"Inner Landscape" Imagery Useful?

[tamasaburo]

Obviously we spend a lot of time in spinal breathing trying to imagine or directly feel our spinal nerve. I've also heard Yogani mentioning that use of a catheter helped him feel the location of the seminal vesicles and the like (though he ultimately didn't recommend that method). I've also read other peoples' experiences trying to "grasp" the movements of the parts involved in orgasm in order to better move that experience out of a sexual context. I've also had some success (if feeling really good is alone a measure of success) doing something like that, i.e. trying to feel or imagine all the different internal parts down there.

So my question then, is, is there any point or value in trying to imagine our insides more broadly--trying to feel our intestines, stomach, liver, etc.? Obviously we feel our lungs pretty well during pranayama, but whatever's going on in my abdomen is still pretty hazy to me. I understand that "inner vision" is supposed to be a quality of higher levels of yoga practice, but is it just a side effect of other things or can we help it along by actually trying to feel or imagine what's happening in there?

Thanks for any thoughts or experiences.

[Anthem]

Hi Tamasaburo,
 

quote:
So my question then, is, is there any point or value in trying to imagine our insides more broadly--trying to feel our intestines, stomach, liver, etc.?

Making the distinction here that imagination and feeling are two different things, from my perspective I don't think there is any harm of imagining the spinal nerve for example initially during pranayama spinal breathing as long as that eventually gives way to feeling it once sensations of the nerve/ pathway become more obvious.

In the early days when the spinal nerve was elusive for me, I would imagine the breath tracing a white nerve from perineum to 3rd eye. Eventually though, enough pranayama practice made it so the spinal nerve was felt very clearly when tracing it, so no need to visualize. Also, the spinal nerve will become visible as well though I still attend to the feeling instead of the perception of it.    

Not sure about the value in trying to feel or imagine the liver, intestines or other organs, though overall the more yoga practice, the more a keen and sensitive awareness of the body that arises when we bring attention to various parts.

Sexual experience is enhanced as energy begins to flow more freely in the body. One thing that will certainly enable more flow is doing yoga practices regularly every day. Another powerful amplifier is tantra practice. Inquiring into the thoughts that limit the expression of sexual energy can also accelerate the flow of energy.

[tamasaburo]

quote:Originally posted by Anthem11
Another powerful amplifier is tantra practice. Inquiring into the thoughts that limit the expression of sexual energy can also accelerate the flow of energy.

I'm interested in this aspect: do you mean trying to feel out intuitively or during meditation any sorts of mental blockages or supressions? By "limit the expression of sexual energy" I assume you're referring to whatever is physically or psychologically holding our energy/kundalini back from its fullest expression? Would you say this is like a more specific type of self inquiry or are you getting at something different?

I do agree there's probably not much use trying to imagine specific organs that you can't feel--I guess I was just wondering if there was anything to do to speed or enhance the ability to sense the internal spaces more clearly. Perhaps the "inner sensuality" samyama is AYP's answer to this?

Thanks again.

[Anthem]

Hi Tamasaburo,

The only thing to do during meditation is to stick to the procedure that is meant to be used during this time. So if you are following AYP Deep Meditation, then sticking to the procedure of returning to the mantra when we notice we are off of it. This is what brings about lasting change on so many levels.

Spending time on contemplating what "mental blockages or suppressions" that might be lurking inside our minds only detracts from the process and slows the progress. There is plenty of time to do this during the rest period or during the day between practice sessions. If you are following a powerful system of practices like AYP the blockages that are limiting the full expression of our inner energy will soon become apparent one by one. Life is the primary teacher and practices make the lessons a lot easier and help them to pass more quickly.

When particular issues or thoughts that are limiting present themselves in my life, I will often take the time outside of sitting practices to inquire into them in order to accelerate the letting go process that can come from true understanding. It is like a ball of yarn, every time we lift a thought which could be represented by a piece of string from the ball, we allow the energy to flow more freely. Eventually all the thoughts are lifted away (all the pieces of string) and there is no ball left to speak of and the energy is flowing freely.

So looking for a particular thought or mental blockage that might be holding kundalini back from expressing throughout the body would be missing the point from my perspective. By systematically, twice each day, practicing meditation, pranayama, tantra and inquiry etc., vast numbers of mental blockages will be cleared away and the energy will be flowing much more freely as a result in due course.  

When "kundalini" opens up, it is just another step along the way. What really is of consequence is the mental freedom, peace and inner happiness that increases slowly over time with each day of practice. Inner silence is what is the most revealing aspect of our true nature and the true nature of the universe around us.

Hope this helps[]

[tamasaburo]

Thanks for the input.