The Kum Nye lineage has given rise to many disciplines, including yoga and acupuncture; it also forms the roots of many of the more recent body-mind disciplines. When Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche was a young boy in Tibet his father, a physician and lama, introduced him to Kum Nye. Yet the system of Kum Nye as presented here is thoroughly modern, drawn from the experience of Rinpoche, and it is adapted to suit modern needs. The exercises found in our Kum Nye books can be done safely by young and old without a teacher, as long as one respects and honors one's physical limitations. Breathing, self-massage, and different kinds of movement exercises are offered as a practical guide to assist in developing and continuing an experience of inner relaxation. From the chapter "Balancing and Integrating,": Whatever sequence or combination of exercises you choose (from this book), do not be in a rush. Coverage and speed are not important. Remember that these exercises are different from ordinary physical exercises; they are not designed simply to improve the physical functioning of the body. They will do this, but when practiced properly, they will also awaken the senses, stimulating certain feeling-tones which, when cultivated and extended, improve the functioning of the total organism - body, mind, and senses…As you practice an exercise, develop the qualities of your feelings as fully as you can. Be sensitive to your own experience. If your feelings or sensations do not match the feelings or sensations mentioned in the exercise descriptions, do not be concerned; these descriptions are only indications of what you might feel. Bring your breath and your awareness to each feeling, and allow its special tones to permeate your body and mind. As your feelings expand, you will become familiar with different stages of relaxation. When you begin an exercise, you may find that you are watching yourself do the exercise; there is a division between you and your sensations. As you continue to relax and are able to explore a movement with light concentration, simultaneously breathing at an even level and expanding the sensations stimulated by the exercise, experience becomes richer and more substantial in quality; a feeling of 'the exercise doing itself' begins.
