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Thank you Seeking, Umunhum and others for the very informing posts.
You are welcome. Thank you for taking your time to show gratitude it is refreshing compared to some of the replies that are just meanness of the writers mind appearing in text.
We are all mentally imbalanced. Half of the time the right part of the brain is receiving more power than the left and visa versa the other half of the time. This causes mental fluctuations or thought which leads to the false duality. As I’ve quoted before Yogananda wrote that “God Consciousness equals Human Consciousness plus Thought.” The Bible says “Be Still and Know That I am God.” Well how is this possible with this constant mental imbalance?
The human body is designed for the electricity to flow through the Central Nervous System or in Yoga parlance, The Sushumna. But because we were born to sin and placed in a body that is not functioning properly, we have 4 locks that prevent this from happening. These locks are at the Muladhara Chakra, the Manipura Chakra, the Anahata Chakra, and the Vishuddha Chakra. (The perenium, stomach, heart and throat respectively) So instead of the electricity flowing up the Central Nervous System (Sushumna), it alternates going up the sympathetic nervous system (Ida nadi) or the parasympathetic nervous system (pingala nadi). This again powers the right and left parts of the brain at different levels. When the electricity is flowing up the sympathetic nervous system, (left nostril open) the right brain is dominate. This, according to Satyananda, is the time to meditate.
This picture clearly shows the flaps of skin that cover the turbinate areas of the nostrils directing which nadi most of the prana will flow:
It is easy to balance the nadis so that the electricity flows up the Sushumna with Kechari Mudra. Find out which nostril is flowing more than the other and then stick your tongue as far up the open nostril as you can. This forces the breath to come through the clogged nostril slowly opening it up. This is Kechari Stage 3.
When I do this, it takes me out of the breathless state. Normally the clogged nostril doesn’t allow the build up of CO2 to escape fast enough and my diaphragm kicks in. In a few minutes, the clogged nostril starts opening up, my breath slows and then finally stops again. This puts you into a sublime state of bliss. I am now questioning whether I am supposed to perform Nadi Shodhana or just continually stick my tongue into the free flowing nostril and leave it there. I feel like I am being guided to just sit in the breathless state with the tongue in the open nostril.
I have daily experiences where after a few minutes of holding the tongue in the open nostril, Dharana or one pointedness of mind takes place. Your entire focus becomes the contact of your nostril (Yoni) and your tongue (phallus). Slowly but surely the Yoni opens up more and more and then I become just the tip of my tongue. I feel like my tongue is coming out of a restricting circle and then free to explore the universe. It starts more snake like actions just like when I first started closing off the back of my throat in the later stages of Kechari Stage 1.
Right now my tongue is not long enough to make it to Samadhi though, so it feels like when I first made Kechari Stage 2 and couldn’t feel the entire holes of my nostrils. I just feel open air. I don’t feel the bone that I’m suppose to push on that crimps the nerve signals to the lower brain yet. I have no doubt that the snake like action my tongue is making is going to eventually push on that bone and shut off the nerve signals from the eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
I do like performing Internal Nodi Shodhana when I walk. I take 4 steps on the inhale, 4 steps on the Kumbhaka, 4 steps on the exhale and finally 4 steps on the Kumbhaka. After doing this for a few minutes my nostrils get lubed up and start opening up. When my Vishuddha opened up 5 months ago, I could only put my tongue in the turbinate areas for a few seconds, it was just too sensitive. Now I have no problem shoving my tongue up as far as it can go for however long I want, but it is still too thick and not long enough. I need to practice milking a lot more than I do.
I think I progressed by holding my tongue in the turbinate areas while performing Dynamic Jalahandra Bandha, which is just rolling your head in circles with an inhale kumbhaka. Lahiri calls this Thokar and says you should work your way up to 200 head circles with one breath. This is obviously impossible for anyone who has not attained the breathless state.
So lets tally up the benefits of Kechari we’ve discovered so far:
- Allows you to enter the breathless state
- Allows you to turn on your Kundalini – Opens the knot at Muladhara
- Allows you to balance your Nadis sending the electricity up your Sushumna.
- Allows you to shut off your senses sending you into Samadhi
- Allows you to lick the Amrit separating your consciousness from your mind.
Do you think Kechari might be important?
Is it any wonder why Jesus spoke about Kechari during his Sermon on the Mount?
I once read someone commenting in a forum that there must have been a connection between Satyananda and Babaji, but I’ve never read Sivananda or Satyananda mentioning Yogananda’s Babaji. Is there a place where I can read more about this alleged meeting?
This is at least the third time that I’ve come across the story that Sivananda was taught Kriya Yoga directly from Babaji: From the book “Early Teachings of Swami Satyananda” Page 88
I have heard that Swami Sivananda was asked to build a mission by Babaji. Is this so?
Yes, he ordered him to build up a mission. As a matter of fact, Swami Sivananda received initiation into kriya yoga from Babaji, but he did not teach these techniques to anyone himself. At the time I was leaving the ashram, however, he taught me all the techniques in not more than twenty five minutes.
He then told Satyananda to give Yoga to the world. And I am forever grateful for these two great souls!
Kechari is the key to Kriya Yoga! According to Lahiri, Yogananda, and Satyananda; Kriya Yoga is the fastest and surest way to enlightenment.
Thank you for your update.
[QUOTE=umunhum;84449]
I have daily experiences where after a few minutes of holding the tongue in the open nostril, Dharana or one pointedness of mind takes place. Your entire focus becomes the contact of your nostril (Yoni) and your tongue (phallus). Slowly but surely the Yoni opens up more and more and then I become just the tip of my tongue. I feel like my tongue is coming out of a restricting circle and then free to explore the universe. It starts more snake like actions just like when I first started closing off the back of my throat in the later stages of Kechari Stage1 [/QUOTE]
When I stick my tongue up to the Tenth Gate (through the open nostril), all the breath must flow through the nostril with the inflated skin flap in it. On the exhale there is a pressure build up in the nasal pharynx area as the air is trying to find other ways of escaping because there is just a small amount of space the air can flow because of the skin flap. The pressure is so great that it opens up or widens the turbinate area around the tongue as the air tries to go out both nostrils. This allows you to stretch out the tongue further up to the Tenth Gate. The thickness of the tongue feels big and restricts how far it can go up the turbinate area. As Jesus said “narrow is the way.”
On the inhale you create a vacuum in the nasal pharynx area as air is desperately trying to get in the small opening of the nostril that is covered by this skin flap. This vacuum pulls the tongue further up to the Tenth Gate causing a snake like action at the tip of the tongue. So basically what I’m saying is that until the skin flap recedes (deflates) opening up your closed nostril enough to allow adequate flow for your breath to stop, your tongue is sliding further and further into the nasal turbinate area up to the Tenth Gate with every inhale and exhale.
I can now touch - push on the bone above the narrow passage that crimps off the nerve signals. It feels like it is covered with skin and is sensitive to the touch like the tongue is shocking it with electricity. The feeling is similar to what the turbinate areas felt like when I first started entering them.
Satyananda says that the reason Brahmamuhurtha is the best time to meditate (4 to 6 am) is because the energy from the sun and the moon is at its closest balance during this time. This time is the closest you will get to an even flow in your Nadis (Ida (lunar force) and Pingala (solar force)). Satyananda also says that we all have a heart so we should all practice Bhakti Yoga (devotional yoga). We all have a mind so we should practice Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge). We all have hands, feet and a mouth so we should all practice Karma Yoga (actions of selfless service).
Even Ramakrishna said that when the Goddess Kali comes, the tongue raises, and he was a Bhakti Yogi. I’ve read one book on the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi who was a Jnana Yogi and I love him. His teachings are not an easy read. I’m stalled out on another of his books reading The Teachings of Satyananda series which are a collection of Satsangs laden with Gems of Knowledge. My admiration for Satyananda continues to grow. He strongly advocates mantra in meditation. I use Shiva as my mantra most of the time. Shee on the exhale and Vaaa on the inhale when I’m breathing. As my breath stops my Ajna throbs even more and Shambhavi Mudra puts me into a state of bliss. I identify with Kriya Yoga so much because everything can be explained scientifically. When you do certain exercises, certain physiological things happen in your body.
Satyananda wrote that death is just like going to sleep. The average soul that is full of desires waits just 13 days before taking another body. Souls that have done some spiritual work are selective of what parents they are born to. And so they wait far longer for the right parents to come along.
If you think about our breathing apparatus you notice at the top of it we exhale and inhale from a Y with the mouth and the nasal passage being the top of the Y and the lungs being the bottom. The vacuum followed by pressure from the diaphragm contracting and then relaxing causes the breath to be turbulent mixing up the outgoing and the incoming air. This turbulence creates an environment that is very inefficient in its flow to dispose the toxic air (carbon dioxide) and get what is needed into the body(prana and oxygen). This causes a lot of unnecessary work for the body. When the breath stops, carbon dioxide forms a stream that peacefully slides out of the body. A straight spine with the chin slightly pulled in enables this stream to form much quicker. This is what is going on in the gross or physical body. I read somewhere that the air we breath in is 21% oxygen and the air we exhale is 16% oxygen. As I’ve written earlier, Sivananda says the main purpose for the inhale is not for the oxygen, it is for the prana.
Once the Kundalini is activated, in the subtle body the prana slides up the Sushumna directly into the lungs. It is no longer needed from the air outside the body. The way to achieve this (Turning on your Kundalini ) is to balance the Nadis ( Ida and Pingala ) stimulate the Muladhara enough to send the spark (Apana) up to the stomach by creating a suction drawing it into the stomach area and the prana down to the stomach area with Uddiyana Banda. With the breathing chambers still, this combination ignites something in Muladhara. Without this stillness there is too much turbulence in the breathing chambers and the mixture does not happen. It is like trying to start a fire in a windy area. You need the stillness to create a proper combination of electricities.
Once again the tongue sealing off the back of the throat is key – Kechari stops the outgoing air from stimulating the nerves on the roof of the mouth that sends an electrical signal to the diaphragm to contract. Mula Bandha helps stretch the diaphargm to its maximum stretch. Naskagra Mudra opens up the Muladhara. Jalahandra Bandha locks the prana in, And finally Uddiyana Bandha (with the tightest vacuum) stretches the diaphragm to still it. Maha Bandha turns on your Kundalini. Some Yogis do 50 Maha Bandhas and that’s their whole Sadhana. I always do them in Siddhasana. I don’t stretch out my legs.
A good practice is to run off 30 breath of fires and go right into Satyananda’s Kriya 7 follow by Kriya 6. And then sit and wait for the body to tell you its time to start breathing again. Pay particular attention to Mula Bandha during both Kriyas and Nasikagra Mudra during Kriya 7. And make sure your Kechari seals off the back of your throat.
Every Maha Bandha I do now makes me slide effortlessly into the breathless state. I don’t even inhale most of the time transitioning to Kriya 6. I just bring my torso up and go into Sham Kech Moo. This causes the tissue in the breathing chamber to stay taut and slowly pull in just enough air to equalize the pressure with the outside air. Calming the turbulence so that the exiting carbon dioxide can form its peaceful stream. I can feel it the split second the stream is completed. You feel like you’re floating and you know you are breathless.
It is imperative for beginners to practice Talabya Kriya for Kechari. Maha Mudra and Maha Bhedra Mudra should also be practiced together every day for the ignition of Kundalini. I practice these Kriyas together every day as Satyananda says this is the heart of Kriya Yoga.
Thank you for your update.
If one person benefits from my ramblings, the effort was worth it. I am so thankful for Satyananda, Sivananda, my yoga instructor Vander, Yogananda, Yukteswar, Lahiri, Babaji, David Hawkins, AYP site, Ennio, Manoj, Jesus, James Golden.
One funny story about Satyananda was when he met Muktananda’s Guru Nityananda. He said as he approached Nityananda he suddenly felt a shock of energy like he grabbed an electric cable. Satyananda wrote that Nityananda wasn’t even aware of him until he felt the shock. And Nityananda muttered “They can’t carry the load but they all want it.” Satyananda said Nityananda had an extremely high level of consciousness. He spent most of his time in deep Samadhi completely oblivious to physical life.
Jesus sweated blood when he meditated. Buddha said it felt like demons were breaking his bones. David Hawkins said that it is painful to get to the extreme high levels of consciousness because this physical dimension or man’s consciousness has not evolved to a high enough level yet to allow it. These great souls are somehow clearing the path and opening up the possibility of our enlightenment. The first lines of Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now is “You are here to enable the divine purpose of the Universe to unfold. That is how important you are.” David Hawkins said he saw the trail that Jesus left as he was evolving. That few people had made it to where he was at and they all left a trail.
I keep thinking about Ramakrishna’s metaphor of being in the body is like being a fish trapped in a bucket. And being in Samadhi is like someone dumped the bucket into the Ganges. And Yogananda’s metaphor of the divine being the ocean and us being ocean water trapped inside a bottle floating around in the ocean. Samadhi is dissolving the bottle so we can flow into the Cosmic bliss. You then realize that we are all there ever was and all that there will ever be. And somehow we are all connected. The time, space, and matter of this world we are experiencing is an elaborate fantasy created by our mind. None of the various electricities the world has to offer the senses of the body can compare to this feeling. I really want to experience Samadhi!
umunhum:
Can I be honest here?
I sense from your posts a strong ego identity.
Which with this path you are on, is not necessarily a bad thing.
But at this point in your journey, I think you are playing with fire
if you don’t seek out a proper Guru and really humble yourself
at their feet.
This path deals with incredible energy, and the possibility for harm,
ego inflation, and getting sidetracked (if not outright falling) are very real.
This is just my opinion of course.
Again I applaud your determination, experimentation, and progress.
umunhum,
I just wanted to remind you that there are some who gather much benefit from you going through the trouble of recounting your experiences! It’s much appreciated as information like this seems to be very rare.
Please continue to post your experiences!
I found this bit of info surfing the net:
The tongue is metaphorically described as a phallus (lingam), while the cranial cavity is described as a womb (yoni).This is more than just a metaphor, though. Sigmund Freud postulated that a newborn infant’s suckling reflex was essentially an erotically driven operation, and that the erotic sensation gradually descends to the genitals with development. There is a nadi which links the tongue with the swadhisthana chakra, or sex center.I have experienced the transference of erotic energy from the swadhisthana region to the tongue, and it is definitely what drives the tongue to make such powerful movements. Honestly, I don’t think I would have been able to overcome the fear and pain involved if it weren’t so intensely gratifying at the same time. The fact that sexual metaphors have been utilized in various Shastras to describe kechari mudra and the processes that develop from it has had some unpleasant consequences. People who read these passages without understanding what they are really meant to be describing get the mistaken impression that they describe some sort of modified/ritualized sex act. Experimentation with this misconception has resulted in some pretty mind-blowing ways of having sex, which are then mistaken for awakening kundalini, samadhi, etc. Consequently, lineages of “Tantric Sexual Yoga” have been perpetuated that have obvious “marketing” advantages over those that understand & practice brahmacharya. As Muniji describes it, the flesh of the soft palate actually turns into a sphincter - like structure which closes up when the tongue comes down again. It is my own speculation that the tough, protective membrane called the dura mater remains intact, and sheathes the tongue when it protrudes upwards
The region affected by this pressure is the center of the underside of the brain- the area known as the limbic system. Rajarshi Muni described how the tongue pressed upon what he called a “bundle of nerves” with the result that sensory experience was cut off completely. Due to it’s location and function, I believe this “bundle” that Muniji described was the upper section of a structure called the Reticular Activating System, through which all sensory information travels to get to the higher brain centers. This is the final and complete form of pratyahara- perfect sensory isolation. [B]The full forms of dhyana and samadhi[/B], with the subsequent effects described in the Shastras, [B]are wholly dependent upon the completion of this process in its spontaneous form[/B]. Note that the activity of kechari mudra on the pineal and pituitary glands has some very profound effects on the whole body- a kind of “reversal of puberty,” it would seem part of the process of becoming an urdhvaretas Yogi. It should be noted that the “tasting of nectar” has something to do with this. Most people seem to think that “nectar” or “sweetness means the taste of snot from having the tongue in the sinus cavity. This is not amrita!
When you have an orgasm, the turbinate areas of the nostrils dilate. This allows the tongue to go up to the tenth gate as far as it can go . If you are in Kechari Mudra, the orgasm does not take place in the genital area. It feels like the tongue somehow redirects or captures the energy that is suppose to go down to the genitals. The energy or orgasm expresses itself at the tip of the tongue which is pressing on the bundle of nerves right below the bone that blocks the entrance to the tenth gate. It feels like the tongue is shocking this area with this energy. As I’ve stated in one of my earlier posts, in Kechari stage 4 the role of the tongue is to eventually break through this bone.
Needless to say, I’m really interested in learning more about Tantra Sex. The only thing I’ve ever read about this is in one of his Satsangs, Satyananda said that as long as you don’t lose the Kumbhaka (don’t inhale), you don’t lose the Bindu (ejaculate). After the breathless state is achieved, this is child’s play.
Here’s another bit of info that put a big smile on my face:
Once the Kundalini awakens, it does not go to sleep. It tries its best to assist the Sadhak to reach his goal in this lifetime itself. However, if the death intervenes before reaching the destination, then Kundalini power rises in the next incarnation to help the Sadhak advance further in his path. In this way Kundalini Shakti becomes a constant companion of the Sadhak, incarnation after incarnation, till he merges into the ultimate. It does not sleep. Once awakened it will remain with the Sadhak for keeps sake.
Constantly throughout the day I am checking to see which nadi (Ida or Pingala) is flowing and try to keep my tongue in the open nadi touching the bundle of nerves above the turbinate area. It feels like the tongue is shocking this area with electricity. It is too much of a hassle to constantly breathe. I would rather just remain breathless. I am becoming proficient in internal Nadi Shodhana. I don’t like sitting and doing it though. I prefer doing it during a walking meditation. As I wrote in an earlier post, I like taking 4 steps on the inhale, 4 steps on the inhale Kumbhaka, 4 steps on the exhale and finally 4 steps on the exhale Kumbhaka. After doing this for a few minutes my turbinate areas dilate similar to when I have an orgasm. I do this for about an hour at a clip and make sure my tongue is firmly pressing on the bone above the turbinate areas on both sides of the nostrils. I’m pretty confident that when the turbinate areas dilate, the prana is flowing up the Sushumna or Brahma nadi (center of the Sushumna).
According to Ramana the world we are experiencing not only has nothing to offer you, it doesn’t even exist. It is a creation of the mind when the light of consciousness is placed through the mind and the five senses. The electricities of the world do not give you pleasure. What they do is stimulate the senses enough to quiet the mind. The mind needs time to exist and so when you are presence in the moment experiencing an electricity, the mind is quieted enough to let your consciousness express itself for a brief moment without the mind. This brief moment of consciousness, being “in the now” is where the love, peace and bliss comes from.
When the moment is over the mind kicks back in (time awareness) and then attributes that brief moment of consciousness (Bliss, Peace, Love or Pleasure) to the electricity that you experienced. This creates Samskaras or desires. And so all desires are just perversions of the desire to be still and know that you are GOD! That is why Jesus said we are all sinners. We don’t understand that it is this stillness within you or GOD and GOD alone that is responsible for all of our bliss.
This is a very important concept to grasp! It is not the loss of your long lost love that caused you so much grief or turmoil. Somehow she had the ability to quiet your mind (desires) enough to allow you to feel the presence of The Divine within you. And she could only do it for a brief amount of time. Yoga will give you the ability to quiet your mind and feel the presence of The Divine forever.
Ramana had absolutely zero interest in things like tantric sex, and even systems like kriya yoga. He, and Advaita generally, cut through everything and focus entirely on self-inquiry - Who am I?
I found this bit of info surfing the net:
The tongue is metaphorically described as a phallus (lingam), while the cranial cavity is described as a womb (yoni).This is more than just a metaphor, though. Sigmund Freud postulated that a newborn infant?s suckling reflex was essentially an erotically driven operation, and that the erotic sensation gradually descends to the genitals with development. There is a nadi which links the tongue with the swadhisthana chakra, or sex center.I have experienced the transference of erotic energy from the swadhisthana region to the tongue, and it is definitely what drives the tongue to make such powerful movements. Honestly, I don?t think I would have been able to overcome the fear and pain involved if it weren?t so intensely gratifying at the same time. The fact that sexual metaphors have been utilized in various Shastras to describe kechari mudra and the processes that develop from it has had some unpleasant consequences. People who read these passages without understanding what they are really meant to be describing get the mistaken impression that they describe some sort of modified/ritualized sex act. Experimentation with this misconception has resulted in some pretty mind-blowing ways of having sex, which are then mistaken for awakening kundalini, samadhi, etc. Consequently, lineages of ?Tantric Sexual Yoga? have been perpetuated that have obvious ?marketing? advantages over those that understand & practice brahmacharya. As Muniji describes it, the flesh of the soft palate actually turns into a sphincter - like structure which closes up when the tongue comes down again. It is my own speculation that the tough, protective membrane called the dura mater remains intact, and sheathes the tongue when it protrudes upwards
The region affected by this pressure is the center of the underside of the brain- the area known as the limbic system. Rajarshi Muni described how the tongue pressed upon what he called a ?bundle of nerves? with the result that sensory experience was cut off completely. Due to it?s location and function, I believe this ?bundle? that Muniji described was the upper section of a structure called the Reticular Activating System, through which all sensory information travels to get to the higher brain centers. This is the final and complete form of pratyahara- perfect sensory isolation. [B]The full forms of dhyana and samadhi[/B], with the subsequent effects described in the Shastras, [B]are wholly dependent upon the completion of this process in its spontaneous form[/B]. Note that the activity of kechari mudra on the pineal and pituitary glands has some very profound effects on the whole body- a kind of ?reversal of puberty,? it would seem part of the process of becoming an urdhvaretas Yogi. It should be noted that the ?tasting of nectar? has something to do with this. Most people seem to think that ?nectar? or ?sweetness means the taste of snot from having the tongue in the sinus cavity. This is not amrita!
When you have an orgasm, the turbinate areas of the nostrils dilate. This allows the tongue to go up the nasal passage as far as it can go . If you are in Kechari Mudra, the orgasm does not take place in the genital area. It feels like the tongue somehow redirects or captures the energy that is suppose to go down to the genitals. The energy or orgasm expresses itself at the tip of the tongue which is pressing on the bundle of nerves right below the bone that blocks the entrance to the tenth gate. It feels like the tongue is shocking this area with this energy. As I’ve stated in one of my earlier posts, in Kechari stage 4 the role of the tongue is to eventually break through this bone.
Needless to say, I’m really interested in learning more about Tantra Sex. The only thing I’ve ever read about this is in one of his Satsangs, Satyananda said that as long as you don’t lose the Kumbhaka (don’t inhale), you don’t lose the Bindu (ejaculate). After the breathless state is achieved, this is child’s play.
Here’s another bit of info that put a big smile on my face:
Once the Kundalini awakens, it does not go to sleep. It tries its best to assist the Sadhak to reach his goal in this lifetime itself. However, if the death intervenes before reaching the destination, then Kundalini power rises in the next incarnation to help the Sadhak advance further in his path. In this way Kundalini Shakti becomes a constant companion of the Sadhak, incarnation after incarnation, till he merges into the ultimate. It does not sleep. Once awakened it will remain with the Sadhak for keeps sake.
Constantly throughout the day I am checking to see which nadi (Ida or Pingala) is flowing and try to keep my tongue in the open nadi touching the bundle of nerves above the turbinate area. It feels like the tongue is shocking this area with electricity. It is too much of a hassle to constantly breathe. I would rather just remain breathless. I am becoming proficient in internal Nadi Shodhana. I don’t like sitting and doing it though. I prefer doing it during a walking meditation. As I wrote in an earlier post, I like taking 4 steps on the inhale, 4 steps on the inhale Kumbhaka, 4 steps on the exhale and finally 4 steps on the exhale Kumbhaka. After doing this for a few minutes my turbinate areas dilate similar to when I have an orgasm. I do this for about an hour at a clip and make sure my tongue is firmly pressing on the bone above the turbinate areas on both sides of the nostrils. I’m pretty confident that when the turbinate areas dilate, the prana is flowing up the Sushumna or Brahma nadi (center of the Sushumna).
According to Ramana Maharshi the world we are experiencing not only has nothing to offer you, it doesn’t even exist. It is a creation of the mind when the light of consciousness is placed through the mind and the five senses. The electricities of the world do not give you pleasure. What they do is stimulate the senses enough to quiet the mind. The mind needs time to exist and so when you are presence in the moment experiencing an electricity, the mind is quieted enough to let your consciousness express itself for a brief moment without the mind. This brief moment of consciousness, being ?in the now? is where the love, peace and bliss comes from.
When the moment is over the mind kicks back in (time awareness) and then attributes that brief moment of consciousness (Bliss, Peace, Love or Pleasure) to the electricity that you experienced. This creates Samskaras or desires. And so all desires are just perversions of the desire to be still and know that you are GOD! That is why Jesus said we are all sinners. We don’t understand that it is this stillness within you or GOD and GOD alone that is responsible for all of our bliss.
This is a very important concept to grasp! It is not the loss of your long lost love that caused you so much grief or turmoil. Somehow she had the ability to quiet your mind (desires) enough to allow you to feel the presence of The Divine within you. And she could only do it for a brief amount of time. Yoga will give you the ability to quiet your mind and feel the presence of The Divine forever.
[QUOTE=Anuman;84709]umunhum:
Can I be honest here?
I sense from your posts a strong ego identity. Which with this path you are on, is not necessarily a bad thing. But at this point in your journey, I think you are playing with fire if you don’t seek out a proper Guru and really humble yourself at their feet. This path deals with incredible energy, and the possibility for harm, ego inflation, and getting sidetracked (if not outright falling) are very real. This is just my opinion of course. Again I applaud your determination, experimentation, and progress.[/QUOTE]
Never start out a conversation asking if you can be honest. It implies that you can’t be trusted because you are basically bullshitting all the other times you talk. And of course I still have an ego. I haven’t reached Nirvikalpa Samadhi yet, the eighth and final stage of Samadhi. The ego does not dissolve until you reach this stage.
I use to read these boards until I realized that most are complete nonsense with very little practical information. Many boards consist of people pointing out that the other person is wrong and still has a ego as if that is a bad thing. The ego is what has kept us alive during all of our animal incarnations and it is the last thing that we surrender to complete our spiritual birth. We are all part of GOD put in an unfunctioning body. We are all there ever was and all that there will ever be. Why shouldn’t we have an ego and think we are Divine? That said, I don’t think for one second that I’m better or less than anybody else including Jesus Christ.
The problem I have with Christianity is it has completely warped Jesus’ teachings. The thing that made Jesus so great is that in his former incarnation as Elisha, he became a fully enlightened soul. It says this right in The Bible. So when he took on the task of another incarnation at the behest of the Divine to be a prophet, of course he was perfect. Christianity deifies him and puts him up on a pedestal. In doing so they put him out of reach of us mortals. How can we ever achieve what he did? He was born from an immaculate conception to a virgin. He was The Son of GOD. We can never be like him. This thought process basically undermines the whole purpose of his incarnation as Jesus The Christ. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is when you obtain your Christ Consciousness. Jesus is not coming back, he never left.
I am being guided to do the things that I do. I don’t think I am coming up with any of the ideas in my head. Where do you think your thoughts come from? We are all channels of the Divine. Some are more attuned into it than others.
That said I pray and bow down to Jesus everyday at the end of my Sadhana. I say Jesus Prayer 5 times and then say Lord Jesus Christ please guide me, protect me, keep me from harm, give me the wisdom and the strength to find and adhere to the path, please make me more like you everyday, an instrument of your bidding, a fisherman of men. Please never allow me to say false teachings.
If I fall out of favor, I know that I will not be guided any more. I read and read and read and practice and practice and practice because I know how important this is. Before my awakening I was reading “The Second Coming of Christ” and did not like the fact that I have been lied to about who and what I am my whole life. I tried to go to a Christian Church but it was boring and I had no interest in it. The feeling that this is not the way kept popping up. Yet I felt extremely guilty because I felt as if I was turning my back on The Divine. I believe that this is the purpose of the Church. To obfuscate the path so people don’t realize who and what they really are. You cannot subjugate an enlightened populace. I feel blessed about the knowledge that I have obtained but should have learned this in my early teens like Jesus. Enlightenment would have taken place by now. I know that time is an illusion but it sure feels real to me right now.
After I started practicing and reading The Second Coming of Christ by Yogananda, I started writing what can only be described as a sermon about what a fraud Christianity is as if I am going to go to some park and start preaching to people. I read what I wrote and said WTF am I doing? I am a heathen. I’ve never read the Bible. (I tried to several times but couldn’t understand it.) I don’t know what I’m talking about. Who am I to write this nonsense? Then I asked The Divine to give me a sign if he wanted me to continue and I had the vision of a stone archway the next day. I told my yoga instructor the day after what had happened. The following day I started questioning if I wasn’t deluding myself and if that really happened. I then went out on my balcony and turned on my Kundalini. My breath then begin to stop all the time.
If you want to think that I’m a deluded idiot, go ahead. I don’t care. I am here to share what I practice and the experiences that I have had. I am a sinner! There is nothing special about me except that I practice everyday. Not only can anybody do what I have done but one day they will. It is everyone’s destiny! I wish I had come across this information years ago. I believe that as you sow, so shall you reap. And so if I continue to try to help and guide other people on this path, I will continue to be guided as well.
I am not worried at all about encountering problems. I would give up my life in a second to become enlightened. I don’t want this ego, these desires or this false paradigm any more. I want to perceive the world through my Third Eye and see it as it is. The only difference between me and a dog or a rat is the light of my consciousness is being shone through the mind and the senses of a human being instead of an animal’s. If something bad happens to me seeking The Divine, then it is his will. And so let it be.
Please tell me specifically what I’m doing wrong and what should I be doing instead? Otherwise your post is just prattle. I wish I had a living Guru. Until I find one I’m going to have to continue to rely on the teachings of Jesus and the other great spiritual masters that I continue to read on a daily basis.
I just started to be able to sit in Padmasana. My form is not that good and I can only hold it for about 30 minutes. I hope to be able to perfect the pose and hold it for 3 hours by June my 2 year anniversary of the beginning of my spiritual journey. I then expect guidance. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Obviously I’m not ready yet. Or maybe I am ready and I’m already being guided.
Ramana had absolutely zero interest in things like tantric sex, and even systems like kriya yoga. He, and Advaita generally, cut through everything and focus entirely on self-inquiry - Who am I?
I never said he did. As I wrote in an earlier post, Satyananda said that we all have hearts, minds, and organs of action so we should all practice Bhakti, Jnana and Karma Yoga as well as Raja Yoga. My main focus is Kriya Yoga but I study all of the great masters. I love Ramakrishna who was a Bhakti Yogi and Ramana who was a Jnana Yogi.
I just wanted to remind you that there are some who gather much benefit from you going through the trouble of recounting your experiences! It’s much appreciated as information like this seems to be very rare.
Thank You. It is nice to know that my efforts are appreciatied
I didn’t say you were an idiot, or that you are doing something wrong.
And yes of course ego will be in tact until it is no longer in tact.
I’m just saying that the path you have chosen, is a powerful one.
They don’t call it the razor’s edge for nothing.
The same power that contributes it to being potentially much faster than other paths, is the same power that can and does knock people on their ass - and much worse.
In order to help prevent that, a competent Guru is advised.
Even if they have flaws, as long as they are more experienced on the path, they can be of immense help.
I can see that you pray to Jesus.
May I also suggest that you pray for a competent Guru.
But you’re right, a Guru will be found when the time is right - as long as one is actually open to it and not unconsciously blocking it due to pride etc
But in my humble opinion, there is no Master in this tradition, or any other respected Wisdom tradition, that will encourage so-called sexual tantra.
It’s not only a distraction, but can potentially awaken kundalini in the partner, who may or may not be ready or interested for that ride of a lifetime.
Keep it simple, do the practices regularly, don’t get too caught up in the technical/detail aspect of it all.
Less mind/intellect/3rd eye - more heart-centered and grounded.
Anyway, like I said, you clearly have passion and discipline, and this can carry you
very far.
All the best to you in 2014 and beyond.
[QUOTE=Anuman;84725]
But in my humble opinion, there is no Master in this tradition, or any other respected Wisdom tradition, that will encourage so-called sexual tantra[/QUOTE]
Satyananda says that sex is not an impediment to the spiritual path and can actually enhance it as long as you practice the tantra techniques. (Don’t lose your Ojas or spill your seed in English terms) As I wrote earlier, a burst of energy is experienced right where the tongue touches the bundle of sensory nerves and enters the tenth gate during an orgasm if you are in Kechari Stage 3. This has put me into a pretty amazing state of “no mind” several times. It doesn’t take much of an imagination to wonder if one day Samadhi or an opening of the tenth gate will take place during sexual interaction.
The left hand path is shrouded in secrecy. Satyananda did not talk much about it saying basically that only a female guru can indoctrinate you into this like he was at the age nineteen. Obviously he found it lacking because the same year he traveled to Rishikesh and found his guru the great yogi Sivananda.
I have been told that Vamana Dhauti should be practiced because not only does it clean the stomach and the upper part of the digestive tract but it also sends several bursts of electricity up the Sushumna. I practice this technique every once in a while. An orgasm does the same thing. So does sneezing. If given a choice between the three involuntary ways of sending a burst of electricity up the Sushumna (vomiting, sneezing, and sexual orgasm), most people would choose an orgasm.
can potentially awaken kundalini in the partner, who may or may not be ready or interested for that ride of a lifetime.
Satyananda says that The Awakening of Kundalini is the greatest thing that can ever happen to you and I have to agree. David Hawkins says that we are here to evolve our consciousness. It doesn’t make sense to me to be afraid of doing what we are here to do.
All the best to you in 2014 and beyond.
I wish you success in your path as well
If you read Satyananda on the subject of left hand tantra, you will notice that there
are very precise elements that must be followed.
And that it isn’t a - “well if I’m going to have sex anyways, might as well make it tantric” path.
Read his “Vama Marga - The Practice of Left Hand Tantra” (and if you have, read it again 
Are you selectively picking the parts you want to hear, and ignoring the parts you don’t.
And as to your point about vomiting, sneezing, or orgasm.
The first two don’t involve a partner, and can’t trigger their kundalini where it may not be welcome or ready.
But alas, I know you are going to do what you are going to do.
Just wanted to provide a different perspective on it.
I can’t speak for Satyananda on this subject, but certainly other kundalini Masters have stated this.
Ideally, if you are going to be in a sexual relationship, it is best to be married and the partner is on a similar spiritual path - ideally with awakened kundalini if you have.
This is to emphasize the importance of a serious, loving commitment of two people, and that they be on the same page spiritually.
It might sound prude/conservative to some - but it is actually logical and for the good of the partners.
I have never heard a respected Master (past or present) speak on this subject in a casual, nonchalant, way.
It isn’t in line with the tenets of the these traditions, but it can also be detrimental (even traumatic) to casual listeners who aren’t steeped in the tradition, in regular sadhana, and qualified.
In my opinion, once kundalini is awakened and active, one has a responsibility with that.
And casual sex, even long-term relationships imo, with those who aren’t spiritual and don’t have awakened kundalini, or interest in it, is not only irresponsible, but potentially dangerous for the other person.
I know several examples from various kundalini groups I have been a part of, of this happening.
And in some cases, it was a very rude awakening, and something they didn’t know about or ask for.
It is clear where I stand on this, and you’re welcome to disagree.
I simply wanted to provide another angle for readers.
[QUOTE=Anuman;84727]If you read Satyananda on the subject of left hand tantra, you will notice that there are very precise elements that must be followed. And that it isn’t a - “well if I’m going to have sex anyways, might as well make it tantric” path. Read his “Vama Marga - The Practice of Left Hand Tantra” (and if you have, read it again
Are you selectively picking the parts you want to hear, and ignoring the parts you don’t.
And as to your point about vomiting, sneezing, or orgasm. The first two don’t involve a partner, and can’t trigger their kundalini where it may not be welcome or ready. But alas, I know you are going to do what you are going to do.
Just wanted to provide a different perspective on it.[/QUOTE]
I disagree with pretty much everything you wrote. First off, I don’t plan on following the Tantric Path. My path is Kriya, which is really a subset of Kundalini Yoga, which is a subset of Hatha Yoga, which is a subset of Raja Yoga. That said I like to study all forms of yoga because I believe as Siddhanath says all forms of yoga are complementary. I try many different techniques and the ones I like, I incorporate into my practice. So yes I pick and choose and Satyananda specifically says to do this. Yogananda says that all efforts to seek The Divine are rewarded.
Read his “Vama Marga - The Practice of Left Hand Tantra”
Is this what you are referring to?
http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1981/cmar81/vama.shtml
I couldn’t practice Tantra Sex even if I wanted to. I can practice normal sex and retain my bindu. I just started to be able to sit in Padmasana and there is no way I could support a female on top of me without doing damage to my knees. [B] In Tantra, the female is the guru and in complete control of the act and so there should be no surprises for her. Each person is controlling the energy flowing through them.[/B]
[B]Satyananda says that you can have sex but don’t lose your bindu. This is for all Yogis not just those specifically seeking enlightenment through Tantric Sex. [/B] I know for a fact that I’m doing this correctly because I have no loss of energy after an orgasm. Whereas before I started practicing these techniques, I was extremely tired after having sex.
Think of Yoga as an engineer not as if it is some mysterious black box that if you don’t open it correctly it will explode. We all have Chakras that need to be opened and Nadis that need to be cleaned and balanced. The way you do this is you send energy to the parts that need work. When I do a walking meditation performing Nadi Shodhana my nostrils clear and dilate. This means that they are balanced. I have read in many books that when you achieve this, the prana is now moving up the Sushumna. (I know that sitting is more effective because of the pool of blood this creates at the base of the spine but I prefer walking) The same thing happens when you have an orgasm and practice the Tantra techniques of Uddiyana Bandha, Vajroli Mudra and Kechari Mudra. The nostrils dilate and a burst of energy then travels up the Sushumna and expresses itself right at the tenth gate. To me this is a good thing because all day long I’m trying to get electricity to this spot. It feels like holding my tongue there is like shooting it with a rifle and sending an orgasm there is like blowing up an atom bomb. (all orgasms vary and so sometimes it is milder but you get my point.)
But alas, I know you are going to do what you are going to do.
This is the part of your post that I agree with. Truer words have never been spoken. I am what I am and you are what you are.
In my opinion, once kundalini is awakened and active, one has a responsibility with that. And casual sex, even long-term relationships imo, with those who aren’t spiritual and don’t have awakened kundalini, or interest in it, is not only irresponsible, but potentially dangerous for the other person.
What are you talking about? None of this makes any sense! When I have sex with a girl, there is no possibility of her Kundalini turning on unless she is practicing certain techniques that she is in complete control of.
You have this fear of spiritual progress that I think is completely misplaced and simply can’t understand. Is your Kundalini on or are you speaking from ignorance? There are times when I think my progress is going way to slow, I haven’t progressed in months. Upon reflecting on certain milestones I realize that I’m being too impatient and need to become proficient at surrendering. (Bhagavad Gita – your job is to do the work, the results are for the Divine.) The point I’m trying to make here is that it takes effort to progress. It doesn’t just accidentally happen.
Show me someone that doesn’t want spiritual progress and I will show you an ignorant person. The sole reason we incarnate on this planet is to evolve our consciousness. Every spiritual master I have ever read says this. Jesus describes the world we are living in as Hell and your Christ Consciousness as Heaven. (As long as you identify yourself as the body or the animal in you, you are living in Hell. The Awakening of your Kundalini is similar to the jail cell of Hell opening up and allowing you to get out. And you claim that some people aren’t ready to escape?
Satyananda disagrees with you that you and your partner need to be on a similar spiritual path. Everybody has a different set of Karma and so different inclinations. The masters I have read said go ahead and live in the world but be steady in your spiritual practices and you will find that as you progress your worldly desires and attachments will all fall one by one.
AYPsite Tantra Lessons also completely contradict everything you wrote. There is no ideal world. Live the one you’ve got. And like a courtroom, I don’t believe in hearsay.
What puts me off any yoga / spiritual forums and discussions is that most of the people talk about what they have read, heard, what they think, etc, but very little about their own experience, the wisdom they have attained. Perhaps (I came to know) because they don’t have any real spiritual knowledge to talk about.
That’s why it’s a pleasure, amigo Umunhum, to read your comments and answers in this forum.
Thank you.
umunhum:
I’m sorry but you’re wrong.
The partner does not have to be doing anything in order to have kundalini awakened.
It can happen in many ways in fact - reiki session, traumatic event, etc - but the sexual act with one who has awakened kundalini is particularly potent.
If you don’t believe me, look into what Kundalini/Tantric/Siddha Gurus (past and present) have said on the subject (not just generally on sex)
As for me, yes Shakti Ma is awake here, and no I have not personally triggered kundalini with someone during sex. But I have been involved with various Gurus and communities over the years, and I have seen it happen several times.
Call it hearsay - but it’s the truth.
joelop:
Perhaps check your wisdom gauge, because on this point at least, you are siding with someone you think is talking from experience/wisdom, and it’s simply not the case.
Better not to rely on intuiting who is coming from where.
Better to rely on what is known/tangible/proven.
[QUOTE=Anuman;84744]
As for me, yes Shakti Ma is awake here[/QUOTE]
How did you turn your Kundalini on? Specifically what were you doing at the time of Awakening? What did you experience?
What practices do you do in your Sadhana? Why?
What Gurus do you follow? Why?
This is the type of discourse I like to participate in.
[QUOTE=Triston;84744]
joelop:
Perhaps check your wisdom gauge, because on this point at least, you are siding with someone you think is talking from experience/wisdom, and it’s simply not the case.[/QUOTE]
I have not wisdom to know whether his conclusions are wrong or write, but his courage and trust in what he’s doing is inspiring. He is not scare of trying new methods and wants to help others. He might be wrong in some of his conclusions, but the Buddha was also wrong at some point in his spiritual endeavor but eventually he realized his mistake and was able to reach enlightenment.
[QUOTE=Triston;84744]
Better not to rely on intuiting who is coming from where.
Better to rely on what is known/tangible/proven.[/QUOTE]
My experience in forums tells me that people loves talking and talking about what they may have read in a book or article. They come with explanations pretending to be experts but soon you realize they don’t know what they are talking about. Too much intellectual discussion with very little wisdom; I’m tired of this so please, let me listen to my intuition for a change and see what happens