Tummo Breathing Practice by Kali MaDirections for Tummo Practice:

Tummo practice comes to us through Swami Rudrananda and is used to digest andrelease tensions, karmas, stuck emotions. He received this transmission when he was sixyears old and two Tibetan lamas approached him and installed a "vase" inside him andmade prophecies about his future work. Later in his life he "discovered" this practice thatis often in Tibetan Buddhism called the Vase practice. It is used to expand and strengthenthe energy body and to draw in nourishing energy from a higher more refined source. Wegrow by drawing in nourishment, information and light, from higher energy, from thenext level of being, from the next or higher dimension. It is traditionally done with eyesopen, looking at a picture of a master, saint or your teacher, the picture of whom should be at least a foot away from you and a foot or so higher than higher than you. This practice may also be used in person, open eyed, looking at your spiritual teacher anddrawing energy from them. It may also be used with eyes closed drawing energy from theuniverse, or from the teacher in their subtle form. In this way it is used as a Guru Yoga practice. The practice should be done gently, without straining the breath. The maximumtime to practice is for 30 minutes twice daily, once in the morning and again in eveningtime. Practice should be done sitting up right in an easy crossed leg position with the hips propped up higher than the knees so that the spine can relax. Sitting in a chair is alsoacceptable if necessary.

Instructions:Sit quietly, settling down and breath a few breaths, becoming present and relaxingyourself. Breathe until you can tangibly feel yourself breathing energy. The whole of thecosmos and the body is energy, as the teachings of Tantra Yoga reveal, as modern physics reveals, and as the experience of meditation reveals. Become aware of the energycenters of the body, where energy is concentrated, noticing each center until there is atangible shift in energy. This should be done by sensitively feeling. Notice the root of the body, then the creative center at the level of the pubic bone, followed by awareness at the place a few inches below the navel, the center of the chest, the throat, the third eye areaand then crown. Be aware in each of these areas until you feel a shift there, then directyour attention to the next center. Then notice, FEEL the place just above the crown. Fromthat place, begin to inhale and exhale as if you are inhaling in the crown, drawing inward breath, awareness, space and energies. On the inhale you are drawing it down into thelower centers and allowing it to fill through the belly/low back. When you exhale, theenergy and breath travels from the root up and out the crown, rising up and out. Breathein this way in and down the central channel and up and out the central channel.

Part One: Inhale and hold the breathContinue in this way, and on the next inhalation, draw in breath and energy into thecenter of the chest. Hold this breath in the center of your chest. Relax as you hold the breath, allowing the light to expand and relaxing the heart deeply. Pray to grow. Pray thatyour longing to grow would grow, surrender your heart to growth. Swallow, allowing the swallowing to help the chest relax more, and bring deeper awareness to the inner opening.

Part Two: Exhale a fifth of the breathThen Exhale from the center of the chest up through the crown, exhaling a fifth of the breath up and out the crown, inhale again, drawing that higher energy down deeply intoyou from above the crown, into the crown, past your chest and down into your navel andlower centers.

Part Three: Hold the breath in the lower centers.Hold the breath and energy in the lower centers, deeply relaxing and allowing it to break up any density there, dissolve any patterns, digest any stuck emotions, feel breath andenergy permeating the lower centers. Fully relaxing as you hold this breath, whileallowing it to expand within you as an inner light filling in through the lower centers anddissolving any darkness or density.

Part Four: Exhale up and out the crownExhale up and out the crown, allowing the breath to rise up the central channel, up andout the crown. As the breath rises, surrender and release any tensions. As the breath rises,opening and absorbing the energy liberated by the practice. The breath rises up and out of you as a fountain of light that moves up and through the central channel.

Part Five: Return to regular breathReturning to the regular flow and pace of breath, but with great consciousness, drawingin energy and awareness as nourishment on the in breath, and exhaling out tensions,surrendering tensions, and resistance. When the breath comes in it is held for a momentand soaks into your being.

Part Six: Repeat After a few minutes of deeply relaxing in this way, when there is atension or distraction or more to digest, repeat the flow of the double breath cycles (partone through five). Approximately 8 double breaths per half an hour should be done.