Tummo - Tibetan Inner Fire Meditation.

Tummo is our wisdom fire. We naturally have this warmth within us in the area below the navel chakra, but we are not usually aware of it and we do not use it. When we develop proper concentration and begin to work with our inner fire, we can completely transform ourselves.

Using visualization, breathing techniques, and movement, we connect to our inner fire and generate it greater and greater. We work with our breath, bringing it to a higher level, and this changes our blood. This warm blood, in turn, affects our hormones. We don’t talk so much on an academic level, but we can experience the profound changes that result when we cultivate the Tummo fire and spread it throughout the body. This is not just visualization, but something real. 

On a physical level, the inner fire is responsible for the temperature of our body—the heat of digestion and metabolism, the heat that powers chemical reactions and builds hormones. On an energetic level, the Tummo fire blazes through the channels, melting away the subtlest blockages and surging energy throughout the body. On the level of mind, Tummo is the source of love, joy, happiness, and bliss.

As the flame grows, starting from below the navel and rising higher and higher, it softly penetrates each of the main chakras, spreading to all the branches and every pore of our body.

The chakras are secret doors to our being. Opening them and connecting with our Tummo fire brings us great realizations. In this way, we tap into our inner wisdom. From this great presence, we can realize the true nature of our mind, fundamental wisdom, and unconditional love and compassion.

The Beginners Practice of Inner Fire Meditation

1. Firstly sit in an upright and comfortable meditation posture- click here for tips on a great meditation posture. 
2. Visualize yourself as hollow, like a balloon. Your skin is glowing and brilliant and on the inside, there is only empty space. Take a few moments to strongly establish this visualization.
3. Visualize a ‘central channel’ about a 1cm thick from your perineum to the crown of your head and two ‘side channels’ going in through the nostrils up to the third eye or eyebrow level and then going down either side of the central channel merging at just below the navel. All the ‘channels’ are hollow like plumbing pipes. Take a moment to establish this visualization, it does get easier and even instantaneous with practice. See image.
4. Even if you cannot do the former visualization this next step is the most important in generating the blissful energy: Imagine your breath energy going down the two side channels and merging into the central channel just below the navel (about a few cms in front of the spine). Imagine a very small and very hot ball of light in the central channel and your breath ignites this fiery ball and makes it extremely hot. Now hold the breath there in that ball of heat at the navel, for 5-15 seconds (experienced yogis can hold the breath here for several minutes) WARNING: stop immediately and breath normally if you get dizzy.
5. This next step is optional but helps to generate even more heat and focussed attention: As you are holding the breath inside the central channel at the small ball of heat just below the navel, draw energy up from below and down from above and lock and trap it in the ball of heat. Draw it up by activating the perineum muscle (like you are holding back from urinated), hold this muscle and lock it in. Simultaneously swallow some saliva down to get the feeling of pushing down on the ball of heat at the navel and lock it in. Experiment with this. You may wish to lock it in by drawing up from below first and then push down from above, or vice versa. Do what feels best for you to get the sense you are locking in a tremendous amount of energy in a tiny space at the navel.
6. Now release all the energy you have created – straight up through the central and bursting out the top of your head like a fountain. As the energy rushes up through the central channel it blows away any blockages in all the chakras from the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the third eye, and crown chakra. this energy cleanses and purifies your entire body-mind system. You can also imagine releasing the energy into parts of your body you need to heal.
7. Repeat steps 2-6  …try Inner Fire Meditation for 2-5 minutes to begin with. Do not practice for extended periods of time until you become familiar with the practice and feel confident and strong enough to do so.

This may have sounded complicated, but it is incredibly simple to practice. For an easy and modified version simply take long slow breaths right down into the navel area and hold it there for a short time and release it, this can also be enough to generate heat and bliss.

This has been a brief and beginners overview of the Inner Fire Meditation method, but it can still bring all the benefits listed above if done regularly. For more detailed information and instructions including how this practice can lead to subtle clear light and enlightenment; I would highly recommend the book by Lama Yeshe “The Bliss of Inner Fire” 

NOTE: This is a practice using your own energy, your own breath, and your own mind, that can bring speedy and remarkable results, in my opinion, it should not be kept secret. Experiment to see what works for you – Notice the inner calm and space you can create whilst hold the breath. Notice the heat energy build up when you hold your breath and lock in the energy. And notice the relaxation and healing response when you let go of the breath. Even just taking long slow breaths and holding and releasing activates a calming response in the body and mind. I generally practice this meditation to clear my mind and relax my body before I settle into simply sitting meditation practice.

Benefits of Inner Fire Meditation

1. Improved Clarity & Concentration. Inner Fire Meditation requires visualization, incorporating focussed attention and breathing exercises. In Tibetan Buddhism, this is known as a fast and secret way to develop concentration because you utilise your breath, imagination, and attention all in the one practice. It also develops a sharp and clear awareness through raising the vitality and energy levels to heightened states of awareness.
2. Improved Health and More Vitality. Inner Fire Meditation uses what is commonly known in India as Prana, or in Japan, it is known as Reiki or in China, it is called Chi. These mysterious forces within us are associated with health, healing and long life. Usually, we waste our energy through stressing and dissipating this energy in the pursuit of external satisfaction but Inner Fire Meditation harnesses this energy, grows it and uses it for spiritual development with the side effect of improved health and vitality.
3. Opening the Chakras. Many people ask me how do I open my chakras? well, Inner Fire Meditation is a brilliant way to do this and is one of the main reasons for this practice. The main goal for the practice is to achieve enlightenment through clearing the chakras, entering the central channel and giving rise to special bliss and clarity which very easily understands that enlightenment is already our true nature.  But even beginners have remarkable results.
4. More Confidence and Power. Practicing inner Fire Meditation connects the practitioner with the power center of the second chakra which in yoga is associated with physical power, sexuality, and creativity. It helps to focus and use nervous energy in a positive way to help build confidence and dispel confusion. In martial arts, this is the center where martial artist’s draw their strength from to perform amazing feats of balance, strength and busting through cement blocks with their strikes. And in Tai Chi, this is where all the focus is held to develop graceful and perfectly balanced movement. Harnessing this inner power is harnessing the power to achieve all your goals and dreams and to gain the energy to reach your full potential.
5. Inner Bliss and Joy. The energy you are cultivating is very joyful and blissful. This brings an enthusiasm for the practice that is not found in your usual ‘just sitting meditations’ which can become very boring. This inner bliss can even help to overcome addiction. If addiction is chasing pleasure then as Lama Yeshe says the bliss of inner fire makes all other pleasures pale in comparison. This inner bliss is the cultivation of the famous Kundalini energy which is a mysterious inner joy unlike that of external pleasures such as sex or eating chocolate. Also, you can cultivate this energy anywhere at any time; I like to practice while driving and it’s also useful for when you are feeling cold or nervous as the inner bliss really does bring a real and tangible heat and confidence with it.
6. Enlightenment. The ultimate goal of this practice is enlightenment -that is the union or Oneness with a divine nature. In Tibetan Buddhism, the time of death is a very important time to practice meditation to achieve enlightenment because the clear white light naturally appears for everyone at the time of death. If through practice you can recognize that light as your own essence; enlightenment is easy. Inner Fire Meditation is a method to generate this clear white light during your lifetime so you don’t have to wait till death and merge with it while you are an individual to bring enormous benefit to your yourself and for others.
7. Removes Obstacles. Inner fire meditation awakens powerful inner energy which overwhelms the ego and takes over. It is said that practicing this meditation regularly quickly removes obstacles to spiritual and worldly success. This meditation comes from the completion stage of Vajrayana which is a fast track method to enlightenment. Even though this has traditionally been kept secret and only given to the most advanced student's many respected teachers are now saying that in this time of powerful negativity there need to be powerful practices like this one given to the general public to help combat those negative forces.

Written by Chad Foreman