Tibetan Yoga of Breath

[rex]

For those who don't necessarily want to be a card carrying buddhist but would like to know about the practice of Tibetan yoga, this practical introductory book looks interesting: http://www.shambhala.com/the-tibetan-yoga-of-breath.html

 

The introduction states that only the most basic wind energy teachings are given that are appropriate for anyone to start applying - perhaps it's a good idea to underpromise and overdeliver? : )

[Cheshire Cat]

It seems quite interesting

 

Maybe there's something on you tube

 

Is this related?

 

[rex]

Indeed! As is this: http://www.yantrayoga.org/store3/

 

Could try looking up nine round breathing on you tube.

 

I'll be buying this as a present so will have a sneak peak before giving. Will also update this thread with a list of the practices covered.

[Aetherous]

The book in the original post is basically how to expel the stale winds and how to sit in the 7 point posture, which are basics before and during seated meditation sessions in Tibetan methods. Different sects have variations on the details of how to practice these things.

Tsa Lung which was in the video clip, is slightly different. It's like inner yoga or pranayama based on the 5 winds (which are the vata subdoshas). That teacher, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, also covers his version of the sitting and expelling stale wind in his books in addition to the Tsa Lung exercises.

 

Yantra Yoga is like a Tibetan version of asanas.

 

Here is a guy who explains his version of these different methods.

[rex]

The book in the original post is basically how to expel the stale winds and how to sit in the 7 point posture

 

Thanks for that. When the introduction said it included only 'the most basic' it wasn't kidding. Basic isn't synonymous with lack of profundity though, so it's still on the gift list.

[de_paradise]

I practiced the Norbu version of the Yantra yoga starting from summer from the DVDs, also another set of 8 (breathing, mudra, positions) exercises from Yuan Miao which is some Tantric yoga with some postures she claims to have been taught by deities called "yoga of joy". The unspoken goal of this joy yoga is to awaken the kundalini, and the 8 steps look all very mysterious to people used to hatha positions.

 

Yantra yoga series is similar to hatha positions but its all moving pretty fast, and the breathing is very specific. Its not initially relaxing and not for beginners or unserious to yoga who are not well stretched out daily, but as you develop and internalize the movements, you can relax and focus, really like a martial art or taichi. The idea of this yoga is to develop towards tummo, as well as the usual physical benefits.This is why the breath is often being compressed in the lower belly, and you can see that in the first warm up set, which are alot of the cow face posture yantras and pushing the breath down as you swivel your upper body. Yantra yoga will never be popular because it's just not relaxing like hatha, and the energy effects are all over the map. Its more like an inner alchemy practice with a whole load of different pieces. This is the 8 warm ups, as you can see, would be good for tummo development.

 

[Antares]

Lobsang Tulku Rinpoche is talking about Lu Jong, Tsa Lung and mind work:

 

[Antares]

I practiced the Norbu version of the Yantra yoga starting from summer from the DVDs, also another set of 8 (breathing, mudra, positions) exercises from Yuan Miao which is some Tantric yoga with some postures she claims to have been taught by deities called "yoga of joy". The unspoken goal of this joy yoga is to awaken the kundalini, and the 8 steps look all very mysterious to people used to hatha positions.

 

Yantra yoga series is similar to hatha positions but its all moving pretty fast, and the breathing is very specific. Its not initially relaxing and not for beginners or unserious to yoga who are not well stretched out daily,. Yantra yoga will never be popular because it's just not relaxing like hatha, and the energy effects are all over the map. Its more like an inner alchemy practice with a whole load of different pieces. This is the 8 warm ups, as you can see, would be good for tummo development.

 

Well, there are no any authentic text on this yantra yoga. It does not seem to have ancient roots within Tibetan Yoga aka Tummo. NNR says he has text on it but no one seen it. So how much it is authentic is very questionable. I have the book on it and it seems very very difficult to do and resembles the hatha yoga in general rather than authentic Tibetan Yoga. I am not expert at all but many people say it was developed recently and not much people in the West got real results in this yoga. Remember this is high level yoga which is done on the level of dzogrim and must be practiced along with tantra within Vajrayana tradition where transmission is MUST have for everyone who want to benefit from it. First level is open for everyone but but next levels are only for the advanced practitioners who received transmission and practice tantra. It involves visualizations which resemble classic Tibetan tummo and pranayama and asana which are very resemble Indian hatha yoga but asanas are all dynamic akin to ashtanga yoga. I do not think it is suitable for the most of us. Regards

[rex]

No authentic text on Yantra Yoga? No ancient roots within Tibetan Yoga? Question marks over Yantra Yoga's authenticity? Many people saying it is a recent innovation and Western practitioners don't get real results? Well this is certainly an eye opener - are there any references that can be pointed too where these questions have been raised ?

[Antares]

Not on English board. Only in Russian on the traditional yoga forum. There are many people who are high level yoga practitioners. Some of them say it migh have traditional roots but NO clear evidence of that fact. Who has seen this text with description of every set? If something on the market it does not mean it is authentic automatically. There might be some authentic core with certain parts but all other could be invented recently.

 

Let me ask you who got results in this yoga? Do you know anyone? There are many asanas which only professional acrobats could perform.

[rex]

The book does cite the textual and lineage souces and the reasons for it being made public, so being recently released to the general public does not necessarily equate it with being a recent innovation. It basically comes down to whether one perceives the teacher and lineage as being trustworthy or not and the tradition and context of one's personal yoga practice and where one is coming from.

 

I have met people who practice Yantra Yoga, there's regular on-going classes and they're fine with it. Not being able to do the more challenging yantras does not mean that they're unable to derive benefit as each series is designed to address different areas, the five elements, the five aggregates, the five emotions, the five attachments and the five capacities. I'm not qualified or cheeky enough to comment on the quality of their results, as this is a subjective matter and for some purely a matter between them and their path.

[Antares]

No. Classic yantra sets are not similar to hatha at all! I can give you few links on tube.

 

They are more static. Like tsalung.

 

In the book there is only short text cited which follows by huge explanation by NNR. There is no pictures in original text. And no one seen original text. I know that NNR is serious person and quite qualified but it does not mean YY could not be changed for the sake of public demand. I will have to write more and more here on this and it will never stop. There are about 60-70 pages about this yoga where people discuss it and those people who have transmissions in both Indian and Tibetan yogas. So I won't be able to give information in such volume here. It' not my goal. I am not interested in Vajrayana anyway. It' very difficult path for the western mind. IMHO. And not for me.

But I like the approach of Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. But have not checked it and have no experience in it

Edited November 28, 2013 by Antares

[rex]

Ok I'll stop banging on too - links to classic yantra sets would be smashing, thanks

[Antares]

Yantra means trulkhor, so no classic yantra but classic trulkhor (tummo)

 

It looks like this:

 

 

 

Also there are few books on Tibetan yoga of interanal heat and it's all about visualizations and breath techniques with breath breath retention with bandhas. Nothing simialr to hatha yoga asanas.

[de_paradise]

Thanks for your input Antares. Its interesting how the Russians are similar to my thoughts on Yantra. I think the warmups are pretty similar to the Tibetan warmups I see on the youtube vids. But where a inner fire meditator might just go straight into inner fire meditation since its just bandhas and mind, the Yantra goes on an extended physical exercise journey similar to hatha but done a little too frenetically to be safe on the joints and tendons. On the other hand, my approach towards YY was complete faith when I was doing it, and certainly the physical workout you get is amazing, especially if you are able to keep a high level of concentration. I found myself picking and choosing from his yantra series sets and blending those with my other yogas. I checked out Tulku Lobsang's site and his overview tree of practice seems much more compact and makes sense intuitively. He seems like he would appeal to people who like physical workouts with their inner practices, for example his sword chod (looks cool) and the steps of yoga to tummo to bliss and to dzogchen are laid out without digression into some package tour of yoga. Have you practised anything of Lobsang?

[rex]

Reading the various comments throughout the thread is a salutory reminder of how practices can be received outside the context of their tradition. Thanks for the links.

[Dainin]

This was filmed in Tibet or Nepal in the mid 60s, and did not involve marketing to Westerners. It is on a DVD called "The Message of the Tibetans."