Guest guest Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 Sat Nam, I cannot give you a complete reply I can only share with you some recent experiences. I personally have never read anywhere that one should not teach people suffering from Schizophrenia, however, in my experience caution needs to be expressed when teaching such individuals. I have directly taught one person. This person when they have been committed have really benefited from the teachings. I have taught them on a one to one basis and also as part of a group. I taught them on a one to one basis to begin with before recommending that they come to a class. I used my intuition in terms of the best sets to help them at that time. Initially we simply practised the basic breath series which had a great impact. Following this I suggested Nabhi Kriya daily and then Tershula Kriya (both of these are in the KY teacher level 1 manual). The biggest challenge we faced was commitment, the person finds it hard to commit to regular practice. I have been a student in other groups where there have been people suffering from Schizophrenia or similar imbalances. My experience here was that the teachings benefited them although they found it hard to make quick progress without direct individual mentoring from a teacher who was in the right place at the right time to help elevate them. I witnessed that there is a danger without guidance for the individual to not get true benefit from the teachings and to carry on wandering around suffering strong duality possibly even getting more confused while practising KY. My personal belief is that KY can offer such individuals amazing benefits but it needs to be brought to them in a personal manner. Of course everyone is different and there are some people who may not need this approach and may be able to benefit purely in a normal class environment. If you choose to help people on a more personal basis a crucial part of this imbalance is helping the individual to clean up their diet and lifestyle. Poor diet, use of drugs etc plays absolute havoc in such cases, just by cleaning up this alone you will be amazed at the difference in quality of life that the individual will experience. I hope this helps. Good luck, with love and light Anne H aka Hari Kartar KaurSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 Sat Nam, I would agree with Bodhishvara that it can be important to have language to explain your yogic experience to yourself. That is one reason why it is said we cannot have Shakti without Bhakti or the reverse. I would definitely recommend that, in complement to a yoga practice, one would do well to read such things as the teachings of Patanjali, the Teachings of Yogi Bhajan (actually written in naad), and even the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. The first helps to explain the yogic experience generally. Yogi Bhajan and the Siri Guru Granth Sahib beautifully use our language of duality to point the way to Oneness/integrity. They help to sew the pieces of the mind back together when you begin to question whether you are "the one making the prayer" or "the One answering the prayer" - by reminding you that you are both, as well as "the prayer"...bringing you back to being, and out of the tortures of a split mind. Harbhajan Kaur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 I am absolutely not a professional therapist or one that has a great deal of information on schizophrenia but I do have a friend who will sometimes come to my class that has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and I believe a schizophrenic personality disorder. I don't necessarily agree w the diagnosis but the point is that she is the type of person that is really determined to deal with her illness head on and not let it affect her life and so for the most part it doesn't. She always says that the thing that helps her the most is exercise and she has to remain diligent with her practice of walking and running. She does very well in class and meditation is something that comes very natural to her. I had my students do a meditation with there arms up (a very difficult meditation) and she was the only student that kept her arms up the entire time. She had a very positive experience with the meditation. So, I would consider that kundalini is not dangerous for any type of person across the board but should be carefully monitored in specific cases. I am much more concerned about a student that had a triple by-pass a couple of years ago then I am about my friend's mental health issue. Kundalini-Yoga , " bodhishvara " <bodhishvara wrote: > > > Hey All, > > I'm brand new to this and don't wish to step on any toes if > this list is strictly for those who practice Kundalini Yoga as > prescribed by 3HO & Yogi Bajan. Please moderate if you find this > examination of yoga & schizophrenia detrimental to your work. > > First, defining the illness without the hinderance of yogi's > interpretation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia > <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia> > > Second, come clean: I am a schizophrenic who is very experienced in > western spiritual tradition & fairly new to yoga. > > Third, examining the illness from a yogi's perspective: April 2001 I was > initiated into the Dhyanyoga Center's lineage by Shri Anandi Ma & > Dileepji Pathak; I received Shaktipat from them. 5 months later I > experienced a psychotic break from reality, and after a year or so of > psychotherapy was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The two experiences are > linked, though not directly; they are linked via the mechanism of the > mind [the brain]; which due to the upheval of the generally > Judeo-Christian perspective & outlook I was raised in, I did not possess > enough familiarity with eastern spirituality & world views to accomodate > the flood of energy that the Shaktipat initiation provided for my > spiritual growth. > > If I could briefly use a metaphore of 'sunglasses' for the brain; I > would say that the lense was far too dark to perceive what I was > experiencing internally, using Hindu analogies or Hindu symbolism. > Simply put, as soon as the flood of energy washed over my psyche [the > awakening of the Kundalini], I sought an explanation for it internally > [internal dialogue], and being unfamiliar with the Chakra system or > Hindu symbolism I could grasp no simple explanation for it, and so > experienced somewhat of a psychotic meltdown. > > The metaphore of the 'lense' with which we perceive reality is > significant as the study of Hindu symbolism & philosophy prior to > receiving Shaktipat could have provided a tint to the lense which would > have allowed me to view the world as it aught to be, instead of the > psychosis. The samskaras of my upbringing were being burned through by > the kundalini but I had no frame of referrence or prior experience which > would allow it to produce healthy patterns of behavior & thought to > coincide with the new found energy that was being awakened. > > What is interesting to me, is that even though the lense is beyond > repair [cracked or broken], because I have done a bit more research & > study, and actual practice; shakti compensates for my lack > psychologically. Which, to me, is the gift & grace of the Guru. I do > take medication to repair the lense/brain as much as is possible, and > depend on the study & practice, & immersion in Hindu philosophy to > satisfy the gaping void between my apparently crippled brain, and the > divinity latent in my psyche/aura. > > That has been my experience. > > bodhishvara > > > Kundalini-Yoga , " amarpal.kaur " > <terhi.harmavaara@> wrote: > > > > Sat Nam Everyone! > > > > I would need knowledge about schizophrenia. For example - why > kundalini > > yoga is not good/even dangerous for schizophrenics? And if somebody, > > who has got a schizophrenia would like to come your class and do > > kundalini yoga...? > > > > Thank you so much. > > > > Sat Nam. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 Harbhajan, You illustrate beautifully exactly the realization I experienced, which brought me back from the obscurity & confusion of western mystery traditions, to kundalini yoga. bodhishvara Kundalini-Yoga , Harbhajan Kaur Khalsa <harbhajank wrote: > > Sat Nam, > I would agree with Bodhishvara that it can be important to have > language to explain your yogic experience to yourself. That is one > reason why it is said we cannot have Shakti without Bhakti or the > reverse. > I would definitely recommend that, in complement to a yoga > practice, one would do well to read such things as the teachings of > Patanjali, the Teachings of Yogi Bhajan (actually written in naad), > and even the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. The first helps to explain the > yogic experience generally. Yogi Bhajan and the Siri Guru Granth > Sahib beautifully use our language of duality to point the way to > Oneness/integrity. They help to sew the pieces of the mind back > together when you begin to question whether you are " the one making > the prayer " or " the One answering the prayer " - by reminding you that > you are both, as well as " the prayer " ...bringing you back to being, > and out of the tortures of a split mind. > Harbhajan Kaur > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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