Blessings,
I have been sharing in this forum for a few months and I thought it would be nice to share my yoga ritual. One of the functions yoga serves is to awaken latent energy that can be used to achieve whatever goal we seek to accomplish. On average I do about two or three hours of active practice a day: asanas, pranayama, japa, studying, writing, et cetera, and as much time as possible on being present and aware with my life as it flows on. Having said that, the following is my nightly yoga ritual:
[B]My Yoga Ritual[/B]
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[li]Setting out my little blanket I lay down in the corpse pose and:
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[li]Let go of the day
[/li][li]Find stillness and balance
[/li][li]Contemplate each of the yamas ? addressing those areas that are tight, I am resistant towards, that have come up, that ripple my mind, et cetera. Any thought, infraction, issue, or imbalance that has arisen during my day ? I take as long as it takes to resolve, let go, and integrate the energy. I do this by:
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[li]Verbalizing the imbalance
[/li][li]Talking through the issue
[/li][li]Opening to the energy while letting go of the storyline
[/li][li]Using the energy to overcome issues, experience joy, set my will, and so on
[/li][li]Go through the process again until it no longer ripples my mind
[/li][li]Be open for it to come up again and be willing to deal with it as it comes.
[/li][li]I go through each of the Yamas and other fetters/afflictions and see where I am falling short, where I have improved, where I am solid, and what things I can add to them to make them even stronger
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[li]I go through the same process with the Niyamas
[/li][li]Next, I work with one of my asana sets. My particular focus is on breaking up any adhesions, knots, blocks, and such in order to get the energy moving. Once the energy is free, I direct it into the Sushumna working with it at each of the energy centers until it rests in the sixth.
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[li]When I talk about rising the energy, I am not talking about the Kundalini as it is commonly understood, but of the bubbles of energy that I have released and gotten moving through my asanas and pranayamas.
[/li][li]I am working on a gradual awakening of the Kundalini which deals with the energy at its grosses level to its finer ones. I take my time, working through the body, then emotions, the mind, and finally the energy proper. This four stage awakening is a slow process, but a safe one.
[/li][li]Currently I am working from the first awakening (physical) and in this stage I am seeking to fully open the third center, while still dealing with remnants of crap in my first and second.
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[li]Throughout my asana practice I work with the breath, bandhas, mudras, mantras, different movements, and such ? all with the intention of getting the energy flowing and directed as I intend. This process of course entails tight muscles, emotional imbalances, millions of thoughts, joyful and hurtful memories, fears and fantasies, and everything else under the sun.
[/li][li]By the time I start to work with the energy directly I have for the most part silenced my senses and entered into Dharana. At this point I focus directly on my chosen topic. For instance, my last two rituals were focused on the Jhanas.
[/li][li]Whatever the chosen topic, be it a subject, a verse, or something else that I seek to understand, embody, overcome, integrate, or otherwise work with in some manner ? I bring all the energy I have awakened towards this specific focal point and then let go to see where I end up. Sometimes to insight, sometimes I sink back down into the mire, and sometimes I just float above the clouds for a glimmering moment to embrace the warmth and light of the sun.
[/li][li]During Dharana I bring all my concentration to bare on that subject by freely associative questioning, teasing out different angles to look from, wondering about its qualities, characters, signs, fruits, and such. I even call upon different teachers in my life and in history to help me understand. I do whatever I can to connect with and bring my full attention to this one thing.
[/li][li]Through that process I eventually come to a point where my energy and the focus become intertwined ? it is in this state that I learn. Our energies exchange. Part of myself goes out ? part of it comes in. Deeper and deeper I go. Often insights flood me. Things I have never considered start to arise. There is just me and the focal point. At this point I have entered into Dhyana ? or what I understand to be the first jhana. During this time my mind flickers in and out of the jhana. When it is out, this is when I have deep insights into the nature of my focus. When I enter in, there is this resting, a sense of deep connection, a flooding of energy, a sense of rapturous bliss that I do not notice when I am in the state but experience as I leave it.
[/li][li]Depending on my state of mind I finish the ritual by entering into Samadhi ? this often arises when I sit with the experience. Everything drops away and all there is, is the experience. Having recently meditated on the jhanas, I understand this place as akin to the second jhana.
[/li][li]I finish the ritual with gratitude. In truth, throughout my ritual I am often overcome with gratitude and an overwhelming sense of awe. Every night I go to ritual as if I were a child running to the candy store.
[/li][li]Life is so beautiful!
[/li][li]OM?
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Blessings Be?