Trul khor


Tsa lung Trul khor, known in short as Trul khor "magical instrument" or "magic circle" is a Vajrayana discipline which includes pranayama and body postures. From the perspective of Dzogchen, the mind is merely vāyu "breath" in the body. Thus working with vāyu and the body is paramount, while meditation on the other hand is considered contrived and conceptual.
The late Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, a prominent proponent of trul khor, preferred to use the Sanskrit equivalent term, Yantra Yoga, when writing in English. Trul khor derives from the instructions of the Indian mahasiddhas who founded Vajrayana.
Trul khor traditionally consists of 108 movements, including bodily movements, incantations, pranayama and visualizations. The flow or vinyāsa of movements are likened to prayer beads. Trul khor asanas are depicted on the walls of the Dalai Lama's summer temple of Lukhang.

Lung

Lung is equivalent to the Sanskrit vāyu.

English discourse

was the first to discuss Trul Khor in English with his book on Yantra Yoga, essentially a commentary on a practical yoga manual by Vairotsana. Namkhai Norbu began dissemination of Yantra Yoga through his practical teaching and esoteric transmission of this discipline within the International Dzogchen Community which he founded post 1975 from its seat in Italy, Merigar.
Chaoul has begun discussion of Bon traditions of Trul Khor in English with his thesis from Rice University. In his work, Chaoul makes reference to a commentary by the famed Bonpo Dzogchen master, Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen.
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche's text Awakening the Sacred Body presents some of the basic practices of trul khor according to the Tibetan Bön tradition.

Primary texts