My work continues. I meditate most mornings (Kum Nye), and every other day I do what I have taken to calling Kum Nye 1, since I do it before Kum Nye 2. It is really a bunch of static poses. I have worked up to, today, 1 minute 7 second in each of them. I do each three times a week, and add 2 seconds each time. One amounts to a close grip push up position plank, another the Bear position, another an ass down squat. All together, virtually every muscle in your body will be under tension at some point. I can only assume that, among other uses, this series–if it is actually historical, which is not entirely clear–would have helped full time meditators keep at least some physical strength.
But it is also a marvelous thing to lead into Shavasana and Autogenic relaxation. I do that, too, most mornings. Go through your body and feel everything, starting with your fingertips, then do an Autogenic progression (my arms are getting heavy, etc.)
What I noticed today is that in the longer, harder holds there is this panic that starts up. I hear a voice say “you can’t do this. This is too much. It will last forever. You will never make two minutes (the goal).”
This voice has a feeling tone. Here is the first point I want to make: positive THINKING, if it is to be of any use, has to come with positive FEELING. I read people talk about Positive Thinking. Well, most people like me have tried it. And people like Al Franken (the then Al Franken–I wonder what he is up to now?) of course mock this, with some justification.
But if you take a Michael Jordan, he has a large reservoir of successes. When a negative thought occurs, he can use a positive thought to lead to a positive emotion. And we call this “positive thinking”. But it really only works for people who have access to a reservoir of positive feelings.
For me, reframing helps a bit, but positive thinking is completely useless for me. Just putting one foot in front of the other, thinking as little as possible–good or bad–is the only thing that reliably works for me.
But I think PRACTICING panicking within a controlled situation, letting that roll over me, and carrying on, is one of the ways you build reservoirs like that. You learn to calm within the tension. And you learn to take each moment as it comes without allowing yourself to become aware anything else exists. This is a learned and learnable skill.
And what I am calling Kum Nye 2 of course comes out of what Tarthang Tulku (the Tulku of Tarthang Monastery) was taught in Tibet back in the 40’s and 50’s. Apparently in the early days he would have his students hold their arms up for very long periods of time. Two of the holds in Kum Nye 1 involve that too.
And in the second book one of the exercises is called Golden Heart Thread, where you hold your arms out at shoulder height for up to 25 minutes. 10 is what is suggested to start, and even that is a lot. Try it: feet about shoulder width, arms extended, hands cupped down. Maybe look up just a tiny bit. See how long you last.
As you hold, tightly held patterns soften and release, and you get large splashes of primitive emotions. That is the goal.