Lu Jong: Tibetan Yoga

Lu Jong is an ancient practice from the Buddhist Tantrayana and Bön traditions. The exercises of Lu Jong are based on the knowledge of Tibetan medicine, which understands that humans are a unity of body and mind. If the natural inner balance gets disrupted, the whole organism will be affected. Diseases can be the result. Through the combination of position, movement and breath, Lu Jong opens the channels in the body and mobilizes misdirected energy. On the physical level, this leads to the activation of the body’s own self-healing powers. On the mental level, the exercises help us overcome negative emotions like anger and craving in order to achieve emotional balance and to increase our energy. On an energetic level, Lu Jong releases blockages and opens the subtle body channels. This will re-establish the proper flow of energy.

Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche collected and modified the ancient Lu Jong movements –  which have been used for millennia to maintain the health of yogis and monks –  and combined them to “Lu Jong – Tibetan Healing Yoga”, a program of body exercises adapted to Western needs, allowing everyone to balance body and mind.

Benefits of Lu Jong

How Lu Jong Functions

Lu Jong really is meditation in movement. It is a clear, concise and super effective practice that can surely change your life. It works simultaneously on all dimensions of one’s well-being, training the body and transforming the mind: it combines form, movement and breath into a powerful practice that helps you learn how to focus your attention inward.

The Lu Jong exercises are an exceptionally powerful practice in their own right, because Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche modified them to especially fit the needs of people living in the western world.

From a Tibetan medical perspective, the health of our physical body depends on the health of our subtle body, which is made up of an unbelievable 72,000 subtle channels. By cleansing our subtle body through the Lu Jong exercises we basically create an internal massage that helps us heal from within and allows our mind to flow freely, rewarding us with mental calmness and clarity.

By integrating Tibetan Healing Yoga into our daily life, we actively build a connection between our body and our mind that will benefit us with increased health, joy and happiness.

A meditation in movement, Lu Jong is both a physical and spiritual practice allowing everyone to balance body and mind.

Background
‘Lu’ means body in Tibetan and ‘jong’ means transformation. Through this bodily practice, we can transform ourselves.

Lu Jong was born from the traditions of both Bön and Tantrayana Buddhism.

Bön is the indigenous belief system of Tibet, well-rooted long before Buddhism was introduced. Bön is based on reverence for the natural environment, including its subtlest aspects, which we have mostly lost touch with today. Through careful observation of the patterns of nature, the Bönpos developed practices that aligned the individual and society with those rhythms in order to reach their fullest potential.

Around 2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha began spreading the teachings of Buddhism in India. It was until the late 8th century that Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, brought the Buddhist teachings to Tibet. Over time, the veracity of these teachings proved worthy to be adopted by Tibetans. As Buddhism was practiced more widely, many Bön traditions became incorporated into it.

Buddha Shakyamuni, in the fourth turning of the Dharma Wheel (the fourth round of teachings), taught the Kalachakra Tantra, which expounded in great detail on the rhythms of the universe, the movement of the stars, the structure and development of the human body and the connections between them all. Here, he presented the foundations of Tibetan Medicine, which includes the root of disease as well as the path to healing.

Tantrayana, the path of using the body as the vehicle for self-development, is found in all the main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore, there are Lu Jong exercises found in the Kagyu, Gelug, Sakya, Nyima and Jonang traditions.

Buddha himself taught at least two specific exercises. The rest were developed by his disciples through their own practice or through special realizations given to them by Buddha or one of the great yogis. Drawing from their knowledge of the Buddha’s teachings of the human body, their observations of the natural environment and our interrelationship with it, and their own experience, Buddhist yogis developed the practice of Lu Jong.

Lu Jong and Tulku Lobsang
Tulku Lobsang is the pioneer and transmitter of this Lu Jong practice. While the roots of Lu Jong are very deep, going back to the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, there are different exercises and variations found in each lineage, and they were developed for the conditions of the people living long ago.

Tulku Lobsang has always felt an affinity for the movement traditions of Buddhism, such as Lu Jong, Tsa Lung, Trulkhor and Tummo. This is his area of specialization and his own personal practice. Since he was a young boy, he sought out many masters, requesting that they transmit to him the unique wisdom of their lineage. He studied with masters of all the major schools.

Tulku Lobsang has collected these movements and distilled them into a single practice, as part of a complete cycle. After many years of teaching and giving medical consultations to Western people, he became very familiar with the unique conditions and limitations of the Western body. Tulku-la adjusted the movements to accommodate those for whom the practice is now intended, so that it would have maximum effectiveness.

It is Tulku Lobsang that we must thank for the opportunity to receive this precious practice. It is due to his devotion, diligence and wisdom that we are presented with Lu Jong today. And, with the utmost respect and honor, we continue spreading Lu Jong, always remaining true to his original intentions and thereby benefiting all sentient beings.

Movements
The Lu Jong Level 1 practice is composed of 4 groups of movements, plus two additional exercises.

The first group, The Five Elements Movements, balance and purify the space, earth, wind, fire and water elements in the body. If the elements are in disharmony, diseases of the wind, bile and phlegm humors result, as well as the aggravation of negative emotions. Therefore, this group of movements addresses these issues.

The second group is The Five Body Parts Movements. These exercises improve the mobility of the head, joints, spine and hips. They open blockages and increase strength and the range of motion of the body.

The third group is The Five Vital Organs Movements. These exercises work with the kidneys, heart, lungs, spleen and liver. Practicing these movements improves the functioning of these organs by removing blockages in the channels that supply them with blood, oxygen, vital nutrients and energy.

The fourth group is The Six Conditions Movements. These exercises address common ailments such as indigestion, tumors, water retention, low body temperature, incontinence, depression and improve the five senses.

Finally, there are two side exercises that address difficulty falling asleep and difficulty remaining alert.

Text from www.lujong.org