Here's a report I've written today about some things I've tried in practices, how it went and about some of the processes that have been playing out over here in the past 3 years. Not exhaustive or comprehensive, just some notes. Enjoy
Long sessions of Cosmic SamyamaI started practicing cosmic samyama according to the lessons in February 2008. Over time, until October 2009 (and not according to the lessons), I've increased the time to about 10-25 minutes. Sometimes it would take less, other times, it would take up to 40 minutes. The most intense period of this practice was winter 2008 and spring and early summer 2009.
The recommended time for cosmic samyama practice in the lessons is 5 minutes. I'd let each sutra dissolve totally and then just be. Especially with the sutras after Earth, Sun, etc. there'd typically be very little or no consciousness of the body. Usually there'd be a sense of vastness and expansion.
Sometimes total unconsciousness or a state of very very deep calmness would occur. In some sessions it used to happen frequently that no self-consciousness was present, the metabolism slowed down considerably, the body would get very relaxed - so relaxed that it became stiff (as if you were sitting on your leg for a long time), and cold. This usually started anywhere during cosmic samyama, or after the first ten minutes of meditation. When it started during deep meditation, I'd just have enough time to lie down and then I'd go unconsciouss. After the waking state resumed, I'd feel like connected into limitless space, a feeling that would last for several hours. The connecting back into the body usually took a while, in the meantime, I didn't remember what day, time or which meditation session it was. (Getting back from the space:)
When these absorptions included open crown chakra, there'd be a sense of an open skull cap and wind blowing above it. All sorts of things were happening scenery-wise during those sessions. The scenery in the crown chakra is quite endless, it's like worlds unto themselves. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what scenery there is, if one can return to the last sutra
Sometimes, structures would emerge from light and the body/mind providing the physical sensory experience in here was seen as a "top of the iceberg", part of an infinitely complex web/structure ... like a mushroom growing out from mycelium.
Sometimes I also extended the time of cosmic samyama with additional repetitions of the I-thought (Who-am-I in my case) sutra.
(At the time not in the lessons, I usually did it after finishing the standard cosmic samyama sutras)
Lots of deep-rooted identification and contractions seemed to be resolved during these extended sessions. There'd be a glowing happiness and clarity afterwards.
The most intense period of this extended cosmic samyama lasted about 5 months. It had a noticeable effect on my sleep. From the period before starting yogic practices, I knew that 7 hours and 10-20 minutes was the usual time of my natural unregulated sleep. During this period though, the need for sleep had been about 8-12 hours. The last several hours of sleep being more conscious, with lots of unresolved personal material coming up in dreams and playing out. I'd then wake up feeling very refreshed. After I've self-paced these sessions, sleep patterns returned to normal.
Actual notes from this period:
- Extremely deep tiredness on a deep level. Not apparent to other people, not connected with apathy or inertia. Relaxing into the tiredness.
- Not being able to access certain areas of my programming - particularly no energy available for reacting according to old mental patterns and habits
- Merging of the witness with various states of consciousness, discovering the witness as the shine interpenetrating everything
- Automatic periodic returning to recognizing That/This, nothing needs to be done
- Energetic expansion
- Crown merging and connecting with the third eye
- Sometimes being very "spaced out"
Heat of intense practice, delayed reactionsI jumped in to the practices quite fast from the start (a bit less than 3 years ago) and kept adding new ones. I was practicing about 80 minutes of asanas daily. I kept this pace for about 1.5 years, after which I had to self-pace almost the whole asana sequence (Ashtanga Vinyasa). I remained only with a few postures, and intuitive relaxing and releasing of blocks in the body and stretching.
I found out for myself that yes, there certainly is delayed reaction in pranayama, especially with kumbhaka/breath retention. Practices combined and everything going at a fast pace, one can go more into overload than wished. For a time I chose to go with the overload symptoms. The disadvantage is that once I decided to self-pace, it took much more time for the overload symptoms to subside.
With intense desire and practice, lots of heat is generated. The heat is felt on the body - people telling you that you're actually hot
It included worsened acne on the face and along the spine and also a slightly and permanently elevated heart rate - as if the body was under a slight constant stress.
Heat + crown chakra testing = weird symptomsDuring spring and summer, I experimented with opening the crown chakra and leaving it open. There was also a lot of heat generated from the previous intense practice and lots of released inner energy. Plus during the summer I was spending a lot of time outside in hot environment.
At the end of the summer, a deep "cyst" (don't know the medical name) filled with pus formed between my groin and leg on the front of the body. Two weeks later it happened again in almost the same place and another cyst appeared on my calf. In both cases it had to be removed surgically. Immunological tests were done and there were no results apart from "yes, there was inflammation". So, was it related to practice? Likely yes.
The final way of my body saying: I'm overheating, self-pace now!
Chest openingA very visible change in my body was opening of the chest. It began to happen as I started practicing asanas and particularly backbends. The chest has substantially transformed itself during the past 3 years. The shoulders have gone way back, the whole posture has very much straightened and the chest feels big and expanded. As the last step the shoulders have a tendency to go down, descend, at the same time as they're naturally moved back. The chest opening process also involves a deepening feeling of wide acceptance and radiance.
There has also been a lot of physical restructuring around the spine, shoulder blades and under the breastbone.
Intuitively, I'd press against these obstructions and then I'd release and relax and let the obstruction dissolve. Sometimes I'd ask a friend to press and hold these precise spots and I'd let the pinching and tingling dissolve.
From the AYP point of view, I'd say this pressing would go against the principle of not pushing against obstructions. On the other hand, it seemed to help and it was an intuitive way for me to help these blocks dissolve and the physical body to restructure.
Tantric sexFirst thing - it's great and beautiful.
With sessions that can take large parts of the day and both of you enjoying it, there's also a question of self-pacing even in this area. I can now see that over time it can be taken to the level that just glancing at each other there is a recognition of the potential... and then you can let it go and just... expand
We'll see
Shine This!Inner silence as witnessing has been transforming into an inner steadiness and stillness, a deep contentement, then revealing itself as everything here and beyond.
I've written this whole report for the record of some of the more bodily changes. It's not complete or exhaustive, it's just some of the things. And it's all details, anyway
It is just great that I can be here .. everywhere, and without a doubt strech my arms into infinity and ... here we are baby, I love you!
Yipeeee
