The most unexpected part of the Mysore trip last month was the sprouting of Vipassana Meditation "cells" or communities that came out of nowhere, or now-here? Hee hee.
Private invitations from people I know from previous trips or from the blogosphere manifested about 10 days into the trip. Perhaps my having blogging about Vipassana put me in the circle of people "in the know", and I was glad to go to rooms where the level of seriousness and appreciation for the practice was devoted and efficient. We would arrive, greet, and sit down. We would "do the practice". A blessing.
Needless to say, my thoughts on the recommendation that comes with the end of each Vipassana 10-day retreat (to upkeep a one hour meditation in the morning one in the evening) came back to me with it a desire to try. It was difficult to imagine how one would carve the time, but a conversation with Jen and Martina helped.
In the end I settled for trying one hour a day for the first month as I begin the relocation into my daily life in the United states. Then see what happens...
It has been 10 days and some of my findings so far include:
" book, Pattabhi Jois says that "Meditation is easy" and "asana and pranayama" are hard. That it is through the practice of the hard practices of asana and pranayama that we find the preparation to actually make meditation ready, and real. I am paraphrasing of course.
He is onto something, I guess you could say meditation is easy, the outer form at least, the sitting for an hour. I guess the easy part could be translated (and this is just me I am not trying to put words in his mouth) is the "trying at" meditation or the "attempted" meditation.
I find that the true meditation (i.e.: the focus really follows the sensation in the nostrils for at least more than 3 breaths to begin with), requires a level of concentration that is beyond grasp for a regular mind like mine, so I can see how in order to get the true fruits of it a discipline of asana and pranayama is required.
I am grateful again to have stumbled upon this lineage.
Today for the first time I will practice meditation after asana practice, and it is likely this will be the trend for the next ten days as the speed of life picks up again. We shall see how the month continues.
RELATED POST:
MYSOREPEDIA DOT COM: A Guide to Mysore, India
Private invitations from people I know from previous trips or from the blogosphere manifested about 10 days into the trip. Perhaps my having blogging about Vipassana put me in the circle of people "in the know", and I was glad to go to rooms where the level of seriousness and appreciation for the practice was devoted and efficient. We would arrive, greet, and sit down. We would "do the practice". A blessing.
Needless to say, my thoughts on the recommendation that comes with the end of each Vipassana 10-day retreat (to upkeep a one hour meditation in the morning one in the evening) came back to me with it a desire to try. It was difficult to imagine how one would carve the time, but a conversation with Jen and Martina helped.
In the end I settled for trying one hour a day for the first month as I begin the relocation into my daily life in the United states. Then see what happens...
It has been 10 days and some of my findings so far include:
- Finding the time somewhat has not been a problem, call it beginners luck, maybe that is what it is.
- I had to accompany HB on business trips so I have been doing the practice in all sorts of sofas or sits or beds. I noticed that it was a lot harder to concentrate when the back was not straight or supported by the sofa. There is a reason why the cushion is recommended.
- Life has thrown a pretty hot potato my way in the past couple of days, and the practice feels it in the amount of time it gets for it to quiet, sometimes it does not quiet at all, and the hour goes by. Then I remember Jen telling me that sometimes in her 6 hour practice (yes she dedicates a day to a long practice!) the mind does not quiet at all either, and she is cool with that
- Overall I feel good about sitting quietly, I am amazed at the state of my mind before (in a rush, turbulent) and after (still turbulent but no rush)
" book, Pattabhi Jois says that "Meditation is easy" and "asana and pranayama" are hard. That it is through the practice of the hard practices of asana and pranayama that we find the preparation to actually make meditation ready, and real. I am paraphrasing of course.He is onto something, I guess you could say meditation is easy, the outer form at least, the sitting for an hour. I guess the easy part could be translated (and this is just me I am not trying to put words in his mouth) is the "trying at" meditation or the "attempted" meditation.
I find that the true meditation (i.e.: the focus really follows the sensation in the nostrils for at least more than 3 breaths to begin with), requires a level of concentration that is beyond grasp for a regular mind like mine, so I can see how in order to get the true fruits of it a discipline of asana and pranayama is required.
I am grateful again to have stumbled upon this lineage.
Today for the first time I will practice meditation after asana practice, and it is likely this will be the trend for the next ten days as the speed of life picks up again. We shall see how the month continues.
RELATED POST:
MYSOREPEDIA DOT COM: A Guide to Mysore, India
Thanks for this pointer ... often trying meditation here and there, but will try to connect it more to my asana practice ... Namaste!
ReplyDeleteTwo hours a day, I wish, but from where to steal the time. I manage 20 to forty minutes in the evening depending.
ReplyDeleteGuess I could shave my pranayama down to a minimal ten minutes and count the cycle home as my asana ( especially as if i chant along with my itouch : )
Never really done an hour at a time usually forty or fifty minutes, you inspire me to try it Claudia. It's a deal an hour a day for the next month, every evening. good luck with yours.
My question as a naive novice: it seems like asana, pranayama, meditation all are different sides of the same diamond. Clearly in asana, one is practicing breath control (pranayama) and the mind (through dristhi) is attempting to be clear and focused (meditation). Perhaps this is why Pattabhi Jois focused primarily on asana instead of the other 7 limbs, since they all seem to come off of this one limb (also, while you are spending the 2 hours doing asana, and the other few hours eating and relaxin, you probably aren't violating any yamas, etc).
ReplyDeleteHi James. There does seem to be that intention in Ashtanga to cover or at least touch base on most of the limbs in a single practice, perfect for the busy householder.
ReplyDeleteMy teacher Ramaswami, who studied with Krishnamacharya for over thirty years(until K's death) puts it in the context of the three gunas . The asana burn the Rajas simply put, the excess energy mental and physical. But now we're tired, mentally dull, too much tamas so we practice pranayama this now puts us at our most satvic which is, supposedly, the ideal state for practicing meditation. But he tends to be talking about japa mantra meditation, repeating a mantra over and over the whole time, I do that in the morning for ten minutes after pranayama. in the evening I practice vipassana.
Put another way. If you've sat down to meditate then you often find your mind all over the place or your fidgity, the asana practice gis supposed to lessen that. After your ashtanga practice in mysore can you imagine sitting down to meditate, your exhausted, you'd probably fall asleep right, thus the need for a mentally energising pranayama.
It seems to work, in the evening I usually do ten to fifteen minutes of Asana, twenty minutes of pranayama and then half an hour to forty minutes Vipassana. Less time to meditate but your so well set up that there seems to be a better focus. claudia has made me curious about a longer vipassana session though.
Sadhaka Yoga Student, thanks for your comment and good luck! :-)
ReplyDelete@Grimmly, I am kind of flattered to be an inspiration as you say in response to James... and I guess this is my response to both you and @James:
I appreciate the back and forth, I see James point and I am glad that you G, made a short pointer of Ramaswami's view. The more I learn about Ramaswami the more I like him.
I hope people who read the post read that comment of yours... because I find it very inspiring, in the sense, that yes, the mind is very scattered (even after asana practice, perhaps more so), and I guess I see clearly the point of pranayama...
@James in particular, I like how you say that after you do two hours of asana then eating and life in general there is little time to violate yamas or niyamas...
@Grimmly thanks for the comment. Very educational! I've been reading Ramaswami's letters. He holds you in high regard.
ReplyDeleteThere is one part of Ramaswami's discourse on his time with Krishnamacharya where he states (I might be paraphrasing) the goal in life is:
A) to find happiness
B) to eradicate unhappiness
C) to make each day as smooth as possible
I find this interesting not only in the context of yoga (which is I am just learning) but also people's opinions about money and the goals for wanting (and then wanting more) money. I am quickly becoming a big fan of Ramaswami.
@Claudia, I can attest Claudia did an hour today. But I only sat with her for a half hour (28 minutes).
@James must reread that, be interested to hear you expand on this ie. applying it to peoples opinions on money (guest post?).I struggle with 'happiness' as a concept, in my head I just substitute contentment but realize that's not everyone's idea of it. not as catchy/pithy either, May you be content, may you be well.......
ReplyDeleteI managed half an hour last night but will start on the Claudia hour a day vipassana challenge from this evening.
Hi Grimmly, here is Ramaswami's comments on that: http://www.namarupa.org/magazine/nr06/downloads/05_NR6-Srivatsa.pdf
ReplyDeleteANd thats a good idea to do a post on the topic of what he said, intersected with the psychology of money. Still mulling it over in my head where money fits into the "happiness" picture. It fits. But its dangerous.