Spiritual Immolation

[scott snedeker]

I have been developing a meditation technique inspired by the teaching of my Reiki master and Deepak Chopra. I call it Immolation.

It is an imagery technique I perform while standing. I close my eyes and imagine the back of my neck feeling warm. If I focus my concentration for just five minutes I can feel heat as the blood vessels dilate from my attention and intention.

Then I imagine the muscles glowing red causing the skin to carmelize and char, cracking, turning to ash and burning away. The glowing and burning spreads to my head followed by burning off of the skin, hair and my facial features. Then my head slowly burns away like a match or a log on a fire. I picture my shoulders burning away next then my body slowly burning down like a candle. I carefully and in detail focus on this imagery until my toes are all that are left and evaporate in a brief final glow.

All that is left is a small pile of ash. A gentle breeze comes along and blows the rest away. I am left just pure spiritual energy. Blown ash has no body, no past, no emotional indemnity. Just pure light and being.






I use it to burn away negative emotion and clean my spiritual inventory in pursuit of emotional and spiritual nonviolence, light and love and harmony. I find it powerful when I am off balance or have been trespassed upon. Some times I use it after a conflict or if I catch myself just practicing poor thought hygiene.

Burned ash has no debt to pay before becoming entitled to joy and love and is blown away with a gentle breeze. With no past pain or negative emotion I can focus on the joy of the moment. Because I believe We owe it to our future posterity to experience joy today

Immolation for me is a stage needed for rebirth. My faerie name is Ash Phoenix because it represents where I am in my spiritual journey. Lately I practice it four or more times a day when I recognize activation of a negative past vibration.

The comparison of the more clean thinking I enjoy after immolation to more unhygienic thoughts reveals a stark contrast that creates another desire to evolve spiritually and appreciation of how far I have travelled already.

I will share it with my Reiki master who is guiding me with my meditation technique. I think she will love it! :cool:

[sailaway58]

I may have to give this a try.
I usually have a couple beers and over eat to deal with a bad day.

[elcharrom]

I just focus all my anger when I do stuff, like if Im cleaning my room, like I have to do today :mad: I will just use all the anger and drama from during the week and do things like 10 times faster and better.

And what is this meditation for? Yoga? Im sry if I sound ignorant, I really dont know -_-" :D

[scott snedeker]

And what is this meditation for? Yoga? Im sry if I sound ignorant, I really dont know -_-" :D


It is part of my discipline of thought focus that I employ to heal and grow emotionally and spiritually.

I am evolving toward spiritual entitlement to joy, peace, love, light and freedom from angst by sublimating past and present spiritual violence to nonviolence.

For me there is much to undo. I have in the past allowed and occasionally still allow trespass of my spiritual boundaries. I have learned to defend them, but in doing so I am creating spiritual violence within me. This is normal, I believe, but I don't like feeling angry and vengeful toward my trespassers.

Immolation cleanses me of this spiritual violence that kills my joy and lightness of being. It restores me to the present and therby I can refocus on the joy and appreciation of each precious moment of life and those I love (which includes myself).

[Daniel]

Scotty- You meditation reminds me of Buddhist meditation practices which endeavor to help the practioner experience "emptiness", that is, a non-dual state of mind. And being a musician, it also reminds me of Wagner's opera Gotterdamerung (Twilight of the Gods), where Brunnhilde rides her steed into a funeral pyre, thus setting in motion the end of the Gods and the havoc they have caused because of the 'ring'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Götterdämmerung

It's great stuff.

[elcharrom]

It is part of my discipline of thought focus that I employ to heal and grow emotionally and spiritually.

I am evolving toward spiritual entitlement to joy, peace, love, light and freedom from angst by sublimating past and present spiritual violence to nonviolence.

For me there is much to undo. I have in the past allowed and occasionally still allow trespass of my spiritual boundaries. I have learned to defend them, but in doing so I am creating spiritual violence within me. This is normal, I believe, but I don't like feeling angry and vengeful toward my trespassers.

Immolation cleanses me of this spiritual violence that kills my joy and lightness of being. It restores me to the present and therby I can refocus on the joy and appreciation of each precious moment of life and those I love (which includes myself).
I can see you really pasionate bout this :D, it all sounds really calming like when they tell you to close your eyes and pretend that you at a beach listenin to the waves and stuff, sounds like that but alot more spiritual

[scott snedeker]

Scotty- You meditation reminds of me Buddhist meditation practices which endeavor to help the practioner experience "emptiness", that is, a non-dual state of mind. And being a musician, it also reminds me of Wagner's opera Gotterdamerung (Twilight of the Gods), where Brunnhilde rides her steed into a funeral pyre, thus setting in motion the end of the Gods and the havoc they have caused because of the 'ring'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Götterdämmerung

It's great stuff.

I can see you really pasionate bout this :D, it all sounds really calming like when they tell you to close your eyes and pretend that you at a beach listenin to the waves and stuff, sounds like that but alot more spiritual



Thanks I see it as a tool where my thought focus changes my brain physiology which in turn changes my body to a healthier hormonal and parasympathetic autonomic balance. I am still early in my meditation technique. I still have a difficult time observing my apneustic (unconsciuos autonomic) breathing without intruding voluntary control.

I enjoy the beautiful and dramatic imagery that I lose myself in. I see these as soul-indulging healthy rewards for growing toward nonviolence and being kind to my inner being.

I have had to grow in this way because by not defending my spiritual boundaries I allow violence to be done to my soul. By opposing to defend my spiritual boundaries, I create spiritual violence within me. The second is only incermentally healthier than the first, because they are both saturated with violent negativity, something that I can no longer tolerate now that I have had longer exposure to peace, harmony and unconditional love.

I think this is why I had to throw in the towel a couple of weeks ago when I was debating with another poster. The fight is over and surrender to inner peace is all I care to experience. I may have to join the Radical Faeries on the Short Mountain Sanctuary before too long.

[Zerbie]

Thanks I see it as a tool where my thought focus changes my brain physiology which in turn changes my body to a healthier hormonal and parasympathetic autonomic balance.

Can Scotty come out and play with me?? :p:):cookie:

I am still early in my meditation technique. I still have a difficult time observing my apneustic (unconsciuos autonomic) breathing without intruding voluntary control.

g.

Yoga will help even the breathing.

***

Your post title reminded me. A few years ago, I had a dream in which beings in white came to me and said, "You will be burned alive before you're 30," and I jumped for joy.

[scott snedeker]

Yoga will help even the breathing.

***

Your post title reminded me. A few years ago, I had a dream in which beings in white came to me and said, "You will be burned alive before you're 30," and I jumped for joy.

hmmm! interesting! It does sound alike! I think it may represent freedom from past and present spiritual self injury also.:cool:

I really am ready to start a beginner yoga class.

[Zerbie]

hmmm! interesting! It does sound alike! I think it may represent freedom from past and present spiritual self injury also.:cool:

I really am ready to start a beginner yoga class.

Of course I can't let this moment go without recommending my favorite DVD. For about $20 you can get the AWESOMEST yoga video and use it over and over. I recommend the Ana Forrest beginner's yoga DVD. It's called something like "Strength and Spirit," but then again, all her products have "strength" in the title, so just make sure if you get it, that you buy the beginner's one first. She has her own unique approach, but it is superb for preparing any other style of practice as well.

Your meditation practice sounds like something my yoga teacher in Houston would appreciate - he highly recommends standing meditations, and would throw some qigong into our yoga sessions. You would basically heat up the body and release the heavy energies. Yours sounds like a detailed visualization of that process happening throughout the system.

One thing I used to do and haven't done in a while is take a bath and imagine the entire past going down the drain with the old water, and stepping out of the bath like I had just been born that moment, no baggage. Felt good. Great, in fact.

[Zerbie]

Oh. www.forrestyoga.com

There's an online store.

[scott snedeker]

Thanks! I will get it! I like the bathtub! I did three hours of meditation in the bath once---kept adding hot water. I indulged in a big clawfoot--- yummy!

I missed my last Reiki circle and am paying the price! I will have to meditate every day to compensate.

[BrentRichards]

I usually have a couple beers and over eat to deal with a bad day.

'Fraid this is more my speed too...

[labguy22]

Hello Scott,
What a wonderful phrase "practicing poor thought hygiene." I have never read that before. I believe that too many times we don't respect the fact that there is power in our thoughts as well as with our actions. I realize that I need to be more responsible for the way I think.
I have to say the first image that came to mind while reading your description, was from the movie Dune when he placed his hand into the box, and felt his flesh burning away to ash.

[scott snedeker]

Hello Scott,
What a wonderful phrase "practicing poor thought hygiene." I have never read that before. I believe that too many times we don't respect the fact that there is power in our thoughts as well as with our actions. I realize that I need to be more responsible for the way I think.

[What You are glimpsing is portal to an awareness that empowers you to create for yourself a reality beyond anyone elses ability to adversely influence your life and world.]

I have to say the first image that came to mind while reading your description, was from the movie Dune when he placed his hand into the box, and felt his flesh burning away to ash.

The is one of the scariest movie scenes:

The Reverend Mother Gaiaus Mohaim:
"Place your hand... in the box."
Paul:
"What is in the box?"

The Reverend Mother Gaiaus Mohaim:
"Pain"
(Definitely not the answer I would want to hear!!!!....Too vague, you know she means it!... and...damn! definitely not good!)

[Zerbie]

Oh, meant to ask: how long at each practice? When you stand and do the Phoenix visualization, how long each? If you're doing it 5 times a day I imagine it isn't like an hour?

[scott snedeker]

It takes about 10-30 minutes depending on how much time I have. Rushing it makes it less effective. lately I have had to focus in other ways also.