Tantrika Institute (Shaiva Tantra Yoga and Philosophy))

[Esoteric]

https://courses.tantrikainstitute.org/

This is a free foundation course in Tantrik Yoga led by practitioner, Tantra and Sanskrit schoolar Christopher Wallis. Tantrik Yoga is an internal yoga originating from the Tantrik Shaivism movement that arose in India over a millenia ago. It emphases embodied awakening and is a path suitable for householders. There will be a 4 year curriculum starting at the end of summer (that is the plan anyway) that will contain 7 facets: Philosophy and View, Awareness Cultivation, Energy body practices, Yogic Lifestyle, Deity Yoga, Mantra Science and Living in the World. This will be a subscription based membership and you pick and choose what you want to work on. So for example, if you just want simply practical teachings and are not interested in Non-dual Shaiva Tantra Philosophy you simply skip the View teachings.

It's very cool to see a curriculum being built on this very rich and beautiful tradition. 

[CVKBT]

Very nice, thank you! I was already intrigued about Shaiva Tantra because of Christopher Wallis' book. This foundation can be a really important step towards a clearer understanding of Yoga, both Tantra and Kriya.

[Esoteric]

@CVKBT It will definitely clear a lot of misconceptions about what Tantra, Yoga, Kundalini is etc. Wallis has a great youtube channel as well with a lot of valuable information. Once you start to study this stuff you see that so much have come from Tantra, and that Kriya Yoga has a strong Tantrik foundation. Wallis has a youtube series going through all of the verses of an early Tantrik scripture (from the Trika lineage) called Vijnana Bhairava Tantra. It was an esoteric text written probably in the 9th century that has a lot of Tantra Yoga techniques in it. Here (and perhaps in even earlier Tantrik texts) you first start to see the mentions of a central channel, side channels, chakras etc. 

His book/commentary on the Recognition Sutras is also highly recommended. These Tantrik masters had such quality teachings that they feel really fresh, open and alive even today imo.

[CVKBT]

Thanks a lot for the recommendations, I will definitely check it out! I agree, studying Tantra sheds a huge light upon the complex yogic system. You understand more and more why you do for example the Kriya Pranayamas and why they lead you towards Parvastha etc.

I guess you just gotta be careful not to make a mental masturbation exercise out of that hehe.

I've seen Wallis' video on Kundalini and already found it of big value. I'm excited what I will learn out of your recommendation!

[Unseeking Seeker]

Christopher Wallis ... clear and lucid! I believe he has shifted to Portugal?

Don’t know about the teaching on offer. In my view, we each have a unique path. Simply follow the scent ... of love!

Edited July 30, 2020 by Unseeking Seeker

[Bittu]

thank you so much for this

[electroBeam]

excellent!

[Preety_India]

Thanks for this

[Esoteric]

On 7/30/2020 at 8:06 AM, Unseeking Seeker said:

Christopher Wallis ... clear and lucid! I believe he has shifted to Portugal?

Don’t know about the teaching on offer. In my view, we each have a unique path. Simply follow the scent ... of love!

Yes he moved to Portugal to the newly built retreat center there. Christopher is a great teacher indeed and is making a wonderful job of making these sophisticated teachings accessible to our time and culture.

He also has a great Patreon page where he has webinars on (part of) his translation of Abhinavagupta's Tantrasara and works by Utpaladeva and other great sages of the tradition. It's really mindblowing how deep and profound these teachings are when you start to go deeper. 

Yes, we definitely have our own unique path, I agree. These teachings which have been a huge blessing in my life might be complete dogshit for someone else and vice versa. People have a tendency to want to impose what has worked for them and take for granted it has the same effect on others. But if someone finds this stuff valuable then great!

[Unseeking Seeker]

@Esoteric Undoubtedly! I have seen many of Christopher Wallis‘s videos and find him knowledgeable. His elaboration of the Gayatri mantra as well as the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra is profound. It also seems clear that he has experienced some level of kundalini awakening like others such as Igor Kufayev, for example.

I have however seen many cases of trauma by forcing kundalini awakening through ‘artificial’ yogic techniques. Unless we get to a basic level of purity of being in actual life, in thought & word & deed, the blockages within (fear & negativity), can result in a breakdown. Literally.

The energy path is direct and unapologetic. Everyone seems to prefer the quick path. No harm, if undertaken with proper preparation.

[Esoteric]

https://tantrikainstitute.org/

So the Tantrika Online portal has launched and looks absolutely beautiful and is high quality stuff. So far you can do the Awareness Cultivation, Mantra Science and The View tracks with the other facets being worked on as we speak. Other than the main facets there are recordings from workshops, lectures, guided meditations, mantras, historical lectures from a well-read scholar practioner(The Real Story of Yoga as an example) and much more. Everything from Hareesh's Patreon page is being slowly migrated to the portal, which means webinars on various ancient Tantrik scriptures like Tantrasara, Spanda-karikas (teaching on the pulsation of consciousness) etc. Subscription based so pick and choose what you like and end it whenever you like, or do it sequentially which means that you can eventually get a teacher certificate if you want to.