Ann Mathie: Preliminary Practices on Paths to Transcendence in Eastern Traditions

Various methods exist for preparing the mind for profound insights and psychological changes which can happen during spontaneous Kuṇḍalinī awakenings and meditation practices – and refining our behaviour when accessing deeper structures of the mind can be highly significant. Ann will explore the mechanisms behind thought in Sāṃkhya Metaphysics (a philosophy which supports most traditions in Tantra and Yoga) to better understand how ethical behaviour impacts various stages on the path to awakening. She will also look at how preliminary practices such as the Pāramitā (transcendent action) safeguard against certain psychological hindrances when we start to deepen our insights, and she will examine spiritual teachers’ responsibility and the impact their behaviour has on furthering enlightenment.

Ann Mathie has been practising yoga and meditation for nearly 20 years and has a Masters in the Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from SOAS University of London with ongoing Sanskrit training. Her own experiences have pointed her toward a phenomenological investigation of the parallels between spontaneous Kuṇḍalinī awakenings and Buddhist and Yogic paths to enlightenment as well as cutting-edge consciousness theory.