Vajrasana Quotes

ASANA Now I shall instruct you regarding the nature of asana or seat. Although by 'asana' is generally meant the erect posture assumed in meditation, this is not its central or essential meaning. When I use the word 'asana' I do not mean the various forms of asana’s such as Padmasana, Vajrasana, Svastikasana, or Bhadrasana. By 'asana' I mean something else, and this is what I want to explain to you. First let me speak to you about breath; about the inhaling breath-apana, and the exhaling breath-prana. Breath is extremely important in meditation; particularly the central breath-madhyama-pranan, which is neither prana nor apana. It is the center of these two, the point existing between the inhaling and exhaling breaths. This center point cannot be held by any physical means, as a material object can be held by the hand. The center between the two breaths can be held only by knowledge-jnana – not discursive knowledge, but by knowledge which is awareness. When this central point is held by continuously refreshed awareness – which is knowledge and which is achieved through devotion to the Lord – that is, in the true sense settling into your asana. “On the pathway of your breath maintain continuously refreshed and full awareness on and in the center of breathing in and breathing out. This is internal asana." (Netra Tantra) Asana, therefore, is the gradual dawning in the spiritual aspirant of the awareness which shines in the central point found between inhaling and exhaling. This awareness is not gained by that person who is full of prejudice, avarice, or envy. Such a person, filled with all such negative qualities, cannot concentrate. The prerequisite of this glorious achievement is, therefore, the purification of your internal egoity. It must become pure, clean, and crystal clear. After you have purged your mind of all prejudice and have started settling with full awareness into that point between the two breaths, then you are settling into your asana. “When in breathing in and breathing out you continue to maintain your awareness in continuity on and in the center between the incoming and outgoing breath, your breath will spontaneously and progressively become more and more refined. At that point you are driven to another world. This is pranayama." (Netra Tantra) After settling in the asana of meditation arises the refined practice of pranayama. ‘Pranayama’ does not mean inhaling and exhaling vigorously like a bellow. Like asana, pranayama is internal and very subtle. There is a break less continuity in the traveling of your awareness from the point of asana into the practice of pranayama. When through your awareness you have settled in your asana, you automatically enter into the practice of pranayama. Our Masters have indicated that there are two principle forms of this practice of ‘asana-pranayama’, i.e. cakrodaya and ajapa-gayatri. In the practice of ajapa-gayatri you are to maintain continuously refreshed full awareness-(anusandhana) in the center of two breaths, while breathing in and out slowly and silently. Likewise in the practice of cakrodaya you must maintain awareness, which is continually fresh and new, filled with excitement and vigor, in the center of the two breaths – you are to breathe in and out slowly, but in this case with sound.

No corpo feminino, o ponto de concentração está no mooladhara chackra, o qual está situado no colo do útero, logo atrás da abertura do útero. Este é o ponto onde o espaço e o tempo unem-se e explodem na forma de uma experiência. Esta experiência é conhecida como orgasmo na linguagem comum, mas na linguagem do Tantra ele é chamado um despertar. A fim de manter a continuidade desta experiência, é necessário que um acumulo de energia acontece naquele ponto em particular, ou bindu. Normalmente isso não acontece porque a explosão de energia dissipa-se por todo o corpo por meio do ato sexual. para evitar isso a mulher deve ser capaz de segurar sua mente em absoluta concentração naquele ponto em particular. Para isto, a prática é conhecida como sahajoli. Na verdade, sahajoli é a concentração no bindu, mas isto é muito difícil. Portanto, a pratica de sahajoli, que é a contração da vagina, bem como dos músculos uterinos, deve ser praticada por um longo período de tempo. Se é ensinada a menina, uddiyana bandha desde a mais tenra idade, ela aperfeiçoará sahajoli naturalmente com o tempo. Uddiyana bandha é sempre praticada com a retenção externa. É importante saber realizar isto em qualquer posição. Normalmente é praticado em siddhayoni asana, mas deve-se ser capaz de realizar em vajrasana ou na postura do corvo também. Quando você pratica uddiyana bandha, e outros dois bandhas – jalandhara e moola bandha ocorrem espontaneamente. Anos desta prática irá criar um senso de concentração no ponto correto no corpo. Esta concentração é mais mental em sua natureza, mas ao mesmo tempo, uma vez que não seja possível fazê-lo mentalmente, tem de começar de algum ponto físico. Se a mulher for capaz de concentrar-se e manter a continuidade da experiência, ela pode despertar sua energia para níveis superiores. De acordo com o tantra, há duas diferentes áreas do orgasmo. Uma é na zona nervosa, que é a experiência comum para muitas mulheres, e a outra é em mooladhara chakra. Quando sahajoli é praticado durante o maithuna (o ato da união sexual), mooladhara chakra desperta e o orgasmo espiritual, ou tântrico, acontece. Quando a yoguini é capaz de praticar sahajoli por 5 a 15 minutos, ela pode reter o orgasmo tântrico pelo mesmo período de tempo. Retendo esta experiência, o fluxo de energia é revertido. A circulação do sangue e das forças simpáticas e parassimpáticas move-se para cima. Neste ponto, ela transcende a consciência normal e vê a luz. É assim que ela entra no estado profundo de dhyana. A menos que a mulher seria capaz de praticar sahajoli, ela não será capaz de reter os impulsos necessários para o orgasmo tântrico, e conseqüentemente ela terá o orgasmo nervoso, que é de curta duração e seguida de insatisfação e exaustão. Isto é muitas vezes a causa da histeria de uma mulher e da depressão.

ASANA Now I shall instruct you regarding the nature of asana or seat. Although by 'asana' is generally meant the erect posture assumed in meditation, this is not its central or essential meaning. When I use the word 'asana' I do not mean the various forms of asana’s such as Padmasana, Vajrasana, Svastikasana, or Bhadrasana. By 'asana' I mean something else, and this is what I want to explain to you. First let me speak to you about breath; about the inhaling breath-apana, and the exhaling breath-prana. Breath is extremely important in meditation; particularly the central breath-madhyama-pranan, which is neither prana nor apana. It is the center of these two, the point existing between the inhaling and exhaling breaths. This center point cannot be held by any physical means, as a material object can be held by the hand. The center between the two breaths can be held only by knowledge-jnana – not discursive knowledge, but by knowledge which is awareness. When this central point is held by continuously refreshed awareness – which is knowledge and which is achieved through devotion to the Lord – that is, in the true sense settling into your asana. On the pathway of your breath maintain continuously refreshed and full awareness on and in the center of breathing in and breathing out. This is internal asana. (Netra Tantra) Asana, therefore, is the gradual dawning in the spiritual aspirant of the awareness which shines in the central point found between inhaling and exhaling. This awareness is not gained by that person who is full of prejudice, avarice, or envy. Such a person, filled with all such negative qualities, cannot concentrate. The prerequisite of this glorious achievement is, therefore, the purification of your internal egoity. It must become pure, clean, and crystal clear. After you have purged your mind of all prejudice and have started settling with full awareness into that point between the two breaths, then you are settling into your asana. When in breathing in and breathing out you continue to maintain your awareness in continuity on and in the center between the incoming and outgoing breath, your breath will spontaneously and progressively become more and more refined. At that point you are driven to another world. This is pranayama." (Netra Tantra) After settling in the asana of meditation arises the refined practice of pranayama. ‘Pranayama’ does not mean inhaling and exhaling vigorously like a bellow. Like asana, pranayama is internal and very subtle. There is a break less continuity in the traveling of your awareness from the point of asana into the practice of pranayama. When through your awareness you have settled in your asana, you automatically enter into the practice of pranayama. Our Masters have indicated that there are two principle forms of this practice of ‘asana-pranayama’, i.e. cakrodaya and ajapa-gayatri. In the practice of ajapa-gayatri you are to maintain continuously refreshed full awareness-(anusandhana) in the center of two breaths, while breathing in and out slowly and silently. Likewise in the practice of cakrodaya you must maintain awareness, which is continually fresh and new, filled with excitement and vigor, in the center of the two breaths – you are to breathe in and out slowly, but in this case with sound. ― Swami Lakshmanjoo

Seven yogic practices to improve digestion Agnisara Kriya, Vajrasana, Bhujangasana, Halasana, Pavanamuktasana, Paschimottanasana and Dhanurasana.

Even the most austere of mystical regimens followed by Zen sects use at least one essential physical mudra: that of zazen (Chinese qing zuo) or “quiet sitting,” the actual structure*44 of which is also used in Vedic yoga where the posture is called vajrasana, or “diamond-thunderbolt posture.