Advanced Yoga Practices

[Japhy Ryder]

Hey Bums:

 

Last week, on the Lama Dorje thread, Turbo and Yoda each typed a bit about their experiences with AYP. Both of them seemed to have positive experiences with AYP, but neither of them (if I remember correctly) is still doing those practices.

 

I came to AYP after doing various qigongs (standing ala Kam Lam Chuen and Wuji qigong ala the Garripolis) and supplement my I AM meditation with qigong. I've felt for years that I "should" do seated meditation and have attempted several methods, but I AM is the only approach I've felt comfortable with. For me, qigong is wonderfully grounding after meditation, but I'm curious to learn what others have experienced.

 

If you used to do AYP, what do you do now? If you've given up AYP for qigong (whether Lama Dorje-style Red Phoenix or something else), do you use qigong as supplement to seated meditation or as a substitute for it?

 

Thanks!

[Yoda]

I still am a follower of the format of AYP... for instance, it's good to do gentle asanas then energy practices then stillness meditation and then very gentle and gradual re-emergence to daily life; to meditate 2x a day; and to back off if I'm overdoing it, etc...

[Mal]

Hi Japhy,

 

Speaking of doing and not doing things. Were you doing t5t and combat conditioning at one stage? (can't quite remember)

 

I gave away the combat conditioning, to strenious for me, I only do them now and again.

 

T5T is becoming a daily thing for me, been trying them on and off this year, currently daily for about 2 months now.

[Japhy Ryder]

Hi Japhy,

 

Speaking of doing and not doing things. Were you doing t5t and combat conditioning at one stage? (can't quite remember)

 

I gave away the combat conditioning, to strenious for me, I only do them now and again.

 

T5T is becoming a daily thing for me, been trying them on and off this year, currently daily for about 2 months now.

 

G'day, Mal:

 

You've got a good memory; I've done both the Five Tibetan Rites and Combat Conditioning, both separately and in combination. Currently, I'm doing neither. My basic practice these days is built around AYP's meditation method, which I supplement with dynamic self resistance exercises (ala John Peterson) and some qigong. I quit first kettlebell work, then Combat Conditioning a few years ago when I got tired of being tired after workouts. Besides, as the returns on those practices diminished, I realized my goals had shifted; I was becoming more interested in developing my spiritual self.

 

The dynamic self-resistance stuff I do satisfies my desire for resistance training and qigong grounds my seated meditation practice, although I'm wondering these days "Gee, why should I resist myself, let alone PRACTICE resisting myself??" With that in mind, I just ordered Scott Sonnon's free Flow Fit course (http://www.makeamericastronger.us/) and am looking forward to trying it.

 

How are you doing with the Five Tibetans?

[Yoda]

btw, I currently spin and do the quad stretches from the 5T... it is a good routine.

[Mal]

You've got a good memory

<snip>

Quit Combat Conditioning a few years ago when I got tired of being tired after workouts. Besides, as the returns on those practices diminished, I realized my goals had shifted;

 

I might just keep that memory quote for another thread I'm thinking about starting next month

 

Totally agree with "tired of being tired" I love combat conditioning, best FAST fitness I have ever seen. But it's just too hard to make yourself do those killer workouts day after day after day. The Flow fit sounds very interesting, right price too! Look forward to hearing how you enjoy that, especially as you like John Peterson.

 

T5T is just growing on me nicely. I takes me a while to get a daily practice going (took 8mts before kung fu clicked) but I just keep coming back to give T5T another go.

 

The spin is unique, makes me feel like a kid again and I like the way my body feels when I practice T5T. It seems to fix up my posture and helps with aches and pains. A few weeks ago I thought to myself "so this is why people do yoga" as I noticed after 2 mts of daily practice none of the exercises are strenuous anymore.

[tumoessence]

Japhy,

 

I wanted to reply to your post since I have been doing the ayp for about a year and a half. I have had great results and think yogani is very generous on what his is giving. Not only that but I think that the order in which he suggests taking up new practices is very organic. The practices approach cultivation from the angle of ecstatic conductivity through "energy" and "bliss" through inner silence. Over time bliss and ecstatic conductivity unite. His idea is that energy practice without inner silence is useless in the long run. Any way my body loves the inner mudra which is taught step by step. My spirit loves the inner silence. They work off one another sometime I get lots of energy in the inner silence practice. Since it is working for me I am confident in the inner guru and its "transmission.' I like to work meditatively with other senory foci so I add in other meditation practices with visual, tactil and other sensory imagination. That leads me to an inner elemental balance, which may be lacking in the ayp. Thinking of Bardon in this regard.

Bill

[Sunya]

AYP is amazing.

i practice pranayama and I AM mantra meditation and suppliment with Robert Bruce's NEW energy system to work on my legs and arms a bit too. i also do microcosmic orbit sometimes to work the front channel

 

but.. i feel AYP is a very complete system. the site has everything you need to know and Yogani is very very knowledable. I met with a teacher of Yogiraj Gurunath's kriya yoga and learned exactly what i already knew through AYP. IMO for full kundalini awakening, AYP has it all, except shaktipat which you can find at your local guru store. (shaktipat is not necessary but saves time, if you're ready)

Edited October 22, 2007 by mikaelz

[sean]

I love AYP. My seated meditation practice has become less structured over the last year, I often prefer "just sitting" to anything else, but I do break out some IAM and spinal breathing here and there. Yogani is a blessing.

 

Sean