Simple practices done carefully and the effects observed.Read one person's observations and add your own. Aum

Analysis of Daily Practice

Pawanmuktasana part 1. FEET

Practicsing the asanas on purely physical level increases my awareness of the interconnected of muscle groups and arouse my curiousity of exploring how to isolate the different muscle groups.

Combinining the practice with breath appeared to expand my awareness. I experienced a sense of physical expansion and feel as if I am watching myself from a distance. The mind becomes more quiet. Adding mental counting create irritation or aggitation within me!! I found this interesting and makes me wander what is happening! This week I felt calmer and more relax and felt more focused and productive and high energy.

Analysis of Daily Practice[2]

Pawanmuktasana part 1. LEGS and KNEES I found this group to be most boring. It was a struggle to get interested on the physical level however adding breath was challenging in the sense of slowing down the movement enough to synchronise breath with movement. This has a welcoming calming effect though. Mental counting once again arouse irritation but to a lesser degree than the previous week. I discovered the irritation was because it actually makes my mind active instead of being quiet. Less energy for practising this week. More distracted.

Analysis of Daily Practice[2]

Pawanmuktasana part 1. HIPS My body appreciates this group most. My sense is that I carry alot of tension in the thighs and hips and hence found these to be releasing. It was a lot easier to synchronise breath and movement in this group. Mental counting is getting more natural and easier this week. Breath counts is more prolonged. High energy week. More social and more present with people.

Analysis of Daily Practice[2]

Practices: Pranayama (1) Natural Breath Awareness Breath is felt at the abdominal region when in Shavasna In sitting it is felt lower to mid-chest and sometimes upper chest when mental activity is high. Breath seem to begin from the nostril mostly. The rate ranges from 18 to 24 and is shallow, smooth and regular. Inhalation is shorter than exhalation most of the time. My breath feels good most of the time but I notice that I often take high deep breath and feels fantastic when I do that. I think my quiet breathing is perhaps shallow and I am making conscious effect to watch and vary the depth to explore the effect. Will report on that later

Analysis of Daily Practice[2]

Practices: Pranayama (2) Explore the changing breath

1. controlled abdominal breathing (pppv pg 113) Practicing controlled abdominal breathing was an effort in the beginning, felt unnatural and forced but in the proceeding days I noticed that I am more aware of my breath, i.e. noticing my breathing more often and it appears to increase the depth of normal resting breath compared to previous week of natural breath observation. It also generated a lot of heat in my body when practicing this type of breathing. 2. rythmic abdominal breathing 1:1 (pppv pg 125-126) This feels mostly comfortable and feels good to have the breath come up high into the apex of the lungs. Felt, very cleasing and I feel my whole being rejuvenates after the practice and my head feels lighter (not dizziness), more like clarity.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Answers

Practices: Pranayama (2) Explore the changing breath 1. explore rhythmic abdominal breathing 1:1 extending Summary observation This week is very challenging. I experience reluctance and impatience and a sense of giving-up because I cannot achieve my expectation of doing the perfect extension breath and receiving peace from it. So it was a real effort and I cannot concentrate. I thought about doing this many times and did it only twice!! I am also experiencing lots of emotions, mostly sadness and am afraid to go deeper with my breath because I may be overwhelm by the flood of emotions!! Hence, feeling lots of tension in my head and shoulders and, my energy is been spent on externalising into various activities and running as far away as I can from dealing with what is brewing inside.

On the two occasions that I did concentrate, I was able to extend breath to a ratio of 4:6 comfortably. However, it is difficult to control my expiration; it feels like it wants to flow out quickly by nature??? Would like some suggestions or intuitions you may have on this.

Dear One, Go with the flow. If your breath wants to flow like a river then go with that. The practice you have been given is important but not urgent. Very valuable to stick closely with breath awareness but possibly not controlling length of breath just now. There is a story ready to be told inside the breath. Maybe if you did the practice whilst walking or in a beautiful place, the story might come and the breath might be free to move on in different ways?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000