David Gottlieb - update and questions

[Guest guest]

Chrism,

 

The Shaktipat has been generally wonderful so far -- my great thanks

to you and to the Shakti. I've had numerous non-cataclysmic

symptoms, including tingling in the chakras, pressure in the brow,

feeling as if I'm wearing a helmet, seeing prana dots/squigglies,

ocassionally smelling incense or flowers where they are not, and

seeing interesting auric effects around objects, people and in the

mirror. At first I was very attached to phenomena and my ego/mind

was a bit disappointed by the lack of firey experiences. However,

upon reflection, some of the best parts of this shaktipat so far for

me have been general happiness, a big grin, a lot of love, the

ability to go into a kundalini-reverie whenever I pause my activities

or still my mind, and lots of little insights and messages arriving,

especially when meditating.

 

I've also discovered a great joy in listening to various recordings

of kirtan/mantra, and sometimes find myself transported away by

this. Yesterday I threw up my arms and danced to devotional music to

the Goddess, eyes rolled up, big grin -- just like an old R. Crumb

picture of an ecstatic hippy from the 60s. Only audience was the

cats, so no need to worry about freaking out the heighbors or

anything. BTW, as a possible tip for others in the group, listening

to devotional music on my mp3 player as I go through the day

definitely enhances my inner experience and helps to make me fairly

oblivious to the energies/thoughts/emotions of others around me as I

drive, go to the supermarket, etc. If you're drawn that way, it may

help you as well.

 

I've had the opportunity to watch my ego-mind go into a frenzy,

seeking, seeking, seeking for other ways, alternatives, anything

(probably sees its own demise in the cards....). But in the end,

eventually, I notice what it's doing and re-surrender to Shakti, in

love.

 

In this Shaktipat, I often find myself filled with love, especially

for Kali Ma. It's been fun -- I imagine Her dancing on the corpse of

my ego, merging with me physically, beaming light into my third eye,

and manifesting as the outer physical world, other humans, animals

and beings. When lust arises going about my worldly activities, I

try to imagine the object as Kali Ma herself. Also working on this

approach with varying degrees of success for the other passions,

anger, irritability, etc. Generally trying to view all that comes my

way as being sent by the Goddess, especially various cirumstances

intended to test me in various ways.

 

I'm not quite doing as much of the physical side of the safeties as I

suspect Shakti would like -- I'm working on this. Need to get the

Tibetans more regular and add some asanas. Also, I'm only managing a

decent pranayama and chakra breathing session abut once a day.

Mantra, inner joy, and generating a feeling of love/bliss in the

heart I work on a lot of the rest of the time. Need to add more

prayer and gratitude, I think.

 

Sometimes the energy just makes we want to go to sleep. I suspect

this is part K and part allergies, as my allergies have been acting

up lately. One of my messages received was: " physical exercise - the

more the better " . This seems to help ward off the drowsies for me.

Also, sometimes I just have to get sugar into me right away. As

someone who's typically on a pretty low-carb diet, I'm not sure if

this is Shakti telling me to eat some sugar or Shakti burning away

last vestiges of cravings for sugar, or what. I'm not obsessing over

it -- it's just something I've noticed.

 

I am beginning to feel moved to do something outer-directed with this

energy. Dancing seemed to awaken me to the " this energy likes to

move " part of the teachings. So I looked at the healing site and

found myself getting very high there. If it's appropriate this early

in my trip (and in the midst of a Shaktipat), how do I participate in

this? What is the inner process of sending healing?

 

Chrism, please let me know if I'm on track with my self-

reflection/analysis of what I can be doing more/better. I welcome

any recommendations. Also, please let me know what else/more I can

do to implement your suggestions from earlier, which were: Open as

completely as you can; Surrender completely; Give your life for your

expanded life; Live from love for love.

 

Thank you!

 

Love,

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

, " djgottlieb "

<dgottlieb wrote:

>

> Thank you. Will do as best I can (and then some). This Shaktipat

has

> very much been about surrender for me, letting the Shakti run the

show,

> letting go of my very many mental conceptions, structures, ideas of

> this vs. that, etc. I've been watching my mind scramble for cover,

so

> to speak...

>

> Love,

>

> David

>

> , " chrism "

> <@> wrote:

> >

> > Your name means " Dear God " in German. I feel a great sense of

love

> > when this Shaktipat is given to you. It feels as though you are

> > destined for this path whether or not you receive it here or

there or

> > anywhere it is coming your way! Open as completely as you can.

> > Surrender completely. Give your life for your expanded life. Live

> from

> > love for love. Really David not that you are not but as much as

you

> > can practice the qualities of the safeties. It is the saint in

you

> > calling to be claimed. -

> >

>

[Guest guest]

At 02:34 PM 6/25/2008, you wrote:

>Yesterday I threw up my arms and danced to devotional music to

>the Goddess, eyes rolled up, big grin -- just like an old R. Crumb

>picture of an ecstatic hippy from the 60s. Only audience was the

>cats, so no need to worry about freaking out the heighbors or

>anything.

 

Oh pooh, that's half the fun, freaking out the neighbors! (laugh)

 

>BTW, as a possible tip for others in the group, listening

>to devotional music on my mp3 player as I go through the day

>definitely enhances my inner experience and helps to make me fairly

>oblivious to the energies/thoughts/emotions of others around me as I

>drive, go to the supermarket, etc. If you're drawn that way, it may

>help you as well.

 

Who are some of your favorite artists?

 

Brandi

 

 

[Guest guest]

Brandi,

 

Here are some I've been listening to lately. Most are available from

Amazon as MP3 downloads....

 

- Anuradha Paudwal - album: Shakti - track: Jagdadi Shakti Stotra

 

- Deva Premal - album: The Essence - track: Gayatri Mantra

 

- Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe - album: Reaching In - track: Amma

 

- Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe - album: The Shakti Sessions - track:

Lakshmiyei

 

- Krishna Das - album: Pilgrim Heart - track: Namah Shivayah

 

- A bunch of tracks from Jai Uttal's 2-album set, Kirtan: Art and

Practice of Ecstatic Chant -- tracks: Radhe Govinda, Nataraj, Durga

Pahinam, Hara Hara Mahadev, Kali Bolo.

 

- The Power of Mantra - Gurumayi Chidvilasananda chanting Om Namah

Shivaya. This one's not available on Amazon - just from the Siddha

Yoga website.

 

I also normally listen to a wide variety of music in a bunch of

different genres, but since the Shaktipat began, I've been drawn only

to listen to devotional stuff. Go figure.

 

I would welcome suggestions for more artists/albums!

 

Thanks,

 

David

 

 

 

, Brandi Jasmine

<jazztalk wrote:

>

> At 02:34 PM 6/25/2008, you wrote:

> >Yesterday I threw up my arms and danced to devotional music to

> >the Goddess, eyes rolled up, big grin -- just like an old R. Crumb

> >picture of an ecstatic hippy from the 60s. Only audience was the

> >cats, so no need to worry about freaking out the heighbors or

> >anything.

>

> Oh pooh, that's half the fun, freaking out the neighbors! (laugh)

>

> >BTW, as a possible tip for others in the group, listening

> >to devotional music on my mp3 player as I go through the day

> >definitely enhances my inner experience and helps to make me

fairly

> >oblivious to the energies/thoughts/emotions of others around me as

I

> >drive, go to the supermarket, etc. If you're drawn that way, it

may

> >help you as well.

>

> Who are some of your favorite artists?

>

> Brandi

>

>

[Guest guest]

I had no idea Amazon sold individual tracks ... but only to US customers? :-(

 

Brandi

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi David

Just writing to say, keep posting! I enjoy reading your posts, I

like the bit about Kali dancing on the corpse of your ego, made me

laugh.

Actually I'm feeling a bit maniacal tonight, it might be the

chocolate I ate before, lol. I must say I can relate to the diet

you have said you are being encouraged to follow. My K is very

strong in the area of my diet. i pretty much channel all my cooking

and eating if that makes sense. I have been nearly weaned off sugar,

follow a quite low carb, high protein diet. Also lots of dried fruit

used in cooking desserts. Chocolate is still included. its almost

always dark though. K has shown me to use chocolate for an energy

boost through the day if I'm on a maniacal cleaning quest for

example and am running out of steam.

 

 

 

> I'm not quite doing as much of the physical side of the safeties

as I

> suspect Shakti would like -- I'm working on this. Need to get the

> Tibetans more regular and add some asanas. Also, I'm only

managing a

> decent pranayama and chakra breathing session abut once a day.

 

 

Your not the only one, actually I'm struggling to manage even that!

 

Also, I'm sure you would make a great healer if you feel so

inclined.

 

Take care

Ana

[Guest guest]

Yup - $.99 each, DRM-free. Only from artists and labels that agree to

go DRM-free. Some tracks are not available individually and you have

to download the whole album, but it's still much less expensive than

buying the cd.

 

 

, Brandi Jasmine

<jazztalk wrote:

>

> I had no idea Amazon sold individual tracks ... but only to US

customers? :-(

>

> Brandi

>

>

[Guest guest]

Problem is I'm in Canada. I don't understand why the restriction, but I suppose

I could set up a second account from a Hotmail address and they'd be none the

wiser.

 

Brandi

 

At 09:34 AM 6/26/2008, you wrote:

 

>Yup - $.99 each, DRM-free. Only from artists and labels that agree to

>go DRM-free. Some tracks are not available individually and you have

>to download the whole album, but it's still much less expensive than

>buying the cd.

>

>--- In

<%40>Kundalini-Awakening-Syst\

ems-1 , Brandi Jasmine

><jazztalk wrote:

>>

>> I had no idea Amazon sold individual tracks ... but only to US

>customers? :-(