Did I experience Pratyahara?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#41

[QUOTE=The Scales;57111] You got to “turn everything on”. This is done through your practice of the limbs of yoga.
[/QUOTE]
Yes. You are right.

I have started trying just that.

Okay let me tell which of those limbs I find difficult & which of them [B]comparatively[/B] easy.

Green = Easy (in comparison)

Red = Difficult.

[U]Yama[/U]

Ahimsa 
Satya 
Asteya
Brahmacharya
Aparigah 
   Kshama
    Dhruti 
    Daya
   Aarjav
    Mitahar


[U]Niyama [/U]

Shoucha - Purity  (Dhouti, Basti, Neti, Tratak, Nouli and Kapalbhati)
Santosh 
Tapa  I still don't understand what it is.
Swadhyaya (Japa) Haven't tried it yet.
Eshwar Pranidhan


[U]Asana[/U]

Some I find easy while I am struggling to perfect others.

[U]Pranayam[/U]

Pratyahara

Dharana

Dhyan

Samadhi

Its a long & difficult path !!!

#42

[QUOTE=om_namah_shivay;57118]Yes. You are right.

I have started trying just that.

Okay let me tell which of those limbs I find difficult & which of them [B]comparatively[/B] easy.

Green = Easy (in comparison)

Red = Difficult.

[U]Yama[/U]

Ahimsa 
Satya 
Asteya
Brahmacharya
Aparigah 
   Kshama
    Dhruti 
    Daya
   Aarjav
    Mitahar


[U]Niyama [/U]

Shoucha - Purity  (Dhouti, Basti, Neti, Tratak, Nouli and Kapalbhati)
Santosh 
Tapa  I still don't understand what it is.
Swadhyaya (Japa) Haven't tried it yet.
Eshwar Pranidhan


[U]Asana[/U]

Some I find easy while I am struggling to perfect others.

[U]Pranayam[/U]

Pratyahara

Dharana

Dhyan

Samadhi

Its a long & difficult path !!![/QUOTE]

The wise have said the Yamas and Niyamas are the foundations. Or another analogy is they are the factors that help the seed grow into the tree.

The rain, the minerals, the sun, the warmth, the drainage, the soil…

#43

Om Namah,

“Okay…but what is that method ?”

There are a thousand and one skillful means. My approach has been through meditation.

#44

“The wise have said the Yamas and Niyamas are the foundations.”

. These “yamas” and “niyamas” are not to be interpreted as absolutes, they are just useful strategies. Not only do different traditions have different interpretations as to what their terms mean, but there are even some traditions which have been doing what appears to be just the opposite of these yamas and niyamas.

#45

You see how he is?

He disparages the wise…

He doesn’t give a method other than “meditation” which is about as ambiguous as it gets.

Plus there are not a thousand and one skillfull means . . . more like a couple that can be combined. and NONE of them have anything to do with ‘mediation’ in the yogic sense sense of the word. Nor do they have anything to do with new agey fingers up the spine or shaktipat.

Amir. You are a punk kid.

You are 25 years old.

You really don’t have anything to share

You don’t know shit. at all.

[B]25 years old![/B]

:stuck_out_tongue:

#46

@scales

All I have till now is tell you guys whats not working. Sorry about that.

Let me tell you whats working.

Its [B]Tratak[/B]. I am concentrating at the third eye.

After doing it for say 15mins or say I am experiencing a sense of calm.

#47

Scales,

"He disparages the wise… "

I have not disparaged anybody, I have just said that there are relative skillful means, there is no absolute method. And if you want - I can give you countless different examples as to why this is so.

“He doesn’t give a method other than “meditation” which is about as ambiguous as it gets”

If you want it to be less ambiguous, spend less time running around seeking attention and more time in practice.

“You are 25 years old.”

Again, wisdom and experience is not a matter of time. There are people who are eighty five years of age, and they are still psychologically not more than perhaps fifteen years old. Their body continued growing, but inwardly they stagnated. Just as it is possible for somebody who is old to be asleep, it is possible for somebody young to be awake. It is not a question of time at all.

#48

Om,

That is good if it is true, continue practicing it. It will sharpen your concentration. But do not be surprised if it may take some time. But so far, the practice of concentration is not meditation. When your attention is flowing with one-pointedness over a certain span of time, eventually the effort of the mind disappears, and you will enter into spontaneous meditation. But it requires your attention to be uninterrupted and unbroken - a constant current without any gaps.

#49

[QUOTE=om_namah_shivay;57165]@scales

All I have till now is tell you guys whats not working. Sorry about that.

Let me tell you whats working.

Its [B]Tratak[/B]. I am concentrating at the third eye.

After doing it for say 15mins or say I am experiencing a sense of calm.[/QUOTE]

I would say this is quite good. The spot should be between the eyes up just a little - a tad.

Do you know why your doing this? and how it does what it do?

#50

[QUOTE=The Scales;57153]
You are 25 years old.

You really don’t have anything to share
[/QUOTE]

Hej Scales,

I’m not looking to get involved in this argument, but I’m curious to know how you think about the links between age, experience and knowledge? Are the requirements for attaining a high level of skill/proficiency (or whichever word is better to use here) directly connected to someone’s age, or to the number of years a person has studied or practiced a certain subject?

I have been thinking a lot about this regarding something which is not very much related to yoga at all (or this thread, OT, sorry!) and am interested in all points of views regarding learning - teaching - age - experience…

#51

I knew you’d pull the wisdom has no number card.

You are a punk kid.

You have no wisdom.

Also IDIOT. If you haven’t figured it out yet. I don’t need to practice.

I think I’ll copy and paste my summary of you from above so I can save it and put it on as a reply to every stupid post you make which is most of them.

You have nothing of value to share.

at this time

your knowledge is crap.

I’m actually helping you by being mean and nasty.

You have no freaking clue.

and

I Will continue to school you.

Also never ever elaborate on my posts again. I write exactly what I write for a reason.

I however will continue to trash your stupid posts.

#52

[QUOTE=Nila;57178]Hej Scales,

[B]I’m not looking to get involved in this argument, but I’m curious to know how you think about the links between age, experience and knowledge? Are the requirements for attaining a high level of skill/proficiency (or whichever word is better to use here) directly connected to someone’s age, or to the number of years a person has studied or practiced a certain subject? [/B]

I have been thinking a lot about this regarding something which is not very much related to yoga at all (or this thread, OT, sorry!) and am interested in all points of views regarding learning - teaching - age - experience…[/QUOTE]

I would say there are several factors that combine in variable degrees that equate to ‘proficiency’ at a skill.

Intelligence.
Time spent in practice.
Focus.

#53

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;57172]Om,

That is good if it is true, continue practicing it. It will sharpen your concentration. But do not be surprised if it may take some time. But so far, the practice of concentration is not meditation. When your attention is flowing with one-pointedness over a certain span of time, eventually the effort of the mind disappears, and you will enter into spontaneous meditation. But it requires your attention to be uninterrupted and unbroken - a constant current without any gaps.[/QUOTE]

This is a lie. At all times there is SOME effort of the mind via the will in regards to meditation.

At all times.

#54

[QUOTE=The Scales;57181]I would say there are several factors that combine in variable degrees that equate to ‘proficiency’ at a skill.

Intelligence.
Time spent in practice.
Focus.[/QUOTE]

Would you care to elaborate on the intelligence part?

#55

[QUOTE=AmirMourad;57171]Scales,

"He disparages the wise… "

I have not disparaged anybody, I have just said that there are relative skillful means, there is no absolute method. And if you want - I can give you countless different examples as to why this is so.

[B]THe Scales says no I don’t want your crap. Shove it. You disparage the wise all the time. Call them liars. Undermine the teachings. Your a chump. Plain and simple. [/B]

“He doesn’t give a method other than “meditation” which is about as ambiguous as it gets”

If you want it to be less ambiguous, spend less time running around seeking attention and more time in practice.

"[B]I dont’ need any teaching from a child. Your an idiot. A fraud and a phoney.
Thats why you make things ambiguous. Dum. Dum. Dum. and never give specific examples beyond what can be found in a book.

Why would I listen to your teaching? I wouldn’t. Also. Moron. I punked your stupid 1001 and techniques.

There are but a couple. [B]and I know what they are and how to combine them. They don’t involve meditation - which is what I said. You don’t speak on that though. [/B][/B]

[B]You seriously can’t be this lame. I hope you realize that there are many on here that see you as a complete gnome and lamer. [/B]

You have got to get up real early and eat your wheaties to even approach my spiritual jock. But still you will fail.

You are a child. You can’t win. I will trounce you again and again.

“You are 25 years old.”

Again, wisdom and experience is not a matter of time. There are people who are eighty five years of age, and they are still psychologically not more than perhaps fifteen years old. Their body continued growing, but inwardly they stagnated. Just as it is possible for somebody who is old to be asleep, it is possible for somebody young to be awake. It is not a question of time at all.

[B]You don’t even know what you don’t know.

You are just a baby. Go suck your lolly pop and play with your G.I. Joes or legos or whatever it is you play with.

25 years old and thinks he’s figured something out.

Preposterous. [/B]

[/QUOTE]

[B]also

Let me make this perfectly clear to you so you can understand it.

Becaues thus far you clearly haven’t gotten it yet.

You are literally a child.

you have NOTHING to teach me about spiritual matters.

AT ALL. EVER.

Your knowledge is wrong.

Your an arrogant prick.

I could take you being an arrogant prick if your knowledge was right.

I can take you being an idiot if you were humble and kind.

I can’t take you being both an asshole and an idiot, and a champion of delusion.

Plus your a kid.

and a chump.

Thats why I zero in on you.[/B]

#56

[QUOTE=Nila;57185]Would you care to elaborate on the intelligence part?[/QUOTE]

Perhaps if one were smarter than another, and with all variables being equal, (which is unlikely) the smarter of the two - would learn and get better faster.

Thats not to say the slower of the two couldn’t eventually be good, great, or even better - as there other factors involved.

#57

[QUOTE=The Scales;57176]Do you know why your doing this? and how it does what it do?[/QUOTE]

Well I know, being a part of niyama it prepares you by increasing your ability to concentrate.

Please tell me the precise benefits.

#58

[QUOTE=om_namah_shivay;57225]Well I know, being a part of niyama it prepares you by increasing your ability to concentrate.

Please tell me the precise benefits.[/QUOTE]

For the noobie through the practice of fixed gazes some of the various “psychic head centers” become harmonized.

Ajna is one. and at this particular stage the important one.

“concentration can be strengthened.”

Thats all for now.

#59

Why didn’t it work for me?

The main reason is you have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is when vritti activity becomes so high that it manifests as a disorder. Then it is very difficult to meditate. First your anxiety needs to come down to a normal level before you commence meditation. In order to achieive this practice the Yama and Niyamas of Yoga.

Practicing the breathing exercises of pranayama is different to prana vidya. In prana vidya you learn the art of being able to channel prana anywhere you want, to transmit it even into the most subtle part of your body. I highly recommend you undertake a 10 day course in Vipassna meditation(just for their technique and not their dogmas) to get a direct experience of how to move prana around your body. There will come a point when you will have such control of prana you will be able to withdraw from your senses at will and shut them off and go immediately into pratyahara.

However, you do not need to wait to master prana vidya to enter into pratyahara. First of all, I assure you, you enter pratyahara every night when you go to sleep. Just before you sleep you enter pratyahara. It happens everytime your vritti activity comes down below normal. To achieive pratyahara in the day practice antar mouna that I gave in this thread on page 1. It is a very powerful practice to prepare you for meditation by taking you into pratyhara.

#60

[QUOTE=Surya Deva;33221]Waking up, yep it sounds like you’re human.

Stage 1: You become aware of your senses and how they are connecting you to the world. The eyes will be closed so you are only hearing the sound. After a while the mind will introvert.

Stage 2: Ones attention will now be in their own mind and its working. How it is reacting and what images are coming from the subconscious. This is the stage where grosser neurosis, phobias and tensions of the mind are released. You may relive past experiences and witness the eruption of suppressed desires. Keep observing until the mind becomes calm.

Stage 3: Posing and disposing of thoughts at will. You can play a little by inducing visions. You give it a thought and watch the fantasy the mind creates and then after a while you dispose of it later on at will. This will later develop into the practice of self analysis.

Stage 4: Now you simply watch the spontaneous thoughts arising from the subconscious again. The most prominent of these thoughts most be analysed and exhausted at will. When you have mastered this stage, your mind is going deeper into the subconscious.

Stage 5: At this stage your mind should be reasonably calm. Thoughts will still arise, but they will not be very strong, nor will they cause any great emotional upheavel. This will lead to the final stages of pratyhara: complete thoughlessness.

Stage 6: Begin Dharana.[/QUOTE]

These stages that you have mentioned are quite similar to what I am experiencing while practicing trataka.

The inducing of vision is the something I haven’t tried. I will surely give it a try.

Thanks.

[QUOTE=The Scales;57239]For the noobie through the practice of fixed gazes some of the various “psychic head centers” become harmonized.

Ajna is one. and at this particular stage the important one.

“concentration can be strengthened.”

Thats all for now.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info.

I think I am getting addicted to this. I feel like doing it all the time. Its all taking me to different world altogether.

I sometimes feel like moving to a uninhabited place. And sped rest of my life their meditating. I just hate meeting people

Don’t worry, everything is under control. :smiley: