21 Day OSHO/ARUN
Neo-Yoga Experience

Namaste, Friend…

I lovingly greet the consciousness residing in YOU during these remarkable times we are sharing…

This “21 Day OSHO/ARUN Neo-Yoga Experience” is being created with students of the ARUN Conscious Touch 2 Year Professional Training at UTA Osho Academy in mind. But any one can enjoy, even with no prior experience. Right now, there are close to 200 friends spread all over the Earth joining in this Meditative Journey! This will be an “in-depth” vision of the “Human Energy Field”, so it will a “total immersion”, so it will require your totality… meaning that during these 21 days you will be encouraged and challengednto open and stretch your body, mind, feelings, and spirit… so let’s all enjoy the stretching!

The first “gentle stretch” for you all is reading this mindfully…

What is “Yoga”?

Yoga is a very rich and multi-dimensional understanding of the Human Energy Field and Consciousness, with many branches encompassing every aspect of Life. I have totally loved Yoga from the very first moment i starting learning about it in the unforgettable “summer of 1973”. The first thing i remember hearing about Yoga back then was:

“An authentic “Yogi” or “Yogini” is skilled in taking care of their inner and outer cleanliness, shares loving behavior to all things, maintains a flexible supple body,develops breath awareness and mastery, learns to open subtle channels of physical and psychic energy, is able to watch the subtle movements of their mind, can relax all the cells of their body/ mind/ emotions and personality,and is able to dissolve into and merge with the Cosmos”.

What intelligent person would not be interested in THIS?!?

So i started a life-long, almost daily love affair with “Hatha yoga and Prana awareness” immediately… {“Ha” means Sun, and “tha” means Moon-the symbols for male and female principles of the Universe. “Hatha” symbolizes cosmic equilibrium, cosmic union. It is similar to the Chinese concept of “Yin & Yang”}

In these coming 21 days,

I will “sing my song to Yoga”…

in deep love and gratitude to OSHO,

as well as to all the Buddhas and Ancient Rishis

who have gifted humanity with this “Remarkable Inner Science”…

and also for all of the blessings and indescribable joys

that have come to me

through 1000’s and 1000’s of hours of lying on the floor,

sitting, and standing by myself

exploring Hatha yoga and prana awareness

in a non-serious, devoted and open way.

I hope you enjoy…

Feel free to write anytime with your own questions, difficulties, or whatever.

Ok-let’s get started…

For these 21 days I am encouraging you to follow “a particular sequence of Yoga asanas” that i know is extremely beneficial for the whole Human Energy Field which includes our muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, sympathetic and para-sympathetic nerves, blood vessels, organs, breathing system, all parts of Brain, cerebrospinal fluid, Glands, bones and joints, lymph, mental activity, emotions, chakras, energy lines and much more! It challenging and easy at the same time. It is a Yoga sequence that works wonders. not only in the beginning of the journey, but also continues to reveal inner secrets and open new awareness for at least 47 years, in my personal experience. It is especially good at helping the Spine stay flexible and pain free throughout the life. If you want to do your own favorite sequence or add other postures during these days, feel free. I am not attached at all to what anyone does… I am only sharing what I have personally experienced to be “the best” for me! And since it is now 40 years ago that OSHO first approved me teach OSHO Neo-Yoga in his Ashram in India, I have watched hundreds- even thousands- of friends experiment and benefit with this sequence. But again, feel free to do your thing… anyway, whenever and however you do Yoga, it becomes “your thing”. The root meaning of Yoga is “union with yourself”… and that experience, Of “Being One with Yourself” is what I wish for you all.

Now, i will send a revised version of something that is in all of your notes from our UTA ARUN Training… these photos were taken on January 2nd of 2011, at our house in Denia, Spain. As you can see, it was a beautiful day and we love to include our “grounding with the earth” at the same time. I start with a photo that i took of the “very first sunrise” of 2011… just outside of our home on the Mediterranean.We are sending you all energy that this is your best year ever!

Daily practice of ARUN Yoga—

To Be more in touch with your essence

This is good time to connect clearly with your “essence”. Find a clean, quiet space alone or with friends. The very first Yoga posture, or “Asana” that i want to talk about is the “SHANTI Asana” (# 1) or “Position of Peace”. Lie down on a comfortable mat (not too soft) and sink into your whole body. Feel your breath as an “inner touch”. and with each out-breath allow your body to relax consciously. Just “be” in neutral gear, watching inside,
from your toes to your head- observing as sincerely as possible, the involuntary life moving inside your body, mind, heart, and spirit. You can easily witness your breathing, your heartbeat, your inner motions including Craniosacral rhythm and brainwaves. Now is the moment to trust and cultivate your natural ability to relax deeply into yourself without fear, guilt, or comparisons. After one minute of non-moving, letting-go inside–
the glands of your body will begin to secrete hormones that will help release any tensions that have accumulated in your bodymind system. This “peaceful, easy feeling” is potentially healing in itself– more importantly,
it gradually opens up your “inner vision”.

The “ShantiAsana” is one of the most subtle and healing of all Yoga Asanas.
Devote 1-10 minutes. It allows all the body tissues and the mind to experience a “Still Point”. In the first photo, you see the body during
“exhalation phase of breath”… the second shows the “inhalation phase of the Breath.

Now, we start consciously “changing the angles” of the body’s skeleton.
And remember! The photos are only there to indicate the direction you move your skeleton into. You do not have to do it the same way! This is most important for you to understand.

Yoga, as taught in “ARUN/ OSHO Neo-Yoga”, is entirely non-comparative and non-competitive. Don’t judge yourself, and don’t feel guilty or proud.
Use whatever sensations, thoughts, feelings, tensions, fears,
or energies that are generated by performing the various “asanas”
as a focus for your awareness in the present moment; and as a path to becoming more familiar with your own body and consciousness as an organic unity.

Think about this: -and you may need to re-read these words a few times in the coming days to really understand the message “in your bones”!

The Human Energy Field {your Body} moves through a miraculous, intricate system of “pulleys” {muscles, tendons, and ligaments}, “levers” {individual bones of the skeleton},and “shifting fulcrums” {round articulations of the joints}, powered by the“Prana” { or consciousness} within your breath. Each asana { an intentional “skeletal constellation”, or a body position that is maintained for an extended period of time} gently and safely encourages the bones of your skeleton and the muscles and fascia that holds it together to temporarily “change their angles” relative to each other. When you stretch, one side of the articulations shortens, while the other side lengthens. Every movement, “compression”, or “stretch” of a part of our bodies is basically felt because the bones of that part are changing their angles relative to one another. Think about this: the nerves and blood vessels flow along and between your bones, carrying messages back and forth to your Brain… and you have over 220 bones in your body! This “stretching” and “compressing” can be felt as an “inner touch” and with practice it can be gradually and minutely directed to the deepest tissues of your body. It is in the deeper tissues and the spaces between the bones where our tension and fear accumulates, as well as most of our physical and emotional pain.

Naturally, this tension, fear, and pain pollutes our mind, the Brain, and our emotions- making it even more difficult to be with and to enjoy “this moment”. Conscious Touching, whether through your own movements,
doing yoga, or received from the hands of someone else, activates “sensory nerve pathways” { hormones, endorphins, and feelings } and also “motor nerve passages” and muscles simultaneously. Within each of us, there are ingenious “feedback loops”, or “circuits” that enable this inner-activity to take place. These pathways are made stronger and healthier through conscious movements and watching inside, or meditation. Improved co-ordination, flexibility, gracefulness, health, and relaxation are just a few of the many benefits for the whole Human Energy Field.

To begin…
I almost always start my Yoga meditation with 4-8 “Sun Salutes” { “Surya Namaskar” } … the first one i do with just little stretches in each direction, the next one i also do it small… then as my fascia {and everything it holds together} starts getting warmer and looser, i gradually go deeper into each movement…

But warm your body up gradually! Don’t go too far too fast!

After the Sun Salutes, i recommend the Tai-Chi variation of twisting and swinging the body side to side for 1- 3 minutes (we always show and do it in ARUN Groups and Trainings. This is very good for loosening up the low back, middle back, neck, shoulders, ankles, feet, hips, knees, ribs, arms, hands, breath, blood, etc.

Another great thing to do before the Yoga Asanas is “Anasha’s and Lao Tzu’s” famous bouncing, vibrational movements”, where you bounce on one leg for a while, then shift to the other leg for 1-3 minutes.  This also energizes and tones all the bones, muscles, lymph, plus more.  It helps “clear the mind” from your day, and connects you to your inner vibrations.

Depending on the time i have, i will include a few “one-legged” poses.  This i find invaluable for many reasons, so i encourage you to include a few…

Also depending on the time, i may add a few standing stretches like the triangle, or spreading the feet and bending the knee to a right angle…

Many of you have done this with me a few times before.  These i don’t find absolutely essential, every time, but they are good to include once in awhile.

Once i lay down, i often start by bringing my knees towards my chest, then holding them with my hands and “rocking my spine on the mid-line”…  i begin with it almost every time to remind the vertebrae that they are all there and to warm up the discs and ligaments a little.  This also keeps the vertebrae young and spinal column young!

Now for the essential, “Core Sequence”  of consciously “changing of the angles between the bones” played with in  “ARUN/ OSHO Yoga”…

In the “SHOULDER STAND” (# 2)  “Sarvangasana” in Sanskrit, only your head, neck, shoulders, and upper arms stay on the ground. The rest of your body is “inverted” and relating to gravity in a completely novel way. All of the blood vessels, organs, and nerves are invigorated and cleansed. The neck and spinal dural membrane are stretched and the ‘thyroid gland’ is energised gently.

The “Japanese Bridge Asana” is a great “counter-pose” to do between the shoulder stand and plough.  Very good touch of the energy lines flowing between hara, pelvis, legs and knees.  Also, very good for sensing and toning the “psoas muscle”.  Respect your own time limits, and eventually try to be in this “skeletal constellation” 40 seconds to a minute… when you are used to it, it is very nice low back tension relieving inner touch.

The “CranioSacral BridgeAsana” { “matsyasana” in Sanskrit } below is also great to do just before the “Plough”, as it touches your neck and chest energy lines in a beautiful way, and also stretches and touches the inner fascia around your lungs, heart and diaphragm.  After the “compression” on the occiput and sacrum, take a few moments to sense the energy streaming through your “mid line” from crown to coccyx… very healing and soothing.

The “PLOUGH Asana” (# 3)  “Halasana” in Sanskrit

Is one of the best health inducing “skeletal constellations”, without doubt. It may take time for the body to move into it fully, but the effort and perseverance is well worth it.  This asana totally touches and helps open the entire Craniosacral System of the body. It gives juice to all the spinal joints, ligaments, and nerves. It elegantly lengthens all the posterior muscles of the body (feet to occiput), and enhances the functioning of the organs–especially the kidneys, liver, and stomach.

The accumulated awareness and flexibility generated through the Plough asana can not be overemphasized. Come back slowly into the SHANTI Asana,and rest for 30 seconds to a minute.

COBRA Asana (# 4) “Bhujangasana” in Sanskrit

Roll onto to your belly and observe the body quietly in this position. Relax until you can sense your breathing relative to your spine. Allow the sacrum and middle back to ‘float up’ with the in-breath and fall with the out- breath. Also, notice the contact your pubic bone is making with the floor. Imagine more space and light inside.

Now, the “COBRA”... Place your palms down in front of your shoulders; the front of your neck and chin resting on the floor. Starting with the back of your head, slowly raise your spine upwards in a curve- like a cobra does. Keep the breath full and as even as possible, and feel what is happening… Now the front of the spine is lengthening and releasing hormones, tension, and stagnant energy. After 45 seconds to a minute, return to neutral and feel the life energy, without moving, until heartbeat returns to normal.

The “1/2 LOCUST Asana” (# 5),   “Shalabhasana” in Sanskrit

Compliments and enhances the effects of the Cobra asana. It precisely touches and stretches the “psoas muscles” (the muscles of Hara), which are the deepest connection of the lumbar spine, pelvis, and legs. The “1/2LOCUSTAsana” also energizes and tones the deep muscles and nerves in the back of the pelvis. One side at a time… 45 sec to 2 minutes each…resting and passive observing in between.

Then, repeat the “COBRA Asana”(#6), this time adding more time and feeling the inner lengthenings and connections.

Learn to relax the mind and front of your brain while the body’ skeleton “changes its angles”.

You don’t need “to do” anything else– just maintain the curves within your own energy field…1 – 3 minutes.

(#7) The “Child’s Pose” Asana  is a “diamond” asana that has a multitude of psychosomatic benefits. And it is so easy!  Curl into it and gradually the spine lenghtens, the belly softens and unwinds, and the breathing naturally moves and tonifies the organs. Especially the large intestine benefits…

the first variation below of this healing “Skeletal constellation” is especially touching in a way that helps release trapped gas, and it also gives a very nice touch and stretch to “the brachial plexus” running between neck and arms and fingers.

Below is another variation that is synanamos with “surrender”, “let-go”, and relaxing the frontal lobe of the brain… in all of these variations, allow your in-breath to float your vertebrae up a little, and then allow all the air out leaving the pelvic floor and anal area very soft and relaxed

8 – “FORWARD BEND” Asana. “Paschimottanasana” in Sanskrit

Come up to sitting on your back pelvic bones with legs straight and toes pointing up. Bend slowly from the hips (first photo), feeling “the touch” spread through your fascia and energy lines as your face comes closer to your knees, and your hands move towards the feet (2nd photo). Stay within your comfort zone and breathe consciously. Stay alert and available to allowing new space and sensations. If you can accept the stretch without fear or expectations, the body opens. This is a beautiful “rebalancing posture” with many positive benefits, including an enhanced sense of grounding.

The “Triangle HEAD TO KNEE Asana”(# 9 )

Touches the energy lines around the kidneys and also the sides and inner tissues of the pelvis in a very clear way. The heel of the bent leg touching the “perineum” (1st Chakra) is an added healing benefit of this asana. After resting, again lie on the front side of your body, observing in the moment…

The “BOW Asana”- “Dhanurasana”  (# 10) is one of the most powerful energy releasing asanas and can relieve many accumulated physical and emotional blocks in your energy field. It clearly requires effort to stay in the position, but the positive benefits are apparent and far-reaching. All the fascia and sensory nerves of the “solar plexus” and “heart chakra” are tonified and become more conscious. Psycholgically, the BOW Asana brings courage and confidence to the bodymind and releases old fears. With practice, maintain the position, breathing deeply and evenly for 1-2 minutes.

{Note: It is often good to repeat the Child’s Pose asana after this position to relieve any tension or strain, and to allow a deeper sense of balance and flow through your spine.} Rest as long as you like…

The SPINAL TWIST Asana (# 11)   “Ardha-Matsyendrasana” in Sanskrit

Our Spinal Column is a miracle of engineering. Its’ 26 individual bones are delicately touched, stretched, and rebalanced through this somewhat ‘strange looking’ asana. You bring the heel of one foot against your perineum [space in the very top of your inner legs- between anus and genitals], with knee resting on floor. Place your other foot around it, with that knee up. Then, if your “right” knee is up, torsion your upper body around to your right so you can reach around your leg with your left arm and hand to your right foot. Your right hand eventually rests on the floor behind you, and the whole column is twisting to the right.  Eyes close, relax, and the breathing slowly moves through your ‘mid-line’, all the way between your hips… With practice, you can minutely direct the touch of the torsion to any and all levels of your spine.  This is done most easily by consciously using your arms, hands, breath, and letting-go inside.  1-3 minutes, each side, resting and observing your  life flow in between. This is another “diamond asana” of Yoga. In over 35 years of working passionately with health, relaxation, fitness and consciousness of the spinal column, I can say that this Asana, and its many variations, will help maintain and develop flexibility, strength and energy of the whole body throughout your entire life.

We complete our 45 minute sequence where we began:

“SHANTI Asana” (# 12)…Lying down, just “be” within your self as casually and alert as possible. Don’t “do” anything… just relaxing, watching inside, and feeling and experiencing your body, mind, emotions, and spirit as “one, organic unity”.

This is also a beautiful time to enjoy the “BUDDHA Asana”, sitting with eyes closed, spine softly balanced, and breathing naturally with no effort or goal…consciously being in your center.

Just do “your best” … be totally there with your body, mind, emotions, sensations, and witnessing… each day will be different. Just be present, alert, sensitive, and loving… then it will be “your Yoga”, “your Union with your Self”.

Within one week your body will already be feeling happy, although maybe you will be feeling some places stirred up- don’t worry, and don’t give up- it will rebalance on its own if you keep bringing the energy fresh to the meditation every day. After 2 weeks, your body will be looking forward to your “Personal Time” with an inner smile. After 3 weeks, you will be feeling that you have some “BUDDHA Bones” underneath your skin! Every day our bodies are changing, new cells are being created… and daily conscious movements, stretching, and the “Breath of Meditation” that we have started learning with Anasha in ARUN, help these new cells vibrate and be more conscious!

Some of you may have practiced Yoga a long time, and some of you may have a little bit of experience, and many of you have NEVER practiced Yoga for 21 days in row! So i’m sure we will all enjoy in our our way! Trust and value your own feelings and insights, without any comparing or judging of yourself… this simple activity can transform your entire Energy Field for the better!

Anasha and i are both very clear that the primary key to being able to share “ARUN Conscious Touch” or Meditation with others is found in our own ability to “watch inside” your own body and mind to an accurate, truthful, and minute degree… and this ability to witness and be present to your own inner moment-to-moment functioning “can not be borrowed from others, can not be learned in a book or on the internet, or be developed only by attending groups and classes”. All these things help prepare you in a way, but the most important thing we do for ourselves comes through “developing our own inner discipline”… realizing that our Body, {or more accurately said- our personal “Human Energy Field”} is a unique living, breathing temple that needs regular loving attention and care. “Watching inside” is the Master Key to Self- Realization and true Happiness.

This is why i am calling what we are doing “FITNESS”- FOR THE WITNESS!

So, every day, for 21 days {at least!}, you can devote 45-90 minutes to yourself… pick a time and place that works best for you… ANY TIME can be the right time- just make sure it is SOME TIME! The morning before work is good {many people feel a little stiffer in the morning, but after 4-7 days your body will be used to it, and the stretching gets easier}.  Afternoon is good… evening is good– ANY TIME IS GOOD.  The place you do it should be somewhere clean, with good air, free from distractions as much as possible {but if your space is shared by others, or your family, or whatever.  If your kids see you doing this every day, they will be fascinated, believe me!}… let it become YOUR space for the time… being with yourself.   I think everyone can take care of finding the right time and place…  You don’t need special clothes {or any clothes, actually!}, but of course, be comfortable, with your belly happily empty of food and liquids…

So, let’s consciously recreate our skeleton into our own “Buddha Bones”…

The NATURAL, HEALTHY HUMAN ENERGY FIELD and SKELETON is flexible in all the joints… the spaces between the bones are designed to move freely in all directions… And equally important- all of “the tubes” – our blood vessels, nerves, lymph, organs, membranes – are allowing a natural flow of their magic fluids. S if you devote at least 45 minutes a day to this “CORE ARUN/ Yoga Sequence”, you will experience “a return to NATURE”. 

I will not ask you or encourage you to force anything… really not!  On the contrary, if you start gently with yourself, trusting in the natural, inherent flexibility of your fascia and muscles, within 5 days you will already see and feel that the fascia and muscles and ligaments and tendons and nerves and blood vessels are a little more supple… a little less tight.  

What you should do during these 21 days is this:  with each position or asana, move your body in the direction indicated… each different movement is quite simply “temporarily changing the angles” between various bones of your skeleton, and then staying in that constellation anywhere from 20 seconds to 2 minutes {45-90 seconds in about perfect time for the fascia, muscles, tendons, nerves, breath, blood, and craniosacral fluids to benefit and rejuvenate fully.  But when you are beginning and the body is stiff, even 20 seconds sets up your own “RETURN TO NATURE”}. 

Pay close attention to the “inner-touch” being generated, and when the stretch produces an interesting sensation, just be aware of it {you may feel one place predominately, or a few places, or many places- the principle remains the same}-… when the “intensity” or “volume” of the sensation gets to a high level, pause wherever you are and just make sure that you are not holding your breath and that you are not unconsciously holding muscles tight that are not needed in that moment {like in your face, or eyes, or arms, your ass, or wherever}.   If it “hurts too much”, just soften the angle of the stretch, until the sensation or inner-touch that you are feeling is “not too much, and not too little”. And how much is that?!?  That is for you, my friend to discover anew, each day, with each “changing of the angles” of your potentially “Buddha Bones”…  

Have fun with it.  ARUN/ OSHO Neo-

Yoga is not serious… in fact, a serious goal oriented attitude is one of the biggest causes of tension and pain in the body-mind.

If you do this, you are gonna feel some pain… not real pain that damages you, but a pain that you consciously control and direct inside your inner anatomy in a way that transforms the energy and removes toxins and self-created obstructions in the natural electro-magnetic flow of energy in your body-mind-spirit.

Notice i just said “body-mind-spirit”… it is an organic unity. A lot of the pain we experience is more an idea or thought than a reality. If you closely observe the sensation, you will learn how to create an inner-touch that is beautifully balanced between pleasure and pain… for me, this is one of the greatest things that i have ever learned: how to hold my skeleton in angles that produces a sensation that i refer to as sweet, or ecstatic pain… and the way that i recognize this sensation is that my breath is freely moving freely, the front of my brain is relaxed, and I FEEL NO FEAR!. It is a very healing and centering and relaxing sensation.

On a neuro-chemical level, when you stretch like that, we open our glands and they begin to secrete fluids that travel through the nerves and blood vessels, encouraging an inner expansion of ALL THE CELLS that is very natural and beautiful… and this opening “vibrates our glands”, and opens the doors of inner perception in a way that makesMEDITATION, or WATCHING INSIDE VERY EASY.

So in these 21 days, be on the alert for this delicate balance while you are “changing the angles of your bones”.

As you know from your own experiencing, “ARUN Conscious Touch” is a very rich and multi-dimensional subject with many beautiful facets… and “Yoga” is a very essential part of ARUN. One of the keys to ARUN (and to Life!) is becoming aware of our movements and learning how each part of the skeleton needs to be nourished regularly with our love, awareness, and presence. This awareness and love needs no “special time”… it can happen right now!

Sending warm hugs and good vibrations to you… from the heart, Anubuddha and Anasha