Yoga Help Needed!

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends:

 

First let me apologize for my silence. I've been wrapped up in some

non-Web obligations, and I see several posts here I wish to thank

members for, and reply to as well. And I will, very soon! But first I

wanted to share this call for assistance. It is from a member of this

club; perhaps if some of our members who are knowledgeable in hatha

yoga can offer advice, she will follow up your posts in person. Omprem

comes to mind as someone who might be able to help here; but I know

that many members are well-versed in these matters, and I hope some or

all of you will be able to offer some advice.

 

The letter, in relevant part:

 

The first "sensation" I felt in this [pranayama] breathing practice

yoga while sitting resulted in a warmth on the left side of my body,

mainly in the arm and leg. And then it progressed to a type of cool

and then cold breeze, affecting my left side and also my right leg. I

felt like I was freezing to death with each sitting. I even covered my

self up with a wool blanket and could not get warm. Then the breeze

came again during the laying-flat part of the yoga session, all over

my body, and after the practice I had to take a warm shower to warm up

each time.

 

Now I am only having the cool breeze periodically and not frozen by

it. I am mainly now feeling a warmth in my back up to my neck. My arms

and legs feel the cool breeze; but my back almost goes numb with a

pressure-heat type feeling. To describe it, imagine you were sitting

back to back with a sumo wrestler, and the pressure on your back from

the wrestler's back got to be "too much" over time. I also get this

feeling in my neck. This is annoying at times and occurs when I am

doing anything related to Hindu dharma -- writing a letter about it,

reading scriptures, talking about it. The duration of the activity

affets the duration and intensity of this feeling. The feeling begins

in my coccyx area and then moves up ward to my whole and upper back.

It can be tiring at times.

 

The next most recent occurrence came as I sat doing my upasana for

Maa. I got the above sensation, and then in my head it felt like there

was something blowing upward - like I could easily imagine my head and

shoulders as a flame burning without the heat. Just the movement

upward. It got so intense one day as I was merely standing and

greeting Maa one morning that I was as if transfixed in the standing

position and the feeling was moving all around me and up ward.

 

What does this mean? Where is this going? Does it do things that will

affect my life in a negative way? Anyway this breathing practice has

opened something - if it is good then I have opened something

wonderful - but I don't understand what or where this is going how is

it helping me? If I have "prematurely opened" something then I do not

have access to a Swamiji or Guru to protect me in person from what I

have done or not done properly (possible purification needed and I am

unaware of why or how)? I depend on Maa for this now. But I am

confused as to what I am doing in this. I am on break now from my

cycle of breathing practices and am seriously considering, since I

have no person qualified to answer my questions about this, stopping

the breathing yoga. But if I am doing something positive I don't want

to lose that effect by quitting. I am just confused and missing

something here. I am having effects, but of what, I do not know. I

don't know if I should feel blessed or if I have opened something up

at the wrong time without the knowledge to know what is happening and

where it is going?

[Guest guest]

Dear DB:

I am very happy to say that what seems to be happening

is the strring of kundalini.

I also had similar experience long ago and what my

guru suggested was that you boil rice then when it is

fully cooked add milk and equal quanity of sugar and

cooik it into a thick consistancy and have that alone

for a few days.

Of course Om prem will be the more competent person to

advise.

 

Menon

 

--- devi_bhakta <devi_bhakta wrote:

 

Dear Friends: First let me apologize for my

silence. I've been wrapped up in some non-Web

obligations, and I see several posts here I wish to

thank members for, and reply to as well. And I will,

very soon! But first I wanted to share this call

for assistance. It is from a member of this club;

perhaps if some of our members who are knowledgeable

in hatha yoga can offer advice, she will follow up

your posts in person. Omprem comes to mind as

someone who might be able to help here; but I know

that many members are well-versed in these matters,

and I hope some or all of you will be able to offer

some advice.

 

The letter, in relevant part: The first "sensation"

I felt in this [pranayama] breathing practice yoga

while sitting resulted in a warmth on the left side

of my body, mainly in the arm and leg. And then it

progressed to a type of cool and then cold breeze,

affecting my left side and also my right leg. I

felt like I was freezing to death with each sitting.

I even covered my self up with a wool blanket and

could not get warm. Then the breeze came again

during the laying-flat part of the yoga session, all

over my body, and after the practice I had to take a

warm shower to warm up each time. Now I am only

having the cool breeze periodically and not frozen by

it. I am mainly now feeling a warmth in my back up

to my neck. My arms and legs feel the cool breeze;

but my back almost goes numb with a pressure-heat

type feeling. To describe it, imagine you were

sitting back to back with a sumo wrestler, and the

pressure on your back from the wrestler's back got

to be "too much" over time. I also get this feeling

in my neck. This is annoying at times and occurs when

I am doing anything related to Hindu dharma --

writing a letter about it, reading scriptures,

talking about it. The duration of the activity

affets the duration and intensity of this feeling.

The feeling begins in my coccyx area and then moves

up ward to my whole and upper back. It can be

tiring at times. The next most recent occurrence

came as I sat doing my upasana for Maa. I got the

above sensation, and then in my head it felt like

there was something blowing upward - like I could

easily imagine my head and shoulders as a flame

burning without the heat. Just the movement upward.

It got so intense one day as I was merely standing

and greeting Maa one morning that I was as if

transfixed in the standing position and the feeling

was moving all around me and up ward. What does

this mean? Where is this going? Does it do things

that will affect my life in a negative way? Anyway

this breathing practice has opened something - if

it is good then I have opened something wonderful -

but I don't understand what or where this is going

how is it helping me? If I have "prematurely opened"

something then I do not have access to a Swamiji or

Guru to protect me in person from what I have done

or not done properly (possible purification needed

and I am unaware of why or how)? I depend on Maa for

this now. But I am confused as to what I am doing

in this. I am on break now from my cycle of

breathing practices and am seriously considering,

since I have no person qualified to answer my

questions about this, stopping the breathing yoga.

But if I am doing something positive I don't want

to lose that effect by quitting. I am just confused

and missing something here. I am having effects, but

of what, I do not know. I don't know if I should

feel blessed or if I have opened something up at

the wrong time without the knowledge to know what is

happening and where it is going?

 

 

 

 

Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax

http://taxes./

[Guest guest]

Dear fellow traveller

 

Those symtoms you describe are entirely normal. I experienced

all of them in my beginngin years. They are only movements of

prana.

 

Do not be afraid. Trust in Maa. Allow the process to proceed. Do

not let fear prevent the process from occurring or distort it.

 

The coolness you describe is what all Hatha Yoga practitioners

experience. It results from Prana being drawn inward toward the

base of the spine. As Prana leaves the arms and legs and as it

leaves the outer edges of the body, this coolness results. That is

why, people in a Hatha Yoga class cover themselves, as you did,

with a blanket, during final relaxation. Or, why meditators use a

shawl or blanket.

 

The heat-pressure sensation in the spine could be a sign that

Kundalini is active. The fact that it occurs whenever you are

performing Hindu dharma is encouraging and says a lot about

the sincerity with which you practice the dharma.

 

The sensation of flames is also common. It is prana vayu as

expressed when Rajas is dominant. It too will leave eventually.

 

With experiences such as this, you should count yourself

blessed. The experiences indicate someone who is more than

ready to deepen their Sadhana. You must find a teacher or Guru.

 

Do not become attached to these effects. They are only

indications that your consciousness is ready for more

expansion.

 

Do not fear these effects either. They are simply your mind trying

to make sense of new movements of prana that are occurring

within you. Nothing bad or negative will happen if you keep your

mind calm, serene and devoted to Maa.

 

I don't know what forms of Pranayama you are practicing (and

please don't mention them in this forum. You can e-mail me if

you wish.), but you could try also doing Anuloma Viloma.

Instructions for this can be found in many books on Hatha Yoga.

It will ground you and allow the Sattvic Guna to come into

ascendency and mitigate some of those symptoms related to

the Rajas Guna and the Tamas Guna.

 

OM Namah Sivaya

 

Omprem

 

 

, "devi_bhakta" <devi_bhakta>

wrote:

> Dear Friends:

>

> First let me apologize for my silence. I've been wrapped up in

some

> non-Web obligations, and I see several posts here I wish to

thank

> members for, and reply to as well. And I will, very soon! But first

I

> wanted to share this call for assistance. It is from a member of

this

> club; perhaps if some of our members who are

knowledgeable in hatha

> yoga can offer advice, she will follow up your posts in person.

Omprem

> comes to mind as someone who might be able to help here;

but I know

> that many members are well-versed in these matters, and I

hope some or

> all of you will be able to offer some advice.

>

> The letter, in relevant part:

>

> The first "sensation" I felt in this [pranayama] breathing practice

> yoga while sitting resulted in a warmth on the left side of my

body,

> mainly in the arm and leg. And then it progressed to a type of

cool

> and then cold breeze, affecting my left side and also my right

leg. I

> felt like I was freezing to death with each sitting. I even covered

my

> self up with a wool blanket and could not get warm. Then the

breeze

> came again during the laying-flat part of the yoga session, all

over

> my body, and after the practice I had to take a warm shower to

warm up

> each time.

>

> Now I am only having the cool breeze periodically and not

frozen by

> it. I am mainly now feeling a warmth in my back up to my neck.

My arms

> and legs feel the cool breeze; but my back almost goes numb

with a

> pressure-heat type feeling. To describe it, imagine you were

sitting

> back to back with a sumo wrestler, and the pressure on your

back from

> the wrestler's back got to be "too much" over time. I also get

this

> feeling in my neck. This is annoying at times and occurs when

I am

> doing anything related to Hindu dharma -- writing a letter about

it,

> reading scriptures, talking about it. The duration of the activity

> affets the duration and intensity of this feeling. The feeling

begins

> in my coccyx area and then moves up ward to my whole and

upper back.

> It can be tiring at times.

>

> The next most recent occurrence came as I sat doing my

upasana for

> Maa. I got the above sensation, and then in my head it felt like

there

> was something blowing upward - like I could easily imagine

my head and

> shoulders as a flame burning without the heat. Just the

movement

> upward. It got so intense one day as I was merely standing

and

> greeting Maa one morning that I was as if transfixed in the

standing

> position and the feeling was moving all around me and up

ward.

>

> What does this mean? Where is this going? Does it do things

that will

> affect my life in a negative way? Anyway this breathing practice

has

> opened something - if it is good then I have opened something

> wonderful - but I don't understand what or where this is going

how is

> it helping me? If I have "prematurely opened" something then I

do not

> have access to a Swamiji or Guru to protect me in person from

what I

> have done or not done properly (possible purification needed

and I am

> unaware of why or how)? I depend on Maa for this now. But I

am

> confused as to what I am doing in this. I am on break now from

my

> cycle of breathing practices and am seriously considering,

since I

> have no person qualified to answer my questions about this,

stopping

> the breathing yoga. But if I am doing something positive I don't

want

> to lose that effect by quitting. I am just confused and missing

> something here. I am having effects, but of what, I do not know.

I

> don't know if I should feel blessed or if I have opened

something up

> at the wrong time without the knowledge to know what is

happening and

> where it is going?

[Guest guest]

We would need to know which type of pranayama. Pranayama more than any

other aspect of training I believe is very dangerous if practiced too

much or improperly because it affects parasympathetic nervous system.

One doesn't really want to mess with their basic physical operations.

Again, asanas and pranayam are both for asana, that is, to make a

comfortable seat in the body for the mind to be able to properly

focus during dhyana or meditation. Some gurus teach pranayama as a

means for transcending or raising kundalini but one cannot easily

balance forces that have been created by direct operation on

parasympathetic ns. Unless with guru guidance. This is why mantra

meditation is more balancing, past a certain point of experience most

generally fall asleep.

The proper way to make this experience receed is to immediately cut

out all pranayama except alternating nadi shodana, and alternate

nostrils every breath instead of every five or ten breaths. Do not

do this more than ten minutes. Practice shavasana - corpse pose

after every session of every yogic practice and feel all your bodily

functions and just be with them and relax all controls. Take long

warm baths and excercise is good. Focus on asanas and surya

namaskaras with attendent mantras for each pose (easily available on

net).

Best to get mental technique from guru and some sort of diksha so that

you feel recourse in times like these. Not even so important who or

what technique as ability to feel some authority has given

authorization. Right now I am recommending contacting

www.srividya.org and asking them for technique. I'm not even sure

they have one but they seem like good people with much knowledge who

should have some yogic technique stashed away.

I myself, TM sidha for twenty years and taking recourse now in Shakta

theory and practices. I am leaving TM Movement and trying various

other things, but I still at least can say yes I do a taught

technique. And now I am playing with it and trying various side

practices. My point though is if my practice zooms ahead too fast or

I get loopy I can always fall back at least on the systematic

technique itself even though not very exciting always. At least then

I have some recourse - refuge it's called in Buddhism. Try praying to

your deity for balance. Ferrand says use Mahalakshmi mantra for

smoothing stress. Also, guru puja is time honored technique for

smoothing stress. If no guru then choose one. Always good gurus are

Maa, Siva, Dattatreya, Babaji, Markandeya, Seven Munis, Buddha, Jesus.

Use these for guru puja. The very words in first few lines of puja

to original holy tradition starting with the Gods themselves is an

old TM stress smoothing technique only given to teachers of TM but

outside of TM still applicable to all people.

Remember that intense heat and cold are expresions not of balanced

yogic practice but imbalanced practices. Pranayama is supposed to

balance pranas so that pranas subside and sushumna takes vital

currents and instead you have manipulated ida/pingala leading to

these swings of extremes and overly powerful pranas instead of

subsidence. This cannot be seen as a good thing.

The flowing current while worshipping Ma can be ok. Hard to say in

general if it is connected to pranayam then spill over from other

practice, but again we need to know what exact practices you are

doing. Pranayams have many forms that heat body, many that cool

body, some that increase respiration to increase oxygenation, some

that decrese respiration to force out CO2. I absolutely do not

recommend doing pranayam without performing some silent sitting

meditation after because that is the point of it all. If you do not

couple silent meditation with pranayam then you will be imbalanced no

matter who you are or what you do. You have to meditate after

pranayam. At the very least do shavasana for a long time until all

energies are silent. After you thuink your energies are stilled then

still remain reasting for a few more minutes to make sure. If you

increase practice then increase rest period. And then rest still more

after.

[Guest guest]

I also recommend Gauri Shankar rudraksha beads which balance energies,

and visualizations involving the coupled deities like Siva/Shakti,

etc.

-

omprem

Monday, April 08, 2002 10:40 AM

Re: Yoga Help Needed!

Dear fellow travellerThose symtoms you describe are entirely normal. I

experienced all of them in my beginngin years. They are only movements

of prana.Do not be afraid. Trust in Maa. Allow the process to proceed.

Do not let fear prevent the process from occurring or distort it.The

coolness you describe is what all Hatha Yoga practitioners

experience. It results from Prana being drawn inward toward the base

of the spine. As Prana leaves the arms and legs and as it leaves the

outer edges of the body, this coolness results. That is why, people

in a Hatha Yoga class cover themselves, as you did, with a blanket,

during final relaxation. Or, why meditators use a shawl or

blanket.The heat-pressure sensation in the spine could be a sign that

Kundalini is active. The fact that it occurs whenever you are

performing Hindu dharma is encouraging and says a lot about the

sincerity with which you practice the dharma.The sensation of flames

is also common. It is prana vayu as expressed when Rajas is dominant.

It too will leave eventually.With experiences such as this, you should

count yourself blessed. The experiences indicate someone who is more

than ready to deepen their Sadhana. You must find a teacher or

Guru.Do not become attached to these effects. They are only

indications that your consciousness is ready for more expansion. Do

not fear these effects either. They are simply your mind trying to

make sense of new movements of prana that are occurring within you.

Nothing bad or negative will happen if you keep your mind calm,

serene and devoted to Maa.I don't know what forms of Pranayama you

are practicing (and please don't mention them in this forum. You can

e-mail me if you wish.), but you could try also doing Anuloma Viloma.

Instructions for this can be found in many books on Hatha Yoga. It

will ground you and allow the Sattvic Guna to come into ascendency

and mitigate some of those symptoms related to the Rajas Guna and the

Tamas Guna.OM Namah SivayaOmprem,

"devi_bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote:> Dear Friends:> > First let

me apologize for my silence. I've been wrapped up in some > non-Web

obligations, and I see several posts here I wish to thank > members

for, and reply to as well. And I will, very soon! But first I >

wanted to share this call for assistance. It is from a member of this

> club; perhaps if some of our members who are knowledgeable in hatha

> yoga can offer advice, she will follow up your posts in person.

Omprem > comes to mind as someone who might be able to help here; but

I know > that many members are well-versed in these matters, and I

hope some or > all of you will be able to offer some advice.> > The

letter, in relevant part:> > The first "sensation" I felt in this

[pranayama] breathing practice > yoga while sitting resulted in a

warmth on the left side of my body, > mainly in the arm and leg. And

then it progressed to a type of cool > and then cold breeze,

affecting my left side and also my right leg. I > felt like I was

freezing to death with each sitting. I even covered my > self up with

a wool blanket and could not get warm. Then the breeze > came again

during the laying-flat part of the yoga session, all over > my body,

and after the practice I had to take a warm shower to warm up > each

time. > > Now I am only having the cool breeze periodically and not

frozen by > it. I am mainly now feeling a warmth in my back up to my

neck. My arms > and legs feel the cool breeze; but my back almost

goes numb with a > pressure-heat type feeling. To describe it,

imagine you were sitting > back to back with a sumo wrestler, and the

pressure on your back from > the wrestler's back got to be "too much"

over time. I also get this > feeling in my neck. This is annoying at

times and occurs when I am > doing anything related to Hindu dharma

-- writing a letter about it, > reading scriptures, talking about it.

The duration of the activity > affets the duration and intensity of

this feeling. The feeling begins > in my coccyx area and then moves

up ward to my whole and upper back. > It can be tiring at times. > >

The next most recent occurrence came as I sat doing my upasana for >

Maa. I got the above sensation, and then in my head it felt like

there > was something blowing upward - like I could easily imagine my

head and > shoulders as a flame burning without the heat. Just the

movement > upward. It got so intense one day as I was merely standing

and > greeting Maa one morning that I was as if transfixed in the

standing > position and the feeling was moving all around me and up

ward.> > What does this mean? Where is this going? Does it do things

that will > affect my life in a negative way? Anyway this breathing

practice has > opened something - if it is good then I have opened

something > wonderful - but I don't understand what or where this is

going how is > it helping me? If I have "prematurely opened"

something then I do not > have access to a Swamiji or Guru to protect

me in person from what I > have done or not done properly (possible

purification needed and I am > unaware of why or how)? I depend on

Maa for this now. But I am > confused as to what I am doing in this.

I am on break now from my > cycle of breathing practices and am

seriously considering, since I > have no person qualified to answer

my questions about this, stopping > the breathing yoga. But if I am

doing something positive I don't want > to lose that effect by

quitting. I am just confused and missing > something here. I am

having effects, but of what, I do not know. I > don't know if I

should feel blessed or if I have opened something up > at the wrong

time without the knowledge to know what is happening and > where it

is going?To from this group, send an email

to:shakti_sadhnaaYour use of

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