the very poison that kills also has the ability to cure.
He who laughs last, laughs first.
Waitaminute…that’s bass adwards. Here, hold this…I’ve had too much already 
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
In the past I’ve indulged in my share of ganga (maybe more than my share), and I’ve had some incredible experiences while under the influence. I have to challenge the statement that those kinds of experiences constitute opening the chakras. I’m not sure what ‘opening the chakras’ really means. Maybe it is a psychedelic experience, I don’t know. Looking back, those experiences, incredible as they were, were rather fleeting and I don’t think I really derived any lasting benefit or real insight from them.
I did some experimentation with ganga and yoga, and was kind of disappointed. The drug seemed to make it harder to focus my mind. Towards the end of my indulgent days, I began to see the effects as more harmful than good. Nowadays my work is safety sensitive and I don’t do any drugs at all. I have to agree that drugs and yoga don’t mix. I still like my coffee though.
[QUOTE=BloomingLotusYoga;75277]Hhhmm…very interesting and deep topic. While most intoxicats are classified as tamasic many Psychotropic substances have an incredible capacity to open the chakras and awaken the higher functions of the mind. They can be appropriate for some at certain stages of sadhana but ultimately only open the door to what can be realized naturally through self-abidance and inquiry upon the Self.[/QUOTE]
totally agree
BloomingLotusYoga did say that ultimately drugs only open the door to what can be realized naturally, but I think its useful to question these kinds of popular statements and examine whether they really do mean anything real. I’m not a big fan of the chakra system in the first place, because its a little too vague and variable. But for the sake of discussion let’s say that we have these psychic energy centers. And let’s say that for whatever reason we have blockages (or knots as they are called in the literature) that have to be removed in order to allow for the kundalini energy to rise through the different level of chakras.
First of all do people agree that’s what ‘opening the chakras’ means? Second, do people agree that when they say they’ve experienced opening the chakras by using psycho-active substances, that they are talking about experiencing various types of light phenomena? Does anybody think that, if this concept of unblocking psychic energy centers is real, that the result would be something more than a trip? If so what kinds of results should we expect?
Because of my back injuries I see a pain clinic specialist and have a constant prescription for narcotic pain killers. I find that the mornings that I do my yoga I am able to go without the drugs or cut my dosage in half. I also find that my pain through the day is much decreased. So in my opinion yoga can reduce the need for drugs.
I have not explored the meditative side of yoga but I suspect the benefits would be similar. Less dependence on anxiety medications etc. Not sure how to get started on the meditation though.
Good for you I quit smoking over 5 years ago. I am so glad many others have also as there are less occurances of having to smell that evil smelling burnt stink. I often wonder how did I ever do that myself? and then think I am so sorry for having inflicted that horrible odor on others.