Rare Methods?

[CedarTree]

I sometimes hear about:

"Sky Gazing"

"Watching patterns of smoke from the Chillum"

"Prostration Practice".

I'd love to see how everyone see's the points of these practices, especially Sky Gazing and also to list some other unique practices they have heard or come by

[jkarlins]

Prostrations are wonderful, and have many purposes.

Never learned sky gazing.

Gave up the chillum about ten years ago. It makes me paranoid and lazy.

Jake

[amanitamusc]

In the night of that day one clumb the tree of illusion and swung on the rope of conception.

[jkarlins]

right exactly

[Grigoris]

Prostrations are not rare and are found in almost every religion.

[Dan74]

Prostrations are great. I used to do at least 10 in the evening and my kid would come and join me. I don't do them anymore - thanks for reminding me!!!

_/|\_

[jkarlins]

Malcolm has mentioned the "yogic benefits" of prostrations (in the Tibetan tradition- Grigoris, you make a valid point this practice being in many places).

I don't know how they work, but they have a multitude of benefits. My health significantly improved around the time I started doing them. I think part of this is just all of the practices, partly having a teacher, but also prostrations. I wasn't exactly unhealthy beforehand, but I'd get sick a few times a year, feel run down a lot. That changed.

Part of it, and I wish they'd do some scientific studies on it, is that for Vajrayanists, prostrations usually go along with a complicated visualization. I'm sure you can do them without, but one aspect of their being so powerful is that you have to imagine a bunch of stuff around you as you're doing it.

Jake

[Karma_Yeshe]

I sometimes hear about:

"Sky Gazing"

"Watching patterns of smoke from the Chillum"

"Prostration Practice".

I'd love to see how everyone see's the points of these practices, especially Sky Gazing and also to list some other unique practices they have heard or come by

Gazing at the sky itself is not that much of a practice. You need transmission, further instructions and a view- than it can be more beneficial for your path.

[Kim O'Hara]

Yoga nidra


Kim

[SunWuKong]

I hear Taoists practice standing meditation, wuji qigong. Sometime for hours. From what i understand it's identical to what in yoga we call "Mountain Pose" asana. Plus the usual bhanda locks, esp the one at the base, and the one below the pineal, and centering in the dan tien whilst effortlessly breathing with the mind, you get the picture. Kicking one leg out it becomes tai chi, then you raise the chi and do Tree Hugging. Its all good

[SunWuKong]

then theres walking meditation and - no joke - running meditation. its done in Tibet and Japan

[SunWuKong]

Don't mess with tummo, LOL. I hear you can cook you own guts by mistake!

[SunWuKong]

Hydotherapy! Especially hot springs!! Then of course there's Sensory Deprivation sessions, which parallel Raja Yoga meditation where the meditator is trained to have - zero - no sensory input to the brain, that too is a technique learned from a teacher.

[SunWuKong]

Another rare method is the fourth jhana, where thoughts and feelings stop.