1093 From: "gregacu108" <gleblanc@turningpointonline.info>
Date: Mon Jun 20, 2005 6:09pm
Subject: Tumo outline gregacu108
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Thought you all might enjoy this, it is an outline of Tumo from
Teachings and Practices of Tibetan Tantra, By Garma C.C. Chang. I
have found it facinating to see the how the various traditions are
similar and different.
Greg
Dumo (Inner Heat practice from the Six Yoga's of Naropa)
* Conservative and basic version-practiced 4x/day
Visualize the Emptiness or Hollowness of the body
Pray to Guru for success
Assume Asana
Visualize hollow body in different sizes, from a mustard seed to the
universe
Visualize the Main Psychic-Nerves (Nadis)
Visualize the Central Channel, from four fingers below navel to top
of head and curving down to yintang. Its color is white on the
outside and red within.
Visualize the other two channels half inch from the center channel.
Color of Right Channel is red slightly tinged with white. Left is
white, slightly tinged with red. The two side channels run from four
fingers below the navel, to the top of the head and curve down to
the two nostrils.
All three channels are hollow, straight, clear and transparent.
Visualize the four cakras in the head, throat, chest and navel.
Visualize the Nadis extending from the cakras throughout the body.
64 up from navel, 8 down from heart, 16 up from throat and 32 down
from head.
Vase Breathing Exercises
Best practiced when breath is even.
Breath of nine blowings - Close left nostril and long exhale through
right. Then inhale and make a short exhale, then a long and gentle
one. Practice three times. Switch and repeat with other nostril and
then with both nostrils. Breathe out all hindrances, sins and
sicknesses.
Vase breathing - Draw gentle, long breath, subtle breath pressing
the air down below the navel and swallow a little saliva with the
air. Now contract the sphincter muscle of the anus slightly and hold
the air at the navel cakra. When the air can be held no longer, take
a short breath to relieve tension, roll the belly muscle three times
and try to hold the breath once more as long as possible. When no
longer possible to hold, raise head slightly and release slowly.
These four processes are called: inhaling, filling, dissolving and
shooting.
When inhaling, visualize the pranas of the five elements being drawn
into the nostrils from about 10 inches away. When filling visualize
the air descending through both channels passing through the
intersection point and entering the central channel and remaining
there. When dissolving visualize the air circulating within the
central channel. When shooting visualize the Tig Le (prana-mind)
shooting up through the central channel and out the head center, do
this once only at the start of a meditation section.
*Gentle vase breathing is recommended for the beginner: Hold air for
short while, release before any strain, then at once draw in another
breath and hold it again. Repeat the gentle vase breathing 8-10
times, making one complete round. Rest for short while and repeat;
prolong holding period gradually and gently (only use nose). If
breath can be held without strain for two minutes the minimum
requirement has been fulfilled, four minutes is average and six
minutes is the heist requirement.
Manipulating the Bindus
Visualize small white drop (like dew drop) the size of a pea,
sparkling but transparent, at the mid-point between the eyebrows.
This drop (Tig Le or Bindu) is the embodiment of the mind; visualize
it until it becomes extremely clear.
While doing vase breathing, visualize the Tig Le ascending to the
upper end of the central channel, during the holding concentrate on
it.
Breathe out and imagine the Tig Le flowing down again to the mid-
point between the eyebrows. Do c. and d. several times.
Take a long breath and push air down to the navel center, at same
time imagine the Tig Le drops down to the navel center through the
central channel like a small iron ball. While holding the breath
concentrate on the Tig, on exhale the Tig Le returns to the head
center via the central channel.
Develop the movement of the Tig Le steadily by first moving it to
the throat center, then the heart center and finally to the navel
center.
After mastering the above the yogi should concentrate on the Tig Le
at a given cakra (especially the navel center) and at the same time
practice the vase breathing 5-7 times. On inhalation the Tig Le
drops down to the lower cakra; when the breath is held it remains in
the center of the cakra. During exhalation it returns to the mid-
point between the eyebrows.
End every meditation with concentration on the mid-point between the
eyebrows.
Bodily Exercises
Use bodily exercises (assumption is Hatha Yoga like practices) to
untie knots in the nadis.
They improve the flow of prana and Tig Le in the nadis and are
rejuvenators to impaired nadis, prana and Tig Le's.
Special attention should be paid to the Six Rotation Exercises of
Naropa, done before and after the Dumo meditation.
Building a good foundation for heat yoga
Practice vase breathing when not to full or to hungry, nor at noon
or midnight. The time is when the breath flows evenly through both
nostrils.
See the Dumo fire at the intersection of the three channels below
the navel (Tanden in Chinese). It is appears like an oval or almond
shaped flame with a sharp and narrow tongue which tapers to a point
like a twisted needle. Reddish brown, intensely hot and undulating,
it can produce heat and bliss in all nadis.
