Practice notes, these days · 29 April 2009
Relaxing the jaw and tongue
Anna Wise found that even zen masters couldn’t take their beta waves down from active chit-chat mode until they relaxed their tongues. It seems that when the tongue is unrelaxed, the part of the brain that does discursive thought (i.e. spoken or unspoken speech) goes pretty nuts. However, zen master who relaxes tongue quiets mind.
The implication of this for rooms in which there is much verbal instruction (or in which students actually talk--I hear that happens sometims... odd...) are noted.
Relaxing the head
There are three different stretches that I can give to the muscles inside the head (or is it the optic nerve?) when I’m looking to the third eye. It just depends on how far out I gaze (even if the eyes are closed). There is one area within this range that, when I rest in in for a few seconds, causes the hip flexors to tingle and let go. Further supports this idea that there may be a jaw-hip connection.
Bodymaps
In the past I’ve thought that the kosha model of body “layers’ was tedious. Eastern philosophy is full of lists—at its worst it feels like arbitrary nominalism rather than illumination. But lately the gross-subtle-causal model of body layers seems too coarse. The kosha model divides subtle and causal into two sub-levels, in an interesting way. Recently Susan also reminded me that gross-subtle-causal is often seen as being crowned by turiya. And somewhere Ken Wilber reminded me that in the Tibetan imagination turiya is followed by a trans-personal “body” called turiyatita. Whatever Anyway, both five-layer models—the Indian and the Tibetan—now seems to be kind of useful for interpreting experience. Or locating it.
Manifestation
People keep asking me about what I want to manifest. You mean like The Secret? I could manifest a Ferrari? Awesome!
Riiight. Boring. Listening to Shinzen a while back, I loved his chuckled aside when he was discussing the clairvoyance and petty mind-control stuff that happens to people who meditate a lot in a certain way. There’s the spirituality of powers, he said, and the spirituality of liberation. Powers are fine. “But those are the—heh heh heh—lesser gods, shall we say.”
My favorite metaphysically unstable feline puts it best: there is the spirituality of getting what you want. And the spirituality of wanting what you get. I guess I’m more interested in playing with the internal situation—what is wanted—than with the Ferrari situation—what is gotten. Maybe if The Secret worked for Lexus coupes rather than Ferraris...?
Posted by (0v0)
Categories: astanga yoga
, evolution
, having a body
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Hahaha…“there is the spirituality of getting what you want. And the spirituality of wanting what you get.” I’m totally there…this from someone who got swept up in the Law of Attraction circus a few years ago. Brilliant. :-)
xo.
Posted by: Laruga · Apr 29, 11:17 AM · #
Hmmm. If contemplation of the paradoxical leads to enlightenment, or to clear understanding or whatever, then perhaps people should meditate themselves into Ferraris. One must sit in the Ferraris one manifests, or so I imagine, and then something must come from that. Manifest the things that peculiarly challenge one’s contemplative aims, and then there’s more to meditate on.
But that sounds like a Fox reality series. Never mind!
Posted by: Carl · Apr 29, 11:36 AM · #
L! X. Next breakfast, yr CIM is on tap. I’m intrigued. Live it up.
Agreed: Law of Attraction + Kali Yuga = uh oh!
Ohhh… but wait… I think I feel the universe calling. Is that you, universe? Yes.
Carl, I am supposed to meditate myself in to a honey-colored Lexus SC with a 4.3 liter V-8, standard transmission, analog dash coordinates, wood detailing, alloy wheels and a BOSE. California license plate: MNFSTDSTNY.
It’s a little better than meditating on this zafu. The new seat is not low-emissions, but the universe says if I don’t think about it, pollution can’t hurt me.
Posted by: (0v0) · Apr 29, 12:49 PM · #
I think really, you are more of a Ducati kinda girl.
Regarding 2nd party manifestation: There seems to be a power emanating at me, like some sort of tractor beam, sending me to a mat. Personally I am kicking and screaming. Do you hear that Mr Anderson? That’s the sound of inevitability! Now, how far does this rabbit hole go anyway?
Posted by: Gregor · Apr 29, 01:39 PM · #
A Lexus, eh? I’ve pictured you behind the wheel of a white Mercedes SLK 320 (with the more practical supercharged V6). Now I guess it’s up to you assert your own meditation imagery a little more intently so that you don’t end up on Gregor’s Ducati or in my Mercedes.
Posted by: Carl · Apr 29, 02:54 PM · #
Oh SHIT!!! Is this turning in to a manifestation-off? No, I must have my Lexus!
You! I see you in a robins-egg-blue 1977 Ford Pinto. Just like this!
Ok, made you look. Too late now! That should keep you distracted a while. Now, back to my V-8…
Posted by: (0v0) · Apr 29, 03:12 PM · #
I’m personally a Jaguar kind of girl. Now, if I could manifest one of those!
Posted by: V · Apr 29, 08:51 PM · #
I guess those celebrities with the celebrity yoga “teacher” (r u freakin’ kidding?) will be celebrating the global freak out vis-a-vis this far out flu flow in Mexico as they find themSelves on the wrong side of the Law of attraction. O the tides of man, they pull strong and deep on ironic heart strings.
Which reminds me, is there a law of repulsion?
Came across this today “God is a comedian playing to an audience to afraid to laugh.” – Voltaire
And there is a connection between mula bandha and kechari mudra which is pretty close to hip/jaw.
Posted by: e&sj · Apr 29, 09:00 PM · #
Aston Martin all the way…..if I were into that sort of thing…..which I’m not….sniff.
Posted by: LI Ashtangini · Apr 30, 06:45 AM · #
One could posit an ala carte Freudian hypo-thesis regarding the jaw and hip as structural gateways for the psychic energy of the oral and anal stages of psychological (read:somatic) development. However, I should point out I’m just making this up while attempting to manifest a vintage BMW motorcycle.
Posted by: Jamie · Apr 30, 08:27 AM · #
Vroom! Interesting that oral follows anal. But… a lot of the maps of human growth begin from the earth/roots. Ashtanga too. First you open the hips. Then the heart. Then maybe the head.
The practice finally has me cornered. I cannot hide any more and it’s somewhat horrible. I feel destroyed after practice every day the past week. Something dark is here. I want to say I don’t understand it but I do.
E&SJ, RF’s flipping fish actually makes sense now. Maybe:
Hip Flexors: Jowls :: Pelvic Floor: TPPT
Where TPPT = the triangle made of thyroid, soft palate, and pituitary. Similarly to how the pelvic floor is the trapezoid made between pubis, coccyx, and two inside edges of the pelvic bowl. (?)
Annnnnyway…. law of repulsion: funny. Reminds of the Christian practice of “praying a hedge of protection” but in my experience hardcore LoA believers are too afraid of their own thoughts to anti-manifest things. They don’t understand the mechanisms in play (becase the Law of Attraction is based on greed and fear, not acceptance and curiosity) and therefore don’t value mindful action as how thoughts are made real. Hey guys: Don't think of George W. Bush taking over the world! :-)
Funny, I guess the ideology of manifestation is a huge head-trip. It privileges thoughts over all else, as if the physical world, feelings and intuitions were mere shadows of thoughts. This is ironic since many who follow it also profess that thinking is bad and that it's important to stop doing it and get out of the head to be spiritual or something. But LoA is all head all day. Odd.
Ok. Anyway. I changed my mind about the SC because when I actally checked it out this morning, it was pretty lame. Switching to a Tesla Roadster in dark gray.
Posted by: (0v0) · Apr 30, 09:00 AM · #
Now you’re talking. The Tesla Roadster has gained a lot of scarcity-induced desirability. It would take lots of covet-power to manifest it to your own little patch of curb space.
Posted by: Carl · Apr 30, 10:12 AM · #
“a manifestation-off?”... ha ha!!
Hey, I’m kinda loving the Pinto. I’m a sucker for vintage cars- give me a 1963 Impala! PLEASE! ahhh… dream car.
My man and I have a joke about The Secret. When we talk about something or someone that we’d rather not see, inevitably we see it/her/him the next day. That always results in locking eyes and someone mouthing, “Reverse Secret!”- ha ha! It’s like The Secret can’t be controlled, so watch out what you think! The Secret is out to get us!
I’m cracking myself up.
Oh Owl, you would HATE practicing with me… I talk. I try not to, but sometimes (usually around Kapo) there is some muttering. I laugh too. I can’t help it. It’s comical to me that we do this hard stuff day in and day out and yet love it.
Posted by: Liz · Apr 30, 10:38 AM · #
Oh yeah Liz, you want to play Who Can Be The QUIETEST??? That’s it. I’m coming to Austin.
Carl, is that a dare??? Do you want a piece of me man??? You don’t want to see what I can do with a Ford Pinto. No Carl, don’t even THINK about it!!!
Someone wise said to me this morning when I told him about the fucking destruction in whole intuitive, emotional and mental being that is currently there for the first 10-60 min after practice… he said,
“Just don’t give her any weapons.”
Evil grin.
Posted by: (0v0) · Apr 30, 10:51 AM · #
I would never win Who Can Be The QUIETEST.
never.
But come to Austin anyway! We’ll walk around on our hands and feed the squirrels.
Posted by: Liz · Apr 30, 11:56 AM · #
Oh my God. Look at that Nicolai Tesla. In Red.
Posted by: Gregor · Apr 30, 04:45 PM · #