dwai

@SereneBlue, Any new thoughts on the book?

The paradox of freedom is not in absence of constructs (categorical frameworks) but in awareness of their existence and their limitations. One cannot be free without understanding the relationship between absolute and relative. Also, one cannot access the absolute without abiding in the relative. So, there is no escaping the categorical frameworks...we have to know how to choose which one to use based on context and condition.

I too am against control and manipulative ideology. But your viewpoint is colored by your western experience. Thats why you should read being different (the book you so vehemently are opposed to). I have been ready for twenty years...and i never asked you to be quiet. I just noted that the intensity of your feelings are clear despite your attestations otherwise...Lao tzu also said "not too much, not too little"

Well, if you are out in the jungle and a tiger attacks you, do you blame the tiger or the jungle? :0 Its the same thing...you are blinded by your hatred towards religion. I don't have a problem with that...but you tend color everything with the same brush (more like tar and feather)....I have a problem with such irrational "rationality"

In the West maybe. That is not true in the rest of the world (and where its source is, in India). The reason why it is so is purely because of the way it has been marketed -- as a way to develop ones body. This overwhelming physicality is the root cause of this, not Yoga itself. Yoga is about Samadhi...that is the end goal of Yoga. Anyone who is teaching otherwise is not doing justice to themselves, their students and the Science of Yoga itself. Again, I refer to my previous comment (see above) Is it now? If the focus is not on physicality, the opening of the heart will lead to love (which sexual attraction is often mistaken for). Now, I'm saying I'm a saint or anything...there are countless other reasons why someone might cheat on a spouse or lover. If their yoga practice gives them an excuse to do so, then it's on them, not on Yoga. Most adults have the ability (and usually do) make conscious choices. It is not surprising that in a society that deifies the body and relationships not mean much in popular culture (ie what people see in the media, etc) that such things will happen. Note that I'm not judging here...I am merely making observations. A yoga studio I used to go to had this in abundance...skimply clad beautiful girls...I admit it is distracting. But if you are focused on what you want to do (and have yamas/niyamas in your mind), these distractions can be overcome. Everything here is addressed with one word -- MARKETING. If you sell Yoga as a way to look beautiful, tone your body, shape your butt, etc, that's what you will get. Toned bodies, shapely butts and people trying to strut around in skimpy clothes trying to look good. Trying making this argument to this guy --- http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxhlBqbzbSGre8GSGTGHAfAWPlQns5JEAbjjyIOQAvfpTnxAks Sure there is. But as I have shown in a previous post (addressed to Creation), Tantra is not the main root of modern Yoga (or any yoga for that matter). Partial knowledge is potently poisonous! Really? Is it so wrong to show the critics how they are misinformed, ill-educated and should be careful to not conflate things (as this author has done)? I don't think so! I am nobody...have no authority to teach anyone anything. I have the authority to voice my opinions based on my logic and background knowledge in the tradition. I would be equally forceful in my opinions if someone wrote similarly stupid drivel about Tai Chi or Taoism.

Actually and factually, this article is full of shit! It is very evident that there is an agenda at work here. The so-called sexploits of these "Gurus" is about personalities and not the practice itself. The first two limbs of Ashtanga calls for Yamas and Niyamas. If someone cannot even follow these two limbs, they have no freakin' business teaching others. This is typical of the kind of crap that happens when people try to reduce Yoga to a set of forms and breathing techniques. Yoga is a comprehensive system that originated not as part of the Tantric tradition but as a practical embodiment of the Sankhya school of philosophy in India about 4000 years ago (probably earlier). Yoga was devised so students could experientially realize Sankhya. As it evolved, it was observed that it also takes one beyond Sankhya and was thus made an effective means of embodying both Vedanta and Tantra (specifically the non-dual schools therein). That the author has no background in Yoga is clear. The question is, why does the NYTimes elevate these sub-standard articles to such heights? If I was the editor of NYTimes, I would throw this article into the trash bin. However, I guess titillation and controversy does sell better than facts. Also, I suspect a different theological/religious agenda at work here (which could also include Post-modern Humanism). As far as heightened senses go, yes, that is an early result of Yoga practice. Mature students convert this (the increased Ojas or Sexual energy aka Jing in Chinese) into Tejas (spiritual energy aka Shen). Without this, the student doesn't progress or grow...

What's the rush? why not just enjoy what you can do and see how maybe you can cut out things that are not necessary in your life in the pursuits that you want? If you can manage an hour a day, that's good enough. Even in spiritual practices there is "too much". Do too much and you will fry your system. Do too less and you will not do anything. So, the key is moderation...not too much, not too little. Just pick one system that you like and stick with it. It will give you everything you want. Okay, maybe if you really want it, add another system to it. To quote an old indian saying (I actually read it here on TTB in the BK Frantzis interview) -- "its better to dig one well that is 2000 feet deep rather than digging 1000 2 feet deep wells" And you want to learn from a teacher, you must give him/her something. In the old days, the student would cook for the teacher, clean the house, do the laundry, dishes, what have you. Today you pay the teacher to do that. As long as the fees are reasonable that should be okay...if you cant afford it, talk to the teacher and explain your situation. Most good teachers will be willing to accept a student if they are sincere and have their cup empty...

http://medhajournal.com/music/49-presence-of-mind.html http://medhajournal.com/images/stories/media/presence_of_mind.mp3

So what do you do when you return to the realm of us mere mortals o amitabha? http://medhajournal.com/myblog/169-the-silent-voice-within.html This is an old article i had written a while back on intuition...

Intuition is that little voice in your head that tells you to do something or that something is going to happen but you ignore it either because you didnt hear it or it seems illogical. I struggle with this all the time but in many cases i ignore it (to my own disadvantage) To follow your intuition ou have to have faith in it...that can only come with experience. Intuition happens when we dont try very hard...knowledge without effort...almost like magic

2nd chakra is LDT and is water. You should do lots of taiji chuan...that'll open up the ldt. If you don't have a background in Taiji Chuan, check out taichitaocenter.com (the dvds are pricey but worth their weight in gold imho) or better still find a teacher and learn in person.

You will get it... Anyone who is already in the way has had to discard the conditioining to a great extent. This book empowers us to identify the conditioning...perfect for spiritual warriors.

Bihar school is from swami sivananda's lineage, iinm. Good stuff...

Er...NB is belly expanding out during inhalation and contracting during exhalation. RB is belly contracting during inhalation and expanding during exhalation. Your thought of RB seems to the be same as NB. I suppose that was a typo? During RB in some cases we breath into (contract the chi into) the entire spine and exhale (expanding chi out from) the the entire spine (a kind of condensing breathing)...

My teacher posted some notes on doing this standing dao gong meditation. I have been using it to great effect. Any other bum do this? http://www.gbolarts.com/pages/notes_archive/notes_033.html

Is ocean-wave breathing done by contracting the glottis during the breath-cycle (to generate a hissing/surf-like sound) aka ujjayi pranayam? We don't do that with this set. This is simply slow, circular breathing (no reverse breathing) and no holding, etc. The objective is to simply move when the energy moves...(which calls for growing sensitive to the energy and then following it's flow, within the context of the main framework). Intent is applied for the draining and then the charging and compressing...but when that is done is based on when the energy itself wants to move.

Hmm..if one person gives up religion, is he then not being "different" from the others, unique, etc. To make a claim that those who have given up religion for a specific set of reasons have done so to get some benefit (in whatever shape or form) is the same as ascribing to them a "uniqueness". Also, then to claim that everyone should become that way is nothing but a different tack on trying to create "sameness" (ie the same thing that christian or other religious evangelists want...the rationale used to justify this might be different however). Why cant we accept that there are differences and that these differences should make us stronger collectively and not resort to one-up-manship? If we look at nature, we will see that there is diversity but underlying there is integral unity. Why try to synthesize unity by omitting the diversity? As long as there is mutual respect, there will be no conflict. If there indeed is conflict, then it will be intellectually solvable instead of having to resort to violence. For any conversation (dialog) to be successful, there has to be a common goal that the parties involved need to work towards. If there is no such common goal, there is no dialog (it is at best soliloquy or at worst confrontation). This line of thinking is challenged very well in the book and its all the more reason to warrant a good read.

Ime, sense wirhdrawal will happen if we set up the right conditiond for our practice. Right diet, right time, right location and right intent. When a full sene withdrawl happens i have lost sense of self...ending the session i have had dofficulty remembering who i was and where i was. No thoughts...till i had to force them to restart...

Of course....the pnching analogy was merely a rhetoricl tool. You might want to read the discusion in the being different thread. The "oneness" bogey is best used selectively or we run the risk of burying our heads in the proverbial sand... Of course there re multiple layers and there are many factors involved in exactly what a response to any situation might me. However one thing is a fact for ordinary folks like myself...we often need to weigh the "good or bad" before taking a step. It could be a cultural thing though, cant say. By good or bad i dont mean good vs evil...i mean +/- On function of sentience is to adapt to the environment and a major aspect therein is survival. Now we ont think in such strark terms as humans, but all animals do. They kow things in their bones...its known as genetic memory. For us it is more an organization, deductive thing...

This awareness of onesinternal ialog is very essential for an individual to mature into an adult...really there are many "adults" with the eq of a 5 year old. My observations ave led me to believe tht tis is the case because they dont have the ability to access their witness mind in day to day life. One person very close To me had this problem both at work and at home. This peron could not filter ords coming of her mouth...her words wld be immediate and in reaction to triggers. When i explained to her how one could become awre of the thoughts before tey re acted out, she didnt believe me at first. But left to mull it over, she realized it was true. Now she is more successful in maintaining harmony in her life...

Indeed, ut it is necessary for conscious action. There are things one shoud strive to be neutral towards, while other things one has to orm judgement about. Eg. Someone cuts you off in the line to the grocery reister. Your immediate response might be to sock him in the face...your jdgement tells you tht it is not a good idea to do so...think of what im saying here. Neutrality is very important, but not in every situation.

Bob, I get the sense that something like the was implied. I of course might be misreading the intent here. Here is the author's view on using nondualism to hide the differences or reuing them to insignificance...