… going through lot of mental struggle, lot of suffering with isolation, lot of depression, anxiety, and a lot of stress in their mind, and of course I see within the Buddhist community, that they are trying their best to practice in a traditional aspect, but eventually I come to the conclusion that people need to feel the Dharma in their body, not just in their head. You know? To motivate them further into the spiritual journey, you know?
So, and when I come to that conclusion and then I start dedicating myself in a Niguma Yoga practice, the same practice that I was doing in the retreat. When I was doing the yoga in the retreat, usually this is done only once a day, you know? Starting from the end of the second year and the third year, and the fourth year. I end up doing twice a day, every day, non-stop, eating one bowl of cabbage, in the morning, no lunch, no dinner, no snacks, nothing. I was very extreme, back then.
But then when I was in Europe, during the pandemic, of course, I dedicate myself in a similar principal, and I have accumulated around 750 sessions. So each session takes 45 minutes, so I accumulated everyday, everyday, going through the practice. Of course I continue with my religious duties and responsibilities.
And then after 7 months, I went to Hawaii to my American tour, and then at that time, with the student of His Holiness Dalai Lama, a physician, a doctor. He took out a blood test, he took out blood from my body, to do a test, you know, to see the condition in my body. And then as he did the blood test for my sugar level, kidney, liver, heart, thyroid, the metal in my body, all of it, and then all the results came out, perfectly balanced. Only the blood pressure was little bit high, because I had an argument before that. You know, so other than that, everything was perfectly balanced.
My idea is to provide this Niguma Yoga based on the scientific and medical research conclusion, rather than saying “this is Tibetan Buddhism, that should be practiced, and you should believe that everything will be fine” instead of having that approach, I would like to continue and willing to continue in the approach of His Holiness Dalai Lama, that you know, you can teach Dharma, but based on the logic, and the reason, and the scientific finding that is truly beneficial to your body and your mind, such as a well known meditation practice.
And the yoga is a supplement to your spiritual journey, you know? Whether you are Buddhist practitioner, whether you are Hindu practitioner, whichever the religious faith you may have, you know, the yoga is simply to bring down the sense of anxiety, and to have a more clarity in your body, and your mind, that is the purpose, in a ground level, as a foundation, and eventually to recognize the nature of the mind, you know? Over the time, in a subtle level.
But in a beginning, is to recognize some sort of a sense of awareness, like an example, we breathe 21,000 times per day, you know. We breathe 21,000 times, air, in and out, but we have no sense of awareness, you know? So with the yoga practice, we bring more awareness to the breath, that when we are breathing out, when we are breathing in, just like a shamatha and vipassana practice, you know?
And then this Niguma Yoga, has an origin to the India, you know? In Kashmir, India, you know? She was a Kashmir lady, Indian lady who, her follower, student happened to be the Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, who came to India, received many teachings, brought back to Tibet, for seven generations it was kept secret. Because it was told to keep secret for seven generations of lineage holders. Only after that it was allowed to be public, you know?
And my predecessor, when he taught around the world, and establishing the retreat centers, he, you know, even demonstrated the yoga for the, for all his students, you know? So my intention is, if it can benefit you, why not guide you, and demonstrate and help you with this.
So that’s that. So enough with the explanation and origin history, I will get on with the physical training, okay?
Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche – 7th October 2022
3-day Niguma Yoga retreat in New Delhi, India
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