Practice Report - Alfredo D - Friday 11/16/2012

Meditationtime Forum Post

Date:  Posted 5 years before Nov 28, 2017

Alfredo 5 years ago

ॐ नमः शिवाय

AM Practice

Practice was good overall and lasted 80 minutes.

Svadhyaya: Continued with “Meditation Pictorial”, Chapter 14: “Thought Concentration”.

Dedication: 5-minute mantra session invocation of Lord Shiva. Practice dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Breath Infusion: 45 minutes of Bhastrika prânâyâma while doing several asanas. Infusion emphasis was on the lower trunk and then on the feet. The lower trunk infusion was like every day when preparing for soliciting Kundalini up Sushumna Nadi, the feet, according to recent comment “The Subtle Body Reconfigured”, is when the infusion go straight into the lower extremities, in this case, the feet.

Meditation: Consisted of 30 minutes with strict concentration on Naad sound. Naad was very strong coming from the left ear.

Spiritual State of Mind: It continues to be challenged in the subtle realm by the low quality of dreams. Otherwise, during waking hours, the mind, perhaps as a result of the continuing meditation, is less prone to wandering thoughts and when facing negative thinking, is able to swing out of them by rapid use of Pratipaksha Bhavana.

Dream recall: 1 dream recalled.

MiBeloved 5 years ago

Please explain Pratipaksha Bhavana to non-hindi/sanskrit readers.

Alfredo 5 years ago

वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्शभावनमः ॥ ३३॥

vitarkabādhane pratipakśabhāvanamḥ - 33 -

vitarka = doubt

bādhane = disturbance

pratipakśa =what is opposite or contrary

bhāvanamḥ = manifesting, imagining

In the case of the annoyance produced by doubts, one should conceive of what is opposite.

So, this technique is used in yoga to exchange a bad or negative thought, for a good or positive one, on account that the mind can only entertain one thought at a time. A mantra is a typical example of the use of this technique. It usually follows 3 stages: 1) negation or dilution of attention of the negative thought (example, you are driving and a negative thought arises); b) Substitution by a positive thought, but if one practices Brahman-Abhyasa (thinking of God or a deity), then the best positive thought is that, and a mantra (like ॐ नमः शिवाय Om Namah Shivaya) can be used for that purpose; c) Sublimation or evaporation of the negative thought.

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PM Practice

Practice was very good and lasted 70 minutes.

Breath Infusion: Consisted of a 30-minute Bhastrika prânâyâma practice. Kundalini was successfully solicited and raised up sushumna twice during the practice. Practice was strenuous and strong.

Meditation: Consisted of 40 minutes with concentration on Naad sound. Naad sound was coming at a higher pitch from the left ear.