Ecstasy. what are you waiting for?

'If these two separate energies, prana (energy) and chitta (consciousness), can be unified, this creates a suitable condition for Kundalini or spiritual energy to awaken and ascend through the middle passage, Sushumna nadi. Hatha yoga is the process of establishing perfect physical, mental, emotional and psychic equilibrium by manipulating the energies of the body. It is through Hatha Yoga that one prepares for the higher spiritual experience.' From Hatha Yoga Pradidpika, Yoga publications trust version, page 26.

What yoga seems to have become now is an opportunity to show off how good you are at your postures at your local yoga class, have you noticed how all the bendy people go to the front of the class?. It has become very body oriented and also money making business. People are charging £50-£100 or more to teach a yoga class in someone's home for an hour. Yoga teachers are taking drugs and getting drunk on the weekend. Blimey!

I remember many years ago I mentioned that I thought it was wrong for yoga teachers to smoke dope, and get drunk, and I was immediately attacked for being moralistic. Let me add I was attacked for being moralistic by the very people that were still 'needing' to use drugs and booze to have a good time. Perhaps I am fortunate that I don't need these things anymore.

Morals have nothing to do with this, if you want to get drunk and take drugs that's ok by me but how can you call yourself a yoga teacher, at best you are are some kind of fitness teacher. We seem to live in an age where people can do what they like and if they are criticised they accuse the critic of being judgemental. Well like I say, 'its not important to be serious but it is important to be serious about what's important'.

I think keeping Yoga pure is important, at least to the point where so- called yoga teachers are drug and booze free and are doing some kind of daily practise. If you have any problem and disagree with me then feel free to make a comment. And I just want to say I am not saying these things to be controversial this is what I 'really' think and I'm putting my money where my mouth is for a change, it's nothing personal

All that aside when was the last time you felt ecstasy in your practise? If you go on a scale from abject and utter misery to complete unbounded joy where do you think you are on that scale right now?

I see consciousness a bit like a bandwidth on the Internet. We used to use a very slow old narrow band-width and when we first got it, it was great! Then along comes broadband and wow, we will never go back to narrow band. Once you start to really get into YOGA from the point of view of Ecstatic experience you will not need to go to a yoga class you wont worry how you look either.

'Oh no', the 'ego' says, 'I can't have that. If I'm gonna be in ecstasy I want to look good too!'

My first experience with cosmic consciousness as an adult was in 1970. I went to a guru and sat around getting very high from all the sat-sangs. We were doing some chanting and I went off into an altered state. I was not in the room any more and went into a white light experience. It lasted for quite a time, and when I came back I felt like I'd been washed through. I'm not saying this was Samhadi, I don't know what it was, but it blew my mind. At that time I wasn't ready to pick up the mantle of 'spirituality', I don't know what other word to use, and soon went back to my life as it was before that experience. I knew I was not finished with the world I wanted experiences and could not entertain the thought of not being me as I was then.

Humans are flawed, most of the great teachers when you look deeper into their lives were flawed characters. But so what! Perfection awaits you in Samadhi nothing else matters, does it?

And if it does, indeed if there is something more you want you'd better get on with it then hadn't you?

And this is a very interesting point. If you are meditating and trying to clear your thoughts and the thought keeps coming in, "Oi you need to put some more money in the parking meter". Well if you ignore that thought you will get a ticket won't you. So see whats in there. You must follow your inner dictates until you don't need to anymore. Then you become guided by higher consciousness.

Yoga teaching has become seriously compromised, in my opinion, an easy way to earn money. We get over-authoritative teachers that have probably failed in life and have now become Demi-Gods in their little world of yoga. 'Egoic' and self important they become tyrants only really worrying if they will make enough money to pay the mortgage! Hahaaha. Yes that means you if you are rankling!

'Become nothing then you have nothing to loose' Anon

'Bulls**t baffles brains' Anon.

'Do you know the way to San-Jose' Burt Bacharach.

'Come on Baby light my fire' Jim Morrison.

Om Nama Shivaya.