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Adam West
23 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 26 2005 : 11:06:21 PM
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Hi all,
Sorry I can't be too active of late... I am very busy with academics... None the less, meditations and research continues unabated could it be otherwise? :-)
Thought you might be interested in the perspective a yet another genuinely realized mystic, not unlike Yogani, yet of the Christian tradition. He has a whole bunch of lessons stemming from his own realization of Divine Consciousness.. You will find much similarity, yet of course differences with AYP... Truth is Truth...! :-) It is a large quote and I will provide the link so you can find the rest. I have chosen to post the large quote for its implicit value, where much more people are likely to read it and receive its important points, more so than if I just provided a link. If yogani feels it takes up too much storage space... I of course will understand :-) Here it is, please see below :-)
In kind regards,
Adam.
http://www.chrmysticaloutreach.com/.../1/index.htm
Sit quietly and if it is comfortable for you, mentally, use the word FATHER as you inhale and mentally, grant me thy "PEACE" as you exhale. There is a reason for using these two words. The sound of the "ah but more like uh" deep in the throat, and the "eee" high in the throat, stimulate two different nerve pathways along each side the spine, causing the circulation of the Holy Spirit in these two pathways which eventually causes the Spirit to rise up through the center of the spine.
Further on in the vision of Zechariah (YOU MAY WANT TO REREAD THAT PART OF THE LESSONS), he talks about these two channels along side the central channel of the lampstand (The Spirit in the spine), Zechariah writes: "What are these two olive trees at each side of the lampstand?" and again I asked, "What are the two olive tufts which freely pour out fresh oil through the two golden channels?" Zech. 4:11,12 This of course, is where he is describing his vision of the spiritual body while he was in a superconscious dream state.
Jewish mysticism has always been pretty close mouthed about such things, so I do not know what they called these two channels in our spiritual body but in yoga the two channels are called the Ida and the Pingala and the central channel in the spine is called Sushumna. I repeat, there is no difference in the human anatomy of a yogi and a Jewish prophet, a Buddhist or an atheist. The mystics of each religion have always looked at the same spiritual anatomy of the soul and describe what they see in their own terms. For instance, the mystics of some of the American Indian cultures had described these centers in the spiritual body long before having any contact with the rest of the world.
Before you do anything, you might want to gently practice creating the "uh" sound deep in your throat as you inhale and the "eee" sound up against the roof of you mouth as you inhale. Don't be dramatic. Both sounds are done very softly.
The breath flowing up against these two nerve areas create an up flowing and down flowing of the Spirit in the spiritual body as well as the physical. Remember that the physical body and the spiritual body impinge on each other at various nerve centers throughout both bodies and just as a mental activity like contemplative prayer influences the physical body, a physical activity like the breathing exercises will influence the spiritual body. Only at death will the physical and spiritual be separated. Also, do not be confused about another point: Neither of these bodies is the soul. There are many sheaths around the soul but that is out of the scope of these lessons.
OK, you have gotten the "uh" and "eee" sound down. If it is comfortable, breath through your slightly opened mouth throughout the exercise. In order to stay inwardly focused, it is best to keep your eyes closed or half closed. Do not strain but try to use full intention throughout your practice. Use your imagination until you actually feel the flowing of the Spirit. Then try to use your full intention to keep it flowing. As you do the exercises, imagine that you are like a fountain with the Holy Spirit welling up from the base of the spine, flowing up into your head. (It will.)
The exercise goes as follows. Softly creating the "uh" sound in the bottom of your throat and saying "FATHER", (Or whatever you are comfortable with.) slowly inhale, imagining and intending that you are drawing the Holy Spirit up from the base of the spine, through the center of it, into and filling your head with the Holy Spirits light, vibration or peace. There are three aspects of doing this that are important; imagination, intention and attention. First imagine that the Holy Spirit is resting at the base of your spine. (It is.) With as much intention as is comfortable (without physically straining) mentally reach down, grab hold of it and as you inhale, slowly and evenly pull the Holy Spirit up through your spine. The Holy Spirit will go to where you attention is, so it may help to move your attention upward along your spine as you inhale. This need be no more than being aware of specific areas of your spine as you inhale.
Just before the end of your inhalation, (and do not fill your lungs with so much air that you are uncomfortable) as you feel or imagine the Holy Spirit rising into your head, intend and or imagine that the Holy Spirit is spreading throughout your head, filling it with light or sound or peace. This helps open the centers of higher consciousness located in the brain.
Next, with breath held for half as long as your inhalation, gently without straining, look behind the darkness of your mind for the Holy Spirit, the light of the Christ or the light of the Father. Look into as deep a level of Divine Consciousness as you can.
(There is only Divine Consciousness. Even if we are looking in the darkness of our own minds, we are still looking into an individualized aspect of the universal mind of God.) What the universal mind is and does is another aspect of Divine Consciousness that is beyond the scope of these lessons.
Next, exhaling, equal in time to your inhalation, creating the soft "eee" sound at the roof of you mouth and (If you are comfortable with it) mentally saying grant me thy PEACE, imagine that you are falling deeply into Gods arms. Imagine the Holy Spirit washing over your body like a great wave or an over flowing fountain, flowing down the spine and throughout your body, filling your body and mind with light, sound or peace.
Next, with your breath out for half as long as your exhalation, (Which is the same length of time you have held it.) imagine that you are resting in the Holy Spirits arms. (Which you are doing, even if you dont know it.)
This is one complete breath. Actually it is much easier to do than to explain. With your next breath try to fall a little deeper into the Holy Spirit and Gods arms and so on to the end of your devotional period. If your mind becomes still then stop the breathing exercises and rest in that awareness. Let the Holy Spirit reveal or do what it will. When you leave the intuitive calm and your mind becomes active again, continue the breathing exercises. |
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yogani
USA
5195 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2005 : 09:24:23 AM
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Hello Adam:
Thank you very much for posting that. It is spinal breathing in Christianity! An excellent example of how practitioners in Christianity, and in all the traditions, are expanding from faith (bhakti) alone into practices that directly address the neuro-biological aspects of human spiritual transformation. It is an important shift that has been slowly coming up over the past 50-100 years, corresponding with the arrival of yoga systems in the West. For some history of this migration of Eastern knowledge, see AYP lesson #253 at http://www.aypsite.org/253.html
What we are seeing is a synthesis of methods crossing traditional lines, which is a very good thing.
Another Judeo/Christian approach that was brought to my attention some time ago is the Essene Nazarean Church of Mount Carmel, which is not shy about making a direct connection with yogic methods from the East. See http://www.essene.com/B'nai-Amen/yoga.htm
Perhaps other readers here know of other Christian applications of the formerly esoteric knowledge. If so, please let us know. I say "formerly esoteric" because we aim to open it all up here for everyone to see, compare, integrate and further refine. It is time for that.
None of this is to say that the mystical practices emerging in the Western traditions these days are all Eastern yoga-based. The nervous system is what it is, and the principles and practices involved in purifying and opening it are universal. So these methods (with variations) can originate with any "seer" in any part of the world. Indeed, all of the world's traditions were started by such individuals. It is only fitting that the traditions should rediscover their mystical roots in modern times and finally share with the public the methods that spawned them in the first place. Mr. Richardson and many others are doing just that. Bravo!
The guru is in you.
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Adam West
23 Posts |
Posted - Aug 28 2005 : 12:13:18 AM
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Hey Yogani,
Yes it is indeed an exciting time :-)
In the kindest possible regards,
Adam. |
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rabar
USA
64 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2006 : 9:45:01 PM
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| Thanks also, Adam! I've been trying the subvocal 'Uh' on the inhale and the 'Eee' on the exhale. It's very handy in social situations -- and I mentioned it here in the 'christian mantra practice' topic before belatedly remembering who and where it came from! |
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A realized Christain Mystics view on Pranayama.
