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mountain_cactus
USA
9 Posts |
 Posted - May 18 2019 : 11:33:19 AM
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Hey everyone. Just a question on the morning session. I'm really noticing quite a disparity in the quality of my morning session vs evening session. Currently my routine is the basic asana routine (I just added maha mundra this past week for the single leg stretch), spinal breathing with mundra's and bandha's, and deep meditation (both of the latter in Siddhasana).
In the morning everything feels muted in comparison. For asanas, in the evening I am much more flexible and can feel energy in the movements, in the morning I'm very inflexible and can feel no energy. In spinal breathing in the evening I can feel a steady consistent flow of real energy up and down, in the morning I do not feel real energy often, it's mostly imagined, though sometimes towards the end of the session I'll get a tiny bit of real energy flowing. Meditation in the morning is also much less deep. While I'm not wandering off in thoughts at any greater clip than in the evening, I also rarely seem to go below surface level and overall the meditation feels flat. So much so that sometimes in the morning I get bored during the meditation and start looking forward to it ending. In the evening this is not the case, I tend to get very deep, and the meditations feel wonderful. In the evenings in contrast I usually don't want the meditation to end.
As you can see, it's quite a large disparity in the two sessions. I feel the evening sessions are very productive, and the morning sessions are kind of meh. I do the morning session after waking and before food or caffeine as recommended. I've tried waiting 30 minutes after waking to start, but with work schedule that's about as much flexibility I have in time. Any tips on how to help myself wake up and be able to get a better quality out of my morning sessions? |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1730 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2019 : 03:26:42 AM
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Hello mountain_cactus
quote:
Originally posted by mountain_cactus
I'm really noticing quite a disparity in the quality of my morning session vs evening session.
That is not unusual. You brain is in a different state after a night's sleep than after a day of activity. It's not a reason for concern and it does not mean you morning practice is less effective.
We do not judge our meditations by the experience we dave during the practice. The real indicator is how we feel throughout the day.
The same goes for asanas. It is very normal to be stiffer in the morning. Our muscles can tighten while we sleep. Always work within the limits of your abilities. Never strain. It can help to do some gentle stretching and limbering movements at the very beginning of the session.
Things will change in time. Meditation experience changes as we go along. And your body will become more flexible, even in the morning. There is no rush. One day at a time. You are doing great.
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Blanche
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2019 : 07:32:42 AM
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Hi MC,
As BlueRaincoat writes and you probably know, the effects of meditation are seen not on the meditation pillow, but in the daily life. So, no matter how it feels, the meditation will continue to purify the layers of your being.
The problems you describe seem to be related to the energetic aspect of the practice. It might be helpful to add a couple of uddiyana bandhas to the asana practice to bring up more energy. The effect will be increased if during the breath retention you trace the spinal nerve upward with your attention, going from the end of the spine to the middle of the head and then forward toward the space between the eyebrows. This effectively directs energy up from the big reservoir of energy in the lower pelvis toward the third eye.
Paying attention to the spinal breathing, maybe increasing the duration of this practice may help, too.
Best wishes
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mountain_cactus
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2019 : 10:31:49 AM
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| Thanks. Blanche I think I'll take your advice to add a couple uddiyana bandhas as in general that last couple of weeks it has been a bit easier to get energy down from the brow to root than from root to brow; which is the opposite of what seems to be the norm. Maybe that will help me activate the root a bit more. |
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jonesboy
USA
594 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2019 : 11:14:17 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by mountain_cactus
Hey everyone. Just a question on the morning session. I'm really noticing quite a disparity in the quality of my morning session vs evening session. Currently my routine is the basic asana routine (I just added maha mundra this past week for the single leg stretch), spinal breathing with mundra's and bandha's, and deep meditation (both of the latter in Siddhasana).
In the morning everything feels muted in comparison. For asanas, in the evening I am much more flexible and can feel energy in the movements, in the morning I'm very inflexible and can feel no energy. In spinal breathing in the evening I can feel a steady consistent flow of real energy up and down, in the morning I do not feel real energy often, it's mostly imagined, though sometimes towards the end of the session I'll get a tiny bit of real energy flowing. Meditation in the morning is also much less deep. While I'm not wandering off in thoughts at any greater clip than in the evening, I also rarely seem to go below surface level and overall the meditation feels flat. So much so that sometimes in the morning I get bored during the meditation and start looking forward to it ending. In the evening this is not the case, I tend to get very deep, and the meditations feel wonderful. In the evenings in contrast I usually don't want the meditation to end.
As you can see, it's quite a large disparity in the two sessions. I feel the evening sessions are very productive, and the morning sessions are kind of meh. I do the morning session after waking and before food or caffeine as recommended. I've tried waiting 30 minutes after waking to start, but with work schedule that's about as much flexibility I have in time. Any tips on how to help myself wake up and be able to get a better quality out of my morning sessions?
Sessions will always be different.
Even with what you consider bad ones.. Notice how you feel during the day. That is what is important. |
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mountain_cactus
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2019 : 3:46:56 PM
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| In regards to Blanche's comment, I did some further research into uddiyana (re-reading the lessons combined with a little google-fu) and I have not been doing it properly. It seems the stomach should be pulled in more though a sucking from the inside, and I've more just been contracting my abs up and in. This is the tough part of self-learning, is it can be easy to misinterpret the instructions. Going to practice this with the proper form, and see if over the next couple weeks it will help get the energy flowing up from the root a bit easier. |
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Blanche
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2019 : 7:39:17 PM
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Uddiyana Bandha:
It means “to fly up.”
It lifts the abdomen using the diaphragm.
It brings energy up from the huge energetic storage present in the pelvic area.
It can be used in combination with other practices, such as spinal breathing pranayama, and yoni mudra kumbhaka.
It can be done standing or sitting.
It is done during breath retention after expelling the air.
It can be static (see instructions below) or dynamic (navi kriya and nauli kriya).
While these techniques may be awkward at the beginning, they become easier with practice.
They contribute to the rise of ecstatic conductivity in the nervous system.
They should be practiced as part of the program that includes meditation, as otherwise they can create energy imbalances in the body.
Uddiyana Bandha Instructions: Stand with the feet apart. Bend the knees slightly, and place the hands on the tights. Take a deep inhale, exhale as much air as you can, and hold your breath. Press the legs with the hands, and notice how the diaphragm goes up under the ribs and the navel is pulled up and toward the spine. When you need to inhale, release the abdominal hold first, then breathe in. Repeat. Rest between repetitions, as needed. |
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Blanche
USA
859 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2019 : 7:43:16 PM
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| If you go to a yoga class, you could ask the teacher to show you how to do it. Or if you feel inspired, come to an AYP retreat to fine tune all your practices and take the program to a new level - we have two retreats in US in June 2019. |
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mountain_cactus
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2019 : 10:01:26 PM
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| I would love to do a retreat some day. If you guys ever make it out west I would definitely attend. |
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Morning Sessions Feeling Flat
