The Yoga Dairies 02 - Kundalini Yoga

Before you proceed, just check the way your nose functions. Which nostril are you predominantly breathing through at this moment ? You will see that at any given point of time only one of the nostrils is “really open”. The other one may be open but it will be “slightly less open”. This keeps changing from time to time. If the right channel is more active you will likely feel active. If the left channel is active then you are likely feeling “drowsy/restful/lazy/sleepy”. Why is that so? Read on…...

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In my last post I wrote about the Four Types of Yoga. Today I wish to elaborate up on the last one. Kriya Yoga or what has become popularly known as Kundalini Yoga. As a subject it is vast since it covers pretty much everything in the universe.

A master of Kriya yoga who has reached enlightenment as a result of his energies reaching his peak has also reached a stage of perfect harmony with the universe. A being like that in the true sense is Mr. Universe! That’s the best way to put it. The universe literally manifesting as a human. Naturally such beings have no interest in petty human affairs and mostly tend to stay aloof. Sometimes a rare few out of compassion for us humans and our ignorance, come out and become a guru or a teacher. Some examples are Jesus and Buddha.

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The dots on Buddha's head signify the thousand petaled lotus in full bloom thus signifying enlightenment.

The concept of Kundalini energy related practices have been a global phenomenon and have found expression in various off shoots of main stream religions. In case of early Christian mysticism such practices found expression in Gnosticism, In Judaism it found expression in Kabbalah, In Islam it found expression in Sufism,in Hinduism in India, it found expression as Yoga, In Buddhism it found expression in Mahayana Buddhism, In China it found expression in Taoism, certain sects of Buddhism took it to Japan and it became Zen.
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Look at the symbolism of Caduceus, the staff carried by Hermes in Greek mythology, Used by the medical community today all over the world. The Staff stands for the spinal cord and the two snakes symbolize the two channels Ida and Pingala. Which is related to the nostril phenomena I wrote about in the beginning of this article.

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In fact, the term “Hinduism”, the religion associated with a lot of Indians, is a more modern creation. The geography of the land locked between Hindu-Kush mountains on one side and the Himalayas on the other with Indian Ocean at the bottom was called Hindustan. When visitors came from outside. They looked at sum total of the spiritual practices in India, and simply gave it a name. “Hinduism” the religion practiced by the people of “Hindustan”. Even today modern India is referred to in many native Indian languages as “Hindustan”. In fact, irrespective of what names we Indians call our various religious practices, all we have been doing all this time in the name of god for 5000 years is simply different kinds of Yoga!

It is to be noted that while Kundalini Power can play a huge role in the journey to enlightenment, it is not mandatory. Many spiritual paths such as Zen Buddhism and most “main stream” religions put little emphasis on the Kundalini Energy. There is a good reason for it. While it’s possible for us daily clock punchers to use various spiritual tools to go towards our liberation, working with the Kundalini Energy requires a totally different kind of dedication.

Yoga needs to become your complete life. Nothing else can matter. In fact, serious aspirants for this form of Yoga usually walk an ascetic path.

The word “Kundalini” means that which is coiled. It is represented in Indian symbolism as a coiled cobra with its hood slightly raised. Deriving from the popular expression “coiled serpent” the energy exists in a passive form ready to transition into dynamism if the spiritual seeker puts in the effort. Kundalini is believed to be located at the base of the spine, in the perineum region at the base Chakra (energy centers). This energy, when cultivated and awakened through various yogic practices, is believed to lead to spiritual liberation.

So what did the snake do to Adam and Eve ? Well that's another story.....

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Kuṇḍalinī awakenings have been described as occurring by means of a variety of methods. Many systems of yoga focus on awakening Kuṇḍalinī through: Meditation, Pranayama , practice of yoga Asanas and chanting of Mantras. The Kuṇḍalinī experience is frequently reported to be a distinct feeling of electric current running along the spine.

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Kundalini energy can also be awakened by a Guru by a method of energy transmission. The process is called “Shaktipat”. This is not to be confused with “Diksha” or “Initiation”. Diksha means initiation in a generic way, Shaktipat is a very specific kind of Initiation.

The Kundalini that rests at the base of the spine rises through the Sushumna Nadi with regular practice of Kriya Yoga.The Spinal cord in a yogic parlance is referred to as Sushumna Nadi or the central channel. In Christian mythology allegorically the Sushumna Nadi find a passing expression in the Old Testament. Its referred to as the "Jacob's Ladder".

There also exists two side channels called Ida and Pingala. These represent the Sun and the Moon channels. Sun channel is on the right side. The moon channel on the left side. They are also referred to as male and feminine channels. Only when these two facets are balanced will the central channel open up. Oriental Martial arts like Kung-Fu and Karate lay a lot of emphasis on balancing the two sides so as to be “centered”.

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The Ida and the Pingala channels play a huge role in our day to life. The little test at the beginning of the article should be enough to tell you how important it to manage these two channels for a good life. In fact, it’s great if the sun channel is active in the day and the moon channel is active during night. Then you are active through the day and restful at night!

In fact, this knowledge can help you “fix your mood”. Want to become active to get something done? Make sure the Sun channel is on.

Can’t fall asleep at night? Well for starters put the phone aside and THEN activate the moon channel. Also, a shower helps 😉

How to activate the channel of your choice ?

To activate Pingala Nadi (right nostril) sleep on the left side. In 1 or 2 minutes, this activity turns on the right nostril (and suppresses left). To activate Ida Nadi (left nostril) - sleep on the right side. In 1 or 2 minutes, this activity turns on the left nostril (and suppresses right).

Please note this is not yogic advise on how to center yourself. For that one should go to a proper teacher.

Once the student masters balancing the two channels the practitioner is considered to have centered him or herself. Only then practices to activate the Sushumna or the Spinal channel are taught. This includes various practices of Hatha Yoga, Pranayama (Breathing Exercises) and Meditation. The journey tends to be same for a Martial Artist in the Oriental Traditions.

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Once the Sushumna is active, the Chakras are activated and paves the way for the Kundalini to rise. What are Chakras? These are energy centers located in the body. There are over 114 Chakras in the human system. We will cover them in our next post.

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Cheers
Sajan