quote:
Originally posted by Blanche
Wow, Albert, you got to this stage in only 8 months! This is light-speed progress. You will get to Kechari in this life. Some people take 2 months, some take 20 years. Just keep doing what you are doing.
As about the Siddhasana (the sitting on the heal), practicing Mahamudra at least a couple of times on each side before each sitting should help loosen the hip and knee joints. Mahamudra also stretches the back, keeps the spinal cord flexible - and stretches the susumna, ida and pingala, the subtle nadis of energy. See 4a in the asana program:
http://www.aypsite.com/plus/asana.html
Thank you everyone for practicing![3]
Blanche,
You the old saying,
Practice makes perfect I really began to dabble in this about a year ago after purchasing Yogani's Meditation book last August and then this Pranayama book in September. But it wasn't until the first of this year that I made a commitment to do it by making it a regular habit. I then re-read both books and began my journey. I have read about 5 or 6 of the little books, and also working through Volume 1 of his Easy Lessons book with plans to read all his books.
I add a little ever month or so and as I approach my 9th month of practice the times increase to over an hour twice daily.
Asana: 10+ minutes
SB: 10 min
Chin Pump: 5 min
Brastika: 2 min
DM: 20 min
Samyama: 10 min
Yoni: 4-5 min
Rest: 10 min
I do the above 2x daily on empty stomach and also before bed I do 3-5 min SBP, 5-10min DM, then get into bed and do Cosmic Samyama. Plus about Amaroli ~ 3 ounces with water upon awakening.
As for sitting with legs crossed I can only do 10 - 15minutes so by the time I get to DM I must move to a chair. I hope to increase those times over time.
I would not say I am advanced as I cannot visualize the spinal tube or my breath going straight up or down but it is getting slowly better.
I do have some tangible results in feeling my body filled with some type of energy which mostly end in my fingers. Actually, there were stages when then my fingers would fill with energy during practice, sometimes a lot. My fingers would feel like they were being pumped up, at first I called them 'finger hard-ons' for lack of a better word but that description seemed perfect. Fingers will fill up with energy and push out and up so my hands are often supported by my wrists, the finger end points up. On occasion during pranayama the energy gets so strongly that my hands vibrate but this is easily adjusted with a hand mudra - where I feel the energy flowing out my fingertips. I is a little less recently, possibly due to clearing more out of the nervous system.
During the day, if I relax and do Sambhavi, energy runs down my arms and inflates them so my arms begin to float up to an almost horizontal position. I am not trying to be rude when I say this is like 'arm hard ons' as energy, instead of blood, fills my limbs. This and the slight vibratory energy that is often present at my fingertips is probably my best personal benchmark for progress. Kundalini has not risen up but energy seems to be permeating out.