Magical Passes or Tensegrity

Z...

The Living Force
FOTCM Member
I have recently obtained this book by C. Castaneda after much reading on the net about the Tensegrity tehnique.

The thing is, I have a strange relationship with Castaneda. Initally I have read many of his other books during my late teenage years and early twenties. At that time it was a fad, and the only reason everyone was reading Hesse or Castaneda was because it was in. Of course I was clueless at that time and I would probably need to reread all the early Castaneda books all over again.
So it happened that although some of his teachings resonated intially and probaly stayed with me more than I am consciously aware I disregarded Castaneda as a charlatan altogether when trying to disregard this period of my life. Perfect example of the phrase - Throwing the baby out, together with the bath water :)

But recently, actually every since I have incountered CS, QF group and other related sites or sources Castaneda keeps emerging as quite a valid source of information and I am experiencing this renewed liking and totally new understanding for him.

So it happened that I got Magical Passes and being quite phyisical and sporty person this type of "work" seems very apealing to me. The book also seems very informative about the procedure and there are loads of detailed illustrations.
Still I am still not sure if you can learn Tensegrity on your own.

Also before commiting myself to this practice I would like to hear if anyone has actual first hand experience with tensegrity.
Any impressions, remarks and advices about tensegrity would be much apreciated...


Thank you
 
Deckard said:
Still I am still not sure if you can learn Tensegrity on your own.
And why do you want to learn "Tensegrity"? What is the use of it? How can it help you to precise your goals and to achieve them?
When I learn how to operate a cell phone, for instance, it has practical applications. I can use it to call and to receive calls when I am in the area covered by the network. And it really works! I checked it.


Now what about "Tensegrity". What is the use of it?
 
I've read the book and tried some of the Tensegrity exercises, especially from the beginning of the book. They were quite effective in heating up the body, as a kind of warmup movements if you are doing other physical exercises. Some of the movements were similar to martial arts moves, but they were very stylized and could possibly strain muscles if not done carefully I think. I would agree that it's probably not a good idea to do them without the help of a good instructor, which is the same as with any martial arts: it is very difficult, of not impossible, to learn just by reading a book.

As for the use of Tensegrity I guess it is the same as with all physical exercises: to keep the body in a good physical condition, which is useful as a basis for doing other more mental or emotional work. Whether it is inherently better than any other form of exercise I don't know though. If the movements have any of the consciousness or awareness raising effects that it claims I don't know. Obtaining and applying knowledge would probably be a better use of time, if that is the desired effect.
 
foofighter said:
If the movements have any of the consciousness or awareness raising effects that it claims I don't know. Obtaining and applying knowledge would probably be a better use of time, if that is the desired effect.
Then, using my beloved 2-valued linear logic, it may even have awareness lowering effects? It would be interesting to research this issue, I think.
 
ark said:
Then, using my beloved 2-valued linear logic, it may even have awareness lowering effects? It would be interesting to research this issue, I think.
Because time is spent on something that doesn't have the desired effect and time is NOT spent on things that DOES have that effect, is this what you mean? That still doesn't mean that awareness is lowering, just not changing in any direction. Or what am I missing?

I think a general question related to this is: what is the importance of physical exercises to help raise awareness? Are there things that can be done to help make the mental and emotional centers more receptive, i.e. can physical acts help as enablers? Or are they unrelated entirely? From my own experience, after I started doing more physical exercises, in general, I became less sleepy and could more easily focus while reading, so that seemed to be helpful.
 
I mean, I must be somewhat slow and narrow minded, but the following part of the description of CC workshop causes my doubts:

... When long tall Taisha came on stage that Saturday evening to lecture, the crowd broke into a rousing and affectionate applause, a long ovation. She started out by saying that *we* had resolved the energetic situation. The intensive Tensegrity of the day had allowed us to gain energetic mass. She went on to talk about IBs and not-doing, ending with the Eagle pass.

The last two lectures were Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4pm. Florinda came up first and spoke for an hour. She told some hilarious stories about not-doings don Juan had suggested. One, from the not-doings of clothing, involved walking around naked (but not in public) with various bugs pasted to her tits. On a bad day she'd use only flies, she joked. On other days she'd use butterflies, beetles, etc. When don Juan suggested she tie tomatoes to her genital area, the spiffy dresser and good German girl was appalled. She never viewed clothing quite the same again.
And also this:

I am not sure if it was the mass of the workshop, the nagual, the passes, manipulation of the energy centers or what but I was able to enter into dreaming awake a couple of days after the seminar. Waves emanating from the left side and currents of electricity running on the body and back of the scull started during the seminar and culminated in a brief cancellation of the learned interpretation system when I did the passes at some odd hour and place. The happy part was that it happened so smoothly. I was dreaming awake in a most natural way! And after that - nothing.
It seems to me that to increase our awareness we need to awake from a dream rather than to dream while awake. But that may be my limited ability to understand what DOING is about .....
 
Deckard said:
Also before commiting myself to this practice I would like to hear if anyone has actual first hand experience with tensegrity.
Any impressions, remarks and advices about tensegrity would be much apreciated...
I have practiced tensegrity for some years.

Usual question of course is - have I gained something from this, have something changed in me? Maybe I have a good health...

As a practitioner of tensegrity I am not going to defend or praise it in an inflated state. Tensegrity seems to be a very good possibility to DO something without New Age mumbo jumbo. In tensegrity it is also said that there are no advanced practicioners. If you do it you will see it. It is also said by practitioners that we should use whatever works. It not ritualistic. It has no restrictions. If you don't like it you don't have to do it. It has no gurus, no teachers, no written scripture. You don't have to read Carlos Castaneda's books to practice tensegrity. You don't have to read Buckminster Fuller. Tensegrity is ever-evolving...practitioners always learn something new.

Sorry, for not being more explicit...but word does not describe anything. You must try it by yourself...

If you are a "moving type", you probably like it.

Beware - practicing only tensegrity is like filling a vessel which leaks. So is the experience.

Inner psychological work is needed to stop leaking.

That is not been thaugt in books but in Cleargreen seminars - www.cleargreen.com.
Go to this site if you wan't advice.

Besides all it has been very interesting land to explore. I agree that obtaining knowledge through books is most important issue for many. But for me the book knowledge is not alfa and omega.
For some type of men practicing physical disciplines can be useful to help their moving functions not to degrade. For othes something else applies. People are different. Everybody has to learn its own lessons.

Magical passes are not goal per se, but definitely increase the knowledge of the self...

INTENT, or should I say GRAVITY!
 
Rauno said:
For some type of men practicing physical disciplines can be useful to help their moving functions not to degrade. For othes something else applies. People are different. Everybody has to learn its own lessons.
I agree completely. I like some Yoga exercises and long walks. Some people may prefer marshall arts. Some will lift weights, some other will do other things. Keeping ourselves physically fit is important. Harmonizing our physical fitness with our individual psychological predilections and work that needs to be done is certainly desired. Sorcerers have their goals, but their goals are not the same as goals of other people. Different people in our society find different "missions" they are born for. Once we have found what is our mission, we need to adjust our methods and means accordingly.
 
I agree with this idea of finding out our mission and then identifiying and practicing the activities that will help us getting closer to the goal.

For some people Tensegrity might be one of the tools, though I'm not sure that generally praticing only Tensegrity is enough (depending on the mission off course)

Another point that I would like to emphasize is that Tensegrity includes some exercices that can be harmful for the body, particularly the back, the shoulders and the knees.

So it might be useful to start Tensegrity when the body and the mind are strong enough i.e. able to handle the stress generated by some Tensegrity exercices on those parts of the body.
 
I have to agree that there is alot of rubish available on the net in relation to Castaneda's teachings and work. At times it does sound like usual New Age crap and is the reason why I was always weary of castaneda. On the other hand genuine Castaneda's writtings have different flavour and it is possible to find many grains of wisdom in them.

I couldnt agree more with this:
"The QFS does not recommend Castaneda be taken too literally or that people experiment with hallucinogenics but does recognize practical validity in many of Castaneda's concepts. . Castaneda is a very readable author and often paints himself as the bumbling buffoon, better to underline the sobriety, mastery and cool virtue of his mythical master, Don Juan. This makes Castaneda more accessible and human to the reader, which most likely was Castaneda's intention from the start."

But what is really Castaneda's way?
Can we call this way shamanic way or a sham?
If we say his way is shamanic way, how shamanic way would correspond with 4th way teachings?


Why am I interested in tensegrity?

Firstly it seems like interesting exercise, the body needs constant change in exercising regimes, I honestly cant see anything harmful in the interplay of tensing and relaxing the tendons and muscles, and their energetic counterparts, in a way that contributes to the overall integrity of the body as a physical and an energetic unit as this method is described. In the case of daily life, Carlos Castaneda said, Tensegrity is an art: the art of adapting to one's own energy, and to each other's energy in a way that contributes to the integrity of the community that we are.

So far so god, I beleive that the bigest obstacle on our path to enlightenment is inability to be fully aware of our own energies, how they flow and where they go
therefore why not doing exercise that claims to help this proces. Also to answer to Ark's question:

The main concepts the QFS has adopted from Castaneda include:

Predator's Mind
Petty Tyrant
Overcoming Self Importance
Stalking

At least when it comes to one of above mentioned concepts i.e. stalking - tensengrity seems like practical way to augment this skill
 
Axel_Dunor said:
though I'm not sure that generally praticing only Tensegrity is enough (depending on the mission off course)
I dont think one ever practices only Tensegrity, I mean the fact that you came to the idea or intent to practice tensegrity usually means that you did alot of other work, otherwise you wouldnt be there

Axel_Dunor said:
Another point that I would like to emphasize is that Tensegrity includes some exercices that can be harmful for the body, particularly the back, the shoulders and the knees.

So it might be useful to start Tensegrity when the body and the mind are strong enough i.e. able to handle the stress generated by some Tensegrity exercices on those parts of the body.
Do you have your own experience and can you be more specific about it?
 
Rauno said:
Deckard said:
Also before commiting myself to this practice I would like to hear if anyone has actual first hand experience with tensegrity.
Any impressions, remarks and advices about tensegrity would be much apreciated...
I have practiced tensegrity for some years.

Usual question of course is - have I gained something from this, have something changed in me? Maybe I have a good health...

As a practitioner of tensegrity I am not going to defend or praise it in an inflated state. Tensegrity seems to be a very good possibility to DO something without New Age mumbo jumbo. In tensegrity it is also said that there are no advanced practicioners. If you do it you will see it. It is also said by practitioners that we should use whatever works. It not ritualistic. It has no restrictions. If you don't like it you don't have to do it. It has no gurus, no teachers, no written scripture. You don't have to read Carlos Castaneda's books to practice tensegrity. You don't have to read Buckminster Fuller. Tensegrity is ever-evolving...practitioners always learn something new.

Sorry, for not being more explicit...but word does not describe anything. You must try it by yourself...

If you are a "moving type", you probably like it.

Beware - practicing only tensegrity is like filling a vessel which leaks. So is the experience.

Inner psychological work is needed to stop leaking.

That is not been thaugt in books but in Cleargreen seminars - www.cleargreen.com.
Go to this site if you wan't advice.

Besides all it has been very interesting land to explore. I agree that obtaining knowledge through books is most important issue for many. But for me the book knowledge is not alfa and omega.
For some type of men practicing physical disciplines can be useful to help their moving functions not to degrade. For othes something else applies. People are different. Everybody has to learn its own lessons.

Magical passes are not goal per se, but definitely increase the knowledge of the self...

INTENT, or should I say GRAVITY!
I found your post very unclear if not contradictive. Can you please try and be more specific.
Once we talk about first hand transmission of the knowledge I beleive that true knowledge can never be wrapped in mystery and that anything can be explained as long as there is a patient teacher and willing pupil.

If anyone can learn tensegrity why do we need to attend work shops to learn it?

I have Castaneda's book in front of me. All I need to know about tensegrity is in it, why would I need to pay big money and attend work shop held by people I dont know anything about ?

And lastly what do you exactly mean when you refer to inner psychological work?
 
Deckard said:
I have Castaneda's book in front of me. All I need to know about tensegrity is in it, why would I need to pay big money and attend work shop held by people I dont know anything about ?
Well, from my experience with martial arts I think that there is no book in the world that would be able to teach me how it works, in order to learn it well. You have to learn it in real life, simply because it is about teaching the physical body how to move and such teaching can not be transmitted with words. Words in books can then be good as reminders, but that's about it.

When I had read Magical Passes and tried some of the described Tensegrity exercises I had the same feeling: there is no way that I would be able to do it as they were initially intended, so I stopped trying.
 
I think Tensegrity uses slightly diferent principle then martial arts therfore you cant really make such comparison.
I havent gone through all exercises but what I saw so far seems preety straight forward
 
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