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Cato

Germany
224 Posts

Posted - Nov 30 2020 :  07:59:15 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Message
Hi,

I begin to have slight doubts about my AYP practice recently. I am practicing DM, SBP, YMK and samyama most of the time for about 2,5 years now. I read a lot about experiences and improvements of other practitioners and most often I cannot relate. During practice, there are none of those experiences that are common to turn up sooner or later for many practitioners (e.g. warm and cool currents in the spine, visions, sounds, silver thread and others). More importantly, apart from practice, I have the feeling that hardly anything has changed. There is no being more relaxed or more open or some other changes I can think of. Even though I tried to look besides from what I expected.

AYP takes a lot of time from the day, mostly at the expense of my family and my kids even though I try to keep my first session very early in the morning. From time to time it kinds of bothers me that this time is missing for raising the kids as this time does not come back.

Did or do you have similar phases in your practice?

BlueRaincoat

United Kingdom
1730 Posts

Posted - Nov 30 2020 :  2:56:49 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Cato

From what I remember reading in your threads (I might not have the complete picture), you have described typical effects of a practice that bordered on overload. I remember you mentioning intense emotions, that seem to have subsided when you reduce your practice. So your practice is bringing about a lot of purification.

My gut feeling is that there is still a lot going on energetically for you, so you may not notice the rising inner silence.

I would go out on a limb and suggest an experiment - please do disregard my suggestion if it doesn't feel right: What about trying to cut back to mediation only, for a while, see what happens? Or just meditation and a few minutes of SBP? That will also leave more time for you to spend with your family.

Other people here have discovered that less is more. That might turn out to be the case for you.

A lot of clarity can come from inner silence, including clarity about your practice. And if you have been pushing the energy pedal a bit too hard, focusing on deep mediation for a while might make a surprising difference.

Just a thought...

Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Nov 30 2020 3:01:48 PM
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interpaul

USA
524 Posts

Posted - Nov 30 2020 :  5:30:19 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Cato, As I read your post it made me wonder why you are still doing the practices. Early on I remember reading an analogy Yogani written about digging for water. He talked about how many people looking for water start digging and give up after a little while and go dig in a different location. They only dig superficially in many locations never realizing they would reach the water if they dug a little longer in one spot rather than keep on moving around. I would expect you to have reached some water after 2.5 years. Taking the role of the devil's advocate, I wonder why are you sticking with these practices if they are baring no fruit(water)? There's that old expression falsely attributed to Einstein that says something like" if you keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome, that's the definition of insanity". I suspect you do get something out of it and are likely disappointed it isn't as dramatic as all the reports you read.
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Blanche

USA
859 Posts

Posted - Dec 01 2020 :  08:26:18 AM  Show Profile  Visit Blanche's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
If the practice interferes with your daily life, it is a good idea to make changes as needed. For years, my practice was only meditation. When my children were small, I used to sit up in bed in the morning right way when I woke up and meditate, as it was often hard to find time to do it once the day started in our household. I would call my evening meditation “time-out”, and the children were very understanding about it. Later, I started telling them that I go “to sit.” And of course there were plenty of times when meditation happened only before going to bed. Sometimes I would do asanas with the children, sometimes my husband would join in. Sometimes we played a game in which the children and I would take turns to pick the next asana. Remember that a perfect practice taking hours is not the goal. A consistent stable meditation practice is the most important. I would say also that it is a good idea to find ways to enjoy your practice, to stay curious and open to it.

As about doubts, they are normal, and they come to most people. It is a phase, and this will pass. Energetically, every time you practice, kundalini starts to rise in the central channel, and then in drops back down when the practice ends. This is experienced as a rise and then a fall in the inner silence and ecstatic conductivity. Outside the practice, it seems that nothing ever happens, and it is confusing. Eventually, as the central channel clears up, the kundalini rises all the way to the upper part of the third eye, where it is a stable station. It is a considerable change, and many doubts wash away. Of course, this is only the start of another journey.

For any experience you read about here, there are thousands of days of simple practice, with no much to talk about. Life gets quieter, simpler. Every moment holds a gift, and it is our choice to enjoy it or not. Every moment is a lesson, and the entire life is a practice. Best wishes for your chosen path!
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Dogboy

USA
2192 Posts

Posted - Dec 01 2020 :  5:08:37 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
For any experience you read about here, there are thousands of days of simple practice, with no much to talk about. Life gets quieter, simpler. Every moment holds a gift, and it is our choice to enjoy it or not. Every moment is a lesson, and the entire life is a practice. Best wishes for your chosen path!


When you keep yoga in your life, then yoga becomes life. By that I mean you become attentive to how you fill out your body, how you are moving through space, how you distribute your weight at any given time. By meditating, and making the practice a part of your family life, it sets the example for your children that it is important for one’s well being to dedicate time to cultivating silence and expressing it outwardly through your actions and service. The best use I have found for ecstatic conductivity (the ability to sense energy though attention/intention) is it encourages me to be mindful of breath, spur my asana practice into my everyday, practice perpetuating itself.

My college aged daughter has always respected my yoga practices (her friends jokingly call me Buddha) but we never discussed it, until last week. She wondered what I got from it after all these years. Her generation is married to their devices, and screen time is now both necessity and past time all in one. This year has been particularly anxiety filled for her, she has been stoic and a bit depressed, enough so we have discussed some counseling sessions for her. I was able to share that disconnecting from the outside world in a disciplined way via breath work and meditation quiets thoughts enough so you can notice and surrender them. It made me realize she observes something in the way I present myself to her that may be worth exploring, and sharing.

Having discipline can be a huge reward to your well being, and experiences will make appearances because you have cultivated your inner well of silence.
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BlueRaincoat

United Kingdom
1730 Posts

Posted - Dec 01 2020 :  8:09:15 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
Originally posted by interpaul

Cato, As I read your post it made me wonder why you are still doing the practices. Early on I remember reading an analogy Yogani written about digging for water. He talked about how many people looking for water start digging and give up after a little while and go dig in a different location. They only dig superficially in many locations never realizing they would reach the water if they dug a little longer in one spot rather than keep on moving around. I would expect you to have reached some water after 2.5 years.


Not everyone experiences the yoga journey in the same way. I would not be so hasty in concluding that Cato has not made a lot of progress.

Comparing your experiences with other people's is not a good yard stick, especially as the people reporting on these forums are only a small proportion of those practicing AYP, typically those who have more eventful journeys.
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firststep

USA
23 Posts

Posted - Dec 01 2020 :  8:44:12 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
Originally posted by Cato


AYP takes a lot of time from the day, mostly at the expense of my family and my kids even though I try to keep my first session very early in the morning. From time to time it kinds of bothers me that this time is missing for raising the kids as this time does not come back.




Hi Cato, I have thought about this too; sometimes I feel guilty being away from the family. I am fortunate in that my family has started accommodating my practice. I am about 2 years into my practice.

Last week I had a chance to talk to a Yoga/Meditation teacher, and one of my first questions was: "How do I know the pranayama, the asanas, and the meditation practices are working? Is there a signpost for my journey?" Her answer was "Forget feeling the chakra and how you feel during the meditation session. The telltale sign would be how your life is during the remaining 23 hours of the day. If it is peaceful even a little then you know the practice has begun to bear its fruits." I don't know if it helps in your question, but it has certainly given me an answer.
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maheswari

Lebanon
2516 Posts

Posted - Dec 02 2020 :  02:35:07 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hello Cato
I second BRC on your obvious borderline overload and the need to practice less.
Lesson 18 is also helpful
.
At Interpaul: i find your post confusing. Are you encouraging Cato to keep practices and forget about fireworks ? If that is what you mean then i would definitely second that.

Edited by - maheswari on Dec 02 2020 08:29:18 AM
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interpaul

USA
524 Posts

Posted - Dec 02 2020 :  2:21:31 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
BlueRaincoat and Maheswari, I took a somewhat devil's advocate approach here. If we are truly honest with ourselves we should question the value of anything we commit to. 2 1/2 years of twice daily practice seems like a reasonable trial period. I personally have had several paths prior to AYP that I abandoned after a trial that didn't yield results. I doubt AYP is THE path for everyone. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Yogani's teachings but I don't think it is for everyone. It would be interesting hearing from Cato after all this feedback. And yes, Maheswari, I do agree with abandoning the search for "fireworks" or any of the scenery on the way as ultimately it is as Firstep mentions, and Yogani repeatedly says,"The telltale sign would be how your life is during the remaining 23 hours of the day" Even Cato in his/her post concludes " More importantly, apart from practice, I have the feeling that hardly anything has changed. There is no being more relaxed or more open or some other changes I can think of".
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Christi

United Kingdom
4363 Posts

Posted - Dec 02 2020 :  3:02:32 PM  Show Profile  Visit Christi's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Cato,

I would agree with BlueRC and others above. You have, for a long time, been reporting symptoms of inner purification, often bordering on excess and overload. You have reported symptoms of the opening of the heart chakra and manipura chakra, as well as spontaneous kriyas and emotional imbalance. It is a lot to be going through in just 2 and a half years!

If there is excessive energetic purification happening in the subtle nervous system, then it can be difficult to experience peace and inner stillness. This is because energetic purification throws prana up in the subtle body, and mental and emotional turmoil can be one of the symptoms of that. So, self pacing your practices better will not only make the journey more manageable and easier, but will also allow you to experience more peace, joy and inner silence. The process of inner purification can take many years, so it is good to find a balanced approach that will be manageable over the long term.

As for visons and silver threads, remember that there are members of this forum who have been on the spiritual path for a long time, sometimes 10, 20 or 30 years, or even longer. In my own case, I had been on the path for around 8 years before I had any spiritual visions, or saw the silver thread. Visions come and go and they are not something to hold on to. They are not a sign of spiritual progress.

So, I would say to ease off on the pedal and you will find that the path is a more enjoyable one. If it is not enjoyable, then we won't be able to walk it for the duration. That is how people end up digging wells in many places, or falling off the path all together.

With your children, remember that you can simply get up earlier than they do in the morning and practice then. So, there is no need to miss out on spending time with them if you don't want to. For many years I used to practice before my children woke up, and again after they fell asleep at night. Of course, there were times when I was too tired after they fell asleep, and times when they would surprise me by waking at 4 in the morning! There were many times when my practice would only happen once a day. But there are always ways in which we can make things work, where there are children involved.


Christi
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Cato

Germany
224 Posts

Posted - Dec 03 2020 :  3:54:32 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
I very much appreciate your thoughts and thank you for sharing those insights in your familiy life. So helpful! I love this community, you were supportive and caring from the first day

And you are right, I have been struggling with overload for a long time. That has been brought up in other threads and I heeded your advice and cut back on energetic practices. It served me well. I liked the thought that overload symptoms were much better and settled with it. Perhaps there are still some changes to do. So I would like to heed your advice another time and see how things turn out. It would be great to see changes in life outside practices some day. I'd therefore like to ask one more thing: As I have said, my practice now is SBP (5 min, mulabandha, sambhavi, siddhasana, 1st stage kechari), YMK (once), DM (15 min) and samyama (10 min). To reduce energetic practices, I'd start by leaving out kechari and YMK. Should the same apply to mulabandha, sambhavi and siddhasana? That would leave a blank deep meditation. As samyama should not play a major role on the energetic level, it could as well be pursued, right?

Christi, getting up early in the morning to do AYP has been my routine for all these years, doing the second session when the kids are asleep. My wife complains about having less time in pairs in the evening as I lay down soon. On the weekend I get up later to catch up sleep and the kids sometimes knock on the door during my session as they would like to spent some time together. Sometimes the blanket is always too short. But it is my choice and I would gladly do so if I know myself on the right path.

Again, I am so glad to have you around with your kindness and deep knowledge. The teachings ring true to me and it feels right to do those practices every day. Having discovered the lessons has ended a long (first) journey of seeking. Staying on the path will hopefully end another one.
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Dogboy

USA
2192 Posts

Posted - Dec 03 2020 :  7:39:32 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
As I have said, my practice now is SBP (5 min, mulabandha, sambhavi, siddhasana, 1st stage kechari), YMK (once), DM (15 min) and samyama (10 min). To reduce energetic practices, I'd start by leaving out kechari and YMK. Should the same apply to mulabandha, sambhavi and siddhasana? That would leave a blank deep meditation. As samyama should not play a major role on the energetic level, it could as well be pursued, right?


I would eliminate YMK first; if not better, then intentional mulabanda and sambhavi next (these may engage automatically in energetic states). Samyama as a practice (for me anyway) with its outward flow, should be more of a help than hindrance. In highly energetic states, imagine passing energy outward, like a sutra. Drop siddhasana only if dropping the others didn’t help. If the heal feels too much, then try something smaller/softer as a perineum ball. You can also try shaving minutes off of DM, but reduce the energy practices first for sure. Good luck!
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BlueRaincoat

United Kingdom
1730 Posts

Posted - Dec 04 2020 :  04:03:52 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
I would drop everything other than meditation. If mulabandha and sambhavi come up automatically, let them, but don't apply them intentionally. Sidhasana is highly energetic, it will kick sexual energy about big time. That is not what you want.

The purpose here is for the energy to settle down, so that you can begin to experience inner silence in daily life. Once you know what that feels like it, you will have the benchmark for your self pacing. Then you can start to add energetic practices slowly, one by one, aiming to keep the sense of peace in daily life. When you lose that, you will know you've gone too far stimulating the energy and you'll know when to trim back your practice.

My only doubt is whether I should keep 5 minutes of light SBP before meditation. Some people find it balancing, others find it stimulating. Maybe experiment a bit? A few days without SBP, then a few days with, see if you notice a difference in daily life.


Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Dec 04 2020 04:56:00 AM
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Cato

Germany
224 Posts

Posted - Dec 04 2020 :  06:29:44 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks Dogboy and BRC,
you are basically talking about the same thing coming from different directions. I guess safest will be to go back to plain DM, trying to reach that state of peace and proceed from there.

To give you the full picture of my routine I perhaps also should have mentioned these two practices besides the sitting: On the one hand, before sitting, I do 40 minutes of kriyas each day and on the other hand, I feel drawn to celibacy/brahmacharya. The latter - in an energetic sense - sometimes seems a bit controversial to me. The best point I could find in this regard was made by Christi discussing with Piruz:

quote:
It will be difficult for you to resolve your issues if you practice sexual abstinence. You also need to avoid prolonged sexual stimulation and prolonged orgasms, as these will both make your situation worse as well, as they will cause prana to rise in your body.


This quote makes sense to me since I felt both sexual abstinence and prolonged sexual stimulation occasionally worsened my state. One obviously has to find the right balance here (again). I guess thats why yogani says sex once a week should be a reasonable approach.

Regarding the kriyas, changing from a daily ashtanga flow to daily kriyas has helped tremendously. They are actually the last thing I would like to cut out.

Considering all this, my next step will be 40 min of kriyas (morning), 5 min SBP, 15 min plain DM (and perhaps 10 min of samyama). As for brachmacharya, I will experiment with releasing sexual energy once a week. Hope this will balance things out and bring some peace.

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Christi

United Kingdom
4363 Posts

Posted - Dec 05 2020 :  06:44:24 AM  Show Profile  Visit Christi's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Cato,

That sounds like a good plan of action. If things still don't settle down, you can reduce asana time further and SBP and DM. Samyama can be stopped for a while if necessary.

Make sure you are engaging in daily grounding activities.

See this lesson on adjusting your practice if you are over-sensitive to energy:

Lesson 367 - Suggestions for Over-Sensitive Meditators


Christi
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Blanche

USA
859 Posts

Posted - Dec 07 2020 :  07:52:18 AM  Show Profile  Visit Blanche's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:

Considering all this, my next step will be 40 min of kriyas (morning), 5 min SBP, 15 min plain DM (and perhaps 10 min of samyama). As for brachmacharya, I will experiment with releasing sexual energy once a week. Hope this will balance things out and bring some peace.



Hi Cato,

Your dedication to practice is very impressive. With the new modified schedule you will do:

Energetic practices: kriya 40 min + SBP 5 min = 45 min
Silence-cultivating practices: 15 min DM (+ maybe 10 min samyama) = 15 min (maybe 25)

Overall, the ratio of energetic practices versus silence-cultivating practices will be 3 (maybe 2) to 1. You could see how the dominance of energetic practices makes the kundalini rise and fall even faster, and it would contribute to having doubts about the entire process.

The ideal ratio energetic vs. silence practices is more 1 to 2. That is, if you do 20 minutes of DM, you would do 10 minutes of energetic practices. This would keep the cart of energy behind the horse of silence.

I believe in freedom, so you are free to do anything you like in your practice. However, a smooth ride takes one farther faster than a bumpy one. In the end, we do not practice to get good at practices, but to awaken. These are all just means, and we should feel free to choose what serves us and not get too attached to a specific practice, no matter how good it feel.

In time, practice is not only at the sitting place, but everywhere. Every aspect of your life is meant to awaken you. If you are fortunate to have a family and small kids, make sure you spend time with them, giving them your full attention. You do this for you, not just for them. Your wife would also appreciate some break from the children, and this will make her more supportive of your practice. When they all get time with you, then they will be happy to let you practice alone. These years will pass soon enough, and your children will be busy with their own life.
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Cato

Germany
224 Posts

Posted - Dec 07 2020 :  12:22:03 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Blanche,

thanks for your clarification, which is very valuable. Indeed, I was not sure whether kriyas work on the energetic side of the process or not. As asanas are mostly seen to be grounding/balancing, I supposed kriyas to be so as well. Actually, it is hard to decide from my own practice and experience. My kriyas sometimes might work energetically and sometimes not. Your suggestion to see kriyas clearly as an energetic practice gives a new perspective on some other options that might be worth a try. Perhaps doing half kriyas, half AYP-based asanas may be helpful on the way. Thank you.

quote:
Originally posted by Blanche

These years will pass soon enough, and your children will be busy with their own life.


Yes. So true and sad, isn't it?

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Christi

United Kingdom
4363 Posts

Posted - Dec 08 2020 :  05:43:58 AM  Show Profile  Visit Christi's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Cato,

There could some confusion here being caused by terminology. The word kriya can mean a number of things in yoga. I am assuming that by "kriya" you are referring to automatic movements resembling yoga asanas?

In my experience it it not necessarily binary, and kriyas can at times be grounding and stabilizing, and at other times be energising. They can also be both at the same time. This can also change over time as well, as the process of purification progresses. So, it is a case of observing what is happening in your body and adjusting things accordingly as you progress.


Christi
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Blanche

USA
859 Posts

Posted - Dec 08 2020 :  07:33:50 AM  Show Profile  Visit Blanche's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Cato,

Yes, the children grow and they open up, like flowers. I remember bringing them home after birth and thinking: "They are like presents, unopened yet." Every day, they blossom a little more. It is a special joy to watch them come more into themselves, walk their own path. I am grateful that they chose us as parents. In Japanese there is a term mono no aware describing the gentle sadness of impermanent beauty. Joy, wonder, gentle sadness - they fill one to the brim. So blessed we are!

As Christi writes, the experience of the practices changes with time. You could be aware that you are in deep samadhi, seeing form and formless right now, as you read these lines. Asanas could be a energetic practice, but when done slowly with attention (pratyahara), they become a meditative practice. SB starts as an energetic practice, but it becomes more and more meditative. If kriyas are more moving energy with attention, maybe with a certain pattern of breathing, then they qualify more as energetic practices, even though at some point they will become another a way to cultivate silence. In the end, there is no separation between the sitting practices and everything else in your like, there is no separation between the inner silence and anything else. Still, the distinction of energetic versus silence-cultivating practices is useful at this stage of the journey.

Yes, as you say, you have to figure it out yourself. The good news is that you will do it, that there are some who attained liberation, and this would not have been possible if we all were not able to do it. It is just a matter of time, and skillful practice will bring it all to fruition faster smoother.
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Christi

United Kingdom
4363 Posts

Posted - Dec 08 2020 :  07:33:55 AM  Show Profile  Visit Christi's Homepage  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Cato,

p.s.

The other ways in which the word "kriya" can be used are:

1. Energetic practices usually involving moving the attention up and down the spine in different ways.

2. Cleansing practices (shatkarmas) such as jala neti, basti and dhauti, can be referred to as cleansing kriyas.

3. Energetic practices that do not involve moving the attention up and down the spine such as navi Kriya and thokar kriya.


Christi
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Cato

Germany
224 Posts

Posted - Dec 10 2020 :  10:19:11 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Yes, Christi, you are right. By "kriya" I am referring to automatic movements resembling yoga asanas. It is an intuitive movement which was quite vigorous in the very beginning and has smoothed out a lot. In between where phases I retraced nadis with the fingertips running along my body. It evolves and focuses on different areas using different asanas/movements over time. Right now the kriyas are lot about deep bending backwards and stretching in splits. The movements are slow but I guess they could stir up energy.

Blanche, you describe your parenting very lovingly. I like it a lot.
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BlueRaincoat

United Kingdom
1730 Posts

Posted - Dec 10 2020 :  12:03:16 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Automatic asanas like these usually smooth out the energy and remove distractions that might occur in your meditation afterwards.

I wondered in the past (when you were newer to this forum and you were writing about these 'kriyas') if there was a pranayama element involved, but it sounds like there isn't. So it seems to be a slow asana session, helping to quiet you down and prepare you for meditation, as AYP recommends.

The length of it, of course, needs to be sensible. You have probably come across a point made by Yogani in the lessons that any practice taken beyond a certain length of time can lead to overload. You are of course the best person to figure out what is the right length of your asana session by experimenting with it a little.

You have already cut back significantly on some advanced practices, haven't you? You probably need to let that experiment run its course. Let us know how you get on.

Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Dec 10 2020 12:04:26 PM
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Cato

Germany
224 Posts

Posted - Dec 11 2020 :  09:55:00 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat

Automatic asanas like these usually smooth out the energy and remove distractions that might occur in your meditation afterwards.


Recently I am experimenting with doing meditation/sitting first and the kriyas afterwards. As exercising for example is not recommended to be done before sitting, I thought I'd give a try. Maybe it helps smoothing things out.

quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
I wondered in the past (when you were newer to this forum and you were writing about these 'kriyas') if there was a pranayama element involved, but it sounds like there isn't. So it seems to be a slow asana session, helping to quiet you down and prepare you for meditation, as AYP recommends.


It is mostly true, but not always. Actually, the kriyas include nauli kriya from time to time and more seldom a light version of breath of fire.

quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
The length of it, of course, needs to be sensible. You have probably come across a point made by Yogani in the lessons that any practice taken beyond a certain length of time can lead to overload. You are of course the best person to figure out what is the right length of your asana session by experimenting with it a little.

You have already cut back significantly on some advanced practices, haven't you? You probably need to let that experiment run its course. Let us know how you get on.


Yes, I have already cut back significantly on practices, leaving the remaining ones without mudras and bandhas. I shortend the practice lengths a bit, SBP form 10 min to 5 min, DM from 20 min to 15 min. Kriyas still take most time with 40 min right now, I considered this time reasonable and not too long for an asana session.
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BlueRaincoat

United Kingdom
1730 Posts

Posted - Dec 11 2020 :  4:56:01 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
Originally posted by Cato
quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
I wondered in the past (when you were newer to this forum and you were writing about these 'kriyas') if there was a pranayama element involved, but it sounds like there isn't. So it seems to be a slow asana session, helping to quiet you down and prepare you for meditation, as AYP recommends.


It is mostly true, but not always. Actually, the kriyas include nauli kriya from time to time and more seldom a light version of breath of fire.


If you get a lot of this in your asana practice, then you need to self pace more. Both nauli and pranayama will stimulate the energy.

quote:
Originally posted by Cato
Recently I am experimenting with doing meditation/sitting first and the kriyas afterwards. As exercising for example is not recommended to be done before sitting, I thought I'd give a try.


If it feels like a workout, then it's not suitable as a prelude to meditation. If it's quieting, then it is.
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maheswari

Lebanon
2516 Posts

Posted - Dec 12 2020 :  04:21:30 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
Hi Cato
I second BRC
Nauli is too strong and i know you need to cut down more.
Cut down prsctices now or you'll be forced to stop them for good or hating them because they take too much from family time (another overload belief)
This is not what you want to hear that is why you have been postponing cutting down at the expense of your ccomfort.
I don't mince my words and we are not here to give chit chat loose advices. We are here to solve the issue at hand which is your clear overload
My 2 cents...i hope you will listen for your benefit

Edited by - maheswari on Dec 12 2020 1:12:10 PM
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Cato

Germany
224 Posts

Posted - Dec 12 2020 :  3:29:28 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote  Get a Link to this Reply
quote:
Originally posted by BlueRaincoat
If it feels like a workout, then it's not suitable as a prelude to meditation. If it's quieting, then it is.


It does not feel like a workout. However, it tends to feel sexual regularly. Sometimes it feels like those kriyas bring me near orgasm, very rarely even beyond.


Maheswari, I appreciate your words and I take the advice of the experienced practitioners around seriously. Till the disussion in this thread, I did not realize those kriyas might be one reason for the effects I experience. I cut back on energetic (sitting) practices properly and now have some more means to find balance.
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