Namaste fellow space cadets.

Now some of you may know, i am in the midst of a sort of reboot. Since returning from India (very very ill) Yoga meditation and various other things have dropped off my schedule.
Up until about 2 years ago i was riding bicycles professionally and competing. After a serious injury that had to stop.
I have not really been exercising as much as i should. I get angry at silly things. Sometimes my temper blows up uncontrollably and i get destructive urges to destroy. Its mindless rage and i know that is no good.

I was checking out nootropics recently but decided that it would be foolish to look at taking them without starting at the start. I know my situation better then that. So i want to get back into yoga (and meditation) on a committed level. As well as exercise which i have started doing again. Finally i am getting my sleep in order, i haven't had a proper sleep pattern since puberty.

The yoga i was doing in the past was Hatha Yoga, which as i understand is part of Raja Yoga or Yoga of the Mind.
This is great, i have a beautiful book called 'the anatomy of Hatha yoga' written by a doctor with anatomical drawings on how each pose affects each muscle, tendon and ligament. So for me starting with Hatha yoga makes much sense because i can refer to my book on which body part i feel needs work.

The reason i am posting is because i wanted to ask the Yoga fans on nexus about what they feel is a good path and to open up some discussion on various asanas, methods, styles ect.

When i was reading the wiki on Raja Yoga, it mentions this:

Quote:

Rāja Yoga ("royal yoga", "royal union", also known as Classical Yoga) is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation (dhyana) to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.

Quote:

Humans have all sorts of addictions and obsessions and these preclude the attainment of tranquil abiding (meditation). Through restraint (yama) such as celibacy, abstaining from intoxicants, and careful attention to one's actions of body, speech and mind, the human being becomes fit to practice meditation. This yoke that one puts upon oneself (discipline) is another meaning of the word yoga.

Now i wonder, is Raja Yoga such a good path for me to follow, as i plan to continue the use of entheogens as part of my practice and spiritual exploration and awakening. Would these be considered intoxicants? Does pot fall into that category? Should i quit Pot?
I doubt celibacy is something i will be doing, as a young man in a healthy loving relationship.
Is this Raja Yoga for me? I want the benefit of asanas, and the guidance of a path with specific targets (Raja Yoga's 8 limbs) yet celibacy and no intoxicants does not fall in line with my current path.

Meditation is something i am very much about, but i wonder if i also need guidance here. Up until now my meditation has just been emptying the mind. No more, is concentration needed? I think it might be needed.

I do not consider myself a Hindu, Buddhist or anything else. But i would like to draw upon the long history of wisdom, spiritually, physically or other wise.

Sorry if this spiraled off. I guess what i want is to get right back into yoga, meditation and i am also interested in the spiritual wealth, philosophy and interesting views/explanations ect that are contained within the texts/sutras ect.
But every path i look at seems not for me. I know i am the kind of guy that always talks about being independent, free spirited ect, but part of me is saying its time to grow up, and admit that other people have achieved great things, and i should pay attention.

There is a Buddhist centre near by that allows me to visit when ever i want to meditate, which is brilliant. But im hesitant to start going there more often because they are Mahayana school, which i understand is more modern the Theravada. I am an elitist, purist, perfectionist. perhaps this is why i am struggling to choose a direction.

This is possibly why i am struggling to find a path. I like knowing that i have everything in check. Perfection, all killer no filler. I enjoy the storys in Buddhism, but i dont want to be tied to some late school full of offerings (food is better given to the hungry then offered to a non material being)

Zen is interesting.
Perhaps i should look at Zen or zazen, combined with asanas.

I just need some gentle guidance, a whisper of encouragement, or a point in the right direction.

By the way this is the Hatha yoga book i have. I can certainly recommend it. Maybe i should just read my book, do the asanas and meditate as i have been.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/...ctitioners/dp/0970700601

Hey xtechre

Firstly, I would recommend the book Being Peace by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. He provides a wonderful outlook upon life with meditations that can be practised and applied to normal day-to-day activities. His philosophy is beautiful and very insightful. You seem to have a preference for Theravada Buddhism, and whilst Thich Nhat Hanh is Mahayana Zen, look into the pros and cons of both schools.

Buddhism is essentially a religion which improves (for want of a better word) human existence and therefore society as a whole (providing every individual in a society follows Buddhism). Humans have changed (and therefore society has changed, or vice versa) since the beginnings of Theravada, and therefore we can question whether the original beliefs are still applicable to the modern human. Mahayana moves along with society and its people, developing as we develop and maintaining a belief system applicable to today. On the other hand, as you mentioned, Theravada has the purity advantage, and this often is the decider for most people. It is, at the end of the day, down to your own personal choices.

In regards to Buddhism and the abstaining from intoxicants, it depends very much upon the intoxicants you take. I personally think that Buddhism refers to those that cloud your mind and thus hinder your development upon the path to enlightenment. The use of Ayahuasca and DMT for example, seems to be primarily spiritual and can creates heightened awareness of self, it does not seem to 'cloud the mind.' Therefore, if you think it can help you develop spiritually, then perhaps it will. Of course it all depends on what you wish to gain out of your experiences.

Religious or spiritual people, have in recent years, been developing upon their views of the 'other' religion. In most cases people are more accepting and even believing in elements of religions different to their own. They may also believe that all religions are essentially different paths up the same mountain. We have entered a time of 'spiritual supermarket' where people adopt different elements of many religions that are more suited to their lives, than one singular belief system. Perhaps this is the path for you xtechre. Especially if you are finding it difficult to marry various different elements of your life to a strict religious system.

I can't really say much for yoga unfortunately. But I hope the information on Buddhism helps you in the right direction. The book that I recommended even if it doesn't work for you is still a nice read, Thich Nhat Hanh has charming style of writing

The book Anatomy of Hatha Yoga looks quite interesting, I may purchase it in the near future. Thank you for the recommendation.

Much love,
Sally
xx

By refraining from things that are commonly known to cause addictions, you are by no means necessarily free from addiction. The addictions and obsessions range from reality to relationships or even to emotions. Staying away from intoxicants and other such things is I suppose only the most obvious solution for only one form of addiction but does not address the source problem - why do addictions arise? I'm thinking deep yoga will address the source problem and try to get you un-addicted. This doesn't mean you can't use tools like entheogens - at least in my philosophy it doesn't.

That being said, I have only had contact through books with yoga and not much at that. I have been told by a good friend who's really into it, that the most psychedelic yogas are Integral Yoga (based on Sri Aurobindo) and Kundalini Yoga. (though you should def. NOT advertise your use of psychedelics there )
Personally the whole celibacy thing always threw me off - saying that we could never reach enlightenment if we were in a romantic relationship etc... I can understand that it's harder, because relationships do tend to get very possessive and addictive, but to say that it is always so, and that it's impossible to reach enlightenment or grow is a bit ... absolutistic.

I hope you find a yoga that suits your personal resonance!

much love
Enoon

Raja Yoga by Vivekananda was my introduction, and I highly recommend it.

Pot can be very helpful for meditation, or very harmful, depending on your approach. It has a long tradition within yogic circles.

For a fantastic discussion of Thereveda vs. Mahayana, check out The Doctrine of Awakening by Julius Evola. I don't agree with everything in it, but he certainly gets to the meat of the issue.

Best of luck!

Check this out:

http://kriyayogalahiri.c...tmluk/kriyayoga-lore.htm

I think there's something good for everybody contained within the big universe that contains all the different kinds of yoga.

I practiced several kinds of yoga rather diligently for many years, and my favorite definition of a yogi was, "he who does what has to be done"....which is my way of saying that even though you may not be doing asansas or practicing the exercises in some other branch of yoga, one can still practice yoga by carrying the right attitiude in your life. All the exercises and practices help you to cast of unhelpful stuff and to strengthen your ability to do "what has to be done".... you'll be drawn to some of them that work for you! From my personal experience, asanas have been great for getting my body healthier and stronger. And, I think that yogic breathing exercises were great for me, too....it's called pranayama.
(Having read here recently that with regards to endogenous DMT production that there may be a connection with the lung tissue, I have re-interested myself in this practice.) I can assure you that I was nothing but a level 0 meatball practitioner of any of those stuff.

READING!!!
Whenever I read the Nexus threads about this, I am reminded of the 19th/20th century yogi from southern India Ramana Maharshi. The reason I bring it up is that of all the yogic biographies I read, his path to the state in which he lived out his life seemed to resonate the most with me ... almost like he figured it out "on his own", similar to the Siddharta/Buddha story. I have had some success with practicing a thought process/meditation similar to what he did. (note: I have never been affiliated with any groups or organizations realted to Ramana Maharsh stuff).

There are a lot more, but I guess what I'm saying is that reading biographies of some of the yogic success stories throughout history can give your practice a huge shot in the arm. Other names, titles that immediately come to mind:

Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa...read it, but don't go looking for a cave afterwards
The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa...still my favorite book of poetry
The Life and Teachings of Naropa
The Tibetan Book of the Dead

These are well-known classics translated into English by Evans-Wentz and Herbert Guenther.

Then
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (modern: written in the '90's I think).

Enjoy!

xtechre loves a bit of tchai tea after tai-chi lol

LY dude. It's your standard energy work through the bodies (light etc.) lots to do with breathing. Read up on your pranayama and vedic medicine xx

I have spent a great deal of time experimenting with nootropics. If you have any questions on them feel free to ask. They can be quite remarkable but there are some basic facts some people don't know.

A nootropic can make you run mentally at 100%. It cannot, however; make your mind run at 110%, so if you are mentally at your peak nootropics will not work, they may actually be counterproductive. What this fundamentally means is that the drugs can boost your brain up to full capacity making up for things like tiredness poor health etc... but it will not make you smarter.Every nootropic effects a person differently. Man you think DMT has a lot of variances in experiences nootropic drugs are all over the place. You will have to test them to see which one works the best for you. Most nootropics increase concentration skills considerably and gives a stimulant type effect as well. Information retention as I have experienced it does not diminish either.

I recommend you check out jnana yoga



Ramana Maharshi is the perfect place to start, check out the thread i started in the spirituality forum if you like...

https://www.dmt-nexus.me...aspx?g=posts&t=18041

Peace

I have absoloutely nothing to teach.

Do you smoke pot or do you not smoke pot? I don't know!! Do what you want!

Do you follow yoga or do you not follow yoga in order to attain some state of spiritual realisation....
well.... I say.... "what???"

when you realize that there isn't anything to realize, and know that you yourself are the center
of pure, limitless consciousness, in an infinite sea of possibility, that you are only experiencing yourself,
which is all of love and joy, you'll know there isn't anything to learn!!! you have not to attain
anything because you're allready THERE. you cannot NOT be there. there's nothing else on that plane!
It only looks like you've got far to travel because you are currently experiencing it from a lower plane.

On the top, at the highest, you're the source, the soul, the creator. creating, experiencing...

This is why it's most useful to focus on the highest, It's the source of all things and the unchanging reason
that everything is constantly changing.

But What purpose does experience serve (I mean the entirety, the totality of it all, all possible experiences)
if it's just... that there simply is nothing else?

I am so farkin' lost.

@shoe yes

Namaste

I am writing this to myself. I am not a teacher and I am not enlightened but I hope its OK just my dos centavos.


Everything you said in original post I thought was great except for the negativity (anger) Once you arrive at the destination we are going to put you in a box and put dirt on you. I am sorry for your injury but it may have been for a reason. That reason put you here. If all your self esteem was derived from your sport then maybe it was good that you got injured because in whatever you do you are a strong, powerful, independent being.

Try to cultivate a good heart. If you are in a relationship your other should too. If a "moron" in traffic makes you angry you are letting the negative winds blow through you and the "moron is controlling your emotions.

I have wrestled with my soul on the way to the market for ice.

attachments create suffering. A moth to flame. I recently meditated on my 20+ year relationship failing with a close friend. He has become rich he is also very miserly. he fears people are after his money. he is insecure and hangs out with people he feels superior to and they revere and validate him. they also ask him for money constantly. He creates it.

Recognize your + and - thought processes

What do i know Im just a talking monkey. I do know anger ruins the flavor of rocky road though

I hope my flaws are helpful

I've been practicing Yoga for going on 4 years. I think Yoga properly practiced, opens up the body and soul. When I started yoga, I walked with a cane. Cane is gone and I walk on my own albeit with a slight limp. I suffer from PTSD, depression, insomnia, etc. Yoga has helped me massively reduce my psych meds. DMT has also helped reduce the meds. I use Cannabis for pain.

I am more aware now. I notice patterns in life. Yoga and meditation will help you reach higher spiritual levels. I recommend Yoga in beautiful natural settings when possible.
Oh I have the same book you do in my collection of Yoga books.

Namaste, Rocket