A couple of questions

[BluesFan]

Concerning spinal breathing:

One issue I seem to have is that my attention moves slower up the spinal nerve than my breath. In other words, I run out of breath (complete my inhalation) before I get all the way to the brow with my attention.  This isn't all the time but it is alot of the time.  The breath doesn't want to stay in sync with the attention.  Has anyone else had this issue?  Any ideas on how to best handle it? Or does it even matter?  Maybe I'm too hung up on the idea of ending up at the brow very close to the exact time that my inhalation is complete.  

Also, regarding the alchohol thing...  I drink about a half a glass of red wine each day. It's not enough to produce a buzz but I'm wondering if it decreases my sensitivity in meditation and spinal breathing in any way.  Is absolute abstinence the best or am I okay as long as I don't drink enough to feel the effects of alcohol?

And my final question: I'm not a vegetarian (yet).  I have decreased my meat consumption significantly and I very rarely eat red meat but I still eat a decent amount of chicken and fish.  How detrimental is this (or is it detrimental at all)?  It seems like ideally vegetarian would be the way to go but I enjoy lifting weights and feel that my body needs the protein.  Thoughts on this?

Any and all input is greatly appreciated.

-B

[Manipura]

Hello B.  I had a similar issue with the spinal breathing, and was concerned whether or not I was doing it correctly, particularly since I wasn't getting much out of the practice.  After a while I simply forgot to worry about the correctness of my breath and posture during SB, and it started going much better.  The key for me was to stop trying to make the practice perfect, to relax into it without trying to 'help' it.  But, fwiw, I'd suggest trying to let the eyes follow the breath up the spine, rather than the other way around.  They'll have to travel faster than they currently are doing, and it may take some practice, but this way the breath and eyes will both arrive at the brow at the same time.

When I started AYP I was drinking about the same as you are now, and it didn't have any apparent effect on my meditation.  As I moved deeper into meditation, the desire to drink the wine diminished. It was partly a matter of logistics - I didn't want to drink and then meditate, so I'd meditate first, and it felt counterintuitive to then go pour myself a glass of wine.  Sorta like cleaning off the windshield, then throwing a bunch of mud on it.  In other words, the meditation was really getting in the way of my drinking.  Anyway, the desire to drink simply went away with no effort.  You could say as the bhakti gets stronger, the things that are preventing you from a clean connection become obvious, and then you get to decide what stays and what goes.  I haven't stopped drinking, but I may have a drink every couple of weeks or so.  I've talked to someone else who says that a glass of wine doesn't get in the way just before meditation, so there you go.

Lastly, I'm mostly a vegetarian and can say that in regard to meditation, I don't think it makes a difference one way or 'tother what you choose to eat.  The facts just don't seem to support the idea that not eating meat affords you a better connection in meditation.  Funny - I think I'm starting to notice that excess dairy affects me adversely - clogs my connection maybe.  But I'm not sure if I'm just making that up, and I don't want to chow on cheese to find out.  Does anyone else notice this?

[Shanti]

Hi BluesFan,
Good questions.. Meg, great answers.
Spinal breathing.. well I don't remember how it was when I started.. so I tried to do what you described, but I could not do it.. so all I will say is.. keep doing it and it becomes a part of you... As to what to do when you run out of breath and you are only half way up or down.. hummm.. Yogani may have to chime in on this one.

As for wine, many here will tell you give it up.. many will say a glass is good. If you ask me, go with your heart.. I drink a glass of wine on the weekends.. On Friday I like sitting with a glass of wine and watching some programs I record for myself over the week (that is the only time I get to sit and watch TV).. its like my way of relaxing.. till 6 months back.. if something happened on a Friday and I did not get my evening.. I would be grumpy and angry.. now it dos not matter.. its just another evening.. So, as you continue with meditation.. your "self" will tell you what to do. As long as you are not drinking in excess I think you should be fine.. and then one day.. you may not want to do it any more.. well, then you can stop.

Vegetarian.. same thing.. some time back.. I would have told you.. you can tell me anything.. but don't ask me to give up meat.. These days I don't have craving for meat any more.. not that I am a vegetarian.. I still eat everything.. but the eating habits change.. I eat light, don't crave junk food.. I still enjoy my meat when I eat it.. but I eat less of it..
There is one thing I always told people.. if you want to give up something it has to come from within you.. I never really knew what that meant.. I am beginning to understand it now..  

So just enjoy what you do.. in moderation.. and as long as you meditate and do your practices, you will know when its time to stop.. Don't worry too much about it.

[BluesFan]

Thanks Meg and Shanti.

On the spinal breathing, that was my initial thought too.  Just speed up my attention to match my breath.  Let the breath be the driver.  That’ll take some practice but it seems like the best way to handle the issue.  I’d be curious to get Yogani’s take on it also.

My desire to drink has drastically diminished as a result of spiritual practices.  There’s no doubt about that.  I’ve been doing the red wine thing because there are some health benefits that can only be achieved through certain chemicals in red wine.  Often I have to make myself drink that half a glass.  

Over the last few years my desire to drink has virtually disappeared. Not that I was ever an alcoholic but I am 29 and not that long ago I was a college partier and I’ve always enjoyed a little beer drinking.  The same thing goes for healthy eating… Generally (and there are occasional exceptions) I now have a very strong aversion to unhealthy foods.  In the past I avoided eating vegetables at all costs.  Now I eat a lot of fruits, nuts, and vegetables.  It’s what I crave.  My body cringes at the thought of a Big Mac and French fries.  These are just changes that took place on their own.  However, for the sake of social convenience I do sometimes eat things I shouldn’t (the occasional burger and fries).  

I’ve noticed that excess red meat makes me feel spiritually and physically heavy and lethargic.  I’ve also noticed that less meat eating (and less eating period) seems to facilitate a calmer and clearer mind.  When I’m on a pretty good roll of good, effective meditations and healthy eating, I feel happy, light, free, and connected with the life around me.  It feels great.  If I slip up and eat cheeseburger or junk food in any appreciable quantity, it diminishes those good feelings and feels like I’m taking a step backwards.  Perhaps this is all in my head, but this has been my experience.

Thanks again both of you for your input.  


-B

[Manipura]

Yes, it's interesting how the spiritual practices start to take precedent over the things that used to bring us pleasure.  A couple of nights ago I was out with friends and having a good time and I managed to put away a big, fat, honkin' margarita.  To give you an idea, it was served in a bowl rather than the usual martini-size glass.  I hadn't done that since starting AYP, but I thought - how bad can it possibly be??  Well, let's just say that yesterday's meditations were useless and fuzzy (not in a good way), and I was in a fog for the better part of the day .  I didn't beat myself up over it; I simply know now that margaritas are not the best tools for meditation.    I think it won't be long before alcohol disappears from my diet.  If you have to remind/force yourself to drink the wine, I'd say you're about ready to quit, too.  The health benefits can't be that great.  Wasn't that study put out by the grape growers' society?  

[Shanti]

Hi B,
 

quote:Often I have to make myself drink that half a glass.

Ummmm.. I don't get it.. what is so good in wine that you have to force yourself to drink it?
 

quote:My body cringes at the thought of a Big Mac and French fries.

Oh.. I am with you on that.. it is utterly repulsive.. I don't know how and why I ever liked that stuff[xx(]

[Anthem]

quote:One issue I seem to have is that my attention moves slower up the spinal nerve than my breath. In other words, I run out of breath (complete my inhalation) before I get all the way to the brow with my attention. This isn't all the time but it is alot of the time. The breath doesn't want to stay in sync with the attention. Has anyone else had this issue? Any ideas on how to best handle it? Or does it even matter? Maybe I'm too hung up on the idea of ending up at the brow very close to the exact time that my inhalation is complete.

This happens to me sometimes too, I just speeed up my attention to match my breath more.

quote:Also, regarding the alcohol thing... I drink about a half a glass of red wine each day. It's not enough to produce a buzz but I'm wondering if it decreases my sensitivity in meditation and spinal breathing in any way. Is absolute abstinence the best or am I okay as long as I don't drink enough to feel the effects of alcohol?

Try stopping and look for any changes in your sensitivity levels. Probably give it a month before starting again. This will probably answer your question.

I am sure it is a personal thing, I drink socially on weekends, if I have too many, I notice decreased sensitivity the next day during practices. I avoid drinking any alcohol during the week. If a lot of alcohol decreases sensitivity a lot, would a little alcohol reduce sensitivity a little?

Ironically, when I have a little too much these days, I seem to enter a really quiet and still place and feel very present. The energy around me intensifies for some unknown reason? Another riddle... Don't worry this doesn't encourage me to drink more![]

My gut feeling says that eating as healthy as possible and avoiding alcohol are two ways to speed the biological transformation that our spiritual practices are encouraging.

[yogani]

Hi Bluesfan, Meg and Shanti:

Some good solid feedback here on spinal breathing and on what to put in the body. It is great to see you all working it out so well, and with good humor too. The same goes for other recent discussions where the questioner needed some clear guidance. You all are making my job easier. Thank you!  

On the attention cycling with breath in spinal breathing, if during our journey up and down the spinal nerve during slow deep breathing, we find our attention off into internal or external experiences, sensations or other stimuli, then we just easily go back to our practice of slow deep breathing up and down the spinal nerve. It is normal to lose track of what we are doing and be off into other sensations, thoughts and feelings. When we do, we just simply re-engage the process of spinal breathing again. When we realize we are off it, we just easily come back.

If we have some difficulty visualizing and tracing the spinal nerve as a tiny thread or tube, then it is perfectly all right to follow the spinal column in a less specific way. Over time, we will find more definition in our practice. There is no need to strain or struggle in our visualization. The main thing is that we end up at the brow at the completion of inhalation and at the root at the completion of exhalation. How we get back and forth is less important than traveling from one end to the other without strain during our slow deep breathing. In time, it all comes together.

Sometimes, there can be noticeable resistance in the process of spinal breathing. There can be several causes.

In the beginning, the most common cause of resistance is the newness of it. We all go through a certain amount of awkwardness as we are learning the practice. The first time we got on a bicycle, did we just ride off smoothly? Of course not. It took some practice, some getting used to. Then, after a while, riding the bicycle became easier. Spinal breathing is like that. There will be degrees of awkwardness. Some will take to it easily, while others may need some time to adjust in the beginning. Keep in mind that it is a simple process, and it does not have to be perfect. All of spinal breathing is a favoring – favoring slow deep breathing, and favoring a pathway inside the spine between root and brow. When we wander off, or feel stuck, we just easily come back to it.

There is another reason for resistance in spinal breathing – obstructions in the nervous system. These are neurobiological restrictions within us that we have carried throughout our life. With spinal breathing, we are coaxing them to relax and release. In the beginning, the resistance from these inner knots can be quite palpable. Some people may find it difficult to pass through a particular area of the inner body with attention and breath traveling up and down inside. The resistance can be found anywhere – the pelvis, solar plexus, heart, throat, or in the head. The resistance can be felt as a blockage that we can’t get past, or as some pressure.

What do we do? It is simple. If there is a pressure or a resistance, we just go right by it with our attention and breath. Easily right by it. We never try and force through inner resistance. We just stroke it gently with our attention and breath as we go by. This has a good purifying effect, and will not be uncomfortable. Discomfort comes from forcing against an obstruction. We never do this in spinal breathing. We just whisk on through. What we did not dissolve on the first pass, we will get on the next one, or the next, or the 10,000th pass, maybe years later in our practice. That is how we purify the inner neurobiology. And all the while, we will have the experience of less resistance accompanied by more clarity and fluidity. Then traveling the spinal nerve will be easy. Even when there is resistance, we can still cover the full length of the spinal nerve like that.

For more on this, see the Spinal Breathing Pranayama book.

On tracing the spinal nerve physically with the eyes along with attention in spinal breathing, lesson 131 discusses why we'd like to separate the physical position of our eyes from our attention, and provides a practical exercise for easing away from that. It is called, "Coordinating Sambhavi and Spinal Breathing" -- http://www.aypsite.com/plus/131.html

All the best!

The guru is in you.  

[Shanti]

Yogani,
Thank you for your wonderful explanation.. as usual...
But I think Bluesfan's question was.. while breathing in.. and following your awareness up the spine.. lets say you are half way up your spine.. and you lung is full.. you cannot breath in any more.. what do you do..
1-hold your breath and finish your awareness travel up the spine..
2-breath out a little so you can continue breathing in and moving up,
3-start breathing out and move your awareness down from where you are.
4-Jump your awareness up and start breathing out and moving your awareness down..
5-None of the above[]
6-All of the above

Meg's solution is good.. let your awareness lead your breath.. but till he learns how to do it.. what would the right way be?


-Shanti.

[yogani]

quote:Originally posted by Shanti

I think Bluesfan's question was.. while breathing in.. and following your awareness up the spine.. lets say you are half way up your spine.. and you lung is full.. you cannot breath in any more.. what do you do..
1-hold your breath and finish your awareness travel up the spine..
2-breath out a little so you can continue breathing in and moving up,
3-start breathing out and move your awareness down from where you are.
4-Jump your awareness up and start breathing out and moving your awareness down..
5-None of the above[]
6-All of the above
Meg's solution is good.. let your awareness lead your breath.. but till he learns how to do it.. what would the right way be?

Hi Shanti:

It is #4 -- jump the attention to the brow before exhalation, and on future inhalations favor bringing the attention to the brow with more continuity by favoring the by-passing of obstructions encountered along the way. It will not necessarily happen overnight, but this is the direction we would like to go in. If we favor it in this way, the habit will develop in time. In the meantime, we can end up at the brow at the end of inhalation and at the root at the end of exhalation. What is in-between we just brush through (or by-pass) along the way. It is inhale root to brow, and exhale brow to root, no matter what else may be going on, or how clucky it may be. With practice, it becomes easier and clarity and fluidity of the spinal nerve gradually emerge. And well-balanced ecstatic conductivity too!

The guru is in you.

[Shanti]

Thank you Yogani..