pranayama problems
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I have been practising very basic Pranayama (in the God position) for a few weeks now every night, with various interesting results. three nights ago, I did Pranayama and absolutely nothing happened. The same happened for the next two nights. This dismays me. Before I had always had at least some small thing that could be noted down in my diary, so I can be certain in saying that things have ceased to happen, rather than continuing not to happen. Any idea what's gone wrong?
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Just a common sense guess, having never seriously attempted Pranayama myself:
It could just be the fact that you are getting used to "minor phenomena" occurring during your practice and not realizing that they are phenomena that, earlier in your practice, would have excited you and caused you to make a fuss about them.
I've found this to occur with basically any practice that goes on for long enough for progress to be made.
You could also just be in a "dry spell."
[Off-topic edit: this is my 93rd post!
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I think it interesting that you think something has gone wrong. Why must it be so?
Are not all pursuits the same? Beginning with excitement at each new discovery, then a period of intense work were nothing much seems to happen ... leading to... the realisation later that all that "effort without a prize" was in fact the prize in itself?Though it would be useful to know what interesting phenomena you had previously been experiencing.
More and more I find Yama and Niyama vital to successful Yoga sessions for myself.
I am currently having work difficulties and the survival-ticket-anxiety is causing havoc with asana/pranayama so I have decided best to take a break until things are resolved rather than add more to my current frustrations. -
What phenomena do you expect? Could it be that you have a flawed expectation of what "phenomena" may occur during your practice? Why does "something" have to happen? Isn't "nothing" an observable "something" ?
I'd encourage you to continue and record.
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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Having done a bit of Pranayama I can honestly say it is both the most tedious and the most rewarding thing I have ever done.
as any magician knows, once you get attached to the results you begin to miss the whole point of the exercise.
my advise, is just enjoy the practice for its own sake, not for the results which in the end are often no more than distractions.
read liber excercitorum to find the criteria for success, and stick with that.Love is the law, love under will.
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@veritas_in_nox said
"I have been practising very basic Pranayama (in the God position) for a few weeks now every night, with various interesting results. three nights ago, I did Pranayama and absolutely nothing happened. The same happened for the next two nights. This dismays me. Before I had always had at least some small thing that could be noted down in my diary, so I can be certain in saying that things have ceased to happen, rather than continuing not to happen. Any idea what's gone wrong?"
I don't believe anything has gone wrong, your attention isn't just going around picking out every little detail. Which is a good thing. As of the moment, I myself am practicing only Padma-asana, and when I first started I had alot of phenomina that would fill a couple pages full of my diary, as I am still learning to recognize the 'what usually happens', It is easier to let go and keep focused. Once you recognize these things more often, you do not notice them at much, which puts more energy on what you are focusing. Keep up the good work, and keep up the 'clear mind'.
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Thanks very much for your help. I had rather unrealistic expectations about Pranayama, having read that, to quote Liber E, 'various remarkable phenomena will very probably occur.' Also, I noticed a phenomenon which had been going on for so long that I had ceased to notice it- the feeling that my head was, so to speak, the axis mundi.
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@veritas_in_nox said
"Thanks very much for your help. I had rather unrealistic expectations about Pranayama, having read that, to quote Liber E, 'various remarkable phenomena will very probably occur.' Also, I noticed a phenomenon which had been going on for so long that I had ceased to notice it- the feeling that my head was, so to speak, the axis mundi."
They do. I've experienced every one of them.
But the intensity of practices comes and goes. Most "wow" feelings are because we aren't strong enough, and have internal resistence to what is pushing through us. Then we get stronger. We reach a saturation level of a particular practice, and have to crank it up.
You said you've been practicing "very basic pranayama." For most people, the "very basic" kind doesn't produce the kind of extreme results you're anticipating. It does, however, prepare you for the "not quite as basic" kind.
I havenLiber RV (Liber 206) be your guide. It starts with important preliminary practices, then routes you through Liber E along the way, then returns to more advanced practices. You basically take them one at a time, skipping none, stepping it up only after you're comfortable (and, frankly, bored) with a particular practice, and continue until you get the results (usually less than a year).
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Its funny that people seem to be getting all these phenomena.
I usually crank up practice when the pain in my legs becomes tolerable.
the only phenomena I can recall that stands out, (apart from various states of Pratyahara, which are incidental).
Is the realisation that for a few minutes I had not been aware of my body and was fully (more or less) concentrated on the breath.I tend to just set myself a time target for practice and when I can consistently reach it I add a few minutes, in this way concentration (and endurance) gradually increase.
as an aside I recently added dharana to the regime, its bloody impossible!
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In my extremely limited experience with Pranayama (over the course of 2-3 months), there was one session in particular that stood out in my mind.
I felt on the verge of something, almost like an orgasm, but in my torso. Aside from the breathing I was doing, my chest felt as thought it were expanding of it's own volition. Not physically, but like... I don't know. Essentially, it was like something in my chest (other than my lungs) were growing and expanding. Very peculiar.
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That was probably your lungs resisting the inside of your rib cage, if your new to Yoga it'll take a while for your body to adjust to it, just like any other form of exercise; don't worry about it, just relax, don't push it too hard or you'll strain yourself.