Pranic movements or kriyas
http://www.thekundaliniyoga.org/kundalini/Symptoms_of_Awakening.aspx
Pranic movements or kriyas
Prana is Sanskrit word for vital energy - life-sustaining force of living beings. Pranic movements are intense energy movements of prana throughout the body that helps clear our physiological blocks.
Throbbing of mooladhar Chakra begins (at the base of spine)
Energy rushes or immense electricity circulating the body
Seeker may experience intense involuntary, jerking movements of the body, including shaking, vibrations, spasm and contraction.
The whole body shakes, involuntary kumbhak (filling in of the lungs with air) starts beyond control, breath is forcibly exhaled out.
Deep inhaling and exhaling of breath starts and the body gets uncontrollable.
Intense heat or cold.
Involuntary bodily movements (occur more often during meditation or resting periods): jerking, tremors, shaking; feeling an inner force pushing one into postures or moving one's body in unusual ways.
Trembling and Shaking whilst Meditating (goenka vipassana)
https://www.vipassanaforum.net/forum/index.php?topic=2027.0
Trembling and Shaking whilst Meditating
« on: December 29, 2012, 03:53:01 PM »
Dear Vipassana Practitioners,
I have a problem with my meditation: Whenever I meditate my body starts to tremble and shake. It occurs whenever I get into a relaxed and concentrated state. The more relaxed and concentrated I am, the more violent the shaking becomes. Periodically my body starts shivering, like I am cold. The frequency is approximately every 30 seconds to two minutes, depending on how relaxed I am. I can’t do anything about it. If I tense my muscles really hard, it is a bit better, but that´s not good for meditation of course.
It started on a 10 day meditation retreat in 2009. The weeks after the retreat it became worse as I continued my practice. The shivering got so bad that I was worried about my health. It just doesn´t feel healthy. I asked my teacher and everybody I met, but nobody could help me with it. My therapist gave me the advice to stop. So I stopped meditation.
Afterwards I tried Yoga and Qi Gong. But with these I had exactly the same problems whenever I got into a relaxed state. Until now, four years later, it is still the same. I was hoping that it gets better from itself, but until now it didn´t. It would be a shame if I had to stop meditating because of this.
Does anybody have an idea what to do? Or did anyone ever experience something similar?
Thanks so much in advance!
(one of the interesting answers on that thread)
Guest
Re: Trembling and Shaking whilst Meditating
« Reply #19 on: October 20, 2019, 04:12:01 AM »
Glad to have found this thread. Thought this was a very rare experience. Seems like this might be quite common.
EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT SENSATIONS
Had a similar experience on my first Goenka course. Very violet shaking. My meditation shawl had dropped to the ground. I was determined not to break my sitting position. Kept legs crossed and hands clasped together. I was determined to not allow this to stop me from meditating. I decided to observe it for as long as I could. Remember thinking if it gets too much I'll engage in Anapana (observe breathing). It intensified, got stronger, stronger and then gradually lost its power and dissipated away. Remaining equanimous was important. I wasn't phased by it so decided to do nothing about it, except to observe it in all future cases.
My personal take on this is that its just a strong sankhara having a tantrum and trying to stop you from meditating. A bit like a troublesome tenant that doesn't want to be evicted and will cause as much trouble as possible to avoid being kicked out. Basically, its a kick from within when a deep seated complex rises to the surface and doesn't want to leave, at least not without putting up a fight first. If you become imbalanced and lose your equanimity it will overpower you and you will end up reacting to it. Its won the battle and doesn't get evicted.
This happened during my group sitting in the meditation hall. It was during the one hour strong meditation period. This is an hour of strong determination ( Adhiṭṭhāna ) when you try to keep your posture (keep eyes closed. Keep position of arms and legs without changing them). The purpose is to train yourself to break the old habit of reacting to sensations (pleasant or unpleasant).
During the break period I was approached by one of the servers and informed the course guide (course teacher) would like to see me about the shaking. The guide wanted to know whether I was mixing techniques with Vipassana. Was I internally engaging in a silent mantra, some other form of ritual, or auto-suggestion of some sort, etc. I replied no. Its simply the puss coming out ( psychological impurities welling up to the surface and evaporating away).
EXTREMELY PLEASANT SENSATIONS
During the same first course, during a group sit in the dhamma hall. I was sitting as normal, focused on body scanning . All of a sudden started to experience very subtle pleasant sensations radiating outwards from my head. It was like as if my head had exploded into trillions upon trillions of vibrating very pleasant sensations. To the extent that I was temporarily paralysed and became overwhelmed by their seductive nature. I wasn't able to observe them and had lost control. Too busy enjoying the seduction. When I become aware that I was being entrapped by these sensations I tried to snap out of their enchantment. It was hard to gain back control but eventually starting observing them. They dissipated away as quickly as they had appeared.
EXTREMELY PLEASANT AND UNPLEASANT SENSATIONS AT THE SAME TIME
During the same first course, in the dhamma hall, when I was doing a body scan it was a very difficult sitting. On some parts of the body was experiencing pleasant sensations and on other parts very gross, unpleasant ones. As the session progressed the upper body parts (waist up) started to feel extremely pleasant ones and on lower body (waist down) very unpleasant gross ones. It was difficult and mental torture. Eventually, learnt to remain equanimous to both. Noticed both were just vibrations. Coming and going, coming and going, coming and going...I remember laughing to myself internally and thinking so this is anicca (impermanent).
PERSONAL THOUGHTS
These experiences taught me that pleasant sensations are the same as unpleasant ones. Neither lead to peace or satisfaction. I knew this at the intellectual level from the Goenka evening discourses but now it was an experiential truth. Reacting to both is a form of enslavement. Of course, you return to your old habit pattern and keep repeating the reactionary responses even after making realisations like this. Its difficult to remain guarded against them. Its a constant challenge.
Its funny how, when extremely pleasant sensations are experienced most meditators don't seem to be concerned but will start to worry if they get an extremely unpleasant sensation. Its the same old habit pattern of reacting to pleasant sensations with craving and to unpleasant sensations with aversion. We constantly play this game of sensations. More pleasant ones please and no thanks to the unpleasant ones. Its extremely hard to observe unpleasant sensations but it's even harder to observe extremely pleasant ones because of the old habit pattern of craving and aversion. I'm not suggesting its easy just that it takes time to reach a level of meditative maturity where you can observe any sensation without reacting.
In a similar vein to what someone stated elsewhere on these forums. It doesn't matter what amazing experiences someone has had, remember they can still be a jerk or a saint. Its a hard journey. You get out of it what you put in. The real measure of progress is how you interact with non-meditators in daily life.
DISCLAIMER: I am not suggesting that you don't take advice from your teacher or guide. If something happens during meditation that concerns you, then definitely seek guidance.
Standing Qigong, Reaching the Advanced Levels
http://www.taijiworld.com/standing-qigong.htmlStanding Qigong, The Vital Signs
By Erle Montaigue
Wednesday, April 09, 1997
How do you know when your training is finally beginning to reach an advanced level, or that some of the things that should happen with your training are actually happening. Dedicated students who wish to have some kind of sign as to their progress always ask me these questions.
Well, there are certain physical and internal signs that one is able to look for provided they are told about them. In just the same way that the body lets you know what it wants in the way of healing, provided that you are in tune with your body, Taijiquan lets you know how you are progressing by having certain physiological signs appear in or on your body. These signs begin the moment you begin your Taijiquan and qigong training.
Standing Qigong: The Shakes
The shakes will begin about 3 minutes into your first standing qigong session. The reason for this is that the Qi is already trying to flow more freely and is finding resistance in the form of tension. During standing qigong, the Qi needs to be at full strength or flow so that more Qi can flow freely to all parts of the body. The Qi 'springs' from the bubbling well point or 'K 1' (Kidney one point, the first point on the kidney meridian). But first of all, the Qi must flow downwards from tantien, an electrical point about 3 inches below the navel, to K 1 so that it can then flow to all parts of the body, healing as it goes. The Qi will flow downwards OK, but when it tries to move upwards from K 1, it encounters tension in the thigh muscles. So this Qi flow is like a wave hitting against a wall until so much Qi is built up that it MUST break through in big bits rather than an uninterrupted even flow, hence the shakes. Often when I have obviously strong men come to my classes and I ask them to stand in their first qigong position, they often have a look of "come on, is this all there is to it". But after only a few minutes they, more than anyone else, are shaking like leaves in the breeze. They just cannot understand why, as they are so strong, they are unable to do this simple exercise. What they do not understand is that it has nothing to do with how strong their muscles are, but rather that their Qi flow is impeded because of their huge muscles and more-so, tension caused by exercising in the incorrect way.
After some time, around perhaps 4 to 6 weeks of training in the basic standing qigong, the shakes lessen to a mild vibration and it becomes quite pleasant standing there. This is your best indication of an increased Qi flow and that finally something is beginning to happen. If you do not get the initial shakes, there is something wrong with your stance. Perhaps you have slowly stood up and not even noticed it, this is usually the problem. Everyone, no matter whom gets the shakes.
On Uncontrollable Shaking during Standing Qigong (Taiji Grandmaster FZQ)
https://dankleiman.com/2013/09/26/tai-chi-practice-advice-from-master-feng-zhiqiang/In the Q&A section of the transcript, Master Feng gives some direct, and indirect, practice advice. The first question is about standing qigong. He is asked, "Basically, how should we stand? Any tips on standing? Some students have experienced interesting phenomena like uncontrollable shaking, whether that's good or bad, and whether we should do anything about it."
Master Feng starts off with what appears to be a very theoretical answer, but I found it to be a pretty accurate description of the "interesting phenomena."
Everyone, greetings. This is a good question. Standing posture is Wuji, [Translator note: as in "ultimate nothing"]. Standing posture is posture of Wuji. Wuji is the state before Heaven and Earth was formed, when everything was in the primordial soup, when yin and yang were not differentiated. Wuji is silence, not moving, is quiet, whereas Taiji, the name of our practice, is opposite. Even though it looks as if standing posture/standing meditation there's no movement, however inside, just like in the primordial soup, there's always something, there's always something moving. When the internal subtle movement suddenly reaches critical level, then there's a Big Bang. That's when the light stuff floats up and the heavy stuff sinks down. And those that floats up form the heaven, and things that condenses become the Earth. The Big Bang essentially causes Taiji to happen. Taiji is yin and yang, the interplay between yin and yang. Between the interplay of yin and yang, everything else in this world is born. Without Taiji there's nothing, there's not even us. Everything, all life forms. Plants, animals. Human being are at the top of the animal kingdom, we are spiritual beings. The relationship between Heaven, Human, and Earth is the three pillars of the universe. Basically, from Wuji, even though there's no apparent movement, there's always something happening internally. When the time is right, the universe is formed, and Taiji is born. Same thing when we're doing standing meditation. There's no apparent movement, but there's always a little subtle shift. And after you've been doing it for a while you could generate so much energy in your body that you'd just have to move, that's the time for you to start doing your form. Within Wuji, even though the external is without motion, inside there is the beating of the heart, the circulation of blood, the flowing of chi. So within the motionless external something is contained inside that is moving.
He continues with a very detailed cosmological description of the process of moving from Wu Ji to Tai Chi and beyond, which I won't add here. But then he returns to a very practical tip. I bolded the parts I thought were especially important:
Let's go back to the standing meditation and involuntary movement. Not everyone will experience it. Some people will experience different feelings, different sensations, when your qigong practice is up to a certain level. Movement is one of them. It's normal to move. However, do not seek movement for its own sake. The movement is a side effect. What we want to do is keep our attention, our intention, within our DanTien, and let the movement be. If the movement continues without bothering you, that's fine. But if it gets bigger and bigger, then you should use your will power, your mind, to tell it "look, just stop it; don't move." Usually that will take away or control the movement. However if the movement is so big that it's beyond your control, then it's time to stop. You should do the DanTien turning exercise, gathering all the Qi that is wandering about back into your DanTien, and stop doing QiGong. Some movements are actually good phenomena. However we should not seek the phenomena. We should just focus on practicing QiGong.
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