GreenWoods

When you do enough research on it, reincarnation becomes almost undeniable

@CreamCat with right posture, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Yogis and monks meditate many hours daily and I bet they are extremely healthy. Reducing meditation to 20 minutes a day and equlizing sitting meditation with during-the-day-concentration "meditation" seems like a nice ego trick But you are right, when you meditate for longer durations it is no bad idea to add some bodily movements

@Leo Gura I don't know whether Jesus' miracles in the bible like healing, turning water into wine and raising the dead are only metaphors or not. But in case he actually could do these things, then he probably did it similarly to how you described how imagination works. You said that - in an even deeper state of consciousness - you could probably turn your hand (with your imagination) into tentacles. That would be how Jesus turned water into wine. Then Jesus must have been incredibly deeply enlightened when this was his baseline consciousness. (except the ability to do these things doesn't necessarily require such a deep enlightenment but can also be attained for example through a kundalini awakening as a siddhi)

@Inliytened1 Thank you:) In case I will experience a kundalini awakening I will hopefully remember your advice:)

Is this in response to my question whether kundalini awakening can kill you right away? Then I wasn't precise. I didn't mean whether it can kill the ego (because this can of course happen, furtunately:) ) but whether it can directly kill the body (and thus the ego along with it) (and with directly I exclude indirect ways like suicide due to not being able to handle the awakening)

I don't know. And I haven't done a thorough research on it yet but so far it seems to me like this: There are 3 main positions: 1. Those people say that it is very dangerous. They also say Kriya yoga and kundalini yoga are very dangerous and should not be done. They also say that psychedelics are even more dangerous and don't bring you (true) enlightenment. They recommend techniques that seem very very indirect. I suppose they are just dogmatic and have no deep and broad understanding of nonduality 2. Those say that kundalini awakening can be dangerous if it doesnt happen the right way. They do recommend practicing kriya yoga to prepare the body for the kundalini awakening but ONLY with a guru. They take the traditional approach. They say it takes years or decades and should only be done with a guru and then it is possible that you have a kundalini awakening and then it will be not dangerous . 3. They say the kundalini awakening can be very tough if the body is not yet ready and one is not yet spiritually mature. So they recommend yoga to prepare the body. One definitely doesn't need a guru. And they say that the kundalini awakening is more certain to happen (than the others say) and can happen much more quickly. Now, what does dangerous mean? ln the handful of books I read related to the topic and little online research I have done so far, dangerous means that you can have very severe kundalini symptoms. But I haven't yet found one serious source which says it can kill you. In the internet are of course some horror stories, but as with psychedelics use, you must look at the context. When someone knows nothing about spirituality and nonduality and one's body hasn't been prepared whatsoever with yoga or something similar, and one has a spontaneous kundalini awakening or goes to someone who awakens it right away then this is similar to when a teenage takes a high dosage of 5me0-Dmt half drunk on a party with his friends. I am not totally sure yet, but what I would suggest is, that when you have the theoretical foundation, that is you are mentally mature and you prepare your body gradually with yoga, the chance of it killing you is under 0.01%. You will of course have kundalini symptoms nevertheless. And they are severe according to how unprepared your body is. But as long as it doesn't kill me, I would be fine with those symptoms. So when is your body ready? intuit it. Gradually adopt more and more powerful techniques but only if you feel ready. I have read Stevens book and Gamanas books. I would say kriya supreme fire is the most powerful technique. Gamana says you can do it after already some few months of kriya yoga and then over the months and years of practice you do it for longer and longer durations, up to an hour once you are very experineced and already had a kundalini awakening. I have been doing kriya yoga for 6 months but because I just want to be very very safe, I haven't yet added it to my routine. I will wait perhaps 2 more months and when I feel ready I will add it and very slowly increase the duration (number of rounds). You have been doing kriya yoga for 1 year so I guess, in case you feel ready, you can add it now. If I remember right, Leo added it much sooner, but he is also more spiritually advanced. Definitely buy Gamana's book on kundalini, even if his techniques seem too dangerous to you, it is still worth it because it includes interesting background knowledge on it. But if you want to be yet more safe, then do the approach which position 1 and 2 suggest. Does anyone of you think the kundalini awakening itself can kill you right away?

or live your day as if it were your first. Both philosophies have their upsides. Try to live the advantages of both at once. I guess that would also be supported by metaphysics. There is only this Now. so this moment is your very first and very last, forever

@Chumbimba Good points

- watch some of Leo's videos - take psychedelics - remember that when you don't do spiritual work you value ego and illusion over Truth and God. What are your priorities? - take a look at your vision board -remember that you are blindly within the matrix - when you are super motivated because you for example just had an enlightenment experience, voice record yourself or make a video of yourself express your motivation and excitement as much as possible. Then when you lack motivation, watch your video

more a life hack in general: Polyphasic sleeping

So the most difficult part is not getting the tongue into the nasal cavity but then to get it all the way up? about sushumna. I never really thought about that, I just do it the way it feels right. Perhaps I am doing it wrong but I never really visualized it. I rather tried to feel my way up. And now I slightly can feel the energy down there (from the 4th chakra on I can feel the energy much more strongly). so I just try to guide it up. I guess it would naturally go up through the sushumna as it is made to transport the prana. But I am probably just too sloppy, that's why I do it according to Gamana. Perhaps another one following Stevens can help you more

@Chumbimba Not having sexual thoughts at all does in any case make sure that you won't relapse. What would you say is the purpose of total abstinence other than that? No ejaculation is obvious. But some monks/yogis also abstain from sex,orgasm and sexual thoughts. Because of your equation : uncontrollable lust =suffering? Would you say this applies only to normal people or is a general rule? Would you say that if someone like Buddha decided to have a wife that he would suffer therefore? I guess you watch Gabe Dawg?

Love is fundamental to Reality and perhaps the most God-like trait one can express. I found 3 ways how to increase your capacity to love: 1. raise your consciousness and realize that we are all one. The techniques are obvious: Meditation, psychedelics, kriya yoga,.... 2. Open your heart chakra: Kriya/Kundalini Yoga is quite effective for this. Once you feel the prana, you can consciously bring it to your heart chakra (I prefer the heart chakra on the front but the one on the back is also fine I guess). keep focusing on the heart chakra and additionally try to feel love. 3. Samadhi with love: You can have Samadhi with all sorts of things objects, emotions... Thus you can also have Samadhi with love. Santata Gamana recently published a new book called Smadhi. Basically you just concentrate on the object till you become it (so just generate the feeling of love and remain in it). When you have samadhi with love, you on the one hand get insights about love and become love-like (Gamana mentions, that when you have samadhi with a thing, you adopt qualities of that thing). Even if you never achieve samadhi with love, you will become way more loving nevertheless because you spent so much time immersed in the feeling of love. I love this exercise, currently it's my favourite. Tip: Do 2. prior to it. with the prana in the heart chakra it will be much easier to generate the feeling of love. Of course there are other ways like selfless giving, getting into a lovely relationship or doing things you love (they however probably are not as effective) You got any additional ideas on how to increase your capacity to love?

my parents are the same. What do you think why you got those bloodshot eyes? From lifting weights?

@John West Get Gamana's book on Kundalini. I guess those are the most direct and powerful practises. Another, more indirect way, is through whole body orgasms. checkout the youtube channel sexual kung fu. gabe from the channel vegan aesthetics also had an kundalini awakening through an orgasm I believe, but his videos are long and repetitive. Mantak chia is an expert in getting whole body orgasms (and thus potentially to have mystical experiences or kundalini awakenings)

@John West Thank you

You mean with the ujjayi breathing? construct it such that it is still comfortable and you can breath smoothly. When you constrict itbso much that you struggle breathing, it's obviously too much. with experience you will fins the sweet spot. But even if you don't, I doubt that it will have that much of an impact. If you do the rest well, it shouldn't matter

your pranayama is not correct when you don't do it according to the descriptions/ explanations. But even when you follow all the instructions, you probably aren't doing them perfectly at first. So over time you approach perfection of pranayama. Breath slowly, don't daydream, feel (or imagine to feel or visualize) the prana, don't do it mechanically,.....

wow, that's impressive:) Are you now able to do full Khechari Mudra? Did you already watch that one on feeling the chakras?

@Chumbimba is right. I felt similar benefits but not as strongly, but that's because my longest streak has only been about 30 days so far. when your streak is more than 100, it will probably be insane. Feelings like anxiety or anger can occur when all the energy remains at the root chakra. You have to channel the energy through your whole body (thus you can also prevent blue balls, wet dreams and lessen urges). opening the microcosmic orbit can be helpful and kriya yoga. watch some of the videos by "sexual kung fu". That's one of the easiest way to draw the energy up. you don't have to flex your muscles though. The most important thing is to gently and repeatedly contract your anus, perinium and pc muscles and guide the energy up through the spine with your mind when you find a sex partner and still want to retain your seed you have to learn how to have orgasms without ejaculation. there is plenty of stuff on the internet if you search. And the youtube channel I mentioned is masterful at this.

To those who are able to do Khechari Mudra. Once one can touch the bottom end of the uvula with the tongue (without the help of fingers), how long does it take till one is able to stick the tongue into the nasal cavity with the help of the fingers?

I would definitely buy the first two by Gamana. He has some practises like Kriya supreme fire which aren't mentioned in Steven's and are really powerful. If I were you, I would buy Gamanas books and do his routine (which is way simpler) and add the ones you find most powerful/effective from Steven's (or thoses you intuit are worth doing). I first did Steven's, but switched quickly to Gamana's as I liked his more direct approach more. I've been doing it for half a year (about 95% of the practise according to Gamana and 5% to Steven. I do about 12 pranayamas of Stevens to have the spine breathing and then continue with Gamana's pranayama which I find more powerful). If I feel like it, I will perhaps add some more of Gamana's in the future. When you are already familiar with yoga, you can skip 95% of Gamana's books and go straight to the practises. Except the chapter about the after kriya / parvastha state, that's very important

Some additional help to achieve khechari mudra. This guy is amazing

Perhaps You can optimize your diet or sleep patterns. Exercise in general (not during the retreat) should help as well I have done only one retreat so far lasting two weeks. But I meditate for several hours daily and will do a long term retreat soon

yesterday was the first time I think I actually fell asleep while mediating... I usually do it this way: I meditate/self-inquiry/kriya-yoga as long as I am fit, once I become sleepy, I open my eyes and do self inquiry with open eyes or contemplate. You can also do a walk outside (contemplate there) or take a cold shower and continue. I suppose u don't meditate 17 hours a day, so arrange your schedule such that you do things like cooking when you are most sleepy.