Chakra Purification

1

A CHAKRA PURIFICATION MEDITATION

2 Nadi and Marmas: The chakra cleansing exercise accomplishes pranayama, pratyhara, and dharana all at once being an excellent preparation before meditation or other practices of laya yoga. It helps us focus within toward awareness of the energy body, based on the classic seven chakras and their seed (bija) syllables. Each chakra has thus a corresponding vibratory sound energy which helps us get in touch with that region. According to classic hatha yoga there are seven chakras and their sounds are approximately: Lam for the muladhara (earth) chakra located in the perineum area. Yellow in Color Vam for the swadhistana (water) chakra located in the prostate/ovaries area. White in Color Ram for the manipura chakra (fire) located above the navel. Red in Color. Yam for the Heart chakra (anahat) associated with the element of air. Blue in Color Ham for the vishudda (throat chakra) associated with ether (akasha). Swirling Dark Gray Aum for the third eye AH for the Crown (various schools use different sounds for the crown chakra, here AH is a special mantra specifically chosen for its benign effects. The first five seed syllables are said with a nasal “hngh” type ending more than a mmm type ending as in lamngh, vamngh, ramngh, yamngh, and hamngh. In the Nepalese and Tibetan tradition it is often pronounced la, va, ra, ya, ha. We can increase the detail in regard to colors, number of lotus petals, letters on the lotus petals, sounds of the lotus petals turning, etc. to aid further detailed concentrations, but this process of differentiation can be endless. It can be even counter-productive as these details are not the chakras themselves, but rather simply symbolic representations of corresponding characteristics that “may” help point out as a temporary aid in which to access the actual awareness of these vibrating energy vortexes in which more or less detail may or may not be of help. For those who are a bit unfocused, then the need for more details may help their over active mental situation in which case there exist many more detailed chakra meditations utilizing such detail. However in this chakra purification meditation we do not trouble ourselves with such details, but rather use the sounds as an aid to focus in on the pre-existing energy patterns that are singing at each chakra — bring our awareness and listening to “it”, more than projecting a sound unto it.

3 We start simply by sitting in a comfortable position with the spine resting on the upright sacrum, - grounding the tailbone to the earth, and extending the spine and torso (in mulabandha) so that the occiput extends toward the sky and the chin is slightly drawn in (a soft jalandhara bandha). It might help to halfway to close the eyes gazing inside and upward touching the tongue lightly to the roof of mouth while the eyes look up softly into the ajna chakra.

The Practice Proper We then visualize a brilliant bright light at the base of the spine. As we breathe in we visualize this brilliant bright light entering the chakra and purifying it. As we exhale we visualize the chakra opening (like the petals of a lotus blossom) and say the seed syllable (once or up to sixteen times). Then we again visualize a brilliant bright light at the base of the spine and as we inhale, visualizing this light raising up to the next chakra purifying it. Again as we exhale, we visualize the chakra opening like the petals of a lotus blossom as we vibrate the seed syllable for that chakra out loud. Eventually we work up to the crown kinesthetically feeling the vibratory nature of these energies. With the awareness focused within to this energy flow we sit in silent awareness connecting the root with the crown (sambhavi mudra). For example, inhale a brilliant bright light from the base of the spine into the MULADHARA chakra. As we exhale we visualize the chakra opening like a lotus flower while saying LAM as many times as you like (classically up to 16 times). On the next inhale we visualize a brilliant bright light moving up from the base of the spine to the SWADHISTHANA chakra (below the navel) and as we exhale we vibrate aloud the sound, VAM, anywhere as many times as you like (classically up to 16 times) as we visualize the chakra opening like the petals of a lotus flower. Likewise from the base of the spine we visualize a brilliant bright light and as we inhale it moves upward purifying the MANIPURA chakra (above the navel) and as we exhale the seed syllable RAM vibrating aloud as we visualize the chakra opening. Then visualizing again a brilliant bright light at the base of the spine we inhale it up to the heart center (ANAHAT CHAKRA) and as we exhale say the bija mantra YAM as many times as we are drawn to (usually one to sixteen times) as the chakra opens. Then visualizing a brilliant bright light at the base of the spine, inhaling it up the spine as a white light into the throat chakra (VISHUDDA) and as we exhale say HAM as we visualize the petals of the chakra opening.

4 On the next inhale we breathe up a brilliant white light from the grounded tailbone connecting into the third eye (AJNA chakra) and as the petals open as we exhale saying a long AUM only once. Then we visualize a brilliant bright white light at the base of the spine and as we inhale visualize it rising to to the crown chakra (SAHASRARA) and as we resonate out loud a long AHHHH deep within the brain and upward we visualize the chakra opening so that our energy is as an open self supporting balanced conduit between the earth and the sky extended in an effortless self supported equipoise. At this point in the meditation we can engage in other practices for self healing, such as doing energy healing work by finding pre-existing energy blocks and working through them, or begin a silent meditation, or simply be finished for the time being. For example we can repeat the visualization over again to see if there is an improved effect. Especially if we noticed an energy blockage in a specific area the first time, we can simply breathe back into the chakra below and above it, resonate the seed syllables over again, and then on an additional breath, breathe into the specific energy center in question. This can be repeated until some sort of openness or flow is achieved. Feel free to experiment with resonant combinations of the chakras, for example, the ajna chakra and swadhistana chakra have a specific resonance, the vishuddi (throat) and manipura (fire chakra), the earth (muladhara) and sky sahasrara), etc. It is especially the the root and crown chakras (earth and sky) which are the two most critical to connect while the others may just fall into place on their own inbetween. So in the above practice we have also accomplished asana (posture), pranayama (lengthening the energy), pratyhara (focusing the awareness within), and dharana (focusing the mind) allowing us to be much better prepared to sit in meditation as the energy is already flowing easier because pratyhara and dharana has already become accomplished.

An Advanced Chakra Meditation This ends the simple chakra purification exercise which accomplishes pratyhara and focuses (dharana) our energy and mind inside freeing us from external disturbance and vagaries (vrtti) and thus acting as a catalyst both toward self empowerment, self healing, and effective meditation. The first practice (given above) is both absolutely safe and purifying as well as energizing. An advanced practice may be undertaken after one has practiced pranayama with kumbhaka (retention) and the three bandhas (mula, uddiyana, and jalandhara bandhas) with an even more powerful effect.

5 The advanced practice is performed as above, but the main difference occurs with the synchronistic use of retention (antar kumbhaka), the bandhas, and more elaborate visualization thusly. At the end of each inhale, having brought the light and breath into the chakra and before the beginning the exhalation, one holds the breath inside (internal kumbhaka) while at the same time performing the three bandhas as a continuous wave starting at the bottom and working upward. While the breath is held inside, the chakra region can be visualized in more detail if desired. A simple and easy addition in this regard is to visualize the chakra region as pulsating in a vibratory wavelike motion adding appropriate color associations to the energy or adding even greater elaboration if one desires. Then, one slowly exhales, before there is any discomfort vibrating the seed syllable as in the above purification practice, paying attention to the subtle quality and tone of the exhalation. This should be done after the chakra purification practice is mastered. It brings more vitalizing energy into the system (good for those who are deficient in prana, tejas, or ojas). One may do this advanced practice feeling both the front and the back of the body vibrating. For some the colors are valuable, for others the sound, for others the breath, and for others it is simply the feeling — the awareness of opening and being filled with light, prana, and strength. To enhance the above after the chakras are purified and open, they can be activated by doing the same as above, but in addition hold the breath (internal kumbhaka) inward utilizing the three bandhas gently for a short duration of time before exhaling and sending the the light out (while the lotus flowers expand). The above is the classic hatha yoga practice, but there are many schools which differ on some specifics. The most controversial is the sound at the crown chakra, but ah is the most common. The second most common sound that is often suggested at the crown chakra is the high pitched sound, hri (pronounced huhreeee). There are also schools which use different sounds at each chakra (rare). Many Western schools give the colors for the chakras like the spectrum starting with red at the root, orange at the swadhistana, yellow at the navel, green at the heart, blue at the throat, purple at the ajna, and white at the crown, but such is not found in classical yoga. Utilized as a simple but profound purification, a white color should be used for all the chakras. As an additional practice the different colors, syllables (sounds) for the various petals, associated deities, and symbols may be used for those who like more detail. Feel free to experiment to ascertain what works best for yourself. To get a powerful effect, the practice can be very simple as in the first part.

6 CHAKRA CHART Chakra

Location

Seed Syl

Prana Element

Kosha

Sharira

Organ

Muladhara earth

Base of the spine

Lam

apana vayu

Annamaya

Sthula

smell

Swadisthana Below Navel water

Vam

vyana vayu

Annamaya

Sthula

taste

Manipura fire

Above Navel

Ram

samana vayu

Pranamaya

Sukshma

seeing

Anahata air

Heart

Yam

prana vayu

Manomaya

Sukshma

feeling

Vishuddha speech

Throat ether (akasha)

Ham

udana vayu

Vijnanamaya

Sukshma

hearing

Ajna

Third Eye

Aum

Vijnanamaya

Sukshma

Sahasrara

Crown

Ah

Anandamaya Karana

Regarding the above chart, one may eventually become aware of the more subtle energies that surround and operate in our life. The various bodies (called sharira in Sanskrit) are associated with the five koshas (sheaths). The coarse physical body (sthula sharira) is of the lowest vibration and most dense. The subtle body (the sukshma sharira) which is often called the astral or energy body is associated with the pranamaya, manomaya, and vijnanamaya koshas depending on its state of purification and transformation, while the causal body (the karana sharira) is associated with the anandamaya kosha which is beyond suffering and bondage. See The Timeless Body of Infinite Light and it’s Finite Manifestations for more.

A Top Down Chakra Meditation Another classical chakra meditation is top down (from sahasrara to muladhara). This one also utilizes a slight retention after the inhalation (antar kumbhaka). Again find a very comfortable, strong, and upright position grounding the tailbone with the earth and placing the pelvis in neutral position so that the spinal column sits erect upon the sacrum. Lift the hear, extend the spine, slightly without tension tuck the chin gently, and implement the energetic form of each bandha (mulabandha, uddiyana bandha, and jalandhara bandha) without strain so there is a felt sense of self supporting mutuality. Let the back of the medial scapulae sink while the top front of the shoulders move up and around and toward the back (posterior). Let the gaze rest at the third eye or nose and implement khechari mudra (if you practice it) or simply

7 place the tongue at the top palate without creating stress to the tongue or jaw. Relax into a feeling of buoyancy. The hands can rest on the knees in chin mudra, jnana mudra, or any other comfortable position that supports the overall energy. Begin by becoming aware of the space above the crown (at the parietal bones which are located top dead center between the occiput in back and frontal bone in front). Center your awareness there and try to feel the empty space above the crown (sahasrara) as a subtle density dynamic, a wind, fluid, wave like etheric pressure variant, or any other such subtle awareness. Visualize the brahmarandhra (hole of Brahma) open at the top of the head. If you do not feel the specific location of the brahmarandhra chose the bregma point (the anterior fontanel at the junction of the frontal and parietal bones) or the posterior fontanel at the junction of the parietal and occiput. If the exact spot is difficult to locate, then try visualizing the entire parietal bone flapping subtly like wings, the sides rise up on the exhalation and come together on the inhalation creating an widening abduction on top. Then on the inhalation breathe energy from infinite Source above the crown and then down into that spot sucking it in through the brahmarandhra. On the exhalation breathe the energy and light back up and out through the brahmarandhra to infinite space. Repeat two or more times until the area feels open, airy, bright, and cleansed. Then on an inhalation breathe fresh new white colored light into the crown (sahasrara) and hold the breath and bandhas in while visualizing the entire frontal cortex and cerebrum fill and flood with white light on the exhalation letting the energy spread outward. On the next inhalation breathe the white light in from infinite Source through the brahmarandhra and down from the crown into ajna chakra filling the third eye, physical eyes, sinus, thalamus, cerebellum, back brain, and brain stem with white light and energy while retaining the breath in implementing the bandhas actively. Exhale the same way again flooding the light outward throughout the region. Repeat breathing white light into the throat chakra (vishuddha), the heart/ lungs (anahat chakra) , the manipura (fire chakra), the swadhistana chakra (water), and muladhara chakra (earth) the same way utilizing an internal retention (kumbhaka) and then a spreading outward of the light energy on the exhalation purifying each and every chakra one by one. It is excellent to move this energy all the way down to the soles of the feet while spreading the white light outward on the exhalation.

8 Let the light spread out in all directions in each chakra. On each exhalation be aware of a vibratory and pulsating afterglow of light in each chakra. After all seven chakras are done this way and you have cleansed and activated the muladhara, then in one long breath breathe in from infinite Source all the way to the muladhara implementing the internal kumbhaka and the bandhas as the light and space is spread throughout the body to each and every system, cell, and atom. During the kumbhaka (breath retention stage) gently compound and suck in and up the energy in the lower cauldron (lower dan dien or hara) below the navel by combining mulabandha and uddiyana bandha. Before the exhalation visualize the energy from muladhara on up from chakra to chakra to the crown completing the circle by containing it. At this phase spread the entire body with white vajra light. As you exhale let loose all the bandhas and slowly let the breath and light connect back to infinite source out the crown of the head as well as sink down to mother nature/creation leaving the entire body and nervous system as an open channel, connected, quickened, livened, strengthened, energized, cleansed, vibrating, and pulsing at an accelerated very intelligent healing frequency. Sit in that afterglow space in a receptive mood and then start your meditation or practice or simply use this time to facilitate energy healing work in specific areas. Eventually allow the breath to return to an equality of inhalation and exhalation or allow the exhalation to be longer in regard to duration and strength. To end send the energy to fill the heart chakra and from there visualize this energy going to every organ, tissue, gland, cell, atom, internal space in the body, outer spaces, all times and dimension. Send this healing infinite universal to the surrounding space, people, trees, community, plants, and animals — to everyone everywhere and throughout the three times.

The Ten and the Many It is best mentioned here that the seven chakra system is classical, but your actual practice does not have to be limited by the classical thought of centuries long past. In the very ancient literature and traditions, there were three chakras or lokas, then later there was five, then six, then seven. In some tantric systems there are 9, 10, 12, and more. One theory is that the vibratory nature of the universe, the galaxy, and hence the earth is accelerating and becoming more refined and diversified as such new energy centers have emerged within the hologram of man. I use ten chakras. Please notice that this experientially works best for me at this time, making no universal claims on its application, but simply will share it here. One may locate the center of the chakras by making FIVE

9 FINGER WIDTH spacing starting from the pubic bone upward. The center of the swadhistana then would be located in the center of the first palm. The second palm will center around the navel region (manipura chakra), then higher up five more finger widths the palm will be under the sternum, its center on top of the spleen, liver, gallbladder, stomach complex. Here we can place an additional chakra and call it the spleen or nabhi chakra with the seed syllable hoh. Five more finger widths to the heart (anahata). Then five more locating the thymus center halfway between the throat and heart chakra at the thymus whose seed syllable is sham). These two chakras Spleen and Thymus) work in resonance (like the throat and navel, ajna and swadhistana, muladhara and sahasrara). The last additional but very important chakra is the Talu chakra located at the cerebellum area and brain stem directly in front of the occiput. Its seed syllable is also aum (like the ajna) Thus we have ten muladhara lam swadhistana vam manipura ram nabhi/spleen hoh anahat yam thymus sham vishudda ham talu aum ajna aum sahasrara ah [For more on a 12 chakra system see the addendum at the Chakra Healing page at Rainbowbody]

The Seven Microcosmic Chakras of the Neck The neck has an “S” shaped curve very similar to the spine and an analogue can be found at each cervical vertebra. This additional chakra practice for the seven vertebra of the neck and as a microcosm for the rest of the spine can be done alone or integrated with the above practices is an excellent 7 step exercise for those with blockages in vishudda chakra, neck, or throat problems. EARTH WATER FIRE AIR

— LAM between the 7th and 6th — VAM between the 6th and 5th — RAM between the 5th and 4th — YAM between the 4th and 3rd

10 AKASHA — HAM between the 3rd and 2nd AUM between the 2nd and 1st AUM again between 1st and then entering into the talu chakra (note that sometimes the name of the chakra behind the occiput at the brain stem is called “talu”, while in other literature, “talu”, refers to the region at the cerebellum.

One can continue to break down the energetic points of the body and give them names and sounds which symbolize their energetic resonance, harmony, activation, and stabilization. Commonly there exist recognition of the chakras at the cupped arches at both feet, at the heels, knees, and both hip joints, the cupped arch at the palms of the hand, the wrists, the elbows, and at both shoulder joints (gleno-humeral joints). In addition many tantric systems recognize at least one chakra below the body belonging to the earth proper and at least in space above the head belonging to the sky region proper. These two follows around the human body where ever it goes as long as it is alive. It is through this body that Shiva’s love is communicated to Shakti, and how Shakti’s love toward Shiva is expressed in a balanced mutual timeless non-dual synchronicity.

CHAKRA AND ENERGY BODY HEALING: MODALITIES FOR CONSCIOUS PRACTICE ON YOURSELF AND OTHERS Introduction: Energy Healing is a Spiritual Discipline The following will not be a summary of the voluminous extant literature available about chakras and energy healing, nor will it be a parroting of such. The “external or objectified knowledge” approach to chakras and energy is more than limited, but rather it is dysfunctional, because it is simply an abstraction, i.e., the symbolic representation should not be confused with the Reality. In other words the functional knowledge to be applied effectively “inside” has to be “self” knowledge — it has to come from a subjective experience or Gnosis. The words, diagrams, sounds, and pictures that anyone can memorize are at best approximate manmade representations, not the real thing, We nonetheless can (and do) “feel” and move our energy without the necessity of manmade graphs, objectification, or the artificial conditions of language and words. At best diagrams are maps that can point in the direction, help focus our energy, and or make suggestions, but we must avoid imposing a template upon organic reality that will limit our actual experience. True knowledge comes from within.

11 First there was one — the Source of All The Creator Seed. In stillness it rested. Then there was two. From the two the many formed.

True understanding of this process in continuity — with integrity — defeats the disease of ego and arrogance. Without this direct experience we are stabbing in the dark. Hence ancient healing sciences were wholistic — they took into consideration the origin of life and creation in order to understand self, the life energy, the nature of existence and in order to heal disease. Physics tells us that nothing can move without voltage - a vector or energetic force AND direction (intelligence). This polar energy is often “represented”, symbolized, or characterized by yin and yang, shakti and shiva, ida and pingala, left and right, earth and sky, front and back, nature and spirit, being and consciousness, right brain/left brain, subjectivity/objectivity, respectively. This “relationship” and its myriad energetic circuits upholds life and potentiates creativity when it is in harmony and synchrony, but when it is corrupted, fragmented, blocked, obfuscated, and distorted disease patterns arise and impact negatively upon the energy body organization, mental organization, and the physical organism as well. This study of the movement of the energy and how the energy vibrates in gross and subtle forms, how it flows, pulsates, and resonates in the human body, how it is harmonized and organized intelligently on one hand; and on the the other how it is corrupted and creates disease, inhibition, fragmentation, and dysfunction is the subject of indigenous wholistic sciences of healing which mostly have become forgotten in the West, but which have survived in the East in forms of yoga, tantra, Taoism, chi gong, acupuncture, and so forth. When this energy direction (intelligence) is out of harmony with Source and Manifestation, spirit and nature, head and root, crown and earth, then it is also corruptive to the physical body. Creative energy is inhibited and misdirected into destructive and pathological behavior while specific tensions, conflicts, and stress (called dis-ease) can be discerned and articulated. The life supporting intelligent energy is innate in all of creation (shakti). Very importantly that means it is inside of all of us (dormant, suppressed, and dissociated as it may be). So as we study energy healing if it is to be honest and effective, we must also be willing to take on the authentic spiritual journey to know our “self’ and look inside. In other words if one is not ready to look inside, then no true knowledge or functionality in this realm can be achieved.

12 Thus the direction of healing for most of us is to invite this innate intelligent energy to take its rightful place in our life, but in order for this self healing to occur usually the conditioned “mind” or left brain reinforced belief systems has to move out of the way to allow for this. Thus the direction of healing (in time and space) is for most of us an indigenous movement from the inside out and earth chakra upward versus one imposed by logic (top down) or from outside authorities (outside to inside). The basic impediment that must be over come is our incessant imposition of the veil of ignorance upon the profound and sacred organic interaction of creator/creation. This veil of sorrow is reinforced by core beliefs, habits, past imprints, past trauma, negative conditioning, false assumptions, bias, prejudice, fear, and all the rest of what are called in classic yogic terminology: kleshas, samskara, vasana, vrtti, or avidya. Regardless of the language or terminology in which to peer into the nature of disease, we will see the same underlying common currents. The beginner can thus be easily seduced by the plethora of various terminology, charts, external authoritative systems, and techniques that deal with the subject, and they often make the mistake to attempt to memorize, conform to, and parrot them. But my warning is that healing lies in the opposite direction, i.e., connecting up with one’s own intelligent energy body. I hope the following will give some encouragement to this “exploration of the “real thing”.

Energetic Exploration into the Territory: Being Open and Vulnerable Instead of attempting to memorize the locations, colors, functions, or other aspects of what is called the chakra system it is necessary to first experience them as they exist in our own energy body by realizing the innate relationship between energy and matter, between body and mind, between emotions and physical dynamics, between our energy patterns and physiological processes. Given the basic principle is that nothing can move without voltage, vector, or polarity, it is essential for us to establish a working feeling/sensitivity for this dynamic in our daily life. This causal force manifested as energy (shakti) and its manifold patterns determines what the shape of the our future health (or disease will become). On a gross level the well known movements inside the body can be discerned as arterial pulse, organ motion, craniosacral pulse, cell mitosis, lymphatic flow, peristalsis, nerve firings, but science have already differentiated thousands more already. Indeed these micro-movements are myriad and when working as a community (an inner ecology) in order to support the organism, health is the natural result.

13 The mind and body are always moving inside and this movement forms the basis of the future state of health or disease. What we think and feel influences this energy and the body just as much as what we do to our body systems influences the nervous system and mind. As we become more aware of this dynamic energetic relationship, the better we will be able to deepen our ability to positively influence it and direct its development. The problem has been that most of us have not been trained to look within — to be sensitive to how we feel and to what we can access inside, but rather our training has been to ignore (as in in ignorance) the reality inside (intuition, instinct, inner wisdom, psychology, and feelings), while overly giving credence external gross and lower vibrating forms of “matter” as being the only thing that is real That is the mistake core belief of gross materialism — and thus the modern age has to overcome the many negative influences and habits built up around that false assumption, bias, and prejudice. Conversely successful energy healing work will depend upon our ability to be aware and sensitive to the inner dynamic operations of this energy. It is the very reclaiming of a primary schism, a dissociation from our body, a numbing out of the dynamic interdependence between our inner and outer ecological energy vortex. This awareness/sensitivity can be reclaimed through many modalities. The most classic are classic Chinese medicine (Qi Gong, Tai Chi, acupuncture), yoga, pranayama, swara yoga, meditation, laya yoga, visualization, tantra yoga, and so forth. Energetic dance, movement therapy, art therapy, continuum, somatics, body psychotherapy, and other energetic forms of body work (such as polarity massage, craniosacral, visceral massage, Jin Shin Do, Huna, Reiki, various schools of shamanism, and similar also work with the energy directly and are a way to so become attuned and aware. First there was the One - The Source Seed. Then there was Two then the many in diverse song and dancing ways became.

Work from Your Energy Body When I go into my own “back body”, energy body, rainbow body, and/or chakra system not only do I understand myself better as I really am, but then I am much better able to understand what is going on with other people energy wise. This non-verbally based and non-left brain dependent “ability” is enhanced through daily meditation, pranayama, visualization, bandha, mudra, and asana practice. It comes from an inner sensitivity and awareness, instead of developing it further consciously (I am certified in craniosacral 1 and 2, Reiki 1 & 2, and have studied anatomy, physiology, Huna, acupuncture,

14 shamanism, polarity, pranic healing, Jin Shin Do, pranayama, chi gong, tai chi, visualization, dance, somatics, music, body psychotherapy, yoga, and other related energy system modalities. Although all these approaches have served to awaken within me a heightened sensitivity and openness to the possibilities, they can also have their own built-in limitations/bias. In this context then it is preferred to let the underlying intelligence which awaits us underneath the energy, then stream unimpeded through the nervous system, organs, cells, and limbs organically and spontaneously without limiting/inhibiting it through prejudicial viewpoints or limited assumptions. For this to occur we must learn how to surrender to it — to know it and trust it.— this involves awakening and reclaiming our innate wisdom, instinct intuition and inner direction which in turn gives us a feeling of self confidence, wellness, and empowerment which obviates any need for external validation of self worth, meaning, acceptance, or self esteem. So the first rule is to drop in to the body (the house of living spirit and the energy body) — to make contact by staying grounded — bringing spirit in. It is to establish this natural flow between crown and root — spirit and nature and let that awesome evolutionary energy of creator/creation animate and instruct us. The flow is up from the earth to the sky and down from the sky to the earth through the living channel/embodiment first drawing a locus of connection between the earth chakra at the perineum or feet with the crown chakra and then moving into it as a felt line of energy. In other words we first have to work on ourselves and maintain this connection in order to work effectively. Some schools call this phase “grounding” or being grounded. You can call it finding your center, core energy, being centered, or activating and abiding in “flow”. In this way we receive an energy treatment/healing at the same time as we give it — as a communion and meditation, and thus we do not fall into the trap of identifying as the creator of the process (see chapter III on the Yoga Sutras for why) but rather just a participant/vehicle in a greater transpersonal process. Nor is helpful to identify with any such self limiting dualistic conception of being a giver while the client is the receiver, but simply as an open channel or vehicle for the life sustaining evolutionary and creative healing dynamics while acting as an ambassador of eternal love — of the innate harmonious and balancing relationship of shiva/shakti, yang/yin (tai chi), father sky/mother earth, etc. Thus the healing session is an opportunity for both to listen, learn, be open, and experience the healing evolution energy together. Although taking a class in energy healing, yoga, shamanic healing, body/ mind healing, chi gong, pranic healing or similar courses from time to time

15 can stimulate our own innate creative process, open us up to broader horizons, increase our sensitivity, and empower us, that kind of activity also has the seductive potential to distract our attention from the innate healing power and intelligence if not placed inside of a transpersonal indigenous/ endogenous perspective. Although there exist “healers” who claim good results through very precise and “tight” structural approaches, my approach has been that everyone will benefit more when the session is viewed with an open mind — as an exploration — as an opportunity for being more deeply present — as a mysterious adventure, spiritual communion, a shamanistic journey, and/or a meditation traveling far beyond the manmade human world of conventional knowing and thinking. Both doing and listening at the same time balances the ida and pingala, the efferent and afferent, the central and autonomic nervous systems, left and right, front and back, up and down, down and up — all and none of these flat plane linear modes but when balance and harmony is reached a profound non-dual synchronicity is realized that defies left brain logic as well as any concept of linear time. Since the knowledge does not come from the outside, but from within, any teacher/healer who emphasizes that truth is an authentic teacher/guide. What I want to emphasize is that everyone has this ability (it is innate to us) and we should not hesitate nor be afraid to touch and play, but rather open ourselves up to the vast healing potential that we all have (mostly laying dormant). As a healer or in a healing session (all life should be approached as such) we have the opportunity to charge our body/mind as a vehicle of love energy. There exist numerous further techniques to invite the energy connections to be made and increase its intelligent presence besides keeping the basic non-dual energy flowing in the central channel (sushumna) through visualization and energetic alignment. Here we can use the breath and prana to increase the charge (from the infinite Source), let it flow through us and at no personal expense to ourselves, become increasingly accustomed to spontaneous flow, streaming of energy, while allowing it to arc over without holding the breath. Here we have invited the healing energy in - evoked it by taking the initiative to create an environment (external framework) of which to more deeply connect and commune. During the treatment we continuously stay intimately connected and commune ever more deeply with this dynamic and intelligent process utilizing witness consciousness, not as “hard” work, but rather as a joyful opportunity that you are giving to yourself as well — a creative, rewarding, fulfilling, effulgent, and joyful labor of love.

16 Energy Body Anatomy The idea that Angela Farmer calls the back body (bringing our awareness back toward the spine in witness consciousness) is the same awareness of what is called the light body, energy body, rainbow body, etc. in other systems. The activation of the energy body occurs as a powerful redirection/ remediation of energy and consciousness which is “ordinarily” misdirected into a dualistic world of appearances where there exists an “apparent” (false) misidentification between externally observed objects (by the five senses) as being separate and distinct from our concept or experience of “self”. Although the flow of energy (prana) in the light body is always present in ordinary dualistic consciousness the flow is greatly obstructed, blocked, and diminished being overridden by the an unbalanced and out of synch flow of energy in the polar (left and right) psychic nerves (the ida and pingala respectively). However when harmony and balance is attained there occurs a synchrony not only in the left and right hemispheres corresponding to the right and left sides of the body or the pingala and ida nadis (psychic nerves) respectively. This is not a conceptual or intellectual realization but we return once again to an energetic dynamic where we feel and experience our center, core energy, as a feeling of synergistic harmony, well being, and wholeness having linked mind and body without conflict, consciousness and being, spirit and nature, sky energy and earth energy within our own existence as a vital and evolutionary part of creation being linked therein all the way back to the beginningless creator as well as into the future. When we get this evolutionary energy “balanced” correctly, the energy literally raises us up off our feet — it supports and embraces us in a direct way (as such it is called the kundalini). Here there exist many dimensions and all dimensionless space — ecological circuits within ecological circuits, vortexes within vortexes — holographic realms where the inner and outer (microcosm and macrocosm) are no longer seen as separate, disparate, nor dual — but linked together in a profound circle. Ultimately therefore this linking is mystical/mysterious in the sense of not being capable of reached with left brain logic (the conceptual and academic/ analytical process). Rather its realization actually depends upon letting go of these self imposed limitations conceptual dualistic beliefs. In this sense then the amplification of the right brain modality can be the functional doorway (for those who are left brain over dominant and imbalanced). Yet once we become balanced in this way, the synergistic symmetry created in sushumna (the central column in yoga where non-dual energy flows) flow is neither right nor left, top or bottom, front or back, but rather profoundly central (non-straight plane).

17 Thus some sort of body/mind right brain amplification practice is most valuable to any practitioner in order to first to be able to access this state within ourselves (only then can we share it) whether we move in asana, daily life, sit in meditation, perform sacred dance, healing song, music, or other similar right brain amplification practices. As long as this brings balance (we are assuming that the right brain has previously become abandoned, repressed, or dissociated) this method becomes a doorway into a realm of balance — centering ourselves in awareness of the energy body, subtle body, light body, rainbow body or vajra body no matter how slight our awareness may be at first. As our self awareness deepens the energy flow deepens at the same time as this state of deep interconnectedness becomes established and with this synchrony an overall amplification (of the functionality of both the right and left brain hemispheres) is catalyzed so that awareness becomes even more easy (moving from extremely subtle to prevalent). Here the healing ability/wisdom occurs spontaneously arising by itself from inside out independent of the accumulation of external facts, knowledge, adherence to belief systems, doctrine, vrttis, pramanas, hierarchical status, certifications, licensure, degrees, or other entirely artificial systems and approaches. Classical hatha yoga is rich in techniques which bring our attention inside, focusing on the psychic anatomy and energy body practices/techniques that are precisely designed to purify, activate and balance our left and right (ida and pingala) and front and back energy flows and then gently guide/direct this energy to flow in the central column (sushumna). Laya, tantric, swara, and kundalini yoga also deal with the integration and manipulation of the energies (sometimes all the practices are combined). Thus an authentic indigenous approach to yoga provides a sensate and accessible framework or context where we can thus analyze, center, activate, and heal ourselves and everyone else (clients, students, friends, acquaintances, etc.) in kinesthetic and energetic terms relating to energy patterns, energetic qualities, energy obstructions, and in terms of energy balance as to where the energy may be imbalanced, blocked, dammed up (congested), stagnant, static, weak (depleted), distorted, (or any other qualitative characteristic such as color, shape, density, temperature, hue, coarseness, strident, and similar) and then devise methods to re-establish synchronistic balance and energy flow. Again this ability is made possible first by ourselves entering into this operative dimension of awareness and experience. For it to reach its fullest potential we must also learn to honor it and keep it active and flowing during everyday life circumstances.

18 Diagnosis and Treatment Specific methods of healing are unlimited as they are subtle and intricate. The dear reader should know that the following is only a coarse and rough outline of energy diagnosis and healing techniques. Left and right, front and back, top and bottom are easy ways to structure the diagnostic healing “search”, and it can be done through visual examination, palpation, making passes with the hands to feel the qualities and densities of the energy, and/or analysis of the air flow through the nostrils. The front, bottom, and left sides of the body (along with the right brain crossing over at the third eye) is associated with the ida or chandra nadis while the back, top, and right side of the body (along with the left brain again crossing over at the third eye) is associated with the pingala or surya nadis. For example if someone is overly contracted or collapsed forward being bent over to the front we may surmise that the surya nadi (pingala) is over active or the chandra nadis or ida is depleted or under active, because the pingala nadis (male energy not only is associated with the right side of the body and left brain (male) but also the back energy (rising up the back), while the ida is associated with the left side of the body, the right brain (crossing over at the third eye) and the energy running up the front of the body (female). In this as a simple experiment we might suggest the emphasis of backbends as a simple remedial measure. Most “illnesses” can be analyzed by simply analyzing the energy patterns, blockages, stagnations, depletion, flow, or their lack of flow and then treated to reestablish homeostasis. Often a collapsed body which appears overly passive, yin, soft, yielding, hyper-parasympathetic tone, heightened afferent nervous function, ida dominant, over active afferent nerves, or right brain dominant function associated with the female will appear to be the opposite of a body which is stiff, rigid, armored, overly contracted, hard, yang, or other wise associated with hyper-sympathetic tone, over active efferent nerves, pingala, or male associated functions. These are two extreme energetic ways of viewing the possibilities, but we will suggest that even what appears as a collapse is often do to an energy dam, a contraction and folding inward as protection around an old pain, trauma, unresolved conflict inhibition, weakness, feeling of vulnerability, fear, grief, etc. with the obvious exception of situations that are drug induced or the result of over stretched ligaments. The many possible situations will speak to us very clearly and our own activated energy body will go directly to the balanced (correct) mode of intervention. In other situations the causal obstruction may mirror a similar obstruction that is imbedded or brings up a resonant blockage in our own mental/emotional (manomaya kosha) , energy (pranamaya kosha), or belief

19 system (jnanamaya kosha) bodies so that we may either be forced to do healing on ourselves or otherwise be stumped. Similarly we may find often the energetic problem is a symptom reflecting past conditioning, a stubbornly held core belief system, armoring and contraction around a past trauma, an imbedded fear, guilt, past negative karma or habits — animosity, anger, grudges, greed, compensatory desires, complexes glued together in anger, and many other similar energetic propensities that have components other than the “simply” the physical. All these wholistic relationships and more can be accessed and positively influenced through “energy work”, but the therapist must embrace the wholistic framework wherein there is no isolation/separation between the body/mind, belief systems, life styles, thoughts, and emotions from that of the physical symptoms. Here the therapist must be firmly grounded, centered, and balanced in their own core/heart energy and thus able to accept the patients pain, fear, and other such elements of disease without themselves being disturbed or negatively influenced — in order for the therapist to be fully present and effective and creatively and joyfully work responsibly. Classically; the chakras can exist in : a state of deficiency (depletion) which is often cool or blue distortion, congestion, and stress (where the flow is blocked above or below it) which is sometimes mistaken as being diagnosed as “over active”. This can also appear often as being represented as being hot or red or in a state of healthy and synchronized interactive flow. In other words disease may manifest in energy terms as an imbalance, a depletion, or a congestion while “treatment” is always aimed at re-balancing and removing stasis to the “natural and healthy” flow of energy which includes purifying/opening the congested channels and/or centers. Here we can cool the hot and over active (overly rajasic) and heat the overly cold and sluggish (tamasic) if we chose to use the Ayurvedic breakdown of the three gunas which are composed of rajas (hot and stimulating), satva (balanced and pure), and tamas (slow and cool). There of course exist equal richness in the Chinese energetic system (yin/yang, cool/hot, wet/dry, etc.). Such approaches include techniques of energizing/stimulating on one hand or soothing/ calming/cooling on the other while re-establishing balance and harmony — re-activating the innate dormant evolutionary/creative circuitry. Most schools emphasize first purification of the area, then removal of congestion (sweeping) and lastly then energizing or balancing the area. Indeed this will avoid some untoward effects if one were start first energizing without clearing the obstructions to the flow, but in some cases where the energy is already critically depleted and the patient is very weak and cold, energization at first may be best.

20 The overall description of our approach can be simplified even further by stating that the process can be reduced to the idea of purification of the channels and pathways because purification will at the same time remove obstruction of flow in the area where it is blocked (thus facilitating removal of congestion) and at the same time the energy is now able to flow to energize the areas that may have been depleted (due to the blockage/obstruction). A careful reading will show that purification not only relieves congestion and restores depletion, but also restores balance and homeostasis simply because the energy is now flowing unobstructed being self regulated by the natural intelligence inherent in the healthy organism. This is not unlike some shamanistic techniques which use a form of drawing out of an evil spirit or exorcism in order to effect the overall “cure”. 1.

2.

It is essential first to take on the responsibility of understanding and healing ourselves and then we are able to heal others, i.e., to surrender to the innate and indigenous healing powers and intelligence within). Many times this can happen simultaneously, but it must always include taking care of your own energy system and never approaching pranic healing as a sacrifice, barter, or transfer of your personal energy (but rather it is always more valuable to stay in tune always with the transpersonal universal life energy acting from this central intelligent core as much as possible). One must realize that this is the same evolutionary energy that is inside of all of life and creation (it is not an exclusive or personal endogenous ability, but rather transpersonal as a result of millions of years of co-creative/co-evolutionary interdependent dynamic inter-relationships). It helps to ask for help from some “outside” force that you have a balancing affinity with such as a specific helper from the angel, deva, plant or animal spirit world, archetypal world of gods and goddesses, the universe (such as the sun or stars, nature/creation/creator in general, or at the very least your highest self). Be sure to thank these helpers (usually silently) at the end and ascribe any “miracles” to them (rather than the lower self or ego). This will save us trouble falling back into duality and increase our abilities to align with infinite power and wisdom in the long run. We are all in this together even though our present culture or peers will not acknowledge that “fact”. There exist many techniques in psychic healing that are similar while many practitioners are interdisciplinary and eclectic incorporating more than one of these techniques. Given the two basic techniques above, the following specific techniques may or not be suitable for everyone.

21 3.

4.

5.

Next we can concentrate our awareness on our own back body (light body) grounding the tailbone deep into the earth and at the same time extending the line of energy through the crown to the highest point (brahmabindu at the brahmarandhra) connecting up with the formless Seed/Source above and the Abundant Mother below. Intend that love be embodied and healing be done now. Wash out the hands and cleanse your own system. Activate internal flow especially through (in and out) from the feet and hands. Focusing upon your own light body, sensitize and charge your hands. Get in touch with the feet, chakras, belly, and breath in relationship with the back body. Go deep inside for this conscious connection. In this regard even the slightest amount of bodhicitta helps tremendously in transforming any possible negative conditions. Scan the person’s aura asking questions with your hand not mouth) such as is this hot or cold, thick or thin, red or blue, clockwise or counterclockwise, congested and full versus depleted and desirous of energy, and so forth maintaining an inner dialogue of asking questions and allowing for answers. One method is to use the finger tips of one hand to receive prana and the center of the opposite palm to send it, but both can be used. The fingers can also be allowed to perform delicate actions and in Huna each finger is assigned a corresponding element quality. The hand can also sense vortexes and synchronize and re-tune the existing vortexes. Approach these subtle possibilities with loving attention and let the intelligence of the client guide you. As mentioned cleansing alone is often sufficient to allow for healing to occur because it opens flow from congested areas so that it can energize depleted areas and reestablish balance, but if you are good at concentration, very specific operations may be attempted with the finger tips as long as you have a good diagnosis and a clear idea of what you are doing. For many this diagnosis stage can seem like an artificial imposition, an unnecessary limitation, get in the way, or slow things down so that they combine this step (four) with step five (below) as one process/movement. After the energy diagnosis we can purify and open the systems that felt clogged and obstructed, energize the areas from the source of prana (use the sun if need be), and soothe, calm, and sweep out and clear any areas that still feel congested. Perform any specific operations or visualizations that you desire after entering more deeply. There exist an unlimited amount of possibilities here. For instance in some systems the hands are placed on two chakras of choice simultaneously. For example one hand may be placed over or on the sacrum (at the muladhara chakra)

22 and the other hand over or on the back of the occiput (talu chakra) as in craniosacral and polarity therapy). In a similar approach the hands are placed over a chosen center/chakra (one hand in front of that center and the other hand in the back of the same center) simultaneously. For example in many Reiki moves and craniosacral therapies. In some forms of Jin Shin Do, fingers touch two or more acupuncture points simultaneously transferring, balancing, and harmonizing psychic energy flows. In another system the hands never really touch the physical body, etc. The point here is that after the awareness of the energy vibrations and pulses are attuned to through opening the nadis (energy channels/ pathways) within ourselves then we are able to consciously direct the energy through intention. Cit means conscious awareness and prana means energy. Here we work with the cit-prana by becoming aware of the connection within of the energy as well as the energy of consciousness itself. Even without knowing the exact pathways consciously, just the subtle awareness and the intention are sufficient to allow the energy to move because the prana as the life force has an innate intelligence. After awhile we can apply the cit-prana at will, focusing on any area, both in ourselves and others. As our own eyes open, we open to the possibilities in the world and in others. Many more detailed variations are possible and if so called to, many include working with the elements (water, air, fire, earth, and akasha (ether), the elementals (intelligent dynamic relationships and guardians formed around various natural phenomena), plants, totems, nature spirits, subtle form bodies, spirits, and the Great Spirit. Connecting up energy centers, balancing and harmonizing the previously restricted body/mind energy flows, opening up blockages, calming and cooling irritated or over loaded areas, stimulating previously strangulated and dormant centers, reprogramming negative emotional and mental habits, and similar approaches requires sensitivity — a requisite degree of waking up — of being open. Humans have not perfected “healing” as a perfect science, but one can become more efficacious by matching the most efficacious modality to the right person. This then depends on the previous sections being developed by learning how to be present with “the other” and to listen openly and completely without judgment (listen and look from one’s inner sense of knowing or innate intelligence), to have the courage and compassion to be with that person’s pain and suffering. This requires the “healer” to be centered, aligned, stabilized, and grounded in their own core energy being — it requires the self confidence, courage,

23

6.

inspiration, consciousness, compassion, and self empowerment that such integrated groundedness affords. This comes with openness, receptivity, loving intent, and practice. Healing, loving intent, and spirit leads. Ending the session, make sure you exit slowly and intend that all things be placed where they belong. End up with stabilizing and grounding techniques while compacting the client’s energy body (containing their energy within an aura of love and healing) while slowly withdrawing your “touch” and energy with a healing prayer for the benefit off all beings. Here we can seal the energy body, but always with the clear conscious intent to allow the good, healing, natural, and loving energies to be able to enter and the noxious elements to leave (being recycled back by mother nature). For example carbon dioxide, human waste, pus, etc are food for the plants, bacteria, worms, etc. In turn animal and plant “waste” provide the basis for human food, energy,and air.

For example in Huna specifically, we are taught how to leave a drain for any noxious contamination to complete its removal over time, and/or how to empower temporary elemental allies to provide healing assistance for specific time periods when those elements can form a synergistic relationship. Man is ally to nature in his evolved modality. As such man is here to act as allies in healing and evolution with all of nature, just as nature is here to assist man. This natural healing relationship in the modern world has been mostly forgotten, but nonetheless this tragedy of dismemberment can be invoked — a host of allies are available should our heart allow. It is a good idea to generate the bodhicitta (the aspiration for the complete enlightenment and end of confusion and suffering) at the crown chakra after withdrawing and let the client clearly know that you are finished with the session (verbally or symbolically), checking in with them that they are OK, and that they may take their time getting up. Finishing may vary considerably. One commonly effective method is to leave with the right hand on the client’s third eye and the other hand on their heart or navel center checking in with them as to consciousness awareness (at the third eye) and joining that awareness to their heart or energy center (at the navel or heart) with a full body smile. Words are not always helpful or necessary. Check to ground yourself with mother earth and connect with father sky and again intend that this evolutionary and creative intelligent transpersonal loving energy that has created all of us become active and dominant in providing direction in our lives. Place confidence in this eternal omnipresent love, affirm, and surrender into it with infinite humility, gratitude, and joy in completion.

24 During a session there is a wealth of power and innate intelligence to draw from if only we are able to be present. Some healing approaches may include entering into verbal dialogue with the client while working; asking them what they want to accomplish; ask how they feel here or there, ask them to ascribe representative symbols to the feelings of disease or pain; have them recount a past experience that appears to be energetically related and provoke the catharsis of any associated emotions, feelings, and thoughts; ask them to participate in the process by breathing in a golden light into specific areas, and or moving energy in a specific region. A valuable skill is to always work in the present, knowing absolutely that it is the healer’s ability to stay present that brings forth the insight and healing energy, that allows the healer to be effective, and as such the healing is always mutual and transpersonal. In this way the transpersonal healing infinite Source of the healing energy is invoked and amplified.

Healer: Heal Thyself A basic rule that “healers” often need to be reminded of is that there is an infinite amount of energy in the universe and that a yogic healer should NOT be transferring personal prana from self to the client, but rather is simply acting as an inter-mediator or transpersonal facilitator allowing the conscious source of the healers own life intelligence to communicate directly with the other person’s conscious intelligent life energy and then after establishing contact allow the Source to facilitate change. In this way on a physical level we are asking the client’s dna and intelligent energy patterns to communicate to the healer (agency) what the nature of the difficulty is and then have the healer communicate with Infinite Mind facilitating the necessary transfer of information and implementation through the physical structure of the hands. If you are doing healing on others an important principle to implement is to not only ask permission, but inquire and evoke from the client the enthusiastic desire or intent to make a healing change in their own body/mind (whatever it takes) in order for healing to take place. Because without this receptive positive state as an energetic precursor, the effort may well be a waste of time. If the client has the attitude of “I don’t want to change, just you (the doctor) fix me so that I can go on with my life the same way”, then the chances of an enduring success may be greatly diminished. When the client has a unified will toward becoming well, being healed, and coming into physical, emotional, and psychic health, then the process has less friction and becomes a process of mutual cooperative and education. Change may be accompanied by both/or physical and mental catharsis (by catharsis one surrenders the obfuscations and noxious energy). Catharsis

25 can be slow and sweet. Grieving and crying is often cathartic, however the expression of stored anger can sometimes re-traumatize, so when anger is touched upon it is titrated and allowed to come out while the facilitator holds the loving space — stabilizes themselves in the healing process. If the client has a need to talk (and it appears to be cathartic) then the facilitator may allow or even encourage it. If talk however seems to be resistive or escapist convince the client to go back into their breath and/or give them a remedial visualization to do in order to help refocus the energy. If a catharsis occurs due to a painful past trauma or otherwise pain, fear, anger arise only a skilled facilitator strongly stabilized in their own core should continue to evoke this unless re-traumatization or over stimulation occur. Thus it is safest to pay attention to the client’s energy, facial expressions, and breathing as gross signs of a deep unresolved disturbance perhaps triggering an over-stimulation reaction and if such a reaction is arising be able to know how to contain it, soothe the energy, balance it, and access a peaceful restorative mode when called for. These hyper-sensitive regions then can be returned to in future sessions and slowly titrated (brought into context without having the individual become overwhelmed by it).

Personal Experience Thirty five years ago I began a conscious study of herbs, diet, and energy healing with yoga, polarity therapy and acupuncture. Later studies in shamanism, Huna, Reiki, craniosacral, holographic healing, pranic healing, Jin shin do, and related energy work were added thanks to many teachers, mainly Dr. Mishra (Sri Brahmananda) and Nicki Scully as inspirations. What I learned is that the intent was all important, that I needed to act not from the head, but rather much more deeply — from the energy body — the core energy. Here we take a moment to attune inside to the innate wisdom inherent in the body and to the entire cosmos — to the Source. Here the two energy bodies (that of the client and the facilitator) should be allowed to communicate directly from that deeper wholistic context of reality. I learned that harder and more was not better. I learned that the healing energy and intelligence was transpersonal, limitless (limited only by our ignorance), and ever present, and to move from that deep grounded space in an energetically balanced and kinesthetic way where efferent and afferent, pingala and ida, yang/yin, shiva/shakti, inner and outer, spirit and nature — all the koshas and bodies were intermingled, of one taste, and always working synergistically, synchronistically, and in concert. Further practice in yoga and meditation has led me to a greater appreciation of the energy body which has increased over time, while the recent advances in the West of Body Psychotherapy, somatics, and movement therapeutics have helped validate and enrich my practice.

26 The Chakra System Chakra is a s Sanskrit word which means circle of energy, wheel of energy, spinning vortex of energy, or energetic center. As mentioned there are many chakra systems, and the reader is again reminded that the various systems as written and described in colors, sounds, diagrams, and words, are merely symbolic representations i.e., they should not be confused with the actual inner reality which must be experienced as an active operational intelligent energy dynamic pattern which correspond to emotional, psychological, belief system, and spiritual interactive dynamics as well as physical vectors (versus a representational abstraction, objectification, or separate fact apart from our subjective direct experience). One way to view the hyman chakra system is from the ultimate point of view (the crown center or sahasrara chakra). An infant has the fontanels (brahmarandhra) wide open at the crown (at the lambda and bregma points) crown points, but he/she has no ability to walk, to sense the earth, or to know embodied existence yet. Despite their DNA and inherent operating system they are brand new to manifest creation and must get to know the earth body )the muladhara chakra). Life then becomes a process of learning the connections between infinite and absolute unborn spirit and the force of creative evolution a sit manifests in the universe of form and content. If this holy quest is kept intact throughout life, then the budding infant recognizing the creative principle in all of creation learns to activate the evolutionary tools of the body (chakra circuits) and lives a creative and fulfilled life in harmony with the spiritual and universal matrices. Where these energetic matrices intersect within the human body, are the chakras. they are the result/product or interstices (if you like) of the physical body, the energy body, the mental and emotional bodies, the wisdom body, our karma, and unconditioned divine creative spirit. At death the human body expires by reabsorbing/withdrawing the prana at each chakra and rejoining infinite Source at the crown. But a wholistic life consists in developing the chakras — learning about them, activating them, integrating them, and acting from this deep place of integration (samadhi). The chakra system can be reduced then to crown (sahasrara) and earth (muladhara) while all other chakras must align and stabilize around those two poles — they are all fed from the integration and harmonization of these two poles, while it is the negative/ afflictive emotions (called kleshas connected to our karma) which distort, weaken, discolor, toxify, and stress the chakra vortices. One way to see this is to see the chakras as the energetic result and interaction of the five koshas (see below).

27 With that introduction in mind, the reader is again reminded that the chakra system is not to be viewed outside of the sacred/spiritual realm of creator/ creation, shiva/shakti, yang/yin, or father sky/mother earth, in All Our Relations. Any such objectification/abstraction will only further alienate us and produce counterproductive results — it will impose a limited dysfunctional filter, veil, and discoloration. So we are reminded that in the sacred Now, as in the beginning, exists the Everlasting — Beginningless Source Seed and in this Great Integrity — NOW and FOREVER — in completion and wholeness - in continuity both the source stillness and the flow exist as One. From this undistorted Wholeness and Integrity every “thing” -all phenomena — is seen as the river’s movement — all things are on fire. So if the infant were to maintain that continuity of consciousness from the eternal Source into life in all our relations, then no discolorations would occur — the chakras would develop naturally in one’s stages of development and remain open, activated, integrated and conscious. That is the healthy ideal, but in most situations negative conditioning (karma) and ignorance (with the kleshas) takes over and blocks, dissipates, or distorts this natural evolutionary flow. This happens when our programmed beliefs and false identities come into conflict with nature/creation as it is (Universal Reality) — the cosmos as it is versus the cosmos as our distorted constructed mindsets would prefer it to be. Even though underneath our conditioned projections, distortions, prejudice, delusion, illusion, and manmade belief systems universal creativity always exists as Real, the infant is programmed to see an altered state of “things” — a contrived and transgenerational ignorance and prejudice sets in. In prime momentum then, two were created, but they as a whole are part of a greater whole. Hence the source of polarity, voltage, and duality —the source of DNA, were formed. This two became the apparent distinction of heaven and earth, yang and yin, father/mother, spirit/nature, siva/shakti, creator/creation, consciousness/being, crown chakra/earth chakra, kether/ malkuth, ein soph and shekinah, pingala/ida, and the like while in Integrity they are contained in the whole as one dynamic relationship — in the Reality of Eternal Beginningless Now. They are linked by the central column, Yggdrasil, the tree in the center of the earth, the axis mundi, Mt. Meru, the sushumna (where the kundalini flows), the healing staff (caduceus), Ouroboros, Tiamet, Nidhogg (the Midgard serpent), etc. In yoga it is this sushumna (central column) which unites heaven and earth —which is the channel of this loving, healing, and evolutionary intercourse and dialogue. The authentic sushumna is rainbow hued, non-flat planed. and multidimensional — it is the channel where the activated kundalini goddess

28 (creative/evolutionary energy) flows. In “normal (nut unnatural life) this natural flow of kundalini has become blocked and/or distracted/dissipated. Where such distortions. blocks, or discolorations occur, there become negative energy vortexes and hence physical disease is created. Hence in this context the two most important poles in the human body are the crown and earth chakras (top and bottom) which are linked by the sushumna (central nadi). These are the two polar opposites which have further representations left/right and front/back, afferent/efferent, parasympathetic/ sympathetic, autonomic/central nervous systems, etc . In truth we must learn to operate outside of the narrow limitations of dualistic consciousness, outside of the illusion of three dimensional (space/time), rather from the non-lineal fourth dimension (called turiya in yoga which is also called samadhi). this is the open ground of nondual reality where crown and earth chakras are united in true bliss and wholesomeness. As we discern the two prime chakras we also observe the two polar strands of dna. For the healing chakra work to be successful we must keep in mind the intracellular dna intertwined as it were in a spiral snakelike dance as it is in all of life (symbolized by ida and pingala) and feel it in every cell, but yet go ever deeper. As we reclaim our innate birth rights (recover from our estrangement from living spirit) our consciousness becomes aware of the more subtle and hence the energy behind all of so called matter”. Here as “self” awareness and consciousness developed through awareness of “the two” forces, the more refined and differentiated his awareness becomes — the more his eyes become opened to what is in Reality. It is with these opened activated eyes that man heals. The two polar forces and chakras, become the unity of the three (the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva and hence the three granthis of yoga were delineated (see below) as portals into all dimensions of being. Further evolution provided further delineation and articulations and elaborations, but beyond all elaborations always is — is the “is-ness”. Then the five, the seven the nine and the twelve, and the infinite became intertwined. As such those who have returned to pure subtle awareness even beyond the most subtle have taught methods for fragmented people to become whole again and integrate (yoga). WE IN OUR DAILY LIFE AND HEALING WORK ARE NO SEPARATE FROM THIS PROCESS OF CO-EVOLUTION. IN FACT WHEN WE EXTRACT OUR SELVES FROM THIS PROCESS WE WITHER, DRY UP, STARVE, AND EVENTUALLY DIE. WE A AN INETGRAL PART OF THIS INTEGRATIVE PROCESS. A major problem in mankind’s fall, was that man became bogged down into unbalanced centrifugation into the periphery forgetting his core and

29 essential nature. He lost his center and his soul in exchange for the ersatz comfort of material substance. But there is no lasting happiness, comfort, or security that way. It in fact is the result of delusion. That is called corruption (or sin) but it is simply the forgetfulness of the great Integrity. The common modern man has become lost in his artifacts — his contrived and artificial symbolic illusions/delusions brought about by limited conceptual belief systems and habituated and institutionalized false identifications. Another problem was that man tried to reestablish his lost center through doctrine which also became a left brain dominant limitation and bondage and through his attempt to conquer fear through dominance over nature which corresponds to his left brain/intellectual dominant stance over the right brain (feeling/receptive) sensitivities. These two conspire together as a misplaced momentum — a pathologic energetic vector which at best is neurotic — which creates the glue in modern man to limit and enslave him unless he finds the courage/inspiration to liberate himself. Hence although we will discuss chakra healing here, ultimately any “healing cure” has to be seen essentially as a process of spiritual awakening. Working with the energy of the chakras then as a practice, includes not only working with the dna, cells, tissues, glands, nerves, muscles, glands, organs, bones, skin, blood, and interactive energetic systems, but also the interconnected emotional, psychological, core belief system, and spiritual evolutionary processes of the individual’s inner and outer ecology. All of these relationships can be accessed through chakra and kosha work — as the dance of Shiva. Classically medieval hatha yoga ended with a seven psychophysical chakra system. Kashmir tantra often has nine or more chakras. Earlier Indian tantra often gives only five although later seven or nine are common. The most common systems that we see use seven major chakras while others offer a myriad number of minor chakras and marmas (energy points at the interstices of the koshas). We will use the classic seven as examples in these pages, however I would like to make it clear that in my own experience, I believe that seven is an anachronism in the twenty-first century. What I would like to suggest for further consideration elsewhere that what is now attempting to evolve and become actualized/activated in human existence are twelve chakras and alongside that twelve energetic dimensions/permutations of DNA.

Specifics in Relationship to Healing at the First Three Chakras The earth chakra being that particular center associated when spirit touches nature, consciousness touches form, or heaven mingles with earth is the point of differentiation itself — the point of immanence and rich diversity—

30 it is the fertile earth while spirit is the undifferentiated seed. The earth chakra is the doorway to abundance — every “thing” — all of existence and creation in its rich diversity and yet it is in constant transformation (change) being temporal and evolving. At the other pole, the crown center is the nothingness or formless realm which contains the seed (potential) of everything. Hence in the sense of simple polar balancing the crown and the root chakra (and all in-between) work can be undertaken simultaneously. In other words all the work can be accomplished between these two poles while and the flow between them is not to be taken lightly but rather attended to. It is not a coincidence that modern society with its widespread air pollution, water pollution, food pollution, mind pollution, destruction of ecosystems, destruction of other species, war, murder, and contrived disease have created a god who is in heaven — a god who one goes to when one dies, an unearthly god, and thus a spiritually alienated belief system and life where sacred spirit is denied in creation/nature and the cosmos. At the bottom of this unhealthy abomination is our alienation from our naturalness, wildness, our animal part and our incessant desire for control. We no longer trust our feelings, our instinct, our intuition, and have lost touch with our inner wisdom and natural alliance with the plants, trees, animals, rocks, wind, and cosmos — all living things. A big part of this war and conflict thus is rooted in the war or disconnectedness from our cognitive sense and our somatic sense, from the mind and body — from the innate unity of consciousness and beingness (Cit with Sat), of spirit and all of nature, of creator and creation — in short our sense of place and well beingness — a basic sense of security. As a neurotic compensation we try to create external law and order systems — security states, control and predictability over wilderness and cosmos, but such is the disease not the solution. The healing rather is to come to terms with the muladhara — the earth center — with the physical body, with spiritual embodiment, and the body of all life. We know the earth via the body — the earth and the body are from one source. This secure knowledge of who we are in a body (but not of the body) is earth chakra knowledge. WIth this knowledge we feel at home here with mother earth which the body has co-evolved with for millions of years in which the earth has co-evolved with the cosmos since beginningless time. Without this knowledge — this interconnectedness we contrive artificial protection and security systems. We become afraid and contrive false identifications for protection in terms of racial alliances, tribal wars, chauvinism, xenophobia, nationalistic wars, genocide, etc. but all that is not because of the lowest chakra — it is not the fault of the earth chakra, but rather it is the fault of its cognitive denial — of an arrogant ego who holds it nose up to it and won’t

31 look down in love and beauty. The alienation from life and the earth chakra is the leading number one cause of disenfranchisement from healing (illness and disease) on the planet. Here too many people confuse the symptoms with the cause. The problem is not the earth or nature, but rather our own cognitive confusion and arrogant belief systems (ego). The body is not the ego, it is god’s creation — it is a sacred portal for those who engage upon the sacred science. One can go and praise the earth chakra without end (it is needed because it so maligned) but knowledge about it is one thing, but direct experience of it’s activation tells all. All that is necessary here is for us to embrace life and run our energy consciously through this chakra connecting up with the great courage, the great confidence, the great stabilization, healing sense of security, and timeless connection with all life and creation that an open earth chakra provides. All the lower three chakras are maligned in a society which is fear ridden, over objectified, estranged from nature and the natural, estranged from our somatic feelings and experience, and our hence cognitive based. All of the lower three chakras have a specific energetic that require attention, recognition, acknowledgement, and respect if we wish to reclaim our lives and health. It requires openness and flow for us to be balanced and healthy. These three more strongly correspond with the physical body than the upper three (the heart being at the feeling center at the center point). On a physical level the earth chakra provides knowledge of nature, healing, herbs, nature, instinct, smell, etc. The characteristics of the healthy and open earth chakra can thus be read as fulfillment, richness, and abundance when energy is flowing between it — the earth below, and the crown above. When the energy is blocked or deficient most likely we can investigate the possibilities of abundance problems (scarcity consciousness), insecurity problems, self doubt, issues of lack of self acceptance, safety issues, fear of death, fear of living (which includes fear of death), protection issues, lack of trust, feelings of alienation, cynicism, despair, nihilism, and in severe cases paranoia and catatonia. Where it can’t go down we feel disconnected, lonely, estranged, and mistrustful and when it can’t flow upward we fear change, inhibit our evolutionary organic nature, creativity and integration. Lack of downward flow is associated with constipation and holding and can manifest in the foot, leg, knee, hemorrhoids, sciatica, hip, thigh, SI joint pain and similar problems while lack of upward flow may manifest in lack of vigor (sexual, metabolic, passionate, creative, or mental), vertigo, lethargy, collapse, etc.

32 Too much downward flow may manifest as diarrhea, profuse menstruation, wobbly legs, and illnesses brought about by excessive tamas. The way we walk and move the tailbone and sacrum (or its lack) is related to the earth chakra. Excessive stimulation of the earth chakra (rare) without an outlet (having a blockage) to the second, third, and fourth chakras can manifest in over hyperactivity at any of the chakras. The earth chakra (muladhara) is the most important chakra in hatha yoga, It is where the kundalini lies dormant and it is where the prana and apana are to be balanced for the energy (kundalini) to flow in the central column (sushumna) . This should not be interpreted as just some mystical gibberish, but yet the words certainly are symbolic of a very powerful energetic. Again once flow is reached in the sushumna it is neither left nor right, nor up nor down — flow is in both directions simultaneously. Again the muladhara and sahasrara chakras are the two most important energetic centers while the sushumna is the most important psychic nerve (that connects them) directly. Physically this area is associated with the perineum, tailbone, glands of Luska, and pelvic diaphragm. This short introduction to chakra healing will never do justice to the earth chakra or kundalini, but the beginning practitioner should know that it to be greatly respected and can be gone to (in conjunction with the crown by placing the right hand on the skull and left on the tailbone region to balance energy or move energy through the entire system. This area is often congested so elongating smoothing and softening passes with the hands up and down over this area can often be of value. The muladhara is the integrative physical center of the body and its support center. Similarly the second chakra (water chakra) called the swadhistana chakra can suffer from deficiency or blocked energy flow through it (functional flow). The water chakra is the energy vortex that reflects the health of our procreative function on the physical level (something that this society generally associates with sin and danger), but on an emotional/energetic, and mental level it represents how we interact with all our relations — how we engage and have a two way intercourse (communication and flow) with other beings and things. If it is blocked or toxic then these functions become imbalanced. For example some people who have blocked second chakra energetics (water chakra) compensate by neurotic talking, over eating, or excessive sublimation/discharge elsewhere. Often because the energy may be blocked at the water chakra then discharging this energy there in excessive sex or in urination problems sometimes result although the actual energetics of all these functions are the result of manifold interactions.

33 When it is deficient in energy there is deficiency in the sexual, generative, procreative, and creative urges. This is a motive force chakra where innate evolutionary energies are expressed and generative and regenerative energies are stored and expressed. In illness where these flows are damned up or restricted. Here resides our connection with fluid flow, the sea, change, shape shifting, seminal and creative ideas, imagination, creative inspiration, instinct, and spontaneity. When sexual disturbances exist many people mistakenly suggest that there is too much energy flowing in the chakra, but what really is happening is that the energy is congested, dammed up/blocked, stepped on, abused, inhibited from flowing either below or above, and hence it “appears” to want to come “out” and be discharged (or there is fear and shame associated in its expression). Because of inhibitory influences of unnatural belief systems, social mores, self censure, guilt, alien religions, and other artificial and non-body positive external influences a conflict between natural and spontaneous creative/procreative expression becomes reinforced establishing a body/mind discordance, tension, conflict, and war which is an energetic source of much mental disturbances, social crime, violence, and physical dis-ease. In the healthy body/mind the energy at the water chakra should be constantly streaming here without fear of attracting sexual negative notice from others (or guilt). If the center is dead, intuitive and instinctual senses are diminished. Women and men who have “sex appeal” often have vital first three chakras, but also in order to avoid sexual attention or condemnation many women and men turn off this center in order to avoid the attention of others often in fear or shame. This is a particularly common and strong, yet not widely recognized dynamic. In most cases where there is a tendency toward paranoia and alienation accompanied by tightness in the pelvis and sacrum, the energy is blocked going downward from the swadhistana, while in cases of lack of metabolic process, will power, or ability to manage one’s own affairs the energy is blocked going upward (into the manipura chakra). If the energy is blocked in both directions at the same time, there almost always exists a deficiency where a one way blockage can create a distorted shunt manifesting in what may appear as an over stimulation. Since sex is a powerful issue in modern life, many clients (those who are numbed out or constricted in the swadhistana area will be embarrassed to allow energy to flow here and will resist energetic streaming. If such occurs the therapist may try streaming the energy between the muladhara (pelvic

34 diaphragm floor) THROUGH the swadhistana to the manipura (at the lumbar region and above so that the energy does not get stuck in the sexual region. Once the client realizes that the energy can be energized but not locked into that area (obsessed) but made to flow through it without congestion then further cooperation in release of this area will be more easily accomplished. This liberated energy can be used for healing in the swadhistana, muladhara, or brought to the manipura chakra above for further balance and catalyzation of flow . This area thus must be honored with sensitivity and gentleness while the therapist must be capable of thoroughly moving through any personal sexual feelings that may become stimulated. Strongly associated with not only the gonads, prostate/ovaries, bladder, sacrum, and lower back. This center resonates in a simple harmonic order with the pituitary (ajna chakra or third eye) just as the muladhara has a special resonance with the sahasrara. Although this is the water chakra (usually white in color), the kidneys and adrenals being higher up are usually associated with the next center, the manipura chakra which is characterized by the fire element.

The Fire Chakra (Manipura Chakra) Here too manipura which is the integrative energy center of the body has a special primary resonance, this time with the throat chakra (vishuddi). This is the center for individual strength, vitality, self empowerment, ability to get things done, will power, concentration, action (fire), metabolism, and the like. If the linear pathway is blocked/congested (up or down) then excess fire or depleted dysfunction may similarly occur. It is too often ignored because on a physical level it may represent our gastric fire or ability to digest food and hence is relegated to the gastrointestinal tract which is normally a subject (especially the lower end) that is considered “low” and distasteful. As a result our energy is often ignored and people suffer from lack of energy diseases, gastrointestinal illnesses, costiveness, greed, lack of ability to digest new ideas, allergies, and the like. In this sense the swadhistana chakra is the center of energetic well being, personal physical strength, and self confidence, it being the place where the fuel is burned to drive the physical engines of the neuro-physiological organism. Here in the manipura chakra the added fire, heat, or energy required to cook the broth, heat the cauldron, distill the elixir, and/or bubble over into the air (heart) chakra (called the anahata chakra in Sanskrit). The first three chakras concern the physical body the most and their interaction is closely related in many psychophysical processes. Likewise the interaction of the manipura (fire chakra) with the anahata (air chakra) is

35 also closely related as more air increases the fire and heat on one hand (as in various pranayamas such as ujjayi or bhastrika breathing; while on the other hand more fire allows the steam to rise and fill the heart chakra. There are many other body/mind chakra related harmonic resonances and dynamics that exist between the “standard” chakra designations as well as simple adjacent interactions. Rarely will distorted/diseased, congested, or depleted dynamics can occur in any of the chakras (seemingly as independent manifestations. Corresponding compensations can occur in may system sympathetically and can be modulated simultaneously. Organs can be felt by energetically feeling beneath the skin while they can be adjusted and vectored energetically without physical pressure. Don’t be afraid to continue to explore new techniques and specific details of sensing, energizing, drawing out, balancing, purifying, etc. when you feel that calling. Briefly the root chakra is the physical center — fulcrum, and support of the physical body— the root of beingness. The water chakra is the integrative creative, sensate, instinctual communication center. The fire chakra (navel) is the energetic/regenerative dynamo. The heart center (anahata chakra) is the integrative emotional and feeling center (this society teaches us to overcome, transcend, or ignore our feelings), the throat chakra (vishuddha) is the integrative cognitive communication center for the will and intellect (it integrates the head with the body in activity). The third eye (ajna chakra) is intuitive center of awareness and consciousness, while the crown chakra is the eternal spiritual center which partially lies outside of the body linking us with the ineffable, unbegun, never-ending, unformed, non-differentiated, formless, and timeless. The upper chakras relate more to the more subtle forces of emotions, mental states, psychology, and belief systems while the lower centers are more primitive, vital, natural, and physical (furthermost removed from cognitive dominance). All of these relationships must be experienced as an interdependent ecology — as a whole — while memorization will be counterproductive. This is pointed out to suggest the possibilities — to invite distinction, subtle differentiation, and perhaps diagnosis and treatment.

Adhi and Vyadhi — The Five Kosha System Besides the chakra system of healing, ancient yoga also offers the five koshas (sheaths) energetic model which consists of the interdependent dynamics between the most gross and coarse physical body (which is the manifestation of the others) called the annamaya kosha and four others. The second sheath which encloses the physical and permeates it the pranamaya (energy) sheath. The next body is the mental/emotional sheath called the manomaya kosha.

36 The fourth sheath is the vijnanamaya kosha (the belief system or wisdom body) while the fifth sheath is the anandamaya kosha which is literally called the bliss body, the realm of unconditioned eternal spirit which knows no pain or limit. This ancient five kosha system provides an effective relationship of workable pathways between body/mind, emotional, energetic, psycho-neurophysiological, and belief system inter-relationships and of the processes of disease and of healing. Here adhis (mental/emotional disturbances in the manomaya kosha or astral sheath) cause corresponding disturbances at the physical level (annamaya kosha) called vyadhi. This is modulated through the intermediary of the pranamaya kosha (or energy body) causing disturbances in the prana. The good news is that we can directly work with the body and/or pranamaya kosha to effect healing in the manomaya kosha and vice versa work on the manomaya kosha to effect positive healing changes in the pranamaya and annamaya koshas. It is believed that a lasting cure is only possible when the causal disturbance is completely remedied. Here adhis are considered causal and primary which in turn cause physical ailments (vyadhi). Thus when the adhis are destroyed the vyadhis are no longer generated or manifest. In addition there exist two kinds of adhis. One is ordinary or samaya (caused by the mind or emotions) and the other one is called, sara, which is intrinsic to a more causal spiritual malaise that can be successfully treated only through processes that affect the life style, belief system, self identification process, or in general our energetic relationship that we cling to as “s(S)elf” in relationship to “r(R)reality” i.e., through modalities which reach into the vijnanamaya and anandamaya koshas. In either case, physical disease is caused by disturbances/corruption and/or obstruction of the nadis (psychic nerves) and energy patterns which have become disrupted, distorted, and patterned into corruptive patterns causing degeneration, dissipation, dis-ease, pain, suffering, stasis, and death. Therapy is aimed at removing the source of the disturbances, opening up these blocked pathways, and rechanneling and repatterning the energy flow. Hence when using the principles of the five koshas in energy healing work, we can integrate asking questions of the client in regards to ascertaining any relationship between the physical area and any emotional feelings thus associated with it such as fear, anger, grief, abandonment, mistrust, overwhelm, etc. Often early childhood trauma, inhibition, or situations of dissociation due to over stimulation can not be accessed verbally, but rather only kinesthetically and energetically. Once the memory and trauma that is

37 being contracted around) comes into conscious awareness through touch, both emotional and physical peace can be made accomplished. Dialogue should be invited but not forced (unless you are very experienced and know where you are going). It is often good to invite the client to participate in other ways with the process such as breathing golden or rainbow light into the area, visualize a scent like an essential oil (that may be specially attuned energetically as a remediator of that particular disease process), to visualize a color, a past event, or even a contrived theater stage for example if an injury/trauma is associated with unresolved issues with other people. .There are many such possibilities that may be effective depending on the situation.

Both Practical and Spontaneous The methods are just possibilities, but it is our own activated energy body and awareness which must be allowed to intelligently guide the healing process as it knows how to facilitate “flow” at a deeper nonverbal and trans conceptual depth far better than any preconceived set of techniques. Children constantly are in motion moving the energy intuitively all the time. They move with their whole body directing subtle energy throughout their system (keeping pathways open) with their hands, feet, and inwardly directed intelligent movements. As such they are a source of wisdom and healing. Our task also is to help the energy to move, to remove the energy dams, the stasis and stagnation, to irrigate the inner rivers and channels, to melt down the hard contractedness, to open up clogged areas and pathways, to remove irritation and overwhelm, and to allow the energy to flow. This way we purify, activate, connect, and integrate establishing synchronistic harmony between heaven and earth, spirit and nature, mind and body, left and right, front and back, above and below, and so forth. There are many ways of moving the energy. In chakra work for instance we can work above and below a hard, tight, obstructed, dammed up, cold, or hot spot/area to move the energy through — placing hands above or below, to the left and right, in front and in back, and in the fourth dimension/all directions bringing in energy from the Source to soften, relax, energize, open up, stimulate or cool, gold or blue, etc. Another practical way is simply to sense any stasis, tightening, hardness, blockage, stress, contraction, tension, fear, pain, confusion, and so forth in tissue group or organ and then to soften, lengthen, and extend the physical allowing it to pulsate, flow, move, and energetically realign. Another way as in Jin Shin Do we first sense the energy flows in the body and observe any distortions in the field, voltages, imbalances, tilts, torsion, in relationship to the acupuncture meridians and their unique access points

38 which connect their characteristic energetic relationship. With the establishing of balance in mind we chose two usually distant but “key” points — directing or sending energy to one (with the sending hand or finger(s)) to the distant point where the receiving or sensing hand or finger(s) is placed. Sometimes this is accompanied with actual physical pressure on the points (like in acupressure) and at other times it is merely energetic. In Reiki all the major and minor chakras and organs (most of the body) are covered sequentially (usually from the head down) simply by placing our hands on the client and going to Infinite Source for intervention. Here “more complex” is not necessarily better . However with polarity, craniosacral, visceral manipulation, pranic healing, Jin Shin Do, and Huna we often work more with specific intention and intervention techniques often moved to simultaneously work on two chakras at once to effect balance and flow. Human touch itself (between two people) can have beneficial results in and by itself and there exist much scientific validation to confirm that. Similarly some groups work more effectively as a team of two or more people on one client at a time. Similarly this work can also be done on oneself as well as from the dream body or from a distance.

Saucha, Asteya, and Santosha (Purification, Integrity, and Pacification) Another similar body/mind approach to energetic healing can be gleaned from yoga’s life style guides of yams/niyams and in particular saucha (purity) and asteya (truthfulness and integrity). Patanjali said in Pada II. 40 and 41 saucha svanga-jugupsa parair asamsargah 41. sattvasuddhisaumanasyaikagryendriya-jayatma-darsana-yo gyatvani ca Through the practice of physical purity, attachments to toxins and corruptive forces disappear naturally. Also through internal and external purity (saucha) both of the body, psychic environment, and of removing the occlusions of consciousness, there is achieved balance, cheerfulness, one- pointedness, harmony of the senses, and yogic vision. Here one is no longer attracted by corruptive influences because one has established (and is happily rooted within) an inner energetic freedom. Purity (saucha) is one of the niyams. It can be interpreted many ways. Some yogis take it to mean keeping the inside of the body clean (annamaya kosha) and healthy, the nadis open (pranamaya kosha) and energy unobstructed, while the body is affected by being less burdened, open, and light. Another inner application of saucha is keeping the mental thoughts (manomaya kosha) free from kleshas, samskaras, and vrttis. Yet another application of saucha may be applied to our belief systems whether or not they may be tainted, and thus be a source of taint, impurity, and affliction to

39 our consciousness (until purified). In this sense transformation and rebirth is an action of purification. Yet another manifestation of saucha is in our motivations and actions. But since actions follow thought and consciousness (or lack thereof) it seems that the purification of consciousness is more causal to this process. So on a physical level, not poisoning the body or burdening it with afflictions that it can not digest, assimilate, or eliminate easily will unburden not only the digestive system, but the elimination and immune systems thus creating more available energy for the process of evolutionary circuitry and higher consciousness to unfold. In one sense poor food habits (and inability to digest, assimilate, and eliminate food) is an energy drain and sedation of the kundalini, taking energy away from the “other” super-psychic activities or spiritual projects unless we were already very open in this direction and were not negatively affected by dietary choices. The key however is the development of our innate wisdom, instinct, or intuition to know which of the food options are best for our own unique constellation of body/mind at the moment achieving synergistic balance, well being, and synchronicity. This is where the rest of the yoga practice acts synergistically with diet — and in turn, diet with the overall integrity which is the yogic process. Here also is where the hatha yoga kriyas or sat karmas (external cleansing activities) can also help as well as reduce irritation, thus creating more peacefulness (santosha) and being adjunctive to the allied processes of aparigraha, tapas, pranayama, pratyhara. concentration, meditation, and isvara pranidhana. On a mental level, meditation is the best practice of saucha. As we study the yam/niyams we will see the mutually synergistic interrelationships between ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha, saucha, santosha, tapas, swadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana disclosing the underlying all inclusive integrative wholistic principle. 42. santosad anuttamah sukha-labhah By establishing a connection with the energetics of fulfillment while being at peace with one self in the present moment (santosha), then communion with a boundless joy (sukha) manifests. Santosha becomes a new nonconflicting and non-stressed way of wellness and thriving which becomes natural and when it is disrupted, absent, or made discontinuous we naturally awake to apply a balancing and centering remedy . To sum up, in energy and chakra work, intent is causal, so work only when you are able to focus on, merge, and stay in tune with the Source and Central Axis of Love (the axis mundi or tree at the center of life) which forms the core of the healing power — a state of being that we can intimately “know

40 and feel” increasingly not with the mind but in the heart of hearts (Hridyam) which is inside the deepest core of the sushumna nadi (don’t take my word on this last one but rather check it out by increasing your meditation practice). Here the healing energy comes from the infinite timeless Source as we act merely as a finely tuned earthly vehicle/channel (resonating between spirit and nature crown and root). Any negative situation can be transformed through sufficient and sincere cultivation and generation of the bodhicitta — the sincere intention to liberate of all beings from suffering without exception. The above are only some “possibilities” — what is needed is an open mind and heart and ALL the rest follows (flows) from that. .

Addendum One: The Twelve Chakra Systems 1.

2.

The muladhara/earth chakra (as above) from the lower sacrum, tailbone, cauda equina, posterior perineum etc. The earth chakra governs the giving back the transmuted solids back to the earth. It also is the portal from which we are able to freely give to and receive from the earth (nature gives to us as nurture as we give to her) — governing our stance and relationship to nature, creation, diversity, and embodied life itself. It is the place of establishing wholistic contact with all of creation, all of history, all or healing allies, the herbs, and embodied life itself. It is the most severely ignored and most singularly important chakra other than the crown. It is the seat of the kundalini (our evolutionary dormant potential) located posterior and lateral to the swadisthana chakra. Concisely speaking, the activated muladhara chakra connects us actively with the forces of nature and creation, wherein nurture, safety, a feeling if interconnectedness, stability, and groundedness exist. A disconnect or blockage at the muladhara chakra results in feelings of fear of wilderness, natural function, spontaneity, natural feelings, estrangement, and general feelings of insecurity, alienation, abandonment and fear. In the case of blockage at the muladhara, then all sorts of compensatory pathologies may result in an attempt to compensate for the loss sense of connectedness, natural identity, and meaning in life such as in acts of insecurity, transference, loss of self esteem (often disguised as a superiority complex or pride) racism (racial superiority complex), chauvinism, nationalism, religionisms, xenophobia, nihilism, cynicism, sexism, and in other cases extreme depression, withdrawal, and catatonia. The swadisthana/water chakra (as above) from the anterior perineum, uro-genital diaphragm, pubis effecting the organs of intercourse (vagina/ penis) as well as how well and freely we qualitatively communicate and

41

3.

4.

inter-relate with the diverse forms of creation— all our relations. Swadisthana governs the final process of giving back the transmuted water back to the water systems of earth and sky through the urethra, bladder, and urethral tubing. Its location is anterior and medial to the muladhara chakra between the pubic bone and sacrum. Concisely speaking the activation of the swadhistana chakra provides a sense of active participation in nature’s scheme, in natural flow, in creative engagement with others (such as animals, plants, the stars, nature spirits, and other people), the ability to adapt and create (respond creativity), flexibility in general, openness, and fluidity and the ability to actively engage the world and other people passionately. When this chakra is blocked, the inquiry, natural curiosity, wonder, openness, and friendliness is diminished; while rigidity, stubbornness, self absorption, general inhibition and withdrawal are prevalent. The lower tan tien (Chinese name) located between the two anterior superior iliac spines (below the navel and above the pubis. This governs the generational/procreative/co-creational functions either projecting them outward and downward through the lower two chakras or providing for the generation and self empowerment of the sacred fetus. This involves the ovaries/prostate. Here when activated the higher procreative/creative processes are activated (the generation of immortal fetus). Thus the activated tan tien is the result of the harmonization of the lower two chakras with the manipura chakra (see above). When it is not activated everyday life is far less vital and and rewarding. The classical manipura (also called nabhi) chakra. The fire chakra (described above) at the navel which is involved in assimilation of food and information as well as the energetic regulator of physical embodiment. It is associated with the umbilical cord, the small intestine, nourishment, digestive fire and metabolism. It serves to burn up toxins, impurities, and torpidity in the body and mind and thus eliminates chronic burdens on the immune system. This heat (which is fueled by pure tapas) acts as a detoxifier of karmic, mental, and emotional impurities. When activated and integrated with the lower tan tien this chakra creates the necessary heat, energy, and power to fire necessary body/mind activities, thus it is the energy generator of the organism. It can be visualized as a city filled with shining jewels (manipura) such as the most radiant, pure, and perfect rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.

42 5.

6.

7.

The pancreas, liver spleen, stomach chakra located just underneath the sternum which is involved in breaking down of physical food, digestion, filtering, regulation, as well as intellectual discernment. Here the adrenals, kidneys, the vagus nerve, as well as the neuro-endocrine system are also involved. This center is commonly portrayed as part and parcel of the manipura chakra, perhaps for good reason because such processes that occur here should never be separated from it. To think of these processes being governed lower than the navel center can often be more functional and healing as the intelligent center for these processes exist there. One may say then that the vital intelligent brain of this chakra is dependent upon the harmonization of the muladhara, swadhistana, and manipura in the lower tan tien. The classical anahata or heart chakra (air). It is our feeling center — This is more than the culmination of the five senses as feeling, but more so, accessing this center allows us to access the very essence of the process of our sentience — thus it is the chakra of direct experience and beingness. Modern science tells us that the heart center radiates stronger and more refined electromagnetic fields than the brain as well as producing a storehouse of neuro-endocrine substances. (See also the Institute of Heartmath Research Papers and Neurobiology and Yoga: From the gods of the Amygdala to the God of the Heart by Antonio T. de Nicolas. The activation of the anahata center allows us to connect to our feelings and thus assumes the courage to be open and vulnerable — the heat must be open and we can not be afraid to experience pain, grief, anger, or other negative emotions (kleshas) either self generated or coming from others when empowered. Blockages here can adversely effect the heart and lungs (our circulatory system). In this culture, it is the separation of our awareness (ignorance) from our feelings which is rampid producing most diseases of dissociation. When the heart feelings are denied or ignored, then disturbances of the heart or blocked energy there cause problems with the physical lungs or heart. The thymus center located above the heart chakra and below the vishudda (throat chakra). This is our natural self regulating protective system which in modern times can be very strained or even overwhelmed. When unhealthy this represents the taking in of too many manmade pollutants as well as the presence of fear and toxic thought.

43 8.

The classic throat or vishudda chakra (ether or akasha) that regulates cognitive communication powered by the will and intellect wherein our abilities of willful interaction in the world are reflected. If the throat chakra however is not dominated by cognitive function (the head) but is in balance with the heart and feelings, this then can lead toward manifestation of wholism through the expression of the divine creative urge when this chakra is activated. It is the chakra where head and heart are integrated, where feeling and thought are harmonized — mind and body. This is located in the lower throat near the thyroid. Problems in expression. the shoulders, arms, and hands are reflected here. 9. The back brain center at the upper part of the neck and throat including the jaw region, the occiput, atlas/atlas, back brain, brain stem (medulla oblongata), and the like. This is the top connection point between the autonomic and central nervous system that is involved with self regulation, balance, and harmony. It is a key point in craniosacral therapy. One might say that its “center” is behind the occipital condyles. it is the deep brain center associated with the cerebellum and primitive brain. Any illness can arise when this area is not irrigated with prana or there exists dissociation from the cognitive functions of the frontal lobes and the more vital centers of the back brain. 10. The Talu chakra behind the third eye governing the midbrain, basal ganglion, hypo-thalamus, and amygdala. It is home to our emotional circuitry which governs wellness. 11. The classical third eye (ajna chakra) governing awareness, concentration, and individual consciousness associated with the pituitary, pineal, and the two anterior lobes of cerebral cortex. This is where delusion is made or broken. When not activated there is no conscious insight, just ordinary discursive thought. Self awareness is fogged over and gnosis is obscured. When activated one is is self realized (delusion has fallen) but the connection to divine intelligence may or may not be won yet (depending on the connection being open or not at the sahasrara) 12. The classical sahasrara or crown chakra associated with our formless non-dual imperishable nature — pure spirit and consciousness — existing beyond physical embodiment so it is most closely associated with the energetic vortex above the brahmarandhra (hole of Brahma or the aperture at the top of the head) but which also encompasses the head (often “seen” or observed as an aura). When activated it is a large chakra described as the thousand petaled lotus and s such it is Brahma’s pillow. It is associated with the great continuum, where we came from, where we go at death, and ultimately where and who we are right now.

44 The activation here depends on the opening of the brahmarandhra (the gate of Brahma) at the crown (bregma and lambda points). It is the opening to Divine consciousness that is beyond the physical body. It can be likened to our network connection to the Main Central Computer — the web of all life and its core. Similarly the “S” shaped seven cervical vertebrae can also be seen as an analogue of the spine while each vertebra space is given a corresponding sound and and element. As such each cervical vertebra it can be related to the seven chakra system. See this discussion at the Chakra Purification Meditation at Rainbowbody The above is by no means an exhaustive discussion of the chakra theories, but further such discussion may be counterproductive. Briefly then, it is the Hridayam, which is also often called the heart chakra,, but which must be discerned from that of the anahat chakra. The Hridayam is the Heart of Hearts — the holographic center of the Universe — of all of creation. It is that unified central place of eternal stillness from which the entire creation revolves and as such it is of course associated with the sushumna which allows access to the sahasrara. This is our true and authentic home. Om

45

PURIFY YOUR CHAKRAS; THE PRACTICE OF BHUTA SHUDDHI The Practice of Bhuta Shuddhi By Swami Rama According to ancient tantric texts such as the Rudra Yamala and the Bhuta Shuddhi Tantra, your body is a living shrine—and a meditation practice called bhuta shuddhi is one of the best ways to render that shrine wholesome and pure. The practice is so potent that the sages forbid students who are not familiar with the broad range of yoga practices from undertaking it. Bhuta shuddhi, they declare, is fruitful to those who combine asana, pranayama, and mantra japa, but fruitless for those who isolate those practices. It’s also a prerequisite for seekers who hope to learn the more advanced practices of the yogic and tantric traditions. So why has Yoga + chosen to introduce bhuta shuddhi to its readers today? Because there are a large number of aspirants in the West who are studying yoga earnestly and seriously—they practice kumbhaka (breath retention), visualization, and mantra meditation—and as a result, they are qualified to undertake this unique and highly secret practice. If you haven’t reached this level of yoga practice yet, you’ll be motivated. Just reading this article will give you a glimpse into the depth and breadth of authentic yoga practice in a world where people equate “yoga” with “asana” and “tantra” with “sex.” Swami Rama (1925–1996), the founder of Yoga+ and an adept who studied in the cave monasteries of the Himalayas before coming to the West, reveals an inspiring beginner’s version of bhuta shuddhi in the pages that follow. - The Editors According to the teaching of yoga, man’s nature is divine, perfect, and infinite, but he is unaware of this because he falsely identifies himself with the body, the mind, and objects of the external world. This false identification, in turn, makes him think he is imperfect and limited, subject to sorrow, decay, and death. The techniques of yoga are tools to enable man to cast off this ignorance and become aware of his own true self, which is pure and free from all imperfections. The whole process of yoga is to unite the individual self with the universal Self. It is an ascent into the purity of that absolute perfection which is the

46 original state of man; it entails removing the enveloping impurities in both body and mind. Thus it is necessary to purify the mind to make it crystal clear, for as long as the mind is covered with impurities, the light of the true Self cannot shine through. Yoga is the process of removing thoughts from the mindfield, making it one-pointed, and turning it inward toward the center of consciousness. But the mind cannot be totally separated from the body— at least not at first. One influences the other—a sound mind can live only in a healthy body; physical impurities lead to mental dullness. You can see this when you look at the obstacles you face in daily life: sickness, procrastination, sloth, lack of motivation, fear, and mental and physical instability. If you trace these obstacles to their source, you will find that the toxins in your system and your disorganized thoughts and emotions are their breeding ground. That is why to free yourself of the obstacles that prevent you from experiencing the joy of transformation you must purify both body and mind. Without purification, it is not possible to control the mind and turn it inward to cultivate an awareness of who you really are. The ancient yogis knew that to control the mind they must first cleanse the body and strengthen the nervous system, and for this reason they developed the techniques of asana and pranayama and used them in combination with the practice of meditation. They called this raja yoga, the royal path. It is the most ancient model for health and well-being. Then, as time passed, they refined their knowledge and developed a technique that would purify the body, breath, and mind while awakening the dormant force of the soul, the kundalini shakti. In the scriptures this process is known as bhuta shuddhi (purification of the elements). The purpose of bhuta shuddhi is to purify the basic elements of the body (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) and their corresponding chakras—the root chakra (muladhara), the pelvic center (svadhishthana), the navel center (manipura), the heart center (anahata), and the throat center (vishuddha)— as well as the two highest chakras: the realm of the mind (ajña) and the realm of pure consciousness (sahasrara), which are beyond the elements. Bhuta shuddhi involves visualization, pranayama, and the repetition of a specific mantra while focusing on each of these seven major chakras in turn. The mantra used for the first five chakras is a seed (bija) mantra, the core sound of that chakra. Systematically focusing on the seven major chakras in this manner purifies the subtle realms of being with the fire of kundalini shakti. Bhuta shuddhi is one of the basic practices of tantra and kundalini yoga. It is also an effective technique for those following the path of raja yoga. Those who practice tantra yoga regard the body as a living shrine wherein Divinity

47 dwells, and bhuta shuddhi is one of the preliminary methods for rendering the body pure and wholesome. In the kundalini yoga system, bhuta shuddhi prepares the aspirant for the awakening of the latent force of kundalini. Later, certain components of bhuta shuddhi—meditation on a particular chakra with mantra repetition, for example—become the central focus of kundalini practice. This practice is derived from the texts of tantra and kundalini yoga, but it is not mentioned in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, so those following the path of raja yoga may not be aware of it. These practitioners, however, can use bhuta shuddhi to good effect after the breathing practice nadi shodhanam (channel purification) and before sitting for meditation, because it creates a smooth transition between the process of withdrawing the mind from the external world and turning it inward.

The Benefits Bhuta shuddhi introduces you to the deepest layers of your being. In addition to helping you master pranayama, it trains the mind to concentrate. And by combining visualization and the repetition of the seed mantras of the specific chakras, a harmonious balance is created between the auditory and the optic nerve centers in the brain, and the thinking process is clarified. The power of memory is also improved, for recollection depends greatly on the relationship between what is seen and what is heard. In other words, the practice of bhuta shuddhi creates a perfect environment in which the brain centers that regulate vision and hearing are activated and linked with the processes of speaking and thinking. What is more, the energy released from the sacred sound of the seed mantras, together with the combined force of intense visualization and breath retention, help unblock the energy channels more effectively than many other yogic methods that are not so all-inclusive. However, because this technique involves breath retention and requires coordination between thinking, hearing, and visualization, it is important that you learn it systematically and practice it regularly and sincerely. The scriptures praise bhuta shuddhi so that students will be inspired to practice it. But to make sure it is taught properly, the scriptures also tell us that it is highly secret. I therefore advise anyone who practices bhuta shuddhi to do so under the guidance of a competent teacher who has mastered this technique and who has experienced the subtleties that are not described in either the scriptures or this article.

48 The Method There are many ways to do bhuta shuddhi. The method I describe here is drawn from different schools of yoga and tantra, and includes the best techniques for inner purification. Sit in a comfortable meditation posture, with your head, neck, and trunk in a straight line. Close your eyes and focus your attention at the muladhara chakra, the abode of the earth element, at the base of the spine. Visualize a yellow square surrounded by four petals. In the center of this yellow square, visualize the kundalini in the form of a sleeping serpent. Its body is as brilliant as a thousand flashes of lightning. Now create a root lock by squeezing the anus muscles and pulling them upward. Allow your mind to reach the central point in the region of the root lock. While mentally repeating the sound “hum,” feel as though you are awakening the dormant kundalini shakti. Then mentally repeat “lam,” the bija (seed) mantra of the earth element, not less than sixteen times, while focusing your mind on the kundalini shakti that resides at the muladhara. Next, visualize the kundalini awakening and traveling upward until it reaches the svadhishthana chakra, the abode of the water element, just above the root of the genitals. There, visualize an ocean-blue circle with a white crescent moon in the center. The circle is surrounded by six petals. While you maintain this image, mentally repeat the bija mantra of the water element, “vam,” not less than sixteen times. Now visualize the kundalini traveling upward toward the manipura chakra, the abode of fire, at the navel center. Here, visualize a red triangle pointing upward. This triangle is enclosed in a circle of ten petals. Mentally repeat the bija mantra of the fire element, “ram,” not less than sixteen times. Continue to move with the upward-traveling kundalini until you reach the anahata, the heart center, which is the abode of air. Here, visualize two smoky-gray triangles, one superimposed upon the other, encircled by a twelve-petaled lotus. In the center visualize jiva, the individual soul, in the form of a flame. At this stage mentally repeat the bija mantra of the air element, “yam,” not less than sixteen times. Next, visualize the kundalini shakti, in which the individual consciousness has dissolved, traveling upward until it reaches the vishuddha chakra, the abode of ether at the base of the throat. There, a sky-blue circle is surrounded by a sixteen-petaled lotus. The presiding force of this chakra is contained in the bija mantra of the space (or ether) element, “hum,” which you mentally repeat not less than sixteen times.

49 Now visualize the upward-traveling kundalini shakti reaching the ajña chakra, the center between the eyebrows. This is the realm of mind. This chakra consists of a yellow triangle surrounded by a circle. A bright white flame is enclosed in the triangle. Outside the circle are two petals. Mentally repeat the mantra “so hum.” Still moving upward with the kundalini shakti, reach the sahasrara chakra, the thousand-petaled crown center which is the abode of the primordial spiritual master—pure consciousness. At this center all colors, forms, and shapes dissolve, for this chakra is beyond the realm of mind and therefore beyond the realm of imagination. When you experience this center, it consists of countless rays of white light. However, it is most often visualized as a thousand-petaled lotus with a pinkish aura so that the mind can conceive of it. Here repeat the mantra “hamsah.” Keeping your consciousness at the sahasrara chakra, begin three cycles of pranayama. These pranayama cycles require you to retain your breath after the inhalation—normally the breath is retained four times longer than the inhalation and twice as long as the exhalation. If you have not yet mastered breath retention but still want to do this practice, retain your breath only to your comfortable capacity and disregard the ratios given here.

The First Cycle Close the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril while mentally repeating “yam,” the bija mantra of air, sixteen times. Then close both nostrils and retain the breath. While holding the breath, repeat “yam” sixty-four times. Then, while closing the left nostril, exhale slowly through the right nostril, repeating the mantra thirty-two times. While inhaling during this cycle, visualize a smoky color in the left nostril. During retention, imagine that your whole heart region is filled with the air element, drying up all the toxins and impurities in the body.

The Second Cycle Close the left nostril and inhale through the right nostril while mentally repeating the bija mantra of the fire element, “ram,” sixteen times. Close both nostrils and retain the breath while repeating “ram” sixty-four times. Then close the right nostril and slowly exhale through the left nostril, repeating the mantra thirty-two times. During this second cycle visualize a bright, flame-like light in the right nostril during the inhalation. While retaining the breath, imagine this light consuming the impurities dried up during the first cycle. During exhalation, visualize the light as emanating from the heart region and exiting through the left nostril, taking all impurities with it.

50 The Third Cycle Close the right nostril and inhale through the left while mentally repeating “vam,” the bija mantra of nectar (also the seed mantra of water), sixteen times. After completing the inhalation, retain the breath and concentrate on the ajña chakra, feeling the nectar showering from this chakra in the form of all the mantras you have employed (they carry the subtle power of the divine force), and filling your body. During retention, repeat the mantra “vam” sixty-four times. Then exhale through the right nostril, repeating the mantra thirty-two times. When you have finished these three cycles of pranayama, let your consciousness descend toward the lower chakras. Remember, the kundalini shakti has swallowed all the elements, energies, and issues associated with each of the chakras as it traveled upward. Now, as it travels downward, those elements and energies re-emerge, purified by the kundalini shakti. The mind is left at the ajña chakra; the space element is left at the throat; individual consciousness and the air element return to the heart; the fire returns to the navel center; water returns to the pelvic center; and the earth element returns to the base of the spine. Finally, the kundalini shakti rests again at the muladhara chakra.

The Realm Beyond The type of bhuta shuddhi practice just described comes from kundalini yoga. Its purpose is to help you make a smooth transition from general yoga practices to more advanced disciplines. Generally this process takes place only in the imagination, but when a competent master bestows shaktipata (the direct transmission of spiritual energy), then the kundalini is actually awakened and bhuta shuddhi becomes a living experience. The student who receives shaktipata transcends all sense of solidity and weight as the kundalini rises above the muladhara center, and at the same time such a student also attains freedom from fear of death, insecurity, and anxiety. When the kundalini rises above the ajña chakra all thoughts vanish, and the mind is left behind. What remains is only the awareness of pure consciousness. According to the scriptures, attaining a direct experience of pure consciousness takes a long time. Shaktipata—the direct transmission from master to student—is the quickest and surest way. However, it is better to practice bhuta shuddhi sincerely and to your fullest capacity than to wait passively for a realized master to bestow shaktipata. Such masters are rare, and even if an aspirant finds one, few students are prepared to receive such a high degree of initiation. Self-effort is the force that draws divine grace and moves the guru spirit to light the spark that may result in shaktipata.+

51 [Swami Rama studied meditation, yoga, and philosophy in the cave monasteries of the Himalayas. He came to the West in 1969 to build a bridge between modern science and ancient traditions.]

Cautions and Precautions Bhuta shuddhi soothes the mind and awakens the heart; it leaves no room for sloth and inertia. When this practice is finished the mind slips into meditation without effort. But according to what I have observed, bhuta shuddhi is a joyful experience mixed with fear for those who have not prepared themselves. Aspirants who have not gained some experience with mantra meditation and who have not practiced pranayama find bhuta shuddhi too intense—by the time they have completed the practice, the mind has turned inward and become so one-pointed that the nervous system is overwhelmed. That is why the scriptures tell you to purify your heart, to strengthen your nervous system with the help of pranayama, and to train your mind with the help of japa in order to enjoy the bliss that springs from the center of consciousness. Bhuta shuddhi is an advanced practice. This means it should be done carefully. People with heart disease, high blood pressure, a nervous disorder, or schizophrenia, as well as those recovering from drug abuse, should consult a competent teacher before undertaking this practice. If you want to practice bhuta shuddhi you should first have studied yoga philosophy and practiced the fundamental yoga postures and breathing techniques. You also should have been meditating regularly for some time. A basic knowledge of kundalini shakti, the chakras, tantra yoga, and the role of mantra in awakening the dormant force within will help you understand the dynamics of visualization and the deep meaning behind the repetition of specific seed mantras at the chakras. By the same token, the breathing practices of nadi shodhanam, kapalabhati, bhastrika, and agni sara will help prepare you for the advanced pranayama, which is an important part of bhuta shuddhi.

What’s a Chakra? Chakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel, or vortex, and it refers to each of the seven energy centers of which our consciousness, our energy system, is composed. These chakras, or energy centers, function as pumps or valves, regulating the flow of energy through our energy system. The functioning of the chakras reflects decisions we make concerning how we choose to respond to conditions in our life. We open and close these valves when we decide what to think, and what to feel, and through which perceptual filter we choose to experience the world around us.

52 The chakras are not physical. They are aspects of consciousness in the same way that the auras are aspects of consciousness. The chakras are more dense than the auras, but not as dense as the physical body. They interact with the physical body through two major vehicles, the endocrine system and the nervous system. Each of the seven chakras is associated with one of the seven endocrine glands, and also with a group of nerves called a plexus. Thus, each chakra can be associated with particular parts of the body and particular functions within the body controlled by that plexus or that endocrine gland associated with that chakra. All of your senses, all of your perceptions, all of your possible states of awareness, everything it is possible for you to experience, can be divided into seven categories. Each category can be associated with a particular chakra. Thus, the chakras represent not only particular parts of your physical body, but also particular parts of your consciousness. When you feel tension in your consciousness, you feel it in the chakra associated with that part of your consciousness experiencing the stress, and in the parts of the physical body associated with that chakra. Where you feel the stress depends upon why you feel the stress. The tension in the chakra is detected by the nerves of the plexus associated with that chakra, and transmitted to the parts of the body controlled by that plexus. When the tension continues over a period of time, or to a particular level of intensity, the person creates a symptom on the physical level. The symptom speaks a language that reflects the idea that we each create our reality, and the metaphoric significance of the symptom becomes apparent when the symptom is described from that point of view. Thus, rather than saying, “I can’t see,” the person would describe it as keeping themselves from seeing something. “I can’t walk,” means the person has been keeping themselves from walking away from a situation in which they are unhappy. And so on. The symptom served to communicate to the person through their body what they had been doing to themselves in their consciousness. When the person changes something about their way of being, getting the message communicated by the symptom, the symptom has no further reason for being, and it can be released, according to whatever the person allows themselves to believe is possible. We believe everything is possible. We believe that anything can be healed. It’s just a question of how to do it. Understanding the chakras allows you to understand the relationship between your consciousness and your body, and to thus see your body as a map of

53 your consciousness. It gives you a better understanding of yourself and those around you. What else is there?

Your Body Is The Mirror Of Your Life Everything begins with your consciousness. Everything that happens in your life, and everything that happens in your body, begins with something happening in your consciousness. Your consciousness is who you are, your experience of Being. You decide what ideas to accept and which to reject. You decide what to think, and you decide what to feel. When these decisions leave you with residual stress, you experience the stress as if in your physical body. We know that stress creates symptoms. The interesting question is, “Which stress creates which symptoms?” When we are able to quantify this process, we are then able to see the body as a map of the person’s consciousness, relating particular symptoms to particular stresses and particular ways of being, in the same way that Type “A” Behavior has been able to be associated with heart disease.

Everything Starts In Your Consciousness To understand this map, we must first orient ourselves to the idea that the causes of symptoms are within. While it’s true that germs cause disease and accidents cause injuries, it is also true that this happens in accord with what is happening in the consciousness of the person involved. Germs are everywhere. Why are some people affected and not others? Something different is happening in their consciousness. Why do some patients in hospitals respond better to treatment than others? They have different attitudes. Something different is happening in their consciousness When someone is injured in an “accident,” why is it that a very specific part of the body is affected, and that it is the same part that has had habitual problems? Is that an “accident,” or is there a pattern and an order to the way things happen in our bodies?

You Are A Being of Energy Your consciousness, your experience of Being, who you really are, is energy. We can call it “Life Energy” for now. This energy does not just live in your brain; it fills your entire body. Your consciousness is connected to every cell in your body. Through your consciousness, you can communicate with every organ and every tissue, and a number of therapies are based on this communication with the organs which have been affected by some kind of symptom or disorder.

54 This energy which is your consciousness, and which reflects your state of consciousness, can be measured through the process known as Kirlian photography. When you take a Kirlian photograph of your hand, it shows a certain pattern of energy. If you take a second photograph while imagining that you are sending love and energy to someone you know, there will be a different pattern of energy shown on the Kirlian photograph. Thus, we can see that a change in your consciousness creates a change in the energy field that is being photographed, which we call the aura. This energy field shown in the Kirlian photographs has been quantified, so that when there are “holes” in particular parts of the energy field, these are said to correspond to particular weaknesses in specific parts of the physical body. The interesting thing about this is that the weakness shows up in the energy field before there is ever any evidence of it on the physical level. Thus, we have an interesting direction of manifestation shown through what we have described. 1. A change of consciousness creates a change in the energy field. 2. A change in the energy field happens before a change in the physical body. The direction of manifestation is from the consciousness, through the energy field, to the physical body.

>Physical Body Consciousness—1—> >Energy Field—2—> When we look at things in this way, we see that it is not the physical body creating the energy field, the aura, but rather the aura or energy field that is creating the physical body. What we see as the physical body is the end result of a process that begins with the consciousness.

We Each Create Our Reality When someone makes a decision that leaves them with stress, creating a blockage in the energy field with a sufficient degree of intensity, this creates a symptom on the physical level. The symptom speaks a certain language, which reflects the idea that we each create our own reality. When the symptom is described from that point of view, the metaphoric significance of the symptom becomes clear. Thus, instead of saying, “I can’t see,” the person would have to say, “I have been keeping myself from seeing something.” If they cannot walk, they would have to say, “I have been keeping myself from walking away from something.” And so on. We must understand that there are no accidents and no coincidences. Things do happen according to a pattern and order.

The Human Directional System

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We can say that we have an inner guidance system, a connection to our Higher Self, or our Inner Being, or whatever name we choose to give this Higher Intelligence. This inner guidance system functions through what we call our intuition, or our instinct. It speaks a very simple language. Either it feels good, or it doesn’t. All the rest is just politics. We are told we should move with what feels good, and do not do what doesn’t feel good to us. We are told to trust this inner voice. When we don’t follow this inner voice we feel tension. We feel not-good. Then, the voice must get louder. The next level of communication is through the emotions. As we move more and more in the direction that feels notgood, we experience more and more emotions that feel not-good, and at some point we can say, “I should have listened to myself when I thought to move in the other direction.” That meant that we heard the inner voice. Otherwise, we could not have said, “I should have listened.” If we make the decision we know is the right one for us, and therefore change direction, there is a release of tension, we feel better, and we know we are again on the right track. If we continue to move in the direction that feels not-good, the communication reaches the physical level. We create a symptom, and the symptom speaks a language which reflects the idea that we each create our own reality. When we describe the symptom from that point of view, we can understand the message. If we change our way of being, we have received the message, and the symptom has no further reason for being. It is able to be released, according to whatever we allow ourselves to believe is possible. If we created the symptom with a decision, we are also able to release it with a decision. As an hypothesis, we can imagine that someone makes a decision that it is not a good idea to express what they want. From that moment, whenever there is something they want, they keep themselves from expressing it, and therefore from having what they want. That feels not-good. The tension grows. They feel more and more not-good as they keep themselves from expressing what they want and not having it. Eventually, something happens to create a symptom on the physical level, and their right arm is affected. It could have happened through falling from a ladder, or in an automobile accident, or by pinching a nerve in the neck, or by “sleeping in a draft.” Something had to happen on the physical level to create the symptom, in order to give the person the message on the physical level about what they had been doing to themselves. We do to ourselves literally what we have been doing to ourselves figuratively.

56 The effect is that the person cannot move their arm. They are keeping themselves from reaching for something, and since it is the right arm, on the “will” side of the body, they are keeping themselves from reaching for or going for what they want. They have been giving themselves reasons to not believe that they could have what they want. When they begin to do something different in their consciousness, they notice that something different begins to happen with their arm, and the symptom is able to be released.

Chakras And The Map To understand the map of the consciousness that the body represents, we can turn to some ancient Hindu traditions which have been studying consciousness for thousands of years, and which use the language of the chakras. Chakra is a Sanskrit word, and it means “wheel,” or “vortex,” because that’s what it looks like when we look at it. Each chakra is like a solid ball of energy interpenetrating the physical body, in the same way that a magnetic field can interpenetrate the physical body. The chakras are not physical. They are aspects of consciousness in the same way that the auras are aspects of consciousness The chakras are more dense than the auras, but not as dense as the physical body, but they interact with the physical body through two major vehicles, the endocrine system and the nervous system. Each of the seven chakras is associated with one of the seven endocrine glands, and also with a particular group of nerves called a plexus. Thus, each chakra can be associated with particular parts of the body and particular functions within the body controlled by that plexus or that endocrine gland associated with that chakra. Your consciousness, your experience of being, represents everything it is possible for you to experience. All of your senses, all of your perceptions, all of your possible states of awareness, can be divided into seven categories, and each of these categories can be associated with a particular chakra. Thus, the chakras represent not only particular parts of your physical body, but also particular parts of your consciousness. When you feel tension in your consciousness, you feel it in the chakra associated with the part of your consciousness experiencing the stress, and in the parts of the physical body associated with that chakra. Where you feel the stress depends therefore on why you feel the stress. When someone is hurt in a relationship, they feel it in their heart. When someone is nervous, their legs tremble and their bladder becomes weak. When there is tension in a particular part of your consciousness, and therefore

57 in the chakra associated with that part of your consciousness, the tension is detected by the nerves of the plexus associated with that chakra, and communicated to the parts of the body controlled by that plexus. When the tension continues over a period of time, or reaches a particular degree of intensity, the person creates a symptom on the physical level. Again, the symptom served to communicate to the person through their body what they had been doing to themselves in their consciousness. When the person changes something about their way of being, they are able to release the stress that had been creating the symptom, and they are then able to return to their natural state of balance and health.

Reading The Map When we are reading the body as a map of the consciousness within, we work with the idea that the tensions in the body represent tensions in the person’s consciousness concerning what was happening in the person’s life at the time that the symptom developed. The person was feeling stress about something that was happening in their life at that time. We are going to examine the map of consciousness that the chakras provide, in order to understand the language of the symptoms that are associated with each chakra. In order to complete this map, however, we also need to look at ourselves as each a polarity of yin and yang, feminine and masculine characteristics. For most people, their right side is their yang side, their will side, their acting or active side, and the left side is their yin side, their female side, their feeling or adaptive side. For people who were born left-handed, this polarity is reversed. Thus, for a right-handed person, their right leg can be described as their will leg, or their male leg, or the foundation of their will, but for a left-handed person, their left leg would be their male leg or will leg, and so on. Thus, we can talk about the will arm, or the will eye, or the will nostril, etc., and which side it is on will depend upon whether the person is right-handed or left-handed at birth. Each of the chakras is energy vibrating at a certain frequency, in a logical and orderly sequence of seven vibrations. As we move up the scale, the elements become more and more subtle, moving through the five physical elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, to the spiritual elements of inner sound and inner light. The heaviest element is on the bottom, the lightest on the top. It is a logical and orderly sequence. The colors of the spectrum also represent a series of seven vibrations in a logical and orderly sequence, as do the notes of the musical scale. Thus, we can put the heaviest vibrations or the longest wavelength on the bottom

58 and the lightest on the top, and a particular color can be used to represent a chakra in its clear state, as can a particular musical note. Music played in a certain key vibrates a particular chakra, and we feel a particular way when we hear that music. Our relationship with a certain color says something about our relationship with the part of our consciousness that the color represents. The Root Chakra is associated with the parts of our consciousness concerned with security, survival, or trust. For most people, this concerns the parts of their consciousness concerned with money, home, and job. When this chakra is in its clear state, the person is able to feel secure, be present in the here and now, and be grounded. When there is tension in this chakra, it is experienced as insecurity or fear. When there is more tension, it is experienced as a threat to survival. Parts of the body controlled by the sacral plexus and this chakra include the skeleton system, the legs, and the elimination system. Symptoms in these parts of the body represent, therefore, tensions at the level of the Root Chakra, and we therefore know that the person is seeing the world through a perceptual filter of insecurity or fear. The adrenal glands are also associated with this chakra. If one leg is affected, we can see whether it is the male leg or the female leg, and thus whether it has something to do with trust in a male or trust in a female. We can also see it as having something to do with trust in the will, or the aspects of trust in the foundations the emotional being, related to what was happening in the person’s life at the time the symptom developed. The physical sense of smell, and therefore the organ of the sense of smell, the nose, is associated with the Root Chakra. Symptoms at the level of the nose or affecting the sense of smell reflect tensions at the level of the Root Chakra. Each chakra is associated with an element. The Root Chakra is associated with the element of earth, and reflects something about the person’s association with the earth, or how they feel about being on the earth, which we call Mother Earth. This chakra is also associated with our relationship with our mother. When someone experiences a sense of separation from their mother, or not feeling loved by their mother, they cut off their roots and experience symptoms of tensions at the level of the Root Chakra until they can again open to accept their mother’s love. When a child comes into the world in the traditional family structure, the mother provides the nourishment and the father provides the direction. Thus, in the child’s relationship with its mother, it makes certain decisions

59 about the way things are. The relationship with the mother thus becomes a model for the person’s relationship with everything that represents security - money, home, and job. The Root Chakra is associated with the color red. The Abdominal Chakra is associated with the parts of our consciousness concerned with food and sex - the communication from the body to the person within it, about what the body wants or needs, and what it finds pleasurable. It also is related to what is happening in their consciousness about having children. When this chakra is in its clear state, the person is in touch with this communication, and listening to and responding appropriately to what the body wants and needs. Parts of the body controlled by the lumbar plexus include the reproductive system and the abdomen, and the lumbar region of the back. The sense of taste is associated with this chakra, as is the element of water. When someone does not have a clear relationship with water (swimming, for example, or being on a boat), this reflects their attitudes about the parts of their consciousness that this chakra represents. Tensions on the will side or the emotional side of this chakra indicate tensions in the person’s consciousness as conflicts between either the will or the emotions with what the person’s body is asking for. This chakra is associated with the sense of taste, and with appetite. It is also involved with the person’s willingness to feel their emotions. The second chakra is associated with the color orange. The Solar Plexus Chakra is associated with the parts of our consciousness having to do with perceptions of power, control, or freedom. In its clear state, it represents ease of being, and comfort with what is real for one’s self - being comfortable with who you are. Parts of the body associated with this chakra include the organs closest to the solar plexus - stomach, gall bladder, spleen, liver, etc. - as well as the skin as a system, the muscular system as a system, and the face in general. The physical sense associated with this chakra is the sense of sight. Anyone with impaired eyesight experiences tension at the level of their solar plexus chakra about the issues of power, control, or freedom. Nearsighted people also experience tensions at the level of the Root Chakra, and experience the world through a perceptual filter of fear or insecurity. Those who are farsighted experience tension also at the level of the throat chakra, and see the world through a perceptual filter of anger or guilt. Astigmatics see through the emotional perceptual filter of confusion. The endocrine gland associated with the Solar Plexus Chakra is the pancreas.

60 We can say that diabetics are keeping sweetness from themselves. When someone gets too close with sweetness, they feel threatened in their power to be who they are, and an emotion comes up to create a safe distance again. The emotion is anger. Diabetes is associated with suppressed anger. The element associated with this chakra is fire, and the person’s relationship with the sun says something about their relationship with the parts of their consciousness associated with the Solar Plexus Chakra. The color of the Solar Plexus Chakra is yellow. The Heart Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with relationships and our perceptions of love. The relationships we speak of here are with those people closest to our heart - partners, parents, siblings, children. The parts of the body associated with this chakra include the heart and lungs, and the blood circulatory system as a system. This chakra is also associated with the thymus gland, which controls the immune system. When this is affected, as with AIDS, the person’s lifestyle separates them from someone they love. The physical sense associated with this chakra is the sense of touch, in its aspect of relating to the person inside the body. For example, a massage given to someone with no sensitivity to what the person is feeling inside would be an example of the sensation we associate with the Abdominal Chakra, but when the masseur seems to have a sense of what the person inside the body is experiencing, then it includes the aspect of relating we associate with the Heart Chakra. When someone experiences extreme sensitivity about being touched, we would ask what was happening at the level of the Heart Chakra. This chakra is associated with the element of air. When someone has difficulty with air, with breathing (asthma, emphysema, tuberculosis, etc.), we say that their relationship with air reflects their relationship with love - difficulty letting it in, or letting it out, for example The color associated with the Heart Chakra is emerald green. The Throat Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with expressing and receiving. Expressing can be in the form of communicating what one wants and what one feels, or it can be artistic expression, as an artist painting, a dancer dancing, a musician playing music, using a form for expressing and bringing to the outside what was within. Expression is related to receiving, as, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” The throat chakra is associated with abundance, and with the state of consciousness called, “grace,” where it seems that what you want for you is

61 also what God wants for you. Accepting what the abundant universe offers you requires a sense of unconditionally receiving. This chakra is also associated with listening to one’s intuition, and flowing in a particular way where it seems that the Universe supports you in all that you do. It is the first level of consciousness from which one perceives another level of intelligence functioning, and one’s interaction with this other level of intelligence. Parts of the body associated with this chakra include the throat, shoulders, and arms and hands. and the thyroid gland. The sense of hearing is associated with this chakra, and the element of ether, the most subtle physical element, corresponding to what we find in deep space. The ether is the crossover between the physical and the spiritual dimensions. Someone looking at the world through this chakra watches the manifestation of their goals. The Will Arm represents manifesting what you want, and the Feeling Arm represents manifesting what makes you happy. Hopefully, the two point to the same thing. Sky Blue is the color associated with this chakra. The Brow Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with the spiritual view, and the home of the Spirit, the Being within. This level of consciousness is associated with what western traditions call the unconscious or subconscious, the part of our consciousness that directs our actions and our life. From this level we are aware of the motivations behind our actions. We can watch our outer theater from an inner point of view.

This chakra is associated with the carotid plexus, and the nerves on each side of the face, and the pituitary gland. Headaches in the temples or center of the forehead are associated with tensions at this level. This chakra controls the entire endocrine system as a system, and the process of growth. The Brow chakra, also known as the Third Eye, is associated with extra sensory perception (ESP), the set of all inner senses that correspond to the outer senses, which together comprise spirit-to-spirit communication. The element associated with this chakra is a vibration known as the Inner Sound, the sound that one hears in their ears that does not depend upon something in the physical world. Some consider it a pathological condition. In some of the eastern traditions the ability to hear this is considered a necessary prerequisite to further spiritual growth. The color associated with this chakra is Indigo, midnight blue, the color of lapis lazuli, or the color of the night sky during a full moon.

62 The Crown Chakra is associated with the parts of the consciousness concerned with unity or separation, and just as the Root Chakra showed our connection with Mother Earth, this chakra shows our connection with Our Father, Which Art in Heaven. At first, it is associated with our connection with our biological father. This becomes the model for our relationship with authority, and this becomes the model for our relationship with God. When there is a sense of separation from our biological father, the person closes this chakra, and the effect on the consciousness is a sense of isolation and aloneness, being in a shell, and difficult to make contact with those outside the shell. The person feels as if they are hiding from God, or hiding from themselves, not seeing what is true for them in the deepest part of their consciousness, the part we call the soul. This chakra is also associated with a sense of direction. The parts of the body controlled by this chakra are the pineal gland, the brain, and the entire nervous system as a system. The color associated with the Crown Chakra is Violet, the color of amethyst.

Using The Map When there is tension in a particular part of the body, this represents a tension in a particular part of the consciousness, about a particular part of the person’s life. Being aware of these associations helps one to see the importance of resolving the tense issues in their life. If it were only a question of doing what is necessary for the person to be happy, that would be reason enough to motivate the person to want to change something that doesn’t work for them, but here, we see that it is also a matter of health. The issues that are unresolved in a person’s life are, in fact, hazardous to their health. When we see the correspondences between the consciousness and the body, we see the degree to which we each create our reality. In fact, those words begin to take on a new meaning. We see how everything begins in our consciousness and we are able to look around us at other aspects of our lives in the same way. When we see how the body carries out the messages and deepest wishes of the Being within the body, we can realize that the process can go in more than one direction. If our consciousness is directing how we develop symptoms, it can also direct how we release these same symptoms. If our consciousness can make our body ill, our consciousness can make our body well. The logical conclusion of this process is that anything can be healed.