k~Blog

Another inquiry from Australia. Thank you, Jonathan, your questions are always welcome…

When I inhale, I find that by the time I reach the fourth second, my inhalation is very deep. I fill my lungs close to their maximum capacity. Is that OK? Similarly, my lungs are thoroughly evacuated by the time I reach the fourth second. My inhalations and exhalations are nevertheless sustainable for twenty minutes or so. Don’t try to stuff your lungs; every cycle should be relaxed to the extent that you’re not forcing it. You’re not after quantity, but quality. That is, a relaxed breathing cycle that improves over time. What do I mean by improve? I mean that the diaphragmatic breathing you’re practicing opens up other air pockets besides the lungs, namely behind the kidneys. Over time, this breathing technique should make your breathing deeper and more rhythmical, but not by forcing it.

At night time, when I look at the tip of my nose with half closed eyes, I have found that I need to turn on my bedroom light ˜ otherwise I cannot see anything. When I cannot see anything I do not know whether the focus of my eyes is correct. I presume that soft, diffused, indirect light is best. As you know, I practice while lying on my back. So, when I turn on my bedroom light I am facing a harsh, strong fluorescent light. My bedside lamp is also fluorescent. Do you think that I should use some candles? On the other hand, the flickering light from candles may be distracting. Perhaps I could turn on the light of an adjacent room? The light in the adjacent room sounds like the best solution. Enough light to work by. Over time you will develop a sense of approach to this part of the practice and may not need light.

Interruptions to my practice sometimes occur. My interruptions are not caused by external factors such as outside noise. My attention gets diverted by my thoughts ("monkey mind"). When I notice any mental chatter I turn my attention back to diaphragmatic breathing. That is, I re-start my diaphragmatic breathing. Normally I am not sure at which point I stopped (i.e. inhalation, exhalation, holding the inhalation or holding the exhalation) but I just start once again with an inhalation. Is that correct? Yes, always go back to the repetitious part of the breathing if you get distracted. However, under normal circumstances, you should not stop the diaphragmatic breathing during practice. It should become automatic—so that each inhalation begins with a diaphragmatic action. Count to four during inhalation. At that point, you stop inhaling and hold four beats, then exhale for four beats, etc.

I will try to get my hands on a copy of The Secret of the Golden Flower, starting with our public library. Who was the author? Was it Lao-tse (spelling?)? The authorship of many ancient books is sometimes questionable. Does The Secret of the Golden Flower fall into that category also? Do you prefer a particular translation or are they all more or less equivalent (I am presuming that there are a number of translations.)? I have the Richard Wilhelm translation, originally published by ROUTLEDGE & KEGAN PAUL, London 1931. There’s a lot of explanatory material in the front and the back, but I stick pretty much to the text of the two books.

Actually, for some time I have been looking on the internet and in our library for a straight forward method for raising my kundalini. As you know, most sources usually give dire warnings about raising one’s kundalini. Others dismiss kundalini on the grounds that it is a dangerous diversion from the main goal of enlightenment. Alternatively, some say that it must be part of a very long religious process that may extend over several lifetimes! On the other hand, your approach appeals to me because of its practicality, straight forwardness, and absence of mysticism. I think that it is unfortunate that we are stuck with the actual word "kundalini". The word itself is closely associated with Hinduism and perhaps the English words "vital energy", "vital force", "life force" (or French "élan vital") would not convey the same meaning. Yes, there’s a lot of basic information to be learned about Kundalini: how to activate it successfully time after time over a given number of subjects, how to live with it, and how to manage it. Also, its applications in the real world.

Your second point is very well taken. For some time, I have been thinking about terminology. My wife hates the term, Kundalini, says no one knows what it means. Well, perhaps not NO ONE, but it isn’t exactly a household term. And its very HINDU-NESS does prevent understanding and acceptance in the West. At the moment, I’m preparing a presentation I call ACTIVATING THE LIFE FORCE. Don’t know whether it will attract more attention than Kundalini. By the way, is there any interest in this subject in Australia?

JJ Semple