This is the first in a series of articles that will attempt to put to words the practice of Nadi Yoga, a form practice that I have been cultivating over the past few years, rooted in the classical work and brought to life by years and years of experience. I intend to write about all stages of this work in the blog.
Lets start with some basic definitions. Yoga has already been defined in this blog elsewhere so I won't define that here. The word nadi means river or flow corridor. Classically the different nadis have been assigned to the 5 jnanendriyas (knowledge organs) and the 5 karmendriyas (action organs). These follow the traditional elements of space, air, fire, water, and earth. Respectively (to the elements) the corresponding knowledge organs are ear/hearing, skin/feeling sense, eyes/sight, tongue/taste, and nose/smell and breathing. The elemental correspondences with the action organs are tongue/speech, hands/manipulation, feet/locomotion, genitalia/sexual functioning, and the anus/elimination.
Note that in the above correspondences the functions occur on many levels. For example the hands in relation to manipulation relate to ALL functions of manipulation including grasping, pushing, taking, holding and other. And these functions are not only related to the hand but to all functions in our psychological and physical worlds. In other words the energy of grasping itself is included under this flow corridor. So if there is any obsessive tendency to grasp or hold things in our life, it will affect this particular flow of energy in our lives. The same is true of all of the nadis. It will be worthwhile to contemplate the different relationships here.
The central channel or susumna (only one of its many names) is the primary channel. According to traditional work, the peripheral channels have to be worked with and cleared before proper functioning of the central channel can occur. There will be more said on this channel later.
Understanding the basic definitions of nadi and yoga,
we come to the conclusion that Nadi Yoga is the "union of the flow
corridors" or the "samadhi that results from harmonious functioning of
the flow corridors". This follows closely with the meaning of Hatha as
Sun/Moon and thus Hatha Yoga as a union of the sun and moon or the
polarities of the body/mind system.
We have here only described the major nadis. Note that I have said nothing of the mapping of how these corridors flow in a specific way through the body. This is because I truly feel that it is not possible to map these corridors in some universal way with every person. Even more importantly, these nadis are purely instrumental modes of functioning. A map only presents from the objective understanding and is ultimately useless if one is to truly understand the nadis from a personal perspective.
So what do we mean by instrumental versus objective modes of functioning? Patanjali defines 3 different modes of experiencing in his Yoga Sutras. These are the objective, instrumental, and subjective modes. I have elaborated on this elsewhere in the blog but will recap briefly here. Objective is any sort of object of awareness. This could be an object of mind or an object of sensory awareness. Instrumental mode is the sensory mode itself or the mind sense in itself. The subjective is the I which witnesses the sensory and objective modes. There are varying levels of objective awareness as described in sutra 1.17. Instrumental awareness is quite different as it brings us into the sensory process of perception itself. It is here that we truly start to understand and witness the actual nadis in themselves.
This is an important distinction to make with the practice of Nadi Yoga as it implies that the practice of Nadi Yoga is not as much about external forms but more about how we relate to the practice internally. From this perspective, many different forms from different traditions could be used under the term Nadi Yoga if one is working to function and explore within instrumental level awareness.
Nadi Yoga thus entails a deep process that involves understanding instrumental functioning and being able to access that level of awareness. Not that following the techniques in themselves will not lead to beneficial results but rather that the true depths of this work will not unfold unless one can start to access those instrumental layers of oneself.
To this end, the traditional practices given in the yoga scriptures of preparation are vital. The traditional yamas and niyamas as related to the energetic system of the body/mind system are extremely important. In addition one has to have a certain faith and recognition that mind and body are ultimately intimately related. One should have at least an initial understanding of this relationship or if even that is difficult, one should have faith that one can at least find this understanding. Nadi Yoga is about experience, direct experience, which leads to an understanding of the power that one truly has as a locus of consciousness.
Once this understanding begins to take root in the individual, it becomes apparent that bringing the mind and its energies under control is vital to the process. In this way, we meet the deepest aspects of the yoga very early on. In addition, with this understanding, one realizes the responsibility and magnitude of what can unfold with this process.
Self study is therefore very important with the yoga, even right from the beginning of the practice. Especially when one undertakes energetic work such as the Nadi Yoga. Understanding our different sides (as mentioned in the previous post) can be extremely beneficial to unifying our mental/psychological front and channeling the resultant energies into a concentrated effect. The directions one can go with this are without limit.
In the next few blogs we will explore the preparations and foundational work that are essential along every step of the way.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Union and Psychological Alchemy
Lets talk today about psychological alchemy and how it relates to yoga.
We are all familiar with the concept of ego. How would it be if I told you that you were not one but many? Some may already realize this but we are all actually a large conglomerate of "inner people". The relationships that these inner people have with each other mirrors the relationship that we have with all the other people in our external life.
So how do these inner people relate? Is one usually in charge? Are some pushed down and even berated or neglected? If you examine all of your internal dialogues you will see that every voice is the voice of one of the inner people. Some of the voices are directed at other inner people. Some voices speak with other voices, forming "inner groups". Some groups are at war with others, some get along tolerantly.
Are you aware of your "spiritual" inner people? Do they assert their "obvious authority" in all higher matters? Perhaps until the "bad" people somehow usurp the throne...
So how do we deal with the inner people and why would we even want to look at this stuff?
Well consider this. Do you feel unified in all of your activities? Do you move forward in life without "distraction" or procrastination? Have any depression or fear or do you tell yourself negative things? Can you concentrate fully and skillfully with ease? If not, then I suggest that your inner people may not be getting along...
Take note the next time at a party or even observing dinner conversation dynamics. Ever notice how one or two people take over the conversation? Or observe children and their communication dynamics. Really take note. External reality mirrors inner reality beautifully. Also examine how you relate to others, specifically how you relate to different people differently. The same thing goes on in our heads internally all the time. The "inner kingdom" can really become a dictatorship and when we identify with the ones on the bottom life can be pretty depressing as the voices on the top keep putting us down.
The first thing to do is to see this at play in our own inner universe. To start to separate out the voices and identify the different people involved, the different people who are "us". This is the alchemical process called separation.
The next alchemical process could be termed purification. In psychological terms this would be cleaning the house, helping the inner people and healing the relationships between the various people. This is the not so easy part of the work but if we have truly separated the people out it becomes much easier. Part of the problem comes when we cannot really separate out the different voices and we see them talking as one.
Another challenge at this stage is to truly see that "you" are not any of these people. Well you are and you aren't at the same time. The BIG I is something much bigger, much greater, beyond all of these voices. And yet it is not true to say that these are all just "figments and fragments" of imagination or just "contents of consciousness" either. To truly honor relative reality we have to honor these people and voices. If we don't then guess what? One of the people, most likely a "spiritual inner person" has the throne and is dictating that we need to get rid of all the other people!!! To truly come into the BIG I we have to step ALL THE WAY BACK. Back to where we pull EVERYONE off the throne. We encourage a democracy or rather a "friendly group". Here we can look without bias at all the people. Ask what they want, ask what they need. What do they EACH need to be fulfilled? If you are still asking at this point what the point is in dealing with all these voices, the "spiritual inner person" is still on the throne... Funny huh?
The purification process really involves settling the disputes or at least getting the different sides on somewhat amicable terms. Kind of like getting fighting kids to hug and make up.
If you can make it through this point, then the real GOLD comes out. We have alchemical union. We get all the people together in a "new age circle" and have them "hold hands". Your "spiritual inner person" may laugh at this but trust me you won't when you notice that suddenly you are filled with serious power. Power to concentrate, power to do, power to manifest things immediately in your life. With internal union we have one of the very definitions of yoga. Union. The dark sides and the light sides join forces and suddenly we realize the source of our power. Not only your inner relationships will change but your outer ones will too. External and internal realities reflect each other.
I say these things because for years I have fought with myself internally. The "spiritual" sides have waged war with the "mundane and dark" sides. It is a form of internal disease. The spiritual traditions that label these voices and inner people as "just thoughts" are the worst violators of all. We end up pushing down, repressing, forgetting about so much. And all of these thoughts and inner people together make up the sum total of our energy. When the voices/inner people are unified in one front we find a huge surge of potential, of energy, of freedom. Gone are guilt, shame, fear, depression, and a whole host of other negative emotions and thoughts.
And the practices of yoga, I'm talking about the deepest practices, become available. And the practices are not driven by a dictator. The practices move forward from the democratic movement of all the inner peoples that are aligned with the divine will of the BIG I. The little I's and the Big I are aligned and we truly are functioning in alignment with our true dharma.
I want to say one more thing. The hatha yoga texts tell us that "public contact" is one of the obstacles to success. What they mean by this is not that we should become hermits, but rather that giving our power over to others by joining consensus reality is dangerous. This is especially true during this process I have described above. Our "inner people" are strongly influenced sometimes by others and this can become dangerous to our internal process of purification. We have to have the strength to realize that we are in control of our own inner world, otherwise we open it up to influence that can be very dangerous to our inner ego dynamics. True allies are the exception. True allies have no expectation, want you to be fully who you are in alignment with your true dharma. They alone are worthy to let into your inner kingdom as they are the ones who will help you find true alignment with all elements of yourself.
Hope this is helpful!
We are all familiar with the concept of ego. How would it be if I told you that you were not one but many? Some may already realize this but we are all actually a large conglomerate of "inner people". The relationships that these inner people have with each other mirrors the relationship that we have with all the other people in our external life.
So how do these inner people relate? Is one usually in charge? Are some pushed down and even berated or neglected? If you examine all of your internal dialogues you will see that every voice is the voice of one of the inner people. Some of the voices are directed at other inner people. Some voices speak with other voices, forming "inner groups". Some groups are at war with others, some get along tolerantly.
Are you aware of your "spiritual" inner people? Do they assert their "obvious authority" in all higher matters? Perhaps until the "bad" people somehow usurp the throne...
So how do we deal with the inner people and why would we even want to look at this stuff?
Well consider this. Do you feel unified in all of your activities? Do you move forward in life without "distraction" or procrastination? Have any depression or fear or do you tell yourself negative things? Can you concentrate fully and skillfully with ease? If not, then I suggest that your inner people may not be getting along...
Take note the next time at a party or even observing dinner conversation dynamics. Ever notice how one or two people take over the conversation? Or observe children and their communication dynamics. Really take note. External reality mirrors inner reality beautifully. Also examine how you relate to others, specifically how you relate to different people differently. The same thing goes on in our heads internally all the time. The "inner kingdom" can really become a dictatorship and when we identify with the ones on the bottom life can be pretty depressing as the voices on the top keep putting us down.
The first thing to do is to see this at play in our own inner universe. To start to separate out the voices and identify the different people involved, the different people who are "us". This is the alchemical process called separation.
The next alchemical process could be termed purification. In psychological terms this would be cleaning the house, helping the inner people and healing the relationships between the various people. This is the not so easy part of the work but if we have truly separated the people out it becomes much easier. Part of the problem comes when we cannot really separate out the different voices and we see them talking as one.
Another challenge at this stage is to truly see that "you" are not any of these people. Well you are and you aren't at the same time. The BIG I is something much bigger, much greater, beyond all of these voices. And yet it is not true to say that these are all just "figments and fragments" of imagination or just "contents of consciousness" either. To truly honor relative reality we have to honor these people and voices. If we don't then guess what? One of the people, most likely a "spiritual inner person" has the throne and is dictating that we need to get rid of all the other people!!! To truly come into the BIG I we have to step ALL THE WAY BACK. Back to where we pull EVERYONE off the throne. We encourage a democracy or rather a "friendly group". Here we can look without bias at all the people. Ask what they want, ask what they need. What do they EACH need to be fulfilled? If you are still asking at this point what the point is in dealing with all these voices, the "spiritual inner person" is still on the throne... Funny huh?
The purification process really involves settling the disputes or at least getting the different sides on somewhat amicable terms. Kind of like getting fighting kids to hug and make up.
If you can make it through this point, then the real GOLD comes out. We have alchemical union. We get all the people together in a "new age circle" and have them "hold hands". Your "spiritual inner person" may laugh at this but trust me you won't when you notice that suddenly you are filled with serious power. Power to concentrate, power to do, power to manifest things immediately in your life. With internal union we have one of the very definitions of yoga. Union. The dark sides and the light sides join forces and suddenly we realize the source of our power. Not only your inner relationships will change but your outer ones will too. External and internal realities reflect each other.
I say these things because for years I have fought with myself internally. The "spiritual" sides have waged war with the "mundane and dark" sides. It is a form of internal disease. The spiritual traditions that label these voices and inner people as "just thoughts" are the worst violators of all. We end up pushing down, repressing, forgetting about so much. And all of these thoughts and inner people together make up the sum total of our energy. When the voices/inner people are unified in one front we find a huge surge of potential, of energy, of freedom. Gone are guilt, shame, fear, depression, and a whole host of other negative emotions and thoughts.
And the practices of yoga, I'm talking about the deepest practices, become available. And the practices are not driven by a dictator. The practices move forward from the democratic movement of all the inner peoples that are aligned with the divine will of the BIG I. The little I's and the Big I are aligned and we truly are functioning in alignment with our true dharma.
I want to say one more thing. The hatha yoga texts tell us that "public contact" is one of the obstacles to success. What they mean by this is not that we should become hermits, but rather that giving our power over to others by joining consensus reality is dangerous. This is especially true during this process I have described above. Our "inner people" are strongly influenced sometimes by others and this can become dangerous to our internal process of purification. We have to have the strength to realize that we are in control of our own inner world, otherwise we open it up to influence that can be very dangerous to our inner ego dynamics. True allies are the exception. True allies have no expectation, want you to be fully who you are in alignment with your true dharma. They alone are worthy to let into your inner kingdom as they are the ones who will help you find true alignment with all elements of yourself.
Hope this is helpful!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tantra, Magick, Alchemy, and Will
It is easy to fall into the trap of religiosity or even worse fundamentalism with the practice of tantra. It is also easy to mistake the road map for the territory. If one is to truly understand the inner workings of a particular discipline one has to really get inside of the process rather than just the outer workings.
In following the path of tantra it is fine for some to just follow along with pure faith. I have no qualms with these folks. However, I enjoy getting into the nuts and bolts of certain things and especially the looking into a technology as powerful as this. In this particular case, much can be gleaned from the western esoteric traditions as mind technology applies to the discipline of tantra.
Aleister Crowley defined magick (spelled with a k to distinguish from magic, which is the illusionist's and charlatans trade) as "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will." There are many further subdivision which we won't get into. If we follow Crowley's definition then we realize that basically every act we do is an act of magic. There is more though. How do we know that we are actually acting in accordance with our will? Are we acting under conditioned influence? There is much to investigate in this. We discussed in class today that those in the heaven and hell realms suffer so much because they can't actually cause change to occur around them because they are so conditioned by suffering and desire that they can only reap the rewards of their previous actions until the karma from those actions expires.
The western esoteric tradition has long investigated this work, through the shaping and refining of the will, and one of the highest expressions of this work is called magick. At the highest level of this work, one brings one's alignment of personal individual will towards that of higher will. The mystical tradition usually causes this to occur through personal annihilation or dissolving of the ego structure. The mage or tantric or siddha "plays" and walks a balancing line between samsara and nirvana.
In the discussing of the Qabalistic "tree of life", author Donald Michael Kraig, a longtime contemporary practitioner of the western esoteric tradition says "We can say that the path of a mystic or yogi, whose intent it is to rejoin with the Divine, follows the middle pillar (of the tree of life). This path, sometimes known as the "path of the arrow" is like the path an arrow flies if pointed straight up from the Mahlkoot to Keter (the Qabalistic equivalent of the Muladhara and Sahasrara). The yogi sits in meditation until he or she can simply "hop" from the lowest to the highest.... a magician needs full access to all of the Sephiroht of the Tree, not just the middle pillar. A magician follows a path that can take him or her from Sephira to Sephira, going through and learning about each one while also covering each of the connecting twenty-two paths, winding about like a snake. In fact, the path of the magician (and in our case the tantric) is sometimes known as the path of the serpent." There is more...
We see this in the tantric tradition in the expression of the Sri Yantra and also in the traditional 36 tattvas or categories given in classical tantra. Near the highest level of the 36 categories we find the descent of iccha, jnana, and kriya shaktis. Once the bindu of the Sri Yantra "splits" we have the inner triangle, of whose corners represent the iccha, jnana, and kriya shaktis. Iccha is will, jnana is the knowledge that gives rise to power the will, and the kriya is the resultant action. Thus this world evolves from the top down and also from the bottom up. A saying from the hermetic tradition is in order here "as above, so below". Creation works top down as well as bottom up. Even in classical samkhya theory, the role of buddhi is one of "I" as well as will. There has been a long standing tradition handed down from ancient times that somehow the "I" aspect of buddhi is more important than will. Which comes first? Interesting inquiry to make. "Who am I" is a noun based question and "what is the will to be done?" is a verb based question. They are different in orientation. Examining and finding mastery through will is the path of the siddha, examining and finding mastery through "I" or luminous presence is the path of the jnani. According to Vimalananda, Robert Svabodha's guru, the path of vijnani or the siddha is higher than that of the jnani. I won't argue about that because to each their own huh?
It is interesting to note that traditional study of magick usually begins with serious mind training. Most of the exercises given in Franz Bardon's An Introduction to Hermetics involve serious yoga (and I'm not talking down dog...). The same is true with classical tantra. However many approach these disciplines today without an ounce of mind training and thus fall far short of the mark.
So lets talk briefly about alchemy, the inner process of both classical magick and tantra. Alchemy is a process of separation, purification, and unification. There are outer and inner forms of this, both related. The processes of magic and tantra both involve understanding and meditation on the elements, so that one attains a certain mastery of knowledge with the component energies of this universe. These are "purified" or if you prefer "discovered to be already pure" and then integrated. We see this in the tantra in the practice of the Viraja Homa, a practice which can be done lying down or seated with traditional pranayamas. We work with fire and air, creating an "internal fire" to burn and refine the various elements of ourselves. We then receive the nectar of the moon, working with water and the earth to "create" a divine body. There are very similar processes in traditional magick. Much more can be said on this, perhaps later....
The real power behind both the disciplines of magick and tantra is the deep understanding of mind. Patanjali tells us that the mind can be either klista (obstructing) or aklista (liberating). Understanding this we can use vikalpa or imagination to transform our "ordinary" reality into the pure land. We transform through alchemy ordinary consensus reality into a liberated reality. Those who doubt this are stuck in the materialist paradigm and will struggle against forces which they believe to be outside of themselves. Some magicians fall into this trap when they attempt to invoke and evoke external spirits, not seeing their own deep psychological relationship to the process. Tantrics fall into this trap when they consider themselves apart from their technology as well.
In the realms of invocation and evocation both magic and tantra shine. If you don't think you are doing magic when you do pranapratishta, think again. Pranapratishta is the invoking of Devi right into your very body. It can also be used to evoke the Devi into a murthi or a homa fire. Kavaca or divine armor is a form of evocation as is mantric healing. Many many parallels between the two sciences.
What we choose to do with it is up to us. We don't have to take the path of the arrow. Do you beg your mother to go back inside her vagina? When you have children would you expect them to dissolve themselves back into you or would you rather they go out and create a divine world? Questions to ponder...
As Aleister Crowley stated in the law of Thelema "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law, love under will." And as my Guru has always said "Do as you like. Minimize harm."
In following the path of tantra it is fine for some to just follow along with pure faith. I have no qualms with these folks. However, I enjoy getting into the nuts and bolts of certain things and especially the looking into a technology as powerful as this. In this particular case, much can be gleaned from the western esoteric traditions as mind technology applies to the discipline of tantra.
Aleister Crowley defined magick (spelled with a k to distinguish from magic, which is the illusionist's and charlatans trade) as "the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will." There are many further subdivision which we won't get into. If we follow Crowley's definition then we realize that basically every act we do is an act of magic. There is more though. How do we know that we are actually acting in accordance with our will? Are we acting under conditioned influence? There is much to investigate in this. We discussed in class today that those in the heaven and hell realms suffer so much because they can't actually cause change to occur around them because they are so conditioned by suffering and desire that they can only reap the rewards of their previous actions until the karma from those actions expires.
The western esoteric tradition has long investigated this work, through the shaping and refining of the will, and one of the highest expressions of this work is called magick. At the highest level of this work, one brings one's alignment of personal individual will towards that of higher will. The mystical tradition usually causes this to occur through personal annihilation or dissolving of the ego structure. The mage or tantric or siddha "plays" and walks a balancing line between samsara and nirvana.
In the discussing of the Qabalistic "tree of life", author Donald Michael Kraig, a longtime contemporary practitioner of the western esoteric tradition says "We can say that the path of a mystic or yogi, whose intent it is to rejoin with the Divine, follows the middle pillar (of the tree of life). This path, sometimes known as the "path of the arrow" is like the path an arrow flies if pointed straight up from the Mahlkoot to Keter (the Qabalistic equivalent of the Muladhara and Sahasrara). The yogi sits in meditation until he or she can simply "hop" from the lowest to the highest.... a magician needs full access to all of the Sephiroht of the Tree, not just the middle pillar. A magician follows a path that can take him or her from Sephira to Sephira, going through and learning about each one while also covering each of the connecting twenty-two paths, winding about like a snake. In fact, the path of the magician (and in our case the tantric) is sometimes known as the path of the serpent." There is more...
We see this in the tantric tradition in the expression of the Sri Yantra and also in the traditional 36 tattvas or categories given in classical tantra. Near the highest level of the 36 categories we find the descent of iccha, jnana, and kriya shaktis. Once the bindu of the Sri Yantra "splits" we have the inner triangle, of whose corners represent the iccha, jnana, and kriya shaktis. Iccha is will, jnana is the knowledge that gives rise to power the will, and the kriya is the resultant action. Thus this world evolves from the top down and also from the bottom up. A saying from the hermetic tradition is in order here "as above, so below". Creation works top down as well as bottom up. Even in classical samkhya theory, the role of buddhi is one of "I" as well as will. There has been a long standing tradition handed down from ancient times that somehow the "I" aspect of buddhi is more important than will. Which comes first? Interesting inquiry to make. "Who am I" is a noun based question and "what is the will to be done?" is a verb based question. They are different in orientation. Examining and finding mastery through will is the path of the siddha, examining and finding mastery through "I" or luminous presence is the path of the jnani. According to Vimalananda, Robert Svabodha's guru, the path of vijnani or the siddha is higher than that of the jnani. I won't argue about that because to each their own huh?
It is interesting to note that traditional study of magick usually begins with serious mind training. Most of the exercises given in Franz Bardon's An Introduction to Hermetics involve serious yoga (and I'm not talking down dog...). The same is true with classical tantra. However many approach these disciplines today without an ounce of mind training and thus fall far short of the mark.
So lets talk briefly about alchemy, the inner process of both classical magick and tantra. Alchemy is a process of separation, purification, and unification. There are outer and inner forms of this, both related. The processes of magic and tantra both involve understanding and meditation on the elements, so that one attains a certain mastery of knowledge with the component energies of this universe. These are "purified" or if you prefer "discovered to be already pure" and then integrated. We see this in the tantra in the practice of the Viraja Homa, a practice which can be done lying down or seated with traditional pranayamas. We work with fire and air, creating an "internal fire" to burn and refine the various elements of ourselves. We then receive the nectar of the moon, working with water and the earth to "create" a divine body. There are very similar processes in traditional magick. Much more can be said on this, perhaps later....
The real power behind both the disciplines of magick and tantra is the deep understanding of mind. Patanjali tells us that the mind can be either klista (obstructing) or aklista (liberating). Understanding this we can use vikalpa or imagination to transform our "ordinary" reality into the pure land. We transform through alchemy ordinary consensus reality into a liberated reality. Those who doubt this are stuck in the materialist paradigm and will struggle against forces which they believe to be outside of themselves. Some magicians fall into this trap when they attempt to invoke and evoke external spirits, not seeing their own deep psychological relationship to the process. Tantrics fall into this trap when they consider themselves apart from their technology as well.
In the realms of invocation and evocation both magic and tantra shine. If you don't think you are doing magic when you do pranapratishta, think again. Pranapratishta is the invoking of Devi right into your very body. It can also be used to evoke the Devi into a murthi or a homa fire. Kavaca or divine armor is a form of evocation as is mantric healing. Many many parallels between the two sciences.
What we choose to do with it is up to us. We don't have to take the path of the arrow. Do you beg your mother to go back inside her vagina? When you have children would you expect them to dissolve themselves back into you or would you rather they go out and create a divine world? Questions to ponder...
As Aleister Crowley stated in the law of Thelema "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law, love under will." And as my Guru has always said "Do as you like. Minimize harm."
Saturday, June 9, 2012
What my teacher taught me
The more I learn, the less I feel that I know.
I have been doing yoga for more than 25 years, and it seems that most of those years I was stuck in a place of knowing. Always knowing the "path", the "rules", the "way".
Lately I have been reflecting a lot on "where I have gotten" with all of it.
When I left my teacher (not my guru but my yoga teacher) I was at first in a hiccup of a situation. I realized that I didn't quite know where to go, what to teach.
Then things started to come and although the surface somewhat resembled what was given, something was much different underneath.
Then came a major block. Resentment, anger, very intense anger.
When this lifted my views began to dissolve. They resembled nothing like the surface face of what I had assumed was the "path", the "rules", the "way".
And I sit here today smiling at a new day.
As I sat contemplating my teacher and what he had given me I have gratitude. Not for the techniques, or even the teachings.
It was the authenticity. It was his own devotion to investigation. It was his constant ability to change, adapt, and most importantly evolve.
Even back then I had a sense of these things but my own view felt that it somehow had to adapt to his. This was a major block, impeding my own progress as I struggled to conform. Some may say that this was a shaping element and it was, it shaped certain things.
Then I began to crack the mold. Step out. I still am. And it is like hatching from some strange egg.
The tools that we use to build a beautiful house are not the house itself. How easily we forget this.
More than learning the "yoga", in the years that I was with my teacher I had all along been studying how he learned. To this day that piece was far more important than any technique. I don't even know if he knew that I studied him in that way but it doesn't matter.
He gave me a wonderful blessing when I left him and told me to stand on my own two feet and not look back. It took me a while but I feel that I am finally upright. And I am finally starting to not look back.
Now I just have to keep walking forward.
I have been doing yoga for more than 25 years, and it seems that most of those years I was stuck in a place of knowing. Always knowing the "path", the "rules", the "way".
Lately I have been reflecting a lot on "where I have gotten" with all of it.
When I left my teacher (not my guru but my yoga teacher) I was at first in a hiccup of a situation. I realized that I didn't quite know where to go, what to teach.
Then things started to come and although the surface somewhat resembled what was given, something was much different underneath.
Then came a major block. Resentment, anger, very intense anger.
When this lifted my views began to dissolve. They resembled nothing like the surface face of what I had assumed was the "path", the "rules", the "way".
And I sit here today smiling at a new day.
As I sat contemplating my teacher and what he had given me I have gratitude. Not for the techniques, or even the teachings.
It was the authenticity. It was his own devotion to investigation. It was his constant ability to change, adapt, and most importantly evolve.
Even back then I had a sense of these things but my own view felt that it somehow had to adapt to his. This was a major block, impeding my own progress as I struggled to conform. Some may say that this was a shaping element and it was, it shaped certain things.
Then I began to crack the mold. Step out. I still am. And it is like hatching from some strange egg.
The tools that we use to build a beautiful house are not the house itself. How easily we forget this.
More than learning the "yoga", in the years that I was with my teacher I had all along been studying how he learned. To this day that piece was far more important than any technique. I don't even know if he knew that I studied him in that way but it doesn't matter.
He gave me a wonderful blessing when I left him and told me to stand on my own two feet and not look back. It took me a while but I feel that I am finally upright. And I am finally starting to not look back.
Now I just have to keep walking forward.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a science. It is helpful to know exactly what yoga is when we come to a powerful practice such as this. Far more than just the practicing of a few asanas and pranayamas, yoga is a powerful scientific method of alchemy that brings us into a greater understanding and control of the movements of our energies and our mind. This science can be utilized in a number of different directions depending on individual inclination.
The word yoga comes from the root yuj which when conjugated from either the 4th or 10th conjugation of sanskrit will yield different meanings. The 4th conjugation leads us to the definition as given by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras and means "samadhi", which is a deep state of one-pointedness. The 10th conjugation meaning leads us to the definition which is more commonly ascribed to the term, meaning "yoking or union". This blog will explore both meanings as potential understandings of the term yoga. The two terms are actually very intimately related.
Union in the beginning of practice should be the attempt to unify the elements that are present within our own microcosmic world. Namely, the different elements of our ego/personality structure. This process is also described within Psychosynthesis (a powerful psychology of spirit developed by Assagioli, an Italian psychologist and yogi who worked with Freud and Jung at the turn of the last century). Without total acceptance and unity of all of the different elements which make up our personality structure, we cannot hope to stream together all of the movement currents which lead to samadhi or one-pointedness. For example, if one part of us wants one thing and another part wants another, or if there is some form of internal conflict within ourselves, however small, then how will we hope to come together in a one-pointed way?
To bring together these various parts of ourselves, we first must separate and learn to see the diverse streams of movement within ourselves. Once we can separate and identify these elements, they must somehow find peace with each other. Acceptance, a full and deep acceptance is the starting point for this stage, which we might term purification. Sometimes some inner negotiation and dialogue need to take place at this point in order to allow the different elements to co-exist side by side without warring with each other. At this point, when we have all of the elements together in the same room, and existing in an air of acceptance, then and only then can we truly begin the process of inner union. At this point we have liberated the sum total of our energy and it can flow harmoniously into a central stream of one pointedness, which will lead us to samadhi. Thus the two definitions of yoga come together here, inner union being the cause which leads us to the result of samadhi.
Looking at the meaning of yoga defined as samadhi, we can begin to gain insight into this term by looking at the second of Patanjali's yoga sutras which says 'yogascittavrttinirodhah'. This statement means 'yoga is the nirodhah (containment or control) of the mind waves/definitions'. Some define nirodhah as a resolution of the mind into its origin but this is only one way of manifesting control of the mind. Some define it as a complete disassociation with the waves of mind but this also is a form of control. In whatever way we choose to relate to the mind's energy, we are in a form of relationship that is governed by our will.
The entire first chapter of the yoga sutras is devoted to the understanding of how this process of control comes about. From the perspective of the hatha yoga, we control the field of the mind through its underlying energy, which is called prana. The techniques described in the hatha texts for the control of the prana are called mudra, which has been discussed in many of the other blogs on this site. Please see those writings for further detail on how to access this inner movement.
We can understand this process of samadhi easily if we first understand the process of what Patanjali calls parinama. Parinama is a concept discussed in the third chapter of the yoga sutras. It means a change in state or a transformation. It is movement. To really understand how to hold something contained is through understanding first the movement that creates containment. For example, take a small object and pick it up with your hand. At first glance when we look at this object we see only the object that we are holding. However, if the hand was not holding it up to our face we might not be able to see it. When you look at the hand you also think that perhaps it is static. But this isn't the case. The hand itself is moving. It appears still but actually the nerves are firing and the muscles are holding the object by pushing against it to keep the object still. The same process occurs in yogic meditation. We "hold" an object in mind with the movement of energy. The energy comes through the process of mudra. If we learn to emphasize the movement instead of the object, the object doesn't fall out of our grasp. This is the process of samadhi, the first definition of yoga. Samadhi is described clearly in sutras 1.17 and 1.18.
Lets now come back to the meaning of yoga as union. After we have internal union and the one-pointedness of samadhi then we can speak of union in the greater sense of the yoking of the Jiva to the Paramatma or the small self to the Big Self. This is how union is thought of classically. The microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm so the more that we first work on inner union, the more that we will start to see the union of the small self to the world at large. We may however be tempted to see this as a one way process or a one way arrow, considering only the yoking of the small self to the Big Self. We can also look at it from the other direction. We can see the arrow go the other way, in other words the process of union can also be seen as the yoking of the Big Self to the small self. The first arrow, takes us into the bias of absolute truth, the second keeps us in the bias of the relative truth. If we are to have true integration, we need to have the arrow going both ways. This concept is described in Psychosynthesis as transcendence/immanence. The concept of transcendence/immanence tells us that small self "transcends" to Big Self, while simultaneously Big Self descends to become "immanent" in the small self. This concept is illustrated beautifully in the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna convinces Arjuna to keep to his dharma and fight the fight he needs to fight while simultaneously transcending conventional notions of death and loss. Union in this way is a two way street, uniting macrocosmic and microcosmic truths. It respects individuality and simultaneously acknowledges the deeper underlying unity. A strange paradox.
So yoga can be seen as a process of unifying our inner selves, which leads to a mental/energetic containment of one-pointedness (which we call samadhi), which in turn leads us toward a deeper unifying/aligning of our limited self or microcosm with the greater self or macrocosm. I find it useful to follow both of these definitions of union and samadhi, and not just limit myself to one of them.
These topics have only been given in a cursory way but hopefully they might shed light on this most glorious science of yoga.
All peace.
The word yoga comes from the root yuj which when conjugated from either the 4th or 10th conjugation of sanskrit will yield different meanings. The 4th conjugation leads us to the definition as given by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras and means "samadhi", which is a deep state of one-pointedness. The 10th conjugation meaning leads us to the definition which is more commonly ascribed to the term, meaning "yoking or union". This blog will explore both meanings as potential understandings of the term yoga. The two terms are actually very intimately related.
Union in the beginning of practice should be the attempt to unify the elements that are present within our own microcosmic world. Namely, the different elements of our ego/personality structure. This process is also described within Psychosynthesis (a powerful psychology of spirit developed by Assagioli, an Italian psychologist and yogi who worked with Freud and Jung at the turn of the last century). Without total acceptance and unity of all of the different elements which make up our personality structure, we cannot hope to stream together all of the movement currents which lead to samadhi or one-pointedness. For example, if one part of us wants one thing and another part wants another, or if there is some form of internal conflict within ourselves, however small, then how will we hope to come together in a one-pointed way?
To bring together these various parts of ourselves, we first must separate and learn to see the diverse streams of movement within ourselves. Once we can separate and identify these elements, they must somehow find peace with each other. Acceptance, a full and deep acceptance is the starting point for this stage, which we might term purification. Sometimes some inner negotiation and dialogue need to take place at this point in order to allow the different elements to co-exist side by side without warring with each other. At this point, when we have all of the elements together in the same room, and existing in an air of acceptance, then and only then can we truly begin the process of inner union. At this point we have liberated the sum total of our energy and it can flow harmoniously into a central stream of one pointedness, which will lead us to samadhi. Thus the two definitions of yoga come together here, inner union being the cause which leads us to the result of samadhi.
Looking at the meaning of yoga defined as samadhi, we can begin to gain insight into this term by looking at the second of Patanjali's yoga sutras which says 'yogascittavrttinirodhah'. This statement means 'yoga is the nirodhah (containment or control) of the mind waves/definitions'. Some define nirodhah as a resolution of the mind into its origin but this is only one way of manifesting control of the mind. Some define it as a complete disassociation with the waves of mind but this also is a form of control. In whatever way we choose to relate to the mind's energy, we are in a form of relationship that is governed by our will.
The entire first chapter of the yoga sutras is devoted to the understanding of how this process of control comes about. From the perspective of the hatha yoga, we control the field of the mind through its underlying energy, which is called prana. The techniques described in the hatha texts for the control of the prana are called mudra, which has been discussed in many of the other blogs on this site. Please see those writings for further detail on how to access this inner movement.
We can understand this process of samadhi easily if we first understand the process of what Patanjali calls parinama. Parinama is a concept discussed in the third chapter of the yoga sutras. It means a change in state or a transformation. It is movement. To really understand how to hold something contained is through understanding first the movement that creates containment. For example, take a small object and pick it up with your hand. At first glance when we look at this object we see only the object that we are holding. However, if the hand was not holding it up to our face we might not be able to see it. When you look at the hand you also think that perhaps it is static. But this isn't the case. The hand itself is moving. It appears still but actually the nerves are firing and the muscles are holding the object by pushing against it to keep the object still. The same process occurs in yogic meditation. We "hold" an object in mind with the movement of energy. The energy comes through the process of mudra. If we learn to emphasize the movement instead of the object, the object doesn't fall out of our grasp. This is the process of samadhi, the first definition of yoga. Samadhi is described clearly in sutras 1.17 and 1.18.
Lets now come back to the meaning of yoga as union. After we have internal union and the one-pointedness of samadhi then we can speak of union in the greater sense of the yoking of the Jiva to the Paramatma or the small self to the Big Self. This is how union is thought of classically. The microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm so the more that we first work on inner union, the more that we will start to see the union of the small self to the world at large. We may however be tempted to see this as a one way process or a one way arrow, considering only the yoking of the small self to the Big Self. We can also look at it from the other direction. We can see the arrow go the other way, in other words the process of union can also be seen as the yoking of the Big Self to the small self. The first arrow, takes us into the bias of absolute truth, the second keeps us in the bias of the relative truth. If we are to have true integration, we need to have the arrow going both ways. This concept is described in Psychosynthesis as transcendence/immanence. The concept of transcendence/immanence tells us that small self "transcends" to Big Self, while simultaneously Big Self descends to become "immanent" in the small self. This concept is illustrated beautifully in the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna convinces Arjuna to keep to his dharma and fight the fight he needs to fight while simultaneously transcending conventional notions of death and loss. Union in this way is a two way street, uniting macrocosmic and microcosmic truths. It respects individuality and simultaneously acknowledges the deeper underlying unity. A strange paradox.
So yoga can be seen as a process of unifying our inner selves, which leads to a mental/energetic containment of one-pointedness (which we call samadhi), which in turn leads us toward a deeper unifying/aligning of our limited self or microcosm with the greater self or macrocosm. I find it useful to follow both of these definitions of union and samadhi, and not just limit myself to one of them.
These topics have only been given in a cursory way but hopefully they might shed light on this most glorious science of yoga.
All peace.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Shambhavi Elaborated Part 2
Hi Folks,
I felt I had to elaborate more on the mudra after receiving a query from a friend on Facebook yesterday.
It is in regard to whether or not the eyes should be open in Shambhavi Mudra.
The texts state very clearly that the eyes should be open. But we have to discern carefully here. According to my instructions given in the last post, the process of Shambhavi Mudra involves the instrumental layer, in other words the seeing itself and not the object seen. If we take Shambhavi Mudra in this way, it doesn't really matter whether the eyes are open or closed. The eyes are always seeing, whether it is dark or light, no matter what object is in front of the eyes. This process of the senses mirrors the nature of awareness or consciousness itself. This is the point. The eyes train us to come back into the nature of seeing itself. To come back to the Seer.
If we are focused on the object of perception we are stuck in the objective realm, no matter how high or lofty that object is. It could be the third eye, it could be God, it could be the highest thing imaginable. It is still an object of perception. This is why Patanjali divided the three modes of meditation into objective, instrumental and subjective forms. Meditation has to progress inwards towards the subject. And the instrumental level is a powerful bridge.
So ultimately whether the eyes are open or closed doesn't matter. However I have found according to the texts and my own experience that the eyes open in the beginning is better. Once you discover the depth of this mudra, feel free to close your eyes. Stay in the seeing even in the dark. This helps one to realize that outer and inner makes no difference. This is what the tantra teaches us.
In regards to whether this is right or wrong according to sampradaya I make no claims. I only speak from my own experience. It says in the Amanaskayogah "Shambhavi mudra is received by adishakti who is Uma (the Goddess)". What does this mean? To me it means that it can be received directly, deeply from the Self, from God. This is how it came to me after almost 25 years of practice in 2009, after 10 years of daily intensive Uddiyana Bandhas and Vicara practice. I felt in many ways that it was a deep fruit of intensive investigation and practice. But again I make no ultimate claim here. One can only ever speak from experience.
May you all investigate for yourselves to determine the Truth. Peace to you in that search.
I felt I had to elaborate more on the mudra after receiving a query from a friend on Facebook yesterday.
It is in regard to whether or not the eyes should be open in Shambhavi Mudra.
The texts state very clearly that the eyes should be open. But we have to discern carefully here. According to my instructions given in the last post, the process of Shambhavi Mudra involves the instrumental layer, in other words the seeing itself and not the object seen. If we take Shambhavi Mudra in this way, it doesn't really matter whether the eyes are open or closed. The eyes are always seeing, whether it is dark or light, no matter what object is in front of the eyes. This process of the senses mirrors the nature of awareness or consciousness itself. This is the point. The eyes train us to come back into the nature of seeing itself. To come back to the Seer.
If we are focused on the object of perception we are stuck in the objective realm, no matter how high or lofty that object is. It could be the third eye, it could be God, it could be the highest thing imaginable. It is still an object of perception. This is why Patanjali divided the three modes of meditation into objective, instrumental and subjective forms. Meditation has to progress inwards towards the subject. And the instrumental level is a powerful bridge.
So ultimately whether the eyes are open or closed doesn't matter. However I have found according to the texts and my own experience that the eyes open in the beginning is better. Once you discover the depth of this mudra, feel free to close your eyes. Stay in the seeing even in the dark. This helps one to realize that outer and inner makes no difference. This is what the tantra teaches us.
In regards to whether this is right or wrong according to sampradaya I make no claims. I only speak from my own experience. It says in the Amanaskayogah "Shambhavi mudra is received by adishakti who is Uma (the Goddess)". What does this mean? To me it means that it can be received directly, deeply from the Self, from God. This is how it came to me after almost 25 years of practice in 2009, after 10 years of daily intensive Uddiyana Bandhas and Vicara practice. I felt in many ways that it was a deep fruit of intensive investigation and practice. But again I make no ultimate claim here. One can only ever speak from experience.
May you all investigate for yourselves to determine the Truth. Peace to you in that search.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Shambhavi Mudra Elaborated
I thought I would elaborate on the Shambhavi mudra to go into deeper
detail of this most powerful mudra. This is a more detailed description
of the process which was discussed in an earlier post.
Mudra means gesture. Gesture can mean many things, from a physical gesture to an internal gesture. It is a slight movement that is initiated with the will which has the capability of propagating outward or inward through space.
Shambhavi mudra, also call Bhairavi mudra, is a subtle internal technique involving the eyes which can lead one to the depths of yogic meditation. It is described in many texts including Hathapradipika, Gherandha Samhita, Amanaskya Yoga, and Vijnanabhairava Tantra. These texts however do not give full instructions of this powerful technique but rather only hint at what it truly is.
The process of mudra follows what is called in Patanjali's yoga sutras parinama. Parinama is the process of transformation of one state to another. It involves movement and a change of state. The important point to understand in parinama is the process of movement itself. Mudra is a gesture that starts in a very subtle way and then follows a powerful movement gradient to affect objective perception, transforming the energy that underlies this objective manifestation to one of pure clarity. This clarity can be followed internally to the central nadi Susumna. At this point many "doors" open, through which the movement can be continued and the expansion of knowledge through one of these doorways can be facilitated. This is the topic of the 3rd chapter of the Yoga Sutras.
Shambhavi mudra thus is the excellent technique which brings about the results of the containment of the mind discussed in the first chapter of the yoga sutras. It is a technique which starts beneath the mind and completely brings it under control. It is in some ways a powerful technique of bio feedback.
One of the most important things to attend to in the mudric process is movement and not object or outcome. If one is attached to name and form, one is still in the objective layer of mind and will have no access to this mudra. The mudra is purely an instrumental or sensory process that underlies the mental functioning. The Hathapradipika quoting the Yoga Vasistha tells us that the mind and prana are like two sides of a single coin, that if we control one we control the other. In the Hatha tradition we take a hold of the mind by taking hold of the prana. So what is this prana? Prana is the felt layer that underlies all sensory processes. It is immediately felt as the totality of the underlying sensation body. So following this understanding, we can access this prana by following any of the knowledge or action senses to their point of origin. With Shambhavi mudra we use the eyes.
The technique of Shambhavi mudra begins with the eyes. We keep the eyes open. The texts say not to blink but in my opinion this matters not in the slightest because it doesn't matter what we are seeing. The important point is the seeing itself. This technique in my opinion is also not about directing the gaze. Gazing is not Shambhavi mudra. Gazing at the midbrow or third eye only puts the attention on an object and not on the seeing itself. The seeing itself is what draws us in, not what the eyes are looking at. The opening of the third eye comes when the ordinary two eyes become clear of the mental projections. Ordinarily our eyes are completely contaminated by the "eye of the mind" which distorts what we are seeing through the pureness of the seeing itself. I have given the example before of trying to see purely when one is thinking of one's favorite movie. Try it. Can you do it? Can you see with complete clarity and focus while the mind thinks of some topic? It can't be done. We are either seeing through the mind's eye or the 2 eyes of the body. Both cannot be simultaneously activated. In our everyday functioning, we are bouncing back and forth between objective and instrumental awareness, normally so quickly that we are not even aware of it. And our home base is in the objective level of perception. Continued application of Shambhavi mudra takes our home base lower into the instrumental realm, a vast realm completely unlike the objective reality.
So back to the technique. We look and then see. In seeing there is distortion. The distortion takes us towards the rajasic or agitated state or the tamasic or lazy state. The eyes experience this as either becoming tense or lazy. The eyes have to be constantly adjusted or focused so that they continuously come into a state of clear focus. Remember that it is not the focusing on an object but the focusing of the seeing itself. This is only the initial stage of Shambhavi mudra but it is a very important one. In fact many things occur as a result of this focusing/clearing that propagate throughout the body and mind system.
The next part of the technique involves feeling the seeing. We yoke the feeling layer directly to the seeing layer. To do this we have to focus more on the movement. We attend to the directional gradient that either takes us from clarity to unclarity or from unclarity to clarity. Attending to either movement is extremely important as it is the catching of the movement from unclarity to clarity which reactivates the mudra process. This is a powerful form of bio feedback and is the heart essence of the yoga. It is discussed quite clearly in Yoga Sutra 1.18. The holding of the state of meditation is brought about by what is called samskara or a conditioned pattern. The holding of a state is effected by parinama or transformation which is movement. We don't attend to the state, we attend to the movement which holds the state. This is an extremely powerful process, one which I will elaborate on in a later blog.
So by recognizing the unclarity, the mudra activates and "tunes" the eyes and system to bring it back to clarity. This clarity/unclarity, when we yoke it to the feeling layer begins to reveal itself in the totality of the body. Suddenly it is no longer just limited to the eyes. We feel Shambhavi mudra as a holistic activity which is felt throughout the system. Mind is felt suddenly as tension in the body. With the release of that tension, mind disappears and the clarity of body/mind expands. This is the process of unmesa/nimesa discussed also in an earlier blog.
If we follow the feeling of the clarity, it takes us "backward" into the central column area. If we stay with the movement, it takes us to a very special realm. At this point we can either just hold steady or "direct" the movement further into an infinite realm of doors. If we hold the mudra on a particular doorway, the knowledge of that doorway opens and reveals itself. This is the process called samadhi which is discussed by Patanjali. I will discuss this aspect in another blog.
The nice thing about Shambhavi is that it can be done anywhere and at any time. It is not limited to seated sessions of practice. It takes our asana and physical practices to a whole other level.
Hopefully this post has helped to outline the process of mudra, Shambhavi in particular, in a more comprehensive way. With the use of this technique, one has no longer to rely on hours of meditation to still the mind. The mind instantly comes under control along with the body and one can utilize the focusing of that energy for a number of different purposes. Thus we have yoga, through the practice of prana nirodhah, giving rise to citta vrtti nirodhah.
Please check out my youtube video for a video instructional on Shambhavi mudra.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEVzrXwgJAE
Mudra means gesture. Gesture can mean many things, from a physical gesture to an internal gesture. It is a slight movement that is initiated with the will which has the capability of propagating outward or inward through space.
Shambhavi mudra, also call Bhairavi mudra, is a subtle internal technique involving the eyes which can lead one to the depths of yogic meditation. It is described in many texts including Hathapradipika, Gherandha Samhita, Amanaskya Yoga, and Vijnanabhairava Tantra. These texts however do not give full instructions of this powerful technique but rather only hint at what it truly is.
The process of mudra follows what is called in Patanjali's yoga sutras parinama. Parinama is the process of transformation of one state to another. It involves movement and a change of state. The important point to understand in parinama is the process of movement itself. Mudra is a gesture that starts in a very subtle way and then follows a powerful movement gradient to affect objective perception, transforming the energy that underlies this objective manifestation to one of pure clarity. This clarity can be followed internally to the central nadi Susumna. At this point many "doors" open, through which the movement can be continued and the expansion of knowledge through one of these doorways can be facilitated. This is the topic of the 3rd chapter of the Yoga Sutras.
Shambhavi mudra thus is the excellent technique which brings about the results of the containment of the mind discussed in the first chapter of the yoga sutras. It is a technique which starts beneath the mind and completely brings it under control. It is in some ways a powerful technique of bio feedback.
One of the most important things to attend to in the mudric process is movement and not object or outcome. If one is attached to name and form, one is still in the objective layer of mind and will have no access to this mudra. The mudra is purely an instrumental or sensory process that underlies the mental functioning. The Hathapradipika quoting the Yoga Vasistha tells us that the mind and prana are like two sides of a single coin, that if we control one we control the other. In the Hatha tradition we take a hold of the mind by taking hold of the prana. So what is this prana? Prana is the felt layer that underlies all sensory processes. It is immediately felt as the totality of the underlying sensation body. So following this understanding, we can access this prana by following any of the knowledge or action senses to their point of origin. With Shambhavi mudra we use the eyes.
The technique of Shambhavi mudra begins with the eyes. We keep the eyes open. The texts say not to blink but in my opinion this matters not in the slightest because it doesn't matter what we are seeing. The important point is the seeing itself. This technique in my opinion is also not about directing the gaze. Gazing is not Shambhavi mudra. Gazing at the midbrow or third eye only puts the attention on an object and not on the seeing itself. The seeing itself is what draws us in, not what the eyes are looking at. The opening of the third eye comes when the ordinary two eyes become clear of the mental projections. Ordinarily our eyes are completely contaminated by the "eye of the mind" which distorts what we are seeing through the pureness of the seeing itself. I have given the example before of trying to see purely when one is thinking of one's favorite movie. Try it. Can you do it? Can you see with complete clarity and focus while the mind thinks of some topic? It can't be done. We are either seeing through the mind's eye or the 2 eyes of the body. Both cannot be simultaneously activated. In our everyday functioning, we are bouncing back and forth between objective and instrumental awareness, normally so quickly that we are not even aware of it. And our home base is in the objective level of perception. Continued application of Shambhavi mudra takes our home base lower into the instrumental realm, a vast realm completely unlike the objective reality.
So back to the technique. We look and then see. In seeing there is distortion. The distortion takes us towards the rajasic or agitated state or the tamasic or lazy state. The eyes experience this as either becoming tense or lazy. The eyes have to be constantly adjusted or focused so that they continuously come into a state of clear focus. Remember that it is not the focusing on an object but the focusing of the seeing itself. This is only the initial stage of Shambhavi mudra but it is a very important one. In fact many things occur as a result of this focusing/clearing that propagate throughout the body and mind system.
The next part of the technique involves feeling the seeing. We yoke the feeling layer directly to the seeing layer. To do this we have to focus more on the movement. We attend to the directional gradient that either takes us from clarity to unclarity or from unclarity to clarity. Attending to either movement is extremely important as it is the catching of the movement from unclarity to clarity which reactivates the mudra process. This is a powerful form of bio feedback and is the heart essence of the yoga. It is discussed quite clearly in Yoga Sutra 1.18. The holding of the state of meditation is brought about by what is called samskara or a conditioned pattern. The holding of a state is effected by parinama or transformation which is movement. We don't attend to the state, we attend to the movement which holds the state. This is an extremely powerful process, one which I will elaborate on in a later blog.
So by recognizing the unclarity, the mudra activates and "tunes" the eyes and system to bring it back to clarity. This clarity/unclarity, when we yoke it to the feeling layer begins to reveal itself in the totality of the body. Suddenly it is no longer just limited to the eyes. We feel Shambhavi mudra as a holistic activity which is felt throughout the system. Mind is felt suddenly as tension in the body. With the release of that tension, mind disappears and the clarity of body/mind expands. This is the process of unmesa/nimesa discussed also in an earlier blog.
If we follow the feeling of the clarity, it takes us "backward" into the central column area. If we stay with the movement, it takes us to a very special realm. At this point we can either just hold steady or "direct" the movement further into an infinite realm of doors. If we hold the mudra on a particular doorway, the knowledge of that doorway opens and reveals itself. This is the process called samadhi which is discussed by Patanjali. I will discuss this aspect in another blog.
The nice thing about Shambhavi is that it can be done anywhere and at any time. It is not limited to seated sessions of practice. It takes our asana and physical practices to a whole other level.
Hopefully this post has helped to outline the process of mudra, Shambhavi in particular, in a more comprehensive way. With the use of this technique, one has no longer to rely on hours of meditation to still the mind. The mind instantly comes under control along with the body and one can utilize the focusing of that energy for a number of different purposes. Thus we have yoga, through the practice of prana nirodhah, giving rise to citta vrtti nirodhah.
Please check out my youtube video for a video instructional on Shambhavi mudra.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEVzrXwgJAE
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