Evening Came and Morning Followed - The Fourth Day
Yesterday was an exquisite day here at the Anusara Yoga gathering in Denver.
Paul Muller Ortega's insights were simply delicious, and as I reviewed my notes last night, I realized that they really focused on the experiences and nuances of a meditation and yoga practice.
Last night I typed up the notes of the day to more deeply imbibe their hidden fruit.
Just a few highlights:
"There is a pulsation of energy that occurs with both rest and relaxation in meditation and yoga practice...
The inbreath and the outbreath are both ceaselessly and constantly engaged in the process of going in and going out. The inbreath and outbreath are our constant companions in life from the moment of our birth until our end. Within this flow we experience the pulsation of consciousness. Shakti is present in the Absolute as the Absolute. (This is one of the fundamental differences between Tantra and Vedanta).
Consciousness is shakti – its fundamental nature is power.
The physical body is the surface membrane of the soul. It’s not that it contains consciousness – it IS consciousness!
As you inhale and you exhale – you are actually floating in the pulsational waves of consciousness itself. We know this – but in the Bhairava Tantra we have a textual anchoring of this knowledge and awareness. In other words, the classical location of this practice and teaching is found here.
Visarga – the sound “HA” – is a sound that is produced during exhalation – but this sound can’t happen without the inhalation – like in “SO HAM.”
This mantra describes simultaneously – a practice and state. In meditation – you come to a point where your inhalation and exhalations rest. Then you have that experience that something is calling you there – to that place of deliciousness – you are absorbed and drawn there.
“SO HAM” is also like “HAM SA.”
In Tantra – the “HA” or “HAM” sound is made on the inhalation – because it is said the inhalation makes this sound. In Vedanta – this is reversed – the “SO” sound comes first.
The pivot point is your individual awareness of this flow of energy.
You are constantly making this mantra sound as you breathe – and then it becomes a practice. You don’t strain to hear this sound – but you allow this subtle sensation to occur and your awareness to ride on it.
The saying of this mantra is linked to the breath – and it is a dharana practice.
Here, we are dealing with skillful entry into an already naturally occurring structure of consciousness – as an efficacious optimization of the flow of consciousness.
That’s why yoga is universal – because the science of the nature of the breath is universal and corresponds to the way nature is already expressing itself.
There is a transmissional way in how these dharana practices are taught and learned.
Swami Muktananda said that meditation itself – taught meditation..."
Paul Muller Ortega's insights were simply delicious, and as I reviewed my notes last night, I realized that they really focused on the experiences and nuances of a meditation and yoga practice.
Last night I typed up the notes of the day to more deeply imbibe their hidden fruit.
Just a few highlights:
"There is a pulsation of energy that occurs with both rest and relaxation in meditation and yoga practice...
The inbreath and the outbreath are both ceaselessly and constantly engaged in the process of going in and going out. The inbreath and outbreath are our constant companions in life from the moment of our birth until our end. Within this flow we experience the pulsation of consciousness. Shakti is present in the Absolute as the Absolute. (This is one of the fundamental differences between Tantra and Vedanta).
Consciousness is shakti – its fundamental nature is power.
The physical body is the surface membrane of the soul. It’s not that it contains consciousness – it IS consciousness!
As you inhale and you exhale – you are actually floating in the pulsational waves of consciousness itself. We know this – but in the Bhairava Tantra we have a textual anchoring of this knowledge and awareness. In other words, the classical location of this practice and teaching is found here.
Visarga – the sound “HA” – is a sound that is produced during exhalation – but this sound can’t happen without the inhalation – like in “SO HAM.”
This mantra describes simultaneously – a practice and state. In meditation – you come to a point where your inhalation and exhalations rest. Then you have that experience that something is calling you there – to that place of deliciousness – you are absorbed and drawn there.
“SO HAM” is also like “HAM SA.”
In Tantra – the “HA” or “HAM” sound is made on the inhalation – because it is said the inhalation makes this sound. In Vedanta – this is reversed – the “SO” sound comes first.
The pivot point is your individual awareness of this flow of energy.
You are constantly making this mantra sound as you breathe – and then it becomes a practice. You don’t strain to hear this sound – but you allow this subtle sensation to occur and your awareness to ride on it.
The saying of this mantra is linked to the breath – and it is a dharana practice.
Here, we are dealing with skillful entry into an already naturally occurring structure of consciousness – as an efficacious optimization of the flow of consciousness.
That’s why yoga is universal – because the science of the nature of the breath is universal and corresponds to the way nature is already expressing itself.
There is a transmissional way in how these dharana practices are taught and learned.
Swami Muktananda said that meditation itself – taught meditation..."
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