Tips on Managing Practices

[Shanti]

We have a lot of good advice that is spread all over the forum and in different lessons.
I have put together a few of tips that I thought were good to keep in mind as we move along. Also a few of the lessons that are referred to very often and can be very helpful to keep in mind.
 
Please do add more.

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1-If in your every day life there are energy over loads, irritation, anger, feeling lethargic, in other words if your every day life is not smooth, then you need to self pace. For some tips on self pacing please look here.
http://www.aypsite.com/plus/219.html
 
2-Heat is purification, as are various levels of pleasure, discomfort, twitches, pricks, physical movements (auto-yoga), energy rushes, etc... if they get too much to handle... self pace.
 
3-Self pacing- as a rule.. if there is excess energy during your practice, however this is not causing discomfort during practice and this does not run into your every day life then you do not need to self pace.. it's only if this excess energy starts interfering with your practice and every day life then self pacing is required.

4-During practice/meditation if the experience becomes so intense that favoring the practice becomes difficult, then we just let go and be with the experience. That will help the purification resolve, and then we can go back to practice.
 
5-Add a new practice only when completely comfortable with the ones that you already doing.
 
6-Remember, every small thing you add to your routine requires an adjustment phase.. so even adding amaroli, or a new stage of kacheri.. is actually adding a new step to your routine.
 
7-Experiences that come up during meditation and practice are good but do not get attached to them... always favor your practice.

8-Come out of meditation slowly and take rest for 3-5 mins or more if required.. Yogani even suggests if you need it, you can lie down for a bit. This does help in cutting down on irritation and anger during the day.

9-Don't forget to do some grounding exercises to keep everything in balance. Walking is very grounding.

A few lessons to keep in mind.
For Kumdalini symptoms and how to handle them/ pita overload info
http://www.aypsite.com/plus/69.html

How to fit yoga into a busy schedule
http://www.aypsite.com/plus/209.html

The eight limbs of yoga
http://www.aypsite.com/plus/149.html

Mantra Design 101
http://www.aypsite.com/plus/188.html

Yogani's Ayurveda Diet Guidelines (to pacify imbalances in Vata, Pitta or Kapha)
http://www.aypsite.com/plus/ayurveda-diets.html

[Hunter]

Thank you Shanti. Those guidelines will be very helpful; the self-pacing has been challenging for me.

[sadhak]

Hi Shanti,
Thanks for putting it all together. Read this after my post on Babably's thread on housecleaning. Maybe I ought to drop Shambhavi... though I was already doing all these (moolbandh, kechari, shambhavi...but in different practice context), I should now be treating them as if I were doing it anew. The burning eyes maybe that.

[Amaargi]

Hi Shanti,

Something that I found very helpful to me was focusing totally in the moment and on whatever task I was doing  e.g. eating, gardening, doing the dishes…[]

I had a premature crown opening and an Ayurvedic practitioner diagnosed me as having too much Vata. It made me feel very nervous, tense and irritable - I had scattered thoughts all over the place.

Focusing into the moment helped settle everything down and I found writing or colouring in children books really helped

I taught myself Calligraphy after I read that people suffering schizophrenia were helped when they learnt Japanese art and writing/calligraphy - apparently it helps balancing the left and right hemisphere of the brain. I don’t have any medical training but do find this has helped me…and it’s a nice hobby to take up

Ann

[Shanti]

Thanks for sharing that Ann.
Calligraphy, I did try to learn it when I was much younger.. just never had the patience.. Maybe now that I am older, I should try it again.
There is more info on being in the present in  here: Self-Inquiry -- A Practice Between our Meditations
You may enjoy it.