Proprioceptive Cymatics

[Sketch]

I would love it if some of the experienced practitioners would "check my work" here. None of this is intended as an assertion of truth or as a teaching - it reflects my current understanding, based on my own experiences.

 

If I'm understanding things as they are, the movement of my body coordinate around three sets of joints - the hips, shoulders and spine, each of which can be considered to have an "open " and "closed" postural orientation. 

 

The closing of these joints generates spring tension which is distributed into the naturally springy skeleton. Continual "closing tension" is eventually transferred beyond the skeletal arcs and drives tension into the fascia, muscles and ultimately affecting all the tissues of the body.

 

Opening these same joints allows the spring tension to be released.  Practice time spent with the body in an empty posture - a "correct meditation posture",  one which allows the large joints to open up along the spine - allows the tissues supported by the skeleton to transfer the vibrations of this spring tension more efficiently. I became aware of the pulses of fluid through the venous systems, particularly at nodes in the Aortic column. This adds to the strength and complexity of the vibrations. 

    Practice time with an empty mind will allow the proprioceptive net of the body to feel these vibrations with the delicacy and detail of hearing. 

 

So far , I'm talking about mechanical processes within the body. The mental components involved in reaching these conclusions have been 

 

A ) Setting up the conditions - the time and space, stances to use, a breathing strategy, and the experience of all previous practice sessions.

B ) Getting out of the way.

 

This has been a healthy practice; body parts I'd been holding "closed", "clenched" or merely in the wrong alignment have had an opportunity to lose tension and to  "float" and "wriggle" into a better set of shapes and positions. One perception has been that none of the bodies parts or systems have a steady shape - they are formless blobs, shaped by constant movement.

 

Over time, perception of these rhythmic cycles of movement can be perceived as resolving on a "one" located at the bodies center of gravity. Much like a guitarist flatpicking a Texas "Circle Strum", (Think Stevie Ray Vaughan, "Pride and Joy" ) this can be coordinated into a tiny muscular cycling with the muscles in this nerve dense position in the lower torso. Is this cool musical toy is the much fabled "Lower Dantian"? 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Sketch

[RobB]

Sounds cool. My sitting practice has certainly led to some deep relaxations/releases in areas when I was absolutely blind to the tension or holding. It's not what I'm trying to do though so one of my challenges is not following those processes - which seems to be sort of the opposite you are talking about here. I can see that it could have value though - and could be fascinating. If only there was more time... 

[Sketch]

I wasn't initially planning to chase results, but the perception of music  - and of musical toys - moves "me" in certain ways that are either key to my purpose - or a mode I simply haven't given up yet.

[Sketch]

It's also the result of practice time spent in seated meditation (forgetting) and a standing Zahn Zhuang practice - which generates more of the spring tension than seated time.

[Sketch]

the article i found this in absolutely fails to get that liquid carries resonance. No understanding of acoustic phenomena and talking only about the resonant possibilities of the "hard" mechanical parts and the damping factor of the "bag of wet meat"

Edited January 3, 2021 by Sketch

[Wilhelm]

Hmmm... Yes.

 

I know what some of these words mean.

 

(Gonna look at it properly now, gimme a minute)

[Wilhelm]

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

If I'm understanding things as they are, the movement of my body coordinate around three sets of joints - the hips, shoulders and spine, each of which can be considered to have an "open " and "closed" postural orientation

Yup!  I'm with you so far

 

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

The closing of these joints generates spring tension which is distributed into the naturally springy skeleton. Continual "closing tension" is eventually transferred beyond the skeletal arcs and drives tension into the fascia, muscles and ultimately affecting all the tissues of the body

Hm!  Tension created by closing of the joints, as in during moving practices?  You might be deeper into this than me, friend, which would limit my ability to answer this.  I experience contraction one of two ways depending which mechanic I'm using:

A. Muscles contract in chains which close the joints as a consequence and transfer force as far as the contraction is maintained

B. Tension is stored in the fascial structure through proper alignments, and transferred through the mechanism of releasing a contact point (with the ground or the opponent) which stretches the tissues and further opens the joints through whichever line is being stressed

 

If it's true that this all originates in the joints, and then travels 'outwards' to the muscles and fascia, then I'm certainly unaware of it.

 

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

Opening these same joints allows the spring tension to be released.  Practice time spent with the body in an empty posture - a "correct meditation posture",  one which allows the large joints to open up along the spine - allows the tissues supported by the skeleton to transfer the vibrations of this spring tension more efficiently. I became aware of the pulses of fluid through the venous systems, particularly at nodes in the Aortic column. This adds to the strength and complexity of the vibrations. 

    Practice time with an empty mind will allow the proprioceptive net of the body to feel these vibrations with the delicacy and detail of hearing. 

Yup!  On the same page here.

Cool experience with the venous system - I'm not sure how it directly ties into the conductivity but it might.

 

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

So far , I'm talking about mechanical processes within the body. The mental components involved in reaching these conclusions have been 

 

A ) Setting up the conditions - the time and space, stances to use, a breathing strategy, and the experience of all previous practice sessions.

B ) Getting out of the way

Yeah, getting out of the way as in not applying any strong mental directions to the practice, which would interfere with the natural conductivity.  Makes sense to me.

 

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

This has been a healthy practice; body parts I'd been holding "closed", "clenched" or merely in the wrong alignment have had an opportunity to lose tension and to  "float" and "wriggle" into a better set of shapes and positions. 

Great! My experience as well.

 

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

One perception has been that none of the bodies parts or systems have a steady shape - they are formless blobs, shaped by constant movement.

Hm!  I'm not quite sure what you mean here.  I think I know what you're getting at, but it sounds like you're talking about being a shapeshifter lol.

 

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

Over time, perception of these rhythmic cycles of movement can be perceived as resolving on a "one" located at the bodies center of gravity. 

Also great!

 

On 12/12/2020 at 10:22 AM, Sketch said:

Much like a guitarist flatpicking a Texas "Circle Strum", (Think Stevie Ray Vaughan, "Pride and Joy" ) this can be coordinated into a tiny muscular cycling with the muscles in this nerve dense position in the lower torso. Is this cool musical toy is the much fabled "Lower Dantian"? 

Who's doing the co-ordinating?  You, or your body?

 

Again - really cool stuff!

[Sketch]

A lot of my observations are leading to explanations that are markers of how it looks from here, from this point in my practices.

 

The various rotating points of perception are there when I get there but very subject to influence. The first rotation I "logged" (about a year ago?) was a sort of conical movement from my base during seated meditation; a symptom of early stages of opening up and unclenching.  At this point in the inquiry,  I'm attributing the various "internal wheels" to involve an organized perception of various internal pulses. The energy of these pulses travels along the aortic line, which, to some degree, I am associating with the chong mai. (At least as a temporary place holder)

Edited January 3, 2021 by Sketch

[Cleansox]

Activation of the Dai Mai? 

I have a standing posture that sets up a spin like that, if your drawing is correct you are doing half the seated version in the method I practice, we just use another mudra. 

 

The actual frequencies the body tend to create are chartered in a more scientific way in (forgot the title), and it is plausible that when one can remove some of the noice, the core frequencies can be strengthened. 

[Sketch]

4 minutes ago, Cleansox said:

 

 

The actual frequencies the body tend to create are chartered in a more scientific way in (forgot the title), 

That's the way to drive me nuts. New book? Old book? Green cover? ( if it's by Valerie Hunt a copy may be  on the way here)

 

There is, in the suite of movements, a horizontal set I'm associating with the location of Dai Mai.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Sketch

[Wilhelm]

58 minutes ago, Sketch said:

A lot of my observations are leading to explanations that are markers of how it looks from here, from this point in my practices.

 

The various rotating points of perception are there when I get there but very subject to influence. The first rotation I "logged" (about a year ago?) was a sort of conical movement from my base during seated meditation; a symptom of early stages of opening up and unclenching.  At this point in the inquiry,  I'm attributing the various "internal wheels" to involve an organized perception of various internal pulses. The energy of these pulses travels along the aortic line, which, to some degree, I am associating with the chong mai. (At least as a temporary place holder)

Oh, ok - I see what you're saying from the picture.  Your body wants to spin around while you're sitting, without you directing the process?  Sound like Zi Fa Gong to me.  Can't say it's not something else, but I had the same reaction when I was at the peak of that process.

[Cleansox]

1 minute ago, Sketch said:

That's the way to drive me nuts. New book? Old book? Green cover? ( if it's by Valerie Hunt a copy may be  on the way here)

Article, free download via Google Scholar, I must just check the reference. I got it at my job, going there tomorrow. 

[Sketch]

 

2 minutes ago, Wilhelm said:

Oh, ok - I see what you're saying from the picture.  Your body wants to spin around while you're sitting, without you directing the process?  Sound like Zi Fa Gong to me.  Can't say it's not something else, but I had the same reaction when I was at the peak of that process.

Yes, that would be the word for a lot of the effects I've experienced.  

[Wilhelm]

4 minutes ago, Sketch said:

 

Yes, that would be the word for a lot of the effects I've experienced.  

Cool stuff!  Do you have a standing practice as well, where you can develop enough Song to eventually control the 'spontaneous eruptions'?

[Sketch]

Yes, my practice has been built around sitting,  standing and lying down. I'm currently adding another set of of lying prone and using sound techniques I'm developing from Emilie Conrad's "Life On Land ".

[freeform]

1 hour ago, Sketch said:

Yes, my practice has been built around sitting,  standing and lying down.

Any movement practice?

[Sketch]

1 hour ago, freeform said:

Any movement practice?

Qi gong stances and warm up, tai chi and some general exercise. The floor work drawing on Emilie Conrad's book will involve movement as I relax into that. 

 

 

[freeform]

13 minutes ago, Sketch said:

Qi gong stances and warm up, tai chi and some general exercise. The floor work drawing on Emilie Conrad's book will involve movement as I relax into that. 

 

 

Cool  

 

Movement is a must - too much building and sitting can generate a lot of inner stagnation.

 

5 hours ago, Sketch said:

conical movement from my base during seated meditation

 

I tend to recommend to keep zifagong out of seated practice - partly as self-control training and partly because it’s best to keep the majority of seated practice for consciousness work.

 

But I say let it do it’s thing while standing  

 

Though not to say it’s the only way.
 

I’ve even seen an Indonesian school where their zifagong type practice is exclusively done seated...

[Sketch]

The rotation from the base was a passing stage, getting used to sitting. Lots of weird little things have come and gone, trickling and buzzing and whatnot.  

 

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Sketch

[Sketch]

It would also be normal for me, at this time of year, to be running scales, doing vocal exercises, recording and so on. I've rearranged my practices, as opposed to starting from reading a definition of "gong".

 

As likely as not, this includes bad practice habits. I have injuries left over from a youthful tendency to over train, for example. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by Sketch

[Sketch]

Two things for sure after two days with the new approach to voice work. Very thirsty. And movement warmup and down is even more of a thing. 

[Sketch]

Neurological Correlates of Religious Chanting

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6414545/

The Seed Syllable Om

http://www.visiblemantra.org/om.html

Cymatic Science and Om

https://www.gaia.com/article/cymatics-provides-explanation-for-the-benefits-of-mantra

Six Healing Sounds

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Zi_Jue

Edited January 6, 2021 by Sketch

[Sketch]

After just a few sessions experimenting with internal sound, I'd say that if anyone is involved with mantras,  healing sound, chanting or any other voice based practices...you're on to something big. Practice diligently and with enthusiasm. 

[Maddie]

1 hour ago, Sketch said:

After just a few sessions experimenting with internal sound, I'd say that if anyone is involved with mantras,  healing sound, chanting or any other voice based practices...you're on to something big. Practice diligently and with enthusiasm. 

 

When I first started cultivation I had no interest in this sort of thing at all, but years latter now it seems to be my main practice and what I get the most out of for what ever reason.