Which is why the method is so important and why you shouldn't be playing with this energy without proper guidance. |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2019 : 2:06:24 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
quote:
Originally posted by gchristine
All yoga is intended to awaken kundalini, which is dangerous for anyone.
You are clearly misinformed. It is dangerous for those who awaken kundalini too early. Which is why the method is so important and why you shouldn't be playing with this energy without proper guidance.
And what would you suggest is"proper guidance"? |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
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gchristine
USA
24 Posts |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
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luce
France
25 Posts |
Posted - Jan 18 2019 : 5:31:25 PM
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Hello gchristine,
The only situation I can think of in which it is not recommended to meditate or at least in which we have to be extra careful is when one is suffering from a mental disorder such as schizophrenia, bipolar disease, or depression... because it could exacerbate the symptoms of the illness instead of bringing improvement to the person's life. And that is generally speaking because it depends on the individual.
Except in that kind of situations, AYP is pretty safe as long as you follow the guidelines of self-pacing.
You are right not to trust the AYP system straight away! fair enough, you want some proof, and that seems ok to me. Especially if you have gone through difficult experiences. Who would trust some people on a forum just like that? There are many people who don't know what they are talking about and who misguide or abuse others out there in the world.
But Yogani knows what he is talking about. And we have tested AYP before you . You can also see that on this forum, many people have responded to your call and are ready to accompany you and have good intentions.
AYP is a really good system. It is complete, safe and efficient. But it is designed to be a self-study path, for the practitionner to become autonomous, and it might not suit everyone. You need to have a strong desire to follow that path even though yogani takes us by the hand step by step all along through the lessons. Take your time to make up your mind, you are not in a rush after all. You can start by reading the lessons without practicing and once you feel convinced and/or ready for it, you can give it a go.
I feel sorry to read that your experience of meditation has been a diffucult one, frightening and insecure. Because it should not be like that. You should feel inner silence and ecstasy, love, joy...if it not the case it is because something went wrong somewhere. Maybe you are over sensitive and you didn't know it or you took on too many energetic practices, or you practiced for too long...there could be many reasons.
If you wish us to genuinely help you, then you would need to give us more details about your history with meditation. Then we could see together what went wrong and what to do.
Reading through your different posts, I came to the conclusion as well that maybe in your case, it would be good to be guided by someone somewhere where you could go to classes weekly for example. You could ask your questions, talk with other practionners... Maybe it would be more reassuring for you? There are many meditation teachers out there in the world. You can try different courses and see who is standing there in front of you. If it is someone knowledgeable or not.
Once you will feel comfortable enough to start again on your own, you could follow the AYP practice thread if you feel a call for it? And if you are lucky depending on where you live you could find an AYP support group.
Meanwhile, you can still come and ask your questions on the forum if you need to? it is up to you.
But whatever your decision is, you should feel comfortable with it as well as should be your experience and your practices.
I wish you to have a more pleasant experience of meditation in the future with AYP!
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Edited by - luce on Jan 18 2019 8:46:02 PM |
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thinking of meditating again
