"Yoga is a light that once lit is never extinguished. The better your practice, the brighter it shines. " BKS Iyengar (Guru)
At all times and everywhere in the world, men and women always sought luck. They tried and all the time still trying to look for it through different experiences following in many directions, and sometimes, and so that often lost in what they really are looking for.
Questions-What do I really want from life? How to achieve this? What is happiness? What does self-realization mean? "I like the thought of most people for centuries. Also, the answers to these questions balance on different levels depending on the people who respond to them.
Some with a hand at heart say that przecięż happiness is money, material prosperity, others understand the happiness of throwing in a work and career and yet others propose a thesis of love and family. There are those for whom happiness is freedom, whatever the word does not mean.
But despite all these beliefs we continue to take tireless action in search of answers to the nagging question. The worst part is that we have no patience and we want everything immediately. If an action does not result, our attention will automatically be directed to another page. If we are not satisfied with our life, work, partner or car, we immediately try to change it.
But what are we really looking for? What are we missing?
We live in a world characterised by extraordinary technological development and material BAGACTWEM. Advances in medicine allow us to maintain a good level of health. We have a możliwść choice among the vast number of activities and types of life we want to news. We can eat, dress up, talk and do practically everything that will come to mind and we can also travel all over the world, explore, experience and learn.
The field of opportunity we have is open and extensive.
But despite all that we have, all our abundance, freedom of choice, freedom of action, the ability to express ourselves in our daily lives, we feel anxious, dissatisfied, bored, tired and often disappointed and sad.
In fact, we don't even have the feeling that we live…
And in such moments, many of us in search of a new path, or perhaps attracted by exotic mysticism or blindly podąrzając on the bandwagon, throws in a new vortex of questions: Who am I actually? What have I come to do in this world? What is my way? Etc.
Very often it happens that in our search we stumble on an unexpected yoga mat. And in this our first contact by the head we are running different thoughts: we wonder if yoga is a physical exercise to improve our health? Or is it a philosophy of life? We flip thousands of websites, read books, ask friends to know more, to better understand this amazing "clash" with yoga on our path. We catch the whole force of this opportunity, which the fate has set before us and slowly begin to move in areas which we have not had a clue so far.
We learn that the word yoga has several meanings, and the basic ones are: union-between body, mind and spirit, unity with the universe and each of its particles. Another meaning of the word yoga is: taming-mastering one's body and mind, becoming aware of desires and shootings which in effect are helpful on the way to personal development. Yet another meaning of the word yoga is: the way-podięcie actions and the imposition of self-discipline in pursuit of goal, systematicity and constancy in practice.
The purpose of yoga is to communicate with our consciousness (inner spirit) and to give value to our existence. And so slowly we slow down the flow of our thoughts, stop controlling our actions and begin to listen in ourselves. We begin to listen to what our body says.
Contact with our soul and follow the wisdom that exists in all of us. We begin to live in harmony with ourselves and with the whole world around us, we develop love, we are grateful for what we have and we learn to forgive. All this knowledge runs slowly while practicing yoga. The combination of body and mind, external to the inner, male with feminine, spirit and nature allows us to resurrect the spark which is within us, the spark of our divinity, Our holiness.
Life is happening right now, the past does not exist, and the future does not exist yet. The only solution is therefore to live in the present, to unite the body, mind and soul, our inner consciousness, our light, and ours… feel the peace in one moment, which was not before, inner joy, fullness of happiness, and as if our An inner smile that doesn't need anything else. He only tells us that we live, we knowingly live!
When he lives in the present moment, he experiences with great intensity every situation, every action, is conscious, so fully aware of his feelings and deeds. This teaches us yoga and it is from each successive lesson to our daily lives.
So let's be taken and guided by a teacher in this sensual and physical journey in search of a balance between body, mind and soul. Let's start our journey from mat and physical exercise realizing that yoga is not only something that we do by developing a mat, rather something more skąplikowanego, what the advantages go far beyond the physical plane. When we are on you, at that moment, our whole life is only that – we, our exercises, our meditations and our inner transformation.
Nothing else is important!
Asanas talk About us, everything talks about us from the colour of our mats to the position in which we are ułożeni or meditation in which we continue. How do we deal with the most difficult Asaną, as we do not give advice, or how we can not maintain the balance and want to scream. How can we not concentrate, mute, gather into the poop of the diverging thoughts and immerse in meditation. Around us are the people standing simple as a candle in the middle of the hall for example on the head and those who do not try to perform this position even based clients about the wall. We are surrounded by different people and each of these people try to find their path and do it in different ways. Just like in life, looking at the surrounding reality with legs raiseding toward the top is scary, but can also be astonishing.
Each of us seeks peace as the final dessert of physical and mental struggles. And this is a substitute for the peace that we can achieve in the practice of yoga or meditation, evaporates as a drop of water on contact with everyday life, with the real world waiting behind the door.
But thanks to constant practice made with great care and commitment, we can keep our blissful state of peace.
This is the first thing we need to remember – this is possible.
Not only is it possible, it is a goal in itself for those for whom yoga has become a philosophy of life. For some, it will still only be a technique to soothe skołatane nerves or relieve back pain.
I believe that everyone has the right to reap from all the riches of yoga just what is needed at the moment, the rest will come later, at the right moment when we are ready for it.
All those who come a little interested the Tibetan culture encountered with a deeper perception of yoga that does not end with Asanach.
Reading the book of the Dalai Lama "the Secret Temple of the Dalai Lama" zetkniemy with images of ancient yogis showing the positions of Tibetan physical yoga called Trull Khor which means "magic circle".
This practice of yoga in the Tibetan tradition is a very important path for recognizing the enlightened mind.
Although in practice the body is used, it is only one of the three gates through which practitioners seek to AIM-to recognize the true nature of the mind. The other two gates for achieving enlightenment are; Mind and speech (or energy).
The Sanskrit counterpart of Trull Khnor is Yantra Yoga. There are many similar positions to those used in Hatha yoga, but the way we inquire into these positions, the main objective and the point of view are different.
In Trull Khnor postures are not static asanami, but are in continuous, often energetic movement. The practice of this yoga, rooted in the ancient, Tibetan science of the elements, harmonizing body, breath and mind has a very positive effect on man, often optimizes healing effects.
Bon tradition, in particular, examines these elements, but they are also present in the teachings of Tantra, the Tibetan shamanism, and is somewhat similar to the five Elements of Chinese medicine. The Tibetan evangelist for Bon tradition, Tenzin Wengyal Rinpoche says yes to yoga Trull khor: "Trull Khor is a wonderful daily practice, allowing especially to control and cope with the stress of our modern life in society. It has the power to balance the energy of mind and body and also helps in meditation practices. "
The goal of yoga in our daily lives is to increase the identification of our true inner nature, which is an absolute happiness and a sense of fulfillment, completely identifying with your thoughts and emotions. We'll ask-how do you reconcile it all?
Odrzuciwszy the possibility of abandoning children, partners and work, the assumption of long hair or zgolenia them to the bare skin and go to the Hermitage in the Himalayas, we remain only to roll up the sleeves and take a heavy "effort" (the famous Patańdźali in the Tapas yoga-yoga Asceticism-speaks of the zealous effort practicing the spiritual path.)
However, there are days when practice seems to us to be a useless waste of time, where a thousand thoughts are puffed in the head… are the days when we lose completely confidence in the world and ourselves, but our body does not want to listen to it. Our body decides for us, we enter the mat and then the consciousness and the mute cover our minds slowly and gently melted.
How to confront an opponent in a warrior position? How much do we councils withstand przywierając like a tree hard to Earth?
How much force will we revive in ourselves to persevere in Asana which seems impossible to us?
Asana can be a source of great satisfaction for us, they teach us patience, develop the consciousness of the body, its functioning and distribution in space.
They also put us in a situation where we must accept our own limitations. It is a wonderful lesson of knowledge of the body and… knowledge of life, because przecięż as we have discussed not in the Asanach itself lies the meaning and power of yoga.
However, as waves at sea during the tide under the influence of yoga exercises our mind mutes, calms, merges with our bodies and we can begin to meditate. There are many rodzjów of meditation that we practice using position, Bhandhas, visualization, breathing techniques, singing, silence or even walking or speaking. Regardless of the form of meditation, its definition is very simple; Meditation is a way of awakening, reaching higher forms of cognition.
But for many of us meditating is not easy. It is very difficult to concentrate on us, which is to meet the most important aspect of meditation. The creation of a state in which we are always present, present throughout the whole time and every day seems to be almost unattainable. It is also difficult to find the right time and place in today's zabieganynym life. But if we decide, we will surely have to do some time and with the help of a suitable teacher, we can enjoy all the richness that yoga offers to us.
But yoga is not only in the halls, it is not only in Asanach, yoga is an experience of unity in our daily routine. In the classroom, we learn the flexibility of the body, but it is only a reflection of our inner flexibility, our potential, our willingness to change. Because the body can bend and change, so it can also make our spirit.
Many times I have heard a statement that yoga is not for everyone, personally I think that it is absolutely not that there are only unsuitable moments in the lives of each of us to follow a yoga path.
But these are just temporary situations, the corresponding ones inevitably come. If we listen to your needs at any given time, the practice of Yoga will help you find answers to the questions we are looking for answers.
What would happen if everyone had this awareness?
Consciousness, this would allow us to understand that we can fall, unsettle, but then also we can always get up and go back to the position of the dog with his head to the bottom, or calmly lie on the mat, regain our breath and give ourselves another chance.
Yes, yes, the yoga paths are endless and there are many joyful surprises waiting for them.
But as is the case with every new field, let's start with a few words about yoga to have a general outline.
The history of yoga was developed in ancient India during the period 3300-1900 P. N. That. For many centuries it functioned only on the basis of oral transmission and in some respects it still functions. The first written materials about yoga are found in the Rig Veda (Obrządkowej of the Vedic book), which was written between 1500-1200 P. N. That. On the other hand, some scholars claim that the astronomical references in the book suggest that it was partially written earlier in the fourth Millennium before Christ.
Yoga has a great influence on the development of several religious movements in Asia, including Buddhism (Buddha was a disciple of two yogis), Dźinizmu, Taoism, Sikhism and Sufism.
Throughout the centuries, many schools have developed different yoga paths. The most important are:-Raja Yoga (Path of discipline and meditation)-Jynana Yoga (Path of cognition and knowledge)-Bhakti Yoga (Path of love and devotion to God)-karma Yoga (the path of selfless action)-Hatha yoga (along with various modern expansions – Path of cleansing the body by fervent practice)-Kriyas Yoga-(the path of total internal transformation)-Tantra yoga (in it the mantra, Kundalini, Laya, Nada and Hatha Yoga). – as well as six jogs of the pus. – Yoga Buddhism in Tibetan diamond way.
Tibetan Buddhism or colloquial Lamaizm deserves a separate discussion for several important reasons. It is a form of Buddhist Mahajanistyczno-Tantric powatałego based on Indian traditional Buddhism and the oldest religion of Tibet-Bon, which has been able to assimilate in a sense with Buddhism for centuries. First, the charismatic figure of the Dalai Lama as supreme authority makes this religion very topical nowadays.
Secondly, a greater awareness in Tibetan Buddhism, which is what our minds are capable of, makes it very valuable scientifically, we are talking about important discoveries in the psychology and quantum physics.
Thirdly, if we speak of spirituality, ancient, pre-Buddhist, its origins will become blurred in the fog of time leading us to prehistory. We can therefore confidently say that it is the oldest of the practiced religions in the world today. The pre-Buddhist Bon is the world of shamans, inhabited by ghosts and demons, built on beliefs and magical rituals, inspired by the concept that all nature is inhabited by spirits.
Hence the necessity of banish demons, or evil spirits, to return harmony. With the beginning of Shamanism Buddhism, of course, has not been displaced from this charming country, the cradle of ancient civilization, but any attempt to determine its origins Spełzała on anything.
Passing through all the stages of the ancient religions, we also notice that it has survived in consciousness and collective memory, on the folk and magical levels. Everything that has happened in Tibet for centuries has given rise to the "fusion" of the old religion of Bon Buddhism. This was facilitated especially by the open nature of the latter (those who are interested in Oriental religions will notice that they are characterized by a vision of reality more fluid than those typical of our west). We can therefore confidently say that Tibetan Buddhism is a combination of an ancient complex of rituals, beliefs and practices on the one hand and Buddhism on the other.
But let's go back to yoga and its trespassing in our reality.
At the end of the nineteenth century, yoga went west with Swami Vivekananda, who spoke to Parliament in Chicago in 1893 years. His visit and speech aroused great interest in yoga and opened the doors of the United States and Europe for many other masters. As far as the Yoga division is concerned, we can divide it into four basic aspects of practice; Body, breath, mind and life. This division is an alternative to the eight "arms" of yoga, codified by the Patandźalego in its Jogasutrach (the oldest treaty of classical Indian yoga).
Speaking of a body, we are talking about all the positions of yoga called Asana along with muscle blockages called Bandhas and cleansing techniques called Shatkarma, helping us to keep our body healthy, strong, flexible and full of vitality. Some of the general benefits of Asan practice are;-lowering blood pressure-lowering blood sugar levels-decreases the production of cortisol (stress hormone)-increases flexibility, strength and balance-increases energy and vitality-improves Metabolism-improves sleep quality-improves body posture-strengthens the immune system-reduces przewlekłeKażde pains The placement also has health and therapeutic benefits. For example, the position of bridge building (Savangasana) stimulates the thyroid gland, rewitalizues the ears and tonsils, balances the digestive system and endocrine.
Daily practice, rich in various yoga postures, is a very good preventive medicine, with many health benefits. From a spiritual point of view, the purpose of physical practice is;
-Calming your mind and body before meditating-preparing your body to sit without movement during long meditations
-Liberation of the organism from diseases so that practices are not interrupted or inefficient.
-Making the body more resistant to heat, cold, pain, hunger which in turn results in less distraction to external factors.
-Increase vitality (deep meditations require enormous energy)
-Increase of vitality (thus more meditation).
In effect, a healthy and strong body is a very good foundation for deep meditation practices. On the other hand, practicing with attentive Asan is a form of dynamic meditation. That is why it is so important to turn off the music and cut off from all sorts of distraction, focusing on the body and on the breath, and loosening during practice and concentration at the present time.
Speaking of breath, we need to realize that our breath and mind are closely related. Working on the breath, we can change our mental condition and vice versa. In addition, we find it easier to calm the breath than to calm the mind. As you can see, working on the breath is a powerful tool for our physical, emotional, well-being and meditative health. The purpose of Pranayama (the art of breathing in yoga) is to dotlenianie the blood, calm emotions, calm the nervous system and strengthen the "rational brain" (pituitary gland).
In addition to all these functions pranayama helps in sedation in post-traumatic stress. From a spiritual point of view, the purpose of pranayama is to calm the mind, making it peaceful, concentrated and hermetic (Pratyahara), increasing the length of life and health.
In the tradition of Kundalini yoga, Kriyas Yoga and Tantra Yoga are said to clean the channels of Nadi Shodana, to align the energy of Prana and apana, allowing the flow of prana through the Central channel (Sushumna) and Awakening Kundalini. In order for this to occur Pranajamie must be accompanied by visualization, mantras and other processes of yoga. By dealing with your mind, let's say one of the goals of yoga or meditation. All the yoga practices prepare us for this to meditate effectively.
When the body (Asana) has a silence and happiness and uniformity in the breath (Pranayama), the mind is a much better position to meditate correctly.
As you can imagine there are many methods of meditation in yoga, and the most important ones are:
-Meditation with Chakras
-Meditation with Mantras
-Trataka-visual concentration, Wpatrywanie.
Techniques vary according to the yoga traditions.
At Tantra Yoga is the diversity of meditation focusing on visualization and energy, in Bhakti Yoga, God is the object of concentration, and in Jnana Yoga we speak of absolute and pure consciousness.
I will not repeat again that the purpose of meditation practices is to improve our health, wellbeing and productivity in every area of life. We also purify the mind of negative thoughts and emotions, liberate ourselves from our limiting beliefs, and we are able to even achieve the degree of the superconscious of Samadhi, which is the highest degree of spiritual achievement in the yoga. Of course, not now, and not immediately, yoga teaches us patience, perseverance and loyalty to ourselves, the goals and practices we have set, but most importantly we would ourselves want this patience and loyalty to learn.
By practicing yoga as our personal way of life or as a serious spiritual practice, we are invited to integrate its basic values with our daily lives.
Here are the basic principles of yoga, which are not imposed on us, and merely presented to ourselves individually discovered and interpreted in an appropriate way.
External cognition-moral and ethical precepts-yama
- Niekrzywdzenie (Ahimsa)
- True (Satya)
3. Refrain from theft (Asteya)
4. Restraint (Brahmacarya)
5. Not lust for others ' goods (Aparigraha)
Rules of Conduct-Niyama
1. Purity (Sauca)
2. Satisfaction (Santosa)
3. Zealous effort (tapas)
4. Studying Wed (Swadhyaya)
5. Focus on God (Ishvarapranidhana)
Internal cognition
1. Rhythmic control of Breathing (Pranayama)
2. Powściągnięcie Senses (Pratyahara)
3. Concentration (Dharana)
Spiritual cognition
1. Meditation (Dhyana)
2. Focus, the combination of the lower and higher self (samadhi)
At the beginning of our adventure with yoga, these rules can be seen as limitations or sacrifices, but as you progress in practice you will find that these are smart guidelines to help us make the best decisions for ourselves and for people in our Surrounded by.
So in short we said a few general words about yoga, so now we can calmly take care of yoga Tibetan which in effect is based on ancient scriptures interpreted by the body without adding anything new or own, and only on skrupulatnym The exercise of the original teaching.
Movements are performed in perfect silence, so tactile and energetic sensations lead to correct dekodyfikowania of the texts.
The practice is divided into three phases: – The first stage is dedicated to physical exercise, i.e. Asana. Asana is the foundation that generates a sense of happiness. The body must activate Asana, it must go through an intense effort to generate the sensual sensations that go beyond the physical body. The body is the most stubborn part, therefore working on it and reinforcing it to the later stages. The ancient texts always mention several paths in order to reach Nirvana (a state of deep peace and spiritual freedom-the cessation of suffering).
Among them are the path of the right views, the path of proper thinking, the path of proper speech, proper conduct, proper pursuit, proper concentration and the right way to raise money. – The second stage is devoted to listening the generated feelings during deep relaxation. – The third stage is dedicated to the mutual storytelling of experiences, feelings and their explanation. This stage is only intended to bring about awareness of the events that have occurred during this short period and which are still gently perceptible.
In Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Yogi Swatmarama we read;
"A young man, an elderly person or an old man, ill or weakened, tireless in every aspect of yoga, through continuous exercise, will receive full fulfillment."
There is no doubt that continuous practice is needed to fully follow the paths of yoga and thus to develop internally.
Let us now return to the six jogs of the crude-namely the deep meditation practices of diamond way. In the diamond way, we strive to transform our states of mind forever. Experiencing the space and openness we experience the state of truth, and when thoughts and feelings arise, we experience the przejżystości, wealth of our minds.
Diamond-way meditation is based on three pillars: the faith that all beings and phenomena are perfect, meditation, which transforms this faith into direct experience and effective action, derived from the gain of insight. Practicing is not limited to meditation only, but can be exercised at every moment of life. Yoga oil we share on;
-Phowa-Yoga conscious dying
-Gyulu-Yoga body illusory
-Tummo-Yoga internal fire
-Osel-Clear Light yoga
-Mila-Yoga sleep
-Bardo-Yoga intermediate state.
We will take care here only some of them and in the first place it will be a Mila-yoga sleep and dreaming. In the context of Tibetan Buddhism, since ancient times, much attention has been given to lucid dreaming, enough to put it at the heart of the most important meditation and spiritual practices, calling it "Tibetan yoga". This practice was begun in northern India, from the tradition of Tantric meditations with different backgrounds: Bon cults, oral tradition Zhang Zhung, Tantra mother, six of the teachings of the oil.
In Hinduism, clarity in a dream is sought after in Nindra yoga practices. The first mention of it dates back to about the seventh century AD.
Going back to the six teachings of the oil, let's say a few words about their teacher. The pus was an Indian teacher of Tantric Buddhism, who lived in the 11th century before Christ. His six teachings (or six of the yoga Laws of Ropa) were handed over to the Tibetans by the name of Marpa, who then spread it in Tibet. One of these six teachings speaks of consciousness while you sleep and control your dreamy dreams. The first step in practice is to realize when we start to dream that dream. This is the best way to understand the iluzoryczną nature of sleep, and then it is possible to change it according to your wishes. The practice of lucid dreaming helps to understand that dreams are illusory, but the most important goal is to understand that also illusory is a reality during wakefulness.
Lucid Dream is seen as a way of destroying the iluzorycznej nature of what we call "reality". This is a long process whose final goal is to achieve consciousness; We are accustomed, to give more importance to reality only because it seems to us more real and constant, but this fact is also illusory. If we understand this, we will be able to free ourselves from pain, suffering or fear. Buddha attained this degree of consciousness and liberation, and became awakened (or as who willed enlightened). Reality is not an illusion, and it is also possible to "awaken" in this reality. "
The reality is not false, but it is different from what we are sure that we know (Ułuda may-strewn obscuring reality).
The concept of spiritual awakening in Buddhism is expressed in terms of Bodhi ("Awakening" or "enlightenment"), which have the same roots etymological with the name of Buddha (awakened or enlightened); He himself, questioned whether he was God or simply the man replied, "I am awakened"; This is the true meaning of a Buddha's word "The One who awakened".
However, self-conscious, clean and simple, cannot make
"We awaken" in a spiritual sense. This is just the beginning of the journey.
To achieve this high level of consciousness is the need for meditation, which gradually takes us to a higher level of consciousness. To go to a higher level, we need to practice meditation in a dream.
Tibetan sleep Yoga connects us to our spirit, shows the depth of mind, makes you able to confront your fears. In this way we can be aware in every aspect of our lives. Also in the state of wakefulness we will be free from limitations, fear, suffering, pain or disappointment. While practicing sleep yoga, we can reach deeper levels: in fact you can keep a clear mind not only in dreams or during REM sleep, but also in the deep sleep stage. In deep sleep there is no dream, there is nothing, there is only a vacuum. But in this vacuum you reach a higher level of meditation, because we gain access to deeper levels of consciousness, we begin to work from the "roots" of our "I am".
Paradoxically, the more our body is immersed in a dream, the more our soul is asleep. For this reason, meditation is much more efficient and effective than the one we perform while waking up.
It's such a "way of shortcuts" to start our inner transformation faster. This practice can give us great psychological strength, but although the most direct one, it is much harder than other meditation practices. Harder, but not as complicated as it would be, although it is not possible at the beginning to perform them on their own or on the basis of read books, need to be taught under the guidance of a qualified teacher. Those who practice Tibetan sleep yoga and dreaming can reach the final, final level of science that concerns death.
In fact, there is an analogy between przemiennością sleep and wakefulness, just like life and death.
Between sleep and wakefulness there is an intermediate stage of sleep, between life and death there is also an intermediate stage, which in Tibetan Buddhism is called Bardo. More specifically, Bardo is a transient state between two lives that are overlapping, one life ends, and the next begins.
After death, a new life called reincarnation begins, but before the starting of a new life, there is precisely this phase of "intermediate" defined as Bardo. Meditative practice of yoga sleep and dreaming allows you to recognize the parallelism between going to bed, dreaming, waking up, and – on the other hand – death, Bardo, and new life. A person who has attained enlightenment remembers his previous life and after death is able to maintain clarity (brightness) even at the Bardo stage.
I recommend here I can an interesting book of many authors translated by Ireneusz Kanię-"The Tibetan Book of the Dead" where we approach the subject of death and rebirth described by the ancient Masters.
Returning to the six jogs of the pus should also pay attention to the very interesting science of Tummo-the internal yoga of fire. Tummo Yoga, which Kindles "inner ember", is a practice of Tibetan Buddhism that is able to raise body temperature. But it is above all a powerful yoga meditation – often considered (in the new schools of Buddhism) for a very secret and dangerous practice. It is taught only by advanced practitioners, because it is one of the "six jogs of the oil", very elaborate and beyond the monastery without a qualified teacher the science is downright impossible.
In our country it is still little known (in full form), rather gentle forms of Tummo consisting of relaxation-focusing exercises. However, if we have the opportunity to get closer to this practice, we will notice that it is very effective in improving our psycho-physical wellbeing. It is also able to provide unrivalled benefits through the power of our own thoughts and breathing-relaxing exercises.
Quickly regenerates our strength, increases vitality and allows you to quickly rest. Following the line of our thoughts and delving a little bit in understanding Tummo, we go straight to this "inner fire", which we often cannot comprehend. All of us happened to die from the cold in the frosty winter evenings dreaming of a little bit of heat. Inevitably, especially for those who suffer from low temperatures, the feeling of cold causes negative emotions, which in turn can lead to fears, apathy, depression and do not leave us until the return of the warm seasons.
If we look a little farther, beyond our horizons and poszybujemy in our thoughts to the distant Tibet, we can find a solution to our problems in the practices of Buddhist monks, who over the years busily guarded the secret of Tummo or inner fire.
Recently, Western scientists have confirmed that Tummo "Kindles the body" and is able to increase by about 8 ° C the temperature at the level of hands and feet, which are parts of the body most exposed to cold. The practical aspect of Tummo is known to Tibetan monks who must survive on the icy peaks of their magnificent mountains. As evidence of the preparation for these drastic climatic conditions, the monks przyodziewają in thin cloths zmoczone water and go to meditate on the shores of the Oblodzonego Lake. As you can imagine it is one of the most difficult trials to experience and it may be that not all of them pass by the victorious.
Milarepa (Grand Master of Tibetan Buddhism) in his songs, describes a quiet meditation under the snow, dressed only "in lightweight cotton clothing". But what is Tummo from Tibetan Yoga point of view?
This is just a practice that belongs to one of the 6 Jog pus.
Today say that it is a kind of visualization, but of course it is a lot more. We imagine a red color flame located in the navel area, but inside our body. This red flame must have a precise appearance: it looks like a Stupa (the simplest type of Buddhist sacral edifice) or as the Grotto, which in the upper part has a crescent and above the Moon Sun, from which a small spark, representing the inner Sound (NADA). Meditation on the flame corresponds to the power of the internal fire, placed in the Central energy channel
("Uma" in Tibetan–radiance, Light, "Nadi"-the channel, she lived in Sanskrit). To revive the flame it is necessary that both side channels are merged, bringing our attention to the central channel of energy flow: this unity is represented by the balance reached by the sun and the moon above the tip of the grotto.
As scientist Jacques Vigne writes, "In this way, the central channel opens more and more by letting life energy circulate and the sense of inner happiness stabilizes in the body."
At the physical level the effect is an increase in body temperature, on the spiritual plane, the effect is the opening of energy channels, which are described in Tibetan essays as clogged by a kind of "worms".
The heat of the Tummo is closely connected to the body's energy, so in practice it is combined with physical exercises aimed at loosening the body and the energy channels inside it.
Vigne also writes: "It is a way to point out that in general our feelings are fragmented, chipped and do not merge into the harmonious flow of currents throughout the whole body; They are like standing water instead of being constantly flowing through the river. " By focusing on the fire that warms at the height of the navel the monks recite the mantras. In particular, two sounds, "A" and "Ham", which are the first and last sound of the Tibetan alphabet (our alpha and Omega).
As such include the entire alphabet, all the sounds that connect together. We also note that the combination of two sounds produces "aham", a notion that in Sanskrit means "me." The inner flame passing through the mantra throughout the alphabet also releases us from our inner self.
Consequently, the spirit is reassured and the thoughts stop flowing in our head. The practice of Tummo meditation, the less elaborate and more suitable for exercise (absolutely not as drastic as that practised by monks), can increase our resistance to infections, add us vitality and vigor in our daily lives.
But let us also remember that Tibetan Buddhism does not separate the mind from the body. It is the whole ceremony, exercise, mystic, experience, which are refined years of full inner harmony and balance.
It is very difficult and requires a lot, much work. The interesting thing to add is that the Dutch physical fitness guru, Wim Hof called "Iceman" practicing techniques reminiscent of Tummo has become very resistant to low temperatures. As the first man in the world ran into a sandal around the Arctic, as well as won the summit of Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro dressed in shorts. He established 20 world records abolishing long-term, direct contact with ice. Recently it ran 42 km in the Namibia desert, not drinking a drop of water. These and other experiences are described in his book "Way of the Iceman", which will surprise us with his wonderful stories.
All the benefits of yoga practice cannot be described by words because most of them are internal states. We learn to know ourselves and our energies, learn to properly relate to our body, understand its limits, accept them, respect and develop the sense of love. The regular practice of techniques makes us awaken in our feeling of joy, kindness, compassion, self-confidence, our health is improving, our own self-assessment. As with magic wand, fears and accumulated stress disappear.
We feel like doing something for others and in general we start to see these "others". Our wisdom, curiosity and desire for inner development awakens. We are on this earth to be on it. We do not need to cut time pieces from our lives to learn how to live – we should only open ourselves to this inner light which overflows each of us. How he wrote a. Powell Davies "Life is simply a chance to wychodowanie the soul."