Theos-Talk Archives (April 1995 Message tl00157)

Paul G: < When one goes beyond this into performing kriyas
and advanced pranayama, then the possibility exists of
activating kundalini before the personality has a chance
to integrate and manage the associated experiences.>

I personally believe that the number of people who have
raised Kundalini by using the techniques of Hatha Yoga can
be counted on the fingers of a very few hands.  I know
that Hindu Tantras employ Hatha Yoga techniques (the
classic text _The Serpent Power_ being a good example),
but Tibetans do not. I roused Kundalini many years ago
through breathing and visualization.  I have never been
worth 2 cents with Hatha Yoga.  Also, virtually all yogic
Adepts credit Hatha as being a lower form of yoga (usually
only one step up from Karma Yoga), and this in spite of
Yoga Journal, which emphasizes the merits of Hatha Yoga.
It is the breathing, not the posture, which raises
Kundalini (Gopi Krishna did not use Hatha Yoga either, by
the way).  The actual breathing technque that is necessary
(the vase breathing technique given in Naropa's Six Yogas)
is easy to do, once you learn how.  You can do it lying
down, sitting, in lotus posture, or upside down.

Paul G. <All of the sources I have studied indicate that
such practices (especially those concerned with raising
kundalini) should only be practiced under the close
supervision of a competent teacher, and only then if the
aspirant has eliminated all traces of selfishness or
self-importance.>

Were your "sources" all theosophists?  Let me assure you
that the elimination of "all traces of selfishness" is the
work of the Adept, and not us poor Initiates or Chelas.  A
sincere desire to help others (e.g., taking the
Bodisttavic Vow) is a sufficient qualification.

Paul G: < On a personal note, I'm avoiding such practices
until I can reach some improved state of personality
integration.>

If you plan to wait until you have eliminated all traces
of selfishness, than you will doubtless wait for a very
long time indeed.  However, on a psychological note, the
very conviction or intuitive feeling that one is not
"ready" or not good enough or pure enough or whatever
enough to Tread the Path (which _always_ awakens the
sleeping goddess within us, eventually) is probably
sufficient reason to avoid it.  The Path is not to be
tread by anyone with strong self doubts (we all have
some doubts about ourselves, at least in the beginning).
As I said above, a sincere desire to help others is
sufficent qualificiation.  But, a _sincere_ desire to
help others is not all that easy to obtain, and
actually only a very small percentage of the human
population has it.

Just a few thoughts.

Jerry S.