[B][U]Taoist Yoga - Inner Alchemy[/U][/B]
Dear Adityananda,
My knowledge of Taoist spiritual practices and the philosphy and theory underpinning them is next to non-existent and therefore unenlightened. But from the sparse amount i have gleamed from merely flicking through a couple of books recently i have noticed great similarities between these traditions found in China and those yogas found nearer the Indian sub-continent.
Your post prompted me to delve a little deeper, and i’m finding that instead of creating unecessary distractions in the pursuit of a sadhana that will serve me best i have found that some of the practices handed down under such rubrics as ‘Inner Alchemy’ (i.e the term ‘yoga’ is not so much in their lingo) seem to re-inforce and bolster some of the practices i have been exploring recently.
And for that i have to give you a big thankyou.I knew the similarites looked uncannily similar but otherwise felt i’d be getting side-tracked by comparing one school over another.
What remains is that the principles and levers,the keys for human spiritual transformation seem to share a constancy and universality amongst many diverse spiritual traditions and cultures found the world over and throughout the ages.
Of course, the greatest scriptural authority on spiritual knowledge is found, in scientific terms, within one’s own nervous system and neurobiology.
Thanks for shedding your light on this subject.
–Regarding my own ( metaphorical) cauldron, i’m still trying to generate the heatto boil the water-i,e stoke the fire.But i know i’ll get there eventually with a persistent sadhana.
I have looked at some of the Taosit practices and they look after a little study like they have enormous potential in helping me with a chakra sadhan programme i have been currently followiing rooted in the hindu tantra tradition.It actually answers some of the questions i had about some of the raja yoga meditative techniques very nicely.So much so, i am surprised there has not been so much transmigration- Without going into specifics they often tend to call them by different names and there maybe different emphases.
For instance-There’s a book called ‘Taoist Yoga- Alchemy & Immortality’ by Charles Luk- in it the beginings of meditation start with nose-tip gazing. The chakr programme i have been following prescribes this for awakening muladhara chakra. However i have had Q’s myself over the correct techniques for yogic gazing- how for instance to equalise the point of convergence for the eyes for balance- i.e various measures to ensure this .Their instructions to use the nose as a guideline for to awaken the ‘Original Cavity of Spirit’- they call it-’ the third-eye’ i am presuming- centre of the brain -really helpful (Page 4-[I]Taoist Yoga: Alchemy & Immortality [/I]) & subsequent backward energy flow to awaken the dan-tien-lower abdomen region.
so they say-
-preliminary-at a distance
-nose-tip gazing
-on the bridge(1/3 down)
between the eyes
–then this ignites the Cavity of Spirit( & the Light)- and i presume the eyes then go up into sambhavi mudra poisition more naturally, and back (actually, i got this from another source/author- this helpful training sequence)
The eyes are suggested half-open ,btw, to aid concentration.Another nice tip for instance.
They also suggest combining it with kechari mudra too -"touching the palate with the tongue to support the ‘Heaven of Light’ "
The similarities are likely endless.
As Bruce Lee said- take whatever serves you the best and disregard the rest.
All yoga is interconnected at the end of the day.
(Note to moderator:Apologies for going OT)
