Tomato, To refresh your memory, the Breath of Fire exercises were probably done with the American Sikh sect, which publishes under the 3HO Foundation logo. They continue to run Yoga Ashrams in numerous places throughout the US. They practice a form of Kundulini Yoga that is highly physical and demanding. Breath of Fire is usually done at the end of a physical set of assanas, and often while in a physically taxing assana, and followed by meditation, often accompanied by mantras, or breath awareness. Breath of Fire is in itself a rather taxing form of Pranayama or breath awareness.
IMO, if one is really wigged out this stuff will catch your attention and bring you back to some place much nicer than where you were. But over the long haul the 'snorting' and the highly physical assanas and meditative mantra's make it a bit difficult to practice if you live within reasonable distance of anyone else who doesn't have an uderstanding of what you are attempting. ...Have you ever been awoken at 4:30 in the morning by a Hari Krisha Devotee doing his morning chants??
Vipassana Meditation is practiced and taught by a few organizations in the US and Canada. S.N. Goenka's, Vipassana Meditation Center's are perhaps the best known. What you mentioned is a preliminary form of Vipassana Meditation. The exact name escapes me, but it is basically a pranayama meditation that focuses awareness on the breath, and the area around the nose. Its purpose it to bring on a relaxed state from which you can move to Vipassana, which is a meditative exercise in awareness of sensations. This can be quite powerful and long lasting in its effects.
Vipassana is taught most often in 10 day courses. i.e. You got to pay attention to paying attention. IMO you can go to some serious places in your mind in 10 days of relative isolation; and the investment is very worthwhile.
Please forgive the Pedantics, but what I am trying to point out here is that when you get into this stuff, the people that have put the thought into it have realized that this is not a spectator sport. You have to get serious and you must learn the game, whatever it might be. The Kundulini style is to work off your tensions with physical exercise and breathing, while the Vipassana style is to just become aware that you have tensions and that they may be doing things to your mind and body. Both demand time and effort to perfect the technique.
I like them both, as neither one of them claims to take you on any kind of 'magic carpet ride'. In both cases you must put a lot of time and energy into gaining an understanding of the 'artform'. I believe that Vipassana is the more powerful; but if I ever had the time I think a combination of the two would be truly incredible.
One of the things I really respect about Vipassana and its supporters is that the centers are run entirely on a donation basis. You don't have to make any 'down payment' on peace of mind. If you like it you give what you can.
Finally, I believe that any time spent just sitting reflectively and being aware is beneficial. It doesn't matter what happens in ones thoughts, as long as one lets it happen and doesn't get all weird about it....finding oneself looking in the refrigerator when one is supposed to be sitting...is one thing....screaming at the walls may be another. But then again, even realizing that one is screaming at the walls may be helpful.......the sitting just lets you see it for what it is.
Tomato, I've lurked the Winspear thread for months and have enjoyed your contributions. I don't feel as if I'm talking to a stranger; just someone I've not corresponded with.
regards, Sat Nam, Be Happy!
mnmuench |
