Visual Stepping Stones to the Absolute

Yoga Through the Visual MindA practical manual &summary of practices

by Tao Semko

2nd Edition

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www.UmaaTantra.comFirst Edition 2005, Umaa Tantra, Inc.2nd Edition 2007, Umaa Tantra, Inc.

All Rights Reservedpublished by Smashan Press,

Las Vegas, Nevada, USAwww.SmashanPress.com

Homage! May this manual lead to increase of compassion and wisdom, and totranscendence of sectarianism and dogma, and may all beings realize Non-Duality!

Thank you to all our spiritual teachers, for all of your teachings:

Thank you toDr. Glenn Morris,

H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama,H.E. Khempo Yurmed Tinley Rinpoche,

Santiago Dobles,Dinu Roman,

Sifu Francis Fong,Guru Cliff Stewart,

Ajarn Surachai Sirisute,Dr. Robert Svoboda,Dr. David Frawley,

Raven Cohen,the Dakinis, the Wisdom teachers, and givers of life,

and the many masters who have taught us quiet lessons, great and small.

Thank you to all who have provided us with spiritual and material sustenance, who havegiven us the opportunity to study, to practice, and to live this life.

Thank you to each of our students, for always striving in your own spiritual efforts, andfor always providing us with new occasions to learn.

To our parents, family, and friends, for giving us this life with which to live, prosper, andpractice, thank you!

Thank you to all who will read these words, who will practice, and who will strive toachieve an understanding which transcends sectarianism and dogma.

We offer thanks for all of these blessings, back to their profound Origin. Thank you fromour hearts!

Tao Semko of www.UmaaTantra.com,author of Visual Stepping Stones to the Absolute.

This manual consists of three parts.

Part One is a set of eye exercises to strengthen and relax the eyemuscles, and help to relieve eye strain.

Part Two includes the esoteric instructions on yogic gazing(trataka, the relaxed, fixed, unblinking stare) and the yoga(shambavi mudra) that may be obtained by perfecting thistechnique, withdrawing inward, and relaxing into a centered, one-pointed, contemplative state,

Part Three consists of the various advanced visual yogictechniques of breath and movement of awareness that may beattempted and perfected once the eye exercises, gazing, and one-pointed contemplation become second nature.

A Note Before Beginning:All the techniques in this manual are explained in plain English, howeversome philosophical and technical explanations of advanced esotericpractices use the original Sanskrit terminology.

Novices will have no trouble using the basic and intermediatetechniques. No external reference works are needed.

However, the advanced techniques in Part Three presuppose someknowledge of esoteric anatomy and meditative concepts. We provide athorough overview of esoteric anatomy (chakras, nadis, etc..) andmeditative states in Secrets the Gurus will Never Show You, by SantiagoDobles, available at www.UmaaTantra.com for those who need an overview.

A note on definitions: The following stipulation is offered for scholars of EasternPhilosophy: Most terminology used in this manual uses definitions from the non-dualHindu tantric and agamic traditions, rather than the Buddhist or Jain Tantras. The termSamadhi, in particular, is used with the non-dual Hindu tantric denotation, rather thanthe Buddhist one.

Part One The Eye Exercises:Sit up straight, facing forwards, stretching the crown of your head upwardsand keeping your chin back. For the exercises below, do not move yourhead, ever only your eyes. Work, stretch, and strengthen your eyemuscles, and help to release tension and lactic acid from the eye muscles.

One: Focusing Near and Far:Inhale slowly, deeply, and gently, while looking as far out towards thehorizon as possible, Exhale slowly, deeply, and gently, and look as close into the brow center as possible. Repeat 9, 18, or 21 times. Very good forcomputer eyestrain.

Two: Shen (spirit/ upper dantien) breathing:Breathe in through the brow center, exhale through the center of the crown(the anterior fontanelle of the skull).Inhale in through the crown and gently out through the bony bump at theback of the skull (opposite the brow center).Inhale in through that bony bump, exhale out through the anterior fontanelle(crown center).Inhale in through the crown center and out through the brow center.Repeat 3 or 9 times.

Three: Circles:Sweep your eyes in the widest possible circles, clockwise 9 times, thencounterclockwise nine times. To help you focus, stretch out your right armall the way to the right, make a fist with your thumb outstretched, like ahitchhiking or giving a thumbs up. Look at your thumb with your eyesonly, while keeping the face pointing forwards. Moving exclusively fromyour shoulder, sweep your arm in a big, slooow Pete Townsend windmillcircle while following the thumb with your eyes. Your face and head remainstationary. Rotate the arm and eyes nine times clockwise. Then switchhand/arm and go nine times counterclockwise with the left arm, followingthe thumb with the eyes. Be aware of the parts of the circle that are hard foryour eye muscles to control. Work on these areas to improve the Brain-muscle connections.

Why the thumb? The thumb is linked via meridians with the chakras of thehead and neck.

Four: Clock-face back and forth:With your head aimed forward and holding still, sweep your eyes upwards to12:00 oclock on an enormous imagined clock face, and then down to 6:00oclock, up and down, 9 times slowly.Repeat with 3:00 and 9:00, back and forth 9 times slowly, then1:00 and 7:00,2:00 and 8:00,10:00 and 4:00, and 11:00 and 5:00Sloowly, paying attention to any areas that are difficult. Remember tostretch those eye muscles, but dont hurt yourself (because your face willfreeze like that!)(Im kidding but do remember, stretch, dont strain).

Part Two Practical Esoteric Instructions for Visual YogaOne: Trataka fixed, relaxed gazing, without blinking.

Trataka is the traditional method of both concentrating and relaxing the mind achieving one-pointedness, control of the subtle winds (pranas) of thebody, and relaxation and tranquility of the mind through visual focus andrelaxation.

Body posture:Sit comfortably, relaxed, but with the spine erect, chin drawn in. Think ofyour tailbone stretching down towards the ground and your crown stretchingup towards the sky. To release your psoas muscles so your back doesnt gettight and sore from sitting, sit with your butt elevated 3 to 4 inches aboveyour knees.

If you sit on the floor, use a cushion, foam block, rolled yoga mat or the liketo elevate your butt.

If you sit on a chair, bench, stool, the edge of the bed, etc, try to sit on theedge, with your genitals hanging in free space, and your knees lower thanyour butt. (again, use a book or cushion to elevate your butt if necessary.Your back should be free, not leaning against anything,

Release your jaw muscles so there is space between your teeth. This isimportant, as it allows excess energy, bloodflow, etc, to leave your head, andkeeps you relaxed during concentration.

Make sure the top of your head is level and not leaning forward or back.Pull the upper jaw gently inward (not downward) towards the back of yourneck. The upper jaw remains parallel to the floor or ground.

Focusing point:Ideally, focus on a point or unwavering candle flame exactly one arm lengthin front of your eyes, at pupil (eye) level. You may draw a dot on the wall,use a small circular Avery sticker, or use a candle on a table. If using acandle, trim the wick so the flame is no more than 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) and donot attempt trataka if the flame is flickering in drafts it will becounterproductive.

On using other focal lengths for your point:You may do trataka on a point on the horizon, or a far-off point, but it is bestto start simply, with a point one arm-length away. Why one arm length?Sacred geometry Your brain has a very special relationship with thisdistance Its the limit of your physical interactions with yourenvironment without the use of tools The limit of your humanproportions, the distance of your personal space, within which you allowonly family and loved ones, and it relates to the proportions of the rest ofyour body by the Golden mean.

Other notes before beginning trataka:

Trataka cannot be done properly with contact lenses in your eyes, and forsome people it can be difficult while wearing glasses. I recommend you dothe technique first thing in the morning, after doing a few warm-ups, deepbreathing, or limbering exercises and before you put your glasses orcontacts on. Just set up a space in front of the wall near your bed. If you arecombining trataka with any internal muscle contractions (bandhas), it isrecommended that you touch the tip of your tongue gently to the roof ofyour mouth to connect the front and back subtle channels of the body andprevent discomfort or kundalini syndrome. Keep the jaw loose and relaxedin any case.

Set a timer if you have one start with 5 minutes your first three days, andthen work up to 10, 15, and finally 20. Do not exceed 20 without firstgetting checked out by a yoga master. (Why? Because long periods oftrataka develop tremendous mental power, but if you hold any stress in themuscles of the face, head, and back while you do the exercise, you can over-stimulate your kidneys and adrenals, and run too much hot energy(translated as high blood pressure in the brain) through the head. Ask afriend, spouse, or family member to watch you and show you (by touchingyou) where you are tense (shoulders, forehead, jaw, bugging out the eyes,etc) so you can relax more

Trataka the technique.Once seated properly, look forward straight at the point, relax your eyes andeyelids, but dont blink. Soften your eyes, but hold your pupils firmly on thepoint. You are learning to suspend a part of your normal viewing process.

Normally, your eyes make constant, tiny flitting motions around theircentral focus in order to add additional information about the periphery ofthe environment. You are learning to consciously suspend this tendency.Breathe slowly and deeply, and relax your jaw, your shoulders, your neck,your forehead, your eyelids, and your eyes. Dont arch your back keepyour spine stacked and relaxed vertically. If you find your mind wandering,mentally count the seconds of your inhalation, the pause, exhalation, andpause. Try to lengthen the duration of each part of the breath, especiallyexhalation. Try doing a 6, 3, 6, 3 ratio (inhale for a count of 6, pause for 3,exhale for 6, pause for 3, inhale for 6, etc). Breathe deeply, gently, andslowly with your abdomen, and relax.

If you do trataka properly, preventing yourself from blinking, your eyes willwater, your nose will run, and your mouth will secrete saliva. This is good.Let it happen, and dont break your concentration by wiping yourself,blowing your nose, or if possible, swallowing (Tibetan yogis even allowthemselves to drool doing this exercise) until you finish your session. Recentstudies show that the tear ducts accumulate special proteins, which causedepression (inhibit seratonin) if not cried out Fascinating stuff. Agood cry really is good for you

Ajna chakra (third eye/ mental) clarity is strongly linked to clear sinuses!(for instance, when you have a cold, your mind feels foggy and unfocused).Trataka activates and balances pituitary and pineal activity, while removingtoxins from the sinuses & tear ducts

When you simply must blink, or when you finish your session (either yourtimer goes off or you need a break), slowly close the eyes while keeping theeyeball still, still pointing at the focus point even though the eyes are still.Focus on the afterimage, if there is one. Open your eyes when ready, andcontinue.

Always finish by dissolving your practice into empty awareness, withoutconceptual thoughts or judgments. You can mentally review later, afteryouve massaged yourself, gotten up, etc. When you finish your session,close your eyes and relax with your eyes still immobile, dissolving yourselfand your vision gently into emptiness, while remaining fully aware, Spend afew minutes this way, and then slowly and gently come back. Inhale yourarms slowly up the sides, and exhale them down the center in front of you,either palms down as in Qi Gong, or in a palms-together prayer gesture.

You. As your hands come down the center, relax and dissolve yourawareness into the ground beneath you, rooting and grounding yourselfthrough your tailbone and pelvic floor, deeply into the ground. Massageyour body gently, from the crown of your head to your toes

When practiced well and practiced regularly, trataka alone is enough toachieve pratyahara (sensory withdrawal), dharana (meditativeconcentration), dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (meditative absorption,which is yoga, or union), but there is more

Two: Shambavi MudraShambu is another name for Shiva, the Original Yogi. The primordial formof Shambu is neither male nor female, form nor formless. Shambavi is thepower, femine aspect, or shakti, of Shambu A Mudra is a Gesture or Seal.Shambavi Mudra has many versions, but they all have the following incommon: Non-dual awareness. When shambavi mudra is accomplished andheld, the yogi does not mentally (using conceptual, thinking thoughts)differentiate between I and Thou.

In Shambhavi Mudra, there is no conceptual separation between the subjectof meditation (the yogi), the object of meditation (the candle flame, dot onthe wall, flower, statue, madala, crucifix or other holy symbol, deity, saint,teacher, etc that is being meditated upon), or even the act of meditating. Forthe yogi in Shambavi Mudra, there is no conceptual difference betweenmeditator and meditation, microcosm and macrocosm, mind and body,consciousness and energy Everything simply is.

Shambavi mudra is accomplished by doing trataka on an object or body part(tip of the nose, space between the eyebrows, etc) or on the empty spacebetween an object and the yogi (or on the empty sky, or the empty abyss of adeep well, etc), and then gradually withdrawing the consciousness orawareness (chitta in Sanskrit) as well as the energy (prana) associated withlooking, into the yogis center channel (sushumna nadi) while maintainingthe same gaze.

Alternately, meditating with the eyes closed, the yogi stares blankly at thedarkness and accomplishes pratyahara (sense withdrawal) by keeping thebodys prana tranquilly in the center subtle channel (sushumna nadi). InChinese, Tibetan, and Japanese traditions, the awareness is usuallywithdrawn to one of the three dantiens (upper dantien, at the center of thebrain, known as ajna chakra in Sanskrit; middle dantien, behind the base ofthe breastbone in the center channel; and lower dantien, in the lowerabdomen and pelvis). In the post-medieval Hindu Tantric traditions, thereare more points, within the center channel and elsewhere, where theconsciousness and energy may rest during Shambhavi Mudra.. Somecorrespond to major chakras, some to marma points (Vedic acupressurepoints), and some to secret energetic structures.

The various Tantras and Agamas (traditional tantric manuals and scriptures)enumerate these internal points of awareness differently, but all the pointswork For maintaining bodily health, most of the time, I wouldrecommend bring the prana down to the hara/ lower dantien (the space atthe center of the lower torso , behind the point that lies four finger widthsbelow the navel). For improved mental faculties, the prana can be kept forshorter intervals at the upper dantien (ajna chakra, the point at the center ofthe skull, straight back from the brow center). For awareness of ones SelfNature (Hindu Term) or Nature of Mind (Buddhist term), the awareness maybe left in the middle dantien, or hrit padma, which is the space above thesolar plexus but below the heart center, behind the xiphoid process, backtowards the spine Attention fixed here must be loose, relaxed, andspacious, so that the chest remains without energetic congestion or physicalpressure.

Three: Skygazing

Skygazing is the practice of Shambavi Mudra using the emptiness of thesky (akasha) as the resting point for the relaxed, focused, unblinkinggaze.

Skygazing is very useful for increasing awareness of the subtle tattva (subtleelement) of space (called akasha). Skygazing can lead to Skywalking (themost secret meaning of the hatha yoga technique called Kechari Mudra) inwhich consciousness itself is suspended in space (both the inner space withinsushumna nadi, the center shannel, and the akasha or space within theposterior pharyngeal/sinus region) Skygazing using high clouds as theobject of trataka will result in an increase in awareness of the subtle elementof Air

Trataka using solid objects can lead to an increase in perceptual steadiness(the subtle element of earth), while trataka on an image of tranquil waterleads to a tranquil flexibility and expansiveness of perception (water), andtrataka on a steady flame leads to an increase in awareness of subtle light(fire) within the subtle body

Within the structure of mandalas and yantras (defined in Part Three, below)are geometric symbols that have the same elemental (tattvic) effects orimpressions on the yogis consciousness. Squares give steadiness, curvesyield water effects, triangles yield the transformative power of fire and the

perception of light and dark, petals, circles and pericarps yield awareness ofexpansiveness and freedom of air and the vastness of all-permeating spaceand void.

Part Three: The Esoteric Visual YogasA definition before beginning:Yantras and Mandalas are Esoteric Geometric, Alphabetic, orMathematical Symbols drawn using proportions of Sacred Geometry,that generate (entrain) particular, specific brain waves in the mind ofone who meditates upon them. Familiar examples in the west are theChristian Cross, the Star of David, and the Muslim Crescent Moon andStar.

Hindu Yantra YogaHindu Yantra Yoga is a visual yoga. It differs from Tibetan Yantra Yoga,which is a form of physical, hatha yoga, in which the human body is shapedvia contortion into esoteric symbols, or yantras. Hindu Yantra Yogainvolves doing trataka on specific symbols, each of which translates to aparticular theta wave in the brain. The yantra (geometrical visual tool) andits associated mantra (auditory tool) each will produce that same theta wave,or in some cases, even a gamma wave, if used properly and with adequatepractice. An experienced user of more than one mantra can make his or herbrain jump from one discreet theta wave to another by switching mantra/yantra on the fly. Once the resonance pattern of a given yantra is set/burned into the mind, it becomes very easy to recall, with or without the helpof a physical yantra diagram.The mental imprint can then be used to trigger the specific meditative stateindicated by that yantra (or mantra). Once the yogi has practiced enough tomentally recall the yantra and the state with ease, he/she then learns todissolve the mental imprint and the meditative state back into the void, or tosimply remain aware that the mental imprint and meditative state is born ofvoid, dwells within void, and resolves back into void. This is anotherversion of Shambavi Mudra, discussed above.

Other specific yantra yogas exist. All are dependent upon the ability to dobasic trataka successfully, remaining relaxed, aware, and focused, forperiods over twenty minutes.,. These yogas, which follow, should not beattempted prematurely.

The human body itself is the most important yantra or mandala in tantricyogas. To understand this concept further, please read the Esoteric Anatomy

section of Secrets the Gurus will Never Show You, by Santiago Dobles, alsoavailable on www.UmaaTantra.com.

Many of the following techniques combine the use of an external yantraimage with the yantra provided by the human body (the human body is themost important yantra in tantric practice), or with the many smaller yantraswithin the human body. Examples of these smaller yantras are the femaletriangle formed by the shoulders and pubis, the male triangle formed by thelines connecting hips and sternum, the square/ diamond shape formed by themuscles of the pelvic floor, the oval of the head, etc

Some of the Many Permutations of Yantra Yoga which may be triedafter you become competent with Trataka:

Yantra Yoga Combined with Japa.Entraining ones consciousness through repetition of mantra (out loud ormentally) is called Japa, or Mantra Yoga. The culmination of Japa is AjapaJapa, when the internal (true) mantra, or inner sound (nada), repeats itselfwithout any effort from the practitioner, and the practitioner is able to mergein Samadhi (absorption) with the true essence of the mantra.

The practice of Japa may be combined with Yantra Yoga: Here the yogigazes at an external yantra (standard trataka) while chanting (out loud orinternally) the specific mantra associated with that diagram. When the eyes,voice, or mind become exhausted, the eyes are closed, the after-image isheld in the awareness, and then dissolved into the infinite void. Themeditation on emptiness is held without forcing it, and then the yogi slowlycomes out of meditation, maintaining awareness of the center channel.

A note on Mantras: Mantra may be a short, powerful seed sound, called abija mantra, like the famous sound OM, or a longer combination of bijamantras designed for a more complicated meditative, religious, or shamanicpurpose Because bija mantras require less coaching on effectivepronunciation and intonation, they are frequently taught first. OM(pronounced AUM, with the M nasalized and sustained to reverberate atthe back of the base of the skull) is the universal mantra. To beginunderstanding it, OM requires only respectful non-conceptual awareness,and slow, lingering pronunciation with patient, pausing repetition. Manyother mantras may require much more initiation in their use for any real

benefit to be obtained Used improperly, some can cause harm to theuser

Yantra Yoga Combined with NyasaNyasa means placing or touching. It can refer to the practice oftouching (with the fingertips) various places on the body (ones own, or thatof another), while mentally placing the consciousness, a mantra, a yantra, amandala, and/ or the awareness of the breath at that location. It can alsorefer to the movement of ones awareness from space to space in the body,while mentally placing the consciousness, a mantra, a yantra, a mandala,and/ or the awareness of the breath at each location, without physicallytouching the locations.

Nyasa is done for the following reasons:Awareness and Sensitization: connecting the mind with all of the spacesthat make up the physical body, and with all of the subtle parts of the body.On a physiological level, the practice prompts the creation andreinforcement of Neural Networks and Endocrine Receptor Sites.

Sanctification: nyasa places holy words, images, or awareness of divinitywithin the body. For those who view themselves as profane, it is an act oftransformation. For those who already view their bodies as divine in nature,it is merely a constant reinforcement and reminder.

Sacred Geometry: Just like the shapes and forms of mandalas and yantras,the pattern of placement (nyasa) on the human body may be used to pointout the mandalas of sacred geometry that exist within the physical andsubtle bodies. The entire body itself is the greatest microcosmic mandala.

Protection or Healing: Protective mantras, anointments, poultices, orimages may be applied to the various Marmas (107 main acupressure points)of the human body to physically or spiritually strengthen the constitutionbefore attempting a rigorous practice, or before combatYou can learn more about Nyasa at www.UmaaTantra.com

Yantra yoga combined with Nyasa may be done several ways.

With material:In some traditional practices, a physical yantra is drawn in sand, orsandalwood paste, or engraved on wood or metal, and then touched to thebody at the various locations. Usually, the yantras accompanying mantra isuttered with each placement.

On the Physical Body:Or, the mandala or yantra may be drawn directly onto the body at the variouslocations.

Visualization:Or, once trataka has been practiced enough with a yantra, it can be mentallyrecreated and mentally placed (through visualization and kinestheticawareness) at each location.

Vizualization and the Breath:Or, (also through visualization and kinesthetic awareness), the yantra ormandala may be breathed from the physical diagram through the channels ofthe body, or into various subtle centers of the body. Think of an earlyWarner Brothers cartoon, where a cartoon characters ghost image movesfrom its body after the character is hit by an anvil. As you slowly anddeeply inhale, see and feel the ghost image of the yantra move from thephysical yantra, through space, and into your subtle body. Then exhale itback to the physical diagram. Repeat

Vizualization and the Breath with Crown or Hrid Activation:Or, one may mentally or physically place the image above ones crown andmentally breath it down to ones roots, or to muladhara chakra (the basecenter), or down to hridaya (the heart region), or to hrit (the heart of thesoul), or just to ajna chakra, where it may be held in tranquility, and thendissolved into voidness

Yantra Yoga Used in Laya YogaLaya yoga is the yoga of resonance. The yogi purifies, sanctifies, andbecomes aware of his/her subtle body as a microcosmic replica of the greatmacrocosmic forces and consciousness present in Manifestation and in the

Primordial Void. Simple geometric mandalas are used to represent thetattvas (the subtle elements of earth, water, fire, air, space) and arementally placed at the locations of the corresponding chakras in the body.Alternately, images of deities may be mentally placed (nyasa) within thesubtle body. Each deity represents an anthropomorphized universalprinciple of form, energy, or emptiness in the cosmos. Mantra is usedinternally to establish bodily resonance with Universal Principles. Thefoundation principles of Laya Yoga are presented in several chapters ofSecrets the Gurus will Never Show You, along with the geometric symbolsthat correspond to the various tattvas

Yantra Yoga Combined with Swara YogaSwara yoga is the yoga of subtle breath. In hinduism it is described chieflyin the Siva Swarodaya. It is different from pranayama in that pranayama(subtle breath control) uses physical breath control to affect the flow ofsubtle energy, aiming either at establishing one-pointedness by moving thebodys prana into sushumna nadi (the center channel) or at ayurvedicbalancing of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system foroverall bodily and mentall healh.

Swara yoga instead focuses on awareness of the current swara (how energyor subtle prana is flowing in the manifested universe: contraction, expansion,or momentary stasis.. i.e., whether ida nadi, pingala nadi, or sushumna nadiis currently dominant in the microcosm, and therefore the macrocosm, andwhich subtle tattva/element is dominant in that current flow: earth, water,fire, air, or ether.

Put in more biological terms is the right nostril dominant, or the left, or areboth channeling breath equally? Knowing that, what is the length (infingerwidths) and shape of the turbulent flow of breath emitted in eachexhalation, These states and shapes move in fixed cycles of change, andhave very specific implications for the current mental and physiological stateof humans in a given time zone, under particular astrological conditions

Yantra yoga is combined with swara by undertaking yogic practices inharmony with the flow of swara, and by performing the yogas with theyogis remaining aware of the flow of swara. Swara yoga is a complexsubject and its many implications are beyond the scope of this manual.

Yantra Yoga with Sanskrit Characters:The devanagri script of Sanskrit is itself a series of yantras. Each letter hasa particular resonance, and when contemplated alone or combined intowritten mantra, Sanskrit letters have a powerful effect on the brain. They areused for trataka just as other yantras are, and for a geometrical yantra to befully empowered, Sanskrit mantras written in devanagri script are usuallyincorporated into the image.

Yantra Yoga with ArchitectureTemples in India are built following the Vedic architectural science ofvaastu shastra in the form of yantras! Shiva temples if viewed from thesky, appear as the yantra of Shiva Nataraj. Yogini Temples often contain thefemale triangle in their floorplan. Frequently, smaller mandalas and yantrasare formed by structural elements. Viewed from afar or from within, thesetemples and their adornments become objects of visual yoga to those whoknow how to gaze while withdrawing the senses

Yantra Yoga within Posture and Dance.The body itself is made into various yantras in both tantric hatha yoga,tandava, and other sacred dance. Contemplation of these bodily forms, andtheir mental recreation, can lead very powerfully to union once trataka andshambavi mudra have been accomplished. The various erotic statues in theyogini temples of south India are also sacred geometrical yantras, to be usedin tranquil contemplation.

In both Hinduism and Cabbalism, the intersecting male and female trianglesthat form the Star of David were originally formed by the intersection of themale and female form in tantric union using the recumbent x posture.(See the Secrets of Tantra Seminar DVDs or Gold Bonus DVD 4 of theTantric Inner Circle, both at www.UmaaTantra.com). The points of the starare created by the heads and feet of the two human figures. This, like sacreddance, works both for the humans taking the geometric forms, and for thoseobserving them in visual yoga

Tibetan Yantra Yoga is a hatha yoga built out of sacred forms

Visual Yoga in other traditions:Sufism uses visual contemplation of and union with sacred architecture,sacred calligraphy, and sacred geometry as a form of yantra yoga.Other forms of Islam also use this, but to a lesser extent.

Christian Mysticism (in Catholic, Orthodox, Gnostic Christianity, and inProtestantism) uses yantra in

1) contemplation of the cross itself, in all of its permutations.2) the stations of the cross3) genuflection (a Christian form of nyasa)4) sacred architecture (cruciform gothic cathedrals, and womblike

Romanesque churches)5) contemplation of the Word itself

Cabblic Judaism uses yantra in the form of the Hebrew Alephbet, The Starof David, the Sephiroth, and more The sacred alephbet is used incabbalism much the same contemplative manner as the sacred devanagriscript is used in tantra.

Taoism and Zen / Chan Buddhism use Calligraphy (both creation andcontemplation of calligraphy) as a way to achieve balance and resonancewith the macrocosm

Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism and Japanese Mikkyo Buddhism both usemandala creation and contemplation in ways derived from the Hindu yantrayogas and Vedic fire ceremonies

A ReminderMystic diagrams have no yogic purpose unless the yogi/yogini canadequately accomplish concentration (dharana), meditation/ contemplation(dhyana) and one-pointed non-dual awareness (samadhi) through trataka ona simple point! Master Trataka first, and all things will follow. The goalof yoga practices is always Realization of Oneness, and subsequently thestrengthening of that Realization. Dont dabble in mysticism. Dont aspireto paranormal abilities neither will bring you succor

Immerse yourself instead in Union and realize the non-dual nature of Self as both form and void the union of light and dark, of bliss and emptiness,for your own benefit, and that of all sentient beings. Try to glimpse theunion that already exists. Dont waste your time in egoistic philosophicalarguments. Practice instead. Remain in non-dual awareness instead. Seethe bliss and emptiness in all things, and in yourself. Words, by their verynature, will always be at odds with other words. Philosophies cannotencapsulate truth. Truth is Ineffable.

More Information on yoga, tantra, qi gong, and meditation isavailable at www.UmaaTantra.com.

Support for the techniques described in this manual is available viaemail at info@umaatantra.com.

You may send specific questions on the techniques and on your practical experiences as aresult of the techniques. We reserve the right to reprint your questions and our answers,

but we will honor your timely request for anonymity in reprints.

We have an excellent reading list posted on the website if you wish to broaden yourunderstanding of Eastern philosophy and meditative traditions, as well as links to many

other great websites. However, please remember that practical experience andobservation is always more beneficial than armchair postulation!