Warm greetings to all of you,
This is a 2 part question and concerns Yogananda's exercises... after doing them once yesterday and once today, the point at the base of my skull is intensely sore. It makes me wonder if the new energy coming in is somehow "stuck" or the channels just aren't used to this energy and are adjusting. So, ...
What are some of the experiences we can expect when starting these and how can we best/more easily adjust to the changes brought on?
My heartfelt thanks,
Jordana
—Jordana, Germany
Dear Jordana,
Congratulations on starting your practice of Energization. It will transform the way you go about your life as you develop an ever-deeper connection with the life-force.
Yes, energy can get stuck at the medulla oblongata, as that’s the seat of ego-consciousness. However, I don’t see why that would cause soreness after just two practice sessions.
More likely, it seems to me, is that either (a) you’re doing a good job of tensing, but not such a good job of relaxing, especially in the exercises where you’ll pulling the head back with tension, or (b) your neck circles are too large and/or too uncontrolled, or (c) you’ve thrown your neck out of alignment through some activity that may or may not have to do with Energization.
As a remedy, start paying more attention to the relaxation phase, making sure you release all physical tension. At the same time, shrink your neck circles, perhaps lifting your shoulders toward your ears to help support the head as you circle.
If you have thrown your neck out of adjustment at some point in your practice or in your everyday life, then the remedies I just suggested might not help. So if the problem persists, I recommend that you visit a chiropractor.
As for other experiences you can expect, that’s so individual that it’s hard to say. In general, you should feel both more energetic and more relaxed. Your body awareness/control, muscle tone, and concentration are likely to improve noticeably. And of course, your awareness of and control over energy should increase.
However, a few common ones resulting from incorrect practice are
- Dizziness or elevated blood pressure due to not keeping the breath moving as you practice
- Muscle strain from tensing all at once, with a jerk, rather than smoothly
- Fatigue from not paying sufficient attention to the relaxation phase, so your muscles stay partially tensed, constantly working
- Discomfort due to not being sufficiently gentle with body parts that are injured or otherwise compromised.
Blessings on your practice,
Gyandev
