Mind modulation – The Mystic way

I have no intention to denigrate anyone. My use of the word ‘mystic’ is only to emphasize the departure these techniques have taken from the path of logic and reasoning that has all along been the hallmark of various ancient mind modulation techniques, whether it  is in the Upanishads, Sänkhya, Buddhists or even Patanjali. 

This so called ‘Hata Yoga’ is a collection of mysterious practices each claiming to achieve wonderful things – but with glaring disregard to logic and reasoning. In fact, some modern Yogis even go to the extent of saying that logic and reasoning are impediments to Yoga!

The entire process lies on the assumption of a mystic force ‘Kundalini’ and associated chakras. Though modern Yoga teachers claim otherwise, there does not seem to be much recorded long history for these techniques and concepts. There is no mention of them in Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. Some of the rudimentary ideas seem to have started developing only after 13^th or 14^th century A.D.

There is very little of mind modulation as such. The techniques revolve around the body, often oscillating between physical and mystical. All through, there is emphasis on preservation of sexual energy and mysterious body manipulations to preserve this energy and channel it (or something related to it) to different upper parts of the body.

Hatayoga's idea of Kundalini and chakras

Today the belief in this system is so deep rooted that most modern teachers swear by this theory and scoff anyone who questions it.

However, some well known Yogis like Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950), had opined,

“…these techniques seem to ultimately end up in mind modulation, though in a circuitous way. As such, they are unnecessary mental concepts. (See my blog posts on this OR read my book ‘Think and be enlightened’ for more details).”.

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