cicerosa

Is anyone familiar with this practice. If so
do you think that it is real..

ZenSkin

[quote]Originally posted by cicerosa:
<strong>Is anyone familiar with this practice. If so
do you think that it is real..</strong><hr></blockquote>

A chakra is a wheel in Sanskrit. About 1200 years ago in India, there was a highly developed philosophical/religous system that sought enlightenment by using the energies of the body. Tantric cults were common and some of the most intense notions of human potential grew out of these systems of higher thought -- not unlike the platonists of ancient Greece.

India was invaded by the Mughal Empire and the Tantric religion was destroyed except for its expression in the far north ... in Ladakh, Sikkim and the trade routes into Eastern Asia.

Today, Tantra is practiced in the religion of Tibetan Buddhism and some sects of Hinduism.

I have studied with a few Tibetan gurus. Tantra is very very powerful stuff, in my experience.

My life has been changed by Tantra. Most people think of meditation as quiet sitting. That is one of many meditative practices. In the Tibetan system there are many forms of meditation and they use the theory of Tantra -- the subtle energies of the mind/body.

The practice is VERY real. This is an ancient science with practical applications. Think of it as a blend of Indian philosophy and the Eastern Asian science of Chi.

It is very deep stuff. Humans have immense potential and Tantra is a key to unlocking that potential.

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logikflaw

A good primer for Tantra, from a Tibetan Buddhist, is the book, Introduction to Tantra: The Transformaton of Desire by Lama Yeshe. It's an easy read, but also thought provoking.

cicerosa

Well the reason why I was interested was because: I have an acquaintance that I visit...who knows these practices and is going to start me into it. I guess it will help me with clinical depression and everything. Do you think that it will be practical?

I am going to open my subconcious and explore my mind. I am excited.

budtrain

there are also throat chakra and all the other major oragans have chakras and it is the brining of the energy and it is real if your doing a throat chakra you can get punched in the throat as hard as someone can hit you and it wont hurt you if you know what your doing ive done it before

ZenSkin

[quote]Originally posted by cicerosa:
<strong>Well the reason why I was interested was because: I have an acquaintance that I visit...who knows these practices and is going to start me into it. I guess it will help me with clinical depression and everything. Do you think that it will be practical?</strong><hr></blockquote>

It can be very helpful. It depends on you and it depends on the experience and attitude of the teacher.

Learning to simply sit still and focus on the breath takes a little practice but can really help with stress, anxiety and depression.

In Kundalini there are many practices that can elevate mood. Often a simple practice, over time, with patience can yield good results. One of the reasons to have a good teacher is that you need someone who can tell you are doing it right and can gauge your progress.

[quote]<strong>I am going to open my subconcious and explore my mind. I am excited.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Are you sure you want to do that?

There is a meditation called darshon ... the Tibetans call it tong-len. I have experienced this with a Tibetan master. Moods and emotions can swell. Old memories come back vividly. I've had beautiful dreams after a session that felt more than real .. and had a profound impact. I asked another student, after going through some very intense stuff with a teacher if she felt it as strongly as I did. She said "Yes, but he is holding back." :-) Apparently this teacher could have blown us all to the back of the room if he wanted .. but was going gently for the newbies like myself -- still -- I had a sunburn on my face the next day (I had been indoors the whole time).

A good teacher knows when you are ready and the relationship between teacher and student is of pivotal importance in yoga.

Oh -- Lama Yeshe's writings are fantastic. What I have not read I have heard good things about. He was an enlightened master who was able to communicate well to a western audience. Some of his books are available at <a href="http://www.snowlionpub.com/" target="_blank">Snow Lion</a>. Also look at Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche's books. He was a master of the Nyingma school and a tutor to the 14th Dalai Lama.

Enjoy! Remember -- the journey is the destination.

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catastrophe

I found this site that had videos explaining each Chakra and the symbolism of each one. Probably some of the better videos from Youtube that I've seen in a while...