Yoga/ Meditation Centers in Malaysia

[rivetrenuck]

Hie, i ve been struggling to learn Meditation and also Yoga on my own, and its not working out at all, i m writting this to ask if anyone knows any yoga or meditation schools or centers in Malaysia.

yoga of any school, Zen, Zazen, Osho, tibetan, any schools it doesnt matter, i just want to get an head start.


thank you all very much

- L e x -

[m1thr0s]

Hey Lex...that sounds very frustrating. I'm afraid I don't know enough of Malaysia to be of any help personally. I take it you have done the usual internet researches and so on and have not turned up anything of value?

It does occasionally happen that in order to advance yourself you do have to seriously consider relocating, at least until you have learned enough to return and maybe be able to teach your acquired skills and knowledge to others. This happens all the time with conventional educational needs of one kind or another. You should not discount the possibility that the same thing may apply in terms of consciousness work, which, despite its history, is still a newly emerging technology in this world really...

A clear example of this can easily be seen in the area of Ashtanga Yoga. Even though it has been around for many hundreds of years, the only way to become a certified Ashtanga instructor is to journey to Mysore India and study for about a full year at minimum. Once certified, you can take that training anywhere at all but if there are no certified Ashtanga practitioners living in Malaysia, you would not even be able to find classes offered in Malaysia on this traditional yogic discipline.

m1thr0s

[rivetrenuck]

thank you mithros, i have considered relocating a million times, financialy its not allowing me

could you please tell me where exactly is this place in India where i can learn Ashtanga Yoga? and if you know of any other countries which is nearer or even maybe in Europe or the States, i have to relocate theres no doubt about that, the idea to relocate has been in my mind since the age of 2, till know if have not reconsiderd.

did you go to mysore india to learn the Ashtanga Yoga?

ive tried internet searches, and yes i have only founds hacks and frauds and big time marketing plans, thank heavens that i atleast know how to differentiate them (or do i?)

please do post more resources if you are capable

thank you so much for your time

[m1thr0s]

Ashtanga is still primarily being taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his son and those whom they have certified as qualified Ashtanga instructors worldwide.

His own website can be found here: Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (http://www.ayri.org/)

Mysore, India is where the Institute is headquartered but, as you will see, courses are fairly expensive and there is still food and lodging to be worked out. Most students go for 2 or 3 months at a time and then go back several times to get their certification. In US dollars, the whole thing can come in at 25-30,000 dollars, give or take a little depending on lodging and other expenses (many people like to travel while they are there and also purchase many things etc)...

Quite the little racket they have going on actually, financially speaking, but the practise itself is quite legitimate...

m1thr0s

[rivetrenuck]

have you heard of the Sivananda Yoga Ashram? are they reliable?

also i have been thinking about joining either the O.T.O or the IOT or some of the SAtanic grottos (COS or ONA) also heard of one called the Sinistra Vivendi (new zealend) which is of course much more convinient for me cuz its nearer and also cost of living in New Zealand is so much cheaper. but sadly non of these organizations are in any asian countries (or atleast to my knowledge). what i would like to know is if they would be tolerant of me being an EXTREME beginer.

what do you think? have you dealt with any of these orders or do you know anyone who are in them, could you give your opinions

thank you

[Kain]

Hello rivetrenuck. That's quite a problem you are experiencing there, and I can certainly sympathize, since Greece is quite barren with respect to finding such classes and the few teachers performing classes that can be found are usually quite clueless or frauds...

Since I am experiencing the same problem, I have decided to begin a series of journeys to India, where I intend to search and learn more on the subject of Tantra and Kundalini Yoga. There are authentic sources and teachers, it's just that, like in all other factors, frauds usually have a better publicity coverage and stronger 'voice' than the authentic ones, thus clouding and making your research difficult. Still, progress can be made as long as one opperates on instinct and based on that which can be described as accordance to "inner guidance". I wish you much luck and every success on your search, it sounds like you are exceptionally serious and with a well made-up mind on the matter.
have you heard of the Sivananda Yoga Ashram? are they reliable?I intend to visit their Headquarters in India soon, and speak with a couple of their elder monks. The Sivananda lineage is, surprisingly enough (judging from it's publicity), quite genuine as I understand, at least as far as physical practices go. I have a number of their books and have found them of immense help regarding the successful description of how to perform the various physical practices relating to asana (postures), pranayama (breath excercises), bandhas (muscular locks) etc... "Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha" for instance, has successfully condensed Hatha Yoga practices in one book, with sufficient detail to take you from the start and quite pragmatically deliver you, eventually, all the way to the completion of the practices. Still, I feel that the Sivananda lineage lacks insight in the more subtle aspects of Yoga and Meditation, or at least, fails to openly disclose it. When the matter turns to the more subtle matters of energy work, their (public) insight is often poor and so elementary it offers nothing in the end. Still, I have not visited them in person yet and I have heard they are quite respectable in their classes, so perhaps they behave differently when teaching in person.

also i have been thinking about joining either the O.T.O or the IOT or some of the SAtanic grottos (COS or ONA) also heard of one called the Sinistra Vivendi (new zealend) which is of course much more convinient for me cuz its nearer and also cost of living in New Zealand is so much cheaper. but sadly non of these organizations are in any asian countries (or atleast to my knowledge). what i would like to know is if they would be tolerant of me being an EXTREME beginer.There's no doubt about them having no problem with you being a beginner, I think. Such orders work best with beginners, since they assume their training from the start taking nothing for granted. It all gets confusing when you intend to join an order with an ammount of personal work already advanced, and that's when conflicts usually arise. I think you wouldn't have any problems in your case, they would be most possitively inclined towards you too.

Finding any of them in an Asian country would be hard though...and authenticity would be also an issue. I think finding the COS, ONA or IOT woulbe be quite nearly impossible to locate there. Perhaps you will have some luck with the OTO, although that is also something that I think will be difficult to come about. I think it's best to pursue Meditation and Yoga in the countries close to Malaysia, probably having the most chances of finding something authentic in that venue. Still, be aware and vigilant at all times, since frauds are everywhere it seems...

Personally, I am considering (and am practically inquiring upon) immigrating to India on a permanent basis in the future if I find something suitable. The cost of living is very cheap, and the chances of finding and interracting with the genuine traditions is also quite high, due to the fact that yogic practices are vigorously performed by people there even to this day.

Anyway, I hope this helps you somewhat. Best of luck on your search rivetrenuck,

Kain

[rivetrenuck]

i have considerd going to india, but i feel that i m not well knowledged enough to differentiate the frauds from the real. but there is a country that is close by to malaysia that has OTO and the IOT and that is Australia, and i have 2 more years left to complete my degree which i have been planning to do in australia. but not sure, i can easily do it in india as well.

Kain thank you so much for your insight, although i you have the time could you please tell me some of the places in india that you have gone to and studied yoga, so i may do my research. if possible could you list out some places that are in the north of india, but of course it doesnt matter,

thank you so much for your time

- L e x -

[m1thr0s]

what do you think? have you dealt with any of these orders or do you know anyone who are in them, could you give your opinions.I was a member of the American OTO for a few years but I'm afraid I cannot report that it was particularly useful to me personally. I managed to put it to good use despite itself, essentially. I no longer have anything to do with the OTO directly, although Thelemic Philosophy has fairly obviously impacted me.

I cannot, in good faith, recommend any of the groups you have indicated. Satanism, in general, is in a fairly abysmal state of affairs organizationally speaking. I would have to caution you against any such involvements, particularly in New Zealand which has zero tolerance for anything smacking of Satanic Philosophy. Unless you found a genuinely remarkable group of people, it would almost certainly not be worth the risk.

Which still leaves you in a bit of a bind, I know. I have been doing a little background research on consciousness movements in Malaysia. I have rarely seen such a wasteland as I am finding here. What the hell is wrong with Malaysia? It appears to be the absolute last in line for anything having to do with higher consciousness.

m1thr0s

[Naomi]

The Shangpa Kagyu is out that way, but the population is mostly Islamic.....

[rivetrenuck]

HAHA IT IS A WASTELAND!!!, people here are lost and misdirected in every way, ive met tons of people who proclaim themselves buddhist, hindu ( i m born into an hindu family) and taoists and even satanists, BAAHH!!! i hate them all equally, but one good thing that it has thought me is scepticism, i dont buy into things easily but i would escape into anything.

i feel the same way you do about the orders, but i need to learn something from somwhere, and most of the literature i m reading or have read are related to this orders, i m very interested in the LEft HAnd Path and Chaos Magick.

my interests in the occult began when i read the Marquis De Sade and also my interests in body modifications. and have been gearing towards that direction. which is why i m very interested in Tantra.

do you think that atleast the OTO or IOT would be able to give me an headstart, to learn the basics in all magical practices, like the LBRP, Yoga, Meditation, Gnosis, divination and so forth, although these are basic, but i m really having a hard time. and i think there alot of problems with me physically and mentally.

i m having alot of anxiety, nervousness and freaking out regularly, which is making it difficult to sit still and meditate, or concentrate and even visualise.

this is also personal, but i feel i should share this in order to better myself, i m also a virgin (21 years old) and have attempted to have sex, but due to immense nervousness and anxiety, its difficult to function and also i m a hermit, probably cuz i hate everyone.

i apologise for this long essay, and i m also feeling very ashamed, none the less its for the better i hope.

i asked earlier about some of the places that you (Kain) go to in india and if you ever decide to permenantly settle down, where would that be?

[m1thr0s]

do you think that atleast the OTO or IOT would be able to give me an headstart, to learn the basics in all magical practices, like the LBRP, Yoga, Meditation, Gnosis, divination and so forth, although these are basic, but i m really having a hard time. and i think there alot of problems with me physically and mentally.I can't speak from personal experience about IOT but I would be willing to bet that either OTO or Golden Dawn affiliation would prove useful to you. I tend to think my own experience may have been somewhat isolated...I've got a pretty restless mind and the order just wasn't able to accomodate the velocities it was spinning out at at that time. I don't anticipate this would be true of all people or even very many people to tell you the truth.

You needn't worry about lengthy posts around here...what is more important is to sort out if there is anything that can be done for you or not...In which case you'll still be back to the idea of relocating, despite the hardship.

Kain knows a lot more about the whole India scene I think so he can fill you in on all of that...

m1thr0s

[Kain]

Hello rivetrenuck,

Well, actually, I intend to visit India for the first time during the next month, so I haven't had any first hand experience with teachers in the area yet. I have been lucky to have a very good deal of personal inspiration/incination on the subject, so a lot of my progress was very instinctual. I was introduced to Yoga at dfirst around the age of 6-7, and was interested in the occult ever since. I had a very powerful accident relating to Kundalini some years ago, and I spent the following years trying to coordinate myself better in learning about this system in greater detail as far as it's publicly known teachings were concerned. This instinctual pull and personal experimentation led me through lots of books on the subject, and helped me differentiate for myself what I consider worth pursuing etc...

So, right now, I realized that the next step must be direct contact with the tradition, and that's what I have been researching for the past year. I have gotten help from a few friends who have lived there for many years, and also researched online etc...but the real contact is still to come, shortly.

There are many strands of Yoga and what works for me could very well not be what works for you, so I think you should approach the subject broadly and look for that "ring of quality" in what you pursue rather than a strictly codified system. Myself, I am primarily looking for Kundalini Yoga material although since I follow the "ring of quality" rule too, I might actually find myself staying for the most part in a location inhabited by practitioners of a different strand of Yoga, simply because of their authenticity.

m1thr0s previously brought up Mysore. That is a location where Ashtanga Yoga flourishes and it is in the South of India. You may be interested in learning more about it, since there are good chances you will find something authentic there.

Concerning North India, there are many options. One obvious one is to visit Rishikesh, which is a city near the Himalayan foothills that is said to specialize in the practice of Yoga, and is pretty much filled with Ashrams of various lineages. Sivananda Ashram (http://divinelifesociety.org/html/) is there also, so you could visit that as well if you choose to visit the area. I'd reccomend to start from the more widely known but respectable areas such as Sivananda Ashram (due to the fact that they will be more open for you to approach them, and you will also get a feel of the practice), and then moving on to the less known surrounding centres, now armed with some experience of how the genuine yet 'mainstream', non-particularized practice is generally understood and thus being able to compare the less known centres as to their own special characteristics (and spot quality, as well as frauds). In this way, you will be able at that point to have a learned opinion and be in a position to appreciate whether you are being confronted with something worth pursuing or not.

Rishikesh has many large and respected ashrams in the area.

There are other places of course...Benares is a city in the north too, which is filled with yoga centres and temples etc...although much can be found there from what I understand, it is harder to spot the real from the fake so it takes a bit of experience.

Here are a few useful links for you:

Rishikesh Ashrams (http://www.rishikesh.org/1_ashrams.html)

Rishikesh Ashrams (http://www.surfindia.com/travel/uttaranchal/rishikesh-ashrams.html) (2)

Rishikesh Ashrams (3) (http://www.travel-uttarpradesh.com/rishiashram.htm)

Also:

Noteworthy Ashrams throughout India (http://www.stephen-knapp.com/additional_ashramas_in_india.htm)


So, I reccomend picking a location and then visiting, since it is the best way to really know for sure. Regardless of your choice, the Sivananda lineage is perhaps a good place to start if you are feeling not too confident about your abilities of discerning quality in the department of Yoga and Meditation. You can enter and engage it without much trouble, and you can retain other options readily there for you. If you want, you could approach their local community in Malaysia (http://www.sivananda.org.my/main.htm), although I do not know of their quality of teachings (we have an ashram of that lineage in Greece too but I have never visited it until now, since I decided visiting their Headquarters in Rishikesh would be best).

I hope this is somewhat helpful rivetrenuck,

Kain

[rivetrenuck]

thank you so much m1thros, naomi and kain,

i feel much more better, and kain please do keep me updated on where you are planing to go in india, in the meantime i will check out your resources.

but so far, i think i might make an effor to join the IOT first, just for a year or too, then id have a better idea of where exactly i wanna go or what to do, that is i hope, heheh


thank you all once again

[Kain]

Glad to know it all helped, rivetrenuck!

If I come up with any worthwhile hints on the matter, I will get back to you.

Kain