Too early to add yoni mudra kumbhaka?

[weaver]

Hello everyone,

I have enjoyed reading the forum for quite a while. I started with AYP meditation in January, using siddhasana as the seat, since that is the way I had meditated for several years before (meditating on stillness of mind). After about 2 months I added pranayama since the meditation was stable, and about a month after that I added sambhavi and mulabandha as well. The pranayama part seemed kind of uninteresting, since I found it difficult to visualize and sense the spinal column. However, the meditation has gradually developed and is very peaceful and stable, and has resulted in a considerable sense of stillness and stability of mind throughout daily life.

A couple of months ago I started to make more effort with visualizing and sensing the spine in pranayama, and now the process is easier and feels quite good, even if there is no sense in the spine yet. There was a period of a few days about 2 weeks ago when I could feel a tingling energy in the body, and I started with advanced siddhasana, using the hands as a cup, since the regular siddhasana hasn't seemed to have much effect over 11 months, but then it has stopped again.

Question 1: is it advisable to add yoni mudra kumbhaka at this stage?

Question 2: what would be the disadvantage/advantage trying to learn to do the sitting practices without back support?

Question 3: is it reasonable to aim for enlightenment in this life when starting with AYP at 48 years of age, or has the life energy at the base of the spine already started to go dormant (desire for sex decreases with age)?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[yogani]

Hi Weaver, and welcome!

On your questions:

1. If you feel stable in your routine and are hungry to move on, then by all means, test the next step. If it is too much, you can back off as needed. No harm done. Keep in mind that a "stable routine" can be a bit illusive, meaning, practices may have a delayed reaction in effects. You will usually know within a few weeks or months what the short to intermediate term effects are from adding new practices, but some cycles of purification are longer. It is like driving a car through a changing landscape. Sometimes the road is straight and smooth. Other times it will be winding and bumpy. We adjust our speed accordingly, yes? Same in yoga. The longer you are doing this, the better you will get at self-pacing.

2. While traditionalist teachings put a lot of weight on keeping straight posture without back support in sitting practices, I think it is highly overrated -- the equivalent of a puritan fixation or something. Certainly not worth sacrificing comfort, which diverts the attention from our practices to the discomfort. Who needs that? The AYP approach is comfort first and posture second. It works quite well that way.

3. We all have what we have time-wise, and we will be gaining every day we are in practices. I think the "here and now" of yoga is most important. It is an improvement in the quality of life we can be cultivating and enjoying today. Looks like you have at least 20 years to work on it. That is a lot of "todays."

The maturing of sexuality (less reproductive urgency) is actually an advantage. It makes the tantric aspects of yoga more manageable. The most effective tantra is pretty laid back. And don't worry, you will not "run out" of the energy.

Finally, whatever we accomplish here spiritually we take with us. Nothing is ever lost. All the more reason to get on with it. See this lesson: http://www.aypsite.com/plus/74.html  
Bottom line, whether we have one year to live or 50 years, yoga is worth it -- for today, and for ever more.

Will you finish in this lifetime? Not sure. It depends on how much housecleaning is necessary. Everyone is different in that. One thing is for sure -- a couple of decades is a lot of housecleaning, especially now that we are getting more efficient practice-wise, and certainly even more efficient in the years to come as applied yoga science takes off.

Wishing you the best on your path.

The guru is in you.

[Manipura]

>>Question 3: is it reasonable to aim for enlightenment in this life when starting with AYP at 48 years of age . . .?

Hi Weaver - My response is to aim high, then if you miss your goal, you'll end up where you would have been if you'd aimed low.


meg

[Lili]

Dear Weaver,

I added Yoni mudra about a month ago after 1 year of AYP and have no problems so far. Plus I do not have a history of prior meditation like you have.

quote: Question 1: is it advisable to add yoni mudra kumbhaka at this stage?

In case you have a special reason to be cautious (like an intensive period at work) and you want the least risk of instability you can always try starting with only 1 Yoni and ramp up every month if you feel fine.

Hope that helps you to make a decision.

[weaver]

Thank you very much Yogani, Meg and Lili for your replies and advice.
I am certainly aiming high, and I like the concept of marathons, as Yogani has likened this path to. I actually used to run long distance in my 20's. And I will especially look forward to get Yogani's new books when they come out.

All the best to you.

[Kyman]

Thanks for the link Melissa!

I was hit by a drunk driver a while back, which led to surgery on my spine.  I take time off of meditation, but for the most part I am extremely consistent in my practice.  I hear so much about sitting up right and keeping the spine erect, but it hurts me to do that because I have not yet reconditioned it.  I am in the process now of doing heavy rehabilitation, with the hopes I might be able to take my mediation to an upright position without support.  That little device might make for easer transition.