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IPSALU - WHERE DID IT COME FROM AND WHAT DOES (DOESN'T) IT STAND FOR?
By Bodhi Avinasha
This article was written by the creator of Ipsalu Tantra, and is reproduced here with her permission. It's an excellent overview of Ipsalu Tantra Kriya Yoga.
History
Almost every technique taught in the Ipsalu courses came from the collection of Sunyata Saraswati, an insatiable student and master of the world's most powerful spiritual technologies. His Guru's Guru had personal access to Babaji. Sunyata was a very clear channel for Babaji's energy to move through in hands-on initiations, which I received from him about 30 times. I was his apprentice for 7 years (1985-1992) and then went out on my own with his blessing.
The next 7 years (1992-1999) I traveled extensively, taught in 20 states and 16 foreign countries, creating and polishing the courses. The first 3 courses of Ipsalu were fully formatted and presented many times before any teachers were trained.
In Dec '99, an organization was formed to support the dissemination of the work.
Unique Qualities
There are various tantric schools and teachers, each with their own flavor, style and focus.
Ipsalu distinguishes itself from the others in many ways, but the areas mentioned here
have come to the forefront in recent years.
Cobra Breath
This series of breaths accelerates the spiritual evolution of the practitioner. Anyone who is diligent with the practice will feel the changes. Those who welcome rapid change will continue with the practice. The only problem with Cobra Breath is that it is too powerful, more effective than most people can tolerate. If there actually were a more powerful technique available, it would not be suitable for anyone who is still a student/seeker.
Kundalini Activation
Kriya Yoga is a kundalini activating science. If that energy awakens before body, mind and emotions are ready, the results can be harmful. The Ipsalu process contains safe-guards:
A. The course levels build on one another, opening energy channels and centers in optimum sequence.
We are careful not to move people to the next level prematurely. If filling courses is a high priority, people can get moved into energies that are potentially dangerous for them.
B. The step missing in traditional Tantra, and many Western versions, involves emotional healing.
Unresolved emotions suddenly forced into consciousness are the cause of unnecessary discomfort, sometimes resulting in drug or alcohol abuse or mental illness.
Many systems claim to do the emotional clearing, but find ways to side-step it.
Emotional Authenticity
Traditional yogic paths and some modern teachers advocate ways to live only in the light, to avoid the shadows, to keep emotions in check, including suppression, control, denial of the feelings, and distortion of Witness Consciousness.
"Witnessing" means simultaneously observing (objective) and totally experiencing (subjective) an emotional event. When this principle is distorted so the experience is controlled and limited, it is no longer Witnessing. It is dissociation. Being just the observer only strengthens the ego. From that place one can never experience the Divine, but can only talk about it. (See Osho "Meditations" pg 28)
Ipsalu encourages people to access their feelings and stay with them consciously for the duration of the feeling - whether it be a moment or a month. In breaking old patterns you can choose a different response to a situation, but choosing not to feel it is inauthentic. The emotion will express itself another way, which feels "off."
Past and Present
Enlightened ones live in present time, the Eternal Now. But to do that authentically you have to have brought full consciousness to your past. In the first few years of life, and subsequent traumatic events, we take on beliefs and behavior patterns, written in the body tissue, which affect every moment of our lives. They are our motivators and our limitations. They set up the challenges which help us to develop the qualities we came to work on this lifetime.
Denying the importance of this early programming, refusing to explore it and make peace with it, precludes ever being fully present.
To be an effective teacher one must have explored every corner of their shadow side.
You cannot lead people where you haven't been.
Ethical Code
Ipsalu teachers agree to refrain from sexual activity with their students/clients until a cooling off period of at least 60 days, and not to take advantage of their position to get sexual favors. (Soliciting sexual involvement during a paid mentoring session is an ethical violation, grounds for loss of license in any helping profession.)
Teachers have signed an agreement not to set themselves up in competition with Ipsalu.
Sexual Energy, not Sexual Exploration
Ipsalu is not directly concerned with enhancing the sexual experience of participants, although that does frequently happen as a side-effect.
Sexual energies that have been repressed, when liberated, can become the rocket fuel for reaching other dimensions, higher levels of awareness. Liberation comes from clearing emotional blocks.
Exploring ways to have bigger and better orgasms is a marketing ploy, not a tantric offering.
Appreciate the Power of Ego
There is a razor's edge to walk when you begin to realize your divine essence. A strong ego can seize upon that first glimmering and see itself as divine. A teacher who plays to a student's need to be special can set up a real quagmire. Ego in a place of surrender to the Soul is an invaluable resource. At some point near the end of the journey ego might disappear into the Soul, but that's a long way down the road.
Community by Consensus
Rather than having one powerful charismatic leader making the decisions, we trust the wisdom of the Council of Stewards and the Teacher Body in guiding the work and the community.
The Council consists of people dedicated to the work and experienced in the world.
Ipsalu's 17 teachers, on 3 continents, cooperate in the evolution of the core courses, sharing our new understandings as they appear. Each has their unique brilliance in creating other courses, and each is interested in the consistency of the core courses. A strong sense of alignment now exists among the teachers. No one wants to be in control of the process or monopolize the teaching opportunities.
Service Without Ambition
In my experience, if you are living your Soul's purpose, Existence will support you. There will be enough to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
To see spiritual teaching as the way to wealth (abundance) colors your relationship to the students and is antithetical to the Babaji tradition.