Tibetan Yoga for Health & The Science and Practice of Healing Your Body, Energy, and Mind

The Tibetan Yoga Movements from the Instructions of the A

HERE WE ARRIVE AT THE actual yogic movements of the Ligmincha Yoga of Instructions of the A.¹ In the previous steps, you learned about the importance of intention, having the proper body posture and breathings for this practice, and understanding and guiding your breath through your inner channels. Now you are ready to incorporate the magical movements. These practices involve breath retention for significant periods of time, therefore anyone with a physical, emotional, or psychological medical condition should consult with their physician before engaging in these practices.

There is one foundational movement (ngondro in Tibetan) and fifteen principal movements. The principal movements are divided into five sets of three movements each, with each set representing one of the five breath-energies.

Step 4: Incorporating the Movements

The Foundational Movement

The foundational movement sets in motion the intention to connect to yourself and to benefit all beings as you energetically massage all your body and release the obstacles within yourself and all beings.

One of the most inspiring aspects of this practice is that we start with the intention of relieving not only our own suffering, but also that of all sentient beings. As you begin this movement, your hands will be at your heart to summon all your own sufferings and misdeeds along with those of all sentient beings in order to transform them and connect more deeply to the space of your own being that we call the “inner home.”

Sit cross-legged, if possible, and place your hands in the vajra fist (see photo), with your right hand fisted on top of the left and both hands touching your heart center, the energetic center of your body-energy-mind system. Connect with your intention to relieve the suffering of yourself and others.

Sound Hung (pronounced hoong) seven times to call all suffering and misdeeds from all sentient beings, including yourself, visualizing them being attracted to a white Hung, or simply a white sphere of light at your navel chakra. The white light helps transform and “digest” those obstacles in the space of your navel chakra.
Inhale pervasively, letting the breath nurture your whole body. Holding your breath, extend your legs parallel to each other in front of you, use your hands to massage all parts of your body from head, to torso, to arms, to legs, and finally bring your hands toward your toes and hold them if possible. Keep holding your breath as you reach forward and internally connect with all the obstacles of yourself and others.
Shake all four limbs, and bend your knees, lightly stomping your feet on the floor and shaking your arms in the air. Imagine yourself stirring and clearing all those obstacles, and exhale thoroughly through your nose, followed by your mouth, while uttering the sounds ha and phat. Return to the cross-legged position or assume the five-point posture, feeling the rhythm of your breath and reconnecting to your meditative state.

This last step is also the concluding motion for all 15 principal movements that follow. You can do it in a sitting or standing posture.

Texts and teachers emphasize the importance of remembering to do this concluding motion at the end of each Tibetan yoga movement, as it internally stirs all the afflictions, obstacles, and obscurations of not just yourself, but all beings. This enacts your intention to expel obstacles and reconnect to your meditative state and inner home.

The use of the sounds ha and phat are unique to the Tibetan yoga of the Bon tradition. Ha is used to help clear illnesses and obstacles, and phat helps cut through the elaborations of your mind and get you more in touch with the space within and awareness of your inner home.

You are, of course, not expected to be totally clear of obstacles after one session. Rather, think of this as a process, like pouring clean water into the dirty bottle of your mind-energy-body system, stirring it, and pouring the water back out. The more you do this, the cleaner the bottle will be. Performing these Tibetan yoga movements has a cumulative effect, cleansing you and helping you become more familiar with and more settled in your meditative state and connected with the natural state of your mind (i.e., your inner home), which is represented by the letter A in the Tibetan yoga of Instructions of the A.

The Fifteen Principal Magical Movements

I find it particularly poignant that the principal movements of the Tibetan yoga of Instructions of the A start with a focus on your heart center. This practice starts at the heart, then goes to the head, then down to the navel, and finally down to reengage the whole body and energy system. Other Tibetan yoga practices usually start with the head and go down or start at the bottom and go up.

In the foundational movement, you started by touching your heart and then used your whole energetic body through your pervasive breath. By breathing into your central channel and holding your breath as you massaged your whole body, you cleared the major obstacles of your body, energy, and mind. You have released some pains or tensions. You felt the breath-energy flowing better through your body and your mind becoming a little more calm and focused.

The principal movements are designed to clear the obstacles of your upper torso, head, abdomen, lower torso and legs, in that order. Each set of three principal movements clears one of the five parts of the body and focuses on a different chakra or chakras or in the whole central channel, and on a different breath-energy. Each breath-energy correlates with one of the five elements, and in this way, you balance your mind-energy-body system—achieving the goal of Tibetan medicine—as well as balancing yourself and your environment, the microcosm and macrocosm, which is the goal of yoga.

Now, bring your attention to the center of your central channel: your heart chakra.

SET 1: UPPER-TORSO PURIFICATION

Body part: Torso

Chakra: Heart

Breath-energy: Life force

Element: Space

For the three movements of the Upper-Torso Purification, begin by focusing on your heart center. As you connect with your life-force breath-energy, you will feel the openness of your heart chakra, supported by the space element.

Each movement in this set of three upper-torso purification movements begins with inhaling through your nostrils and welcoming and guiding your breath by visualizing it following your side channels to reach your central channel. As your breath-energy enters your central channel at the junction of the three channels (four fingers below your navel), guide it up your central channel and hold it at your heart chakra. Feel that hold (without locking) and maintain it throughout the movement as you hold your breath like nectar in a vase, (i.e., keeping the breath’s nutrients in your body).

At the conclusion of each of these three movements, guide your breath down your central channel to the junction of the three channels and up the side channels and then release it through your nostrils. The subtle exhalation is released through your heart chakra itself, almost as if the chakra is a valve releasing its air along with your energetic and emotionally charged obstacles.

After doing one repetition of each of the three upper-torso purification movements, come back to the cross-legged position or five-point posture. Notice how you feel in your heart chakra, supported by the space element. Rest your mind as you keep softly guiding your breath from your nose into your heart chakra and back out through your nose.

Principal Movement #1: Stretching the Bow to Shoot an Arrow

(Da pen zhu pen)

Sit in the cross-legged position with your hands resting on your lap in the equipoise position—palms up, left hand over right, thumbs at the bases of your ring fingers. Inhale into your heart chakra and hold your breath there for a moment to feel your life-force breath-energy. Keep holding it throughout the movement. If you can’t hold your breath throughout the whole movement, you can do less repetitions or reinhale when needed.

Holding your breath, form both hands into loose fists, as if you are holding a bow and about to extend its string to shoot an arrow. Extend the left arm diagonally to the left side and then skyward. Raise your right arm and pull it back three times, as if you are pulling back the string on the bow. Do the movement at a speed at which you can feel the stretching of your body and of the air in your heart chakra. Then do the movement three times while aiming downward at the earth and three times while aiming level to the horizon.

On the right side, as you maintain your focus and keep holding the breath in your heart chakra, repeat the movements, extending your right arm and pulling back with the left three times toward the sky, the earth, and the horizon. Each time you pull back the string, feel the heart chakra space slowly expanding and the life-force breath-energy helping to loosen whatever obstacles of body, energy, and mind you are storing.

After you finish stretching the bow on both sides, perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs to help release the obstacles you have loosened up within yourself and within all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your heart chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open, relaxed state of mind, which is supported by the slight exhaustion of your body.

Remain in that state of mind, noticing your breath and settling more into the meditative A state of mind.

Continue to focus on your heart chakra, which may have a greater sense of openness supported by the space element, and make sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #2: Dropping a Stone from Your Waist

(Ke pa do gyur)

Sit in the cross-legged position with your hands resting on your lap in the equipoise position. Inhale into your heart chakra and hold your breath there for a moment. Bring your elbows to your waist and your arms to the front, and then bend forward from the waist. Imagine that you are lifting a large stone with both hands in front of you.

Grab the stone, rotate your torso to the right and place the stone on the floor at your right side. Then return to the center position. Repeat the movement two more times, from the center to the right, as if there are three different stones to move.

While continuing to hold your breath at your heart chakra, move the stone from the center to your left side, then return to the center, three times.

Still holding your breath at your heart chakra, pick up and hold out the stone in front of you, rolling slightly forward on your legs to drop the stone farther in front of you. Then return to the original position. Repeat this movement two more times.

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, and then make the sounds ha and phat to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your heart chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open, relaxed state of mind, which is supported by the slight exhaustion of your body.

Remain in that state of mind, noticing your breath and settling more into that meditative, or A, state of mind.

Continue to focus on your heart chakra, making sure your mind is guiding your breath, as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #3: Swimmer’s Stroke (Kyal pa kyal chap)

Sit in the cross-legged position with your hands resting on your lap in the equipoise position. Inhale into your heart chakra and hold your breath there for a moment. Bend slightly forward.

Alternate moving your arms as if you are swimming using the freestyle stroke. Do this for a total of 21 strokes, starting with your right arm, so your right arm will make 11 strokes and your left will make 10. Feel how the movement expands your chest area and the air in your heart chakra.

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the stretches have loosened up within you being released, along with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your heart chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open, relaxed state of mind, which is supported by the slight exhaustion of your body.

Remain in that state of mind, noticing your breath and settling more into that meditative, or A, state of mind.

Benefits of the Upper-Torso Purification movements

These three Upper-Torso Purification movements expand your chest in different ways. Notice the physical expansion in your body, particularly in your heart and upper torso area, and how the slight exhaustion helps your mind settle at your heart center. Energetically, having worked with the life-force breath-energy, you may feel a nourishing of your mind-heart area. This is important, as it enables you to abide with more awareness at the spaciousness of your heart center supported by the space element. When your mind-heart is more calm and open, you are able to maintain a meditative state, with less engagement of your conceptual mind.

At MD Anderson, we begin our meditation and Tibetan yoga sessions with the Connecting with Your Heart meditation. In fact, if you want to train your mind to be less of a monkey mind and more settled in your mind-heart energetic center, you can start with the Connecting with Your Heart meditation and then follow with these principal movements of the Upper-Torso Purification to abide longer there. This familiarization with your mind-heart energetic center can be a great foundation as you continue to practice this yoga.

SET 2: HEAD PURIFICATION

Body part: Head

Chakra: Throat and crown

Breath-energy: Upward moving

Element: Earth

For the three movements of the Head Purification, begin by focusing on your throat chakra and connecting with the upward-moving breath-energy. At the end of each movement, exhale and release obstacles through your crown chakra while maintaining a sense of grounding and embodiment at your throat chakra, which connects to the support of the earth element.

For the movements in this set, start in the cross-legged seated position, with your hands forming vajra fists by placing your thumbs at the base of your ring fingers and making a fist. Then press slightly at your inguinal crease (where the leg begins below the torso). Extend your arms to lengthen and straighten your torso and then slightly relax your shoulders.

Each movement begins with inhaling through both nostrils and welcoming and guiding your breath by visualizing it following your side channels. As your breath-energy enters your central channel at the junction, guide it up your central channel and hold it at your throat chakra. In that hold, the throat stays soft and relaxed (without a bandha or lock), and you can feel the ascending quality of your upward-moving breath-energy, supported by the movement of your head.

At the conclusion of each of these head-purification movements, focus on the subtle exhalation released upward through your crown chakra, releasing its air along with your energetic and emotionally charged obstacles. Feel the support of the earth element at your throat chakra as you remain grounded, guiding your subtle breath down your central channel to the junction of the three channels and up the side channels, and then releasing your physical breath through your nostrils.

After doing all three of the head-purification movements one time, come back to the cross-legged position or five-point posture. Notice how you feel in your throat and crown chakras and rest your mind in that sense of openness and stability in your meditative, or A, state of mind.

Principal Movement #4: Bending the Neck (Ke kyok)

Sit in the cross-legged position with your hands in vajra fists at your inguinal crease. Inhale into your throat chakra and hold your breath there for a moment.

Continue to hold your breath as you bend your head and neck as far as it can go but without straining forward, backward, to the right, and to the left, traveling through the center position each time and feeling the breath energy moving upward. Repeat two more times.

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your crown chakra and your nostrils, and then make the sounds ha and phat to aid in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your throat and crown chakras and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of decongestion in your head.

Continue to focus on your throat and crown chakras, making sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #5: Bouncing the Hair-Knot (Ral gyur)

Sit in the cross-legged position with your hands in vajra fists at your inguinal crease. Inhale into your throat chakra and hold your breath there for a moment.

Continue to hold your breath as you bend your head slightly forward and to your right, and then swing your head to your front left to gain momentum. Toss your head backward and to your right, as if moving a hair topknot to your right, as you feel your breath energy moving upward. Return to the starting position and repeat this action two more times.

In the same way described in Step 2, bend your head slightly forward and then to your left, and then swing it to your front right to gain momentum. Toss your head backward and to your left, as if moving a hair topknot to the left, as you feel your breath-energy moving upward and backward to the left. Return to the starting position and repeat this action two more times.

Toss your head—or “topknot”—straight from front to back, bending your head forward and then swinging it backward, for a total of three times, feeling your breath-energy moving upward with each movement.

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your crown chakra and your nostrils, and then make the sounds ha and phat to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your throat and crown chakras and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of decongestion in your head.

Continue to focus on your throat and crown chakras, making sure that your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #6: Rolling the Head (Go ril)

Sit in the cross-legged position with your hands in vajra fists at your inguinal crease. Inhale into your throat chakra and hold your breath there for a moment.

Continue to hold your breath as you roll your head and neck counterclockwise three times. Repeat in the clockwise direction three times. Throughout both motions, feel your breath-energy moving upward.

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your crown chakra and your nostrils, then make the sounds ha and phat to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your throat and crown chakras and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of decongestion in your head.

Benefits of the head-purification movements

With these three head-purification movements, you use your upward-moving breath-energy to clear your head and sense organs. Notice the clearing and decongestion of your head, helping you release conceptual grasping and relax more into your meditative, or A, state of mind. You may feel more open in your crown chakra, as well as more settled in your throat chakra, supported by the earth element.

SET 3: BODY PURIFICATION

Body part: Body, and especially abdomen

Chakra: Navel

Breath-energy: Fire-like

Element: Fire

In the three movements of Body Purification, you will bring the fire-like breath-energy into your navel chakra with the support of the fire element.

Each movement in this set begins with inhaling through your nostrils and welcoming and guiding your breath by visualizing it following your side channels. As your breath-energy enters your central channel at the junction, guide it up to your navel chakra. Hold your breath-energy by pulling your stomach inward toward your spine, which is called “bringing the ocean to the rocks.” Maintain this hold throughout each of these three movements.

At the conclusion of each movement, guide your breath down your central channel to the junction and up the side channels, then release it through your nostrils. Release the hold and the subtle exhalation through your navel chakra, almost as if the chakra were a valve releasing air along with your energetic and emotionally charged obstacles.

After doing all three body-purification movements one time, come back to the cross-legged position or five-point posture. Notice how you feel in your navel chakra. You may feel more warmth, supported by the fire element. Rest your mind in that sense of awareness.

The third movement of this set is done standing up, and I will tell you how to do the concluding movement in the standing posture below.

Principal Movement #7: Striking the Tops of the Shoulders

(Pung go dek)

Sit cross-legged. Inhale, bring “the ocean to the rocks,” and extend your arms straight out to both sides with your elbows pointing downward. Form vajra fists with the palms of your hands facing upward.

Continue holding your breath and your fists as you bend your right elbow and strike your right shoulder with the knuckles of your right hand. As you extend your right arm again, use your left fist to strike your left shoulder. Alternate this striking movement for 9 strikes on each side (for a total of 18 strikes).

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat as you release the retention of the ocean to the rocks to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your navel chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of warmth around your navel.

Continue to focus on your navel chakra, making sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #8: Liberating the Orifices (Bu ka nam dröl)

Sit in the cross-legged position. Inhale, bring “the ocean to the rocks,” and raise your hands to your face and cover each ear canal with the thumb of the corresponding hand. Cover each eyelid with the corresponding index finger, press your nostrils closed with your middle fingers, and place your ring fingers above your mouth and your pinky fingers below your mouth to hold your mouth shut.

Continue holding your breath as you rotate your torso in a movement called “soaring over the shoulders” or “soaring with your torso.” Guided by your left shoulder, rotate your torso three times counterclockwise, and then, guided by your right shoulder, rotate your torso three times clockwise, always keeping your focus at your navel.

Keeping your thumbs on your ears, wipe your fingers and palms downward over your face—eyes and cheeks—three times. Remove your hands.

While still holding your breath, extend your left arm to the front, and then quickly sweep your right hand down your left arm, from the shoulder to the hand, three times. Then repeat the motion, sweeping your left hand down your right arm, three times.

Roll up onto your knees and place both hands on the floor in front of you. Vigorously shake your torso from side to side three times.

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat as you release the retention of the ocean to the rocks to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your navel chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of warmth at your navel.

Continue to focus on your navel chakra, making sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #9: Throwing the Lasso (Zhak pa ma)

Stand up. Step forward one stride with your left leg. Facing straight ahead, place your hands on your hips.

While keeping your elbow bent, inhale, bring “the ocean to the rocks,” and pull your right arm to the back, and then bring it to the side and swing a couple of times like you are twirling a lasso. Then throw your arm forward, as if you are throwing a lasso. When you throw the lasso across your front, rotate your torso to the left to make the release stronger. Repeat, throwing the lasso two more times.

While continuing to hold your breath, reverse the positions of your legs and throw the lasso three times with your left hand.

Perform the concluding motion from the standing posture: Jump a couple of times, and then shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat as you release the retention of the ocean to the rocks to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your navel chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, return to the cross-legged position or five-point posture and abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of warmth at your navel.

Benefits of the Body-Purification Movements

With this set of body-purification movements, you clear the area around your navel in different ways. You will notice some physical warmth in your body, particularly in your abdominal area, and that the slight exhaustion has helped your mind to settle. Energetically, the fire-like breath-energy may make you feel an energetic nourishing and warmth in the areas of your navel and abdomen. This is important, because this warmth, supported by the fire element, can help you be more comfortable, relaxed, and supported in your meditative state of A. This warmth also cultivates your creativity.

SET 4: LOWER-TORSO PURIFICATION

Body part: Lower torso

Chakra: Secret

Breath-energy: Downward-moving and clearing

Element: Water

With the three movements of the Lower-Torso Purification, you bring the downward-moving and clearing breath-energy into your secret chakra (at your perineum, the place between your genitals and your anus), where you will apply the “basket hold” of lifting your pelvic floor, feeling the support of the water element.

Each movement in this set begins with inhaling through your nostrils and welcoming and guiding your breath by visualizing it following your side channels. As your breath-energy enters the base of your central channel, hold it in your secret chakra by bringing your pelvic floor up with the basket hold—tightening the anal sphincter and lifting the whole pelvic floor—similar to Kegel exercises. Maintain this hold throughout each of these three movements.

At the conclusion of each of the lower-torso purification movements, guide your breath from your central channel and up the side channels, and then release it through your nostrils. The subtle exhalation is released through your secret chakra itself, releasing the basket hold, and almost as if the chakra is a valve releasing its air downward along with your energetic and emotionally charged obstacles, supported by the comfort of the water element.

After doing all three lower-torso purification movements one time, return to the cross-legged position or five-point posture. Notice how you feel in your secret chakra. You may feel comfort from the support of the water element. Rest your mind in that sense of comfortable awareness.

Principal Movement #10: Rotating in the Dorje Posture

(Tra pü ma)

Sit in the dorje pose, with the soles of your feet touching each other, your bent arms extended overhead, and your palms touching.

Inhale into your secret chakra with the basket hold, and roll forward and then backward a total of nine times.

Perform the concluding motion either sitting or standing: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat as you release the basket retention to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your secret chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, assume the cross-legged position. Notice how you feel in your secret chakra. You may feel comfort from the support of the water element. Rest your mind in that sense of comfortable awareness and abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind.

Continue to focus on your secret chakra, making sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #11: Four [Limbs] Kicking (Zhi tra ma)

Inhale with the basket hold as you lie on your back and reach your arms and legs up toward the sky.

Simultaneously bend and bring your arms and legs in toward your body and then thrust them skyward. Repeat this bringing in and thrusting out eight more times.

Perform the concluding motion: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

After exhaling, assume the cross-legged position. Notice how you feel in your secret chakra. You may feel comfort from the support of the water element. Rest your mind in that sense of comfortable awareness and abide in that more open and relaxed meditative or A, state of mind.

Continue to focus on your secret chakra, making sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #12: Generating the Powerful Tigles

(Tigle top gye)

Inhale with the basket hold and lie on your back with your arms out to your sides and your legs spread apart.

Visualize a yellow bowstring between your feet (held by the big toes). It is holding a fire arrow pointing toward your body, with its tip directed at your secret chakra.

Sound a long hung and imagine all substantial obstacles as spheres—tigles—that are accumulating in the arrowhead as the bowstring becomes increasingly taut.

Sound a strong phat and quickly bend your legs, bring them to your stomach, and then grab them with your hands as you imagine the released arrow coursing through your central channel, exiting through your crown chakra, and releasing all your tigles into space, where they dissolve. Rest for a moment in that sense of dissolution.

Inhale again into your secret chakra with the basket hold and do the concluding motion sitting or standing: Shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, and then make the sounds ha and phat as you release the basket retention to assist in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your secret chakra and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, assume the cross-legged position or five-point posture. Notice how you feel in your secret chakra. You may feel comfort from the support of the water element. Rest your mind in that sense of comfortable awareness and abide in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind.

Benefits of the Lower-Torso Purification Movements

With this set of lower-torso purification movements, you clear your secret chakra in different ways. Notice now how you feel there, including your physical comfort, particularly in your lower-torso, and how the slight exhaustion helps your mind to settle. Energetically, having worked with the downward-moving and clearing breath-energy, you may feel a sense of release and comfort in your secret chakra and lower-torso, supported by the water element. This is important, because this comfort can help you be more at ease, relaxed, and supported in your meditative state of A.

SET 5: LEG PURIFICATION

Body part: Legs, and whole body

Subtle body: Central channel

Breath-energy: Pervasive

Element: Air

The three movements of Leg Purification are performed standing. In each movement, there is a jump that aids the distribution throughout your body of the pervasive breath-energy with the support of the air, or wind, element.

Each movement in this set begins by standing and inhaling through your nostrils and welcoming and guiding your breath by visualizing it following your side channels. You will then bring your breath-energy into your whole central channel and hold it softly in what is called “neutral retention” (without bandha, or lock), a sense of focusing on your central channel to support the pervasive breath-energy’s expansion throughout your body.

At the conclusion of each leg-purification movement, guide your breath from your central channel and up the side channels, and then release it through your nostrils. The subtle exhalation is released through every pore of your body, taking with it your energetic and emotionally charged obstacles, supported by the force of the wind, or air, element.

After doing all of the leg-purification movements one time, assume the cross-legged position or five-point posture. Notice how you feel in your central channel and your whole body. You may feel a sense of expansion and an inner flexibility, supported by the air element. Rest your mind in that sense of expansive awareness.

Principal Movement #13: Little Boy Jumping Strongly

(Bu chung tsen chong)

Stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips.

Inhale into your central channel and make nine small vertical jumps, followed by nine larger vertical jumps—allowing your knees to bend as needed—feeling how the jumps aid in the expansion of the pervasive breath-energy throughout your body and the clearing of obstacles.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat as you feel a sense of release from every pore of your body, assisting in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your central channel and your whole body and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, assume the cross-legged position. Notice how you feel in your central channel and whole body, supported by the pervasive energy-breath and the air element. Abide and rest in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of expansiveness and flexibility in your whole body.

Continue to focus on your central channel and breathe pervasively, making sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #14: Elephant Kicking Back and Forth

(Lang chen nga tra chi tra)

Stand with your right foot in front of your left and with your hands on your hips. Inhale into your central channel as you bring your weight on your left foot and you lift your right foot with a slight kick forward. Then hop back on your right foot, swinging back your left foot. As you continue to hold your breath, repeat this back-and-forth movement, kicking with your right foot forward and swinging back your left a total of nine times.

While still holding your breath, bring your left foot in front of your right. Then bring your weight on your right foot, “kick” forward with the left, and then with the weight forward on your left foot, swing your right foot backward. Continue performing the movement, kicking forward with your left foot and swinging back with your right foot for a total of nine times. Feel how the jumping supports the pervasive breath energy’s expansion throughout and clearing the obstacles from your whole body.

Exhale through your nose, then make the sounds ha and phat as you feel a sense of release from every pore, assisting in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your central channel and your whole body and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, assume the cross-legged position. Notice how you feel in your central channel and whole body. You may feel a sense of expansion and inner flexibility, supported by the air element. Abide and rest in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of expansiveness and flexibility in your whole body.

Continue to focus on your central channel and breathe pervasively, making sure your mind is guiding your breath as you continue to the next movement.

Principal Movement #15: Placing the Sole of the Foot at the Knee

(Pu mor til jok)

Inhale into your central channel as you stand on your left foot and place the sole of your right foot against your left leg at the side of your knee. Hop forward nine times.

Keep holding your breath pervasively, as you turn and reverse the position, standing on your right leg and placing the sole of your left foot against your right leg at the side of your knee. Hop forward nine times. Feel how the jumps support the pervasive breath-energy’s expansion throughout and the clearing of obstacles from your whole body.

Perform the concluding motion from the standing posture: Jump a couple of times, and then shake and stir your arms and legs so you can feel the obstacles the movements have loosened up within you being released, together with those of all sentient beings.

Exhale through your nose, and then make the sounds ha and phat as you feel a sense of release from every pore, assisting in thoroughly cleansing the obstacles from your central channel and your whole body and with the intention of extending the cleansing to all sentient beings.

After exhaling, assume the cross-legged position or five-point posture. Notice how you feel in your central channel and whole body. You may feel a sense of expansion and inner flexibility, supported by the air element. Abide and rest in that more open and relaxed meditative, or A, state of mind, supported by a slight sense of expansiveness and flexibility in your whole body.

Benefits of the Leg-Purification Movements

With each of these three leg-purification movements, you clear the obstacles from your legs, and by jumping, you clear the obstacles from your whole body. Notice now how you feel in your whole body physically and how the sense of exhaustion helps your mind to settle. Energetically, after working with your pervasive breath-energy, you may feel greater flexibility in your legs and expansion from your central channel to your whole body, supported by your pervasive breath-energy and the air element. This is important, because this expansion and flexibility can help you feel more at ease and supported to stay longer in your meditative state of A.

Concluding Your Session

You now have cleared all five parts of your body and your five chakras, balancing your five breath-energies. Come back to the five-point posture or lie down in corpse pose, or shavasana. Remain relaxed but with open awareness for as long as the experience remains fresh. This is an important part of the practice, so try not to fall asleep. Instead, enjoy the benefits of all the movements and the exhaustion so you can be more connected to your natural state of mind, your meditative state of A. That is the magic!

If you are lying down, now sit up and assume the five-point posture. Take a few moments to gradually notice how you feel in each of your five chakras and your whole central channel. Allow your body to support you in connecting with and staying in your meditative A state of mind.

Step 5: Share the Benefits of Your Practice

In order to share the benefits of your practice, you can start by feeling grateful to your teachers and their teachings and to yourself for having practiced, and then share the good sensations you’re feeling with others. You may want to share with those who you know are suffering or going through difficult moments, or you may just share this practice with everyone for a sense of well-being for all. It is important to feel you can include all sentient beings in your sharing. The Tibetan tradition calls this the dedication of one’s practice, with the metaphor that what we share is like nectar that we pour into the ocean, and there is enough for everyone, including yourself. Those benefits will be there until the ocean dries up. If you do not share your good sensations, if you put the benefits in your own little cup, in a moment of thirst, or anger, or greed, they are gone. So make sure you take a moment to share the benefits of your practice with others as much as you do with yourself.