Effects of practice - procrastination!

[Guest guest]

Sat nam,

Has anyone else experienced this? I am on day 32 of a 40-day set

{started this set after not doing any yoga for a long time} and

well-pleased with 99.9% of the effects - my mood is better, I sleep

better, I have almost unlimited energy, I am more engaged socially.

The positive effects have been miraculous and transformative.

 

Just this one thing - all my life procrastination has been an issue

for me. [ironically, my name means " She who does " ]

Since I started the practice it has worsened considerably. I am

constantly putting off doing the little things as well as the big

things, that one must do in life.

 

I would like to understand what is going on.

If anyone has any feed-back would most appreciate it.

 

Thanks,

Kartar Kaur

[Guest guest]

Hi Kartar

 

I am not very experienced in these things but I believe you are going through a

time of transformation, a time of change, becoming the person you really are. 

Keep practising and allow yourself space and room to let the new energy in, sit

in silence and reflection in order to expand and grow into the exquisite unique

person you were born to be.

 

Sat nam

 

Dharma Di

 

--- On Sun, 11/2/08, rasheedaas <rasheedaas wrote:

rasheedaas <rasheedaas

Kundalini Yoga Effects of practice - procrastination!

Kundaliniyoga

Sunday, November 2, 2008, 5:22 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat nam,

 

Has anyone else experienced this? I am on day 32 of a 40-day set

 

{started this set after not doing any yoga for a long time} and

 

well-pleased with 99.9% of the effects - my mood is better, I sleep

 

better, I have almost unlimited energy, I am more engaged socially.

 

The positive effects have been miraculous and transformative.

 

 

 

Just this one thing - all my life procrastination has been an issue

 

for me. [ironically, my name means " She who does " ]

 

Since I started the practice it has worsened considerably. I am

 

constantly putting off doing the little things as well as the big

 

things, that one must do in life.

 

 

 

I would like to understand what is going on.

 

If anyone has any feed-back would most appreciate it.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

Kartar Kaur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you Dharma Di,

 

While I was reading your response, it resonated in my heart, and I

believe it is the truth.

But I hadn't recognized the truth myself, or probably I am too

impatience with myself.

 

It is wonderful we have this opportunity [this list] to support each

other.

 

Many thanks,

Sat nam,

Kartar Kaur

 

Kundaliniyoga , Diane Batt <di60435 wrote:

>

> Hi Kartar

>

> I am not very experienced in these things but I believe you are

going through a time of transformation, a time of change, becoming the

person you really are. Keep practising and allow yourself space and

room to let the new energy in, sit in silence and reflection in order

to expand and grow into the exquisite unique person you were born to be.

>

> Sat nam

>

> Dharma Di

>

>

[Guest guest]

--- On Sun, 11/2/08, rasheedaas <rasheedaas wrote:

I am on day 32 of a 40-day set.....

 

> The positive effects have been miraculous and transformative.

 

> .... all my life procrastination has been an issue

.....Since I started the practice it has worsened considerably.

 

Nice to know it's not just me!

 

This is a long term problem for me. I had bad financial problems and tended to

leave things as they stirred up bad feelings. With much yoga most things in life

have improved but I find it hard to ask people for money (I have even lost money

thru leaving it too long to invoice a customer!).

 

I believe procrastination occurs because our mind is 'away' full of 'noise' and

thinking of the future and external things that would be best left be at this

moment. So our yoga should help with this a lot.

 

But I have bcome used to being so much more positive calmer. These money things

stir up old negative feelings so detract from my newer nicer way of being. But

this shows these old feelings are still there - my new calmness is not totally

free - that old stuff is still there - more yoga needed!

 

I dont know any specific meditations for this.

There are other techniques. I used to make lists of what I had to do and keep

the old lists. When I felt like I was procrastinationg I would look at all the

crossed off old lists and realise I had done a lot so maybe wasn't such a

procrastinator as I 'felt' I was.

The lists also help to get things done. If you cover most of it and say

'I will do these 3 things - that is all I have to do now. I am here now is now

and I will do ths one now. If something difficult comes up I can cope with that

- because that was my thing - any little interference and I would treat it like

it was a disaster and beat myself up coz I couldn't cope with it and not do

anything. This seems like deep old negativity that I guess takes ages to go

away. My way of dealing with things has been an old deep habit.

The lists make it seem like small tasks and a small task can't have a big

disaster! So then that negativity is just not right! My subconciuos serving up

more nonsense and me acting like its still true!

 

Now I must confess this had a limited success for me! But I think having written

this it is time to go back to the lists.

Writing this has made me look a little bit at myself from a different angle

which has done some good - Thank you!

Keith.

[Guest guest]

Sat nam, Keith,

I'm a little late to say - Thank you for your response.

It was very interesting.

First, because you mention some money issues. I have that big time,

and your post made me wonder- is there some connection between

procrastination and money issues?

 

Also, I want to add something I have found very helpful - When I have

something I dont' want to do, I take a kitchen timer, and set it for

fifteen minutes. I tell myself I need only work on this task for 15

minutes. This serves two good ends. One is that sometimes I have

finished the whole task that I've been putting off in 15 minutes.

And-starting is often the hardest part, so once I start - I find I

continue til I finish.

And if neither of these two happen - at least I have made a beginning.

 

And regarding lists which you mention - this works very well for me.

Sometimes I " cheat " - I write down something I've already done, so I

can cross it off!

I do keep lists of 'to do's' as well as 'have done's', and it is

helpful as you say - in the case of 'have dones' I like to look at it,

and think, " there, I DO get things done. "

 

We need to give ourselves big credit for accomplishing things.

 

Also like you, I find that old negatives come up - and definitely the

answer is 'do more yoga'. I had a big upset yesterday, that resulted

in me waking up today with the old familiar feelings of rage, despair,

and hopelessness. I did my yoga set, and when I was done, I still had

some unpleasant business to deal with, but I felt so calm and centered

 

It's amazing.

 

Thanks so much, and good luck to you.

 

Sat nam,

Kartar Kaur

 

ps This is so wise- when you say: " The lists make it seem like small

tasks and a small task can't have a big disaster! So then that

negativity is just not right! My subconscious serving up more nonsense

and me acting like its still true! "

I resonate so much with all that you say.

 

Kundaliniyoga , Keith Bacon <biftonb wrote:

>

>

>

> --- On Sun, 11/2/08, rasheedaas <rasheedaas wrote:

> I am on day 32 of a 40-day set.....

>

> > The positive effects have been miraculous and transformative.

>

> > .... all my life procrastination has been an issue

> ....Since I started the practice it has worsened considerably.

>

> Nice to know it's not just me!

>

> This is a long term problem for me. I had bad financial problems and

tended to leave things as they stirred up bad feelings. With much yoga

most things in life have improved but I find it hard to ask people for

money (I have even lost money thru leaving it too long to invoice a

customer!).

>

> I believe procrastination occurs because our mind is 'away' full of

'noise' and thinking of the future and external things that would be

best left be at this moment. So our yoga should help with this a lot.

>

> But I have bcome used to being so much more positive calmer. These

money things stir up old negative feelings so detract from my newer

nicer way of being. But this shows these old feelings are still there

- my new calmness is not totally free - that old stuff is still there

- more yoga needed!

>

> I dont know any specific meditations for this.

> There are other techniques. I used to make lists of what I had to do

and keep the old lists. When I felt like I was procrastinationg I

would look at all the crossed off old lists and realise I had done a

lot so maybe wasn't such a procrastinator as I 'felt' I was.

> The lists also help to get things done. If you cover most of it and say

> 'I will do these 3 things - that is all I have to do now. I am here

now is now and I will do ths one now. If something difficult comes up

I can cope with that - because that was my thing - any little

interference and I would treat it like it was a disaster and beat

myself up coz I couldn't cope with it and not do anything. This seems

like deep old negativity that I guess takes ages to go away. My way of

dealing with things has been an old deep habit.

> The lists make it seem like small tasks and a small task can't have

a big disaster! So then that negativity is just not right! My

subconciuos serving up more nonsense and me acting like its still true!

>

> Now I must confess this had a limited success for me! But I think

having written this it is time to go back to the lists.

> Writing this has made me look a little bit at myself from a

different angle which has done some good - Thank you!

> Keith.

>

[Guest guest]

> is there some connection between

> procrastination and money issues?

Money problems causes stress and stress results in our minds being full of

pointless circular thoughts.

In my case I would mull over the past thinking 'Why did I do that when I should

have done that?' and

'How did I let myself get pushed into that'. 'What would have happened if i had

done this' etc etc etc.

Its hard to think clearly to make decisions about the future when the past keeps

intruding.

Yoga clears the negative traces of these past negative events - so simplifying

thinking.

 

These days I accept that the world is too complicated to fully understand and

all decisions involve guess work and assumptions. But when I got it wrong again

and again I started to think my guesses and assumptions must always be wrong and

got frightened to try new things - so procrastinated.

 

I realise now the ego is involved in this. In trying to pretend I am the centre

of everything then logically when something goes wrong it must be something I

did wrong. In its quest for order and control it took from me the knowledge that

things going badly might just be partly my fault and partly bad luck and its too

complicated to know how much of each is involved - random chance is behind a lot

of the universe. People died from the plague because they were born in the

plague times. We live more heathily and for longer because we are blessed to be

born in these times. But we are cursed by the modern plague of stress. Not

everyones external conditions are the same. As you see I don't believe in

external multi-life karma like many yogis! My belief in randomness means I am

not of much significance to the universe - which seems the opposite of what most

yogis believe. I'm not sure if there is a difference. If a meteor kills me one

may say it was gods will

another say it's my bad luck. Either way I can't change what the meteor does.

If I believe a meditaiton will protect me from meteors than that's different!

For me that is my ego conning me that I can do something that affects the

outside universe - which is not most yogis view it seems.

 

One joy of yoga has been (at long last!) the realisation that something bad

happening to me needn't hurt my core self (Sat Nam). A poor me is still me - I

just have different choices (and far fewer of them dammit!) from a well off me.

If I meet someone new they dont know or care if I am rich or poor. If my

poorness brings me down that interferes in the relationship. And yoga stops me

being brought down.

 

Instead of being afraid to make a choice because I have made so many bad ones I

can make choices knowing I have survived so far and my core self survived so why

not make a choice and see what happens. Which ever way it goes good or bad I am

still me and that is not affected (well not so much anyway!). I don't believe in

the idea that all things are equal - that is for advanced yogis! For me lack of

money spoils my life. I can't do level 2 training or go to the yoga festival or

workshops. I can't take my daughter on holiday or visit my parents very often as

travel is so expensive. This stuff sucks and anyone tries to tell me otherwise

will get it from me! It sucks but it hurts my surface - not my core. And I can

see that I appreciate Milton Keynes far more than most around me because I go by

bike not by car - in all the bad is still some good - the yin/yan thing!

 

I had much advice from people as things went downhill for me. They seemed to

think there was something I should be able to do that would sort everything out

- if not there must be something wrong with me. I tended to feel like that too

at times. I came to understand I am not a super-man and I was in a fix. All

possible choices led to some bad consequences as did doing nothing! 'Think

positive - write a best selling book - start a business' - yeah right! Do

prosperity meditaiton and something will come up! If it was that easy every poor

bum would be a best selling author!

 

Gosh what a rant! As you see I have much pent up rage and frustration - but even

that pollutes my mind less than it once did.

 

 

> Also, I want to add something I have found very helpful - When I have

> > something I dont' want to do, I take a kitchen timer, and set it for

> fifteen minutes..... at least I have made a beginning.

I do that - its better to make a start than do nothing and to notice those

negative thoughts coming as soon as it gets difficult. But the timer addition is

good. You are making a firm decision to proceed or not after 15 minutes.

Stopping the task may be still be failing - but it is also making a choice to

move on for now - putting you in charge of events. I thnk this idea may help me

- i shall try it.

 

> Sometimes I " cheat " - I write down something I've already done, so

> can cross it off!

Me too! It lets you see with the eyes that you can accomplish things when your

subconcious is trying to tell you you can't. This is a part of yoga and many

other things - get messages into the system through non-normal routes. The

subconcious has built strong defences against the normal routes of 'positive

thinking' and 'telling yourself'.

 

> We need to give ourselves big credit for accomplishing things.

Exactly. it's sadly natural (if you don't do yoga!) to over-exaggerate the

negatives.

 

 

> ...answer is 'do more yoga'. I had a big upset yesterday,

Sorry to hear that.

 

> I did my yoga set, and when I was done, I still had

> some unpleasant business to deal with, but I felt so calm and centered

> It's amazing.

It is indeed! The bigger the negative stimulus the more yoga is needed to beat

it!

(That's how they think in the Alexander Technique world - AT increases your

ability to deny a negative response to a negative stimulus).

 

 

> Thanks so much, and good luck to you.

Likewise

 

Keith.

[Guest guest]

I agree with Keith, both with the " motivation " post and this one. I

started a Yoga practice to relieve back pain -- and not only did it

eliminate my pain, it changed me -- and continues to change me in

ways that are more important than the physical changes.

 

I meet with a group studying " A Course in Miracles " , with teachings

very similiar to Kundalini Yoga's philosophy -- about letting go of

the past, about the ego trying to " control " us, etc.

 

It might be worth checking out -- sometimes the Kundalini Yoga

teachings are difficult to comprehend -- and ACIM has " workbook "

lessons to help us re-program our minds.

 

Moderator: 'sometimes the teachingns are difficult to comprehend', which opens

the door for us to disengage the intellectual mind and

work on developing our inner guidance.

 

Either way, I believe if we " keep on truckin' " we find that our

deeper self begins to understand inspite of our ego or our " logical "

mind.

 

Pamela

 

Kundaliniyoga , Keith Bacon <biftonb wrote:

>

> > is there some connection between

> > procrastination and money issues?

> Money problems causes stress and stress results in our minds being

full of pointless circular thoughts.

> In my case I would mull over the past thinking 'Why did I do that

when I should have done that?' and

> 'How did I let myself get pushed into that'. 'What would have

happened if i had done this' etc etc etc.

> Its hard to think clearly to make decisions about the future when

the past keeps intruding.

> Yoga clears the negative traces of these past negative events - so

simplifying thinking.

>

> These days I accept that the world is too complicated to fully

understand and all decisions involve guess work and assumptions. But

when I got it wrong again and again I started to think my guesses and

assumptions must always be wrong and got frightened to try new

things - so procrastinated.

>snip...

[Guest guest]

Keith: " Gosh what a rant! "

 

But a very useful 'rant'. (smile)

 

I get a lot out of your posts and am going to print this one so I can

read it intently.

Do pls 'rant' whenever you feel like it.

 

Sat nam,

Kartar Kaur