Tibetan gymnastics 5. Set of exercises “5 Tibetan pearls. Exercises “Five Tibetans” as a source of youth for every day

I'm 60 and I practice these exercises daily! The excess weight has gone away, my thyroid has returned to normal, and seasonal colds have forgotten their way into my home.

The secret of the youthful appearance and vigor of Tibetan monks, kept in deepest secret hundreds of years, has become available to everyone.

Execution 5 simple exercises, which are not without reason called "Tibetan pearls", gives an impressive result: relieves diseases, rejuvenates, restores visual acuity, hearing, normalizes weight, increases endurance and performance, gives a charge of vigor and good mood.

We tried this technique on ourselves and was finally convinced: Tibetan "Eye of Renaissance" It really doesn’t take much time, and when done regularly, the body is filled with vital energy, the muscles are filled with strength, and thoughts are tuned into a positive mood.

Tibetan pearls

Exercise No. 1

The first exercise involves rotating clockwise. Raise your arms to the sides at shoulder level, palms facing down. Start rotating clockwise around your axis until you feel slightly dizzy. Try to breathe slowly, evenly and deeply. At first, do 3 rotations, but gradually increase their number to 21. After completing the exercise, stop, fold your arms in front of your chest and wait until the dizziness completely disappears.

Exercise No. 2

Lie on your back, arms along your body. Exhale as much as possible. Inhaling smoothly and deeply, lift both legs up at an angle of 90°, reaching your head towards your chest. Try not to lift your pelvis or bend your knees. As you exhale smoothly, return to the starting position.

Start with three leisurely repetitions, gradually increasing their number to 21, no more. After performing the second pearl, lie on your back and relax for 30-60 seconds.

Exercise No. 3

Get on your knees, legs parallel to each other, toes resting on the floor, palms on your buttocks. As you exhale, tilt your head to your chest; as you inhale, tilt your head back, bend slightly and stick out your chest. As you exhale, tilt your head toward your chest again, continuing to combine bending with breathing. Do 3 to 21 repetitions. After completing the exercise, restore your breathing and rest for 30–60 seconds.

Exercise No. 4

Sit on the mat, place your palms on the floor, fingers facing forward. The legs are straight, the feet are shoulder-width apart, the head is tilted towards the chest. As you inhale, roll from heel to toe, lift your pelvis up and throw your head back.

Stay in this position for a few seconds, tensing all your muscles. As you exhale, return to the starting position. Start with 3 smooth repetitions, eventually building up to 21. After completing the fourth pearl, rest for 30-60 seconds.

Exercise No. 5

The final Tibetan pearl is the upward-facing dog. Stand upright, lying on your hands, bend over, palms and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. The knees and pelvis do not touch the floor. Tilt your head back and exhale. As you inhale, lift your pelvis and move into the downward-facing dog position (slide pose). The chin reaches towards the chest, the legs are as straight as possible, while the body resembles an acute angle.

As you exhale, return to the starting position, remembering to breathe. Don’t be afraid, over time you will get the hang of breathing correctly: inhale while bending your body, and exhale while unbending. Perform from 3 to 21 repetitions, it depends on your preparation.

In order for the Tibetan practice of rejuvenation and healing to bring the desired result, it is necessary to adhere to several simple rules its implementation.

GENERAL RULES

1. The most important rule is regularity! Do a set of exercises once a day, avoiding skipping. If you want to achieve maximum effect, increase the number of repetitions: 1st week - 3 repetitions of each exercise, 2nd week - 5 repetitions, 3rd week - 7 repetitions, and so on up to 21 repetitions in 10 weeks of practice.
2. Best time to perform the “Eye of Rebirth” - in the morning on an empty stomach.
3. Another important condition quickly achieve results - correct, even, deep breathing through the nose.
4. If you find it difficult to perform this or that exercise, do not overexert yourself. It is better to do fewer repetitions, but with high quality.
5. After completing each exercise, do not forget to give yourself a minute of rest, relax and restore your breathing.

There are a huge number of oriental exercises and complexes, but this one is perhaps the most effective. 5 Tibetan pearls They give a charge of vitality, tone muscles, normalize the functioning of all organs and systems, but most importantly, they nourish the mind and soul. Start doing this set of exercises today and feel how you change inside and out.

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Gymnastics With beautiful name « Five Tibetan pearls"became popular after the publication of Peter Kadler's book The Eye of the Renaissance in 1938. Its main effect is aimed at rejuvenating and activating the body's defenses.

The essence of the exercises

It is believed that every person has 7 centers called vortices. They all rotate at a certain speed, which ensures a healthy state of the body.

Magnetic centers in the human body are located:

• in the frontal part of the head;
• in the back of the head;
• in the throat area, at the base of the neck;
• in the liver area;
• in the genital area;
• 2 vortices in the knees.

When the movement of the vortices slows down, a person becomes sickly and begins to age. To restore youth and health, the monks spun the magnetic centers to their original speed, for which they used the method of 5 Tibetan pearls.

The training complex consists of 5 exercises aimed at physical development in combination with improving the respiratory system. The "Eye of Rebirth" revealed the ancient Tibetan secrets, which have a beneficial and rejuvenating effect on a person’s energy and physical state, which were kept secret by the monks for a long time.

Pros, cons

The Tibetan method of healing and rejuvenation has a number of advantages, which include:

• in the simplicity of the constituent elements of the lesson;
• there is no need to use additional equipment and gear;
• the ability to exercise in any conditions: at home, outdoors or in the gym.
• in short-term training.

Flaws:

• in contraindications for classes in certain conditions of the body;
• in nullifying the results of training in the absence of regularity.

Contraindications

To restore the body, Tibetan gymnastics cannot be used for diseases:

• of cardio-vascular system;
• Parkinson's;
• hypertension;
• gastric and intestinal systems of the body;
• acute forms of arthritis;
• spine.

Exercises

1. Torsion of the body with arms extended in opposite directions around an imaginary axis from left to right. To automate the performance of a gymnastic element, you should imagine yourself located in the center of a huge dial located on the ground. Rotation should only be done clockwise. The criterion for completing the exercise is the appearance of slight dizziness. For beginners, especially at 1 week, it is recommended to limit yourself to 3 revolutions. Exhaling forcefully before performing the exercise will set the rhythm for further breathing during the training process. Simultaneous raising and lowering of the legs is carried out from a supine position. To increase the effectiveness of the exercise, you should hold for 5 seconds in extreme positions.
2. The exercise involves tilting your head in the “back and up” direction. with simultaneous protrusion chest and the placement of hands on the hips from a kneeling position with vertical lines of the hips and hands. After completing the ritual, you should return to the starting position. You need to start repeating after a short rest. Particular attention should be paid to breathing. Before performing the exercise, you need to take a deep breath. When bending, you need to inhale, and when returning to the starting position, exhale. According to the Tibetan method, the supply of oxygen to the body through breathing interconnects the physical and mental bodies, making it possible to control the etheric force.
3. Particular attention is paid to breathing. Immediately before starting the exercise, you should take a deep and long exhalation, as a result of which the beginning of the correct breathing process is laid. In the 4th ritual, it is necessary to move the head in the “back and up” direction while simultaneously raising the torso to a horizontal position of the hips and vertical position of the arms and shins of the legs from the initial state, sitting with a straightened spine and legs shoulder-width apart. To make it easier to complete the task, your hands should be positioned at floor level, fingers forward. You should remain in a state of tension for no more than 5 seconds, after which you should return your torso to its original position and relax it.
4. You need to lie down, leaning on your palms and toes. The head should be thrown back and raised up, while the body should be placed in a position resembling an acute angle. When pressing your chin to your chest, you need to make sure that your legs do not bend. To complicate the task, you can take a short pause for 5 seconds at the moment of maximum muscle tension.
5. This ritual is characterized by the use of paradoxical breathing, when the exercise begins with exhalation, and inhalation is carried out while folding the body. The next exhalation is done when the body returns to the original position of the folded body.

To achieve results in improving the health of the body and improving the functioning of energy channels, it is enough to perform a set of simple exercises for just 20 minutes a day.

The basic rules of the methodology are to follow the recommendations:

1. A prerequisite for obtaining results is the regularity of classes.
2. It is considered the best time to practice immediately after waking up in the morning on an empty stomach.
3. In the first week, you should perform each exercise 3 times a day, 1 time per day.
4. From weeks 2 to 9, each exercise must be performed with two repetitions.
5. By the time a course of classes using the method under consideration is fully mastered, each gymnastic element must be executed 21 times.
6. While performing gymnastics, you should monitor the rhythm and correctness of breathing.
7. After finishing classes, you need to relax, which is easily achieved by adopting a straightened body position while lying down.

Five Tibetans, five Tibetan pearls, Tibetan yoga of rejuvenation, “Eye of Revival” or exercises of Tibetan lamas – whatever they call this simple complex exercise!

These five exercises, which came to us from Tibet thanks to Peter Kelder, have a stimulating effect on the circulation of energy through all the energy centers (chakras) of the body and directly breathe the power of life into the glands, organs and nerves.

Monks call these exercises “rituals” and treat them as an action that harmonizes energy flows and the body by reversing the internal flow of time. However, the five Tibetan pearls are not just a practice of health-improving physical exercises, they are also a powerful tool for mastering your will, which allows you to control your body at different levels.

How to perform a complex of 5 Tibetan pearls

You need to practice the exercises every day - either before breakfast or before bed. But it is morning exercises that will give the greatest effect. It is not recommended to drink or eat before completing the complex.

Duration full lesson will be approximately 20 minutes. You should start with 3 repetitions of each exercise, and then add 2 more repetitions every week, gradually bringing it to 21. Thus, by week 9 you will perform the exercises optimally 21 times. More repetitions are pointless.

About half a minute between exercises. Do not change the order of exercises or skip anything. After completing the complex, lie down and relax for a while. It is necessary to monitor your psychological state and get used to the image of a young and energetic person.

Five Tibetan pearls is not a sport, so chasing a large number of repetitions is unwise. Discipline is extremely important in practicing these exercises; it helps you take control of your unfortunate behavior patterns.

When performing this complex, regularity is very important - it is done daily.

Even missing just one training day greatly reduces the effect of exercise. If you are not feeling well or are very limited in time, do only 3 repetitions of each exercise - this way you will not get out of the general rhythm.

5 Tibetan pearls

First ritual exercise

It is very simple in nature, and you did it many times as a child, not realizing its benefits, just playing around and having fun. This exercise helps to balance the energy flows of the body, gain lightness and adjust balance.

Stand up straight with your arms extended to the sides. Now start spinning strictly clockwise until you feel dizzy. At first, you may be able to repeat this exercise only 5 times, it’s okay - more is not needed for beginners.

If after spinning you want to sit down or lie down, do so immediately. In a couple of weeks, the vestibular apparatus will become stronger and the dizziness will go away.

Gradually, when performing the complex, you will learn to rotate more confidently and avoid dizziness. Llamas never go to extremes; 21 rotations will be quite enough.

To avoid dizziness, you can use the proven method of dancers: they keep their gaze on some fixed point directly in front of them and rotate.

Second Ritual Exercise

The second exercise must be started immediately after the first. It increases body energy, tones, improves digestion and breathing.

Starting position – lying on your back. To insulate the body from the cold floor, it is better to use a special warm bedding or soft rug. The arms are extended along the body, the palms with closed fingers are pressed to the floor.

Now raise your head, pressing your chin to your chest, then raise your straight legs to a vertical position, without lifting your pelvis from the floor. You can raise your legs further “behind you” until your pelvis lifts off the floor. The main thing is not to bend your legs. After fixing in the upper position, slowly lower your head and legs and relax. Begin the next set.

In this exercise, it is important to coordinate your breathing with your movements. First, exhale, completely ridding your lungs of air; when raising your legs and head, take a smooth and deep breath; when lowering, exhale, also full and smooth. It’s okay if at first you can’t lift your legs straight, you can bend them slightly at the knees. The main thing in the 5 pearls complex is the continuity and systematic use of exercises.

Third Ritual Exercise

Kneel down with your thighs vertical and hip-width apart. Palms lie under the buttocks. Tilt your head forward, pressing your chin to your chest, then straighten your chest, tilting your head back and arch your spine, resting your hands on your hips, and return to the position with your chin pressed to your chest.

This exercise also requires coordination with the rhythm of breathing. Exhale completely, inhale as you bend back, and exhale when returning to the starting position. When performing exercises, it is necessary to breathe very fully and deeply, since it is breathing that connects the physical body and the control of etheric force. A full exhalation is always followed by a full inhalation, so pay attention to the completeness of the exhalation.

Fourth Ritual Exercise

At first glance, the fourth Tibetan pearl may seem like a difficult exercise, but it is not. A few weeks of practice every day, and the exercise will be easy and enjoyable. Even older people with poor health can master this exercise, especially since it perfectly strengthens the immune system and the body as a whole.

To perform it, sit on the mat with your legs stretched out in front of you and your palms with your fingers facing forward on your sides. Lower your head down, pressing your chin to your chest.

Now tilt your head back as far as possible and lift your torso on your arms forward and up to a horizontal position. Your shins and arms should be vertical, like table legs. In the achieved position, you need to tense your muscles for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.

Let's synchronize with the movement again. We exhale and while lifting and throwing back our heads, take a smooth deep breath. When fixing a tense position, we hold our breath, and when we lower ourselves, we exhale completely. Between repetitions, maintain a normal breathing rhythm.

Fifth Ritual Exercise

The final exercise of the “five Tibetan pearls” complex is performed in a prone position, bending over. The body rests on the palms and balls of the toes, the pelvis and knees do not touch the floor. The fingers are closed, oriented strictly forward - at a distance slightly wider than the shoulders. The distance between the feet is the same.

We tilt our head back and move into a triangle position, the apex of which is the buttocks. At the same time, we press our chin to our chest, try to keep our legs straight, and our arms and torso in the same plane.

We seem to fold the body in half in hip joints and we remain standing like that for a while. The starting position is the same emphasis, lying bent over. The back should be arched as much as possible, but not due to a bend, but due to the maximum deflection in thoracic region spine and straightened shoulders.

Enter the fixation with maximum tension of all muscles of the body - when lifting into the “corner” and when arching the back. Breathing is like this: exhale while bending over, smoothly inhale when folding the body in half, exhale completely when returning to the bend. At the fixation points, we hold our breath for several seconds, respectively, after inhalation and exhalation. This exercises the diaphragm, heart muscle and digestive system.

That's the whole legendary complex of 5 Tibetan exercises. If for some reason it is difficult to perform the complex today, do a simplified version of it, three repetitions of each exercise.

Contraindications for 5 pearls:

• nausea ;
• extensive sclerosis;
• heart disease;
• thyroid diseases;
• Parkinson's disease;
• high blood pressure.

In all of the above cases, consultation with a specialist is necessary.

Like many ancient techniques that were kept secret, recently yoga for rejuvenation has become available to everyone. Unique in its simplicity and effectiveness, the “Eye of Revival” exercises have a strong impact on the entire human body, which can be felt after just a month of regular exercise.

5 Tibetan exercises can strengthen the back, neck and limbs, cope with overweight, get rid of insomnia and chronic fatigue. For many people, they have become a means of gaining a second youth.

Over the past few years, the word “yoga” has increasingly appeared in our lives. Celebrities such as Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow practice it tirelessly and claim that yoga has changed their lives in many ways. What magic does yoga carry and what are its benefits? Is this a sport? Or a fashion trend?

“To comprehend the truth, we must go deep into ourselves, and not just master the superficial” - Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Most often, people turn to yoga when they lose the vivacity of movement, need peace, when there is a thirst for relief from the shocks and stresses of modern life. Many people start attending classes with the goal of strengthening their physical body and becoming more flexible. Often, when we start practicing yoga, we have a very vague idea of ​​what it is. We have only heard that yoga trains the body and consciousness as a whole - and this attracts us. And yet, what is yoga?

Yoga is a system of physical and mental training that includes body postures, breathing exercises, contemplation and relaxation. In yoga, there is no goal of building powerful muscles or setting any records. There is no ounce of rivalry here.

Yoga teaches a phenomenal ability to control the body. But this is already the tip of the iceberg, at the base of which is consciousness control. Yoga primarily disciplines and controls the mind, and through it the body. But we will not delve into theoretical teachings, but rather remember history.

Yoga originated in India and has been practiced for more than forty centuries. IN early times Yoga was originally associated with contemplative and meditative practice. About a thousand years ago, asanas and pranayama were widely introduced into yoga to awaken and transform energy. The term “yoga” comes from the short word “yuj”, which can be translated as “to join” or “to unite”. This means that through yoga a person can gradually unite with something sublime and refined. In other words - to find harmony of soul and body.

There are many types of yoga. This is hatha yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga and many others. We will get acquainted with hatha yoga. It is this direction that has become most widespread.

Hatha yoga not only trains muscles and teaches how to breathe correctly, but also from the very first steps solves a seemingly impossible task - massage of internal organs and improvement of blood circulation. This occurs when performing certain asanas, as well as with certain types of breathing.

Yoga can become your personal doctor and assistant throughout your life.

Yogic exercises not only prevent diseases, but also treat them, help maintain youth and vitality. It should be noted that all the most common diseases are associated with nervous exhaustion. Your psycho-emotional state plays a very important role. Yoga increases longevity nerve cells with the help of an abundant supply of their blood. For example, headstand (Shirsasana). In this position, gravity forces additional blood to the brain, acting on the pituitary gland ( endocrine system). This ensures a rejuvenating effect. Shoulderstand, in other words – “birch”, helps maintain a healthy thyroid gland.

In addition, there are many more crunches, stretches, strength and balance poses that are no less effective and useful. It is worth starting the practice with a positive and blissful mood. Throw away extraneous thoughts - just you and the mat, here and now.

Turn off your phone and focus on yourself, your breathing and your movements.

Clockwise rotation

Initial position: arms extended to the sides horizontally at shoulder level.

We rotate around our axis, always from left to right (clockwise). When starting to exercise, it is important not to overdo it. Stop spinning when you feel slightly dizzy. The optimal number of revolutions is 10-12.

Right angle

Initial position: lie on your back (on a soft mat). The arms are extended parallel to the body, palms on the floor. Exhale completely before starting the movement. Raise your head and press your chin tightly to your chest. Then we raise our legs vertically up at a right angle. Raising your head and legs, take a smooth deep breath. You can slightly pull your straight legs towards you (without bending your knees).

After this, as you exhale, slowly lower your head and legs to the floor. We relax all the muscles and only then repeat the action.

Between each two exercises, take a break, during which continue deep breathing, imagining that everything bad energies and toxins leave the body together with exhalations.

Camel

Initial position: kneel down so that your thighs are vertical. Palms lie on back surface under the buttocks. In the starting position, we exhale completely and deeply. Bend your head forward and press your chin to your chest.

Then we raise our head back and up, push our chest forward and bend our spine back. All movements are performed while inhaling. At the same time, the hands are lowered to the hips. We return to the position with the chin tucked.

Don't forget: the deeper the breathing, the more effective the practice.

Table

Initial position: sit on the floor, stretch your legs in front of you, feet shoulder-width apart. The palms are pressed to the floor, the fingers “look” forward. The back is perfectly straight. We lower our head forward, pressing our chin to our chest.

As you inhale, we begin the main movement: tilt your head back and up, raise your torso to a horizontal position. When the hips and torso have formed a horizontal line, and the arms and shins are positioned vertically, like the legs of a table, we tense our muscles for a few seconds and hold our breath. Then we relax, return to the starting position with our chin tucked in and exhale.

Between repetitions of the fourth exercise, you should try to maintain the rhythm of your breathing.

Dog stance

Initial position: lying down, bending over, resting on our palms and toes. Knees do not touch the floor. The distance between the palms is slightly wider than the shoulders. The same distance is between the feet.

While lying down, we begin with a full exhalation. First, we tilt our head back and up until it stops. Then we lower the upper part of the body so that it is in the same plane with the arms, and raise the buttocks: the body seems to be folded in half and forms an angle. At the same time, we press the head to the sternum. We do all movements while taking a deep breath. We freeze to tense all muscle groups, while holding our breath. Then we return to the starting position - lying down in a bent position. Let's exhale completely.

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Christopher S. Kilham Five Tibetan Pearls

Herakhan Babaji,

to those who are on the path of Dharma,

and to all of you

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to everyone who attended the yoga workshops I conducted. I have especially fond memories of Janet Perry, a student and friend of mine for 15 years who recently died and went where all people go. I wish every teacher would at least once meet a student as wonderful as Janet was.

I thank my mother, who began to feel dizzy when she looked at me during the first of these exercises; from the very first day she supported me with all the fervor of which she was capable. I thank Roshi El and Christine who have continually inspired and supported me in my quest and yogic adventures. I thank Sandy, a neurologist trainee working with Native American women, for being a tireless friend. Thanks also to Steve and Craig, the intrepid explorers of the Yucatan pyramids, for their invaluable support. I wish health to the Council of Tribal Elders. You know who you are.

Thanks to our hilarious photographer, Janis Fullman, whose ability to capture me on film through his lenses had me willing to lie in impossible poses on the sand for hours. And I thank the entire team associated with the Inner Tradition, and especially among them Yehuda, Estella and Leslie for supporting my ideas and the path I chose in yoga, and also for the fact that they, wherever possible, provided me with an audience so that I could spread this is cosmic knowledge in all directions.

With deep love to all of you.

Preface

I think that my discovery of yoga is nothing less than a manifestation of God's grace. It seems to me that I am not smart enough to plan the amazing adventures that happened to me thanks to meditation and yoga exercises. I am quite sure that I myself could not create a series of yogic methods as simple and as powerful as these five Tibetan exercises.

Chapter 1 About the five Tebet pearls

First acquaintance with the five Tebet pearls

In 1976, I was invited to permanently reside at the Institute of Mental Physics to conduct classes on health-related topics. This institute is an indoor spiritual center located near Joshua Tree, California. The Institute is located on a desert plateau and covers an area of ​​one square mile. The pride of the institute is the beautiful views that open from its territory to the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto mountain ranges. It is located just a mile from the entrance to Joshua Tree National Forest, a destination for mountain climbers and adventurers from around the world. Joshua Tree is a place of amazing beauty, bountiful nature, extraordinary rock formations and great spiritual power. This is a place where people come to simply recuperate and improve their health, see new places and get inexpressible pleasure from contemplating the grandeur of pristine nature. This is an excellent neighborhood for the Institute of Mental Physics.

The Institute of Mental Physics was founded in the thirties of this century in Los Angeles by geographer Edwin Dingle. This was a man who, as a result of a completely unusual turn of fate, ended up in Tibet, met one of the highest lamas there and studied with him for nine months in 1920. During this short period of time, Dingle, under the guidance of a Tibetan lama, studied several sets of breathing and physical exercises of Tibetan yoga, which later formed a central part of spiritual practice in the training programs of the Institute of Mental Physics. The techniques he learned and subsequently taught to others in Los Angeles became very popular. Eventually, Dingle commissioned the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright for the project and asked him to assist in the construction of a closed spiritual center for mental physics. Over the next decades, the institute became a Mecca for followers of spiritual teachings from all over the world.

At the time when I arrived at the institute, there were significantly fewer students there than when it was at the zenith of its glory. Now the living quarters were inhabited by only a few permanent residents. One of them was a woman named Rochell, who had a wonderful, lively character and was full of energy, despite the fact that she was already over sixty. She told a lot of stories about her experiences, which involved spectacular quarrels and showdowns between gurus, psychologists, spiritual adepts, clairvoyants, incarnated avatars and who knows what other holy men and women. She was such a perfect mixture of intelligence, integrity and skepticism, collected in an antiquities shop. Rochell was insatiable in acquiring a variety of experiences and, having traveled all over the world, did not miss a single spiritual event that was more or less famous at that time. She knew all the secrets of the mantras and, presumably, the inner meaning of most of them.

Seeing that I was a dedicated yoga practitioner, Rochell gave me a small but interesting book called “The Ancient Practice of Tibetan Lamas. Secrets of Rejuvenation" written by Peter Calder and first published in 1939. The book recounted the entertaining stories of the discovery of five physical exercises that a retired British Army colonel, who had received the exercises from some Tibetan lamas at a monastery in the Himalayas, taught to Calder. According to this book, the Five Rites of Rejuvenation were designed to make the body strong, increase energy levels, help regenerate the body and mind, and stop the aging process.

By that time, I had been practicing yoga for six years and was well accustomed to a large number of its methods. Kalder's report describing the virtues of the Five Ritual Actions intrigued me, and I began to incorporate these five ritual actions that promote rejuvenation into my daily yogic exercise routine. I loved the whole story of their discovery, the romantic tale of how they were passed on to a small number of Westerners by a man who studied them in the Himalayas. I liked the illustrations that showed specific positions associated with performing the exercises. They were similar in appearance to the yoga exercises I was already familiar with, but they were also different enough that their use in no way duplicated other practices in my daily routine.

What was particularly interesting to me was that the Five Ritual Actions of Rejuvenation were much more similar to the Tibetan yoga methods taught at the Institute of Mental Physics than to any other methods I had previously encountered. It seemed highly likely to me that they too could be Tibetan in nature, since the Five Rituals of Rejuvenation were derived from and based on descriptions of the monastic and natural environments found in Tibet. I never liked the name "Five Rituals of Rejuvenation." I always thought it sounded a little sentimental and vulgar, like something out of a comic book, and slightly reminiscent of Charles Atlas and the era associated with the first years of our century. So I started calling these exercises simply “Five Tibetan Pearls", or "Five Tibetans".

After practicing the Five Tibetans for two years, I became convinced that they were extraordinary, to say the least. Even though these exercises were only a small part of my daily yoga regimen, which took several hours, I felt more energy and alertness as a result of doing them. Whether they really are the fountain of youth celebrated in Peter Kalder's book remains to be shown. When I'm eighty, I'll write another book on this topic and tell you everything. At the very least, they actually unusually increase strength, energy and mental activity. They open up the energy systems of the body and mind, but they seem to balance the energy in a way that I have never seen in any other yogic method or set of yogic practices.

In 1978, I began teaching the Five Tibetan Pearls to students in all the classes where I taught yoga. Since that time, I have personally shared the Five Tibetans with at least several hundred, if not thousands of people. In 1985, I included exercises labeled the "Rejuvenation Complex" in my book on yoga therapy and nutrition entitled "Take Care of Your Health." The Five Tibetans were also included in my last book, The Power Within: Secrets of Tibet and the Far East (1988). The book offered to you presents a comparative approach to individual yogic practice, using the Five Tibetans as a basis. Specific information regarding the human energy system, particularly as it relates to the chakras, Kundalini meditation, etc., will give you a rich context for your own practice.

Whether the Five Tibetans are actually Tibetan in origin is a question to which we can never get a definitive answer. They may have come from Nepal or Northern India. To be honest, I can't answer this question with confidence, and to be honest, it doesn't really bother me. What I have learned from the stories of others only shows that these exercises were spread Tibetan lamas. Apart from this, I know nothing about their origin. But I am absolutely sure that the name “Five Tibetans” is more acceptable from the point of view of monastic practice than the name “Five Rituals of Rejuvenation.” I have seen recently published books in German, French and other languages, in which the authors also talk about the same exercises as the Five Tibetans. However, the name I propose is much easier to pronounce than, for example, those given in those books, “The Five Kathmandins” or “ Five Uttarpradeshians."

Personally, I think that these exercises most likely originated in Tibet. However, the problem we are dealing with here is not the origin of the Five Tibetans. The fact is that these exercises, quite ordinary from the point of view of yogic practice, have immeasurable potential value for those who could devote even ten minutes of daily practice to them.

Modifications

I consider it my duty to say that by beginning to practice these exercises I have modified the Five Tibetans in one very important respect. As Peter Kalder writes in his book, the exercises did not include instructions on how to breathe while doing them.

I think this was either a mistake or a deliberate omission. Having studied all kinds of yoga methods, I have never encountered a single technique that contains movements that did not also include instructions for regulating breathing. All the Indian, Tibetan and Chinese varieties of yoga that I have ever studied always indicate, along with the movement, how to breathe. Breathing is an essential aspect of yogic practice. It seems to me that the lack of information about breathing in Calder's book is the result of a belief generally held by occultists and spiritualists at the turn of the century that only partial truth can be conveyed to the uninitiated. This attitude can be recognized in most theosophical texts, including the works of Alice Bailey and other spiritual and occult writers of the period. To a certain extent, this attitude still prevails. The justification for not imparting the complete truth in certain cases has always been that people who do not receive personal instruction in yogic methods from gurus or masters may harm themselves, since these methods have great potential power.

Or, worse, these people may violate the time-honored rules of entry into the inner circles of those who, as initiates, practice yoga by teaching it to others, and may begin - if they so choose - to teach others responsible techniques without obtaining permission from the side of gurus and other self-proclaimed masters, as do many yoga practitioners. Therefore, the public must be given enough information about the methods of yoga to become interested in it, but certain key information must be withheld, leaving it only for those who are willing to give their life and soul to the guru. Personally, I find such reasoning to be at best incorrect and misleading, and at worst just low-grade nonsense.

Personally, I believe that if a method is valuable and beneficial, then it is the duty and responsibility of any true teacher to impart this knowledge in its entirety to those who are interested in it. Such knowledge should not be hidden or limited, nor should it be used as a weekly reward for those supporters who have “proved themselves in action.” Moreover, there is only very little danger in imparting the most powerful physical methods to anyone, because such methods can only have profound or lasting effects if practiced consistently over a long period of time.

Even those people who practice yoga with real sincerity and dedication find it difficult to maintain continuous yogic practice. Those who are not committed to yoga, or those who study yoga techniques with the goal of accumulating power only to abuse it, almost always end up disappointed and simply stop practicing. It is most likely that only those who practice yoga for the purpose of health improvement will continue their classes. So the process of natural selection is inherent in the very nature of yogic practice. Therefore, people should be given everything. Share all the methods you have and don't hold anything back. Those who practice, doing all the exercises consistently and carefully for a long time, will definitely benefit from it. Those who cannot practice in this way will leave yoga and find other activities that will be of interest to them and to which they can devote all their time.

In order to avoid errors or omissions, I have, with all the care I could muster, described and added controlled breathing to the Five Tibetans to maximize their potential power. I have been pleased to see that other authors who have disseminated these exercises in their books have followed me by including descriptions of breathing in the same way as I have done. Based on more than twenty years of practice and training, I reasonably believe that these exercises are significantly more beneficial when performed in conjunction with controlled breathing.

Some information from the yogic tradition

The numerous and extensive systems of yoga that spread from India and northern Nepal or Tibet go back thousands of years. For a long time, yoga spread throughout the world. Nowadays you can find yoga schools almost everywhere. Typically yogic practice includes physical exercise, controlled breathing and meditation. Beyond these three categories of activities, there are literally thousands of methods for achieving excellent health, brilliant mental clarity and spiritual perfection. There are similarities between all yoga systems, but at the same time there are deep differences between them. For example, the type of yoga that I personally practiced is a combination of methods taken from Kundalini yoga, Tibetan yoga and the Chinese yogic tradition. The practice I follow is strenuous and, somewhat similar to aerobics, involves a large number of breathing exercises characterized by high power. You could say that this suits my fiery temperament. Traditional hatha yoga, as opposed to what I do, is more in line with the nature of those practitioners who are interested in a gentler system of training, aimed only at improving overall health and providing relief from stress. Of course, all yoga systems have their own merits.

Like any other practice, yoga is not something fixed. It develops and changes over time according to who practices it and who teaches it. Anyone who goes beyond a superficial acquaintance with yoga will definitely make his own contribution to it. Two teachers may offer the same method, but in the transmission of one of them it may seem more alive, dynamic and rich in possibilities than in the transmission of the other. Since yogic practice is generally experimental, it can never be separated from the personality of the person who practices or teaches it.

Over the millennia that yoga has evolved, practitioners have discovered some techniques that are more powerful or provide greater health benefits than others. There are many wonderful primary manuscripts containing information about yoga, and there are a large number of texts that describe its methods. For my studies, I borrowed a lot from such traditional yogic texts as the Shiva Samhita, Goraksha Sataka, Hatha Yoga Pradi Pika and Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines translated by Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup. Although the language used in writing these texts sometimes seems difficult and cumbersome, and the original manuscripts are filled with references to religious and cultural traditions, descriptions of ceremonies, deities and spirits, this does not diminish the value of the methods described there, and these texts are extremely important sources of information for serious practitioners. Many of the ideas expressed in the pages of this book are influenced by or taken directly from the pages of these sacred texts.

I have been practicing and teaching each of the methods included in this book for many years. Otherwise, I would in no way guarantee their effectiveness.

Yoga is not only about gaining strength, health and the opportunity to achieve enlightenment, it is also extremely capable of bringing joy. Yoga practice revitalizes feelings and sensations and increases the level of perception of life. It fills you with meaning in life if you only allow it to do so. It can provide entertainment and bring excitement into your life. Thanks to it, food tastes better. It improves the quality of sex. It turns breathing into complete pleasure. Yoga improves your sense of humor. You can't practice yoga diligently, sharpen your mental clarity, and not be struck by the funny and humorous, although not without pathos and drama, predicaments in which we all find ourselves. We all find ourselves chained to the wheel of karma (what Jack Kerouac called “the grinder”) and continually spinning and spinning in our private illusory world, struggling to catch a glimpse of reality and reach eternity. It can be funny, it can be crazy difficult and, of course, sometimes it can be sad too. However, this is the only worthwhile game and true entertainment in our lives, and the price for it is our life or death.

Yoga helps us rise up and take on the challenges that life throws at us. It helps us not to be crushed by circumstances. It ignites our body and mind and leads us to balance and wisdom. It makes our practice meaningful.

This book provides exercises to strengthen the body, improve health, increase energy levels, improve concentration, and in addition, you will have the opportunity to experience deep strength and peace through immersing yourself in meditation. You do not need to go to ascetic extremes or go to the harsh Himalayan regions to master this teaching. Now it is available to everyone and without any restrictions, and this is exactly how it should be with all valuable teachings in general.

Chapter 2 Energy, body and mind

Humans are embodied beings, which means that we are beings living in a body. We are not just bodies, but we are inseparable from them insofar as our human life is concerned. There is another, out-of-body life that begins after we leave our bodily framework. But the human being is embodied in a three-dimensional world, and this is both an elementary and fundamental fact of our lives.

For some unknown reason, the simplicity of incarnation is not realized or grasped by most people. The fact that we are simply unable to free ourselves from the limitations of the body may cause some people to seriously question the problems associated with the conclusions of spiritual teachings, and sometimes even to reject them. Some "spiritual people" insist that the body is not particularly important at all. They depreciate the importance of the body, sometimes viewing it as a rude barrier to lofty goals, and focus their attention on the development of the spirit, starting with the development of the mind. And yet they follow this path while in the body. I want to ask the question, would they be able to gain at least some experience without having a body? For all we know, there may be billions of unincarnated souls impatiently waiting to be incarnated, lining up in accordance with the Cosmic Law of retribution for evil committed and waiting for the moment when it will happen to them.

The other side of the coin is that there are people in this world who hold reductionist views. These people claim that we are mere bodies and are nothing more than a sentient composite of blood, skin, bones and hair. There is complete disagreement among reductionists about what consciousness is, for example, and this is obviously because it cannot be analyzed with a microscope. But many very important things, such as ideas, emotions, love and wisdom, also cannot be analyzed using a microscope. So does this mean that these things don't exist? Of course not. Who are we to say that only through human-made measuring instruments can we know what is real and what is not? Such views are pure madness.

If we discard the nonsense of the two extremes considered, then between them we can distinguish a completely obvious fact, which is that we are simultaneously body, mind, and spirit, intricately intertwined with each other.

It is in the light of this very simple understanding that we must consider the human energy system. The human energy system is the energetic substrate of the human body and intellect. It is a system within a system, and it is not physical, but it is as real as ours are real. internal organs, our joints, our face. The human energy system is similar in design and function to the nervous system, and this similarity lies in the fact that it runs through the entire body and is connected to large and small pathways. Large collections of nerves in the body are called "plexuses"; their equivalents in the human energy system are chakras or centers of concentrated power. While the nervous system conducts billions of impulses to maintain the body in a normal state, the human energy system is the link between the World Source of all sentience and the human body. Unlike the nervous system, the human energy system extends beyond the physical body. The aura, or energetic sheath that surrounds the human body (some people see it) is part of this system.

The human energy system is an energy network that permeates the human body. This network supplies the human body with energy, fills the human mind with life and provides energy basis, on which the human body is built. It is a complex network through which all life energy flows.

I readily admit that to many people the previous statements may seem like pure fiction. If the human energy system exists, then why doesn't anyone feel it? The truth is that we continually receive power from the functioning of our energy system, but its activity is so closely connected with every aspect of our earthly life that we generally do not notice it. This is true of all the most important aspects of our existence. For example, most people are not aware of their spleen or the nerve nuclei found in the hypothalamus. However, these body parts work hard around the clock to maintain immune system and accordingly integrating the work of the autonomic peripheral nervous system. Usually we only notice symptoms that reveal the functioning of one or another part of our body when some troubles happen to it.

Although the human energetic system operates continuously and maintains a positive connection between man and the Source of all life and intelligence, however, in order to consciously perceive it, we would have to, so to speak, increase the energetic tension in this system. This is where spiritual teachings such as yoga, tai chi or other forms of meditation come into play. With the practice of these disciplines relating to the mind and body, the human energy system begins to transmit energy flows of increasing power.

When it happens that the energy level becomes high enough, we can easily feel a constant flow of energy passing through us. Over time, it becomes possible to simultaneously increase the flow of energy and the sensitivity of our senses to such an extent that the human energy system can be perceived with extreme clarity. It becomes tangible, audible and visible.

One evening, as always, I lay down in bed and began to listen to the sound stream. At first everything was as usual, and I did not feel anything unusual. However, then the sound gradually began to increase in volume, which could be compared to the sound of a symphony being played somewhere in the distance, when at first it sounds quiet to you and you cannot distinguish individual instruments, but gradually, as you get closer, the sound becomes louder, and you begin to perceive the difference in sounds more and more. Instead of hearing a faint buzzing or ringing as usual, I heard several dozen sounds simultaneously, each of which gradually became louder and sounded more and more clearly. As the volume and clarity of each sound stream gradually increased, I began to feel a soft humming vibration passing through my entire body, as if all my molecules had awakened from a deep sleep and began to dance. As the sound increased, the sensation of vibration in the body also increased.

After several minutes of this gradually increasing sound and feeling of vibrations, everything suddenly changed dramatically and abruptly. Suddenly a stream of sound began to roar from my feet up to my head, and the volume of the sound was as if a train was driving across my bed. The sensations in my body changed from a soft buzzing sensation to a feeling of powerful vibrations; every cell seemed overflowing with energy. A powerful flow of energy began to move from the middle of the spine upward towards the head. It was as if I were a hollow pipe, and a concentrated vortex of energy was blowing right through the pipe. The roaring sounds and intense sensations were accompanied by an amazing picture of living colors making their way through my body. Bright, sparkling explosions of gold, yellow, red, blue, purple and silver flew up, bursting through my body, and were completely visible to my mind's eye. It was as if the most noisy Chinese New Year celebration that had ever taken place in this world suddenly began to take place within me and filled me with a picture of picturesque fireworks.

After several enchanting minutes, sounds, feelings, light and colors began to subside. I felt that my entire unusually animated body was rejoicing and in a state of ecstasy.

So I'm on personal experience got acquainted with the work of the energy system of the human body. This was my first significant encounter with the Kundalini energy operating within us and it was my first experience accessing this energy through yogic practice. It should be noted here that the experience described had nothing to do with psychedelics and that I had not used any mind-altering substances for a long period of time leading up to this evening. Whatever happened then was the result of conscientious practice using yogic methods.

I am retelling this incident to you not at all in order to impress, but only to convince you: everything I write about can be accomplished by you too. You too can make your own energy system felt, audible and visible, and make sure that we are not talking about some vague and barely noticeable sensations. The human energy system is the boundary of the space of countless dimensions. This is a landscape filled with primal power, sound and light. This playground mystics and yogis. It is an exciting, interesting, and sometimes frightening place for us to travel. By practicing yoga, you will not only be able to gain extraordinary experiences that might otherwise only be available to you through the use of powerful psychedelic drugs, but you will also be able to develop a degree of conscious control over the energy that flows through you. This is something worth striving for.

Think about how many things seem unattainable when you first start working on them. For example, a person who has never learned to run may think that trotting one mile is something completely beyond his capabilities. However, with practice, that same person will eventually be able to run five miles with relative ease. The inaccessible often becomes accessible through practice.

It's similar to how we learn to read music from notes. At first, a sheet of music may seem like nothing more than a meaningless collection of strange symbols. However, as you become more familiar with these signs and symbols, you will eventually be able to “hear” the music that is recorded on this page.

Or let's consider meditation. At first, meditation may seem like an experience that will only frustrate you by making sure your mind is filled with thoughts like buzzing bees. You may think that achieving peace through meditation is a ridiculous fantasy. But after a while you will learn to calm your thoughts and meditation will turn into immersion in a pure, clear, transparent pool of pure mind. Everything takes practice.

The human energy system works in two directions. On the one hand, it is a system that replenishes vital energy and gives life to the mind. On the other hand, it is a path to higher dimensions of energy and intelligence, going far beyond the needs of our body and human understanding - something like a highway leading to infinity. You can operate within your energy system, and it can become so familiar to you that you can, like a faucet, turn off your mind and your feelings and switch them to the energy flow that flows within them. Over time, you can become an adept, exploring the flow beyond the body and mind. I like to call it “stream surfing.” However, it is difficult to describe this - this is the task of the sages, yogis, mystics, who have been doing this throughout human history.

If you only read and talk about the human energy system, then it will remain an ephemeral abstraction for you. However, by practicing the methods described in this book, you will ensure that the body's energy system becomes something real and accessible to direct experience. Then you will have the opportunity to explore it in breadth and depth, to study this intelligent life force flowing within you.

Chapter 3 Chakras

As mentioned in the previous chapter, within the human energy system there are chakras, or concentrated vortexes of energy. There are many distinct areas and places in the body where energy is concentrated. Such places include, for example, various acupuncture points. But the seven chakras are the primary energy centers, the main energy distribution nodes for the rest of the human energy system. They are located along the spine, each of the chakras corresponds to a specific organ, gland and nerve plexus. Each chakra is also associated with a specific state of consciousness.

All seven chakras work together, and this is similar to the work of the internal organs, endocrine glands, nerves and other systems of the human body. Like the physical aspects of the body's functioning, chakras can be weak or strong, balanced or unbalanced. Just as a verbal formula can soothe a sore muscle and the appropriate nutrient can stimulate the endocrine gland to function properly, so the chakras can be influenced by influencing them with various energetic techniques similar to the Five Tibetans.

The practice of the Five Tibetans aims to exert a certain influence on the chakras, as a result of which they will be able to function at the peak of their activity and capabilities, but at the same time - in balance and harmony with one another. Why is it necessary to achieve maximum activity of the chakras? When the body's energy system is functioning well, then the body and mind are healthy, vibrant and balanced. Working with chakras is not an intrusion into some ephemeral realm of mystical numbo-jumbo. The workings of the chakras affect every aspect of who we are and how we experience our lives.

Three Main Energy Paths

The seven chakras are located along the spinal column and are connected to three main energy pathways, which are known as ida, pitala and sushumna. I usually avoid Sanskrit names and do this primarily because almost no one speaks this ancient language sufficiently, but in this case I only know these names for the listed channels, so let Sanskrit remain here.

The channels begin at the base of the spine and reach the top of the head, transferring energy from one chakra to another. Sushumna, the central channel, is the energetic analogue of spinal cord and represents the middle channel through which all the energies of the energy system of the human body flow. Sushumna is the main pathway through which energy rises from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Kundalini energy moves through sushumna, giving life to the mind and body.

The beginning of sushumna and other main energy channels, ida and pingala, is located at the base of the spine, where the first chakra is located. Ida rises up from the left side of the central channel, Pila - from right side. These two channels, rising upward, intertwine with each other in each chakra. Their physical counterpart is a series of nerve ganglia located on the sides of the spinal cord. Ida is connected to the left nostril, and pita is connected to the right. Ida is considered to be lunar in nature, while pitala is solar. It is interesting to note that the so-called caduceus, the emblem of treating physicians, is precisely the image of these three main paths that conduct energy. The caduceus is depicted as a staff with two snakes entwined around it and two wings on top. It is a symbol of the rise of consciousness from the lower chakras to the upper ones. The wings on the caduceus represent the two-petalled third eye - the eye of wisdom, or the eye of revelation.

The Five Tibetans help balance the lunar and solar energies of Ida and Pingala and maintain a constant concentrated flow of energy in the channels through the Sushumna, the central channel. Each exercise physically stimulates a different nerve plexuses and endocrine glands, which are located along the spinal tract, and in addition, they stimulate the spine itself and the chain of nerve ganglia. Increased energetic activity in the spinal nerves and primary energy pathway is a result of the physical pressure and nerve stimulation associated with the practice of the Five Tibetans. Over time in physical body and the energy substrate of the mind accumulates an energy charge. As a result, not only does the Five Tibetans become easier to perform, but the energetic effect they produce is also dramatically enhanced.

Energy through the central channel begins to flow more gently, which is associated with the gradual elimination of obstacles in it. When this is achieved, mental health and vitality improve, the mind becomes more powerful, and the practitioner can ascend to higher levels of meditation with increasing ease.

Seven chakras

First chakra

The first chakra is located at the base of the spine, in the perineum, at the point between the anus and the genitals. The energy flowing through this center is dense, vital and powerful. This chakra corresponds to the basic aspects of human survival. Survival is an instinct imprinted into our genetic make-up - it is the root of our consciousness. The most ancient part of the human brain, corresponding to the reptilian brain, mainly works for survival and self-preservation. The first chakra influences the system in the same way as the medulla oblongata, which is similar to the reptilian brain. Just as the first chakra is the root of the spinal cord, so the influence of this chakra is the root and underlies all consciousness.

Primary functions of the first chakra: survival, strength, promotion of vital life energy, removal of obstacles

Relevant internal organs: large intestine and rectum

Corresponding endocrine glands: adrenal glands

The main nerve center corresponding to it: the coccygeal and lumbar plexus

Sanskrit name: muladhara.

Second chakra

The second chakra is located on the spine next to reproductive organs. It is mainly associated with creativity and reproduction. Creativity can manifest itself in many ways and underlies many activities. Since the most fundamental act of human creativity is procreation, the second chakra is the center of sexual energy, procreation and regeneration. Sexual energy underlies every act of individual self-expression. It is a creative force whose influence extends far beyond sexual activity, including thinking, emotions, behavior, clothing and much more. Painting, music, high fashion, as well as architecture and even automobile design are associated with sexual energy. The energy of the second chakra permeates everything.

Sexual orgasm is both an experience of biological satisfaction and a transcendental experience. Many people try so hard to achieve sexual orgasm because during orgasm, even for a brief moment, one experiences timelessness. This same feeling of time disappearing is common to both mystical states and the completed shamanic ritual. The second chakra is a highly active center whose energy permeates almost everything we do. The energy of the second chakra underlies both primary creativity and supreme ecstasy.

Primary functions of the second chakra: creativity, reproduction, sexual function, increased vitality

Relevant internal organs: large intestine, bladder, kidneys and genitals

Corresponding endocrine glands: reproductive glands

Corresponding nerve center: prostatic plexus (in men) and urethro-vaginal plexus (in women)

Sanskrit name: svadhisthana.

Third chakra

The location of the third chakra is associated with the solar plexus. This is the center of the individual Self. Individualization of consciousness begins after the survival and continuation of the species is ensured, and the sense of “I” as a unique being begins to develop. The third chakra is the seat of individualization of consciousness. It is the center of personal power and the source of will. The third chakra creates a desire for self-affirmation, personal identity and individual strength, preparing us to take on the challenges of living in this world. This center can be extremely powerful. If a person has personal charisma, then it comes from here.

Primary functions of the third chakra: will, personal power, digestion and assimilation of nutrients

Relevant internal organs: liver, spleen, stomach and small intestine

Corresponding endocrine glands: pancreas

Corresponding nerve center: solar plexus

Sanskrit name: manipura.

Fourth chakra

The fourth chakra is attached to a point on the spine opposite the sternum, in the center of the chest, and is believed to be the focal point of love and compassion associated with the entire energy system of the human body. It is in the fourth chakra that human consciousness transcends self-focus and achieves an expanded awareness connected to the rest of the world.

Since the fourth chakra lies midway between the three lower and three higher chakras, it is the place of conscious overcoming the influence of the lower chakras and moving towards higher awareness. The energy that flows from this center is directed beyond personal survival to consideration and respect for the needs of others. To access the higher functions of creativity and awareness, a person must consciously "pass" through the fourth chakra.

Primary functions of the fourth chakra: love, compassion, immunity, cardiac, pulmonary, bronchial functions

Relevant internal organs: heart and lungs

Corresponding endocrine glands: thymus

Corresponding nerve center: cardiac plexus

Sanskrit name: anahata.

Fifth chakra

The fifth chakra is located on the spine just behind the center of the throat. Energy flows through this chakra, enabling the higher functions of communication, creativity, and personal expression. The power of this chakra is most clearly manifested in connection with speech activity, which turns out to be the most susceptible to influence compared to all other types of human behavior. When this chakra is well developed, a person can speak with great force and persuasiveness. All creative activities involve a process by which we express something that lies deep within us. When the fifth chakra is strong, the expression is dramatic, powerful and profound. One of the potencies of this chakra is the ability to charm and bewitch.

Primary Functions of the Fifth Chakra: Higher Creativity and Communication

Corresponding endocrine glands: thyroid gland

Corresponding nerve center: pharyngeal plexus

Sanskrit name: Vishuddha.

Sixth chakra

The sixth chakra is located just behind the base of the nose, between the eyebrows and inside the center of the head. It is also known as the "third eye" or "eye of wisdom." This chakra is the seat of higher intelligence and paranormal vision. The third eye is the center of intuition, inner vision guided by wisdom, and a deep understanding of the subtle forces that play a major role in any situation. When the third eye is "open", a person can clearly see the past, present and future. People who have this extraordinary vision are among the few true clairvoyants. The sixth chakra is associated with higher intelligence, which has intuitive sensitivity and is capable of going far beyond the limitations of the human body. Open third the eye gives a person the ability to easily reach desired results, but this only happens if they are positive and productive.

Primary functions of the sixth chakra: higher intelligence, clairvoyance, intuition, clairaudience

Corresponding endocrine glands: pituitary gland

Sanskrit name: ajna.

Seventh chakra

The seventh chakra is located at the crown of the head and is the center of cosmic consciousness, which is a state of absolute awareness and unification with the primary creative force of the Universe. It is an unconditional state of complete self-realization, the embodiment of complete freedom, wisdom, energy, intuition and joy. After awakening the seventh chakra, one discovers that cosmic consciousness is a natural condition of humanity. Such awakening is usually the product of intense purification, inner refinement and spiritual work. However, since cosmic enlightenment cannot be understood by the intellect, one cannot say that there are only the already described ways of achieving this state. The truth is that true enlightenment lies outside the competence of intellectual thinking. This state can only be known through direct experience.

Primary Functions of the Seventh Chakra: Cosmic Consciousness

Corresponding internal organs: brain

Corresponding endocrine glands: pineal gland

Corresponding nerve center: spongiform plexus

Sanskrit name: sahasrara.

Psychology of chakras

Chakras exist within the energy system of the human body, creating within each human individual a unique balance of a wide range of influences from the survival instinct to limitlessly expanding awareness. Chakras can also be used to model an assessment of one's own mind. By observing the nature of our own thoughts, inclinations, beliefs, desires and actions, we can quite accurately determine which chakras dominate within us. We can also identify ways in which we might evolve to more fully express the latent powers within us.

For example, a person who is consumed by his own ambition and who takes every opportunity to get ahead in order to ensure his own existence, paying little attention to everything else, is under the strong influence of the third chakra. Of course, if a person has a strong third chakra, this in no way means that it is bad. Doing something for yourself is good and valuable. But this can overly limit a person if, in addition, there are no other strong influences. For such a person, doing something for others is a dramatic way to achieve a more balanced state of intellect and a more harmonious influence of the chakras.

There is nothing mystical or esoteric about this. If you are self-absorbed, doing things for others becomes a way to train your own attention and energy system. In contrast, a person who devotes excessive amounts of time and energy to providing for the comfort and well-being of others is most likely a fourth chakra "type" who is a donor and source of selfless love. A person who is predominantly influenced by the lower chakras can simultaneously be influenced by the higher centers.

There are a large number of gurus who are stuck on the idea of ​​power and sages who have paranormal perception and occult powers, indicating the activity of the higher chakras, who however, operate on the basis of the lower chakras, using their powers to deceive others and dominate others . Don't be fooled by the presence of psychic abilities in another person, as this does not necessarily indicate a fully integrated personality with higher level chakras working. Don't be overwhelmed by fear and trepidation when someone demonstrates psychic powers. Assess the personality in its entirety. As the Zen masters say: “Evaluate the obvious.” If a person with psychic abilities also loves other people, is kind, sympathizes and has compassion for them, is ready to help others without any special interest in personal gain, then it may turn out that he is actually well integrated. It takes time to figure everything out. If someone wears a turban or turban, speaks with an exotic accent, and chants mantras for dollars, you should not immediately conclude that he is well integrated or interested in your well-being. Charlatans speculating on people's spiritual interests are everywhere.

The psychology of the chakras is a valuable tool for deeper self-knowledge. If we conscientiously consider the influences that operate within us, we can work on our qualities in the area where we find a deficiency, or consciously change the influences operating from within that are so strong that they lead to stunting of our growth or even to complete destruction. If you are constantly working for the benefit of others (fourth chakra type) and have brought yourself to the point where your physical life is in danger due to extreme neglect of your own basic needs, then you need to work with your own instinct of self-preservation. After all, if you truly want to serve others and do so the best way, you need to be at least alive and well. Otherwise, your mission of serving others will be too short.

If you want your life to be balanced, but find that you are almost a sexual maniac (very strong influence of the second chakra) and spend most of your time trying to satisfy insatiable sexual needs, then you need to practice moving beyond worries about self-satisfaction, for which one should engage in some form of service or joint work with other people. Some people, sometimes called "blessed ones", find themselves lost in a small area of ​​their own etheric world (probably dominated by the influence of the third eye), and they have no interest in earthly life. With this type of chakra imbalance, physical work is very useful because it challenges and counters intellectual work.

The chakra meditation guidelines in Chapter Nine will help you balance the chakra energies. But meditation alone is not enough. In addition to everything, you need to use self-analysis, which is of great value in working on yourself, important criterion is also activity. If, for example, you would like to have your head in the clouds less, then it will be useful for you to practice meditation on the chakras. However, this meditation needs to be complemented by specific physical and mental activities that challenge you and require your full mental attention and physical participation. If you are too preoccupied and overambitious and want your activity to be more outward directed, then meditation will again help you. However, consciously engaging in some form of work for others will help you achieve significant changes. In other words, meditation on the chakras is not a mystical first aid in case of personality imbalance. It helps when you are also proactive and do a lot of critical self-examination.

There are an endless number of types of chakra imbalances, and, in fact, each person is imbalanced in his own way. The influence of the chakras permeates the entire body and mind and can be almost overwhelming as it affects all levels of who we are by nature. It often takes extraordinary effort to achieve greater balance. However, it is very difficult to examine ourselves honestly because we, as humans, are exceptionally capable of self-deception. Thus, the task of creating equilibrium is only rarely simple. It's a fight that requires strong character, enormous vitality, faith in the existence of more high level awareness and a special kind of mental clarity that comes from intense practice. And yet, the study of the chakras, combined with the greatest possible honesty in our self-assessment and work on ourselves, can be a reasonable step towards personal balance and harmony.

Chapter 4 Kundalini

In the entire spectrum of yoga, there is nothing that is the object of more misunderstanding, desire, cursing, slander, worship or misconception than Kundalini, the primal energy that breathes life into each of us, what Gopi Krishna calls “the seat of genius.”

The human energy system is a circuit through which energy circulates within us. This energy is called by many names, such as Qi, Ki, bioenergy or force. The terminology is different for each culture, tradition, teaching, language, but these are just different names for one energetic force. I prefer to call this force Kundalini, because I find the definition of this force from the point of view of yoga to be the most accurate and complete.

The word "Kundalini" evokes curiosity, fear and suspicion. To a large extent, the misunderstanding is caused by the fact that pulp literature seeks out the most sinister, outlandish aspects of this force, undeservedly depriving attention of its good foundations. Kundalini is our main life force, the main evolutionary force, a fragment of the Absolute that has settled in the human body. Kundalini is called the power of the snake and is depicted as a snake coiled with its end towards the base of the spine.

In fact, Kundalini is a force located within the human brain that activates the chakras. It is usually felt at the base of the spine, in the first chakra. The book “Shiva Samhita” speaks about this in the words of Shiva:

“From the base or root of the palate in the mouth, sushumna descends further until it reaches the muladhara (first chakra) and the perineum...”

“There, in the emptiness of Sushumna, Kundalini lives as its inner strength.”

Kundalini is not a mystical snake, it is a basic psychobiological force. Kundalini is the energy that revitalizes, inhales vitality and motivates our body and mind.

Kundalini is always present. It nourishes the entire human energy system, causing vital energy to constantly circulate. For most people, the level of Kundalini activity remains low, but we always have at least some of it. If we compare Kundalini to a stream of water, we can say that most people only have a small garden sprinkler working at half capacity, although the full power of Kundalini is equal to the titanic power of Niagara Falls. The full potential of Kundalini is incomprehensibly enormous.

Yoga exercises strengthen the channels of the human energy system and prepare the body for increased Kundalini flow. Meditation stimulates even greater Kundalini activity, increasing the intensity of this force. When the channels of the body and energy are prepared by yoga exercises, a person can handle more Kundalini activity. When the mind becomes better able to focus and concentrate, more energy comes into motion. This, in a nutshell, is the principle of operation of Kundalini.

Increasing the Kundalini energy can happen in different ways. This can happen slowly, almost imperceptibly, over time. Confidently, but gradually the energy and sharpness of thinking will increase. Or it may happen in stages, and between stages you will feel things like warm energy currents ascending your spine. Such sensations are quite often observed in people who practice yoga and meditation. But Kundalini can also rise suddenly, without warning, and its intensity can be overwhelming. Kundalini energy can pierce the spine like an unbearably hot lightning strike, exploding the chakras like caves torn apart by a dynamite charge. Such cases can cause horror and disorientation of a person, and it is because of them that ominous and dark stories about Kundalini appear.

If you practice yoga and focus on meditation, you will generally be well prepared to increase the flow of Kundalini. I say “generally not bad” because it is impossible to be fully prepared to perceive such a majestically powerful phenomenon as the Kundalini energy. It can amaze and overwhelm even the strongest and most prepared people. The only thing you can do when Kundalini moves powerfully through your body is to surrender to the power of what is happening. Don't try to resist. Kundalini is stronger than anything you have ever encountered.

The rise of Kundalini is a long, large-scale process. In other words, you may be on the path to increasing your Kundalini energy, but you may not be able to predict exactly how or when this will happen. Since Kundalini is a basic psychophysiological force, everyone has felt it at some point. This usually happens in moments of sudden inspiration or during orgasm.

The sensations of falling into emptiness or loss of control over oneself, the waves of ecstasy that come during orgasm, are sexual manifestations of Kundalini. In moments of sweet dreams, when the world seems especially magical and beautiful, Kundalini also manifests itself.

By practicing, you can increase your ability to perceive the growing flow of Kundalini and stimulate the growth of this power in you. You can do this safely by performing the Five Tibetan Ritual Movements and using the meditation techniques described in Chapter Nine. The chakras and major energy pathways will become increasingly vital and active, opening a little more each day as the increasing flow of Kundalini circulates through your body. The desire to do yoga and meditate also comes from Kundalini. It is this force that pushes us forward in pursuit of cleansing the body and strengthening the consciousness. With the increase of Kundalini, many things change. You feel stronger, more alive, and the acuity of your senses increases. I find that my feelings serve me better today than when I was younger. Feelings are associated with the chakras, and when Kundalini rises, improvement affects all areas. Food becomes tastier, subtle aromas are easier to perceive, colors become more vibrant, touches become more distinct, music gains space and volume, and so on. The world becomes more alive, more sensual.

As your Kundalini energy increases, your overall energy level also increases. Some people need more rest time when they start practicing yoga because they are going through major physical and energetic changes. But eventually, you will need less and less time to rest. You will find that you can perform more complex mental tasks with less fatigue. In addition, you may find that simply by willpower you can summon up extra energy when you really need it.

Sleep patterns also change with increasing Kundalini flow. In addition to the fact that you may need fewer hours of sleep, your dreams will become unusually clear or even visionary. Practicing meditation can open the way for you to lucid dreaming, when you realize in your sleep that everything that happens is in your dreams.

There are classic somatic phenomena that often accompany Kundalini movement, the most common of which is a feeling of warmth at the base of the spine. This feeling can be quite pleasant, and sometimes you may feel like you are sitting on something hot. Often this feeling is accompanied by a very strong sexual desire.

When I started practicing, in connection with Kundalini, I often had to deal with such a phenomenon as vibrations of the spine. For a while, whenever I sat down to meditate, my spine began to vibrate, small and fast, like a vibrator. This was not due to fatigue or muscle tension and only occurred during meditation. Eventually, these phenomena stopped completely.

One of the most exciting phenomena associated with Kundalini is the sudden burst of energy rising up the spine, often accompanied by an increasing intensity of colors. It's a kind of internal fireworks. At this time, a person usually feels joy, a sense of expansion of consciousness and calmness. It's a wonderful feeling. When this happens, you need to focus your attention, meditate and make sure that it does not become more than just a sensation for you. By doing this, you can, through the effort of your mind, look inside the power of Kundalini, gaining a long-lasting sense of clarity of consciousness, acuity of sensations, strength and a joyful thirst for life. Although Kundalini phenomena are usually short-lived, some can last quite a long time. I once experienced a six-week flare-up of Kundalini activity. During this period I ate moderately, slept very little and did a lot of yoga, meditated a lot and was in a state of ecstasy all the time.

In his book, The Kundalini Experience, Dr. Lee Sannella says, “The Kundalini process, like deep meditation, stirs up the sludge of the unconscious and shows the person those psychic phenomena that he is least inclined to see.” The idea that the growth of Kundalini can raise dirt from the bottom of consciousness is quite fair. As you meditate on Kundalini, you may find that the things that come up in your consciousness are not pleasant at all. When this happens, try to distance yourself from what is happening. On the contrary, allow the energy within you to grow, let unpleasant thoughts, feelings and sensations be carried away by its wind. The Hindus call this the burning of old karma, the dump of psychic waste that you have been adding to over many lifetimes. It is impossible to fully awaken the power of Kundalini without going through these swamps in consciousness. This is because we all have our own fears, deviations, perversions and deeply buried labyrinths in the mind that we all have to navigate through. Kundalini stirs it all up because she is the expression of pure consciousness and energy. It is like a bright light illuminating a dark cave. If there is guano and piles of bones in the cave, they will become visible. Everyone has dirt in the mind that needs to be cleared, and when the Kundalini activity increases in you, you will have to face your own dirt.

Kundalini is nothing but the primal life force within us. The extent to which its effect is manifested in a person largely depends on the efforts made. If you practice the Five Tibetans and the Kundalini meditation described in Chapter Nine, you will have an excellent chance of increasing your dormant Kundalini energy, awakening yourself to a sparkling new world of experience and awareness.

Chapter 5 Breathing

Breathing is one of the foundations of human life. Breathing is a simple, automatic function. We breathe from the moment we are born, and when we stop breathing, we die. Everything is very simple. We humans are highly adaptable. We can go a long time without food, as was proven by the great fasts of Gandhi and others. We can go without water for several days. We can go without pizza, movies, car rides, even sex for a very long time. The monks of Hiei Monastery in Japan (known as "running monks" because they run up to fifty-two miles a day) undergo fasts, going without food, water, or sleep for nine days. They call it “the greatest fast” (Just don’t try to make one for yourself at home!). That is, I want to say that we can do without many things for some time, even without vital ones. However, if you try to go without breathing for even a relatively short period of time, you will be released from the mortal coil. Breathing is the most basic of all forms of nutrition. When we breathe, we consume a mixture of gases, and most importantly, oxygen, which is vital to nourish our cells. We also inhale a subtle form of energy called prana. Just as oxygen nourishes the cells of the body, prana nourishes the human energy system, the energy substrate of the body. Although breathing is a simple and natural function, it can be adapted to perform certain complex tasks. The inhaled prana can be used to build, cleanse and strengthen the human energy system. Thus, almost all systems for improving the body and soul, from yoga to various forms of martial arts, use breathing control techniques. Some yoga scriptures say that when you improve your breathing, you improve your destiny. This may be an exaggeration, but what is truly undeniable is that by improving your breathing, you gain profound control over your body and mind.

In this chapter I describe the methods correct breathing, so that you can begin your practice of the Five Tibetan Exercises correctly. Please take your breathing training carefully and seriously, following the instructions in this chapter. Sometimes people feel that they should be doing more than what is recommended and enthusiastically begin to “over-exercise.” This approach should not be used for breathing exercises. If you feel the need to push yourself, do five hundred squats, run ten miles and give it your all. But do not exceed the recommended norms of breathing exercises. After all, even the simplest breathing techniques can be very powerful. Since breathing is something natural, something we do all the time, there may be an illusion that too much breathing exercise can do no harm. But this is not true at all. You can greatly harm yourself with such an excess. The best way to advance in breathing technique and in yoga it is careful study and constant practice with increasing attention and precision of execution.

Once you start practicing pranayama, the science of breathing control, you will notice a number of changes. Your body will begin to cleanse itself of poisons by removing them from the liver, kidneys, intestines and skin. You may initially feel light-headed during pranayama, partly due to the dramatically increased flow of oxygen to the brain. You will owe this feeling not only to oxygen. By exercising your breathing, you break through barriers in your energy system. Blockages in energy pathways and chakras dissolve as you practice. When the energy system begins to conduct more energy, you feel lighter. Sometimes it will feel as if every cell of the body is dancing in a stream of light.

This becomes clear if you remember that the entire universe we know is made of energy and light. Matter is not really solid body, no, this is a condensed heavy clot of energy. Every elementary particle in your body is suspended in the void and rushes around other particles in a frantic dance. Becoming “lighter” does not just mean becoming less heavy, it means literally absorbing light particles of light into a person’s lungs, filling the body with light. Through breathing exercises and meditation, you absorb more pure, fresh, transparent light into your energy system, literally illuminating your chakras.

Breathing itself is a complete yoga system, and there are hundreds of variations of pranayama exercises. Since this book focuses on the Five Tibetan Exercises and not on all aspects of yoga, we will focus on only three breathing methods. The first is normal breathing, the second is long, deep breathing, the third is breathing exercise, performed after each of the Five Tibetans. Do breathing exercises on an empty stomach to avoid nausea and cramps and to allow energy to circulate as freely as possible in your body.

Normal breathing

Sit comfortably on your knees, or cross-legged, or in a straight-backed chair. Straighten your spine by sitting as tall and straight as possible. Relax your shoulders and chest. Place the palm of one hand on your lower abdomen to help you feel what is happening during the exercise. Once you get used to this way of breathing, you will not need to place your hand on your stomach.

Inhale lightly through your nose, allowing your belly to fill and expand as you breathe. Exhale through your nose or mouth, relaxing your stomach. Your chest should be completely still during this exercise. This type of breathing is similar to inflating a balloon - when you inhale through your nose, your stomach inflates. When you exhale through your nose or mouth, your belly drops. Despite its apparent simplicity, this exercise is extremely important for starting the practice of breathing exercises, so do this exercise regularly. For about two minutes, practice easy, free breathing, inflating your belly as you inhale and deflating it as you exhale lightly through your nose or mouth.

You should use this method of relaxed breathing throughout the day. Perhaps as you exercise, you will discover that you used to breathe differently - drawing in your stomach when inhaling. This is a common occurrence, and it may seem strange to you to need to change your usual breathing style. But try anyway. Although it may take time and concentration to change your breathing style, know that the benefits of normal belly-filling breathing are enormous.

Please remember to breathe through your nose whenever possible. Mouth breathing bypasses the breathing control mechanisms and can lead to dizziness, nervousness, and other physical and emotional problems. Be sure to always inhale through your nose. You can exhale either through your nose or your mouth.

Long, deep breathing

It is similar to normal breathing, except that it is deeper. To practice this breathing, sit comfortably and place the palm of one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. You need to put your hands down to control the exercise during the training period; in the future this will not be necessary. Inhale through your nose, filling your belly as with normal breathing, but in this case continue inhaling until your lungs are full and your chest expands. Then exhale gently through your nose or mouth.

It is important to practice breathing in this manner until you can do the exercise correctly and easily. Long, deep breathing is much like filling a glass with water—you pour the water from the top down, and the glass fills from the bottom up. It’s the same with breathing - the air comes from the upper part of the body, first starting to fill the lower abdomen, and rises up, eventually filling the chest. Do this exercise for a few minutes every day until you can do it with ease and mechanically.

Whenever you need to relieve tension (not after a big meal), sit comfortably and breathe deeply and slowly, allowing the air to fill your lower torso and then releasing it easily and evenly. This exercise literally washes away tension and leaves you feeling calm, peaceful and relaxed.

Intermediate breathing

This breathing exercise is done only twice, after each of the Five Tibetans. Take some time to study it, as it is an important part of these exercises.

Stand straight, feet together, hands on hips. Take a deep, long breath through your nose. Exhale through your mouth, rounding your lips into an “O” shape (see Figure 2).

Now that you have learned to breathe, you are ready to practice the Five Tibetan Exercises.

Chapter 6 Five Tibetans

Finally, after a long introduction, here are the Five Tibetan Exercises. Five Tibetans stimulate full circulation of energy through all chakras and breathe vitality into the corresponding nerves, organs and glands. These exercises also tone and strengthen major muscle groups, helping you achieve good, quick recovery. physical fitness. Once you get used to doing the Five Tibetans, they will take you five to six minutes a day.

Ideally, each of the five exercises should be repeated twenty-one times. Oddly enough, there is no need to do more than twenty-one repetitions, since the desired energy effect of the Five Tibetans is achieved precisely with this number of repetitions. I don't know of any cases where more repetitions would be harmful, but it simply isn't necessary. Most people need training to be able to do this many reps, so don't be discouraged if you can't do the whole set right away. It takes almost all beginners at least a month to get to twenty-one repetitions. Start with nine to twelve repetitions of each exercise. Adjust the increase in the number of repetitions yourself. Any number of repetitions is already a huge benefit, and the process of approaching twenty-one repetitions will bring you a lot of pleasure. Find time for daily exercise, try to perform them as accurately as possible. Even before you reach twenty-one repetitions, you will already begin to feel a surge of strength and energy.

To perform the exercises correctly, carefully read the instructions for each exercise and refer to the corresponding photographs. The Five Tibetan Exercises are presented very precisely, so that you can copy your leg position and body position, as well as the overall posture, from them.

Tibetan 1

Stand straight, spread your arms to the sides (Fig. 1). Fingers together, palms open and facing down. Without changing the position of your hands, make a full turn clockwise (i.e. to the right). Repeat the rotation twenty-one times without interruption.

When you finish the rotation, stand straight, feet together, hands on your hips (Fig. 2). Take a deep, full breath through your nose. Exhale through your mouth, forming your lips into an “O” shape. Repeat the inhalation and exhalation twice before moving on to Tibetan Exercise 2.

You may feel dizzy the first time you do this exercise. Be careful not to overdo it. This exercise strengthens the vestibular system, a balance mechanism found in the inner ear. With regular exercise, dizziness will stop and will not occur even at high rotation speeds; movement will become easy and smooth. This is the same spinning practiced by dervishes, Sufi mystics who spin at high speeds for long periods of time. They are known as the "Whirling Dervishes".

Tibetan 2

Lie on your back on a mat or mat. Legs are fully extended, ankles touching each other. The arms are extended along the body, palms on the floor (Fig. 3). Inhale through your nose, raise your legs a little more than ninety degrees, and lift your head, touching your chin to your chest (Fig. 4). This is all done in one smooth motion. The toes are pointing upward; the lower back should not lift off the floor.

Exhale through your nose or mouth, returning your legs and head to the starting position - completely relax on the floor. Repeat the exercise twenty-one times without interruption, inhaling as you raise your legs and head and exhaling as you lower.

Tibetan 3

Kneel down with the balls of your toes touching the floor. The knees are separated approximately 4 inches (10–11 cm). Place your palms on the back of your thighs, just below your buttocks. The back is straight, the chin is pressed to the chest (Fig. 5).

Inhale through your nose, arching back from your lower back. Throw your head back as far as you can without causing yourself any discomfort (Fig. 6). Your arms will support you as you lean back. Then exhale through your nose or mouth, returning to the starting position. Repeat the complete movement twenty-one times at a steady, rhythmic pace.

When finished, stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips (Fig. 2). Take two deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, with your lips in an “O” shape.

Tibetan 4

Sit up straight with your legs extended in front of you. Palms flat on the ground near your hips. The position of the hands is very important; the palms should be directed exactly along the hips. The chin touches the chest (Fig. 7).

Inhaling through your nose, raise your hips, bend your knees and stand flat on your feet, throwing your head back completely. You will find yourself in a position where your torso is parallel to the ground and your arms and legs are perpendicular. Exhale through your nose or mouth, returning to the starting position. Repeat the exercise twenty-one times in an even, constant rhythm. Make sure that the soles of your feet do not slip. The feet should remain in the same position until the end of the exercise. The arms should also not bend; the movement is made through the shoulders.

When finished, stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips (Fig. 2). Take two deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, with your lips in an “O” shape.

Tibetan 5

Starting position - rest on the palms of your hands and the pads of your toes. Arms and legs approximately 2 feet (60–70 cm) wide. The head is raised and thrown back (Fig. 9). Without bending your arms and legs, inhale through your nose, while simultaneously raising your buttocks and touching your chin to your chest, your body is a regular triangle (Fig. 10). Exhale through your nose or mouth as you lower to the starting position. Your body should only touch the ground with your palms and the balls of your toes throughout the exercise, and your arms and legs should not bend. Repeat the exercise 21 times at a constant pace.

When finished, stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips (Fig. 2). Take two deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, with your lips in an “O” shape.

Once you've completed all five exercises, lie down on the floor and relax for a few minutes. Breathe easily and calmly. Observe new sensations in your body.

Supplement to the Five Tibetans

According to Peter Kalder, the Five Tibetan Rituals were developed in Tibetan monasteries where the vow of celibacy and abstinence was observed. This phenomenon is common in the rules of monasteries, at least this is the classical rule. In fact, of course, in many monasteries - both Hindu and Catholic, Muslim or Buddhist - despite the prohibitions, sexual intercourse takes place, this happens because the very nature of life is sexual. For many people, abstinence involves painful ordeal and suffering.

Many religions and spiritual traditions view sexuality as a distraction from the search for “higher” goals, saying that satisfying the appetites of the flesh means neglecting the aspirations of the soul. Therefore, monks and nuns usually do not have the right to have sex. But people are not designed for life without physical intimacy. If sex cannot be open and free, it will happen secretly and in perverted forms.

In addition to viewing sex as a distraction from the spiritual (though I consider it a powerful tool for spirituality), some traditions teach that loss of sexual fluids leads to a decrease in vital energy. Although ejaculation usually refers to the release of seminal fluid during sexual intercourse, the term can also refer to the leakage of fluids from a woman's vagina during lovemaking.

Next exercise complements the Five Tibetan Rituals, its purpose is to prevent the loss of vital energy due to loss of sexual fluids. The Tibetans recommended this exercise for celibates to regulate sexual desire, prevent ejaculation, and move sexual energy up along the spine, transforming it into spiritual energy. I want you to be clear that I personally do not agree with this point of view. If you are celibate and this lifestyle suits you, then this exercise will help you relieve stress and use your accumulated energy more effectively. For most of us who are sexually active, the reason for this exercise is that it will help strengthen the sex glands, thus strengthening the sexual constitution. For some men, this will help control ejaculation, allowing them to increase the duration of sexual intercourse. In short, this exercise is beneficial to all practitioners of the Five Tibetans, whether they follow the vow of abstinence or not.

Tibetan 6

Stand up straight with your hands on your hips and feet about four (10-11 cm) inches apart (Figure 11). In this position, take a full, deep, long breath through your nose. Then exhale through your mouth, making an “O” shape with your lips. Exhaling, bend forward, resting your hands on your knees (Fig. 12).

In this inclined position, push out the remaining air from yourself so that the lower abdomen retracts. Holding your breath as you exhale and drawing in your stomach, rise to the starting position, place your hands on your hips (Fig. 13). Don't inhale for a few more seconds. Then take a light, free, long breath and relax.

The maximum number of repetitions of this exercise is three. When finished, stand straight with your hands on your hips (Fig. 2). Take two full, deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, with your hands in an "O" shape.

Chapter 7 How, when and where to do exercises

Briefly, this chapter boils down to one phrase: “Do the Five Tibetan Exercises whenever and wherever you want - you will only benefit from it.” And it is true. And yet there are conditions that will make your exercise more comfortable, easier and energetically optimal.

Time of day

You can do the Five Tibetans at any time, but for best results I recommend you in the morning, before breakfast, or in the evening, before going to bed. I prefer to do these exercises in the morning, after a shower, because they give good charge energy for the whole day, which I find extremely important. If you exercise at night, you will sleep more deeply and need less time to get enough sleep. However, some people feel such a charge of energy that they cannot fall asleep afterwards and toss and turn in bed for a long time, looking at the ceiling. You need to experiment to see what works best for you. If you are very keen on the Five Tibetans, you can do them both in the morning and in the evening.

Is purity really a divine quality?

Of course, the statement that purity is the main criterion of divinity is not a fact, but maintaining purity when performing the Five Tibetan Exercises is a very good idea. I prefer to shower before exercising, although some people sweat so much that they leave the shower for later. But at least wash your face and hands when preparing to exercise.

Your yoga practice will give you a more pleasant and significant experience if you prepare yourself for it by cleansing the surface of your body. This is the same way of showing additional attention to spiritual practice as, for example, dressing smartly for a visit to church. Sure, there's no law against wearing an old T-shirt and shorts to church, but there's something about wearing your best, cleanest dress that shows you're respectful. Since everything we do requires one state of mind or another, choosing a state of mind where activities are given a special, important role will be very beneficial for you.

Exercise on an empty stomach

It is best to perform the Five Tibetans no earlier than three hours after eating. You may experience nausea if you exercise on a full stomach. When your belly is full of food, a large amount of blood and circulating energy is concentrated in digestive system. You need your energy system to be ready for yoga so that blood flows freely in all organs of the body.

Temperature and air

If possible, exercise in a place where the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold and where there is good ventilation.

Dress practically

Wear loose, non-restrictive clothing, preferably cotton. The less clothing, the better. Exercising in minimal clothing will give you greater freedom of movement.

Where to practice

If possible, designate a designated area for yoga practice. If this is not possible, keep the area where you do your exercises clean and tidy. It is better to practice on a mat or rug than on a hard surface.

Inner Gratitude

As much as possible, make your yoga practice a special ritual, devoting time to it. Special attention. Because the Five Tibetan Exercises do so much for your overall health and well-being, they should be greatly appreciated and treated with special respect and attention. General results Your activities will be better if you practice with a positive inner attitude and a feeling of gratitude.

Unlike many other forms of exercise or personal improvement systems, Five Tibetans requires no special equipment, no special gyms, no specific type of weather, and no one other than yourself. By following a few simple rules and guidelines given in this book, you will find that the classes will not be particularly difficult, and you will benefit from these amazing, unique exercises.

Chapter 8 Yoganidra

One of the main things to learn while practicing yoga is the art of deep relaxation. For many people taking courses on stress relief, using internal resources or relaxation, the main task is precisely learning to relax. For a yogi, deep relaxation is both a necessary quality in itself, a thing in itself, so to speak, and a door to a world of much greater things, including lucid dreaming, self-healing and exploration of vast expanses of the unknown. All these qualities, which come from the art of deep relaxation, are part of a process called yoganidra. Known as sleep yoga, yoganidra is a way of tuning and controlling energetic forces, circulating in the body and being part of the universal energy ocean.

Deep relaxation

The main key to yoganidra is learning to relax truly deeply. Having over twenty years of experience teaching yoga classes, I can say that while things like relaxation may seem simple, they can be very difficult. I have watched yoga students huff and push, tense and clench their fists in extreme excitement when they should be trying to relax.

Relaxation is a volitional process, but it involves eliminating control, allowing things to go on their own, and relieving tension. It is impossible to completely relax and maintain control, but you can relax through an effort of will, maintaining alertness and transparency of consciousness while your body seems to slip away, floating away. Deep relaxation requires a certain degree of faith. You must want to release the tension and believe that you will be okay.

To begin practicing deep relaxation, do the following: Lie in Shavasana, Corpse Pose, on your back with your legs fully extended and your feet apart about twelve inches (30 cm). The arms are also extended, palms up, with hands about a foot (30 cm) from the body (Fig. 14). Your eyes should be closed. Make sure you are not cold and that your clothing does not restrict your movements. In this pose, begin to breathe deeply and for a long time. With each exhalation, allow your body to press more and more towards the ground, as if gravity were pressing on it more and more.

After a couple of minutes, you can begin systematic relaxation exercises. Start by focusing your attention on your feet. Breathe slowly and easily, try to feel your feet as fully as possible. Along with the air coming in and out as you breathe, consciously release any tension in your feet. Then move your attention to your shins. With each slight inhalation and exhalation, relax the lower leg muscles until they are completely relaxed. Repeat the same process for your knees, hips, pelvis, lower abdomen, buttocks and lower back, mid abdomen and back, chest and upper back, upper arms, forearms, arms, neck and face. Stay on each part of the body for as long as it takes for you to fully concentrate on it. If you take it slowly and systematically, you will be amazed at the depth of relaxation achieved.

After you have gradually moved through your entire body, consciously releasing tension in every part of your body, allow your breathing to become as light and quiet as possible. Allow your attention to rest on the breath, like a light feather.

Don't try to concentrate on it, just pay attention to it, just a little bit, as little as possible. At first it may seem very difficult to do, but with practice you will get used to it.

At this stage you can fall asleep. There's no harm in it. Many people find that such deep relaxation is an excellent prelude to a good night's sleep. Especially if you tend to be overly stressed in your life, relaxation and subsequent sleep may be just what you need to start practicing yoganidra. Engage in deep relaxation, practicing the technique for at least a month or two before moving on to the next steps.

Lucid dreaming

The next stage of yoganidra is somewhat more difficult than the first. It involves going through a whole process of deep relaxation, but your brain must be fully awake and acutely aware of what is happening the entire time.

This is difficult at first because most people associate lying down with sleep. So volitional efforts are involved here. You must pay close attention to how your body gradually relaxes and frees up, but at the same time you must concentrate on the waking core of the brain - the part of it that remains clear and aware of what is happening - and not fall asleep.

If you can get into a truly deep state of relaxation and remain alert, sooner or later you will make the astonishing discovery that your body is completely asleep, but you yourself are not asleep! I encountered this under rather funny circumstances. Since I sometimes snore a little when I sleep on my back, when I first fell asleep in a state of waking consciousness, I thought it was the funniest thing to lie there and listen to my own body snore.

Training the ability to sleep with your consciousness “on” is the path to beginning to gain volitional control over involuntary functions. If you study yoga deeply, after a certain time you will see that you can consciously change your blood pressure, brain impulses, heart rate and many other supposedly unregulated processes in your body. In the conscious control of these functions lie the possibilities of continuing life and increasing energy. Developing the ability to sleep consciously is an important quality for the next stages of yoganidra. It may take you months to become completely comfortable with these types of exercises, but if you try, you will find that you can put your body to sleep while your brain is in a state of light meditation, and wake up ten to twenty minutes later feeling completely rested and fresh, as if you had time to both sleep and meditate.

Self-healing

When you have learned to enter a state of deep relaxation in which your awareness is fully alert, you are ready to learn self-healing. There is a saying: “What you feel can be removed.” This is a fundamental principle of self-healing. Let's say you suffer from a runny nose and sore throat. Once you have entered a state of deep relaxation using the method described above, bring your attention to your nasopharynx and throat, noting exactly what you feel there. Take some time - maybe a few minutes - to deeply feel your sensations in these areas. Without intentional effort, simply decide that you want these areas of your body to recover and function normally. Keep your concentration at a light level, do not try to change anything by force. Simply and as if by itself, wish for healing, decide that it should happen. Then listen to your feelings without making any further effort.

This involves managing the energy flows in your body. If you are in a state of deep relaxation, all you need is a well-directed intention to change the flow of energy and restore health.

It may sound simple, but it is simple. However, don't confuse simplicity with ease. You must be in a state of deep relaxation - if you do not enter it, then after trying this method you will decide that it does not work. You should be so relaxed that no extraneous tension will interfere with your intention to heal and restore balance. After all, health is, in fact, a state of dynamic energy, balance and vitality. This is dynamic well-being, not just the absence of disease. One of the things that all true yogis know is that the health of the body can be controlled by the effort of focused consciousness. By practicing the Yoganidra self-healing method, you will find that you are able to positively influence your health in moments of illness and pain. There may not be complete healing, but your condition will improve significantly and you will feel much better. The key to this is constant practice. If you devote enough time to training and practice, you will be surprised at how successfully you can use the self-healing method. This is a wonderful, strengthening thing.

Exploring the unknown

The unknown lies beyond relaxation, lucid dreaming and self-healing. Apart from this, it is unlikely that anything can be said about him. We all live in a rational world in which things are believed to have a certain order and that life is generally predictable. To a large extent this is true. The grass grows long and green, not square and purple, and the sun comes and goes every day. So, in a sense, life is indeed predictable, but this predictability does not take into account the greatest mystery that surrounds us.

After you have studied all the previous stages of Yoganidra, you are ready for experiences, the results of which I simply cannot predict, since only you will be there, and what you learn will be your experience, not mine. I can say that I have been to some very strange places, if they are “places” at all. Orange and blue flames raged around me, I met deities and a variety of creatures, rushed along double twisted strands of DNA into worlds that I cannot describe, because there are no words that could be suitable to describe them. I've seen galaxies, or something similar, emerge from the inky depths of nothingness in deep space and dissolve back into nothingness, as if billions of years were concentrated into these minute experiences.

The key to traveling in the yoganidra state is the ability to let go, to surrender to the natural flow of things. After all, even in deep relaxation, you can instinctively tense up if you feel that you are starting to rush at great speed through a tunnel of light. This is completely understandable. At such a moment, you may decide that such adventures are not for you. But if your curiosity and sense of adventure outweigh your fears and panic in the face of uncontrollable and often strange sensations, then you need to be able to surrender to the flow in order to move on. I help myself travel to strange and wild places, remembering that the Universe is friendly to us. Yes Yes. Of course, there are also many dangers. But fundamentally the Universe is friendly, not hostile. This knowledge is supportive.

Yogic manuscripts contain many revelations about such experiences, but the stories cannot be compared with the experience itself. The map is not the land itself. Only you yourself will know what will happen to you and where you will end up if you agree to go. If you practice yoganidra you will be as prepared as possible for wonderful, exciting journeys in inner space. We live in a vast Universe with parallel realities and countless other worlds, beings and states that we do not usually encounter while awake, asleep or in dreams. Since you live here, why don't you go out and wander around?

Chapter 9 Kundalini Meditation

Repeating a hackneyed but true phrase, I will note: meditation is not what you think. Meditation is beyond thought, beyond the ordinary sensations of waking, sleeping or dreaming. At the same time, you can meditate while in one of these habitual states. Meditation is completely unambiguous, although its process is also associated with mysteries that we discover while doing it. It is available in any conditions - anyone can sit down and start meditating, although meditation is something that develops over time. So a magnificent pearl makes its way to beauty from one stupid grain of sand. Meditation is on the precarious line between negative and positive, between the known and the unknown. It starts out as an exercise, a technique, but over time it becomes unlike anything else. She belongs to this world, but opens doors to other worlds. Meditation is both a method and an omnipresent being.

There are hundreds of meditation techniques that come from different traditions of a wide variety of spiritual teachings. In all their forms, meditation techniques clarify the mind, increase cognition and create inner harmony. There is no main or the best technology meditation, on the contrary, various techniques are selected individually for each person. At the same time, most techniques will benefit those who devote enough time and effort to them. Meditation requires practice. Meditation is not so simple, it is not a cake with filling. Here you can’t bite off a small piece and see what’s inside. It will take time, energy and concentration, and constant practice to understand the power and value of meaningful meditation. Light flirtations with meditation will give you little - except perhaps the feeling of being at a spiritual smorgasbord that you don’t understand. Only perseverance will reward you with success in your meditation experiments.

Pulp-style occult literature promotes meditation, promising that it will somehow lift you above your mortal coil, whisk you away from the surface of the planet, and catapult you into vast worlds to meet angels and disembodied monsters. I will not say that none of this can happen, but the truth is that any predictions and expectations are a profanation of the essence of meditation, since they are abstract conclusions. The meditating consciousness, on the contrary, is a sparkling mirror, superbly polished and containing no pictures of its own, but only wonderfully reflecting what appears before it. Through meditation you clearly grasp every moment of time and are in the present all the time, moment by moment. Yes, meditation can release a lot of energy and does lead to unique states of consciousness and amazing experiences. But the basic rule for achieving this superorientation is the renunciation of any expectations, predictions, premonitions or ready-made attitudes. I confess that doing this is much more difficult than advising.

Meditation works very differently from thinking. During thinking, the mind is filled with symbols - visual images, words or other mental products that in some way describe life. And meditation involves immersion in the vast, boundless world of pure consciousness, not clouded by abstract concepts and symbols. The phenomena that arise during meditation, such as visions and sensations of the presence of enormous energy, come due to the purification of consciousness, and not due to the desire to see and feel them. This is quite paradoxical. By stopping thinking and abstraction, we make room for the spontaneous emergence of sensations that come from the eternal ebb and flow of energy and mind. These sensations, no matter how fascinating they may be, are just manifestations of the surrounding reality. By themselves, they are nothing special. They are certainly not the end product of meditation. The real benefit of meditation is the purification and polishing of the mind. A friend of mine once conducted a series of long meditations. Over the course of several weeks, he experienced many powerful and unusual sensations. He felt as if he were floating in space, as if he were as huge as a planet, as if he could embrace everything that exists. There were moments when he left his body, and moments when squalls of energy rushed along his spine. He was unusually excited by the experience and approached the teacher who was leading this series of meditations, recounting his entire experience. After my friend had detailed everything he had felt and seen, the teacher looked at him and smiled warmly at him. “Don't worry, it will pass,” he said. This is the full value of the phenomena of meditation. They are like road signs, they are not a goal, but only part of the landscape. They are interesting, but practice is not needed for their sake. What really matters is pure, unclouded consciousness.

To get the most out of meditation, practice daily and take your time. Whatever time you set aside for meditation, it should be a time when you are not disturbed by phone calls, conversations, or other external distractions. You will have quite a few internal distractions that you will have to work through as you fight for a modicum of pure consciousness. When you begin your meditation practice, you will find it easier to practice on an empty stomach. This is so because after a hearty meal, blood circulation in the digestive organs is high, preventing you from concentrating. Since you can meditate at any time, choose a time in the morning right after you wake up or before going to bed in the evening.

Just like when doing yoga, wear loose clothing and meditate in a comfortable place. If possible, try to meditate in the lap of nature - on the seashore or in the forest. Nature helps meditation in a wonderful way because we come from nature and it determines to a huge extent who and what we are. Wherever you meditate, keep the place clean, pleasant and beautiful. If possible, set aside a special place dedicated exclusively to meditation, even if it is just a corner. Create a special mood by honoring this place. Place flowers there. Think of it as a place that is especially meaningful to you.

The following methods contain a complete range of Kundalini meditation exercises. Each of the exercises is designed to open the channels of the human energy system, releasing the flow of Kundalini. Kundalini meditation exercises burn away obstacles to the flow of energy and supply the brain with the powerful energy needed to fully concentrate on the current moment. Remember that the purpose of meditation is not to collect a collection of fantastic sensations, although they will certainly appear over time. No, the goal is to focus the right amount of attention on the present moment so that the consciousness is brilliantly clear, alive and dynamically awake. Meditation gives us the opportunity to live a full, voluminous life every day. this moment. This is its essence.

Four meditation techniques are described in detail below, each building on the previous one. I recommend that you start by practicing the first one daily for at least a month before you add the next one. Practice the next one for at least as much time, and then add a third. Practice again for a month before moving on to the fourth. There is not the slightest sense in haste, you don’t have to try to do everything at once, you need to learn doing the right things, and this takes time.

Chakra Meditation

This is where Kundalini meditation begins. This technique takes about half an hour, although if you want to do it longer, please do so.

Sit comfortably with your legs crossed. The full lotus position would be ideal, but for most people it is uncomfortable. Any cross-legged position will do, as long as your back is as straight as possible. You can use a small pillow to sit higher and make it easier to keep your back straight. Place your hands on your knees. Close your eyes, mouth. The tip of the tongue should touch the upper palate. In this position, breathe evenly and easily, inhaling and exhaling through your nose for several minutes. At this time, relax all muscles except those that hold you in sitting position with a straight back. Your shoulder, abdominal and facial muscles should be very relaxed. Allow your mind to become as calm as possible as you breathe. Throughout meditation, breathing is a key element. It is not necessary to breathe deeply and for a long time, but the breathing should be even, slightly deeper than normal relaxed breathing. Maintain this breathing throughout the meditation.

Then bring your attention to the first chakra, muladhara, located in the perineum, at the very bottom of the spine, between the anus and genitals. Focus your attention there for about three minutes, breathing evenly and measuredly. With each inhalation, feel as if you are breathing directly through this center of energy. Feel this place on your body as best you can. It should be completely relaxed and not create unnecessary tension.

From there, turn your attention to the second chakra, svadhisthana, located in the lower part of the spine, at the level of the genital organs. Focus your attention there for about three minutes, breathing evenly and measuredly. Again, with each breath, feel as if you are breathing directly through this center of energy. Feel this place on your body as best you can.

The next point where attention moves is the third chakra, manipura, located on the spine in the solar plexus area. Focus your attention there for about three minutes, breathing evenly and measuredly. With each breath, feel as if you are breathing directly through this center of energy, through the solar plexus and spine. Feel this place on your body as best you can.

Then focus on the fourth chakra, anahata, located on the spine directly opposite the center of the chest. Focus your attention there for about three minutes, breathing evenly and measuredly. Again, with each inhalation, feel as if you are breathing directly through this energy center, through the center of the chest and this point on the spine. Feel this place on your body as best you can.

Now move to the fifth chakra, Vishuddha, located on the spine opposite the center point of the throat. Focus your attention there for about three minutes, breathing evenly and measuredly. With each inhalation, feel as if you are breathing directly through this center of energy. Feel this place on your body as best you can.

Now move your attention to the Third Eye, the sixth chakra - ajna - the point at the bridge of the nose, between the eyebrows. Focus your attention there for about three minutes, breathing evenly and measuredly. With each inhalation, feel as if you are breathing directly through the Third Eye, sending a beam of energy ahead of you. Feel this place on your body as best you can.

From the Third Eye, your attention moves to the crown chakra, the sahasrara, located at the top of the head. Focus your attention there for about three minutes, breathing evenly and measuredly. With each inhalation, feel as if you are breathing directly through this center of energy.

Feel this place on your body as best as possible, as if the whole top part your head glows with energy.

From the crown chakra, move your attention to the space around your body, the aura. An aura is an energy shell that surrounds the body on all sides. Focus your attention on this shell, which extends more than a foot from the body. With each breath, feel as if your aura is becoming more saturated with energy. Feel the space around you as best as you can.

Once you have directed your attention to the chakras and aura, sit quietly, breathe slowly and steadily, allowing the entire energy system to assimilate the energy flow that occurs when similar exercises. Let your mind be as calm as possible. Don't expect anything, don't try to cause any specific phenomena. On the contrary, be aware of the current moment, the position of your body, your breathing, feel the air around you, the images and smells surrounding you. Be as fully aware of what is happening as possible, without attaching mental labels to anything. These are all natural phenomena, let them come and go without your participation. Finish the exercise in this state of attention.

When finished, take one or two deep breaths. Rub your hands vigorously and then slowly rub your face with them, as if washing your face. Slowly open your eyes and sit relaxed for a minute or two before you start doing anything.

This meditation opens the chakras, energizing them. For success, the most important thing is measured breathing and concentration. Focus your attention as best you can in each chakra. Avoid withdrawing attention from the chakras. If you notice that your consciousness is drifting, bring your attention back to the center with which you are working. Do not hurry. Give each center enough time. Over time, you will find that it becomes easier and easier for you to feel these points on your body and feel the flow of energy through you.

Silver Cord Meditation

After you have practiced chakra meditation for at least a month, you can add silver cord meditation. The Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, one of the manuscripts containing the words of Shiva, the deity of yogis, describes this meditation. The silver cord is the central energy channel, sushumna, passing through the very center of the spine. The central canal is the energetic analogue of the spinal cord. It, as described in Chapter 2, is the channel where the Kundalini energy flows.

Take the same position as before, sit cross-legged, straighten your back, close your mouth and eyes, touch the upper palate with the tip of your tongue. Place your hands on your knees, breathe evenly and measuredly. Start meditating on your chakras and aura. At the end of the chakra meditation, direct your attention to the spinal column, feeling its entire length, from the very base to the top of your neck. Spend a few minutes sensing your spine in much the same way you bring your attention to other points.

After a few minutes, imagine a long cord of silver being passed along the entire length of your spine, right through its core. The core of the silver cord is bright scarlet and alive. It looks like an insulated electrical wire, the bright scarlet middle, like the thinnest wire, runs in a silver cord. With each measured, even breath, fully concentrate your attention on this silver cord with a bright scarlet core. Imagine it running from the bottom to the top of your spine. Feel your spine. Allow your attention to be completely there.

At first, such meditation may seem somewhat primitive. But in fact, it is very powerful and requires all the concentration you can muster. Holding firmly in your mind the image of a silver cord with a red core, you are present as the Kundalini energy flows through the cord, charging all the chakras. You begin to expand, slowly at first, then faster. It often feels as if you are taking in the entire enormity of the world. Of course, as I said, these sensations are not the goal of meditation. They are just phenomena that pass by you. However, the feeling of expansion is not unusual with this technique and you should always keep it in mind. You may also feel that you have touched an inexhaustible source of energy.

Practice this method as much as you want, and for a little longer than you are comfortable with. It's always good to go beyond comfort so you can operate at your peak.

Nada Yoga Meditation

So you have practiced chakra meditation and silver cord meditation. The next step is Na-da-yoga. I recommend that you do it after the first two techniques so that you have enough energy to work. If you don't have that much time, you can do this technique separately. As a result of meditation, you will encounter many phenomena. One of them is nada, or sound flow. Nada is a vibrational current, a steady stream of sound that travels through absolutely everything. Most likely, you will first encounter this flow during meditation, because then you feel especially alive. You meet nada by hearing it. Although this sound stream contains hundreds and even thousands of sounds, at first you may only hear it as a sound of one frequency.

Nada is best heard in a quiet place without extraneous sounds. If you do chakra meditation or silver cord meditation in a quiet place, you may hear a slight buzzing in your head, especially in the area of ​​your right ear. This is not the sound of moving blood; blood does not create such loud high-pitched sounds. This sound cannot be confused with the symptoms of Meniere's disease, when the head is dizzy and there is a ringing in the ears. What you hear is a stream of sound, a simple, seemingly insignificant sound that is actually the sound of the expressway into the infinite.

After finishing the chakra meditation or silver cord meditation, you can either remain seated or lie down. In any case, you need to be as alert as possible, as this technique implies. Therefore, falling asleep in this case is undesirable. If you lie down, the surface under you should be flat, do not put a pillow. Stretch your legs without crossing them. Hands close to the body, palms turned up, eyes and mouth closed, the tip of the tongue pressed to the upper palate. Relax as much as possible, relieving mental and physical stress. The ideal place for this exercise is a quiet, dark room. The best time is late night or early morning as the world is relatively calm during these hours. If you are still surrounded by external noise, cover your ears. Bring all your attention inside your head and listen carefully. First, concentrate on the right side of your head, near your inner ear. There will be some sound heard. You may hear a slight ringing sound, a soft humming sound, or a distant rumble. Listen as carefully as if you were trying to hear a whisper behind a wall, with complete, absolute attention. Be intentional about concentrating.

As you listen, the sound will become louder and begin to break down into a combination of sounds of different pitches. In fact, you may hear so many sounds that the original sound is lost. It's not scary. As the sounds get louder, choose one and focus on it. It doesn't matter which one you choose, just stay with it. Concentrate on this sound as if you were trying to listen to the sound of just one instrument in an entire orchestra. It will get louder and louder and you can feel the sound traveling throughout your entire body. While you listen with intense concentration, the sound may begin to change, becoming something else, something subtle and graceful. This is fine. Just keep listening with your attention focused as much as possible.

You can hear many sounds, such as ringing bells, flutes, falling water, humming sounds, the sound of ocean surf and sounds like those made by crickets and birds. As you continue to practice this technique, you will hear even more subtle sounds of rare tones. However, it is absolutely necessary to remember to concentrate, otherwise the sounds will quickly disappear.

This is how Shiva, the deity of yogis, speaks about the sound stream and meditation on it in the book “Shiva Samhita”:

The first sound is similar to the buzzing of a bee that has drunk honey. The next sound is like a flute, another like a harp, after that, through constant exercise in yoga - the weapon of destruction of the darkness of the world, he hears the ringing of bells, then a roar like thunder. If you listen to this sound, freed from fear, you will be absorbed, oh my beloved!

When the yogi's mind is filled with this sound, he completely forgets about all external things, absorbed in this sound.

By such yoga practice he conquers all three qualities (i.e. good, bad and indifferent) and, being free from all conditions, he is immersed in pure consciousness.

When you meditate in a sound stream, you first tune your attention to the sound itself, and then to the source of the sound. As you practice, you will find that you are so closely integrated with the flow of sound that it is impossible to tell where you end and where the sound begins. You will go through many altered states and find yourself in a heightened state of awareness. Remember that all this is done to free up energy so that you can be acutely aware of every moment. Phenomena, no matter how vivid and exciting they may be, come and go.

The phenomena associated with nada are unlike anything else. The only way to understand what it means to listen to a sound stream is to try it yourself. No other explanation will help. The sounds you will hear are unlike anything else. Bathing your entire being in the rare vibrations of the sound flow is one of the most pleasant sensations you can experience. The key to success in this technique, as in all others, is persistence and a relentless pursuit of full attention. You will find that the sounds are very elusive. They come and go, they disappear, they change, they subside, they rumble.

Practice sound flow meditation for at least 15 minutes. Longer is better, because it is useful to develop your ability to concentrate and acutely sense what is happening. After the exercise, relax for a few minutes. Consciousness, like a snake, forgets about its impermanence - listening to nada, it does not run away anywhere.

Nada Yoga and the Central Channel

Last step in Kundalini meditation is a fusion of all techniques. After practicing chakra meditation and silver cord meditation, continue sitting and begin meditation in the sound flow. After a few minutes of immersion in the sound flow, simultaneously turn your attention to the central channel running along the spine. You don't have to imagine a silver cord, just feel the upward movement in the channel in your spine as you continue to listen to the sound flow. Listen carefully to the sound flow and feel the center channel. You will see that you can do both at the same time.

Provided that you have worked out good technique meditation and focus your attention as fully as possible, you will find this method of meditation absolutely wonderful. Concentration on the central channel connects your attention to the core of your energy system, and concentration on the sound flow brings you into the Source of all energy and intelligence. This combination has enormous power. This method is capable of releasing a powerful flow of energy, channeling it through your entire being. Practice for at least 15 minutes after the chakra meditation and silver cord meditation, increasing the duration of the meditation as much as possible. You will see that after some time you can easily dive into the Source of all energy. This is your goal.

Where to go next?

It's nice to admire a mountain from afar, but to climb it and, standing at the top, find yourself far from the quiet comfort is something completely different. Likewise, it may be interesting to read about the Five Tibetans and various forms of meditation and think about the energy flows in the body and mind and the enormous potential of man. It is quite another to actually do what is described in this book. Reading about these yogic energy techniques is a lot like taking a tour. Until you delve into them, until you make them part of your life, they will remain just part of an ever-changing landscape.

If you feel at least some interest in the methods described here, take them up. You don't need a guru, an ashram, or anything else to start. Read the instructions carefully one by one and make these techniques a part of your life. It’s nice to even read about them, and practicing them breathes life into you and enlightens you. Five Tibetans are techniques of rare power combined with simplicity. They bring great benefits quite quickly. These exercises, combined with Kundalini meditation, create a powerful yoga system that can change your life if you allow it.

Removal method

As I said earlier, the purpose of practicing various Kundalini meditations is not to collect a collection of unique impressions, but to generate as much energy as possible in order to pay as much attention as possible to this activity and feel the present moment most vividly and acutely. If you faithfully practice the methods described here, you will accumulate tremendous energy, releasing the power of Kundalini, and channel this energy through your entire body and mind.

Through meditation, you will sharpen your attention to such an extent that you can truly focus on the present moment, that is, on the only moment that exists at all. We can only exist here and only now. Nobody lives yesterday or tomorrow. Our life is happening right now. By applying great energy and close attention to the moment, we can be clearly and fully aware of it. This way of being is called the method of detachment. This is not a technique - it is simply being. All the difficult techniques of yoga - breathing, concentration, exercise, persistent practice - bring us to the point where there is nothing more to do, nothing more to grasp, nothing to chase, no goal to achieve, but simply to feel the enormity of existence right here, right now, in the only really existing moment.

Notes

1

What does Jesus Tree mean? - Approx. translation

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2

"Take Charge of Your Health."

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3

"Inner Power: Secrets from Tibet and Orient".

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4

To the attention of practitioners of Peter Kalder's exercises: In the book published by Sophia, instructions on breathing are still given. This is an authorized translation by Andrei Sidersky, a very high-level Yoga teacher. - Approx. ed.

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5

Kundalini energy will be discussed in the next chapter.

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6

And also the pose of sitting on your knees with a straight back. - Approx. ed.

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7

Rai Bahadur, Srisa Chandra Vasu, Shiva Samhita (New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, 1979).

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8

Pancham Singh, Hatha Yoga Pradipika (New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, 1980)

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