Morning Practice 6/8/2012
Meditationtime Forum Post
Date: Posted 3 years before Jan 10, 2016
Alfredo 3 years ago
Woke up at 4 AM, but Tamas was prevalent, body tired, went back to sleep till 6 AM. Somehow I knew this would happen. I always do. The Buddhi seems to decide in advance to indulge Kundalini before going to sleep, and even though its reasons are plausible, it says otherwise, but you know it is not true. Besides the body is 57, and although has more wisdom, physically is not what it was 20 years ago. Plausible reasons are: waking up early for so many days, then an involved day of work yesterday training a low educated audience. I am lucky I work 1, perhaps 2 days max weekly, being a highly paid professional is enough, and I give time to Yoga. Training others drains you. For it to be effective you must have a reserve of psychic energy and control the audience's "collective mind" from the onset. The key then is very slow, clear, speech, mastering pauses, and also a true concern for the welfare of others. Joking in the middle is good. Any nervousness is picked up by the audience right away and can wreck the message.So I did 15 minute Kapalabhati, this time using the neck lock properly, thus even though it was as hard as yesterday, there was no giddiness in the head. Tried 2 asanas instead of 1. For the sake of it, tried Michael's movement in video, jumping up and down while doing the pranayama, this requires coordination although the Kapalabathi reflex by this time is almost back naturally. Followed with 15 minutes Nadi Shodana. Also, did body movements to redirect the prana.
I wanted to leave the pranayama behind and meditate instead. Did Kriya meditation. This meditation is done in Kechari Mudra (tongue rolled-up). Stayed in Shambavi Mudra for several minutes. This was perhaps the hallmark of the great Swami Shriyukteshwar.
He would stay in Shambavi Mudra on a tiger skin for hours in front of his residence/ashram (Karar Ashram in Puri, Orissa). Meditation was good. There was a feeling of holiness in the room. Pictures and portraits of saints and yogis help. Written instructions in the hand of Swami Hariharananda also help. Light after Jyoti Mudra much better, pointing to partial blockage removal, sun in center of third eye delineated but still green, and not orange as it should be.
MiBeloved 3 years ago
Shambhavi Mudra!
Nice!
Try it at first doing bhastrika with focus of breath moving through the third eye.
Keep fingers pressed against the closed eyes and focus in the center. As fingers are pressed squeeze the eyelids down firmly on the eyes.Then tell us what you see or if the green color develops into something else.
Nice picture of the guruji!
Inspiring!Dear Beloved 3 years ago
What is Shambavi Mudra?
Alfredo 3 years ago
Dear Beloved’s Query: What is Shambavi Mudra?
Alfredo’s Response:
Look at the eyes of the Swami in the picture above, then also in the picture below. The one below is in front of Swamiji's residence/ashram (it was his family home) Karar Ashram (his original last name before Sannyasa was Karar), Puri, Orissa. The gaze is firmly maintained completely up, in this Kriya Mudra, there he is also in Kechari Mudra, meaning the tongue inside the mouth is rolled-up. He would stay like that for hours, I have stayed several times for one hour. Soon a light (Jyoti) starts building on the top border of any object up front. The original instruction calls for the thoughtless state (Paravastha) while exercising this Mudra, and one blinking means one thought. By the way, the name of Swamiji is not Sri Yukteshwar, but very originally, one word, Swami Shriyukteshwar Giri.
MiBeloved 3 years ago
See Shambhavi Mudra file at this link.
(There are variations of this according to the particular sect.)
http://inselfyoga.com/m/files/home/
The Word Giri is one of four award name-words which means that a person has taken the sannyasi vow (Swami status) of not ever getting married and following certain ascetic traditions.
The four primary end names are:
Giri
Bharati
Tirtha
SaraswathiAlfredo 3 years ago
Thanks, yes I know about the award names or groups (Shankaracharya), Giri meaning "mountain". The reason I made the salvation about Swamiji's name is because Hariharanandaji told us personally. Notice one would not say Swami Sri Yogananda, but better Sri Swami Yogananda, why then say Swami Sri Yukteshwar, this is a hint, as his monastic name was unique and one word, Swami Shriyukteshwar. Even the Self Realization Fellowship was not clear about that.
MiBeloved 3 years ago
It may be tied to one word and one word only which is shree (shri) which is an honoric title meaning tht someone is graced or has divine energy and exudes spiritrual charisma.
In the case of putting it before the Swami word, it means that he is that due to his swami award, but when it is put before the guy's name with swami before shri, then it means that the guy was that even before his swami award.
But you can check with guruji Hariharananda about this astrally or by meditative contact.Alfredo 3 years ago
OK, so far I only remember that it was a one word name.
Also, Hariharanandaji told me his Kriya Yoga was Chaturanga Yoga (4 - instead of Ashtanga - 8), I forgot why...do you know why?
MiBeloved 3 years ago
Even if it is a one word name that only means that it is written or said in that way. It is still a compound Sanskrit word which means that it has actually three Sanskrit words namely shri + yukta+isha, one i-ending noun and two a-ending nouns in a specific compound configuration.
I don’t know what the chaturanga Yoga is defined as but I know that it is does not tally with the ashtanga yoga, it has no value in so far as the human psyche is the same. Gas combustion engines made or invented in Japan and those invented in USA can only have superficial differences if they deliver a certain mileage, because it is the materials involved, the fuel and the combustion chamber which really dictates what has to be manufactured to make it work.
To me and this is me all the way, no guru even God cannot come up with a new system of yoga that supersedes what Patanjali wrote or what Krishna told Uddhava in great detail in the Uddhava Gita.
Gorakshnatha Mahayogin laid down a yoga system of only 6 parts, leaving out the two parts of yama and niyama but it is the same ashtanga yoga with those two parts integrated into the life of the student from his background in a culture which enforced that morality and lifestyle value system on their children.
I am sold on Patanjali and any other guru from any other lineage who has a system which is other than that, is pure mad in my opinion. Just to let you know my position for future reference.
Every group likes to stick out with something special but as far as I am concerned that is for groupie disciples. Under the hood, there must be an engine which really burns gas and gives us the mileage and that engine has to confirm not to the inventor or guru but to the material involved, in this case the screwed-up human psyche.
People are always carried away about Sanskrit words, for instance you must know of the Swaminarayana sampradaya of Gujarat. Well they are always stressing that Swaminaranayna is one word.
What?
It is not one word it is actually at least 3 words, Swami, nara, ayana. And it is nominally at least two words Swami and Narayana. That’s it!
However see this opinion that chaturanga yoga (or caturanga yoga) is the four higher aspects of the Patanjali yoga system:
http://www.prajnanamission.org/magazines/english/2010/sthita-prajna-july-2010-india.pdf
Alfredo 3 years ago
Yes, the link above comes from the same source, the Prajnana Mission was started by Swami Prajnanananda, the hand-picked successor of Hariharanandaji.
Basically I catered to Hariharananda but decided not to to his successor. I also saw how some of the other Swamis scattered to the 4 winds after Swamiji passed away, one got married and then divorced, he is now a yogi, or so he says, the other was struggling in Cal to start his own Guru-business. All this is described one way or another in your "Spiritual Master".
So, I have no problem at all to stick to the best, meaning Patanjali. Play of words and facile solutions when it comes to comprising knowledge for shortcuts I do not approve of. However, I am kind of an opportunist in that when people ask me why I like Hindu stuff, practice yoga, is not yoga, is God what I am after...how do I get there? So if I want a good car, I don't go to Peru to get it, but to Detroit or Milan. Likewise, if someone invented the wheel I will use it, then use the best wheel.
MiBeloved 3 years ago
I agree about the use of the already invented wheel.
Science does that and it has pushed itself ahead by doing that, so we also should learn a lesson from this.
