Swaying movements whilst meditating?

[rNOW]

I have started meditating since a couple of months and recently noticed that I start swaying involuntarily after about 7-8 minutes. At first I thought I was imagining it so I opened my eyes to check, but I was actually moving. However it is a very gentle swaying from side to side or front and back or rotational, but it is not something I am doing or controlling. I can stop it if I want to, but that feels wrong. In all it is a very lovely feeling and sensation of calm, but it exhausts me after about 20 minutes from swaying so much. I find that trying to control the movements also causes exhaustion. So I'm not sure if this is some kind of purging process or am I doing something wrong and my body is reacting to it? I meditate sitting on a cushion without back support. Giving some back support seems to prevent these movements but then I get too relaxed and doze off. 

Is this normal and anyone else experience this type of swaying? Also, how do you not get exhausted due to this?

Also after a few moments of meditating, I lose sensations in my palms. It is as if my hands end at my wrists and my palms don't exist? Is this something to do with the mudras? I hold the Dhyana mudra because I do not know what else to do with my hands! 

All insights welcome. Thanks!

[Maya_0]

This phenomenon is not uncommon in meditation. It has a name: Kriyas.

Here is a video where Shinzen young does a good job explaining it:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9AHh9MvgyQ

 

It's the manifestation of unconscious sankaras (habit patterns of the body-mind). When the body-mind relaxes enough, the sankaras manifest as spontaneous body movements.

You basically just have to remain mindful watching it and it will lessen over time. It's a good sign.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Maya_0

[Forestluv]

@rNOW I’ve experience similar. In terms of the exhaustion, yoga has helped me increase stamina.

[pluto]

Energy/consciousness that's trying to free itself, ultimately. Kinda like the ego, it ultimately wants to feel free and free itself from the body but its fear of dying keeps it attached. When it finally realizes death is illusory, it surrenders effortlessly.

[Howard]

It has happened to me before.

[pluto]

7 minutes ago, Keyhole said:

@pluto I like your signature "B R E A T H E" - I find it a great reminder while on the path when on this forum.

Thank you, that's precisely why i created it <3

Its a simple yet divine reminder to return to the present, let go and just be!

[Nahm]

@rNOW It’s one of two things...ego keeping things moving so the body isn’t still long enough to have an ego breakthrough, or the ‘subconscious’ is moving the body and you should allow it. From having experienced it yourself, is there one of those you lean more towards?

[Forestluv]

I was at an Ayahuasca ceremony and things started to get a bit hairy. Some moaning, yelps and anxiety in the air. It started to intensify and spread within the group. The leaders very rarely speak during the ceremonies. Here, a female leader said gently, yet firmly. . . B R E A T H. . . . It was like we were a collective organism that started breathing. There was definitely an energetic shift at that point and things settled down.

[rNOW]

@Maya_0 Thanks,That made sense!

On 8/2/2019 at 8:46 AM, Nahm said:

@rNOW It’s one of two things...ego keeping things moving so the body isn’t still long enough to have an ego breakthrough, or the ‘subconscious’ is moving the body and you should allow it. From having experienced it yourself, is there one of those you lean more towards?

Yeah, I do think it's the latter because I do not really have any urge to move, it just happens without me desiring or controlling it. Also I cannot seem to direct the motions or rotations, if I try to do that, they stop completely. 

On 8/2/2019 at 9:33 AM, Serotoninluv said:

I was at an Ayahuasca ceremony and things started to get a bit hairy. Some moaning, yelps and anxiety in the air. It started to intensify and spread within the group. The leaders very rarely speak during the ceremonies. Here, a female leader said gently, yet firmly. . . B R E A T H. . . . It was like we were a collective organism that started breathing. There was definitely an energetic shift at that point and things settled down.

That's interesting. I do feel something move around me like from one side to another or around the abdomen area, sometimes, very rarely this 'it', whatever it is, moves above my head. I'm wondering if this is something similar? I sometimes sense 'wind' on one side of my body, however it is not windy and it is not really my imagination, as imagination is limited to being inside my head. Same with ringing ears randomly for a few seconds when things are very quiet. 

[Nahm]

@rNOW Cool. Just keep letting go, relaxing. If you are not efforting then you are not efforting. If you are efforting in counter balance, unveil the fact that you are efforting. Infinite intelligence will certainly never cause you to be off balance.  It just does not lean that Way. 

[AlldayLoop]

I had a similar experience when I took a large amount of marijuana which sent me into an ego-death, followed by intense panic attack. I thought I was dying, but that quickly subsided (by quick it was more like 2 hours, but in the grand scheme of things it was short). 

 As I was sitting, I was trying to control myself from acting on the bodily sensations it wanted to express. 

Honestly if I just let my body do what it needed to do in that moment (with someone guiding the experience, of course), I think it would have been a much more pleasant experience. 

Edited August 5, 2019 by AlldayLoop