Salka Wind Blog

Posts on the Andean Cosmovision

Year: 2015 (page 2 of 3)

The Spiral

Here is another salka meditation that can be done together by a group of people. For reasons I give later the meditation is best done by a group of from 6 to 10 people.  This is yet another beautiful and powerful way to explore the Three Centers of our Being (the llankay, munay, and yachay).  The meditation engages the energy that flows from the Pachamama to the Cosmos and from the Cosmos back to the Pachamama.  This energy loves to spiral.

As usual, it is best to precede this meditation with the Touching Pachamama meditation (to move us out of our heads and into harmony with the Pachamama) and the Releasing Hucha meditation (to get rid of our own hucha before connecting with everyone else’s energy).

A fun way to set up the meditation is to have everyone hold hands and start moving counterclockwise in a large circle.  The leader of this meditation then releases his or her handhold with the person on their right and starts to move the circle inward to form a spiral, and continues winding inward until the spiral is complete.  However it is accomplished the goal is to form a spiral of people that goes counterclockwise from the outside in (or you can think of it as clockwise from the inside out).

The innermost person in the spiral lies down on her back, everyone else in the spiral sits on the floor except the very last, outermost, person who stands.  Everyone continues to hold hands with their neighbors except the innermost person (who is lying down).

The person at the outermost place in the spiral raises his or her free hand up toward the Cosmos and with intent forms a connection with the Cosmos.  The second innermost person places her or his free hand on the llankay of the person who is lying in the center.  The llankay is located a couple of finger-breadths below the navel.  With intent, she or he connects with the energy of the Pachamama and invites it to flow up through the person’s llankay, through the spiral of people holding hands, and up into the Cosmos…and back again the other direction.  After forming that intent let the energy flow without controlling it, letting it change direction as it desires.  The intent of everyone in between is to be a conduit of that energy, letting it flow through them, and noticing what it is like as it does.

After a short time period, perhaps 30 seconds to a minute, move the hand from the person’s llankay to his or her munay (located in the heart) and repeat the same intent of connecting to the Pachamama through the person’s munay.  When the person lying down is a female you can ask her to place your hand near her heart at a location with which she feels comfortable.

After another short time period move the hand from the munay to the yachay (located at the crown of the head) and repeat the same intent of connecting to the Pachamama through the person’s yachay.

When finished with the yachay the person in the center  moves out to the end of the spiral, taking up that position.  The person who was most outermost now sits down as part of the inner spiral. The new innermost person lies down and everyone in the spiral scootches in a bit to keep the spiral’s shape.  Repeat the whole process, changing positions each time, until everyone has had a chance to be in the middle.

It is my experience that being either the outermost or the second innermost role is pretty powerful and it also involves a very specific intent of connecting to the Cosmos or the Pachamama.  I like to remind everyone in between, however, that they are more than just a conduit for the flow of energy.  When this train pulls into town everyone gets to ride…the people in the middle use their intent to let the energy flow through the spiral, this is a crucial role, and they are in an excellent position to experience and learn.  I invite them to sense how the energy is different when it flows through the yankay, munay, and llachay, and how it changes from person to person, and to experience how the flow of the energy is affecting themselves.

Now, about the recommended size of the group.  It can be of any size.  I recommend at least six people simply because with less people it is more like a comma than a spiral, but there is nothing wrong with that, if you would like to try it with fewer people then feel free to do so.  I also recommend not having more than 10 people simply because with more people it takes longer for everyone to get a turn in the middle (which experientially is the ‘wow’ position) and people may lose intent after a while if the whole process takes too long.

Credit for this, and for all of the meditations I have shared, goes to my teacher and friend don Américo Yábar.  For many years I took notes of the various meditations he taught us in the workshops I attended.   I want to give him the credit while acknowledging that there must be differences between what don Américo taught us and what I am sharing with you, based upon my sketchy memory or sketchy notes, or due to changes that occur organically over time as I have shared these meditations with others. Everything I have shared has worked for me and for the people in my workshops (but remember the Two Fallacies).

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With a Little Help from my Friends

Hi everyone.

Now that the snows have gone and I am back in the mountains connecting to Nature and the Cosmos; and contemplating the upcoming summer; and seeing what is going on in the world; I find that I really want to get information on the Andean Cosmovision out to as many people as possible. I know that no path is right for everyone, and the Andean Cosmovision is no exception, but for some of us this path resonates with our deepest values, and it holds the possibility of healing Western society’s relationship with Nature and the Cosmos.

This blog, and the book that blossomed out of it, and my experiential classes and workshops, are my ways of sharing the Cosmovision with my society.  If you would like to help I think that would be beautiful.  Below I have listed some requests and ideas, starting with ways of getting the word out on my book.  That is self-serving as I get money from the sales of my book, but my book is also my highest quality effort so far to add a little beauty and salka to our world.

  1. I have just set up a Facebook page for my book (The Andean Cosmovision:  A Path for Exploring Profound Aspects of Ourselves, Nature, and the Cosmos).  If you are on Facebook, if you would go to the Andean Cosmovision Facebook Page and Like it and Share it (on your timeline or with individuals you think might enjoy it) I would really appreciate it.
  2. If you are not on Facebook or your friends are not, then if you could email them the url to the web page for the book (along with a word of what the book is about) that would be great.  The web page for my book is:  www.salkawind.com/Book.
  3. If you have read my book and found it to be of value to you, then if you could write a review of it and either email me the review (info@SalkaWind.com) or review it on Amazon that would be great too.  If you read my book and didn’t get anything out of it, then please whisper your review of it down a well in the middle of a forest at midnight.
  4. The strong sense that has grown in me as I have been doing these meditations for many years is that not only they are good for me, they are also good for and appreciated by Nature and the Cosmos as well.  Just go out in nature and do these meditations.  If they connect with your sense of beauty, and add meaning to the experience of your life, keep it up.  That’s enough, that’s beautiful. You don’t need to write books, or teach meditation classes, you are adding harmony to the Cosmos while the Cosmos is helping you to blossom into the unique flower of the essence of who you are.  Then you can live your life like a work of art.  If you do, then as don Americo says, when you die you won’t be thinking about your car.
  5. You also could write books, and teach meditation classes, or get together with friends to do the Andean meditations, and use the information I have shared from don Americo to open this path for others.

Thank you all for your interest and support and munay.  The adventure continues.

 

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Spring Blossoms

The snow lies only on the top of the mountains by my home, although it does advance down the sides of the mountains when a spring storm visits, it just as quickly retreats the next day. Here in my home town we can once again go into the mountains and sit by the side of the canyon streams to meditate. While there is much we can explore with the Andean salka meditations during the winter, meeting indoors, working with our energy and exploring more of who we are, the foundation of the path is our relationship with Nature and the Cosmos. It is a beautiful time to be outdoors, in salka, getting in touch with Nature as she gushes (in slow motion) into new life. We can connect to that.

I would like to encourage you to get outdoors now that it is spring (at least in this part of the world) and explore the Andean Cosmovision through the various meditations I have shared in this blog and in my book (or from other sources you may have). There is no moral imperative within the Cosmosivion that people follow its path. I am, instead, speaking from two personal places. The first is that I get so much out of the meditations that I would like to encourage you to explore them as well in case you get as much out of them as I do (keeping in mind the post Fallacies). The second place from which I speak is my own set of values. I believe that the integration of the Andean Cosmovision with the Western world view holds the possibility of healing our relationship with Nature, I hope before our species destroys all the beauty of this world (see the post The Crazy Ape). That motivates me, plus my preference for a path of heart over a path of power.

To walk this path, you do not need to believe any specific set of beliefs. Actually you need to unbelieve some things, including the belief that any beliefs about reality have much to do with reality itself. Your mind will evolve from being your prison guard to being your ally in an exploration of a Cosmos that is more mysterious and wonderful than your thoughts can possibly encompass.

My first suggestion on how to proceed is to connect with the Pachamama on a regular basis using the Touching the Pachamama meditation. This takes only a couple of minutes, really, there is room for this in our daily lives. Complete the circle of ayni with the Pachamama by expressing your gratitude to her and through occasional, simple despachos. This is enough, this is walking the path of the Andean Cosmovision, you will change. Many small steps will eventually take you far. And…there is also more to explore if you desire.

There is a lot to be said for getting rid of our hucha on a regular basis. If you would like, do the Releasing Hucha meditation after the Touching the Pachamama meditation. Again, this takes just a minute or two. The two meditations will take you far. And…there is more if you wish to explore further.

After you have gotten in touch with the Pachamama and have released your hucha, select another meditation or two to explore. Try all the various meditations at least a few times to get a sense of their effect on you. Rely on your own deep sense of what is good and beautiful and loving, and evaluate each meditation from that place. Add the ones you like to your repertoire of ways to face the mystery of your existence. When you meditate, pick the one that feels right for you today.

And remember to complete the circle of ayni with the Pachamama, the Apus, Mama Tuta, with all the waikis of Nature and the Cosmos.

You can meditate on your own, perhaps everyday, and that is beautiful.

You can also get together with other waikis to meditate, perhaps on a weekly basis. There is an enhanced effect of several people doing a meditation together.

You might consider starting a salka meditation class. There are no gurus on this path, there are simply waikis who have been exploring the territory longer than others and who can help as a guide. For more information on teaching a salka meditation class please see the post Running a Salka Class.

Don Américo Yábar and don Gayle Yábar have founded the Poetic Salka Movement on this planet. When we meditate we slowly blossom in salka, when we meditate together we become a garden. It is happening all over the planet.

Some of this post was adapted from my book The Andean Cosmovision: A Path for Exploring Profound Aspects of Ourselves, Nature, and the Cosmos.

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Sole to Sole

Hi, here is a nice salka meditation that involves working with a partner.  This is another very simple meditation that can be quite profound. As usual I recommend that you first tune your energy using the Touching Pachamama and Releasing Hucha meditations (particularly because you will be working with another person).

To do this meditation take off your shoes. Lie down with the soles of your feet in comfortable contact with the soles of your partner’s feet.  Using your intent (sincere pretending), as you breathe in draw the energy from the Cosmos through your partner’s head, through your connection at your feet, and up through your head into the Cosmos.  As you breathe out send the energy in the opposite direction, from the Cosmos through your head through the two of you and out into the Cosmos through your partner’s head.

Do this for several minutes and then bring the meditation to a gentle close.

As with all of the salka meditations, the meaning of this meditation is simply the experience that you have while doing it.  We are all explorers on this path.

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Heart-to-Heart

Up until fairly recently in this blog I have focused on meditations that we can do on our own (well…in the company of Pachamama and the Apus and stars and the trees and the stream tumbling down the mountain side…).  Beginning with the Back-to-Back meditation I have begun to share more meditations that can be done with a group of people. The Heart-to-Heart and Back-to-Back meditations are examples of a practice in the Andes that is known as yanachakuy, the touching and sharing of energy between two Beings.  Like the Back-to-Back meditation, the Heart-to-Heart meditation is best done with a group of at least four people, so that you can switch partners a few times to see how everyone’s energy is different.

It is a little complicated for me to continue to write this blog as I would like to assume that you have read the earlier posts, but I know that may not be the case.  If you haven’t already, I recommend that you at least read the posts that cover the three centers of being, starting with the aptly named Three Centers of Being post, which ends with some links to subsequent posts on the topic.  Everyone doing this meditation at least needs to have some idea of what the munay is.

Since the essence of this meditation is the connection and sharing of energy between two people I recommend that everyone do a little spring cleaning of their energy before they start. When I am leading the group I have us all begin by first doing the Touching Pachamama meditation followed by one of the meditations that help us get rid of our hucha (my favorite is the Releasing Hucha meditation). After getting rid of hucha I recommend moving on to the Cosmic Circle meditation as it enlivens the munay, and the Heart-to-Heart meditation is all about the munay.  That is more than the usual amount of preparation for a salka meditation, but this beautiful meditation is worth it.

With the preparations complete, let’s move on to the Heart-to-Heart meditation itself.  I will describe it as if you are leading some waikis (friends / fellow adventurers) through the process.  I believe that it really helps me to guide other people into a meditation if I enter that energy as well.  If there is an even number of people (including me) I can have a partner as I talk everyone through this.  If not, then I find I can enter into this state anyway.  I set my hands (as described below) and then it is as if I am doing this with the nature around me.

First, have everyone pair-up.  I recommend when possible that the waikis don’t pair up with someone they know really well (e.g. a significant other) as they already know that person’s energy so well, and also because close relationships have a lot of other things going on that may muddle the waters.

Anyway, after people pair-up have them face each other, close enough to clasp hands.  Now have them clasp hands with their partner, palm to palm.  The goal is to be able to gently press the back of one of your waiki’s hands to your munay (heart area) while your waiki presses the back of your other hand to his or her munay.  An easy way to set this up is for one waiki to put both hands forward, one palm up and one palm down, and then have the other waiki grasp those hands palm to palm.  Or…just play around until you get it.  Again, the goal is that you are pressing the back of your waiki’s hand to your heart while your waiki does the same with your other hand.

When everyone is arranged correctly with their waiki then suggest that they close their eyes (pause for a moment)…and then connect with the Pachamama through the souls of their feet (pause while they do this)…and then open up the energy center at the top of their head to connect with the energy of the cosmos (pause while they do this, then pause a little longer for them to enter more fully into both connections).

Now, invite them to gently open their eyes, and with soft eyes look into the eyes of their partner. Invite them to look with soft eyes until they get the sense that they are perceiving the essence (beyond the personality) of the other waiki.  Then gently close their eyes again. I usually give them about 5 seconds for this before going on to the next step. It is my experience that I can get at least a hint of my partner’s essence in that amount of time and I get concerned that going much longer might raise defenses.

Now invite them (still with eyes closed) to use their intent (sincere pretending) to send their munay energy into the back of their waiki’s hand that is pressed against their munay, and to receive their waiki’s munay energy through the back of their hand that is pressed against their waiki’s munay. After they have had enough time to start to experience the flow of energy I like to add that they can just let the energy flow between the two of them however it wants to.

I like to give them a couple of minutes or so to fully experience this. Then, I thank them (to let them know it is the end of the round).  This is a very personal and deep experience, and I usually hug my waiki when we are finished.  Then have people pair up with someone new and repeat the meditation.  Repeat again so that everyone has a chance to work with three or so partners before ending.

At the end of all this I like to form a circle with everyone and open the table (so to speak) for comments and experiences.  People often comment on how everyone’s energy is different.  Like the Back-to-Back meditation, this meditation accomplishes a lot.  Detecting other people’s energy seems to be pretty easy in this meditation, and this opens the door for people to have a deeper experience with the salka path.  Also, it just takes us right there to what this is all about, connecting through the munay with other Beings, interacting at another level beyond the confines of our Western, domesticated worldview.  Or not…as always, the meaning of the meditation is the effect it has on you…not what I say it is.  When I write these posts I vacillate between wanting to share what I get from these meditations and keeping quiet so that I don’t get in the way of how you might experience them.

This is one of the ways don Americo has had us do this meditation.  It was in my notes this way and this is how I usually do it in my salka meditation classes.  I consistently find it to be a beautiful experience.   I have also been with him when he had us do different variations on this meditation, perhaps you have one that you like better.  Feel free to share that by commenting on this post.

One last idea.  When we do this out in Nature, when we are done working with each other, I like to then invite everyone to disperse and go spend several minutes carrying out the essence of this meditation with some aspect of Nature; with the river flowing by, or with the trees, or with Pachamama, or Mama Killa, or Mama Tuta.  Something is learned in this meditation that transcends having to be in contact back-of-hand-to-munay, and this is a great time to explore that.

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