Thank you for sharing this with us!

@Dakinis Whisper Khandro-la, it means EVERYTHING to me to hear you feel that way!

@Dakinis Whisper Khandro-la, this is exactly what I was asking and your answer is clarifying to me in many ways - specifically regarding how I personally felt about non-consensually using another body, and it made me so uncomfortable that I simply wanted to ignore that part of the study; however, I am interested in receiving the transmission to practice the POWA of Vajrayogini and so, there is my first formal request for that! Studying the Nine Mixings after your teachings and commentary did feel redundant to me, as in, "Why am I rereading this again," but it makes sense now as to why that is in the revival of this specific commentary. To add as well - I'm glad to hear that yoga is irrelevant to our path and to carve out even more honesty, I was reading this commentary alongside your Kechara Journey teachings not progressing ahead in the book before I had heard your commentary on the parts of the Vajrayogini Long Sadhana. I feel the Yoga of Sleeping and the Yoga of Waking within the Vajrayogini Sadhana(s) is the Nine Mixings and I am grateful that you have illuminated this path before we even knew what it was. I appreciate the wisdom of Jetsun Dampa using CHO to help another being rather than POWA and because you carry that same wisdom, I have more confidence in my CHO practice. Ending a Vajrayogini practice of any kind without practicing CHO feels hollow to me and I need to beat on my drum to feel the echo of my body within the hands of my action dakini as I offer myself to Her and my personal Merit Field. Thank you for helping me, Khandro-la. Ah la la.

That bell, @shona.collaborationswithnature .. thank you for sharing these! I also especially like the shadow of Vajrayogini you took!

I'm so thankful you are a Dakini walking in this world with us sharing your experience .. making the precious humanity feel stable, Khandro-la @Dakinis Whisper.

@Dan Hales (Osel Drubpey Dorje), I didn't look at my practice this way until you outlined yours. For me, Vajrayogini is at the forefront and all sadhana revolves around Her. I'll open up about this past week, which was absolute shit respectively, to which I found that opening up the Seven Pe's - which isn't in my rotation - was exactly what I needed. It called to me and I dug it out rounding it out with the Eight Line Praise and Yoga of Inconceivability (the Seven Pe's is now in my pile of open sadhanas readily reachable, by the way). I also weave the Five Dakini practice into the Tronak sadhana, along with a few Triple OM mantras after Tronak's own. Cho has deepened for me in the Troma Nakmo practice and I find myself creating that specific mandala within Vajrayogini's own sadhana as well, replacing (or alongside, depending to what I'm feeling) that outlined inner offering. The Seven Pe's really surprised me and honestly, I'm looking at that practice in a more serious way to - dare I say - create sort of my own blend of sadhana. As for other Cho practices, like the ones you cited, I don't find myself reaching for them as much as I want to admit because I practice Cho in any sadhana .. it's like, "Oh, here's the offering part of this practice, so since I connect with [this certain Cho action] I'm going to combine the two." I admit that when I hold my damaru up and sing the melodies I cannot help but want to have that deeper Cho experience that Tronak offers and then from there, I spin off .. but I always come back to Vajrayogini. This is only my take on replying to your awesome share, Dan! I appreciate your outlined approach as an achievable goal to our ultimate achieved goal! .. truly, we are in the Dakini Pure Land to be able to find these practices and have the beautifully insane amount to choose from! Sending love to your part of our mandala in your charnel ground!

Louise, mine goes back to normal when I keep it out of the humidity, so I haven't had to do this .. but I will keep it in mind if I encounter what you have with your damaru. Thank you!

@Dakinis Whisper And this is why you are my guru. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Khandro-la.

@Dakinis Whisper Is there a "rule" that a Cho drum cannot be used for this kind of practice?

Khandro-la .. I cannot thank you enough. Of course you'd say everything I needed to hear, especially about it being an obstacle. Thanks for linking the response too!

I needed to hear this .. thank you, Dan.

No, not too forward at all and honestly, very, very welcome. In fact, I *almost* asked you about it after you were done with your practice session Sunday. One side of mine is taught, but the other is slightly warped now. It's humid outside, but inside I'm keeping it cool, so I believe it's popped back because of that; however, I'm not confident in taking heat to the side that's a wee bit warped, or spreading Vaseline on it. I don't put my damaru back into its case - it sits on my larger alter and then my smaller tummo drum always sits out of its case on my smaller tantric alter. Now that one, though it was warped too, has completely come back, so I'm not concerned about that one at all. And so, I don't know what to do @Louise and @Dan Hales! .. I'm afraid of damaging it and though I know it's just a thought, I feel a better Cho practitioner wouldn't have this problem (Louise NOT included - it's jut a Kate thing here). I have to rework that handle on it too, so maybe the Dakinis are telling me something, eh? Thank you both for being so supportive and kind!

LOUISE! .. mine too! It has been sitting on my larger alter and suddenly it's the exact same as you described yours to be. Here where I live we have had changing weather from cold to hot with lots of humidity both ways, and this evening during Tsok I was panicked and really bummed I could not play my damaru with Khandro-la. And so, I echo Louise's question! I also have a smaller tummo damaru that has had that same thing happen to it in the last couple days. I'm really concerned. @Dakinis Whisper

Thank you, Khandro-la.

I've been here for just a year too, Dan, and your words reflect how I feel too about finding meaning!

.. this is why you are more than *just my teacher, but have become my Guru. The concise answers from you which speak to us in only the way you know how to relay them is skillful perfection. I no longer feel sad!

Thank you for this answer!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS, MY BEAUTIFUL TEACHER! bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha! *squeals in Dakini laughter!

Your journey is an excellent one to watch, Dan! .. it's amazing you have a dakini sitting beside you through it too with your wife! In solidarity, Vajra Brother!

Thank you, Khandro-la!