Shamia
USA
3 Posts
Posted - Oct 20 2019 : 11:38:17 PM
Does kundalini awakening affects our sanskaras?
i do vipassana, which is about cleansing you of old samskaras or patterns rooted in subconscious mind. A deep cleansing till complete purification, which is liberation. my question is, does kundalini awakening also cleans the subconscious mind from the patterns or samskaras the way vipassana does, or is it only about getting supper natural power?
thank you
Edited by - Shamia on Oct 21 2019 10:38:15 PM
Charliedog
1594 Posts
Posted - Oct 23 2019 : 08:32:45 AM
Hi Shamia, welcome to AYP
Kundalini means coiled or dormant. Kundalini awakening means uncoiling the pranic currents. We open up to a broader perspective of life itself. Opening up means also the ability to see and recognize old patterns or samskaras. It is a journey, a process with many steps. Spiritual practices, like vipassana, yoga etc. and life itself will eventually lead to kundalini awakening, purification and liberation. Different traditions will use different words for the same beautiful journey of life.
Reading the
lessons on this website might give you insights in this journey.
Shamia
USA
3 Posts
Posted - Oct 23 2019 : 9:43:30 PM
Thanks for your response. You went upto knowing samskaras. My question was resolving samskaras, unweaving the karma. It would be great If you could explain that, or reffer me to some source, or do both. I hear in the history of Hindu mythology about great rishis who had extra ordinary power but at a certain stimulus they would express their samskaras of anger , lust, arrogance etc. That caused me assume that one can practice the path of Shakti and achieve reach its peaks and still remain impure with past samskaras within them..I would appreciate any explanation...
Charliedog
1594 Posts
Posted - Oct 24 2019 : 04:34:48 AM
quote:
I hear in the history of Hindu mythology about great rishis who had extra ordinary power but at a certain stimulus they would express their samskaras of anger , lust, arrogance etc.
I hear those stories too. Having extra ordinary powers could be a pitfall on the path. Cultivating 'abiding inner silence' 'the Witness' is the most important. Reading through the lessons, as said above will maybe explain you more. Do however not forget that it is our daily practice that will lead us to understanding.
With deep meditation, we are cultivating the natural presence of inner silence within ourselves, an abiding stillness that penetrates all of our thoughts, feelings and actions. This innate stillness, also referred to as pure bliss consciousness, is beyond the ups and downs of life. Life goes on as it did before, but stillness resides in us as a silent witness that we recognize as our transcendent Self. As we come to know our Self beyond the many influences in our life, it has a profound effect on the way we view events. We see life occurring as change on the ocean of our stillness. Even catastrophic events will be unable to touch us in our deepest realm of Self-awareness.
This is the transcendence of karma. It is not the elimination of karma. Karma will go on, but our relationship with it will change, and its role in our life will change also. "Yogani"
Some source,
Lesson 343 What is KarmaLesson 344 Transcending KarmaEdited by - Charliedog on Oct 24 2019 06:37:21 AM
Shamia
USA
3 Posts
Posted - Oct 24 2019 : 5:03:21 PM
extra ordinary power could be a "sign of progress" in the path rather than a "pitfall". i would rather say "attachment" to the power could be pitfall.
regarding our discussion i think it is expanding and i hope we can bring it back again to my main question.
So, as i gather, you seem to mean that the path of kundalini yoga involves silent observation and stillness. does that mean you only observe silently and don't try to manipulate your breath and movement of the vital energy and try to direct them in certain pathways based on knowledge you get either from outside but mostly by inspiration from inside, by the shakti itself, who guides you to actively take part in the process?
angeleeyes
104 Posts
Posted - Oct 24 2019 : 5:32:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Shamia
I hear in the history of Hindu mythology about great rishis who had extra ordinary power but at a certain stimulus they would express their samskaras of anger , lust, arrogance etc. That caused me assume that one can practice the path of Shakti and achieve reach its peaks and still remain impure with past samskaras within them.
Based on ayp lessons "samyama is the source of siddhis."(
https://www.aypsite.com/76.html) and "Morally, it is a self-regulating practice" (
https://www.aypsite.com/149.html) meaning you cannot use it to fulfill your personal desires.
But as Shamia mentioned there are many stories of so called misusing siddhis. In one of his talks sadhguru (Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev - Founder of Isha Foundation) mentioned that he is extra careful with those who are given samyama practice so they don't do something wrong with it.
Considering these it seems samyama is not "Morally self-regulating ". And it is possible to achieve these powers while your ego is still there.
Charliedog
1594 Posts
Posted - Oct 25 2019 : 01:38:00 AM
Hi Shamia,
quote:
regarding our discussion i think it is expanding and i hope we can bring it back again to my main question.
What I do is trying to guide you to the lessons. Why? Because your questions are not easy to answer in a few sentences. The questions ask for expansion to see the whole picture.
quote:
So, as i gather, you seem to mean that the path of kundalini yoga involves silent observation and stillness. does that mean you only observe silently and don't try to manipulate your breath and movement of the vital energy and try to direct them in certain pathways based on knowledge you get either from outside but mostly by inspiration from inside, by the shakti itself, who guides you to actively take part in the process?
What is AYP (Advanced Yoga Practices)?
The AYP techniques act directly through heart, mind, body, breath and sexuality. Practices taught include Deep Meditation using an efficient universal mantra, advanced Spinal Breathing Pranayama methods, Samyama, Self-Inquiry, and an integration of Hatha, Kundalini and Tantra techniques, all for steadily cultivating inner peace and enlightenment through an easy daily practice. Everyone is encouraged to go at their own speed in taking on new practices. Much attention is devoted in AYP to developing skill in "self-pacing," with the aim of assisting every practitioner to become self-sufficient with these powerful tools that cultivate human spiritual transformation.
If you find the introductory resources on this website helpful on your path, consider taking action to go much deeper, greatly benefiting yourself and many others. AYP is sustained and continues to move forward as a dynamic global community of practitioners, teachers and volunteers through book sales, AYP Plus subscriptions, Retreats and Teacher Training Courses, and private donations. However you choose to get involved, your participation and support will be much appreciated, accelerating your own spiritual progress while helping to share the AYP teachings and programs with many around the world.
The author, Yogani, is an American spiritual scientist with 50 years experience in blending powerful yoga methods with the modern lifestyle. The focus here is on revealing practices that work, not on promoting a sectarian view. All are invited to join in, regardless of background or level of skill in spiritual practice. This is a flexible, scientific approach rather than a rigid, arbitrary one. The author has no desire for guru status - only to have the joy of making a contribution to helping the formerly secret disciplines of effective spiritual practice become open and useful for everyone. He wishes to remain anonymous, preserving a quiet life in practices. AYP is not about the author. It is about all who long for knowledge.
It is hoped you will find the AYP teachings and programs to be useful resources as you travel along your chosen spiritual path. Practice wisely, and enjoy!
The guru is in you.
The lessons start
hereEnjoy
chas
USA
204 Posts
Posted - Oct 25 2019 : 03:28:54 AM
Samskaras can be thought of as unresolved problems that distort perception. Consider a traumatic event from the past. Perhaps someone treated us poorly and it was not possible to resolve it at the time.
We have the memory and we have an emotional connection to the event. This is referred to as a kind of coloring of the memory in yoga. For example, when I was a child, a dear member of my family was having a bad day and did something terrible to me. I could not make sense of it then. "What did I do to you?," I wondered. It turned into resentment, anger, and depression. I carried this unresolved event and others like it for a long time. My perception was oriented through it, like a particular lens through which I viewed it and associated experiences. Since mind relies significantly on associations, this becomes a larger influence in life than is healthy, true, or necessary. Associations activate samskaras.
How are these things reconciled? In my experience, it is in seeing them from a higher point of view. In yoga, it is said that samyama is the process by which the discoloration of samskaras takes place. A different way of saying the same thing. Samadhi is the place within us that is both unaffected by events and is the power that cleanses the past and recurring problems.
Samyama can be done on anything that can be perceived, including memories, traumas, obstructions, samskaras, etc. When our absorption in samadhi occurs, the object of perception is also absorbed and purified by pure consciousness. The memory remains, but the negative coloring is removed. Ex.- in integrating the experience in samyama, I can see that the problem with my loved one was not personal- he was having a bad day, and there were other factors involved (including unresolved problems) - things that I hadn't considered when I was 5 years old. Now the memories activate compassion/love/understanding in contrast to the previous subjective conditions.
With all the different factors, it can seem complex in details and simplified into the nature of consciousness... In essence the view becomes expanded. There is a larger picture that becomes known as the process is integrated.
Kundalini supercharges the process. For one, she opens our energy body and enhances meditation. Kundalini churns the ocean of consciousness and brings up a lot of things in us that need reconciliation. Otherwise, it can take a very long time to even become aware of old problems still affecting us and our life experience.
Edited by - chas on Oct 25 2019 04:46:32 AM
Dogboy
USA
1711 Posts
Posted - Oct 25 2019 : 12:30:07 PM
Nice explanation, Chas
jusmail
India
486 Posts
Posted - Oct 26 2019 : 03:55:36 AM
quote:
Originally posted by angeleeyes
Based on ayp lessons "samyama is the source of siddhis."(
https://www.aypsite.com/76.html) and "Morally, it is a self-regulating practice" (
https://www.aypsite.com/149.html) meaning you cannot use it to fulfill your personal desires.
But as Shamia mentioned there are many stories of so called misusing siddhis. In one of his talks sadhguru (Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev - Founder of Isha Foundation) mentioned that he is extra careful with those who are given samyama practice so they don't do something wrong with it.
Considering these it seems samyama is not "Morally self-regulating ". And it is possible to achieve these powers while your ego is still there.
The samyama in Isha foundation is a different practice than the samyama we do here.
angeleeyes
104 Posts
Posted - Oct 26 2019 : 5:07:32 PM
quote:
Originally posted by jusmail
The samyama in Isha foundation is a different practice than the samyama we do here.
The principles of samyama are unique. Maybe Isha samyama is more intense.
Christi
United Kingdom
3682 Posts
Posted - Oct 26 2019 : 5:26:47 PM
quote:
Originally posted by angeleeyes
quote:
Originally posted by Shamia
I hear in the history of Hindu mythology about great rishis who had extra ordinary power but at a certain stimulus they would express their samskaras of anger , lust, arrogance etc. That caused me assume that one can practice the path of Shakti and achieve reach its peaks and still remain impure with past samskaras within them.
Based on ayp lessons "samyama is the source of siddhis."(
https://www.aypsite.com/76.html) and "Morally, it is a self-regulating practice" (
https://www.aypsite.com/149.html) meaning you cannot use it to fulfill your personal desires.
But as Shamia mentioned there are many stories of so called misusing siddhis. In one of his talks sadhguru (Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev - Founder of Isha Foundation) mentioned that he is extra careful with those who are given samyama practice so they don't do something wrong with it.
Considering these it seems samyama is not "Morally self-regulating ". And it is possible to achieve these powers while your ego is still there.
Hi Angeleyes,
Siddhis, or spiritual powers, can and do develop at some point, for everyone who practices yoga. They can develop as a result of any effective yoga practice, not only samyama. They are the result of the inner senses awakening due to the purification of the subtle neurobiology and also a result of heightened perception resulting from transcendence (samadhi).
The reason that the AYP samyama technique is said to be morally self-regulating is because it is only effective when we are able to touch upon (release things into) inner silence. If there is an egoic personal motivation behind the practice, then that negative vibration would disturb the inner silence making the practice ineffective. When the mind is at peace, then the practice becomes effective.
This is from the Samyama book,
page 24:
"Fortunately, samyama is a morally self-regulating practice, which means inner silence (samadhi) is the prerequisite for success in samyama. Inner silence is beyond ego consciousness. If there is inner silence, there will also be rising moral responsibility and conduct (yama and niyama), due to the natural connectedness of all the limbs of yoga. Along with this comes dispassion for the external performances of siddhis. Interestingly, the more advanced we become in our samyama practice, the less attachment we will have to the results. The flip side of this is that the more interested we are in siddhis, the less effective our samyama will be, because we will have less inner silence. This is self-regulation coming from within." [Yogani]
This does not mean that yogis cannot abuse their spiritual powers and there are certainly many examples of yogis doing this. So it is good to be cautious when siddhis begin to manifest. The general advice is not to use them and to not become distracted by them.
Christi
angeleeyes
104 Posts
Posted - Oct 26 2019 : 10:26:34 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Christi
The reason that the AYP samyama technique is said to be morally self-regulating is because it is only effective when we are able to touch upon (release things into) inner silence. If there is an egoic personal motivation behind the practice, then that negative vibration would disturb the inner silence making the practice ineffective. When the mind is at peace, then the practice becomes effective.
This does not mean that yogis cannot abuse their spiritual powers and there are certainly many examples of yogis doing this.
Hi Christi, hope you are well,
Thank you for your response.
I don't see why inner silence should be disturbed by a personal motivation? In my understanding inner silence is more like space. It cannot be disturbed by anything. It is pure possibility and anything can be manifested from it. The moral/immoral and using or abusing issue is a human thing, our interpretation.
To me it feels more like a mental trick so that the practitioner cannot use it for his personal desires whatsoever.
Edited by - angeleeyes on Oct 27 2019 04:21:13 AM
Christi
United Kingdom
3682 Posts
Posted - Oct 27 2019 : 05:55:06 AM
Hi Angeleeyes,
Although it is true to say that inner silence cannot be disturbed by anything, our experience of it can be, and usually is.
When different people meditate, some will experience inner silence (samadhi) and others won't. The difference is caused by the nature of the fluctuations of the mind (vrittis). When the fluctuations of the mind are very calm and of a sattvic (pure) nature, then we will naturally experience inner silence. But if the fluctuations of the mind are strong and of a tamasic (dull), or rajasic (egoic/ overactive) nature, then there will be too much disturbance for inner silence to be experienced.
So the very presence of negative egoic desires (powerful rajasic fluctuations), will prevent inner silence from being experienced. And without the experience of inner silence, samyama becomes ineffective.
On top of this, inner silence is not simply a neutral "space" from which anything can manifest. Inner silence has qualities to it and a transformational power. It has the qualities of peace, joy, freedom and love. So, the more time we spend abiding in samadhi, the more we realize these qualities to be the very nature of our own being. The transformational power of inner silence is that if negative emotions such as anger or fear are released into inner silence, they dissolve. If positive qualities such as joy and the aspiration for liberation are released into inner silence, they become amplified. So, inner silence (samadhi) has the power to transform and is in fact the most powerful transformational force in yoga.
Christi
