Yoga Michigan
Uniting all seekers on their quest for Truth
Questions & Answers
Here are questions that readers like you have asked us. Feel free to ask questions that concern you openly, anonymously, and from the comfort of your home.
Is meditation not for everyone?
Q: I am a long-time practitioner of yoga and can do most of the difficult poses. Someone invited me to try meditation, so I did. We sat and focused on our breath for a full hour! I must admit that it was extremely boring, and I ended up dozing off during most of the session. I am an outgoing, energetic person who loves activity. Is meditation not for certain personality types?
A: You say that you are a "long-time practitioner." During this time, have you been working on perfecting the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances)? Many long-time practitioners get caught up in perfecting physical postures without ever working on the yamas and niyamas.
A study was done in which prison inmates
were taught meditation. They reported that some criminals became more violent after meditating. Why? Most likely because they were taught meditation without first being taught the yamas and niyamas. If you are not yet established in the yamas and niyamas, that is where you want to start before attempting any more meditation.
Also, one hour of meditation is generally too much for a beginner. It is best to start with 5- to 10-minute sessions, or if your mind is
extremely agitated, you may even find 1- to 2- minute sessions more appropriate. It is the quality, and not the quantity, that counts.
Some people start meditation expecting to experience the same state of calmness and bliss that masters took years to achieve. That simply is not the case. During the first few sessions, all you are after is to notice just how noisy your mind is. From there, you try to gradually lengthen the time between thoughts and to catch the mind from wandering (or sleeping) as soon as possible. Meditation is an effective tool for people of all personality types to train the mind.
PAST QUESTIONS:
Working through the pain
Q: I have been having shoulder pain for several weeks that does not seem to go away. I cannot raise my arm above
shoulder level, otherwise it results in
excruciating pain. I am taking medication, and the doctor told me to give it a rest for a while. Is there anything that I can do to get it to heal quickly?
A: "No pain, no gain" is not part of the yoga philosophy. If the doctor advised you to stay off of it, that is probably good advice. The general consensus seems to be that it is okay to work through "pleasurable" pain (if such a thing exists) but nothing more than that.
Whenever there is "excruciating" pain, your body is trying to tell you something. I would give it a rest until the pain subsides, then slowly start an exercise routine. Here are some helpful exercises:
1) Shoulder circles - place the right hand on the right shoulder and the left hand on the left shoulder. Slowly make 10 big circles with the elbows in each direction, 1 circle per breath.
2) Hanging arm circles - let one arm hang towards the ground, then using the momentum of the body, let the arm swing in circles. The arm should hang as if it were dead. Do 10 circles in each direction.
3) Namaste shoulder circles - bring your hands in namaste (prayer position). While keeping the palms together, make 10 big circles in each direction keeping the hands parallel to the body, 1 circle per breath.
You can also try guided imagery, in which you sit or lie comfortably and imagine a healing energy permeating the injured area.
The Brahmari technique (see the "Yoga for Insomnia" article) also helps with healing. Just imagine directing the sound to the injured area.
What is a kundalini awakening?
Q: I read a book on chakras and it mentioned kundalini awakening. I researched it and started wondering if this is what I experienced after childbirth. The symptoms are similar, especially the feeling of waves of energy moving though my body, although mine did not reach the crown chakra. Would this have been a kundalini awakening?
A: There are many stories about kundalini awakenings on the Internet, which range from fascinating to absurd. Chakras are major energy points within the body, so it would not be odd to feel strange energy sensations or movements after childbirth, after surgery, or anytime there is a notable change in the physical body. This is different than a kundalini awakening, however.
A kundalini awakening in essence is the awakening of a spiritual energy, which is said to reside at the base of the spine. After years of spiritual practice, such as meditation, pranayama (breath control) and chanting mantras, the energy channels in the body become purified enough that this energy is said to start rising from the muladhara (root) chakra through the intermediary chakras and eventually to the crown chakra, at which point one experiences a full kundalini awakening.
We hear of traditions or people that focus on awakening this energy as quickly as possible through strenous physical exercises or extreme austerities. Like a fruit that falls from a tree when it ripens, kundalini energy rises natually when one is spiritually ready for it. When someone who has not done the required preparation tries to force the kundalini to rise through extreme measures, it could cause irreversible mental or physical harm. Kundalini is not something that you casually mess around with. Perhaps that is one reason the energy is often symbolized by a snake. If you are not careful, it can bite you.
In yoga, we patiently nurture our spiritual growth as if we would nurture a fruit tree, giving it lots of sunshine, water, and compost (spiritual food). We do not try to pick the fruit before it is ready. Have patience with your practice. When the right time comes, the tree will drop its fruit naturally