Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (བསྟན་འཛིན་དབང་རྒྱལ་ bstan 'dzin dbang rgyal) is a teacher (lama) of the Bön Tibetan religious tradition. He is presently based in the United States of America, where he founded the Ligmincha Institute in 1992 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, in order "to preserve the ancient teachings, transmissions and practices of the Bön Buddhist tradition."
The degree of "Geshe" is the highest academic achievement of traditional Tibetan culture, roughly equivalent to a Doctorate in Divinity; it's use in names is similar to that of the Western "Doctor." Similarly, "Rinpoche" is an honorific, meaning "Precious one," frequently bestowed on respected teachers.
This book describes and provides a context for practices I learned in a workshop with a senior student of Tenzin Wangyal, Marcy Vaughn. My experience has been that these practices (called tsa lung) are both very simple and very powerful. The DVD that accompanies the book shows Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche himself performing the exercises. Although I did not take up these practices for my physical health, to my amazement, a remarkable improvement in my asthma was among the benefits.
This book has been life changing for me. This was the first introduction I had to Tantra and authentic yoga practice.
Practising Tsa Lung and the 9 breathings of purification are a fantastic way to really get in touch with ones emotions and get over emotional hurdles of any sort.
These practises (Tantric yoga) are not for everyone, and just because it works for the writer or me, doesn't mean it will work for you, when it comes to this sort of thing it takes a lot of experimentation to see what works best for you.
Also note that this is not a quick fix or casual thing to practice, it takes a lot of time, study and patience, and to get benefit from this you really need to put in the time.
I spent a large part of my life questioning the chakra system. I went to Rimpoche’s workshop at Esalen and we’d practice the tsa lung daily. Despite me feeling incredible after a very rough and dark period in my life I brushed it off due to the fact that I was at Esalen which was by nature a healing and calming space. Flashforward several months later I developed debilitating back pain due to a herniated disc as well as some other issues. I couldn’t walk or pick up my child. I couldn’t sit or stand. After 5 months I got a bit better but not really…out of desperation I picked this book back up and practiced. Surprisingly after every practice I got better. There does seem to be a powerful shift in both awareness, presence and energy after each practice. I recommend you give it a go and see for yourself.
In this book, the author shares the Tsa Lung and 9 purification breaths techniques and explains how to work with them. The book also comes with a DVD, so that you can actually see how to do the exercises. I found the writing to be clear and explicit and it made it easy to learn the exercises. Doing these exercises in conjunction with other Dzogchen techniques can help you quite a bit with internal work you are doing around issues, as well as learning how to experience yourself and the world from a place of stillness. I highly recommend this book if you want to learn more about Dzogchen or learn some alternative approaches to meditation.
I didn’t know Tibetan yogas of breath movement existed before getting this book. The author goes through all the movements in depth. It comes across really clearly that the author is someone who is very familiar with this form of yogas of breath movement. They make it clear this is not to be taken lightly. If you watch videos of these movements online you’ll see there is a lot of focusing your mind. There are only a few minutes, but if you follow the instructions here you’ll find it quite relaxing. These yogas of breath movement work are really good.
This is a fabulous book with wonderful practices that use the body as a gateway into one's true nature. I totally recommend it to anyone who is looking for real transformation in their life.