Re:Practicing Kundalini Yoga and what it means to me to agree or disagr

[Guest guest]

Hi satganesha,

Here are some of my personal views. I don't normally express them to Kundalini

yoga people so maybe I will lose some friends today!!!

 

> If I practice Kundalini Yoga how much pressure do I feel to " agree with > the

opinion of others " who practice Kundalini Yoga?

> If I don't agree...what are my actions?

I have wondered much about this. It seems to me the kundalini yoga we are taught

is made up of many things. I certainly believe in the kriyas. They do me a lot

of good. I love pranayama, mantra, meditation - they do me a lot of good too.

There are other aspects like numerology and astrology and re-incarnation that I

don't believe in. I don't know if these things are true - I don't spend any time

on them maybe if I did I would discover some wonderful things! But they do not

impress me as the other aspects of the yoga do.

I also think those of us that were never taught by Yogi Bhajan are in a

different position from those that were. We have not been exposed to his

charisma or his direct teaching. We don't have to be impressed with him although

I think what he achieved for us is terrific!

 

> Is there anything directly in the teachings of Kundalini Yoga that

> assist me in taking action,

> being at peace with what I do, going it alone or staying with the group?

I remain in the K yoga community as I love the yoga and also many of the people

I meet. I feel a little alone due to my rationalistic, agnostic, secular views

but no-one puts much pressure on me to change. I do feel that many people feel

sorry for me for not being a very 'spiritual' person! But my 'spirituality' is

to accept my experience and existence honestly. I don't feel like a highly

evolved conciousness. I feel more like a monkey with a highly developed capacity

for rational thought and communication - and that causes many problems! I'm

still a kind of monkey and can't change that except by dying!

Your actions are guided by your concscience and intuition and these improve as

you simplify yourself with yoga. To play games like 'What would Yogi Bhajan

think or do' may be useful excercises in thought for some. But that is also the

beginning of the dogma of religion and cults which is probably not what YB

wanted!

 

> What about the life of Yogi Bhajan, he was a Master of Kundalini

> Yoga...what would he do?

> If I find out something about " him " that I do/don't agree with how

> does that affect my relationship to the practice of Kundalini Yoga.

In all spiritual disciplines I respect is the same message - It is the practice

and what it does do you and what you make of that that matters. Teachers are

humans with flaws and personalities. There are a minority of

'agnostics' in all these things - I find kinship with secular buddhists - there

are lots of them. I believe many 'spiritual' teachers are corrupt egotists to

some degree (as I am). They can still often teach well and you have the right to

follow their teachings but be wary of them. But how can you tell the difference?

I feel many in this world rather 'worship' Yogi Bhajan too much but I might too

if I had spent time with him! It doesn't matter - it is the teachings that

matter. They are older than Yogi Bhajan and older than Sikhism. Yoga can be

taught and practised by anyone - it is independant of religion and personal

values. I have sat with many meditation groups (I love zen!) and tried various

yoga styles (I love K yoga the best). There is no way of knowing for sure what

is the best or the ultimate (except maybe for yourself). Many claim to have the

'correct' and 'best' views about spirituality but they contradict each other!

Many (like Yogi Bhajan) write wonderfully on this subject - that no-one can

claim the ultimate truth is theirs. I think Yogi Bhajan probably liked divergent

views and would be alarmed if the K yoga community became all of one view on

things. I do anyway and I have no right speaking for him!

 

This business is called 'experiential learning'. People further down the path

can see things about me that I can't because they have had experiences of change

that I haven't. So when they tell me something how am I to know if it is in my

best interest to take notice? I disregard much advice from yogi pals as I don't

believe it. They may be right or may be wrong - I can't know until I have

learned more thru more experiences of change. I have the right to be wrong here

and often am!

 

 

Keith

PS - When I feel the urge to need to know something that can't be known I treat

that as a sign of more yoga needed!

 

PPS - For me what is important concerning Yogi Bhajan is to keep passing the

Yoga down thru the generations - his achievement in spreading the yoga is great

and as I havent got any better ideas then keeping his achievements going is a

moral duty to humanity (which I shirk anyway haha oh dear! I use yoga just to

keep myself going!)

[Guest guest]

Reading your sharing with enjoyment and thanks...losing some friends...they are

really lost,

couldn't find themselves in a hall of mirrors

 

I hope I got my emotives right.

 

I also find myself focusing/doing what works for me and not spending too much

time with

" stuff " that I can't connect with or might disagree although I don't avoid it if

it comes up.

 

Getting deeper in touch with the " true " experiential...that was one of the gifts

of Yogi Bhajan

in person...he would nuture/nuke your relationship to your experience and since

he has been

" gone " where is that touchstone...yet those who didn't have personal connection

are in one

sense...perhaps...better in touch with...or need to learn...lots to discuss

here.

 

Finally, a quote from YB about yoga and religion... " Is yoga a religion? It is

and it is not. In

religion you have to believe something, and in yoga you have to experience what

you want to

believe. " Yogi Bhajan

 

As I translate it into my experience and sharing with others who ask or who are

concerned

about religion/infinite etc...I start the conversation with " there is an unknown

aspect of living

as a human and yoga give one the everyday practical ability/experience to be at

peace with

it. " ...from there the conversation can go anywhere depends on the person I am

speaking

with...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kundalini-Yoga , Keith Bacon <biftonb wrote:

>

> Hi satganesha,

> Here are some of my personal views. I don't normally express them to Kundalini

yoga

people so maybe I will lose some friends today!!!

>

> > If I practice Kundalini Yoga how much pressure do I feel to " agree with >

the opinion of

others " who practice Kundalini Yoga?

> > If I don't agree...what are my actions?

> I have wondered much about this. It seems to me the kundalini yoga we are

taught is made

up of many things. I certainly believe in the kriyas. They do me a lot of good.

I love

pranayama, mantra, meditation - they do me a lot of good too.

> There are other aspects like numerology and astrology and re-incarnation that

I don't

believe in. I don't know if these things are true - I don't spend any time on

them maybe if I

did I would discover some wonderful things! But they do not impress me as the

other aspects

of the yoga do.

> I also think those of us that were never taught by Yogi Bhajan are in a

different position

from those that were. We have not been exposed to his charisma or his direct

teaching. We

don't have to be impressed with him although I think what he achieved for us is

terrific!

>

> > Is there anything directly in the teachings of Kundalini Yoga that

> > assist me in taking action,

> > being at peace with what I do, going it alone or staying with the group?

> I remain in the K yoga community as I love the yoga and also many of the

people I meet. I

feel a little alone due to my rationalistic, agnostic, secular views but no-one

puts much

pressure on me to change. I do feel that many people feel sorry for me for not

being a very

'spiritual' person! But my 'spirituality' is to accept my experience and

existence honestly. I

don't feel like a highly evolved conciousness. I feel more like a monkey with a

highly

developed capacity for rational thought and communication - and that causes many

problems!

I'm still a kind of monkey and can't change that except by dying!

> Your actions are guided by your concscience and intuition and these improve as

you simplify

yourself with yoga. To play games like 'What would Yogi Bhajan think or do' may

be useful

excercises in thought for some. But that is also the beginning of the dogma of

religion and

cults which is probably not what YB wanted!

>

> > What about the life of Yogi Bhajan, he was a Master of Kundalini

> > Yoga...what would he do?

> > If I find out something about " him " that I do/don't agree with how

> > does that affect my relationship to the practice of Kundalini Yoga.

> In all spiritual disciplines I respect is the same message - It is the

practice and what it does

do you and what you make of that that matters. Teachers are humans with flaws

and

personalities. There are a minority of

> 'agnostics' in all these things - I find kinship with secular buddhists -

there are lots of them.

I believe many 'spiritual' teachers are corrupt egotists to some degree (as I

am). They can still

often teach well and you have the right to follow their teachings but be wary of

them. But how

can you tell the difference?

> I feel many in this world rather 'worship' Yogi Bhajan too much but I might

too if I had spent

time with him! It doesn't matter - it is the teachings that matter. They are

older than Yogi

Bhajan and older than Sikhism. Yoga can be taught and practised by anyone - it

is

independant of religion and personal values. I have sat with many meditation

groups (I love

zen!) and tried various yoga styles (I love K yoga the best). There is no way of

knowing for sure

what is the best or the ultimate (except maybe for yourself). Many claim to have

the 'correct'

and 'best' views about spirituality but they contradict each other! Many (like

Yogi Bhajan) write

wonderfully on this subject - that no-one can claim the ultimate truth is

theirs. I think Yogi

Bhajan probably liked divergent views and would be alarmed if the K yoga

community became

all of one view on things. I do anyway and I have no right speaking for him!

>

> This business is called 'experiential learning'. People further down the path

can see things

about me that I can't because they have had experiences of change that I

haven't. So when

they tell me something how am I to know if it is in my best interest to take

notice? I disregard

much advice from yogi pals as I don't believe it. They may be right or may be

wrong - I can't

know until I have learned more thru more experiences of change. I have the right

to be wrong

here and often am!

>

>

> Keith

> PS - When I feel the urge to need to know something that can't be known I

treat that as a

sign of more yoga needed!

>

> PPS - For me what is important concerning Yogi Bhajan is to keep passing the

Yoga down

thru the generations - his achievement in spreading the yoga is great and as I

havent got any

better ideas then keeping his achievements going is a moral duty to humanity

(which I shirk

anyway haha oh dear! I use yoga just to keep myself going!)

>