Éiriú-Eolas - Breathing Program

combsbt said:
Using visualization is good way to vector your thought patterns. I was reminded of a C's quote mentioning visualization:

C's said:
Q: What is the "philosopher's stone?"
A: Idea centre.
Q: How can this idea centre be accessed?
A: Many ways: meditation is best.
Q: Is there any visual image of the philosopher's stone that one could use to access it in meditation?
A: Yes. Diamond or prism.

I'm curious, Laura, if your choice of a large drop of water is related to this in that it could be seen as a prism that is roughly diamond shaped?

Keep in mind that I began my meditating practice long before the official Cs contact though it could rightly be said that it was the beginning of the Cs "Experiment." I was experimenting and the results were nothing less than amazing. See the thread on Hancock and the Supernatural for some descriptions of a few experiences.
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=4093.0

I came up with that particular idea of imagining and "holding the image" of a large, shimmering drop of water because it was both totally simple and non-suggestive and difficult at the same time. I knew that my mind was such that it required a challenge in order to create a pinpoint focus. A shimmering, moving, almost gelatinous blob of water/light floating in the blackness of space seemed to be just the ticket because it carried no thought vectors and was, more or less, pure.
 
dantem said:
Aaron said:
As far as suggestions go, I have found these things helpful for me. Please take these with a grain of salt :

  • Lay on back, palms down, gentle pressure through your hands into the floor, bending your knees. Gently, but firmly, tighten your stomach muscles while trying to breath through your stomach like talked about in the EE program - expanding down and out. So basically introduce an opposing force of holding your stomach in with your abdominal muscles while pushing down and out with your diaphragm. Repeat a couple of times. There is more to this technique, which I think is derived from a Yoga move. I can try to dig up a reference for it if you are interested.

Very interesting Aaron. There seems to be a yoga exercice for every pain our body is feeling, and that may help a lot here. Now that you mention that I remember that one of the best weapon against stomach cramps was to just move the abdomen with any physical exercise it came in mind, only that it didn't last for long. This one with the breathing tip comes in very handy along with the EE program and the fact that probably I've got a very weak diaphragm muscle to deal with at this stage, so let's doing the gymn! If you have more please share :)

I edited my original post to include additional information. Here it is again (for clarity) :

On that exercise I tried, I left out that you should bend your knees while laying on your back (I edited the post above to show this). Also, I am not sure on the source Yoga pose, as it appears it was more or less "inspired" by someone I know who does Yoga and went through some Rolfing training. What I talked about above, is how I was shown to first do it by her, then if you want you can try the bridge pose. For me, it seemed to come naturally after the tensing exercise and I tried to tune into my hips as much as possible. Also, she said she showed it to her Rolfer who basically told her she liked the movement and suggested she keep trying it if felt right.
 
Laura said:
[..]I came up with that particular idea of imagining and "holding the image" of a large, shimmering drop of water because it was both totally simple and non-suggestive and difficult at the same time. I knew that my mind was such that it required a challenge in order to create a pinpoint focus. A shimmering, moving, almost gelatinous blob of water/light floating in the blackness of space seemed to be just the ticket because it carried no thought vectors and was, more or less, pure.
[..]
Laura said:
Let me suggest that ya'll do pipe breathing (three stage breathing) in the mornings, round breathing early in the evening on the days you do that (2 times a week unless you have left it off for a reason) and JUST the meditation, starting with a few pipe breaths in the evenings. It appears that the 3 stage breathing is too energizing and the round breathing can bring up disturbances to sleep.

My sister had a nervous breakdown recently, her husband and the dogs are taking care of her. I thought of sending her above info, to try before sleep, a short description of
- few pipe breaths
- the text for meditation
- breathing during meditation.
I am holding off the email, because it very well may be not a good idea at all in her regenerating state, best to wait until she gets better? I ruminated on helping her somehow from afar (we live across continents). It also seems stupid of me because the least she needs now emotions stirred up. But the technique allows me sleep so good and gives feeling of a mothers caress.
 
Is it just me or does anyone else notice an unusual amount of illnesses/occurances happening to one's family/friends and people around them in general?
 
forge said:
My sister had a nervous breakdown recently, her husband and the dogs are taking care of her. I thought of sending her above info, to try before sleep, a short description of
- few pipe breaths
- the text for meditation
- breathing during meditation.
I am holding off the email, because it very well may be not a good idea at all in her regenerating state, best to wait until she gets better? I ruminated on helping her somehow from afar (we live across continents). It also seems stupid of me because the least she needs now emotions stirred up. But the technique allows me sleep so good and gives feeling of a mothers caress.

I would send that to her along with a recording of the meditation portion of the program... just the music and prayer. Believe me, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when I began to meditate!
 
Laura said:
Let me suggest that ya'll do pipe breathing (three stage breathing) in the mornings, round breathing early in the evening on the days you do that (2 times a week unless you have left it off for a reason) and JUST the meditation, starting with a few pipe breaths in the evenings. It appears that the 3 stage breathing is too energizing and the round breathing can bring up disturbances to sleep.

Perhaps a stupid question, but when should we do the warming up? Perhaps before the pipe breathing and before the 3 stage breathing?

(I also observed that the round breathing indeed brings up disturbances at night. I wake up, see images, ..it's quite ''powerful''. But when I only listen to the meditation at night, I fall asleep easily and sleep the whole night without waking up. fwiw)
 
truth seeker said:
Is it just me or does anyone else notice an unusual amount of illnesses/occurances happening to one's family/friends and people around them in general?

I would say that this is a sign of the times. According to the research of Psyche:

In the U.S. alone...

AUTOIMMUNE, CANCER AND HEART DISEASE

Up to 40 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease [Stephen Edelson MD and Deborah Mitchell, "What your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders"]. Of that number, about 75% are women, making it the fourth largest cause of disability in women.

[Psyche: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates up to 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease and that the prevalence is rising. But we want to use Dr. Edelson's statistics]

Autoimmune disease is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in female children and women in all age groups up to 64 years of age.

Researchers have identified 80-100 different autoimmune diseases and suspect at least 40 additional diseases of having an autoimmune basis. These diseases are chronic and can be life-threatening.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates up to 9 million Americans have cancer and 22 million have heart disease.

MENTAL DISORDERS

[From http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml]

Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. When applied to the 2004 U.S. Census residential population estimate for ages 18 and older, this figure translates to 57.7 million people.

In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44.

Mood disorders include major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder.

* Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder

Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).

* Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 18.1 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder.

TOXICS

We are exposed to 6 million pounds of mercury and the 2.5 billion pounds other toxic chemicals each year.

There are currently more than 80,000 chemicals in consumer goods, with little or no safety information about their impact on human health.

The average newborn baby has 287 known toxins in his or her umbilical cord blood, 217 of which are toxic to the brain and nervous system.

15 percent of American women of child-bearing age have toxic levels of mercury in their blood. That means that 15 percent of the 4 million children born in the United States each year, or 600,000 children, are exposed to toxic levels of mercury in the womb.

Then there are the 3,500 different chemicals that are added to our food, and the more than 3,000 chemicals found in our homes.

The average American consumes literally pounds of hormones, antibiotics, food chemicals, additives, artificial sweeteners, and MSG each year. Each one of these toxic chemicals has been shown to harm the brain.

On average we consume a gallon of neurotoxic pesticides and herbicides each year by eating conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. (That’s with people eating much less than the 8 to 10 servings generally recommended.) Notice that pesticides work because they are neurotoxic to pests—they attack the nervous system.

ANTIDEPRESSANTS

One in ten Americans today uses antidepressants, while more than eight million children are taking stimulants like Ritalin.

189 million prescriptions are written for depression, at a cost of $12 billion a year. The use of these drugs has tripled in the last decade, according to a report by the federal government. In 2006, spending on antidepressants soared by 130 percent.

60 percent of people quit their antidepressant regimen after a few months because of side effects such as weight gain, loss of sex drive, or worse.


A team of researchers that reported their findings in The New England Journal of Medicine took a critical look at all the studies done on antidepressants, both published and unpublished. [Turner EH et al. 2007. Selective publication of antidepressant trials and its influence on apparent efficacy. New England Journal of Medicine. 358: 252-260.]

The researchers had to search the FDA databases, call researchers, and track down hidden data under the Freedom of Information Act in order to access the unpublished studies.

After looking at 74 studies involving 12 drugs and over 12,000 people, they discovered that 37 of 38 trials with positive results were published, while only 14 of 36 negative studies were published. And those that showed negative results were published in a way that conveyed a positive outcome.

In short, we are experiencing an epidemic of toxicity caused illness/disease in our world thanks to the greed of pathologicals, at least.
 
Oxajil said:
Laura said:
Let me suggest that ya'll do pipe breathing (three stage breathing) in the mornings, round breathing early in the evening on the days you do that (2 times a week unless you have left it off for a reason) and JUST the meditation, starting with a few pipe breaths in the evenings. It appears that the 3 stage breathing is too energizing and the round breathing can bring up disturbances to sleep.
Perhaps a stupid question, but when should we do the warming up? Perhaps before the pipe breathing and before the 3 stage breathing?

Only do the warming up if you are going to do the 3 stage breathing or the whole program. Pipe breathing that you do in your car, at your desk, while watching a movie (these are the times I normally practice it) does not require a warm-up.
 
herondancer said:
I've noticed many physical adjustments since starting the program, the earliest of which was cervical. I had a long-standing mis-alignment of my 4th and 5th vertebrae. [..]
I've also had a lot tension release the thorax which has made for better breathing on the whole. I swear I've even felt some release in the deep muscles in the lower torso (psoas?)which caused some short term pain in the thigh muscles, because they had to adjust to the new length. The upshot of that has been better overall posture.

me too! I've had this pain b\w my left shoulderblade and the left side of the spine, tht would radiate into the arm and outin front under the shoulder blade. Sometimes it would feel as if I had a knife stuck in there. Chiro would bring short-term relief only. Then one day during the meditation, I felt this snap-like release in the area, it felt as if my whole left side has gotten longer and wider. It has been much better ever since.
 
Laura said:
forge said:
My sister had a nervous breakdown recently, her husband and the dogs are taking care of her. I thought of sending her above info, to try before sleep, a short description of [..]

I would send that to her along with a recording of the meditation portion of the program... just the music and prayer. Believe me, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when I began to meditate!

I assembled and sent the material for her. Thank You!
 
truth seeker said:
Is it just me or does anyone else notice an unusual amount of illnesses/occurances happening to one's family/friends and people around them in general?

Oh yes, as Laura said, it's an epidemic of toxicity. When I talk to people I know, they ALL have some illness or another. And just about everybody is on some kind of medication. People look at me as if I'm nuts when I tell them I haven't taken so much as an aspirin in years. Sure, some really may need it but it's like its become completely normal for everybody to be permanently on some kind of medication.
 
I have been overwhelmed since before Thanksgiving so have not posted. I have been keeping up with the program though and trying to keep up with the forum. I have just a few things to mention as far as the breathing meditation, such as hearing loud noises in my apartment for no apparent reason and a consistent ringing in my ears. I finally was able to read most of the FAQ for Eíriú-Eolas and happy to know this is common.

One thing I am having difficulty with is managing to focus on the POTS - it seems my subconscious mind loves the throw up all kinds of garbage, daily trivia to derail me the minute I start. I am fine with the pipe breathing and the Ba-Ha - but there seems to be some kind of unconscious resistance and I am wondering if it is old resistance to all the penance prayers/rosaries I was forced to recite as a child. So much “stuff” has been erupting from my childhood recently, nothing would surprise me! I am working hard to focus and hope this is temporary.

I would like also to share a recent breakthrough that I feel is a direct result of the breathing/meditation. As I mentioned, I have been in the midst of some kind of emotional storm the past few weeks. A really difficult issue I have had with two family members for sometime has been surfacing and finally, one evening when I was quiet, I suddenly had the answer. Basically - I have been holding on to a belief for some years and trying to make everyone “see it my way” because I thought I was “right”. I finally realized how WRONG that was - could see the other viewpoint - and also realized that I was the one who could change it all. I was able tell the others involved and they were both relieved.

The only problem was that the Me that had that insight was not the same “me” that had been holding on for so long - and this involved a huge sense of loss which triggered a primitive defense mechanism involving being loved/accepted. So, of course I succumbed to a nasty sinus infection. I am not sure that this other part of me is “all better”, but in the last couple of days I have felt calmer and a bit less sad - still lingers but at least I understand the source and am moving through it. There were several days of struggle between the two me’s because I could feel this part of me who felt so lost/alone and wanted payback and was keen to make tacky remarks to my family as justice for giving-in. Fortunately I also sensed another more responsible/understanding me who could SEE all of this - and thankfully this one is guiding me right now. It would almost be comical if I had not felt like I was in some kind of mix-master!

One really nice thing too is that I have mysteriously lost ~10lbs that I have been unable to lose for years - Yay for ultra simple diet and Eíriú-Eolas!
 
fwiw:

There is a quite powerful ''program'' ''in'' me that runs some times and it's Really Hard to fight it. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. And whenever I lose it's devastating.. Many times when the program is running I'm not me. Sometimes my mind is just empty when it's running and sometimes there is someone else pulling the strings, it's pretty scary.

The program was running and I lost control again. So I asked God for a sign, for help. I recited the first few phrases of the POTS. I thought it was probably hopeless, because many times have I fought and lost. But then I heard a voice in my head repeating the words: "This is not what you want. Don't do it. Stand up." (they felt really strong)
I listened to these words and thought ''s/he is right'', I regained control again and felt victory.

Now if I could only hold it...
 
In terms of visualization and keeping the attention focused during the POTS I've started to try to visualize the words, as I first wrote them on notecard to memorize the prayer, as they are spoken. Found that this helps keep the attention focused for me most of the time, but do find that my visualization of the words sometimes lags behind.

An issue I think I have is that I actually notice when I go deeper in meditation (not zoning out, but different than when I start meditating) and then because I notice and react that my notice of it brings me back to where I have to concentrate more on not being distracted or holding my attention more fully. Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

As for doing the program, I had been only doing the meditation portion at night, because the round breathing portion brought a reaction that was too intense and will start doing the 3 stage pipe breathing on Monday and Thursday again.

I may start doing the meditation earlier because the past three days I've had some trouble sleeping through the night where I have two to four strange and/or intense dreams that wake me up and then keeps me awake for about 15 min to 30 min. afterwards.
 
Back
Top Bottom