Mada_

Geelong, Victoria Australia (An hour away from Melbourne)

Would it be worth overcoming depression before awakening? Practising shadow work in depth before awakening?

Question, Thought, Word, Now, This, Not,

What is an effective way to recover from a really large backslide, in relation to upholding habits?

Whilst doing self inquiry, often what happens is that energy rushes to Brumadhya, the third eye, which startles me as I am unsure whether this is safe for the body. A past experience I had whilst doing the practice, involved energy cultivating at this point, then what felt like happened was that the Chakra literally broke and energy poured out of this point, down into the body, all the way down to my ass. I found this to be quite a frightening experience. It seems that the mind attempts to force focus, I believe that I am "doing" the practice; something like this. I thought perhaps that I could just look at my hand as a substitute practice to the more formal "sitting" and self-inquiring style that I was doing before, as it seems there are many egoic lingering connotations that get involved. --------

Are there places to find information about life that people generally don't look towards, and would benefit greatly from doing so?

Is this the same as self inquiry? Thoughts begin to appear when going down the heart centre, and it becomes very peaceful, it doesn't feel like 'focus work'.

I get into overwhelmingly dramatic emotional states. I've been totally dishonest with myself that this happens, it happens quite regularly, I just thought that this was apart of spirituality and doing enlightenment work. Where is a good place to start in healing myself?

Thankyou for this

Hello all, After doing shambhavi mahamudra kriya regularly after my initiation with Sadghuru 2 months ago, I've begun experiencing what feels like spinal fluid that has kind of leaked around brumadhya; the forehead feels dull and there is slight pain. My kundalini symptoms have become very intense, but it feels like the energy does not consecrate at brumadhya rather distictly, moreso surges at this point and around it. When I'm doing the practice it is clear that my mind and beliefs about the practice are in the way. The mind tries to do the practice needily. I accept this and just go on with the practices, doing them as precisely as possible and with surrender. I was wondering if this dullness will just clear itself. I am aware that the "problem" is a thought, but also aware that the eyes themselves and entire forehead feel like they are exhausted or asleep whilst the rest of the body is awake. Thoughts, mood and concentration are about as stable as a waving flag in a strong wind. I have also been struggling lately with lashout eating addiction, but have managed to avoid eating beyond the recommended time frame. I should also mention the neck is quite weak so often I lose control of it when observing brumadhya and it kind of falls back and spins around. Has anyone overcome this or experienced this? I noticed Leo has a book on his booklist that talks about kundalini and precautions to take. Would reiki therapy perhaps be of help? I live close to Melbourne in Australia if anyone has recommendations for institutions that could help - I have contacted an Isha volunteer to see whether I should postpone the practices. Any guidance or pointers to content would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou

I go between intentionally focusing and then letting trying to let that go

What are the prerequisites to pursuing enlightenment? Can such a generalisation be made? I feel like a lifestyle change that could be made could be developing health and well-being, and I believe I struggle to effectively maintain myself. Perhaps I should "begin the process all over again".

I feel a surge of energy in the spine, a dullness through the forehead a nosebleeds. I have written about such symptoms on a recent thread talking about the arisal of such symptoms after practicing kriya yoga, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts.

Additional experiences I've been having that may be related - nose bleeds - barking like a dog

I don't usually like asking for advice because I feel like I should just contemplate my problems myself. I've been struggling with lash-out eating that totally derails any consciousness work being done. Today I was actually getting to some deep places with my self-inquiry practice and doing nothing, and got to this place where there was just so much wonder and the process was becoming very organic and embodied. Then dinner time comes around and in this new "open-state" I thought I would diverge from my usual eating habits out of kindness for my father's cooking in which I would generally refuse; then boom, dinner is over and I'm eating dark chocolate on bread. My strategy is just more do nothing/being-work, cut out any unnecessary food items like honey for flavouring on morning oats, no added salt on meals. Does anyone have anything to share on the topic of food addiction?

Hello! I'd love to go next

I got initiated into Shambhavi Mahamudra yesterday, there have been some changes since then in my Kundalini symptoms. I sitting today with my eyes between my brows, when I started to feel this slight burning sensation in the perineum (space between anus and genitals). I realised the burning would increase with resistance to I just tried to let go and not worry about it, when there was worry it got worse. The slight burning trailed the perineum and up what felt like down a vein between the skin of my two genitals. Has anyone had any similar experiences? do these kinds of things just sort themselves out?

Hello all, I think I want to get my well being to a better state so that I can do enlightenment work without fucking up my focusing muscles; I attempted to brute force a one-pointed focus practice and assumed that the tension held within my head was good, but then the tension became this almost habitual thought pattern where I associated focus with tension. Haha, I don't think getting a migraine meditating is a good sign; especially considering what Leo said about the spiritual process being organic, and various sources talking about the importance of leaving the head and getting into the heart. So it feels like I've got to do some work to let that tension go before I move on with enlightenment work; some softer meditation practices, overcoming some chronic fatigue; I've ordered a couple books based on changing up my diet, doing the work of Byron Katie, going to back to contemplating with a journal to nurture my wonder. But I am doubting this strategy because although it sounds fine, I did get to a stage in my self-inquiry where I was able to observe the observer which was quite profound. But I just feel like I've been doing this work so neurotically and stupidly without looking to the necessary sources for guidance, I'm trying to 'get there', 'eradicate myself', on my own. I have wonder, it is there, it is so beautiful, like when I get to this place whilst I'm contemplating and just look around and say "oh fuck this is beautiful and genius", but my wonder hides behind my neurotic-ism. ---- My question is to people further into the path than me: If I am doing it neurotically, I'm hurting my head focusing, I don't have a good handle on my psychology and my habits. Then should I work on developing the necessary skills such as mindfulness, expanding awareness, focus and wonder whilst getting back into consistent habits to do with balancing my life and creating well-being. Or could I this just be my delicate ego being precious and trying to distract me from just throwing these habits altogether, is it just a fantasy that I can make my life a free-flowing, artful exploration of well-being and transcendence. I'm so reluctant to give up my self-inquiry habit because there was the observer, and I am fucking desperate to get away from me, I don't want me, but when I say it like this is makes my head hurt and my heart feels like it blocks up.

Thank you so much for this. <3 I think this could really change things for me.

Thank you for this <3

@Leo Gura Thank you for this. - Invaluable information.

Obviously within an appropriate, flirtatious context where you feel the vibe would be right to execute spontaneously; based on people's experiences and women reading, is there a preference?

Thankyou everyone, this has been very helpful

It feels as though the heart and my wonder is leading the self-inquiry sessions now and not my focusing head, the energy is shifting to a feeling, but it makes it incredibly focus. It feels like I've got to let the heart organically take over, but it feels blocked at the moment. Does this pass with surrender or is there a technique, therapy, psychedelic I could use to tend to this. Any pointers based on what I have said above would be much appreciated. Peace

Is this a thing? Does anyone have experience, information etc. they could share? Peace