Zazen/Yoga Nidra/Gateway: Sources of "overload"?

[Rael]

As Yogani states, once one gets into ecstatic practices, the urge becomes strong to indulge a lot! Such urges are re-ignited in me, resulting from my current practice!

 Elsewhere i have asked about energetic "overload" occurring due to added practices....would simple Zen sitting and Yoga Nidra (both being very passive in nature, seemingly unlike I AM), also open one up to possible overload if added in on top of AYP Deep meditation?? I just wanna meditate longer per day, but if it's risky, i will put my urges on hold.

Also, i Have been using Robert Monroe's Gateway Program aside from meditation periods which has had a very healing effect (Wave 1 practices only). Now that i am realizing how other practices can alter us, might this also contribute to overload, since it generally has you switching brain-wave levels, doing deep relaxation and shifting attention? There is a breath-pattern aspect of that, that i finally quit for fear of spontaneous combustion....WAY too much heat and anger while using it![:0]....YIPES!!! The plainer version seems OK, but i am still no expert. Any comments would be appreciated, and hopefully i don't seem too incurable?

[Rael]

I think my confusion comes from the fact that i used to meditate for long periods of time without igniting the flame. Later, during this past year, experimenting with forms of Kriya yoga, before finding AYP, showed me how intensely breath control/mudra/mantra/solar plexus-pumping can fan the flames way up fast! (I came to AYP to start from scratch again, due to the systematic nature of the lessons and incredible support).

 What i am not understanding is whether Yoga Nidra/Zazen and such (being very plain practices), would actually kick-up energy, since they don't (seem to) have all the trappings that do so?

I don't want to run the subject into the ground, it being that i have gotten very good responses on it. I'm just trying to be sure, since my past experience inspires questions.

[Christi]

Hi Rael,

Yes, Yoga nidra (as it is usually practices in the west) and zazen practice are much more gentle practices than anything we do in AYP. So yes, they can be used for longer practice times. In the case of zazen it is not uncommon for people to sit for hours at a time without overload problems.

If you are combining yoga nidra and/or zazen with an AYP practice then you have to be aware of the possibility of a doubling-up effect happening. Although yoga-nidra and zazen are low on the energy side, there is still some energetic aspect (brought about largely by stillness/ silence) so caution is still needed.

In AYP, there is a very beautiful yoga-nidra practice which is discussed in the samyama book. It is called cosmic samyama. Cosmic samyama is a powerful practice (energy wise) so you would need to exercise more caution than with traditional western yoga-nidra practices.

Christi

[Christi]

Hi Rael,

p.s.

Just checked and cosmic samyama is now included in the main lessons:

http://www.aypsite.com/plus/299.html

[Rael]

Thank you Christi...excellent and useful replies!....I will look into the Cosmic Samyama, and then spend my time talking myself out of diving straight into it!...Hah Hah..