The body in early Hatha Yoga
by Ruth Westoby | 2024 | 112,229 words
This page relates 鈥楽hakticalana: stimulating the Goddess鈥� of study dealing with the body in Hatha Yoga Sanskrit texts.鈥擳his essay highlights how these texts describe physical practices for achieving liberation and bodily sovereignty with limited metaphysical understanding. Three bodily models are focused on: the ascetic model of 鈥榖aking鈥� in Yoga, conception and embryology, and Kundalini鈥檚 affective processes.
艢补办迟颈c膩lana: stimulating the Goddess
An alternative technique for raising rajas is given in the 痴颈惫别办补尘腻谤迟补峁囜笉补. The 痴颈惫别办补尘腻谤迟补峁囜笉补 does not teach 惫补箩谤辞濒墨尘耻诲谤腻 and does teach sexual continence (brahmacarya) (痴颈惫别办补尘腻谤迟补峁囜笉补 38). The description of bindu and rajas includes a practice for raising rajas of 鈥榤oving the goddess鈥� (艣补办迟颈肠腻濒补苍补). Specifically, rajas is propelled by moving the goddess by means of the breath, and thus joins bindu (痴颈惫别办补尘腻谤迟补峁囜笉补 57). 艢akti is the means through which in 辫谤腻峁嚹乱腻尘补 the 补辫腻苍补 breath is drawn upwards, joined with 辫谤腻峁嘺 and both are led up to the head (痴颈惫别办补尘腻谤迟补峁囜笉补 89). 艢补办迟颈 might be synonymous with 办耻峁囜笉补濒颈苍墨 throughout the text鈥�艣补办迟颈 is an epithet for 办耻峁囜笉补濒颈苍墨 in 痴颈惫别办补尘腻谤迟补峁囜笉补 39. No detail is given on how to perform 艣补办迟颈肠腻濒补苍补. Though the description does not address women, on the logic given above women may not necessarily be excluded from this practice.