Chakra Workout gracefully blends the traditions of Yoga, Sufism, and Taoism for the modern seeker. You will learn the ancient techniques of rejuvenation from cultures around the world - and achieve definitive results at your own pace, in the privacy of your own home. Meeting the demands of your daily obligations can drain you, frustrate you ... and slowly kill you in both body and spirit. Regain the vibrant physical and spiritual energy that is your birthright - self-discovery begins here!
This book will start the process of directing your energy into your higher chakras and making the lower chakras healthy enough to stand the increased "voltage."
Normally, without direction, your lower chakras are more dense, "heavier," and have a slower vibrational rate. Conversely, the farther away a chakra is from your base, the higher its frequency and the less dense it is.
For us, alchemy is the process of transforming and transmuting lower chakra energies into "higher," more refined frequencies. This is looking at the alchemy of spiritual transformation from a Tantric viewpoint. The essence of the process is not to reject the lower energies, but to consciously transmute those energies in your alchemy of personal spiritual transformation.
If our words help you in any way in your spiritual quest, then we will feel our endeavor has been successful
Sitting for years on a Himalayan mountaintop is a valid way to achieve spiritual progress, but the average Westerner has neither the time nor the patience to do this. In the West, life is fast-paced and the hours and strength we have to devote to spiritual or physical practices are limited. We need to achieve definite results quickly, because most of us can set aside only a few minutes each day for whatever technique we have chosen.
There are many paths to spiritual awareness. This book is not trying to present the "truth," because our truths may never be yours. Always be aware of what realities are valid for you, and be alert to changes in your perceptions as you grow spiritually. It is you, the individual, who must develop awareness of what is working for you and what is not. Don't ever complacently decide, "This is truth." A pond stagnates when there is no influx of fresh water, no mixing of old and new, no movement onward. So the constant flow of your seeking, expanding, and growing will keep your "truth' alive and ever-changing.
Since we are presently in physical bodies, why not starts a spiritual quest with the physical body itself, since that is what we are more closely in touch with? Therefore, this is a beginner's guide on movement and breath. Imagine it as a signpost at a crossroads saying, "Self-discovery begins here."
Certain physical movements combined with consciously controlled breath can acquaint you with your energy body. Cosmic energy is all around us - we are cosmic energy. Our spiritual progress begins as we learn to generate, cultivate, and move energy within ourselves. Dynamic meditation has been very helpful and we would like to share these exercises and meditation combinations with others who are also searching.
The Aquarian Age Brings Change In the past, usually one surrendered totally to a master. This made spiritual life much simpler, because the burden of decision was lifted from the individual. A student needed only to follow the master's instructions. These might be difficult instructions, they might have even seemed impossible, but the requirements were definite and the path to spiritual growth was well-marked.
Now, as the Age of Aquarius dawns, these traditions are losing their appeal. This is especially true in the West, where we ask questions and do not blindly accept. More and more of us are willing to venture into the unknown, to search for greater spirituality, on our own. Also, there seem to be fewer masters taking disciples; even if you desired to be a disciple, you might not be able to find a master to follow or one to whom you could surrender.
Maybe this change is due, in part, to the availability of many of the old "secrets." Guarded for so long, meted out so carefully to disciples, many of these secrets are coming out from China, Tibet, Japan, the Middle East, and from Native Americans here in North America'. Many books of these secrets are now available in almost any bookstore. The oral tradition is alive and well, too, as we have learned from traveling companions and chance encounters throughout our travels.
Techniques Which Open the Door to Meditation In a broad sense, we feel there are two types of meditation: passive and dynamic. Both are important. Many people in the West can best achieve spiritual growth through a combination of the two. There are many types of passive meditation. They are usually quiet, Involving little external physical activity. More advanced technlques require much internal activity and careful circulation of the breath. There are probably as many forms of quiet, passive meditation as there are people. To find a personal, serene, unchanging center, it makes sense that each person will approach meditation from a slightly different angle.
Dynamic meditation, which is newer to some people, is movement combined with consciously directed breath. Several dynamic meditations have evolved from martial art forms. Others seem to have had their beginnings in rejuvenation techniques. In the beginning, these meditations are different from passive meditation, though the ultimate goal is the same.
When first practicing dynamic meditation, the mind is cluttered with concerns about whether the breath and the movements are synchronized correctly. It is hard to remember everything at once. This passes with practice, as each person discovers the natural way that breathing becomes a part of the movement, and begins to see the joy of dynamic meditation. This is the start of an adventure into the inner, vibrant energy space.
The movement of dynamic meditation seems especially suited to stressed Westerners. Often it is easier to relax into a truly passive meditation after dynamic moving meditation, even if a quiet mental state seemed impossible at the outset.
A Combination of Traditions We are presenting movement systems from several traditions. T'ai Chi Chi Kung, T'ai Chi Ruler, and Red Dragon Chi Kung are Chinese. The Chakra Energizers are East Indian; Sufi Earth Dancing, Veil Dancing, and Whirling come from the Middle East. The Dance of the Four Directions is Native American.
From a strictly physical point of view, the result of movement and breath exercises can be a trimmer, more supple, healthier body that moves with increased strength and grace. Exercise of almost any kind is an uncomplicated way to feel better and look better, but these exercise meditations promise much more.
For example, the Red Dragon Chi Kung movements, which use a long wooden wand for all positions, are incredible. When combined with conscious breath, the movements generate chi quickly. The wand acts as a conductor of energy between the energy centers of the hands, the solar plexus, and the brow.
One student who took the Red Dragon Chi Kung class for eight weeks got rid of her headaches and improved her flexibility tremendously. Because of arthritis in her hands and hips, at first she couldn't do many of the positions correctly. But she continued to do them every day, and in no time was bending and stretching with the rest of the class. "I couldn't even lay my hands out flat when I started," she said, beaming, as she spread her hands straight, each joint fully extended. She had also lost 15 pounds by the end of the course.
On a spiritual level, the results can be much more dramatic as you become acquainted with the energy source that is all around and within you. We are luminous energy beings. Kirlian photography has provided tangible proof of this energy field, or aura, as it extends out from our bodies, as have other scientific machines and techniques.
Choices How and to whom you surrender yourself is beyond the scope of this book. Whether you surrender to a bodhi leaf like the Buddha did, or to a master, or to your own inner cosmic center - it is you who makes the choices. You have to be the one who prepares your body and mind for the increasing flow of energy.
Because our bodies are our single most precious personal possession, the quality of our life, both spiritually and physically, is directly governed by our physical condition. As body tone improves, for example, mental outlook changes in many ways. New thoughts and new ideas become possible. Similar to the concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, breath and movement when combined have analchemy out of which something new and unexpected is born: an actual awareness of energy and often a new perception of spirituality.
Especially for the beginner, movement and breath become a starting point on the threshold of the doorway to spirituality. Once you can consciously feel the life force flowing through your body, and grasp the possibilities of a more spiritual life, you have taken the first step on a path of greater spiritual awareness, and possibly a step towards enlightenment.
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Abhinavagupta (31)
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Original Tantric Texts (16)
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