Whitney Edwards

Thanks.

2 spiritual practices Chanting A universal prayer In traditional yog, the initial stages of yam, niyam, and asan purify the body and mind, removing toxins and harmful habits. Only after this purification process is one deemed ready for pranayam, the practice of controlled breathing, which channels the vital energy, pran and enhances spiritual growth. Attempting pranayam without first achieving this purification could have adverse effects. Therefore, in classical yog, it is important to progress step-by-step through these limbs to prepare for higher spiritual practices. Love love love this thread -

So this is how I really am. I'm not someone who can simply consume behaviors and watch everyone from a distance. Either I'm close to you emotionally or I'm not. My experiences in life shaped me into becoming an emotionally vulnerable and tender person. I am that person who cries in the bathroom but shows up next day to class with a hoodie and sweatshirt on and doesn't say much and carries on quietly, literally carrying a thunderstorm inside. One scratch on my surface and you will see glass inside. Yes I'm made of glass. I break and when I break, hell breaks loose, and I shatter to pieces. I'm an HSP, acronym for highly sensitive person. I have a spatial brain disorder which means I need ample space when I read things and I can't cobble words together or else I end up with spasmodic panic attacks. Therefore you will find my writing with lots of space left out here and there and a lot of irregularities in the way I format text, suddenly leaving large spaces in between or writing too little or too much. This is done because my brain likes it that way and finds it less anxiety provoking. I'm very emotionally chaotic and fragile so if I end up fighting with my boyfriend, I won't get sleep that night, so my best option is to simply sit silent even if I feel like protesting, which gives an unfair advantage to the other party and they begin to dominate my weaknesses.. I'm more prone to abuse than others because of my brain disorders and my lack of ability to "not suck it up." I was born premature, at the 8th month and severely underweight and malnourished to the point that I was placed under intensive care during my first few days and then my parents were informed of my delicate health.. When I walk I stumble a lot, lose balance too often and end up getting into many accidents which again has a lot to do with development delays in the womb. Yet I always tried to be the best kid in class, worked hard to get an A in every subject for a consecutive 10 years in school. I got many awards and honors in school and I was an A student.. I never did smoking, drinking, drugs or any of that shit ever. I tried to sleep off my trauma. I want to use the visualization technique for my trauma. Having a cold shower. Maybe spirituality is an essence. Something that we perpetually live in. Maybe it's like resonance. When do we say someone is deeply spiritual. I don't know. I'm yet to figure out. And I want to keep learning. I always wanted to live a deeply spiritual life and one day I'll succeed in doing that. I know this deep in my heart.

Spirituality has been making an interesting comeback in recent years, or perhaps an entrée into the mainstream, with a new generation of young gurus and “spirit junkies” making it hip to be spiritual. Many of the lessons draw from religious tradition, yogic philosophy and meditation, and the idea of a greater, or universal, consciousness. One concept that’s been central, now and in some traditions over the millennia, is the idea of getting out of our own way, or giving up control to some higher power/consciousness/energy, whatever that may be. In other words, being “in the flow.”

I'm slowly discovering new positive affirmations. One is "I woke up feeling refreshed." The next affirmation is - I'm free. The other affirmations - I love my husband. I'm attracted to my husband. I'm in love with my husband. I feel hot for my husband. The next affirmation is - I feel free on this forum. I have a powerful grip now. I feel more confident and comfortable now. Move away from negativity and move towards confidence. I'll keep my anxieties at bay. Journaling is an effective technique for dealing with trauma. Much of my life has been dealing with trauma. A prayer for upgrading my knowledge database.

Engaging in acts of kindness and compassion holds great importance in the quest for enlightenment in my opinion. Why? Kindness fosters connectedness. Connection with Others. Acts of kindness and compassion foster a sense of connection and empathy with others. By extending kindness and compassion, we recognize the inherent worth and interconnectedness of all beings. This sense of connection can deepen our spiritual understanding and promote a sense of unity. You need that fabric of connectedness. I have seen great changes in my life since my compassion practice, especially loving kindness meditation. Any opportunity in this regard should not be wasted. In fact I would feel guilty if I did that. Anything that births itself from kindness will never be lost in vain. Kindness is a virtue, a gift that keeps giving. You'll never see it until it actually does. Kindness and compassion are considered virtues in many spiritual traditions. Cultivate virtues. Engaging in these acts helps cultivate qualities such as empathy, generosity, forgiveness, and love. These virtues are seen as essential for personal growth, spiritual development, and living a meaningful life. Bind them to yourself. See every act as an opportunity. Suffering exists due to a dualistic nature. Nothing is really separate. Alleviating Suffering. Suffering of some form will always exist though.compassion is often motivated by a desire to alleviate the suffering of others. By showing kindness and compassion, we contribute to creating a more compassionate and caring world. This can bring comfort, healing, and support to those in need, and it can also enhance our own sense of purpose and fulfillment. Why bother to alleviate suffering right? Welll... When you reduce the burden of suffering you stop the cycle of suffering. Again this is a principle of vompassion. Spirituality without compassion is like a car without fuel. You can't really go anywhere with it. It wouldn't make sense long term. In its absence, everything is egoic. We have an inherent self centeredness anyway. Practicing Non-Attachment is ideal.Engaging in acts of kindness and compassion can help us develop a sense of detachment from our own desires, ego, and self-centeredness. It shifts our focus from personal gain to the well-being of others. By letting go of self-centeredness, we open ourselves up to a deeper spiritual experience and a greater sense of interconnectedness. This also fosters our inherent non duak nature.

What is the point of doing spiritual work if only survival mattered in the end?

There is no best method. However you can use trial and error and see what works best for you. For me it's meditation and YouTube, lots of guided imagery videos. The second is writing it down. As succinctly as possible. Then reflect on it everyday. Another important technique I found is this — @Marcel maybe you can add more on this thread please.

Thinking about thinking.

The state of consciousness cannot be reduced to a mental model. You get this through metacognition.

Awakening is the state of consciousness and it is not mind dependent. Knowledge is mind dependent. Consciousness is therefore more fundamental than that. It is definitive in itself. There's nothing definitive about knowledge though.

Consciousness can never be based on knowledge. Knowledge at best is flimsy. Awakening is the awareness of this consciousness.

Consciousness is permanent therefore consciousness cannot be knowledge. If you think knowledge is not sufficient, it's because it's temporary.

I don't think this is True. A realization, insight, knowledge are temporary things. They help us understand reality. But a state of consciousness is permanent.

Awakening is not an insight. It's a state of consciousness. Then how can it be false?

This is excellent. I view enlightenment in a similar way.

I would love to have a long discussion with you about the nature of existential loneliness. It's interesting to me because I haven't experienced something like this, or maybe I have. I'm not sure what this experience really feels like. Do you get a lot of questions in mind? Is it similar to nihilism? This experience must be unique and I would love to know more.

What work do you do that makes you come to such a realization and how do you know if such a realization is rooted in truth?

Have you thought of asking AI about the solutions?

I call that Satan meditation. I used to do that. It used to cause me deep pain and suffering but liberating at the same time. It used to take my impurities out, like a filtering process. I confessed a lot of the bad stuff I did and it set me free. It's intense like shadow work but it's a good tool for moral development. I had a journal long ago where I discussed it in depth.

I request you to make a thread on your realizations from all of your psychedelic trips valentin.

How to go deeper and deeper into spirituality everyday? What specific practice would you recommend?

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