Trunk Posted June 3, 2011 manitou was in the area from outta town, and was cool enough to arrange a lunch w/ her, me, otis & blasto. We met at a seafood place by the beach, ate lunch on these long benches & tables made from great slabs of tree, clear finish. The table we were at was 12-14 feet long, made out of just two pieces of wood - each at least a foot wide and about 5" thick. Re: wood like that, words like "great" and "magnificent" become authentic again. And, btw, it was f'in awesome to meet & hang out, we 're there nearly the whole mid-day. Â manitou mentioned a method of envisioning an energetic form of the (vestigial) umbilicus. (Topic prompted by my earlier thread on wagging your tail.) I've been tinkering since. Thought it was a good idea to post, thought I'd throw it out here for people to experiment, see what happens. (mwah-hahahahaaaa) Ready guinea pigs? Experiment away. Â And, I'd be curious specifically what kinds of methods people have found effective in working with their umbilicus area, from massage to energetic to I-don't-know-what. It's a powerful topic, I think. Â - Trunk 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aetherous Posted June 3, 2011 Aha! Really cool idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc benway Posted June 3, 2011 manitou was in the area from outta town, and was cool enough to arrange a lunch w/ her, me, otis & blasto. We met at a seafood place by the beach, ate lunch on these long benches & tables made from great slabs of tree, clear finish. The table we were at was 12-14 feet long, made out of just two pieces of wood - each at least a foot wide and about 5" thick. Re: wood like that, words like "great" and "magnificent" become authentic again. And, btw, it was f'in awesome to meet & hang out, we 're there nearly the whole mid-day. Â manitou mentioned a method of envisioning an energetic form of the (vestigial) umbilicus. (Topic prompted by my earlier thread on wagging your tail.) I've been tinkering since. Thought it was a good idea to post, thought I'd throw it out here for people to experiment, see what happens. (mwah-hahahahaaaa) Ready guinea pigs? Experiment away. Â And, I'd be curious specifically what kinds of methods people have found effective in working with their umbilicus area, from massage to energetic to I-don't-know-what. It's a powerful topic, I think. Â - Trunk What a great opportunity! I wish I'd been with you guys! The last few neigong exercises in my cultivation program have involved working with the navel. Pretty deep stuff. There is the connection to heaven, the connection to earth, and the connection to humanity = that is through the navel I think. Great thing to work with. Â Dammit! You, Blasto, Otis, and Manitou - undoubtedly four of my favorite Bums! What a time that must have been. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eric23 Posted June 3, 2011 Damn! I was 2 weeks early Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Otis Posted June 3, 2011 It was a very nice lunch today. Great to meet you, Keith, as well as Barb and Scott! Â Steve, I really wish you could've joined us. That would've been awesome! (We all mentioned how much we appreciate your posts). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stigweard Posted June 3, 2011 Dang!!! Anyone coming to Australia soon ?? Â Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eric23 Posted June 3, 2011 Pretty deep stuff. There is the connection to heaven, the connection to earth, and the connection to humanity = that is through the navel I think. Great thing to work with. Â As I understand Chi Nei Tsang/Unwinding the Belly, the navel was the portal for our nourishment and elimination of wastes in the womb. Although the umbillical cord is cut off at birth, the underlying subtle body structure remains. By working the belly, we touch deeply held conditions. Been working with Unwinding the Belly for several years now; very deep, profound practice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Otis Posted June 3, 2011 My first important shift in relationship with my belly, was to stop sucking it in. I already had a bad back, and I just made it worse, by holding a bunch of tension in my lumbar region. Plus, I had no intelligent understanding of the stomach muscles, because I was just using them for aesthetic purposes, not to find balance within my body. Â Stomach muscles are almost unique, as powerful movement muscles with almost no bones to use as leverage. All the muscles of the legs, arms, back, neck and head are based on various forms of leverage, using bones (or tendons, attached to bones) as their counter-balance. But most of the stomach muscles are just attached to each other, and need to relate in very subtle and supple ways, in order to keep the whole skeletal-muscular system in balance. Â Unfortunately, I have a long way to go, waking up my belly muscles' fine control and feedback. I've had some recent insight into those muscles, and I'm pretty sure I would never have gotten that new awareness, if I hadn't stopped sucking my gut in, first. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
suninmyeyes Posted June 3, 2011 (edited) How nice that you people have met! There is the connection to heaven, the connection to earth, and the connection to humanity = that is through the navel I think. Great thing to work with. Â As Steve said great thing to work with. The way I have started years ago is loosening up my anal passage first(by paying attention) ,making sure it is relaxed lol and not clenched at all times. Then it was steep climb from there-working a lot with connections of mental/emotional patterns and body.Dissolving,figuring out and reinventing myself into how I want to be.Relaxed and comfortable with all that life is.As I feel more and more that I am not a fixed being but a process.So I try and let it be. Next was letting go in a face whatever life brings,and being able to say'whatever'(this is a strong whatever in the fullest sense)as in 'it doesent matter,bring it on if its meant to be'.This stuff is not easy ,it is almost like commiting mental suicide in a way. This is mental/emotional clearing necessary for transformation navel area. Â My current way of clearing out navel area(inspired by someone I know -a long term practicioner) is'I pluck any discomfort out from the back of my spine'. I eneter my stream and get hold of any discomfort and let it go as if using hands.I dont know if this makes any sense to anyone but it has been most helpful to me. edit:typo Edited June 3, 2011 by suninmyeyes Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vajrahridaya Posted June 3, 2011 (edited) There is the connection to heaven, the connection to earth, and the connection to humanity = that is through the navel I think. Great thing to work with. Â Â I personally feel it's through the heart that balances the higher and lower, the navel is the connection to Earth and the body. Very necessary by the way, and as well, of course deep. Â But it's through balancing the emotional center that one finds harmony in thought and action with "Heaven" and "Earth." Edited June 3, 2011 by Vajrahridaya 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creation Posted June 3, 2011 The first thing I thought when I saw the title of this thread was "nauli kriya". Â 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trunk Posted June 3, 2011 The first thing I thought when I saw the title of this thread was "nauli kriya". Thank you! Â I'd briefly seen (in videos) this sort of thing being done, but didn't know what it was called nor where to get instruction. Really interesting. link Do you have any experience w/ this fellow's products? Quality? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creation Posted June 3, 2011 (edited) Thank you! Â I'd briefly seen (in videos) this sort of thing being done, but didn't know what it was called nor where to get instruction. Really interesting. link Do you have any experience w/ this fellow's products? Quality? Hi Trunk. Â Tao Semko is probably best known around here as being the webmaster for and the other of the two original instructors for KAP distance learning. He and Santi trained together for many years. Unlike Santi, he still teaches more traditional tantric yoga sadhanas in addition to KAP. Â I don't have any of Tao's products but he used to offer free weekly classes for KAP graduates which I participated in, and I was very impressed by his knowledge, experience, and skill, and by his teaching style. Â He has been a pioneer in teaching esoteric arts using the internet, first through DVD correspondence courses (which is what you linked to), then through Skype and Ustream (like KAP distance learning), and most recently, deciding that technology allowed it, he launched The Online College of Tantric Yogas. Â About Nauli, it is standard technique of traditional hatha yoga. Here are some free instructions: http://aypsite.org/129.html http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/nauli.html Edited June 3, 2011 by Creation 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birch Posted June 4, 2011 Hi Trunk.  Tao Semko is probably best known around here as being the webmaster for and the other of the two original instructors for KAP distance learning. He and Santi trained together for many years. Unlike Santi, he still teaches more traditional tantric yoga sadhanas in addition to KAP.  I don't have any of Tao's products but he used to offer free weekly classes for KAP graduates which I participated in, and I was very impressed by his knowledge, experience, and skill, and by his teaching style.  He has been a pioneer in teaching esoteric arts using the internet, first through DVD correspondence courses (which is what you linked to), then through Skype and Ustream (like KAP distance learning), and most recently, deciding that technology allowed it, he launched The Online College of Tantric Yogas.  About Nauli, it is standard technique of traditional hatha yoga. Here are some free instructions: http://aypsite.org/129.html http://www.yoga-age.com/asanas/nauli.html  Wow, that was an impressive video. Tao's free stuff on Umaa Tantra is very good IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joeblast Posted June 4, 2011 not with a belly full of sushi Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trunk Posted June 5, 2011 Several related resources: Â 1) Ren-8.pdf (from the digital version of A Manual of Acupuncture) Admittedly the info is sparse on this 'acupoint', but the moxa tip is interesting. Â Â Â 2) Â Â 3) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eric23 Posted June 5, 2011 Several related resources: Â 1) Ren-8.pdf (from the digital version of A Manual of Acupuncture) Admittedly the info is sparse on this 'acupoint', but the moxa tip is interesting. Â Â Â 2) Â Â 3) Â The authors of UTB specifically warned not to massage inside the belly button. Of course I couldn't help myself It was a jolt like 3 shots of espresso, couldn't sleep at all that night. Have left it alone since. Get lots of intense, healing action at pts 7 & 9 however. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShaktiMama Posted June 5, 2011 (edited) The first thing I thought when I saw the title of this thread was "nauli kriya". Â Â Tao rocks it like a boat in calm waters. Â He gives nice hugs too. Edited June 5, 2011 by ShaktiMama Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trunk Posted June 28, 2011 Here's the 3 things that I did that I think added up to something in the vicinity of embryonic breathing. My impression is that, any way that you can activate these three in relation to each other.  1. sacrum: wagging my tail 2. ming men: from my prayer mudra variations 3. umbilicus: pearl work  In this setup it's really key that the umbilicus (from the belly button on deeper into the body) goes to connect between the kidneys, ming men. (Yes, it connects to a lot of things, but this connection is emphasized.) That's basically where the connection goes when a fetus (embryo) is in the womb. And, what happens along that line in the womb? Boom, boom, boom, the rich pulse of nourishment (blood) from the mother that forms the body of the fetus. Umbilicus to ming men.   By working to get circulation, pulsing, in the 3 areas above sometimes a pulsing of the 3 together (umbilicus, ming men, sacrum) occurs that, I believe, is related to embryonic breathing. And that, originally, is what formed the body, what nourished the body at it's deepest foundational levels.  In the pearl work I basically visualized a golden pearl somewhat smaller than a ping pong ball, spacious with a more concentrated brilliance in the center (any thing close will do). And I circled that pearl around the umbilicus, starting near the surface and then going all the way to between the kidneys. By spiraling slowly around the umbilicus... well, you try it, see how it feels, feel free to describe your experience here.  - Trunk   p.s. I ordered & received Tao Semko's nauli kriya dvds and am enjoying them. Thanks for the tips, referrals. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manitou Posted June 29, 2011 Thank you for the thank you! Â But the one you should really be thanking is don Juan Mateus and Carlos. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dagon Posted June 29, 2011 The first thing I thought when I saw the title of this thread was "nauli kriya". Â Â LOL! I used to do that to wierd people out when I was little. I had never realized it could be an actual tool, ty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Otis Posted June 29, 2011 Next was letting go in a face whatever life brings,and being able to say'whatever'(this is a strong whatever in the fullest sense)as in 'it doesent matter,bring it on if its meant to be'.This stuff is not easy ,it is almost like commiting mental suicide in a way. Very good point. I experience it like that, as well. Like when I did my first bungee jump: part of me was fighting for its life, against that choice. Â My current way of clearing out navel area(inspired by someone I know -a long term practicioner) is'I pluck any discomfort out from the back of my spine'.I eneter my stream and get hold of any discomfort and let it go as if using hands.I dont know if this makes any sense to anyone but it has been most helpful to me. This sounds very useful. I'll give this a try. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Otis Posted June 29, 2011 Here's the 3 things that I did that I think added up to something in the vicinity of embryonic breathing. My impression is that, any way that you can activate these three in relation to each other.  1. sacrum: wagging my tail 2. ming men: from my prayer mudra variations 3. umbilicus: pearl work  In this setup it's really key that the umbilicus (from the belly button on deeper into the body) goes to connect between the kidneys, ming men. (Yes, it connects to a lot of things, but this connection is emphasized.) That's basically where the connection goes when a fetus (embryo) is in the womb. And, what happens along that line in the womb? Boom, boom, boom, the rich pulse of nourishment (blood) from the mother that forms the body of the fetus. Umbilicus to ming men. Hi Keith. Interesting stuff.  Also, I liked checking out your personal practice pages. Very nice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites