To: K-list
Recieved: 2002/12/08 08:53
Subject: [K-list] Kripalu and the differences between the Kundalini Yoga of Yogi Amrit and Yogi Bhajan
From: Pieter Schoonheim Samara
On 2002/12/08 08:53, Pieter Schoonheim Samara posted thus to the K-list:
Dear Sandy,
Regarding Kripalu and Kundalini Yoga, Kripalu was founded by Amrit Desai of
www.amrityoga.com. He named the center after his Guru, Krypaluananda. At
that time Yogi Amrit developed Kripalu Yoga with his Guru, which is a
version of hatha yoga that converts the postures to a meditation in motion.
One might make the comparison to Tai Chi, with the difference that this
practice is meant as an assistance to the development of oneness in
consciousness with the prana that moves the body through these postures.
When this oneness is achieved through careful attentive prayer-like motions,
breathing and postures, the student suddenly discovers that the prana itself
takes over the motions into absolute and complete perfection of motion and
postures, including mudras, pranayamas and so forth. As these meditations
in motion progress, the mind begins to turn inwards. The prana having done
it's work in purifying the cells of the body and the nerves, the voltage can
now begin to increase. It's at this stage that the Kundalini will begin to
manifest. The Kundalini is the Self Itself, and turns the mind inwards to
experience pure being/consciousness, the "I as I" without an object. This is
called "hearing" (or sravana). It is the moment, when for the first time,
and thereafter the student realizes the possibility that his/her sense of
"I" is single. The Yoga Sutras call this "Isolation of the Seer" which is
the sole purpose of Yoga. As meditation progresses, the discovery and
earnest quest that takes possession of the mind, turns into "remembrance" or
inner contemplation of the recognized Self (or manana). It's as though the
student is awakening from an amnesia, now realizing that the earlier
discovery heard from within and everywhere, is actually his/her own True
Self, single and pervasive. The sensation of remembrance is like a pulling
from within and a blazing out from behind at the same time. Thoughts and
images cannot arise and the attachment to subconscious thoughts and
impressions and sensations simply drops away, until one comes into perfect
repose (or niddidyasana). This process of hearing, remembrance (or
recollection) and perfect abiding is the manifestation of Kundalini, which
is simply another word for Awareness. It is the single simple awareness of
one's True Being, but with it comes Knowledge, what in Christianity is
called the Advocate or the Holy Spirit, the knowledge that one is single and
all pervasive Being, that one is the light and life of everything, and the
moment by moment force of creation, yet single, undifferentiated, absolute,
unconditioned, uncaused consciousness.
While Yogi Amrit and Kripaluananda were at Kripalu, located in the town of
Lenox near Tanglewood in the Berkshire hills of Western Massachusetts, the
teaching of the Kripalu Yoga and release of the related Shaktipad energy was
gradually curtailed in favor of other types of Yoga, such as ashtanga (not
the Raja Yoga ashtanga of the Yoga Sutras), a version of hatha yoga, where
movements can be likeness to the kartas of Karate, Kung Fu or Taiquando;
Bikram (heated room) yoga, and the center became very much a health/yoga
related business. About this time, there was a management coup and Yogi
Amrit was ousted, and the ongoing management took over the operations.
Many programs of benefit to all are offered.
You mentioned Kundalini Yoga taught by K.P. Khalsa. This yoga is probably
the ancient yoga that was brought to the US from India by Yogi Bhajan, the
founder of the 3ho Foundation www.3ho.org. This yoga bears similar
characteristics to Kripalu yoga only in that the postures and movements
combined with various forms of powerful breathing, and numerous mantras and
Laya meditations are also practiced with a complete mindfulness as one comes
into the posture/movement/kriya, during and after. In this yoga, the blood
becomes alkali and supercharged with the vitality of the air and prana
flowing in and around the body. the postures and movements put certain
areas of the body under pressure (organs, glands, systems), which causes the
blood to super saturate these areas, which open more and more under the
pressure of time. The principally vitalized blood is then able to penetrate
these areas, which begin to absorb and assimilate and charge up the energy
during equally as long periods of rest in between each kundalini yoga
exercise of which several make up a specific set with a specific intention.
Certain meditations and mantras follow that allow these areas that have
become packed with energy, so to speak, to dissolve and diffuse the
energy/prana throughout the body, illuminating the mind with light.
Gradually, over time, practicing many different sets, on one's own and at
kundalini yoga classes of Yogi Bhajan's student teachers, the whole body
comes into an electromagnetic balance. the mind becomes utterly pure and
radiant, as though one was watching a movie and the light in the projector
was turned up to a greater and greater power, such that the picture on the
screen would fade to white, only here one sees with the eyes, but the light
in the mind pervades inside and outside. At this stage, the Kundalini
begins to awaken, and one has similar experiences of transformation as
described above. The difference with Kripalu/Shaktipad Kundalini Yoga and
the Kundalini Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan, is that in the first, there is
the necessity of the Guru and in the second one is Self initiated. It's
true that someone that has been practicing Kundalini yoga for some time, who
experiences the wholeness of inside and outside, will see Yogi Bhajan and
often have some very powerful pranic and Kundalini experiences, but this is
not due to his directing of energy, but more due to his own link with That
Universal Consciousness that he abides in.
If you continue to take the classes of K.P. Khalsa at Kripalu, you also will
begin to have these experiences, and discover that they are your natural
Self.
Hope this answers your question about Kripalu and its history past and
future with Kundalini Yoga. My knowledge of Kripalu is that I used to visit
Yogi Amrit, when he had an ashram in Sumnytown PA and later the Lenox
center. Later I was traveling for a number of years and returning to the US
heard of his departure and new teaching programs in Florida. Regarding
Kundalini Yoga, I have been practicing since I met Yogi Bhajan in April
1970, when he said that, if one took up the practice and practiced daily,
that a tremendous transformation would occur. I believed him and as time
went on, what he said turned out to be true.
Pieter
__
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002 13:09:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Sandy Triolo <sandytriATnospamyahoo.com>
Subject: K and Yoga
In reference to the recent conversation about K and
yoga I came across a Kundalini Yoga class at the
Kripalu Center in Mass. taught by K.P. Khalsa -
www.kripalu.org Does anyone know anything about this
center?
sandy
http://www.kundalini-gateway.org
http://www.domin8rex.com/serpent/spirit/kindex.htm
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