Mark/Jill/Kundalini

[Guest guest]

 

Mark Otter [mark.otter]

 

Thank you Harsha,

 

this clarifies much for me. I find that this is a true description of

the dynamics even when I have realized that the guru is inside. I still

forget and doubt, and then am remembered and feel that there is practice

and keeping it in (well I want to say mind, but perhaps focus is a

better word...) Anyway, as I write this it slips away, but I know it

will come back, so it's fine. When it comes, I wet aside all other

thoughts and dwell within it, and when it goes, I get caught up with the

bills and the meetings. Perhaps that duality will fade as I go deeper.

am I making sense?

 

Love, Mark

 

Yes. What you say makes perfect sense Mark.

 

By the way, I appreciate your enthusiasm about holotropic breathwork. I

imagine it consists of some basic breath of fire (kapalabhati) exercises.

Keep in mind Mark, that there is room for great flexibility when it comes to

breathing and other spiritual exercises and what is proper for one may not

be for another.

 

Many people pursue Kundalini experiences and one also runs into Kundalini

teachers, who themselves do not know the nature of that experience.

 

A true Kundalini awakening is a very dramatic and for most, a potentially

life altering experience. It starts a process that gives birth to continuous

and successive experiences of the type that most people are not familiar

with. Usually, it comes after long periods of spiritual practice but not

always. It can lead to great suffering for many which may last several

years. Often, people do not understand what is happening to them. The great

scriptures and sages say, let the experience be your guide and guru as you

understand it, build upon it, integrate it, and finally transcend it to see

the Ground of Being on which it plays out.

 

Breathworks is not necessary for Kundalini awakening. Kundalini Shakti can

be awakened through pure meditation alone with or without a focus on chakras

and with the use of mantras. This is the experience of many people over

thousands of years. Gradual practice and walking with care and in fellowship

on the Kundalini path using commons sense is very helpful.

 

About twenty three years ago, I used to do advanced Bhastrika exercises with

retention while standing on my head (please do not try this anyone!). I

would make up breathing exercises even more extreme than those mentioned in

the yoga books to observe their effect on the mind/body. One day, I was

walking my teacher home and mentioned it to him. Very few things shocked him

but he was a little surprised. Then he shrugged his shoulders and said,

"it's in your blood."

 

Although the Hatha part of yoga is with me since childhood, experience over

several decades has made me very cautious about such matters especially in

the context of Kundalini Yoga. There are simply too many individual

variations to recommend any strong breathing exercise without knowing a

person. My teacher emphasized to me that it was the rapport I had with him

that allowed him to answer specific questions about certain matters without

worry that it would be misunderstood.

 

So what is in my blood (in terms of tendencies) may be different than what

is in someone else's. One of the key things I learned from my teacher was

having the attitude of flexibility when it comes to what appeals to and what

works for others.

 

Breathworks is not for everyone. A nice long walk, however, does work for

most.

 

Love

Harsha

[Guest guest]

At 12:04 04/05/00 -0400, you wrote:

>

>Mark Otter [mark.otter]

>

>Thank you Harsha,

 

Thank you all, Harsha, Jill, Mark, Jerry,

 

All this is a help to me. I'm reading it all with respect. Right now I

shall ride the time I'm in. There's plenty to keep me occupied!

 

Loads of love,

 

Rob

[Guest guest]

, "Harsha (Dr. Harsh K. Luthar)"

<hluthar@b...> wrote:

>

> Breathworks is not for everyone. A nice long walk, however, does

work for

> most.

>

> Love

> Harsha

 

I do remember one year after stopping the intense pratice of kung-fu

in the style of wing chu. Even walking was not good at that state.

The

"breathing energy body" that is builded in the pratice of kung fu,

withouth one noticing it, came into conflict with the "natural

vibrational body" of the cells or DNA. The surrender to "chi" is

different in the begining in kung fu than in the process of

kundalini.

A form of "will" that one "rubs" against the burst of prana seems to

come to form in kung fu in the begining. While in the process of

kundalini it is more a process of surrender that must be found in the

begining of it. it is also a form of will, surrendering, but

different... As the normal partern developped in kung fu like, lets

say the, the microcosmic orbic, was slowlly letting place to a form

of

cosmic breathing more associated to the process of kundalini, as

this

process was going on, for a week or so walking even was hard on the

energy level. It would bring out on energy level the conflict between

two systems.

 

It seems today, less and less there is an energy system, would it be

that of kundalini or that of kung-fu or any other. Each moment is a

system to be or create, or forget, as it goes as it is.

 

Antoine