Seth Ananda please teach me about kundalini

[三江源]

Cobra breath! If anyone knows it, and feels they could share it, I'd like to know it.

 

Just out of interest I'd like to know what it is.

[Sahaj Nath]

[mYTHmAKER]

if ever there were a group that privileged the spiritual landscape over the map of any tradition, its the siddhas. as gifted adepts they are beholden to no particular tradition and are free to augment or discard any trappings that don't match up with their direct experience. historically the siddhas are always a bit rogue.

 

IMHO this applies to anyone who is in the moment.

There are always variations within the form.

Blind tradition equals death and you know what ----- religion

SGMKJ

[unmike]

My understanding is that cobra breath is a practice best learned under the guidance of someone with experience, though the only places I've found with any decent information on the matter all suggest a very expensive retreat in order to do so.

 

If anyone has anything to share on the subject, there are many of us eagerly listening.

[Seth Ananda]

I have had the pleasure of Learning several versions all with slight variations and only some 'under oath' so to speak so here goes... [my favourite and the version I teach]

 

Inhale, ujay or that slight rasping restricted epiglottis, darth vader breath:

 

Mind - at beginning of inhale start at tip of Tail bone, move mind during Inhale up the back of your spine [towards the skin] over the head, [just under the skull on top of the brain] and finish Inhale at Brow centre.

 

Body - at start of Inhale squeez pc [moolabhanda][and hold till exhale], when the energy passes abdomen draw in stomach muscles[udiyanabhanda] {navel toward spine} [hold till exhale], when energy reaches skull, pull chin towards chest [jalnabhanda] put tongue back into soft palate [kechari mudra], point eyes up and in at ajna, and focus there, take an extra sniff of air [to be full] and focus and hold without strain.

 

Exhale, ssss kind of soft serpent noise, so obviously your tongue moves forward.

 

Mind - At start of exhale, it passes from brow, in along the underside of the brain to brainstem, and over the rest of the exhale it passes down the smooth front side of the spine [towards the organs] and ends with the exhale at the tip of the spine.

 

Body - just before you start the exhale, tip your head slightly back opening the throat lock, then as soon as you start the exhale relax all the Bhanda's completly.

towards the end of the exhale, as the energy is sinking down, let your head return to a normal straight position on your shoulders.

 

 

You may notice thats its path is a bit like the MCO's but around the spine and brain instead. The front and back chanel of the spine are a 'secret' version of Ida and Pingala.

 

 

Its a lot to get at once at first.

Try remembering 'Inhale 123'

The 123 are the locks in succession over the course of the Inhale. 1Base, 2stomach, 3neck/tounge

And the whole thing should be done in a gentle way, without tension, or relaxed as possible.

 

I may end up in a shit storm for putting this online, but I have not betrayed any groups secrets by teaching this version of the Cobra Breath. Thanks for asking Cat, I have been annoyed that this wonderful technique can not be found on line.

 

That said, do be careful with it. At least at first do not do more that 20 - 30 breaths a session [unless you really feel you should, lol] while you are getting used to it.

 

Once you are used to it, you can add devotional mantra's or visualisations, especially as you come to a point where your relaxation lets you hold your breath [easily] for a long time.

 

Students usually start with brow center as the focus, but the crown is Introduced later. The 3rd eye gets used to connect to specific deity's or Guru's, or to create worldly events by visualising them strongly.

The Crown gets used to merge with the One.

 

Blessings on your practice!

Seth.

[Seth Ananda]

 

If ever there were a group that privileged the spiritual landscape over the map of any tradition, its the siddhas. as gifted adepts they are beholden to no particular tradition and are free to augment or discard any trappings that don't match up with their direct experience. historically the siddhas are always a bit rogue.

 

Muktananda studied KS as a vehicle, and he used it effectively as such in his own teachings, even though the tradition wasn't how he himself arrived at realization. once the journey of consciousness has really gotten underway, fidelity to all the particulars of a system become less important, i think. you see it all from a different perspective, and you're no longer looking for the perfect playbook to follow. IME, the best way to kill a living tradition is to reify all of its teachings. the siddhas never do this, and Muktananda certainly didn't do it, either. yet his realization made him more than qualified to share the merits of the vehicle.

 

 

Hi Hundun

I agree, and I Love Muktananda. I guess in some ways though I feel that If Muktananda had had a better understanding of the in's and out's of the tradition he would have had far more High level students and got himself into far less trouble. You mean He was Highly Sexual with 'many' of his female students and Kashmir Shavism is a Blatantly Tantric tradition, yet he was pretending to be celibate and pushing all the old Vedic repression.

 

All I can say is the skillful means that are present within Kashmir Shavism, are missing in Siddha Yoga.

 

Anyway lol at me, I still get frustrated.

[manitou]

The shaking practice you refer to, Seth - is that good for spreading the heat around? Sometimes it sits in my back and shoulder blades (it's going down the back side) and it's so hot it's like someone's holding a flame to the inner side of my skin.

 

Sometimes I get a sort of flash that the shoulder blade heat has something to do with wings - perhaps another incarnation?

 

I just had a massage the other day to try and spread it around, and it wasn't too successful. It's very bothersome right now. Any suggestions?

[Creation]

Hi Hundun.

 

Thanks for chiming in.

 

I started looking into this stuff because I started getting into Mark Griffin's material, and the scholar in me wanted to dig deeper. But for me the virtue of any teacher in Nityanada's lineage is not the philosophy but the LIGHT. I remember hearing Mark say something like, "In the siddha lineage nothing is explained to you but you find yourself knowing things."

 

But if I wanted to know about the tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, I figured I would opt to learn from Swami Lakshman Joo's materials. (Hey Seth...Swami Lakshman Joo. Have you really run into high level KS teachers that learned Tantric aspects of this school in disciplic succession?)

 

Shankaranana's teachings are something of a wildcard to me though: as far as I am concerned, Shankaranda is not in a KS lineage, but a Siddha lineage, yet he understands the philosophy on an an experiential level and is reputed to be very good at explaining it.

 

No one's stopping me from learning from both. And I imagine I'll be making a detailed study of Buddhist philosophy as well. But that's all in the future, after I get some more personal experience under my belt.

 

Speaking of the two disseminations of Kashmir Shaivism in the West, you don't often hear about the other Siddha lineage that made inroads into the West. Besides Nityananda's there is Swami Gangadhar Tirth's, who, like Nityananda, is a guy whose background is a mystery but who initiated a disciple who carried on his lineage. B.K. Frantzis studied in this lineage, and brought his teacher, Swami Shivom Tirth, to teach in the West. It wasn't as publicized a thing as Muktananda, but he did found and ashram in New York which publishes several of his books that look like great reads.

 

EDIT: Apparently there are more than two Siddha lineages that have made inroads into the West:

http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~keutzer/kundalini/kunda-bib-web.html#contemporary-siddha

Edited April 2, 2011 by Creation

[Creation]

I have had the pleasure of Learning several versions all with slight variations and only some 'under oath' so to speak so here goes... [my favourite and the version I teach]

 

Inhale, ujay or that slight rasping restricted epiglottis, darth vader breath:

 

Mind - at beginning of inhale start at tip of Tail bone, move mind during Inhale up the back of your spine [towards the skin] over the head, [just under the skull on top of the brain] and finish Inhale at Brow centre.

 

Body - at start of Inhale squeez pc [moolabhanda][and hold till exhale], when the energy passes abdomen draw in stomach muscles[udiyanabhanda] {navel toward spine} [hold till exhale], when energy reaches skull, pull chin towards chest [jalnabhanda] put tongue back into soft palate [kechari mudra], point eyes up and in at ajna, and focus there, take an extra sniff of air [to be full] and focus and hold without strain.

 

Exhale, ssss kind of soft serpent noise, so obviously your tongue moves forward.

 

Mind - At start of exhale, it passes from brow, in along the underside of the brain to brainstem, and over the rest of the exhale it passes down the smooth front side of the spine [towards the organs] and ends with the exhale at the tip of the spine.

 

Body - just before you start the exhale, tip your head slightly back opening the throat lock, then as soon as you start the exhale relax all the Bhanda's completly.

towards the end of the exhale, as the energy is sinking down, let your head return to a normal straight position on your shoulders.

 

 

You may notice thats its path is a bit like the MCO's but around the spine and brain instead. The front and back chanel of the spine are a 'secret' version of Ida and Pingala.

 

 

Its a lot to get at once at first.

Try remembering 'Inhale 123'

The 123 are the locks in succession over the course of the Inhale. 1Base, 2stomach, 3neck/tounge

And the whole thing should be done in a gentle way, without tension, or relaxed as possible.

 

I may end up in a shit storm for putting this online, but I have not betrayed any groups secrets by teaching this version of the Cobra Breath. Thanks for asking Cat, I have been annoyed that this wonderful technique can not be found on line.

 

That said, do be careful with it. At least at first do not do more that 20 - 30 breaths a session [unless you really feel you should, lol] while you are getting used to it.

 

Once you are used to it, you can add devotional mantra's or visualisations, especially as you come to a point where your relaxation lets you hold your breath [easily] for a long time.

 

Students usually start with brow center as the focus, but the crown is Introduced later. The 3rd eye gets used to connect to specific deity's or Guru's, or to create worldly events by visualising them strongly.

The Crown gets used to merge with the One.

 

Blessings on your practice!

Seth.

HA! How about that. Ask and you shall receive.

 

Hey Seth, could you give your thoughts on the spinal cord as anatomical analog of shushumna vs. vagus nerve as anatomical analog of shushumna debate? Do you experience shushumna as going up the center of the torso itself or the center of the spine? Do you experienced these two as distinct channels in the first place?

[Dainin]

Seth, thanks for sharing the cobra breath instructions. It sounds very similar to what Yogani (AYP) calls "Spinal Breathing Pranayama", except for the hissing exhale. I used to practice the Spinal Breathing quite often, it was a real mood elevator!

[sinno]

Seth, thanks for sharing the cobra breath instructions. It sounds very similar to what Yogani (AYP) calls "Spinal Breathing Pranayama", except for the hissing exhale. I used to practice the Spinal Breathing quite often, it was a real mood elevator!

 

im practicing a different version of Spinal Breathing called "Mizong Spinal Breathing" which is similar because it goes from the Root to Ajna chakra....i have a practice journal where i practice for 1 hr. 30 mins. everyday for 35 days and im on Day 11...we'll see if i awaken Kundalini later on down the line but my 3rd eye is really getting stronger as a result of this practice

Edited April 2, 2011 by sinno

[manitou]

Seth - thanks a million for taking the time to explain as much as you did. I really appreciate it.

 

Apparently I was a bit forgetful when I posted the second question, lol. Seems to be happening a lot lately.

[sean]

seth, thank you for posting this.

 

yes, wow, this is similar to ayp spinal breathing which i've been practicing for many years now.

 

in ayp spinal breathing ujjayi is reserved for exhale only vs. the hissing. mind moves in center of spine and brain is gone through directly to third eye and back (at least at first). the bhandas are there, but some are separated into other practices and do not form this incredible full body wave (!)

 

this is fantastic, i've been playing with this today, very powerful, quite a lot of bliss is arising, again thank you for sharing this.

 

 

sean

[Seth Ananda]

seth, thank you for posting this.

 

yes, wow, this is similar to ayp spinal breathing which i've been practicing for many years now.

 

in ayp spinal breathing ujjayi is reserved for exhale only vs. the hissing. mind moves in center of spine and brain is gone through directly to third eye and back (at least at first). the bhandas are there, but some are separated into other practices and do not form this incredible full body wave (!)

 

this is fantastic, i've been playing with this today, very powerful, quite a lot of bliss is arising, again thank you for sharing this.

 

 

sean

Cool Sean and others, so ayp is in the spine column? Cobra breath is there to balance the solar and lunar chanels, so its not related to shushumna, until of course that enough balanced energy is generated and then starts to flow into the shushumna.

There are further practices that move into the spinal cavity or tube.

 

Here is one of my favourites...

 

It goes with OM NAMAH SHIVAYA which some may know is an elemental purifier. This entire process except at the Tip of spine and the crown point, happens in the hollow juicy part of the spine and brain.

 

It Basicly breaks OM NAMAH SHIVIYA up into its syllables, and mentally sounds them at the chakra points, going up and then down and so on...

Deep full breaths please mentally sounding the mantra for the entire period of focus [the limit of the breath]

 

OM... - Coccyx - Inhale then exhale

 

NA... - Sacrum - Inhale

 

MA... - point behind navel - exhale

 

SHI... - heart - inhale

 

VAI... - throat, mid way between cv7 and atlas - exhale

 

YA... - Central brain cavity, - Inhale

 

OM... - Crown - Exhale and then Inhale

 

NA... - Mid brain again - exhale

 

MA... - throat - inhale

 

SHI... - heart - exhale

 

VAI... - behind navel - inhale

 

YA... - sacrum - exhale

 

OM... - Coccyx - Inhale, and then exhale...

 

And so on...

 

 

So two breaths at crown and base, one at the chakras in between.

 

This is amazing, especially if you have a fondness for this mantra. Your spine will begin to glow! Use after some good cobra breaths.

 

Respek!

[Seth Ananda]

HA! How about that. Ask and you shall receive.

 

Hey Seth, could you give your thoughts on the spinal cord as anatomical analog of shushumna vs. vagus nerve as anatomical analog of shushumna debate? Do you experience shushumna as going up the center of the torso itself or the center of the spine? Do you experienced these two as distinct channels in the first place?

Hi Creation. Sure, I do not know. In my awakening Most of my meditations apart from daily mco, were central channel. But when that started widening, it made my spine Vibrate and then BOOM! I have met many people who had it start with one, the other, or both like me.

I feel there is a deep resonance with the two paths... up the middle of the spine or up the middle of the body does not seem to make much difference.

 

And yes I know its Swami Lakshman Joo, and I ask in return did you see Swami in front of Vasagupta, Ksemaraja or Aghinivagupta names? No because its a Tantric tradition and is not celibate or world denying.

Lakshman Joo [as far as I have been told] only became a swami to get respect in the yogic world, so he could bring Kashmir Shavism back into the Yogic spotlight.

 

My Kashmiri teacher is named Varendra Qazi, and he is a great Shavite, although he would never claim that, he is very humble... He is also Lakkshman Joo's cousin and has learned from the same people as LJ.

 

Anyway Have fun everyone...

 

Seth.

[Creation]

And yes I know its Swami Lakshman Joo, and I ask in return did you see Swami in front of Vasagupta, Ksemaraja or Aghinivagupta names? No because its a Tantric tradition and is not celibate or world denying.

Lakshman Joo [as far as I have been told] only became a swami to get respect in the yogic world, so he could bring Kashmir Shavism back into the Yogic spotlight.

Very interesting about Swami Lakshman Joo.

 

I know Kashmir Shaivism started out Tantric, but you know how it goes in India, sanyasins have a way of monopolizing things (seems like that happened with kriya yoga for example, which has only existed for ~150 years)... Thanks for confirming for me that that that is not the case with Kashmir Shaivism even if the most visible guys are Swamis.

 

Edited April 3, 2011 by Creation

[Sahaj Nath]

Hi Hundun.

 

Thanks for chiming in.

 

I started looking into this stuff because I started getting into Mark Griffin's material, and the scholar in me wanted to dig deeper. But for me the virtue of any teacher in Nityanada's lineage is not the philosophy but the LIGHT. I remember hearing Mark say something like, "In the siddha lineage nothing is explained to you but you find yourself knowing things."

 

indeed. sometimes it's like a download of knowledge and understanding. sometimes the light is so clear and vibrant that the book knowledge simply pales in comparison. but that never stops me from hittin' the books, either.

 

i actually just got back a couple of hours ago from Mark's Intensive in San Francisco. i took 3 of my students with me this time, and they loved it. i remain in awe of his mastery of transmitting CONSCIOUSNESS/Shiva, rather than just the awakening impulse of Shakti. every day i feel blessed to have found him. it would have taken me AT LEAST a decade on my own to develop as much as i have over the past year with him.

 

it's not for everybody, that's for sure. but i'm certainly glad that it's for me.

 

have you met with Mark and sat in his presence yet?

 

 

Hi Hundun

I agree, and I Love Muktananda. I guess in some ways though I feel that If Muktananda had had a better understanding of the in's and out's of the tradition he would have had far more High level students and got himself into far less trouble. You mean He was Highly Sexual with 'many' of his female students and Kashmir Shavism is a Blatantly Tantric tradition, yet he was pretending to be celibate and pushing all the old Vedic repression.

 

All I can say is the skillful means that are present within Kashmir Shavism, are missing in Siddha Yoga.

 

Anyway lol at me, I still get frustrated.

 

as always, you make a helluva point, brother. agreed.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Hundun

[John Zen]

Seth,

 

How long do you hold the locks before exhalations?

[TheSongsofDistantEarth]

Kind of ironic how this thread has turned into one the most helpful threads ever, isn't it? Thanks to alwayson

[ShaktiMama]

indeed. sometimes it's like a download of knowledge and understanding. sometimes the light is so clear and vibrant that the book knowledge simply pales in comparison. but that never stops me from hittin' the books, either.

 

i actually just got back a couple of hours ago from Mark's Intensive in San Francisco. i took 3 of my students with me this time, and they loved it. i remain in awe of his mastery of transmitting CONSCIOUSNESS/Shiva, rather than just the awakening impulse of Shakti. every day i feel blessed to have found him. it would have taken me AT LEAST a decade on my own to develop as much as i have over the past year with him.

 

it's not for everybody, that's for sure. but i'm certainly glad that it's for me.

 

have you met with Mark and sat in his presence yet?

 

 

 

 

as always, you make a helluva point, brother. agreed.

 

When men learn how to sit in Consciousness/Shiva...it becomes quite a blissful experience for women to sit with them. Pure consciousness delights the energy of shakti and draws her in.

 

s

[三江源]

 

dear

SETH

 

:wub:

[suninmyeyes]

When men learn how to sit in Consciousness/Shiva...it becomes quite a blissful experience for women to sit with them. Pure consciousness delights the energy of shakti and draws her in.

 

s

Haha yes very blissful

[Lotus7]

Do what you want bro. Its sad that I am viewed as the bad guy, even though I have documented repeatedly I only respond when attacked viscously by other forum members. And when I document that, I get into further trouble LOL. You guys are ridiculous. Between the mods, arrogant members and the scammers, Tao Bums really sucks.

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/17519-discourse-on-sramanism/

 

Again do what you want. I don't care. Tao Bums isn't my life.

 

 

Any forum online, no matter if it is spiritually related or otherwise, is going to have spam, instigators or trolling. Not everyone has good intentions. I don't think anyone here who has responded with constructive criticism or some form of chastisement towards you is trying to attack you. The regulars on here, who regularly contribute to the community, have only good hearts and intentions towards the bums. To say that this site "sucks" is a bit of a dramatic response ay? There are many genuine people here who truly care for the well being of their fellow man. If someone is attacking you openly or "viciously" attacking you, then either ignore them completely, or report it to the sites administrator.

I see a lot of posts here where threads turn into arguments and it is usually the same people over and over. So my advice to you, alwayson, to get the most out of this site, is to ignore the people who seem to be against you and focus on your personal growth. It only drains energy to focus on negativity.

Again this is my point of view, might be totally off. I wish you well on your journey alwayson!

Love and Light, Namaste, Matt

[Lotus7]

hello all,

well it seems that I need to start reading the whole thread before I decide to post I only read the first 3 posts before I replied to alwayson, lol. I have since read the entire thread, and realized that my reply was in vein. hehe, oh well.

 

Seth great stuff! I really admire your spiritual motivation and persistence. could use a little more of that in my own life! Blessings to you my brotha! send some energy my way!

Love and light!

Namaste, Mateo

[Seth Ananda]

 

dear

SETH

 

:wub:

Wow! Thanks Cat I am glad you are getting something out of it.