The Sun Gazing Tapas consists of the committed daily practice of gazing at the Sun every morning during the first hour after Sunrise, starting with 10 seconds of practice and adding 10 seconds every day.
The Tapas is set for a timeframe of 9 months during which the practice will reach the maximum duration of a 45 minutes Sun Gazing session. The Tapas Journal will follow the 9 month timeline of the Tapas, presenting a review of the most relevant effects, practical observations, subtle impressions, and personal hypothesis, at the end of every month of the Tapas.
It is important to describe the mind and emotional frame at the start of the practice, as well as the most relevant aspects of the daily routine that may influence, or may be influenced by the tapas practice in an impactful way.
Tai Chi and Qigong: at any available times during the day.
Mind and Emotional State: I started the tapas while undergoing a rather difficult recovery time from severe distress, suffering and emotional turbulence, that had affected both my level of serenity and emotional balance. I kept the intention to live with an open–‐heart, therefore I was determined to not allow my heart to close. I started the tapas as part of a larger and more complex personal practice I had chosen for myself with the goal of regaining my tranquillity, peace and emotional balance, as well as for re-establishing the level of mind clarity that allows the revelation of truth, intuitive answers, deeper levels of understanding and awareness, and allowing inner guidance to replace fears and outer influences. Therefore, on one hand my state of mind was not optimal for the practice, but on the other hand it was an interesting goal to observe how such inner background of sadness could evolve during the entire timeline of the tapas. However, discerning mindfulness is necessary in assessing the influences of all aspects of my practice on this evolution.
Fully vegetarian (almost vegan) nutrition, with many restrictions due to food sensitivities and allergies (e.g., gluten free, casein free, egg free diet, etc.).
Wishing to reach the point where physical food is not necessary any longer. No coffee consumption, no alcohol and no drugs.
I practiced the Sun Gazing technique at different times during the 7:00–‐ 8:00 am interval, Florida time, experimenting with different levels of intensity of sun luminosity and brightness. Florida sun can be very powerful in January even during the first hour after the sunrise. At the end of the 1h interval, in days with clear sky, it becomes impossible to look straight into the sun even for 10 seconds. I noticed that the Sun Gazing effects were more powerful when gazing at the brightest sun (towards the end of the interval), but my mind and body were less relaxed and therefore I could not keep the peaceful state till the end of the gazing practice; when I practiced the technique at the beginning of the interval, I could sit in complete relaxation and I could feel the prana and the energy resonance much better and with much, longer echoes. Also, when the sky was occasionally cloudy and the clouds completely covered the sun,I continued the practice and I could feel the prana anyway, although I could not visually see the sun.
It was obviously a great Trataka and Taraka Yoga practice.
While progressing with the gazing and getting used to the luminosity and brightness of the sun, I could keep my eyes open and not blinking for longer; after the first 3 weeks, I had no more tears during the practice.
After the first few days of the tapas, after getting used to the gazing routine, I started to integrate “Centering on the Spiritual Heart” during the gazing time. Later, this centering on the heart started to happen naturally. After one month of the tapas, my Heart Centre becomes warm and energized within the first couple of minutes of the combined “gazing and centering” practice, I feel the loving sensation and the vibration becoming stronger and stronger in a very natural way.
I feel the direct connection between my eyes (focusing on the Sun) and my Heart Centre, like a channel or a cord that links them together. It feels warm, energized and active. May it be the activation of Kati channel?
Simultaneous activation of Ajna, Sahashrara, and Anahata Chakras, plus well centering in the Spiritual Heart during most of the tapas sessions, as long as I keep the state of relaxation and surrendering.
Considering that I practice the Sun Gazing daily morning tapas in combination with the Hridaya meditation routine, I could not tell for sure which of these practices helped my emotional balancing more. Also, Ajna Meditation following right after the gazing session made the state of clarity become deeper and more stable and last longer throughout the day.
While these are personal observations and hypotheses, I will continue to note the effects and wait for more insights and inner guidance in the following months.