Energy

Hello everyone!
Today's post will be about energy and yoga, because that's what came into my focus during the last week of practicing, and found it's crescendo moment today.
I do recon that my last post was about humor and yoga, but may I kindly ask you to not laugh at me though this post ? :)
First of all, it's probably not a secret for people that regularly practice Ashtanga yoga, that it creates and awakes amounts of energy that make the day look easier and the tasks more approachable. When I began to practice about month and a half ago, I almost immediately felt more awake and ready to go. When I started to go to morning Mysore classes, if felt even better. When I didn't practice yoga, I felt sleepy and unrested during the day, even though I would sleep in and have an easy morning. I would have difficulties to get through the classes that I taught, and have to beware to not fall asleep on the bus.
When I started practicing in Mysore style, things changed dramatically.
Not only I rise very early, and I have energy to do so, I also have an energy to get through the day, do what I have to and what I want to do AND rise early the next morning. I feel more bubbly, more active, more creative and  more eager to laugh. It results in less percentage of children and adults being bored in my class, because I always feel ready to modify on the spot, depending on a day. I also have an energy to make more effort to actually interest people in things. Also, in yoga. Yes, I talk, walk and sleep yoga. I'm even a little hyper, even a little more excited. But it's change that I really appreciate based in my busy busy lifestyle.
Couple of days ago, I watched this cool video about Sirsasana. Yes, Kino again. If I want to know more, I watch Kino, she somehow always gives out this little pieces of information that prove to be very useful.
Watch it!
Kino - Headstand

As you see, she also talks about how this posture helps to move  spiritual energy towards the head if held for a long time. It's also known to be one of healing postures.
So yesterday I though instead of 3 short headstands, why don't I go ahead and try to hold one for about 15 breaths.
Today I held it for 20 and it felt so good. I finally didn't feel to much pressure on the head, so I thought, why not. Let's try.
Then I went to pranayama class. I don't know if this headstand has magically awoke me spiritually after 20 breaths ( and I tell you not to laugh :) but this is what happened in the class . Read on.
(Disclaimer. Before you read. You have to know. I don't do drugs! )
Today during Pranayama I had quite a trip. I was usually very skeptical when somebody claims to see an energy in colors or shapes, or sees the aura, etc.  I also have to mention that my knowledge of bandhas is quite limited still, and my knowledge of chakras is practically non existent. But actually being able to find out more about it is very interesting, even though there are times when my awareness is off and I'm not exactly sure what am I tapping into. Anyhow, today's pranayama was quite an experience. It's hard to believe in many things, until you experience it by yourself.
Today's class was a little different. After a couple of exercises that we usually begin with we did something what I like to call zip lock exercise. You basically close your eyes and you breath deeply, visualizing top of your head when inhaling and the navel when exhaling. After couple of deep breaths in that, the weirdest thing happen . There was this image before my very eyes, and it wasn't like I imagined it, or visualized it. It was as real as I see now my iPad and the keyboard.
The image was very clear, it looked like a person, completely made of light, with no distinction of face or limbs, just light. The person was sitting in either crossed legs position or lotus and was definitely having hands connected in prayer (I could tell by the elbows that were lifted). Sometimes the head was in a circle of yellowish - whiteish light and sometimes not. At some point, I started to  move my feet to see if the image would disrupt or dissolve, but it didn't. So I smiled, and it still stayed where it was. It looked something like that:

Obviously came home and draw all the crazy images promptly).

Then, the same exercise made me see (really see, not imagine) yellow and white rings of what I though  was energy. They were coming from the outside, and concentrating to the inside, what i thought was my body. At the end of concentrating they became a little irregular shape, and finally dissolved into the black - grayish background. As soon as one ring did, the other one came from the outside and the process started again.

This are my poor drawings of this:

So later, we were breathing through all the chakras, and here the same thing continued. I mosty saw the energy rings, or the "Buddha person" from time to time. Depending on what chakra we were on, the rings appeared in different intensity of yellow, white, grey, sometimes a little red, sometimes the background would turn green. What's funny, the colors would usually go as they pleased, not always the way that teacher said what the color should be. On some chakras, the rings would not appear at all.  There was also the moment when the picture would turn completely white, and I remembered that it was the Chakra of solar plexus. 

Also, something funny happened on the heart Chakra. There was some sort of modification of the energy ring experience.

The ring would appear on one corner, transfer to the other, go look like a moving wave, flip around very quickly and disappeared. 

I was so amazed the entire time, that I smiled through entire chakra exercise. Needles to say, I found it hard to believe what I'm seeing.

I also found it hard to believe that the class was up so soon. I thought I would love to stay for another hour and watch my energy rings, waves and Buddhas like a good movie. 

Well, anyway, are you scared of me now? ;)

Anybody seen something like that? 

Enjoy your practice!

Joanna