irregularity: instability

continuing with Patanjali's Sutras:

irregularity: one of the greatest obstacles

instability, or, irregularity

First we shall look at the instability aspect of irregularity. Some would actually refer to instability as not being "regular" with what one is doing. But let's look at this from other aspects too.

1) Going back over my recent posts about the obstacles, they do arise. One of the biggest difficulties I saw decades ago, living in an Ashram, was how hard many people found it was. Getting up 3.30am or 4.30am, doing cleansing practices, chanting, postures, pranayama, meditation. Then working all day. I had been a working mother so I was used to doing whatever I had to do without "head tripping" about it. But those who had been more hippy, many found it a real struggle to be expected to do what they didn't want to do. So instability from a sense of entitlement is a real obstacle. I just don't know what to advise over this. 

Being tragic over not having one's own way is one of the biggest blocks, and is within itself, a form of instability. 

2) As well, as I've previously mentioned, whether you know it or not, with intense meditation, we are stimulating so many areas of us. Nice meditation, lovely visualisation, self hypnosis, or relaxing methods lying down, they do not do this. Chalk and cheese. They give lovely amazing results and most definitely have their place, but do not, will not, take us through the stages and realms of deep spirituality and enlightenments.

And of course, we do feel great with intense meditation. Of course. Our brains, and our Higher Centres, our entire subtle-psycho-physiological aspects are being stirred up. They get highly energised; euphoric. We cannot access the Higher Realms without this happening. 

And this in itself, can create a sort of instability. It's not really, as it's not a pyschiatric condition, nor a deep mental emotional one. Nor a personality flaw. It's just the way that it is. Because one goes high (in the Inner Realms) and I will say that definitely we always think that we have soared whereas to someone more established, we are really at beginner level. It all takes time. So we soar. 

3) Now, it is my humble belief that we need all of these things that "support" deep meditation practices, that ease the way. And also help us handle what we are going through in terms of the realms and stages of energy and consciousness:

• the asanas build our body so that our nervous system can handle the onslaught of energy , and keep us connected to the earthly plane
• pranayama gives us fuel for the inner journey, and also indirectly balances and strengthens the nervous system
• sensory withdrawal (pratyahara) gives us the stillness that we need to travel deep within
• the gestures (mudras) help develop sublime states
• energy locks (bandhas) help build up and direct this new energy
• the ethics and guidelines (yamas and niyamas) help us to contain and maintain our new states of Being
• concentration (dharana) focuses our mind so that we can go beyond mind

So how can all of this create instability and irregularity? It is because, for many, our new inner states can be hard to maintain. It's difficult because everything gets sort of "shaken". Not every spiritual aspect is going to awaken all at once. No, for we could not handle it. But everything gets shaken and part of this is:

• mind and emotions, so interlinked, can cause a problem as deep seated feelings and painful suppressed memories can surface, and this is not always easy to handle
• our "cravings" can re-emerge
• our prana (life-force sheath) has quite a bit of emotional content covering it, and these get "exposed"
• our mind sheath (manomaya) is affected. A lot of what arises in meditation can and does, come from this sheath. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes not
• the chakra sheath (astral, vigyanamaya) gets very stimulated, and the incredible energy contained within them, is very strong

So what happens? Well, we can just keep on going, or cut back a bit without stopping. The easy way out, stopping for a while, is the hardest in the long run, and this is the next very important aspect that we shall look at.  It is one of the most important. 

And this applies, not only to our spiritual practices, but to everything in life. Keeping on going even though difficulties arise, gives us inner strength, and this is not to be underestimated.