Pranayama.. feels like.. dying
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93
Newbie here... 1st post on the board.. whoooI often wonder about others' experiences with the instructions in the Equinox regarding pranayama. I have practiced most of them with dilligence. At the peak, I was doing the 10-30-20 (in-hold-out). I would do this either with both nostrils or alternating, as described in the instructions. (15 years experience w/this). I also did a lot of the japanese style 15-9-15-9 (hold on both ends). Empty holds are the most punishing IMO.
It was like straight out of the book. After battling the "strain" in the beginning (AKA: suffocation), the breathing would become automatic and breaks were unheard-of. Sweat pours out.. the vital heat all over.. fierce rigidity in the arms and abdomen. I would rub the sweat back in, as par AC's instructions in order to "increase the rigidity".
Addition of the "Aum Shi-Va Ya Va-Shi Aum" mantra, used as a timing device in order to discard with the now unnecessary counting resulted in a kind of mental loop which was accompanied by bliss and time-loss. I see little use in 'naming' the state, it was what it was. I will say that I cannot replicate the state using buddist vipasana type meditation techniques (my new-found practice). I cannot think of anything else that has happened in my life that compares to this experience of bliss.
I have never met or spoken to anyone that has experienced this to such a degree. There were many, many times when my breath has exploded due to the extreme strain, especially with the empty-lung breath holds. These breaks would annoy, and I would resolve to either die of suffocation, or pass out trying. This is when I got "over the hump" and the practice became somewhat automatic and effortless (difficult to STOP, actually..)
So, am I just an extremist, or do all of you guys take it to this end? After reading through the board a bit, it seems like there are some very scholarly folks on here (not I..). Are there any practitioners? Please share your experience if you like.
9393
marz -
After entheogens, pranayama was my first real exposure to mysticism. I, like you, practiced diligently & was graced with a state of blissful mental clarity that lasted just over 3 days. I had never before, & have never since, experienced anything remotely similar to the effects brought on by those practices.
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Just my two cents. After doing Liber E pranayama for 6 months for 30min every day without holding the breath my highest attainment was the loss of my body feeling just doing rythmical breathing for a minute. Latter I found out that it happened because of my improved concentration improved by pranayama. Having no body is a bliss!..
Love=Law -
@RifRaf said
"But is any of that useful for later attainments? I was doing some intense Pranayama for about 8 months, and during the last 2 weeks I started to get hallucinations from a certain way I would hold my breath, and how long I would hold it. I would contemplate something and then my mind would just open up and all these dancing and luminous colors and sounds would flood my senses. But I still have yet to find any use for it or any meaning behind it."
Valid question...
Pranayama has two primary advantages that I can see, aside from the broader category of contributing to health and giving a tool to calm and smooth the mind.
First, taken down a particular path it does break loose new channels of energy and give experience in regulating their movement through the system. (These energies, once awakened, take their own course to a certain extent.)
The other is that, in advanced magick and, especially, mysticism, one benefits from anything that enhances the ability to concentrate unwaveringly for long periods of time, and having this ability long-established is a boon.