PS: Below is what the Forum AI has to say about increasing practice times. Note that “retreat mode” is not forever (only an option for weekends, holidays, or when on retreat), unless retired in an appropropriate environment that supports such an ongoing lifestyle. But as we always say, staying active in daily activity is important for stabilizing the results of our practice, supporting our entry into unity, which is stillness in action and outpouring divine love for the benefit of everyone.
Q: What is the best approach for increasing the time of core practices?
A: The best approach for increasing the time of core Advanced Yoga Practices (AYP), primarily deep meditation and spinal breathing pranayama, is a gradual buildup based on your individual capacity for purification.
The following guidelines for increasing practice time are supported by the sources:
1. Establish a Stable Foundation First
Before attempting to increase time, you must be stable and comfortable in your current twice-daily routine. Stability is not measured by the depth of experiences during practice, but by how you feel in daily activity; if you feel refreshed, stable, and creative, your current routine is likely well-integrated.
2. Use “Baby Steps” (The 5-Minute Rule)
If you are called to move forward, increases should be made in small increments, specifically adding no more than 5 minutes at a time to any given practice.
- Wait and Stabilize: After making a 5-minute increase, wait at least several weeks or months before considering another increase.
- Monitor Delayed Effects: Powerful practices like spinal breathing and mantra meditation often have delayed energy reactions; an increase that feels fine today may cause a “jam-up” or overload days or weeks later.
3. Observe Recommended Time Limits
While the AYP system is flexible, there are established boundaries for maintaining long-term progress with safety:
- Deep Meditation: A 20-minute session is considered optimal for most people. Extending this beyond 30 minutes in a single sitting is generally not recommended as it significantly increases the risk of energetic overload and irritability.
- Spinal Breathing: 10 minutes is a standard baseline, and going beyond 20 minutes is typically pushing the limits of what the average nervous system can comfortably absorb.
- SBP/DM Ratio: It is suggested to maintain a ratio between pranayama and meditation of roughly 1:4 to 1:2 (e.g., 5-10 minutes of spinal breathing followed by 20 minutes of meditation).
4. Apply Self-Pacing
Self-pacing is the most important skill for a self-directed practitioner. If an increase in time leads to uncomfortable symptoms—such as irritability, headaches, excessive heat, or emotional instability—you should immediately back off to your last stable level of practice. It is often more progressive to do shorter sessions consistently than to overdo and be forced to stop entirely for weeks while recovering.
5. Utilize “Retreat Mode” for Significant Increases
If your bhakti (spiritual desire) is strong and you wish for substantially more practice, the sources suggest “retreat mode” rather than excessively lengthening single sittings. This involves repeating the entire routine (asana, pranayama, and meditation) a second time in the morning, separated by at least 10 minutes of rest. This approach allows for greater purification while giving the nervous system time to stabilize between sessions.
Summary Analogy: Increasing spiritual practice is like driving a high-performance car; while you want to reach your destination quickly, you must keep a smart foot on the accelerator and be ready to use the brakes (self-pacing) when the road gets bumpy to avoid ending up in a ditch.