Longer meditation time?

[WhiteCrane38]

I know that people say you should not meditate for more than 20 min twice each day because it may make you feel strange or whatever but how come the Indian Yogis etc meditate for a lot longer and seem to have no ill effects?

[Richard]

Its not a matter of ill effects its a matter of functioning in the everyday world. In the west we have different responsibilities we go to work and take care of our families. AYP is all about combining this with yoga and raising the consciousness of all mankind.

The sort of Yoga you are talking about is best performed in isolation or in Ashrams where there is a one to one relationship with a teacher. Extended periods of meditation can produce an other worldliness that could make functioning in the everyday world difficult and even dangerous.

Richard

[Anthem]

Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements presents an interesting theory on this in the book "Beyond Fear".

"In India time moves very slowly. It is appropriate there to meditate for hours and hours, to stop the reasoning mind and to transcend. However, for us to go to India and try to transcend is difficult. In the West, we have a sense of urgency to understand everything, which the Indians lack.  As a result, our way is faster than India. It is easier to adapt the knowledge of the Toltecs or any other systems of native Western knowledge and learn to transform here than it is in India."

[riptiz]

Hi Anthem,
I'm afraid I disagree witht the statement in his book that in the west we can do it quicker.That is not my experience and I don't see how when one can spend many hours daily in practice it is possible to return to the west using limited practice time and achieve more.For many years there were books on yoga printed saying that certain techniques were unsafe to be used without correct guidance.Although much of these thoughts are probably written because very little info was given on correct practice in my experience guidance by an experienced guru is still required.I agree that much good advice is given here(much is inner guidance and not experiental though)but for the really difficult subjects some of the advice falls short.This is not meant as a criticism but an observation and nobody has all the answers.Even some famed guru's have failed to help ones who have or are suffering spontaneous awakening with some of the horrible experiences that can go with it.Unfortunately even some of the famed guru's can only offer suggestions at times in the hope of one gaining relief. The restriction on meditation time for self pacing is a safeguard to minimise extreme cleansing effects and even this time is too much for some(look at some of the horror stories from TM). A realised guru can balance the energies of one in trouble where all else fails to alleviate the symptoms.Thankfully I have never experienced the problems that others have no matter how long I meditate daily but we are all different and I am prepared to put up with cleansing as I progress further although i don't suffer often.
L&L
Dave

[david_obsidian]

I know that people say you should not meditate for more than 20 min twice each day because it may make you feel strange or whatever but how come the Indian Yogis etc meditate for a lot longer and seem to have no ill effects?

How much is good to meidtate for is all about the larger context here in the West just as it is for those guys in India.  A lot has to do with the community or life-situation you are in at the time, whether temporarily or long-term.  It's recognized here that it can be helpful sometimes to do more than 20 minutes twice a day, such as when on is 'on retreat'.  It's just that when you are living an active 'householder' life,  more than this 20 minutes twice daily is likey to be more than optimal for most people most of the time.

[Maximus]

For me whose personal life is stress filled, many times the mind oscillates away from the mantra and ponders over the happenings of the day, so unless I meditate for more time I'm not able to get the calm feeling of having meditated and quitened the jittering mind.

[Kyman]

How long do you usually meditate for?

I have a piece of advice, initially though, and that is to experiment thinking about your life from different perspectives.  I have so much drama around me it is extremely draining.  I am an open heart who is ready to have intimacy almost all the time, so experiencing the harsh emotions around me really messes up my clarity at times.  I try to remember that I care about the world around me and look at it from a more impersonal/balanced view.

One person in particular was able to charm my anger out very easily.  I made a lost of progress reminding myself that I loved this person no matter what.  When I nursed that love to the surface of my mind, I looked on the behavior in a light which allowed me to maintain peace of mind.

[mysticyogi]

quote:Originally posted by Anthem11

Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements presents an interesting theory on this in the book "Beyond Fear".

"In India time moves very slowly. It is appropriate there to meditate for hours and hours, to stop the reasoning mind and to transcend. However, for us to go to India and try to transcend is difficult. In the West, we have a sense of urgency to understand everything, which the Indians lack.  As a result, our way is faster than India. It is easier to adapt the knowledge of the Toltecs or any other systems of native Western knowledge and learn to transform here than it is in India."

I strongly disagree. It is clear that the author has not understood the Indian culture correctly or he is writing with some different context. City life in India is definately busy. If you go there you will know how time flies with a speed of light. Even in villages though there is no "visible" rush in terms of traffic and trains people are busy earning their bread and butter. Nobody is sitting idle waiting for something to happen. So a vague statement like "In India time moves very slowly" is wrong. The author says "As a result, our way is faster than India.". Sorry but I believe that there is NO shortcut for self-realization. Period.

[david_obsidian]

Yeah.  The author may have learned about India from Disney's 'Jungle Book'.    It's very presumptious too to say 'our way is faster'.

[Alvin Chan]

You guys have to come to Hong Kong to see what "a fast pace" really means. One of the tourist's must-see scene is Central in the morning: you will find thousands of people rushing across the roads---and with sandwiches or cup noodles in their mouths.

I lived in USA for 8 mouths some years ago. It's really slow and relaxing. I love that kind of life and wish I was born in USA-- but don't tell me that it's "fast".

oh, have to rush to my bedroom now

[AYPadmin]

Anahora
Sweden
12 Posts

Posted - Dec 31 2019 :  1:39:02 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Reply  Reply with Quote  View user's IP address  Get a Link to this Reply  Delete Reply
Is it okay to do breath meditation for as long as you like despite having a two 30 min pranayama and DM session, furthermore can I for instance do another 30 minutes of breath meditation directly after DM with or without rest?

Kind regards




Dogboy
USA
1711 Posts

Posted - Dec 31 2019 :  6:50:52 PM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Reply  Reply with Quote  View user's IP address  Get a Link to this Reply  Delete Reply
Welcome Anahora

The baseline AYP practices and time limits are considered safe and steady for most yogis, some require less and some desire more. Only you can police your practices, and keep in mind, there may be delayed purification; if you wish to increase time, do so in a gradual way. Rather than immediately adding thirty minutes, start with five for a few weeks to gauge how you are adjusting.

PS- always rest afterwards, it is an important step when moving from your inward attention to your outward attention.
Edited by - Dogboy on Dec 31 2019 6:53:09 PM