Kundalini Yoga et al

[Guest guest]

Aum Namah Shivaya

 

In answer to your questions Bhupendra, I spent too little time with

my guruji - hours over a few days rather than living with him for

months or years. And yet that is not all important. In the

scriptures it says that the transmission of power from guru to

shishya can be instantaneous, and that is how I feel about it.

 

In the time that we talked we covered so much ground on what yoga

was all about. Mahesh Giriji asked me about my own history in yoga -

nothing about asanas etc but right to the heart - literally - of

what yoga is all about. I remember him waving across the Ganges to

the great ashrams on the other side and contemptuously saying `All

those pujas and other things are nothing if your yoga is not here` -

and with that he pointed to his heart. For him, and for me, the

outward signs, the rituals are not all that important.

 

It is there that I do not see eye to eye with many yoga teachers -

hatha, raja, bhakti whatever. The worlds many religions, all

claiming the right answer, just go to prove that there are many ways

to God. God is not going to be upset if we call him by one name or

others, if we mispronounce a Sanskrit word (or Latin, Greek, Hebrew

etc). God is above judging us on performance, but in our hearts we

know if we have made the fullest endeavour to know him, and

depending how we envisage God, God will see us. HAving said that I

do feel that ritual etc has a part to play. Was it Ramakrishna who

when asked why he went to the temple if GOd is all around us,

answered. Just as we can use a copper cooking pot day in and day

out without thinking of it or really seeing it, until we poilsh it;

with our faith and knowing God. He is there all the time, but going

to the temple is akin to polishing your faith. You will see it and

feel it that much more brightly.

 

Kundalini yoga I have done some and use the concept of Kundalini in

my own teaching. I have studied many different forms of Hatha yoga

and incorporate ideas from all sources in my own teaching. IN every

class however I do include aspects of philosophy and spirituality.

I have a `travelling shrine` - an orange napkin on which I place a

candle - the akhanda jyoti (eternal flame), incense and a

brasssymbol of Aum. We always end class chanting Aum three times.

 

Enough for now I think. Blessings

 

Aum Namah Shivaya

Shiv Giri Baba

[Guest guest]

Hello Derek,

 

Judging from the photos on your web site, I see that you are pretty

flexible, I mean physically the way you are able to twist and turn

your leg and body etc. I perform daily sadhana but my immediate and

biggest obstacle are my legs. After about 40-45 minutes, my joints

begin to ache. Although I have been performing sadhana for some

years now, I have not been much successful in getting trid of this

pain or extend the time I may sit on my asana comfortably. How is

this achieved, it cannot alone be by practice?

 

Sincerely,

Bhupendra.

, "Derek Osborn"

<derek_osborn1 wrote:

>

> Aum Namah Shivaya

>

> In answer to your questions Bhupendra, I spent too little time

with

> my guruji - hours over a few days rather than living with him for

> months or years. And yet that is not all important. In the

> scriptures it says that the transmission of power from guru to

> shishya can be instantaneous, and that is how I feel about it.

>

> In the time that we talked we covered so much ground on what yoga

> was all about. Mahesh Giriji asked me about my own history in

yoga -

> nothing about asanas etc but right to the heart - literally - of

> what yoga is all about. I remember him waving across the Ganges

to

> the great ashrams on the other side and contemptuously saying `All

> those pujas and other things are nothing if your yoga is not

here` -

> and with that he pointed to his heart. For him, and for me, the

> outward signs, the rituals are not all that important.

>

> It is there that I do not see eye to eye with many yoga teachers -

> hatha, raja, bhakti whatever. The worlds many religions, all

> claiming the right answer, just go to prove that there are many

ways

> to God. God is not going to be upset if we call him by one name

or

> others, if we mispronounce a Sanskrit word (or Latin, Greek,

Hebrew

> etc). God is above judging us on performance, but in our hearts

we

> know if we have made the fullest endeavour to know him, and

> depending how we envisage God, God will see us. HAving said that

I

> do feel that ritual etc has a part to play. Was it Ramakrishna

who

> when asked why he went to the temple if GOd is all around us,

> answered. Just as we can use a copper cooking pot day in and day

> out without thinking of it or really seeing it, until we poilsh

it;

> with our faith and knowing God. He is there all the time, but

going

> to the temple is akin to polishing your faith. You will see it

and

> feel it that much more brightly.

>

> Kundalini yoga I have done some and use the concept of Kundalini

in

> my own teaching. I have studied many different forms of Hatha

yoga

> and incorporate ideas from all sources in my own teaching. IN

every

> class however I do include aspects of philosophy and

spirituality.

> I have a `travelling shrine` - an orange napkin on which I place a

> candle - the akhanda jyoti (eternal flame), incense and a

> brasssymbol of Aum. We always end class chanting Aum three

times.

>

> Enough for now I think. Blessings

>

> Aum Namah Shivaya

> Shiv Giri Baba

>