Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga: A Complete Guide to Health and Wellbeing [Paperback]

this book was suggested to me by Amazon and I purchased it on a whim. despite being somewhat knowledgeable about Tibetan Buddhism, I had never heard of Tarthang Tulku or Kum Nye before. I am glad I did, because this book has been a real inspiration to me and has enriched my practice of meditation and body awareness.

the introduction is one of the most interesting and enjoyable parts of the book. Tarthang Tulku presents a perspective on spirituality and the body which should be familiar to anyone involved in yoga or somatic practices (e.g. Feldenkrais, Bioenergetics), but in a way that is fresh and inspirational. I don't know if the book was partially ghost written, but I was surprised at the clarity and poetry of the writing coming from a non-native speaker. Tarthang Tulku explains the goals and philosophy of this system of meditation in a way that really communicates the spirit of the work and inspires one with a sense of the true possibility for growth and wholeness.

the bulk of the book consists of fairly detailed exercises that combine breathing and movement with meditative awareness. the descriptions are fairly clear, but there are only sparse drawings and it is sometimes a little difficult understand exactly what is being described. however, the work is so straightforward that one can easily invent slight variations or entirely new techniques.

in fact, the author insinuates that kum nye as taught by his father was quite freeform, and that he codified it into a series of exercises to make it more accessible to 'westerners'. personally, I find that I prefer to keep things loose and unstructured, and that I learn more by letting my body guide the process rather than trying to rigorously follow a set of exercises. although Tarthang Tulku recommends that kind of approach in some of his other work (e.g. Gesture of Balance), I think the point could have been communicated better here. that and the lack of more detailed illustrations are the only reason why this book gets four stars instead of five.

as a final note, I am surprised that I have never heard of this teacher before. as a student of somatic psychology, I think Tarthang Tulku's work deserves more attention. his approach has striking similarities to both Feldenkrais and Bioenergetics. I hope in the future that this simple and inspirational work will receive more attention within the community of body awareness practitioners, and that an extensive dialog can occur between practitioners of these methods and those of us who have been trained in 'western' techniques and perspectives.

I have tried many types of yoga, but Kum Nye is the best for total relaxation! This is a very thorough book with tons of exercise. Anyone interested in Kum Nye should definitely start with this . No matter what the occasion, this book has a posture perfect for regaining inner balance and harmony. My mind is at its clearest right after a wonderful Kum Nye session. After this, I recommend to friends The Joy of Being: Advanced Kum Nye Practices for Relaxation, Integration and Concentration (Tibetan Yoga). I also love the DVD series: Kum Nye - Healing the Four Energy Centers, Kum Nye - Stimulating and Transforming Energies, Kum Nye - Developing Wholeness of Energy, and Kum Nye - The Art of Developing Balance. The possibilities are endless!

Meditation may be hard for some. There is something which may be more accessible. Instead of bringing your mind constantly back to the breath at the nostrils, which is the most traditional approach in Theravada and many Tibetan practices, you might want to consider another possibility. According to the Buddha, he states that there are four structures (what a bad synonym, did I really study Buddhist Psychology?) which makes up YOU. YOU who are reading this. There's a body. I believe you have one of those. There are sensations and feelings. There's a mind there. Whether Democratic or Republican. And some mind objects floating through you. Traditionally, you sit on your ass and become aware of the breathing. This can be problematic. Many thoughts and emotions will go through you. But there is a much vaster field of experience which for you may be more accessible. And that is the sensations and the feelings. These, in Buddhist Psychology, can be divided into painful, pleasant, and neutral. But they are always there. Thoughts float through you all the time. But this can be very problematic. By generating and tuning into sensations and feelings, the awareness that accompanies this practice can heal. You won't be all gathered up into the past or the future. You're right here. With this practice, I don't want you to be thrown. As the author states, you can really waste time with INSTRUCTIONS. The accent is on feelings and sensations. Different energies are awakened. I have been informed that this is TIBETAN MEDICAL. I am only a rank beginner in these quarters. You can order the e-Kum Nye course through Dharma Publishing. Later, you can go to Advanced Kum Nye with the author's "Joy of Being". This may all seem like making meditation extremely complicated. But think about it. How can you ever get away from physical sensation. You CAN suppress your thoughts and emotions for awhile. In sleep, your sensations will go away. But while you are awake; your sensations are always present. And with this approach, you can belong to any religion. Or none at all. Thank you. And I apologize for any errors. I am relatively new to the practice end of this lineage.

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