Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Course

April 1 -April 30, 2016

The Kundalini is the mother of Yoga – Rudrayamala Tantra

Nada Yoga School

www.nadyoga.org and www.naturalitypath.com
 Nada Yoga and Naturality
200 Hour Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Program
Rishikesh, India

April 1-April 30, 2016

Name: ____________________________________________________

Telephone: ____________________________________________________

E-Mail: ____________________________________________________

Nada Yoga School

Near Ramjhula, Swargashram, Rishikesh, India
info@nadyoga.org phone - +91-9412029817

www.nadyoga.org and www.naturalitypath.com

 Shiva
The Lord of the Yoga, Tantra and Nada (Sound)
Contents
Yoga prayer

Ground rules

Section 1. Introduction

Section 2. What is Kundalini Yoga?

Section 3. The History of Kundalini Yoga

Section 4. The Philosophy of Kundalini Yoga

Section 5. The Science of Kundalini Yoga

Section 6. The Practice of Kundalini Yoga

Section 7. The Experiences on the path of Kundalini Yoga

Section 8. Precautions about Kundalini Yoga

Section 9. Further Readings

 Yoga Prayer

Dharma Daham, Dharma Manas, Dharma Buddhi-Atman

Right care to body, feelings, mind and soul.

Dharma Priya Jan, Dharma Serva Jan, Dharma Desh, Dharma Dhara

Right care to family, community, country and the earth.

Dharma Neham, Dharma Ekam, Dharma Hee Gatisheelta

Let love, harmony and flow sustain right care.

Dharma Jeevan, Dharma Chetan, Dharma Hee Ananda Param.

Let right care bring the bliss of conscious living.

Aum Asti Asti Asti

I affirm this, I affirm this, I affirm this

 GROUND RULES OF THE KYTTC

Confidentiality:
Personal information shared by members of the group must be kept confidential!

Mutual respect and a sincere commitment to learn from one another will guide all personal
and group interaction. To enhance group learning, members are encouraged to share their ideas
and experiences while keeping in mind the importance of allowing time for others.
Section 1 1-2

Introduction

Section 2 3

What is Kundalini Yoga?

Section 3 4-14

The history of Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini and the Chakras in non-Indian cultures

Section 4 15-76

The philosophy of Kundalini Yoga

Before the beginning...Unknowable

Introduction
What is Kundalini?
Kundalini, chakras and nadis
Philosophy of Samkhya and its relation to Kundalini and Chakras

Chakras
.Vertical and horizontal movement of the Chakras
.General features of Chakras
.The experience of evolution and involution at different Chakras
.Regression and progression
.History and the chakras
.The future of humanity is embedded and reflected in Chakras
.Chakras and creativity
First Centre or Root Chakra or Muladhar (chakra of death): Rooting and Belonging - Path of
Matter
Second Centre or Energy Chakra or Swadhisthan (chakra of life): Sex, Life, Pleasure and
Mastery- Path of Energy
.Sex and Self-Mastery
.Sex is Sacred
Third Centre or Solar Chakra or Manipura: Emotions: The Path of Passion and Action
.Evolutionary Leap
.Feelings: Our Natural self
Fourth Centre or Heart Chakra or Anahata: Feelings, Dreams and Creativity - Path of Love and
Devotion
.Path of Shaman
Fifth Centre or Throat Chakra or Vissudha: Science, Systems, Communication and Expression -
The Path of Intellect
.Writer’s Block
Sixth Centre or Third Eye Chakra or Ajna: Death and Naked Duality - Path of Insight
.Individuality and Aloneness
Seventh Centre or Crown Chakra or Sahasrara: Individuality, Wholeness and Wellness -
Arriving at the Peak of Evolution
Involution

The seven vows of marriage according to the chakras

Chakras, Brain and Future of Humanity

Section 5 77-85

The science of Kundalini Yoga

Evolution of the Human Brain
The Expression of Consciousness
.Physical Consciousness - Primal

.Physical Consciousness –The Reptilian Brain (Root and Sex Chakra)

.Emotional Consciousness – Mammalian Brain (Solar and Heart chakra)

.Intellectual Consciousness – Human Brain (Throat chakra)

.Existential Consciousness – The Experience of Disintegration (Third eye chakra)

.Witnessing Consciousness – Integration and Wholeness (Crown chakra)

Section 6 86-126

The Practice of Kundalini Yoga

The ten practices for Kundalini Yoga
1. Natural Ethics - self-care and care for others
2. Self-Knowing - studying the book of life
3. Purification (Shathkarma)
4. Worship and Prayer
5. Fasting and Pilgrimage
6. Yoga Poses
7. Breathing Exercises (Pranayama)
8. Bandhas (locks)
9. Mudras (gestures)
10. Meditation

1. Natural Ethics – Self-care and Care for Others

Self-Care
Sleep
Food
Exercise
Relationships
Work
Home
Mind-body practice

2. Studying the Book of Life – Self-Knowing

Innate nature or Prakirti
The Three Basic Constitutional Types
Earth or Parasympathetic
Fire or interface of parasympathetic and sympathetic
Wind or Sympathetic

3. Shathkarma

1. Neti
2. Dhauti

3. Nauli

4. Basti

5. Kapalbhati

6. Tratak

4. Worship and Prayer

5. Pilgrimage and Fasting
6. Yoga poses
Siddhasana
Vajrasana or diamond pose
Sukhasana or easy pose
Sleep Pose
Bindu (Point) Yoga
Sujun Movements to Awaken Energy and the Chakras
7. Breathing or Pranayama

Sushumna Breathing

Conscious deep breathing through each chakra

Full Yogic Breath

Ujjayi
Anulom-Vilom or Nadi Shodhan or Alternate Nostril Breathing

Kapal Bhati (glowing forehead)

Bhastrika (bellow breathing)

Kalajayi Breath or the Breath of Dissolution

8.Bandhas or locks
Moola or root Bandha for lower body

Uddiyana or moving up Bandha for middle

Jalandhara Bandha or throat lock for upper body

9. Mudras
10. Meditation
.Awareness of the Chakras and Energy

.Meditations from Vijan Bhairava Tantra

.Awareness of the Spine and the Nadi Inside it

.Becoming aware of the spine and nadi in it

light Rising in the Spine

.Spark of Light Jumping from Chakra to Chakra

.Braham or Expansiveness Meditation

.From the Universal to the Individual
.Sound meditations
.Bija mantra for chakras

.Tantric mantras

Practice to awaken the invidividual chakras

Ajna or third eye center
Vissudha or throat center

Anahat or heart center

Manipura or solar center

Swadhisthan or sex/energy center

Mooladhar or root center

Section 7 127-160

Experiences of Kundalini and Chakras

Experiencing the process
Yoga Kundalini Upanishad

Hath Yoga Pradipika

Sant Gyanshwara

Ramkrishna Paramhansa

Shirdi Sai Baba

J Krishnamurti

UG Krishnamurti

Pandit Gopikrishna

Jivasu – Sudden awakening

Some of the common symptoms and signs of the Kundalini awakening

Experiences on the Path of Kundalini Yoga – The final results

The Healthy Ego
The Soul or Jeevatma
Realization of the universal self
Natural Being (Sahaja)

Section 8 161-162

Precautions about Kundalini Yoga

Section 9 163

Further Readings
1
 Section 1
Introduction
Kundalini Yoga is Param Yoga or the supreme Yoga. It is ancient yet contemporary as it can be
explained in terms of science without bringing any religion to define it. Its teachings on themes
like non-dual consciousness as well as the nature of the material world are linked with each
other. One aspect of these teachings concerns the knowledge of Braham, which is beyond space
and time, while the other aspect teaches us about the brain and the body. These teachings
connect the inner and outer world. In Kundalini Yoga nothing is an illusion and even the "Maya"
or impermanence is real. From human imagination to the ultimate Truth, all is affirmed and
nothing rejected.

Embedded in it is the essence of all other Yogas, all religions, spiritual paths and philosophies.
There is never a condemnation of the body or human weaknesses. What makes us fall can
elevate us. What is poison can become nectar. What makes ill can cure us. The path of pain and
sorrow becomes a pilgrimage. Body, mind, soul, God and beyond God all are sacred and part of
the same one movement of Truth.

By knowing and practicing Kundalini Yoga not only do we realize the Braham but also gain the
knowledge of this world, its past, present and future. We can then understand its politics,
economy, science, conflicts and culture. We come to understand evolution and involution (in
which consciousness folds over upon itself). We become like spiders in the complex web of life
and the world. We can enter and exit without entangling ourselves in the complexity of the
world.

We realize Hath Yoga through the first two chakras and Karma Yoga through the third. The
fourth chakra helps us to realize Bhakti Yoga and through the fifth we realize the Vedanta,
Buddha consciousness and Patanjali’s Raj Yoga. In sixth chakra we see the cosmos as it is and in
the seventh we experience Guru Yoga, where we are guided by our own inner Guru or
teacher. From the Geeta to the Upanishads, from Nirvana to Tao, from Sufism to the Kabbalah-
all can be understood through Kundalini Yoga.

What is referred to as Kundalini Yoga now, was previously known as Laya Yoga. Laya means
dissolution. It was called the Yoga of dissolution, because it dissolves the barriers between
energy or Shakt and consciousness or Shiva. The word kundalini is derived from the Sanskrit
word Kundal. Kundal means a coiled one. When Shakti or energy lies dormant, it assumes the
shape of a coil, like a serpent. When awakened the Kundalini is uncoiled and straightens up like
a serpent and moves through the chakras. This is why it’s also known as Serpent Power. Some
commentators connect the word Kundal with Kanda or the sacral area of the spine where the

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energy of Kundalini lies dormant. Others relate it to the Kund, the pit or the place where the fire
ceremony in performed, because the nature of Kundalini is fire.

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 Section 2
What is Kundalini Yoga?
When the energy of consciousness or the consciousness-force, known as Shiva-Shakti or
Purusha-Prakirti, takes the form of an individual life, it’s called Kundalini. Kundalini governs life
through the chakras. Because of Avidya or ignorance, only a fragment of the Kundalini
consciousness-force remains active in us while the rest lies dormant in the form of a coil.
Although even partially active Kundalini is enough to sustain life, it causes us to live in a state of
ego and in separation from the rest of the cosmos. The ego causes us to endlessly cycle through
sorrow and joy.

As Sadhana or spiritual effort diminishes our ignorance, Kundalini is awakened and makes the
chakras fully active. The awakening and activation of Kundalini and the chakras breaks the cycle
of the world and the mind and body unite. Jivatma or soul is experienced and the individual
gets glimpses of Shiva or pure consciousness. This is the first realization on the path of Kundalini
Yoga. If the process continues, the Jivatma or soul comes to its full realization of the cosmic
Shiva-Shakti or Purusha-Prakirti or Paramatma or non-dual consciousness. This is full realization
in Kundalini Yoga.

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 Section 3
The history of Kundalini Yoga
The story of Kundalini Yoga is the story of a goddess, because Kundalini represents the feminine
aspect of the cosmos. It is also directly connected to the Tantra. Kundalini and the Chakras are
an integral part of Tantra. The aim of tantric practice is to awaken the Kundalini and the chakras.
As a practice Tantra is pre-historic, however written and pictorial records of its existence
appeared much later.

20,000 BC

This is the earliest finding of the mother goddess figurine from the Pachmari hills in Madhya
Pradesh, India.

5,500 BC

Many female figurines were discovered at the excavation in Mehergarh, Pakistan.

3000 BC – Indus-Saraswati Civilization

The earliest evidence of Kundalini and Tantra comes from a seal found in the ruins of the Indus-
Saraswati civilization. The seal is more than five thousand years old (3000 BC). In this seal a man
is sitting cross legged with an erect phallus. The erect phallus is a symbol of Shiva and also of
the active energy of sex. However, in the seal the erect phallus is pointing upward which means
that the energy is flowing upward in reverse direction rather than downward, which is the goal
of Tantra and Kundalini practice. Yogis who are able to reverse the flow of sexual energy upward
are called Urdhav Retas; Urdhav means upward and Reta means flow.

1500 BCE - Vedas and Upanishads

Although there is no direct mention of Kundalini in Rig Veda, there is a description of Soma.
Soma, which was once thought to be the juice from a plant, is now understood to be the nectar
produced in the body during a Kundalini awakening at the Bindu chakra. Soma is also the moon
shining on Shiva’s forehead. Its cool radiance floods the brain and body bringing bliss, wisdom
and the feeling of the immortality of pure consciousness.

Some say that the Vedic story of Vishnu, in which he crossed the cosmos in three steps,
indicates the three coils of Kundalini. Beyond the three coils lies another half coil which is about
transcending the cosmos.

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Chandogya Upanishad which is an older Upanishad and composed before Buddha, says that
Pranic energy (Kundalini) guards the door of the celestial world.

Kundalini is mentioned in Yajurveda which was described in detail in Advaya Taraka and Yoga
Kundalini Upanishad. Although the Yoga Kundalini Upanishad is as old as Yajurveda, it was
compiled in the 17th century. It describes the chakras and the goal of Kundalini awakening which is
to experience the non-dual Brahman.

In Varahopanishad, Kundalini is called the supreme power. Kundalini is also mentioned in Sam
Veda through Yoga Chudamani Upanishad. The time for the compilation of The Upanishad is not
clear, but it was after Patanajali’s Raj Yoga.

8th Century
Adi Shankaracharya (788-820)

Adi Shankaracharya was a great Jnana Yogi and philosopher who, in his short life span of 32
years, wrote commentaries on The Upanishads and brought the philosophy of Vedanta to the
forefront of spiritual discourse. This influenced the growth of Sanatan Dharma. He also affirmed
the spiritual unity of India by establishing four Maths or ashrams in four corners of India and
started the Dashnami sects of monks which became a vehicle for the spread of the Vedanta
teachings, not only in India, but all over the world.

Adi Shankaracharya, along with sage Pushpadanta wrote the famous work The ‘Saundarya
Lahari’ describing Kundalini Shakti. Saundarya Lahiri means Waves of Beauty. Shankaracharya
says: “You live in secrecy with your lord (consciousness) in the thousand petalled lotus. You
pierced earth ‘Mooladhara’, the water in Manipura, the fire in the Svadhisthana, the air in the
Heart or Anahata’, the space in Visshuddhi and ‘Manas’ between the eyebrows (‘Ajna’) and have
thus broken through the entire ‘Kula Path’.” Saundarya Lahri also gives a clear account on how
to worship and how to please the mother Kundalini Shakti.

Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is mainly Tantric in its nature and is called Vajrayana or diamond path. It
describes Kundalini and the chakras, but with a different name ‘Tummo fire’ which in addition
to physically warming the body, takes an individual to the higher spiritual realizations.

Kashmiri Shavism

Kashmiri Shavism is a non-dualist Tantric Shaiva tradition from Kashmir which came into
prominence in the 8th century. Its main teachers were Vasugupta and Abhinavagupta.
Abhinavagupta wrote Tantraloka and Tantrasar, the most important works of Kashmiri Shavism.
In Kashmiri Shavism Kundalini is held in high esteem as is affirmed by the following words:

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“Kundalini shakti is the concealing and revealing energy of Lord Shiva. Para (supreme) Kundalini
is the heart and existence of Shiva; in fact it is the life and glory of Shiva, it’s Shiva himself.” –
Kashmir Shaivism, the Secret Supreme

Tantrasadbhava Tantra

Tantrasadbhava, Gyanarva Tantra, Lalit Sahastranam, and Laghustuti Vamkeshwar tantra use the
term Kundalini in their description of primal energy and Shakti.

10th Century
Tantra

Although Tantras are old, their articulation and description took on a definitive form by the 10 th
century and many of them were complied during the same period. Tantras contain extensive
descriptions of Kundalini. Abhinav Gupta in his work Tantra-Alok distinguished between Purna
Kundalini, Prana Kundalini and Urdhava Kundalini. Purna Kundalini is a total divine force. Prana
Kundalini, as the name depicts, is only about life force and Urdhava Kundalini is the upward
movement of the dormant life force in the form of a serpent.

Yoga Vashistha

Yoga Vashistha is one of the most beautiful and profound books of integrated spirituality from
India. Its philosophy was propounded thousands of years ago, but the oldest available
manuscript was written in the 10th century AD. It is ascribed to sage Valmiki, the author of
Ramayana. In Yoga Vashistha, Rishi Vashistha gives spiritual instructions to Prince Rama. It
contains the synthesis of non-dualistic Vedanta and Yoga.

In Yoga Vashistha, Guru Vashistha says that Kundalini is the seat of absolute knowledge. The
awareness of the presence of this primordial Kundalini energy within the human body was
considered by the sages and saints to be the highest knowledge possible.

Kundalini as life force functions in the body and is composed of the five elements. It is this same
Kundalini which is also known variously as the conditioned or limited mind, jiva, movement of
thought, intellect (or the determining faculty) and ego-sense, for it is the supreme life-force in
the body and constitutes the various levels of consciousness.

Padaka-Pancaka

Padaka Pancaka contains the descriptions of the chakra centers and related practices to awaken
the Kundalini and Chakras. According to this text the chakras are the emanations of

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consciousness and energy from Brahman which gradually turns concrete, creating these distinct
levels of chakras, and which eventually finds its rest in the Muladhara chakra.

Goraksha Shatakam

Goraksha Shatakam is the work of Gorakshanath and describes in details how to awaken the
chakras and Kundalini. Gorakshanath was a 10th century Nath yogi, connected to Shaivism and
Hath Yoga. He was the most important disciples of Matsyendranath, the founder of Hath Yoga.
The name Hath Yoga is derived from two words Ha and Tha which means sun and moon. This
indicates that the goal of Hath Yoga is to awaken the Pingla or the sun and Ida or the moon
nadis and to take their energy to Sushumna, the central channel in Kundalini Yoga.

13th Century
Yoga Yajnavalkya

Yoga Yajnavalkya became an inspirational and foundational text for many Hath Yoga work
including Yoga-Kundalini, Yogatattva and Hath Yoga Pradipika. It is attributed to the sage
Yajnavalkya and is a dialogue between Yajnavalkya and the rishika Gargi.

Gyaneshwari

Gyaneshwari is a book written by the well known saint from Maharasthra, Sant Gyanshwara.
The sixth chapter of the book describes kundalini in which Sant writes that Kundalini is the
greatest of all energies. With the influence of this energy, the body becomes pure and glows.
Everything in the body becomes symmetrical and the eyes are bright and full of radiance.

15th Century
Hath Yoga Pradipika

Hath Yoga Pradipika is a classical text on Hath Yoga. It was written by Swami Svatmarama, a
disciple of the great Gorakshanath of Nath Sampradya. Hath Yoga Pradipika is one of the best
works to learn about Kundalini. According to Hath Yoga Pradipika - Kundalini is asleep; closing
the door of the Sushumna. She sleeps above the Kanda, where the Nadis unite. She gives
liberation to the Yogi and bondage to the fool. Anyone who knows her knows Yoga.

Hath Yoga Pradipika describes asanas, pranayamas, mudras and bandhas in details. Hath Yoga
brought the physical body to the forefront of Yoga for the first time and showed that the body

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can be the door to the divine and can liberate us. In many religious traditions the body is
considered an obstacle to enlightenment, but in Hath Yoga it is seen as the means to Moksha.
Most of the common asanas and pranayamas in current yoga practice come from Hath Yoga.

Guru Nanak

It is said that Guru Nanak mentioned Kundalini. It is described in Guru Granth Sahib.

16th Century
Shri-Tattva-Cintamani

Shri Tattva Cintamani was written by Swami Purnananda. Its sixth chapter is called the Sat-
Chakra-Nirupana or exploration into six chakras or centres. The book describes the chakras and
practices used to activate them in great detail. It also describes the experiences of Kundalini
moving through the chakras.

17th Century
Gheranda Samhita

Gheranda Samhita is one of three classical text books about Hath Yoga. The other two are Hath
Yoga Pradipika and Shiva Samhita. It is the yoga manual that was taught to Chanda Kapali by
Gheranda. According to the Gherand Samhita, “The Great Goddess Kundalini, who is the
primordial energy of the Self, sleeps in the region of sex. It has the shape of a snake coiled three
and a half times. As long as it remains asleep, Jiva, the individual spirit, will be limited in its
actions, and true knowledge will not be accessible. But like the right key that may unlock a door,
Hath Yoga can unlock Kundalini's door and allow the self to experience the union with Brahman
and to reach the final state."

Shiva Samhita

Shiva Samhita describes various Nadis, ten types of Pranas, eighty four asanas and other yoga
practices to awaken Kundalini.

19th Century
Ramkrishna Paramhansa (1836-1886)

Ramakrishna Paramhansa was a unique sage who was able to reach the state of self-realization
through many paths including Islamic and non-dualistic practices. He also, through his famous

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disciple Swami Vivekananda, revived Sanatan Dharma in India and allowed it to spread
throughout the world.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa was initiated into Tantra by a female teacher, Bhairavi and,
experienced Kundalini. He often used to discuss how this energy can be awakened in five ways.
He stated that it can be like a snake, bird, fish, monkey and an ant. He also said - "When the
Kundalini rises to the Sahasrara and the mind goes into Samadhi, the aspirant loses all
consciousness of the outer world. He can no longer retain his physical body. If milk is poured
into his mouth, it runs out again. In [this] state the life-breath lingers for twenty-one days and
then passes out.”

Shirdi Sai Baba (1835-1918)

Shirdi Sai Baba like Ramakrishna Paramhansa was a fully accomplished yogi and sage and lived
his whole life in the small village of Shirdi, Maharasthra. He used to say that, “ ...afterwards
a big snake awakened (Kundalini awakened). It was very virulent and angry. Then it jumped
up and down. (The Gospel of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba: A Holy Spiritual Path by Durari
Arulneyam)

Swami Nigmananda (1880-1935)

Swami Nigmananda was from eastern India and was a non-dualistic sage. According to him if
early practices are perfected, the succeeding steps will yield lasting results. The sadhaka enters
into samadhi as a matter of individual experience, including the awakening of Kundalini. The
upward and downward motion of Kundalini is called Sampragyant Samadhi.

John Woodroffe (1865-1936)

John Woodroffe was an Englishman and himself not a master of Kundalini realization. However,
his scholarly study of Tantra and Kundalini, as well as books in English on the same subject
helped to translate and transmit the knowledge of the Tantric system and of Kundalini Yoga. His
famous work, The Serpent Power, still remains an exhaustive and profound study of Kundalini
and the Chakras.

20th Century
Paramhansa Yogananda (1893-1952)

Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian Yogi who migrated to The United States and brought
Indian spirituality to the west. He followed the trail of Swami Vivkeananda. His book

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Autobiography of a Yogi is one of the most popular books on Yoga and describes his Kriya Yoga
in detail.

Kriya Yoga is based on the Chakras and energy. According to Yogananda, “Kriya Yoga is [the]
union (yoga) with the Infinite through a certain action or rite (kriya). The Sanskrit root of kriya is
kri, to do, to act and react. The Kriya Yogi mentally directs his life energy to revolve, upward and
downward, around the six spinal centers (medullary, cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral, and
coccygeal plexuses....”.

Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950)

Sri Aurobindo is an example of experimental spirituality. He wanted to bring the divine radiance
of the ‘Supramental’ dimension of the divine to the forefront, not only to transform ordinary
consciousness but also to change the physical body and earth. His concept of Purna or Integral
Yoga is the synthesis of many streams of yoga.

In his book Synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo mentions Kundalini. “Finally, the Yogi acquires at a
certain stage of development the power of abandoning his body definitively without the
ordinary phenomena of death, by an act of will, or by a process of withdrawing the pranic life-
force through the gate of the upward life-current (udana), opening for it a way through the
mystic brahmarandhra in the head.”

In other places he talked about the descent of the same Shakt or force.

Mother of Pondicherry (1878-1973)

Mother of Pondicherry was the spiritual companion of Sri Aurobindo. According to her: ‘it
(Kundalini) is Shakti. Some receive it from above; for others, it rises from below. As I once told
you, the old system always proceeds from below upwards, while Sri Aurobindo pulls from above
downwards. This becomes very clear in meditation (well, in yoga, in yogic experience): for those
who follow the old system, it’s invariably the kundalini at the base [of the spine] rising from
center to center, center to center, until the lotus bursts open here. With Sri Aurobindo, it comes
like this (descending Force) and then settles here (above the head); it enters, and from there it
comes down, down, down, everywhere, to the very bottom, and even below the feet – the
subconscient – and lower still, the inconscient.

J Krishnamurti (1895-1986)

Krishnamurti, a great sage and philosopher of the 20th century left a deep impact on modern
spirituality. He shunned organized religions and the role of a Guru in self-realization.

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His statement, “...Truth is a pathless land”...and that his mission is “...to set man absolutely and
unconditionally free…”are the essence of his teachings.

Throughout his life J Krishnamurti experienced the force or energy and he called this experience
‘the process’. It is described in his biographies which were written by Mary Lutyens and Pupul
Jayakar.

UG Krishnamurti (1918-2007)

U. G. Krishnamurti, was an Indian sage who questioned anything which was related to
spirituality and enlightenment. For him it was not Nirvana or Moksha but the freedom of the
biological body from the thoughts and knowledge which was the most important goal of human
life. He rejected the very basis of thought and in doing so negated all systems of thoughts and
knowledge.

While going through Kundalini like changes in his body, his friends observed that:

“Up and down his torso, neck and head, at those points which Indian holy men call chakras, his
friends observed swellings of various shapes and colors, which came and went at intervals. On
his lower abdomen the swellings were horizontal, cigar-shaped bands. Above the navel was a
hard, almond-shaped swelling.”

Swami Sivananda (1887-1963)

Swami Sivananda was a Yogi and spiritual teacher who founded The Divine Life Society and the
Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh India. Sivananda Yoga, which is a popular form of Yoga, is based
on his teachings. He was a versatile writer and wrote many books on spiritual subjects.

Pandit Gopikrishna (1903-1984)

It would be no exaggeration to say that Gopikrishna revived the interest in Kundalini in modern
times. He was an accomplished Kundalini master and taught and wrote from direct experience.
His teachings include not only the direct experience of Kundalini, which he had for many years,
but also the importance of Kundalini from a biological, scientific and evolutionary perspective.
He describes various aspects of Kundalini in many lucidly written books including ‘Kundalini:
Path to Higher Consciousness”

Swami Muktananda (1908 – 1982)

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Swami Muktananda wrote a number of books on Kundalini shakti. His autobiography entitled
The Play of Consciousness (chit-shakt-vilas) describes his own Kundalini experiences in detail.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati (1923-2009)

Swami Satyananda was a disciple of Swami Sivananda of The Divine Life Society. He wrote many
books about tantra and Kundalini.

Yogi Bhajan (1929-2004)

Yogi Bhajan was a Kundalini yoga teacher in USA.

Kundalini and the Chakras in non-Indian Cultures

Sufism

Lataif-e-sitta are psycho-spiritual "organs" or, faculties of sensory and supra-sensory perception
on the Sufi path. These six levels of states and experiences are parts of the Self, in a similar
manner to the way organs are parts of the body.

Kabbalaha (Judaism)

The Kabbalistic arrangement of Sefirot invites comparison with the chakras.

Christianity

The book The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila describes seven mansions to explain the seven
states of consciousness, which a person experiences on the spiritual path to the soul.

Some Christian mystics have referred to these energy centers as stars. The seven mansions, and
sacraments transcend religious boundaries and describe a road map to a higher consciousness.

China

Taoism

In Taoism, Kundalini and the Chakras are referred to as Dantans. According to McEvilley, “The
Taoist alchemists of China taught techniques to force the semen up the spine to the brain,
where it was expected to nourish fields of cinnabar, leading to the alchemical transformation of
the mind.”

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Greece
According to McEvilley, knowledge akin to Kundalini and Chakras was pervasive in Greece. In
Plato’s Timaeus he describes the divine seed which resides in the brain and flows down the
spinal column towards the sexual organs. He discusses two hidden channels which flow
alongside the spinal column. The Greeks referred to the spinal column as the Holy tube (hiera
surinx). The Pythagorean and Orphic schools taught that semen comes from brain and is of one
substance with the spinal marrow. Diogenes of Appolonia, as quoted by Aristotle, is also said to
have referred to the two auxiliary channels beside the spinal column.

Romans

In Roman mythology, we find Asclepius, the god of healing. He is seen holding a staff which is
entwined with a serpent.

Egypt

McEvilley cites the myth of Osiris in ancient Egypt. Osiris, the god of the afterlife, is said to
ascend to heaven over the spinal column of his mother, the goddess Nut, the vertebrae being
used as the rungs of a ladder. This is similar to the Yogic concept of Enlightenment. Richard
Onians in his book The Origins of European Thought suggests that the column represents the
spine of Osiris which was worshipped as an “amulet of life”, indicates the same idea. According
to Onians, the vital fluid in Egyptian iconography is repeatedly shown as being transmitted
either by laying the hand on the top of the spine or passing it down the spine.

The pharaoh’a crown had a serpent (Uraeus) which represents the goddess Wadjet.

Mesopotamia/Sumeria

In analyzing the evidence across other ancient cultures, McEvilley also cites the Gudea vase
which shows two serpents intertwined around a central axis, their bodies touching each other
at seven knot-points. This is exactly how the Sushumna and its two auxiliary channels are
arranged.

Africa

In many parts of Africa people danced to awaken Num (equivalent to Kundalini) in order to
experience Kia, or the state of transcendence.

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 Section 4
The Philosophy of Kundalini Yoga

15
 Before the Beginning...Unknowable

Being nor Nonbeing was not then

nor air or sky beyond
What embraced? Where? In whose protection?
Was Water there, unfathomable deep?

There was no death then, nor eternity,

no night or day.
The One breathed without breath on its own
and there was nothing beyond.

Darkness was enveloped by darkness

all was Water indiscriminate
The One was hidden by the Void
stirred though, by the force of heat.

Love arose in the beginning,

the primal seed of mind
The Seers, searching in their wise hearts,
found the bonds of Being in Nonbeing.

Their rays of vision spread across the both

What was above so was below?
Bearers of seed and the mighty forces,
efforts below and sacrifice above.

Who really knows? Who can tell the Truth?

Whence was it born? Whence it formed?
Even the Gods appeared later
Who then knows when it sprang?

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 Whence this was created,
Did it create itself or not,
the One who looks from the highest heaven,
that surely knows - or maybe...He doesn’t know.
Nasadiya Sukta from Rig Veda

Introduction

In science, which deals with matter and energy, ‘seeing’ is of paramount importance. If a
scientist can’t see an object or event directly through the eyes, or indirectly on the screen, or on
a piece of paper, then it doesn’t exist. Furthermore, that act of seeing has to be confirmed by
many. The act of seeing by an individual is not enough and is merely an anecdote which may or
may not be true. So replicating the seeing is the essence of science. Seeing has to be shared in
order to bring transformation in the material world.

For example, if a patient complains about ‘not feeling well’, the doctor will suggest many tests to
arrive at a diagnosis. Those tests are not exclusively analyzed by a single doctor but by many
other health professionals such as a pathologist or a specialist. If all the tests are normal, then
the doctor may say that the problem is in the patient’s head, which means it is in the mind or is
just a feeling rather than in the body. This also means that problem may not be real but
imagined.

But in spirituality ‘feeling’ is of main importance, because it explores the realm of consciousness
and conscious transformation within. Seeing is recognized, but may be considered an illusion.
Our mind can project its own content and see things which are either not there or even if they
are there, they are not seen as they are, because our perception is conditioned. Our fears,
suffering, conflict, guilt, jealousy, happiness, meaning in life, love and fulfillment are all feelings.
Nirvana, enlightenment, liberation, God experiences are also feelings beyond ordinary feelings,
and are experienced by an individual in solitude. No one from outside can observe these
feelings. Feelings can be verbalized but not shared.

Thousands of years ago when dead bodies were not dissected, and when surgery was rarely
done, knowledge of human physiology and anatomy was based on feelings of energy flowing
within various parts of the body and organs. The flow of the energy was called Prana, Chi or Ki.
By persistent observations on the feelings of energy flow within the body, people were able to
comprehend the functioning of the body including the inner organs. These feeling observations
became the foundation of ancient healing systems. In a way, most healing in ancient time was
energy healing.

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Out of all organs and systems in the body, the brain and the nervous system are the most
sensitive. We can feel the energy flow in them more clearly and strongly. In a calm state, it’s
easier to map out the pathways of energy flow in one’s brain and nerves. The maps of these
pathways slowly became the systems of Nadis and Meridians.

Energy flows in the brain and nervous system become particularly strong during spiritual
awakening. The spiritual progress is the result of changes in the biology of the brain and
nervous system. Biology evolves; not the consciousness. At any point all possible modes of
consciousness are available to any living organism. But the state of the brain and body
determines if an individual will be able to tune into the different dimensions of consciousness or
not. A more evolved brain and body access higher levels of consciousness. A person walking a
dog will have a different experience than the dog. Although the external environment is the
same, their perception and consciousness will be different, because their brains are tuning into
different realities.

In unicellular organisms like the amoeba, the brain is spread throughout the cell. The whole cell
is a brain. In multi-cellular and more complex life forms, the brain starts to take shape in the
form of nerve cells. As evolution progresses, the brain becomes a distinct organ, such as in
earthworms and reptiles.

Reptiles have a primitive nervous system, which has helped them survive. The reptilian complex
in the human brain is representative of the brain of reptiles and is a mirror for reptilian
consciousness. In advanced animals, the brain is responsible for emotions. In humans it has
brought the wonders of self-awareness, through which we are able to experience feelings and
emotions. It also gives us the ability to reflect on the past and contemplate the future. We are
capable of logical thinking, which has unleashed endless creativity and has led to the
emergence of science, art, ethics, religion and culture. But above all of this, is the incredible
ability we possess to feel the presence of the infinite and eternal, the source of the universe
itself. The infinite is not an empty void but contains all that is possible, was possible and will be
possible. People have given this feeling of boundless and timeless existence many names
including God, Brahamn and so on.

As our brain develops and vibrates at a particular frequency, we experience a specific level of
consciousness. The animal brain vibrates at a different frequency than in humans, and so their
perception is different. Because we are self-aware, we can change the structure and physiology
of our brain and become conscious of those experiences that are not available to other living
beings. This is conscious evolution. Evolution is essentially the evolution of the brain and body,
which vibrate at different frequencies at various stages of evolution.

All creative and spiritual practices are about changing the structure and physiology of the brain,
in order to tune into more conscious experience. We have the potential to become conscious of
every evolutionary frequency of the brain, eventually arriving at a point where the frequency
becomes almost infinite or zero. Here we tune into a primal consciousness. This gives us the
experience of non-duality, Nirvana or the feeling of timeless and space-less existence.

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When people are going through a spontaneous spiritual awakening, the energy flow in their
brain and nervous system is strong and can be felt clearly at certain points over the body. A
normal brain, although fully active physiologically, is not functioning to its optimal capacity; the
reason being that various parts of the brain remain unconnected. But in spiritual awakening not
only some of the physiologically less active parts become more active, but more and more parts
connect to each other making the brain and nervous system function as one unit, as one whole.
Such functioning of the brain is also observed during orgasm.

During spiritual awakening increased activity and coherence in the brain functioning are
experienced as powerful and harmonious flow of energy at various parts of the body and are
called Chakra points. Chakra means wheels. At these points energy is flowing through the web
of nerves giving the feeling of a moving wheel. In the same way when energy is flowing through
the spinal cord and brain, it gives the feeling of a serpent moving within the body. This
movement of energy is called Kundalini. Kundal means a coil. A restful serpent forms a coil, but
when awakened it raises its body up and opens its hood. That is why Kundalini energy is
depicted as an awakened serpent. The brain and the spinal cord look like the body and hood of
a serpent.

In summary, biology evolves and not consciousness. With the evolution of biology, higher levels
of consciousness are experienced. When the biology of the brain and nervous system evolves,
there is strong flow of energy which connects to particular nerve plexuses and gives the feeling
of moving wheels which are called Chakra points. The overall flow of this energy is experienced
as an awakened serpent and is called Kundalini energy. Because Chakras and Kundalini are
feelings and not material entities, if we were to open the body we wouldn’t find them anywhere
in the body. Similarly, if we were to open the heart organ, we wouldn’t find any love there. Love
is a feeling which connects to the anatomical heart.

What is Kundalini?
Kundalini, Chakras and Nadis
Kundalini is the conscious energy or bio-energy which sustains life in an individual person and in
other living beings. It is the individualized extension of the cosmic energy variously referred to
as Shakti, Prakirti or Devi.
As the manifested cosmos is formed from the union of consciousness (Shiva or Purusha) and
energy (Shakt or Prakirt), at the level of Ahamkar or I-ness, consciousness becomes involved in
the cycle of the world leading to fear and suffering. As the Shiva-Shakt combination goes down
further, at the root chakra (Annamayakosha) most of the Kundalini energy becomes dormant
and is coiled like a serpent with minimal consciousness. Its remaining dynamic energy mainly
moves to the second chakra (Pranamayakosh) from where it sustains the body, the emotions
and the thinking mind.

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As the Kundalini is awakened from it dormancy, it rises again and becomes more and more
conscious. At the level of the crown chakra, it finally achieves union with Shiva or consciousness
again. This leads to the witnessing consciousness. If the movement continues further up, the
cosmic union is experienced. This ultimately leads to the experience of the non-dual state of
Brahman.
Ignorance whose origin is unknown causes Kundalini to remain dormant and confined to the
material and mental realm. When awakened it becomes fully conscious by uniting with Shiva or
Purusha or primal consciousness and returns to its cosmic form which leads to liberation. Such
liberation also awakens all of the inherent material and mental forces in the person. During the
awakening of Kundalini, Prana or bio-energy moves up through the chakras, opens them and
make them optimally functional. Kundalini expresses itself differently at different chakras,
because each chakra represents a different stage of evolution and consciousness.
Kundalini energy flows through the specific pathways or Nadis. Nadi means flow. The same
word is used in Sanskrit for river and also for Nada, which means sound, because sound also
flows like a wave. The Chakras are the vortex or the dynamic pools of energy in which Nadis
end and take origin. Out of the thousands of Nadis criss- crossing the body, three are most
important. They are Ida, Pingla and Sushumna. Some also describe three more nadis interior to
Sushumna, namely Vajrini, Chitrni and Brahman nadis.

The Ida and Pingala Nadis correspond to the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nerves but
they are not themselves the nerves. Ida, which represents the moon, means coolness and
calmness. Pingla, which symbolizes the sun, means action and heat. Ida and Pingla start in the
testicles or vagina, Ida on the right and Pingla on the left. They meet with Sushumna at the root
chakra. Sushumna means ‘Graceful’. Sushumna is called graceful, because when Ida and Pingla
are in balance they flow into Sushumna with gentle equanimity. When the three Nadis meet at
the root chakra, they form the first knot or Braham granthi (the knot of the body). The three
nadis again meet at the heart chakra and at the third eye chakra and form Vishnu and Rudra
Granthi, which correspond to emotion and intellect. These three knots create dormancy of
body, emotions and intellect and have to be untied to become receptive to the cosmic forces at
the mind-body level. Ida is Tamasic in nature or full of inertia, Pingla is Rajasic or dynamic and
Sushumna is Satvic or harmonious and balanced.

From the Rudra Granthi at the third eye or sixth chakra, Ida and Pingla descend to the left and
right nostril and through the stimulation of the nostrils by breathing, they influence the right
and left hemispheres of brain. Sushumna doesn’t end at the nostrils. It goes all the way up to
the top of the head and opens in the crown chakra.

Up to the sixth chakra, all chakras have petals. These petals are metaphors for the various
frequencies with which they vibrate and are represented as the Sanskrit alphabets. In Nada
Yoga the origin of the cosmos is described through the un-struck sound of Aum from which all
other vibrations are born and all vibrations are conceived by humans through 50 alphabets. This
means that the mind-body microcosm contains all the vibrations of the macrocosm in the form
of 50 alphabets. The seed mantra or the sounds at various chakras, is the igniting energy which

20
will make these petals of frequencies active and vibrate and will help in the communion of the
mind-body microcosm to the macrocosm of universe.

Philosophy of Samkhya and its relation to Kundalini and Chakras

Philosophy of Samkhya is the first philosophy in which expressed and unexpressed elements of
the cosmos are enumerated and which ranges from the physical body (which can be seen and
felt) to supreme pure consciousness which is beyond the reach of the mind and thoughts.

According to Samkhay visible and invisible existence is made up of 25 elements. Out of these
twenty five elements, Purusha (pure consciousness) and Prakirt (material nature) are eternal
and constitute the two supreme elements, followed by:

Buddhi or the discriminatory intellect or Soul or Prajna

Ahamkar or ego which is the lower side of the soul and contains ordinary intellect

Manas or the emotional mind

The physical body which is formed by 20 elements of...

 the five senses or organs of knowledge – eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin

 the five experiences of senses – sound, sight, smell, touch and taste

 the five organs of action – mouth, hands, anus, penis/vagina and feet

 the five Mahabhutas or gross elements – earth, water, fire, air and space

According to science, matter-energy constitutes the universe, but according to Samkhya it’s the
coming together of Purusha (pure consciousness) and Prakirt (matter-energy) which forms the
cosmos. From Purusha and Prakirti’s contact emerge Buddhi or Atma or Prajna, Ahamkar or ego,
Manas and the Physical body. Beside Purusha all of the other 23 elements belong to Prakirti, are
material in nature and constantly change.

Purusha

The word Purusha is composed of Pur meaning boundary and Sha means restfulness. Purusha is
the peaceful, tranquil pure consciousness which rests in the boundaries of living beings
including humans. Each living being has its own Purusha. So there are as many Purushas as the
number of living beings. Later on with the development of Vedanta, plural Purusha became one
or non-dual Brahamn.

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Puruṣha is the transcendental self beyond all description and is pure consciousness. It’s self-
existent; it neither creates nor was created. It’s eternal absolute, independent, free,
imperceptible and unknowable. It can be reached by any knowledge, senses, mind, intuition or
insights. It remains forever pure although when mixed with Prakirti it seems to take the form
and movement of Prakirti, but that’s not true. Prakirti can never taint or change Purusha’s
purity.

The realization of Purusha is the end of all fear and suffering. The person rests in the stillness of
pure consciousness and experiences bliss.

Prakirti

Pra means primal or before and Krit means to create. So Prakirt is the primal creative force
which is the central background of all creativity. All other creative activities by humans are
secondary. Original creativity only comes from Prakirti.

Prakirti is the source of the emergence of the universe. Buddhi, mind, ego, energy and matter
are all born from the womb of Prakirti. Its constituents are three Gunas or qualities: Sattva,
Rajas and Tamas.

Sattva – The word Sattva comes from Sat meaning Truth. The Sattva state of Prakirti takes a
person closer to the Truth of Purusha. Ordinary humans living in ignorance cannot differentiate
between Purusha and Prakirti and suffer from the turmoil of life. But living with the Sattva
quality discrimination begins, and one can see the reflected light of Purusha which brings peace,
lightness, love, compassion, harmony, illumination, and joy which reduces suffering and fear. Its
color is translucent white.

Rajas – The word Rajas comes from Raja which means Royal, Kingly or Queenly. Rajas’ quality is
full of action, excitement, control, egoism, passion and pain. The person is lost in the constant
ups and downs of life and desires to control and possess the world. Its color is red.

Tamas – The word Tamas means darkness. Tamas is the state of ignorance and opacity which
leads to resistance, stagnation, inertia, coarseness, heaviness, obstruction and slothfulness. Its
color is grey or black.

When the three Gunas are in a complete balance Prakirti remains without manifestation. When
the equilibrium of the three Gunas is disturbed the world comes into manifestation. Each living
being is a fusion of conscious Purusha and unconscious Prakirti. The problem of fear and
suffering arises when Purusha is identified with various manifestations of Prakirti such as Buddhi
and Ahamkar which are material in nature. But once Purusha recovers its full awareness it’s
liberated from the web of Prakirti and resides in its pristine purity.

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Buddhi

Buddhi is the discriminatory wisdom which is looking up and in, in the direction of Purusha and
is able to get its first glimpse of pure consciousness. Buddhi is also called Jivatma, soul or Prajna
and recognizes Ahamkar or ego as a prison. Buddhi resides in the Satvic guna of Prakirti and
experiences harmony, lightness, joy, love and compassion. Buddhi starts differentiating between
Purusha and Prakirti and moving from more ignorance to less ignorance by de-identifying with
Ahamkar or ego, Manas or emotions and the physical body. It also develops a Sakshi or
witnessing quality, the essence of Dhyana or meditation. I Amness or Asmita is the inner feeling
of Buddhi.

While I-ness of Ahamkara is isolated and confrontational to the other ‘I’, the I Am-ness of
Asmita resides in its own center without being in conflicts with others.

Ahamkar

Ahamkar literally means ‘I maker’ and brings a sense of self to the person. The person identifies
with thoughts, emotions, feelings, the physical body and many things in the world which come
into the field of perception through the five organs of knowledge. The person assumes
ownership of their thoughts and actions and is constantly reacting, resulting in sorrow, fear,
anger, jealousy, sadness, happiness and a sense of success and failure. Ahamkar is in constant
conflict with other Ahamkars. Ahamkar’s energy gives birth to the five organs of knowledge, the
five organs of action, the five experiences of the organs of knowledge and the five gross
elements.

Manas

Manas is the center for emotions and feelings where the reaction is quick and without much
reasoning or logic. Consequences are not contemplated and impulsive action is taken. It’s also
the place where will resides, passion is experienced and spontaneous creativity happens.

The Five Organs of Knowledge

The five senses or organs of knowledge are— the eyes, the ears, the tongue, the nose and the
skin through which Manas and Ahamkar enjoy the world. The energy of desires goes out into
the world to enjoy and cling to it. Such clinging to enjoyment inevitably brings conflict,
frustration, pain and sorrow to the person.

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Five experiences through the Organs of Knowledge or Tanmatras

Sound, sight, smell, touch and taste are the experiences of Manas and Ahamkar through the five
organs of knowledge.

The Five Organs of Action

The five organs of action—the mouth, hands, anus, penis/vagina and feet help in working and
acting in the world and are needed for survival.

The Five Elements or Panch Mahabhutas

Panch Mahabhutas or the five gross elements – earth, water, fire, air and space are the basic
sources of the body which are experienced as feelings. Earth gives a person a sense of solidity,
water fluidity, fire energy and passion, air movement and space gives the feeling of
expansiveness.

As the insight into the nature of Truth evolved the duality of Purusha and Prakirti was
replaced by non-duality of Vedanta. Now it’s expressed in the following way:

Brahman is unknowable, absolute and transcendental and beyond all experiences and
descriptions. It’s neither being nor non-being.

In its expressed aspect it’s experienced as Sat-Chit-Ananad which can be translated as

Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.

 Existence is all manifested and un-manifested life

 Consciousness is pure consciousness
 Bliss is the supreme delight which pervades whole of the existence

Pure consciousness is completely still and tranquil and is Nirgun Braham. It’s beyond all
qualities and attributes and is experienced in the Turiya state.

Sat or existence expresses itself as Prakirti with the three gunas of Satva, Rajas and Tamas and
when combined with Chit it becomes Sagun Braham or Braham with attributes, also referred to
as God. Aum is the primal sound through which the manifested and un-manifested universe
emerges from Sagun Braham.

Maya is the expression of Prakirti which hides the true nature of Braham behind its web of
illusion. Because of Maya humans perceive the limited world as the whole truth.

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From Sagun Braham emerge the trinity of Brahma – Vishnu-Mahesh (masculine energy) and
their consorts Saraswat-Laxmi-Parvat. Brahma becomes the creator, Vishnu the sustainer and
Mahesh or Shiva the dissolver of the universe. Out of these three entities are born all other
gods, goddesses and other energies and forms both negative and positive forces.

 From Sagun Braham emerges the Buddhi or Atma

 From Atma, the Ahamkar
 From Ahamkar, the mind
From the mind emerges the physical body with its five organs of knowledge, five organs of
action, five subtle elements and its five gross elements.

Atma, Ahamkar, Manas and the physical body can be described in two ways:

1. Three bodies or Shariras; namely Sthul (the gross body), Suksham (the subtle body) and
Karan (the causal body)
2. Three bodies consist of five sheaths. The gross body is built by Annamayakosh (matter)
and Pranamayakosha (energy). The subtle body is formed by the Manomayakosh
(emotions and feelings) and the Vijanmayakosh (intellect with reason). The causal body
is formed by Anandamayakosh (bliss or well-being) and is the part of Atma or individual
self.

While Kundalini is fully functional at Jivatmna and Buddhi which is the level of seventh chakra, it
starts becoming dormant and less conscious at and below the level of Ahamkar. At the level of
the body it becomes most dormant. But inspite of its dormancy it’s active and strong enough to
sustain the functions of body and mind. Beyond seventh chakra and Jivatman, Kundalini
becomes the part of the cosmic shiv-shakti and of non-dual Brahman.
Kundalini has been called “the serpent power”, because a serpent also forms a coil when
resting. It is also is experienced as a column of energy curving upward from the base of the
spine to the brain, in the shape of a hooded serpent. Upward movement of this energy in the
spinal column, as well as the whirling flow of energy at the six primary centres is termed
chakras. Similar experiences have also been described in other religious traditions.
Kundalini and the seven Chakras are metaphors for a variety of experiences brought by the
awakening of the conscious energy or force in the body and the brain. As mentioned above,
Kundalini symbolizes the dormant energy in the body at the base of the spine. The word chakra
means wheel or the vortex. Chakras are not physical entities but are the experiences of the flow
of the Kundalini energy through different regions of the brain and the body. The chakras are the
windows through which the microcosm of the body and mind connects to the macrocosm or
the universe. The macrocosm and the microcosm are formed by the same force or energy, of
which Kundalini is one form.
In mind-body complex, each chakra is connected with a part of the brain, just as an electrical
switch is connected with a light fixture. The switched-on chakra corresponds to a part of the
brain, which is then lit up. In essence, the opening of the chakras means the opening of the

25
brain. When the whole brain is activated and functioning, a union of the mind and body occurs,
and if extended further, it leads to the intimate connection between the mind-body or
microcosm to the macrocosm.
The chakras are the milestones of evolution and involution. All matter is energy and all energy is
consciousness. But all consciousness is not self-reflective consciousness and all self-reflective
consciousness is not free from conditioning. Movement from the non-reflective consciousness
to the self-reflective consciousness is evolution and from the conditioned self-reflective
consciousness to the unconditioned self-reflective consciousness is involution.
When the movement of consciousness expands beyond the individual and becomes universal, it
is involution. Such movement is like a fountain which springs forth from the earth, goes up in a
narrow stream, reaches its peak (evolution) and then comes down to the earth again as an
expanded umbrella of the water (involution).
Evolution is the movement from the lower to the higher chakras, from the first to the seventh
chakra which causes integration of the mind and body. It is a process of ascendance. Involution
is the movement from the higher to the lower chakra in which the individual is integrated into
universal consciousness. It is a process of descendence.
Humans are the most evolved of all living beings on earth. Because of this, they are full of fear
and complexity, and yet they are the most powerful species on the earth. In addition, as we
move up the chakras, we become more powerful. People of the fifth chakra are more powerful
than the people of the fourth and those of the fourth more powerful than those of the third
and so on. The least powerful are minerals, because they have only one active chakra—the root
chakra. In minerals the second chakra only exists as a potential. They are at the bottom of
evolution. Plants are more powerful than minerals, animals are more powerful than plants, and
humans are the most powerful.
The higher the chakra in the evolutionary ladder, the more consciousness it will have. More
consciousness brings more knowledge of life and death, which leads to more fear as well as
more delight in daily living.
From a biological perspective Kundalini is the total energy available to a human being. Part of
this energy sustains the body and the mind, and the rest moves the wheel of evolution in a
person through seven chakras. The seven chakras are the seven brains in the human body. The
seventh brain is encased in the skull. It is not an independent brain but results from the
integration of the first six brains or chakras.
Social and cultural conditioning makes the chakras dormant and doesn’t allow them to function
at their optimal level or to be in harmony with one another. But with the awakening of Kundalini
energy, the chakras become active and integrate with one another, which leads to the fully
functional individual.
Kundalini energy flows into two main channels named Pingla or sun channel and Ida or moon
channel. The sun and the moon channels correspond to the sympathetic and the
parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system. Normally the flow of the
energy in the sun and moon channels is weak. It doesn’t have the force to open the central

26
channel or Sushmna which corresponds with the central canal of the spinal cord. But after the
awakening of Kundalini, the energy in the sun and moon channels flows with force and finds its
way into the central channel. The flow of energy in the central channel opens the chakras fully.

What is Opening of the Chakras?

The first meaning of the opening of the chakra is to break down the hold of the automatic
patterns of emotions and thoughts in the body and brain.
As we go through the life, we incur many injuries and abuses, suffers from tragedies of life and
pain, the memories of which are accumulated in our brain and body. These accumulated
memories produce strong emotional responses in the forms of anger, guilt, grief and violence
which become the automatic patterns of emotions and thoughts. These automatic patterns can
be triggered by small stresses of day to day life and cause deep suffering.
When the energy rushes through the body and the brain and opens the chakras, it washes away
the old accumulation of the memories, cleans the body and the brain, and heals them.
The second meaning of chakra opening is to experience the full flowering of the innate
intelligence with which each person is born. With the opening of the six chakras, the mind and
body function at their optimal level and integrate with each other to form a harmonious
wholeness. The person then becomes a fully functional individual.
The third meaning of chakra opening is that the fully functional individual experiences universal
consciousness and merges into it.

Vertical and Horizontal Movement of the Chakras

Opened by energy, the chakras can move in vertical and horizontal directions. The vertical
movement causes evolution, and the horizontal movement, the expansion of the consciousness.
The vertical movement brings new realizations and awareness to the person, and the horizontal
movement provides an expansive view of the new realizations and awareness. For example, the
vertical movement of the fifth chakra helps in the development of the intellect and capacity for
thinking with reason and rationality, while the horizontal movement helps in creating science,
systems, theories, rules, laws, organizations and their use at the local, national and global level.
Once a chakra is fully active, it moves in all directions. This experience is like the flight of a swan
that not only flies up towards the sky but also becomes aware of vast vistas around it. The
vertical and horizontal movements complement each other.

The Disciplined Person is a Free Person

On the path of chakra, discipline comes from within. It is not imposed from outside. The word
discipline is related to the word disciple. When a person becomes a disciple of its own innate

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nature or intelligence, true discipline happens. At this point, discipline is natural and effortless.
The discovery of one’s nature is the beginning of natural discipline.

Wellness Reserve
Normally our brain and body use only a fragment of their total capacity. We carry a significant
wellness reserve in us, which if released, can heal physical and psychological disorders and bring
us a sense of well-being in our day to day living. But we must understand what the partial
functioning means. We will take the example of the physical heart in humans. Although at any
given point of time the heart is physiologically fully active, it still has a reserve in it which can be
tapped into by heavy cardiac exercise. Tapping into the heart reserve may save it from heart
attacks in the future and help the person in living a healthier life.
The awakening of Kundalini energy and the opening of the chakras, do the same thing in a
person. They tap into the wellness reserve of the brain and the body.

General Features of Chakras

The first two chakras are named root (Mooladhar) and sex (Swadhisthan) centers, and belong to
matter and energy. They represent the body, the reptilian component of the brain which is
responsible for survival, sex and reproduction.
The third (solar or Manipura) and the fourth (heart or Anahat) chakras belong to emotions and
feelings and are represented as the mammalian component in the brain. They are responsible
for the six primary and many secondary and social emotions in human beings. Emotions help in
promoting longer and better survival of the individual and the species.
The fifth chakra (throat or Vishuddha) belongs to logic, reason, science, language, analysis, and
the anticipated future. It is represented as the neo-cortex or human component in the brain.
The fifth chakra helps humans to become powerful and to survive longer by discovering and
inventing complex tools and technology, and by learning from the past and speculating about
the future. The fifth chakra allows humans to dominate all other living beings on earth. The first
five chakras constitute the ego or the self.
The sixth chakra (third eye or Ajna) is the existential center, where life and death face each
other in their bareness. Activation of the sixth chakra allows the subconscious contents to
become conscious and an existential crisis is precipitated. The person experiences the fear and
the darkness which eventually leads to the integration of the reptilian, mammalian and human
components of the brain. The process of the integration is completed at the seventh (crown or
Sahasara) chakra, which results in the emergence of a fully functional individual. Activation of
the seventh chakra is the experience of the innate intelligence, Prakiriti, soul or Atma.

Higher a Chakra is: it is…

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 .More Powerful because higher chakra has more knowledge and knowledge is power
.Less dense
.More easily accessible
.Less difficult to open
.Less difficult to transform
.Less important for survival

Higher Chakra brings:

.More fear
.More choices
.More freedom
.More creativity
.More fluidity and less rigidity
.Longer survival
.More complexity
.More individuality

The Experience of Evolution and Involution at Different Chakras

Chakra Evolution (individual) Involution (universal)
First chakra Matter Universal matter, quantum world and (Padarth yoga)
Second chakra Energy Universal energy or Shakti and Shakti or energy yoga
Third chakra Emotions Karm yoga
Fourth chakra Feelings Bhakti yoga
Fifth chakra Intellect Jnan yoga
Sixth chakra Insight Cosmic form with death and life (Virat)
Seventh chakra Integration God
Yoga is the state when the individual and the universal are in seamless union.

Different Chakras Express the Same Energy in Different Forms

In the first chakra of the body, the process of living and dying occur simultaneously. But with
evolution, life and death become two separate entities which are expressed in different chakras
in different forms.
First chakra : Death and life are one

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Second chakra: Life is sex and fertility and death is impotency and infertility
Third chakra: Life is passion and death is anger
Fourth chakra: Life is love and death is fear
Fifth Chakra: Life is creativity and death is blockage of the creativity.
SixthChakra: Life is life and death is death and they face each other in their bareness
Seventh Chakra: Life and death accept each other and exist simultaneously

Regression and Progression

In times of crisis, a person may either progress to the higher chakra or regress to the lower
chakra. A crisis which brings the progression or regression of this kind includes war, natural
disasters, personal trauma and tragedies. A mature ego is formed by the five chakras of the
body, emotions, feelings and intellect. Ego’s consciousness is conditioned, but it gives a person
stability to face the turmoil and chaos of life. In regression, ego slides down to the lower chakras
of emotions and body chakras which can psychologically paralyze the person or cause the
person to become a part of a mob and lose individuality.
In progression the person will move up, may go through the existential crisis of the sixth chakra
and arrive at the seventh to become a fully functional individual.

History and the Chakras

Humans don’t create history. History creates the human beings.
Up to fourth chakra the unfolding of history is not a conscious process in humans, and so they
are not able to influence its making or change its course. The unfolding of history is governed by
subconscious processes which are beyond the control of individuals and groups. Humans
become aware of history when it is already made and unfolded. Only a person who becomes
conscious of the subconscious forces that are forming history can refuse to participate in its
processes or participate in it as the reflective person or mindful observer or witness. The
reflective consciousness emerges at the fifth and witnessing consciousness at the seventh
chakra.

The Future of Humanity is Embedded and Reflected in Chakras

As we observed earlier, the fear of death and life starts at the first chakra and as evolution
moves forward, consciousness increases and more consciousness brings more knowledge of life
and death. More knowledge of life becomes the source of enjoyment and more knowledge of
death creates more fear and anxiety.
So as evolution moved forward from the first chakra, it brought more ways of enjoying
life and more fear of death with which people coped by worshipping and praying to the

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elements of nature, gods, goddesses and spirits and finally God. That was the case up to the
fourth chakra. But at the fifth chakra something changed. With the discovery of new tools of
reason and science, humans started to take control of the material world which was previously
governed by God and spirits. Such control over matter and energy brought an explosion of
creativity and technology which transformed the human world. Humans started to become
master of their world which slowly started replacing God with science and technology.
Technology brought unprecedented comfort and pleasure to many. And that was the
enjoyment of life. But being at the fifth chakra with an increase in knowledge, fear and anxiety
about death also increased. This was coped with this time not by the old gods, spirits and God,
but by increased material safety and consumption to prolong life and its pleasure. Instead of the
ego's continuance in the world of spirit, heaven, and rebirth, the emphasis was on living in the
material world as much as possible with pleasure and comforts.
That would have been fine if this had been confined to the minority. But by seeing and
hearing about the freedom of the democracy, individual rights, the power of science and
technology, and material comforts, people of other cultures started demanding the same. The
demand increased rapidly because of the mass media and communication. People watched with
awe on the television screen, the opulence of the imagined religious heaven in real cities of the
real world. Masses of people wanted to imitate and follow western culture to have a taste of
that heaven. That is what happened. That demand and imitation began the process of the
homogenization of other cultures resulting in the emergence of the first world culture in human
history the core of which was formed by the western civilization. Although the world culture is
nascent and new, it’s spreading quickly in all directions.

With the rapidly increasing number of consumers, people soon realized that the earth's
natural resources were limited and would run out eventually. But no one is ready to listen. A
consumer is an addict and the consumption is an addiction. Who is going to stop whom? All of
us are involved in it. It's a massive movement which cuts across class, race, religion, color and
countries. Except for the very few, most of us are in the same boat of consumerism. The fatal
attraction of the consumerism is that beside the addiction to the comforts and pleasure, it also
gives a sense of power and self-esteem to which the ego is attached. And why not? After all,
self-esteem is ego’s lifeline.

This process is now unstoppable and the earth can’t sustain consumption at such a high and
massive level. We are moving towards an inevitable environmental disaster. But this disaster is
also good news. Its force and destruction will be like a death impact on humanity which will
bring a radical change in the consciousness of a significant number of people, by pushing them
into the sixth chakra and then making them come out at the seventh. The seventh chakra is the
chakra of the awakening of individual consciousness and well-being which will result in de-
addiction and de-conditioning. That will be the beginning of an entirely new era. From the first
chakra to the fifth it is the formation and the growth of the ego, the sixth chakra is the
shattering of the ego and the seventh chakra is the entry into a new integral or soul
consciousness in which the ego becomes subservient rather than functioning as the master as it
did until the fifth chakra.

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But the seventh chakra is not the end. After the flowering of the seventh chakra further
expansion of the consciousness will begin which we can call involuton. In involution, individual
consciousness starts to universalize. The individual person becomes a universal being.

From an intellectual point of view, it seems that the environmental disaster and its impact on
humans and other species is a catastrophe that created by the bad choices made by humans.
We must prevent it, and we can. We have the will and freedom to make better choices for the
better future of ourselves and for the rest of the planet.

But from a spiritual point of view, the picture seems different. First of all, we don’t have free
will, but we have some freedom of choice. But that freedom of choice can only be used if we
have individualized consciousness. Except for the few, our consciousness is fundamentally a
social consciousness on which we don’t have any control. It compels us to make decisions by
subconscious influences. We are a part of the crowd which we name the group, community,
race, religion, nation or the world. Apart from the crowd we have little individuality.

While the human intellectual point of view is egoic, narrow, and revolves around humans, the
spiritual perspective goes beyond human thinking into the experience of the non-dual in which
oneness of the universe is realized. This oneness in all things includes not only humans, but also
the minerals, plants, and animals. Humans are only one type of living being amongst many. They
are a part of a grand cosmic wholeness in which they can participate as a witness through
whom the action is happening, but they are not the action taker. The cosmos will move with or
without them, and they don’t have any control over its movement.

From a spiritual point of view, whatever is happening at the fifth chakra is due to the force of
evolution and cannot be prevented. It will take us to the sixth and then to the seventh chakra.
Environmental disaster is going to happen but it will be like a pruning of the earth and will push
us to the next stage of evolution. All evolutionary leaps come with catastrophe. Whether it is an
individual or the whole humanity, without the shattering of the old, the radically new can’t
happen.

So far, except for some individuals spirituality is grabbed by the ego. The ego is spiritualized
which we take as genuine spiritual expansion. But after the sixth chakra, people will experience
the true intimations of sacred wholeness and well-being. Humanity’s future is divine and
evolution won’t stop until we experience the non-dual oneness of the cosmos. So, in spite of
darkness and disasters there is no place for pessimism. How could there be pessimism if the
whole cosmos is the expression of timeless and eternal consciousness. But in order to arrive
there we must be prepared to endure the shocks and trauma of the forward thrust of evolution.

Chakras and Creativity

7th – Person recreates itself
6th - Existential – Transition

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5th - Creativity – Expressed
4th – Creativity – Creativity unexpressed
3rd – Innovation
1 and 2nd – Imitation

First Centre or Root Chakra or Muladhar (chakra of death): Rooting and

Belonging - Path of Matter
The journey on the path of Naturality begins with the ascendance or evolution and the starting
point for that journey is matter and energy. Matter and energy are the least conscious entities in
the universe. From a scientific point of view, matter and energy are the fundamental building
blocks of the universe—both living and non-living. Science believes that the world and life
evolved from matter and energy. But from a spiritual point of view, consciousness is the mother
and the source of all creation.
Without delving into the controversy of spiritual and scientific points of view, let us accept the
fact that matter-energy are at the root of the human life and form the first two chakras which
constitute the physical body. The reason why we accept this theory of science, is because our
senses can feel, see, hear, touch, taste and affirm the existence of matter and energy. Most of us
don’t experience consciousness as the source of all life.
The first two chakras are different from each other in many ways, but they also share some
common features. The first common feature is that matter and energy are interchangeable as
proved by Einstein. And the second common feature is that together they form the physical and
physiological, or the form and the functional components of the body.
The first chakra is the chakra of death, the chakra of matter and the chakra of the rooting and
grounding.
Being the center of death, the survival of the person is of paramount importance at this chakra.
That is why this chakra is connected with the adrenal glands whose hormones adrenaline and
nor-adrenaline induce the fight or flight response to deal with emergency situations and
dangers to protect the person. Facing our own death can awaken the root chakra.
Being the center of the matter, this chakra is least conscious. The consciousness is hidden deep
in matter. In the higher chakras of feelings and intellect, consciousness is easily accessible. That
is why the full functioning of this chakra is most difficult to achieve.
The first chakra forms the roots of the tree of life which we always carry within us. The tree of
life is a metaphor and also the reality of our body. The element of the earth is right for this
chakra, because only the earth’s strength can hold the tree firmly in the ground.

A Tree within - First Chakra

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Metaphorically, human life is like a tree born from the seeds of two parents in the dark earth of
the womb. The body is the root and the trunk of the tree, emotions and feelings are the
branches, intellectual thinking are the leaves and spirit or soul is the flower and the fruits. In a
literal sense the spinal cord is the root, the brain is the stem, various nerves and plexuses are
the branches, and the cerebrum is the crown of the tree. The root chakra is located at the end
of the roots of the tree of life which is at the level of the sacrum, which is near the lower end of
the back bone or in the perineum, the space between the anus and the vagina or penis.
The energy of the first chakra is moon energy, and is connected to the parasympathetic nervous
system. Moon energy calms the body and mind down. Moon energy helps in grounding and
rooting a person and that is why the first chakra is called the root chakra. Without proper
rooting, a tree cannot stay healthy and stay firm in the face of storms. Similarly, a poorly rooted
person suffers and cannot face life’s storms without being swept away by them.
The grounding or rooting is the feeling of belonging to someone and somewhere. That feeling of
belonging is important for a healthy body and mind. Having a home is essential to live with ease
and to grow in a world, which is vast, complex and full of turmoil. Children who don’t have a
home, rooting and grounding, remain insecure even as adults and suffer from anxiety. Later on
in evolution when the seventh chakra is reached the rooting and grounding is shifted from the
outside world to the inner world of a person. The heart becomes the home and moves
wherever the person goes.
The root chakra is connected to the reptilian component of the human brain, which takes care
of the basic survival needs in the life of a person. The reptilian brain has the cardiac and
respiratory centres in it. This chakra communicates to consciousness through sensations which
are generated by the flow of energy through the cells and nerves.
The root chakra also expresses maleness or femaleness or a mixture of it in a person. Being the
chakra which is responsible for the formation of the physical body, it determines the external
appearance and sex of a person. In a man, the first chakra is masculine, the second is feminine,
the third and fourth (as they form one functioning unit) masculine, and fifth and sixth (again a
functioning unit) feminine, and the seventh has both the masculine and feminine qualities. In a
woman, this order is reversed.
This arrangement of gender in humans has deep significance and indicates that none of us are
pure man or woman. We are a mixture of both. A man has feminine qualities, and a woman has
masculine features. All too often, people are expected to behave and act strictly either as a man
or as a woman, according to their cultural norms. Evolution and Naturality break that rigidity
and brings the expression of both qualities in either a man or in a woman. At the seventh
chakra, the masculinity and femininity in a person unite. The person becomes a bi-gendered
individual. The union of inner masculinity and femininity brings the same ecstasy that is
experienced in the sexual union of a man and a woman.
Like other chakras, the root chakra has three possibilities. If the chakra’s energy is in balance
then the person will be calm, contented and connected to the family and community. If the
chakra’s energy is moving downward, the person will be stuck in a rut, not making decisions or
taking action or moving forward in life. Such a person becomes excessively attached to a place,

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person, or object. Excessive attachment brings greed, which may lead to the hoarding of wealth,
power, or knowledge.
Upward movement of the energy of the root chakra brings evolutionary changes and
integration with higher chakras. The person is not contented with what he or she is given by the
family, community, and culture. He or she becomes a seeker and pilgrim, and begins a voyage
towards becoming a true individual rather than merely a person. A person wears the masks of
society and culture and doesn’t live according to his or her innate intelligence. A true individual
is a human who is cleared of social and cultural programming. A person’s rooting is in society
and culture, whereas the individual is rooted in his or her own innate nature. A person’s home is
in a particular village, town or city, but the individual has his or her home in heart and soul and
is at ease wherever she or he goes.
Earth religions are born from the energy and consciousness of the root chakra and that is the
reason that they are rooted in the earth and its elements.
First chakra is located between anus and penis/vagina and has four petals which indicate
towards four frequencies with which it can vibrate. Its seed sound Lum. Its color is red and the
element earth.
Smell is the special sense of the earth element and the root chakra. The sense of smell is the
most directly connected with the brain and that is why the memory of the smell is vivid, primal,
emotional and deep. The sense of smell is the last one to appear in babies in the womb and the
first one to disappear when a person is dying.

Second Centre or Energy Chakra or Swadhisthan (chakra of life): Sex, Life,

Pleasure and Mastery- Path of Energy
The second chakra is the reservoir of life energy or Prana or Chi, from where it moves down and
energizes the matter of the first chakra to form the body. It moves up to the third, fourth and
fifth chakra to express itself as emotions, feelings and thoughts. And if it goes further up, then it
pushes the person into the existential crisis of the sixth chakra and then arrives at the seventh
chakra where it becomes conscious and integrates the mind with the body. This union in
traditional literature is called Shiva-Shakit union and depicted in many Hindu and Buddhistic
painting.
With the second chakra begins the fluidity and its element is water which causes, movement,
evolution and self-mastery. Evolution brings the expansion of the consciousness and the
expansion of consciousness brings more knowledge and more knowledge reduces the
psychological dependence on others. That is the meaning of freedom or self-mastery. It’s not
the physical independence but the psychological freedom towards which the path of the
Naturality indicates.

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A child is innocent, but in that innocence there is a natural rigidity, because a child functions
mainly from the two lower centres. That is why a child is more egotistical than an adult, though
the child is not aware of it. Being less egotistic means having more awareness about one’s own
nature and the world. An increase in awareness brings more knowledge about others which
opens the ego. When the ego (or self) expands, it includes more and more of the world, which
makes the person less self-centered.
The second chakra is the center of sex which is often wrongly identified with life energy. Sex is
just one of the expressions, but it is the most important of life energy and is responsible for the
survival of the species through reproduction. It is located at the upper part of the pubic bone
and at the equal point on the back. It’s connected with the reproductive glands and hormones
of the testes, ovaries and uterus.
Death and sex (life-energy) are the two fundamental problems of human beings and both of
them are normal physiological activities of the body.

Sex and Self-Mastery

Out of all chakras, the second chakra is the most controversial because it is the center for sex.
Sex is often equated with life energy as sex can create another human life and so sex becomes
synonymous with life. Although the first chakra is more basic and more important for survival, it
is still the second chakra which gets more attention.
The reason for this controversial attention to the second chakra is because the first chakra is the
center of death, and the death is a negative event. Death is an abyss, a void and an unknown
and mysterious phenomenon about which nothing can be known except by a person who is
already dead. Death is the absence of life and the absence can’t be described in positive terms.
It’s like darkness, and the darkness is the absence of light.
But the sex which is the most important expression of life is a positive event. It can be
experienced and captured in the words and repeated numerous times at will. It’s the most
fundamental positive happening in life, and so everyone wants to control or manipulate it in
order to control and manipulate life. That is why the Sanskrit name of the chakra is Swadhisthan
which means one who is the master of oneself.
Many rules and commandments are written by the family, society, religion and culture to
regulate sex. The only goal of such rules and commandments is to control it and not allow it to
be experienced according to its inner nature. In many traditions sex is assigned only for the
purpose of procreation and not for pleasure which is against nature. Because of these rules and
regulations there is much guilt and a sense of sin around sex, and it’s easy to control, enslave
and use a person of guilt and sin. That is what many religions did that. There is no guilt and sin
around death, and so the first chakra is not controversial.
Diminished activity of the second chakra causes a decrease in sexual desire. It is said that one
percent of human population is asexual means that don’t experience any sexual craving,
although they have other desires. People with diminished or no sexual desire can maintain

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celibacy easily. Many such people in history became leaders or preachers of the masses, and
asked or even forced people to do what they did, naming divinely inspired celibacy although it
was nothing else but decreased functioning of the second chakra. Such teachings often resulted
in corruption and pathologies of the mind and body particularly in monastic religions. If
celibacy happens naturally in a person’s life then it won’t create any problems. But forced
celibacy will lead to perversions of all kinds. We can’t stop the flow of life’s most important
stream of energy. If we go against this urge of nature, it will create the diseases of body and
mind and eventually destroy us.
A dysfunctional second chakra results in the suppression of sexual energy or an over indulgence
and obsession with it. A shame and guilt free union between the masculine and feminine is a
sign of healthy second chakra. Without healthy functioning of the second chakra a person may
develop the Braham granthi or the knot of Braham which prevents intimacy of the body.

Sex is Sacred
The word sacred doesn’t mean that something is religious, spiritual or belongs to the
supernatural realm. Sacred means that which can take us to the feeling of wholeness and well-
being. Wholeness is not fragmented, and so there is no conflict in it.
At the first chakra by facing death, we can experience wholeness, and at the second chakra it’s
sex which can take us to the same point.
The second chakra has three possibilities. The first possibility is of balanced functioning, in
which the survival of a species is ensured, and pleasure is experienced by sexual union. The
continuation of a species is an unconscious desire in humans that symbolizes the search for
immortality. A dead person survives through its genes and influence on children. Even celibate
monks, who decide not to have children, seek their survival in the form of their teachings and
disciples who become their spiritual sons and daughters. People leave works of art, literature, or
science as their offspring who will let them live on for a long time.
But this balanced functioning of the second chakra is not enough for evolution. In a balanced
functioning, the world dominates the person. Evolution needs the adventure of moving upward.
If one is satisfied with the balanced functioning of this chakra, then he or she will forever stay
here and never make progress in voyage. Only an upward movement of this centre’s energy
ensures that the journey continues. Only when this centre looks upward does an ordinary home
become transformed into a shrine where sex is no more an act of pleasure or reproduction, but
a loving worship in which bliss is experienced.
When the energy of sex moves up, it is transformation into sacred starts, and when it moves
down it becomes an obsession. The sacredness of sex doesn’t mean that it becomes a dull
mechanical act without any pleasure. In sacred sex, bliss replaces pleasure. Pleasure is a
momentary experience, but bliss is constant. This bliss is born in awareness of the fact that we
are always our own masters. A master is not a controller but a witness and an observer. This
awareness about our own self is the state of self-actualization or self-realization.

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During the sexual act, seminal fluid moves downward and carries the energy with it. But when
the second chakra’s movement is upward, the fluid will still flow downward but the energy will
move up towards the higher centres. The movement of the energy is felt as a stream of tingling
sensations flowing inside the spine bringing the experience of gentle orgasm. Later on the
energy flow becomes constant without any sexual act and brings the constant feeling of bliss.
Process can also be explained in scientific terms. The parasympathetic nervous system (vagus
nerve) is responsible for the erection or stimulation and the sympathetic nervous system for the
ejaculation. If there is no ejaculation and only the stimulation or the erection then the
parasympathetic nervous system will remain active for a longer period of time and will retain
the energy. The parasympathetic nervous system brings, rest, calmness and anabolic activity or
preservation of the energy which will be enhanced and may eventually become a constant
experience. Our brain will retain the energy and will be filled with delight and passion.
Normally we have brain dormancy, because only part of the total functional capacity of the
brain is used and the rest of it lies dormant. The brain dormancy is due to the cultural
conditioning of the brain, which makes the brain prisoner of the repetitive patterns of thoughts
and emotions. Brain dormancy also brings the dormancy of the pleasure centers in the brain
and they don’t function on their own. We have to stimulate the pleasure centers from outside,
and that is how we slowly get addicted to the outside stimulations.
The body’s only goal is to survive and reproduce and not much is needed for those two needs of
the body. The body’s demand for food and sex is small, and that too is intermittent and not
continuous. When the body is sated, its desires come to an end and there are no thoughts
about sex and food any more until the hunger for food and sex builds up again. But the mind, in
spite of having sufficient food and sex, craves for more and more and plans for them in the
future. Sexual hunger continues in the mind without interruption, and this is not only true for
sex, but for everything which we experience in life. It could be jealousy, anger, guilt or even
physical pain which becomes chronic, because the mind gets attached to it and continues with
it.
In a way the mind gets addicted both to the pleasure and pain. But too much pleasure is also
pain for the body. If we are too excited and thrilled, the body feels exhausted. So excessive sex
or food are not pleasures for the body, but the mind with all its fear and discontent finds an
escape in sex and makes the body suffer.
When the second chakra is functioning fully, and its energy is moving upwards, then the excess
of sex comes to an end, which is a natural state of celibacy. Celibacy doesn’t mean withdrawal
from sex. Sex is a basic energy and hunger of the body and should be satisfied. Satisfying the
body’s need for sex is celibacy. Complete withdrawal of sexual activity is against the innate
intelligence of the body and may cause problems. The body becomes sick both from the excess
and the lack of the sex.
Rarely is an optimal state of functioning of the body achieved, because in most people the first
two centres are not allowed to function freely and optimally. The mind imposes its tyrant rule
over them and wants to stimulate them artificially to get pleasure. The mind’s demand for

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excessive pleasure from the body comes from the problems of fear from which the mind suffers
constantly. External pleasure is used as an antidote for fear and anxiety.
Normally during the orgasm, all the seminal fluid and most of the sex energy move downwards
and give a person a sense of release of tension. A little bit of the sexual energy moves up
towards the brain and stimulates the pleasure centers resulting in the experience of momentary
bliss. But when the second centre starts functioning more fully and its direction of movement is
upwards then, more and more energy moves towards the brain resulting in more and long
lasting pleasure during and after the sexual act. In a fully functional chakra, energy of the centre
is flowing up continuously all the time, stimulating the pleasure centers of the brain with or
without the sexual act. Now the person experiences the pleasure of sex without performing the
sexual act. This leads to the withdrawal from excessive sex and other pleasure-seeking activities.
This is the state of natural celibacy in which little pleasure is needed from outside.
Different chakras communicate through different languages. The first centre communicates
through the language of sensations, and though the second centre speaks more or less the
same way, some early emotions start appearing at this centre. As we go to higher chakras, the
language of communication becomes more and more complex and elaborate. Emotions are a
complex organic combination of many sensations. Sensations are the precursors and the
building blocks of the emotions.
Lower chakras are rigid and have less freedom. It’s easier to program them and the
programming lasts longer. It is easier to condition a child than an adult, because the child
doesn’t have access to higher chakras. Conditioning in early childhood is difficult to correct,
which is why raising a child is a delicate process, and any error can significantly alter the
personality of the child. Memories of child abuse are difficult to erase in comparison to adult
abuse. In an adult, the same error would not be likely to have such a significant impact. Animals
are like children, and can be programmed easily and deeply. As we move upward to higher
chakras, there is less and less possibility of conditioning a person. An individual functioning at
the highest chakra cannot be programmed, which becomes a problem for an institution,
political system, or religious order. Institutions survive and thrive on the programmed people
who can blindly follow the agenda of the institution. An individual who cannot be programmed
is branded as a rebel and condemned or ignored.
If the energy flow of the second chakra flows downward, then the person becomes focused on
the sexual organs and sex, which leads to the many mind and body problems. In this stuck state,
a person’s time and energy are spent either in contemplating the sexual act or in doing it, which
eventually leads to corruption and decay. The river of energy becomes a pool and stagnates.
The first chakra, which brings rooting and a sense of belonging to a family, clan, country, or
community, is overtaken by the sexual obsessions of the person. He or she risks everything to
indulge in sex.
Yet there is another way to experience sexuality. The second centre is the ground on which
Tantra is born. The Tantra’s basic message is that sexuality can be a sacred act and can become a
path to the freedom.

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Element of the second chakra is water and special sense is taste because without water we
can’t appreciate the taste. Its color is orange. It has six petals and with the seed sound of Vum.

Third Centre or Solar Chakra or Manipura: Emotions: The Path of Passion and Action
For the sake of clarity and description, scientists have divided the human brain into three parts,
which are different in important ways but still part of one unified brain and overlap each other.
The first, lowest, and oldest part of the brain is called the “reptilian brain”. This ancient part of
the brain is responsible for the survival and continuation of life. The root and energy chakras
correspond to this component of the brain and function as switches to it. The second part of the
brain is the “mammalian brain”, in which emotions and feeling are formed and experienced, and
is found in mammals. The third and fourth energy centres belong to this brain. The third and the
last part of the brain is distinctively the “human brain”, connected with intellect, thinking,
reasoning, planning and intuition. The fifth and sixth centres are connected with this brain. The
seventh chakra is not an independent chakra, but the unique combination of the rest of the six
that is formed by the conscious and harmonious functioning of the all three parts of the brain as
one unit.
The reptilian brain is the lowest part of the brain, where the centres for the heart and
respiration reside, and also the area from where sleep, alertness, and basic physiological
functions are regulated. The reptilian brain lacks the capacity for full emotions and feelings. It
functions on sensations. In the reptilian world, creatures mate and reproduce and then leave
their offspring to fend for themselves, because they have no feelings of attachment to each
other. Survival at any cost is the rule of the reptilian world, and creatures live purely on instinct.
A human, in the face of continuous danger for his or her life, may regress to the lower two
centres, trying to survive at any cost. This can often be seen at times of wars and natural
disasters.

Evolutionary Leap
If we look at chakras and the brain, it becomes clear that we carry the history of evolution
within us and also the future which will unfold in coming centuries. We are connected with
everything around us - both alive and inert - intimately. The whole world, even the universe
itself, lives within us not only in our thoughts, but at the very physical level. Our body cells
contain stellar dust. We experience this as we study the chakras and the energy that is
associated with them. We are integrated beings, and we represent all that is already there, or
that which is possible in the future. We are not merely a piece of the puzzle of the cosmos, but
the whole cosmos itself.
Through the door of the third chakra, we enter the realm of the mammalian brain and feelings.
In the reptilian brain, there is no place for attachment. But in the mammalian world, attachment
plays a very important role through which parents protect their children until they become
strong enough to survive on their own. At the third chakra, living beings are becoming more

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conscious about themselves and the world around them. Evolution is the process of becoming
ever more conscious of oneself and the surrounding environment. This process involves
developing deeper relationships with oneself and the world around us. Evolution is the process
of becoming aware of more and more connections between diverse events, and discovering the
complex wholeness within us and the outer universe.
Another name for this process of discovery of inherent wholeness is creativity. Perceiving the
inherent connections between phenomena in our world, and then expressing these connections
in creative ways gave birth to science, religion, art, and culture. In creativity, a person moves
from lesser wholeness to a greater wholeness. In a meadow, a lizard focuses on a mosquito,
while a cow pays attention to the grass, her calf, and the meadow itself. However, a human
being is aware of all this, and the sky above and the river nearby, as well as the past that has
gone, and the future that is going to come.
At different chakras, time is perceived differently. At the first and second centres, time is absent
which is the experience of eternal. There is no conscious memory of the past or any thoughts
about the future. A lizard is not aware of the past or future. The present moment is the only
reality equivalent to an eternity, because there is nothing before and after that moment. Life
and death happen spontaneously, and there is no awareness of them beforehand. At this level
no one knows about life and death although it is there.
At the third and fourth chakras, time becomes a moment to moment awareness of the here and
now, which may expand and extend to more awareness. This may be described as cyclical and
repetitive. Rather than a moment, eternity now is a day or a month or a year depending on the
animal or human. In this scheme of time, the day, month, or year repeats itself endlessly. Time
is like a season, the sun’s motion or waves in ocean. Time moves in circles and ends at a point,
and then starts again where it ended. Out of this time-cycle, myths are born. Myths of gods and
goddesses, good and evil, devils and angels - all emerge from the third and fourth centres.
These myths never end, but rather keep moving in cycles forever.
In a discussion of the third chakra, it is important to study emotion, as it becomes increasingly
more differentiated at the higher chakras. First, consider the question of what the difference
between feelings and emotions is. Emotions are the combination of many sensations in a
coherent whole. Emotions are the expression of that coherent whole in meaningful behavior.
Similarly, there is an important distinction between perception and expression. In perception,
the past and future don’t play a role, but in expression they are intimately involved. For
example, thirst causes an emotion that arises out of the various sensations arising in the body.
But when we express that thirst by moving to quench it, we now enter the realm of feelings. In
the process of quenching the thirst, we have to bring the past and future into action as we
evaluate relevant factors such as the location of the water, its quality and quantity, as well as
the availability of water. When emotions are felt consciously they become feelings. Antonio
Damsio described this fact beautifully in his research.

Feelings: Our Natural self

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Pleasure, pain, and neutrality are perhaps the primary feelings. Fear, anger, happiness, sadness,
disgust and surprise are the primary emotions. Fear is the most fundamental emotion and
feeling in human beings, and it is present at all chakras. At the lower chakras, though, there is a
lesser conscious experience of it. As we move to higher centres, we become more aware of fear.
Some people refuse to grow, evolve and live fully because of the heightened fear they will
experience at higher centres. That doesn’t mean that the fear was less at the lower chakra. It
was always there in the background, but at the lower chakra, one’s consciousness was less and
so fear was not experienced as much or as fully as at higher centres. Fear is present at all
chakras, and so are the mechanisms to escape that fear. While life dances in the forefront of
existence, the darkness of fear is an ever-present fact in the background. What we call normal
living is the delicate mechanism or balance we maintain to escape from feeling this fear and not
allowing it to dominate our day-to-day life. But by escaping from fear in this way, we pay a cost.
The cost is paid by living partially. We avoid what lies in the background, which means that we
are not fully in touch with ourselves, and spend much of our time and energy - and our life -
creating devices to keep fear from emerging in our consciousness. Nature has given living beings
tools to deal with dangers and fears. The fight, flight, or freeze response is such a tool at the first
five chakras, which can protect our lives by dealing with emergency situations. But besides this
response, each chakra has its own special way of dealing with fear.
At the first chakra, fear is dealt with by immersing oneself in the family, clan and community
and never moving upwards. Moving upwards means leaving the familiar security of the
established pattern of life, and facing the fear of the unknown.
At the second chakra, hedonistic pleasure, including sex, is a way to ward off the fear of death.
Indulging in entertainment and thrills endlessly is one way of forgetting our fear.
At the third centre, willful action is the mechanism of combatting fear. As we struggle to gain
power in the world, anger and aggression become the fuel for the fire of that action, and this
may erupt into violence. All violence - except the violence used in self-defense and as a natural
response of the body’s need to survive - comes from fear. Many people who are labeled as
brave are actually the most fearful. In the guise of bravery and courage, they try to defy their
fear. These “brave” people have committed some of the most violent crimes in human history,
many times on a mass scale. Ultimate courage is to face the fear within, accept it, express it, and
go beyond it. Real courage is to become peaceful and non-violent. To invade lands and decimate
cities, to conquer peaks and oceans, is not bravery but a way to keep fear repressed. It is not
victory over other people or nature, but to win over one’s own conditioning that is true
triumph, bringing serenity and harmony within oneself.
At the fourth chakra immersing oneself into love and other emotions are the ways to dilute the
fear of death. At this center, myth and religions also become the protective mechanisms from
the fear of death.
At the fifth chakra, thinking, reason, science and systems become methods of escape from the
fear.
The third centre is located around the navel area, connected to the solar plexus, and thus it is
often called the solar chakra. This centre has links with the enteric or gut brain which is a part of

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the stomach, intestine, and other digestive organs including the pancreas, spleen, and liver.
Because of its connection to the rich nerve plexus and gut brain, the third chakra is a very
sensitive centre. When it doesn’t function well, it can be the cause of many mind-body
problems. This centre is the seat of emotions as well as action. The third chakra is often called
the royal chakra, the seat of the king and warrior, and it carries great power.
The element of the third chakra is fire and like other chakras, this centre has three possibilities.
The first one is of balance, which means action in the world and gaining worldly power, wealth,
and glory through that action.
The second possibility in this centre is of downward movement, which happens when the fire
energy doesn’t find a way to express itself in the world. Downward movement dries the water
element of the second chakra, and without the protection of water, fire rages out of control and
burns the person inside, emotionally and physically. One becomes an embodiment of impotent
anger and aggression, and destroys oneself and the people around. By contrast, potent anger is
the anger that turns into action to solve a problem or blazes new paths.
The third possibility at this chakra is the upward movement of energy. When the energy of fire
moves up, then old paths are cleared and new ones are created. Karma is the memory sum of
all our thoughts, emotions, spoken words, and actions we take in the world. A thought is an
action in the mind that affects the whole body and brain. An angry thought brings psychological
and physiological changes within a person. When angry thoughts or emotions are crossing our
mind, then our breathing becomes heavy, the face is flushed, the heart races, blood pressure
goes up, and we lose interest in food and sex. Such a state, if continued for a long time, will
inevitably create health problems in the body.
Most ordinary actions we do are actually reactions or reflexive actions and happen
automatically. Such reactions come from a person’s cultural programming, without conscious
awareness. When a person becomes aware of one’s own thoughts, words, and actions, then
Karma becomes Karma Yoga. Yoga is not about living according to a particular set of religious
values, but it is about living with awareness. Living in this manner takes a person towards the
unknown, towards the vastness of existence.
Vision is the special sense connected with the energy of this centre. Clear eyes are needed to
see the path, and strong action is essential to move along it. Its color is yellow, has ten petals
with the seed sound of Rum.

Fourth Centre or Heart Chakra or Anahata: Feelings, Dreams and Creativity - Path of
Love and Devotion
The fourth chakra is the centre of feelings, particularly the feelings of love. Although emotions
emerge at the third centre, at the fourth they fully flower and are experienced in depth. At the
first centre, love is expressed as care, at the second as sex, at the third as passion, and at the
fourth centre love is felt in its emotional form. This love is an energy moving the kaleidoscope
of the mind, bringing beautiful new patterns of creativity into focus.

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Love is necessary to save a person from constant fear, which is always present in the
background. In the absence of love, either the person will succumb to fear, resulting in anxiety
and panic, or will try to overcome fear through aggression and violence. Both withdrawal from
the world and attacking it come from an absence of love.
When love moves downward through the chakras, it becomes attachment. When love moves
upward, it is transformed into devotional love, in which there is a surrender of the individual to
something higher than oneself. Intense and passionate love toward someone else, in which
there is a giving of oneself whole-heartedly to the other, is devotional love. This form of love
contains within it a spark of sacred love, and indeed for many people, it is the beauty and
intensity of human love that becomes the path to the sacredness. In Sufism Ishq Majazi(human
love) and Ishq Haqiqi (divine love) are interconnected.
The fourth chakra is the centre of Bhakti or devotion, the seat of the religious traditions, which
are faith-based. Most religious traditions are grounded in love and devotion to the Divine, and
are based on faith rather than on intellectual analysis. The tool to reach the Divine in these
religious traditions is prayer and worship.
The special sense of the chakra is touch, and without touch, love remains unfulfilled. Whenever
love emerges, with it comes a deep longing to touch the object of love. An engineer wants to
touch the new airplane she or he built, a house-builder wants to feel the house he or she built,
a mother wants to touch her child, and a lover his or her beloved.
There is a deep physiological link between the brain and the skin, as both are developed from
similar embryonic tissue. The skin as an extension of the brain, and the brain is the receiver of
messages from the skin. Touch completes the link between our skin and brain. Without touch,
that link remains closed and the person may not develop fully psychologically or even physically.
This chakra is also the centre of creativity, which is intimately connected with love. Love and
creativity are inseparable companions. Without love, creativity is not possible. Love has always
been a source of inspiration for painters, scientists, writers, and musicians. Without the love of
something, even if that is an abstract concept of God, moral order, or universal order, it is not
possible to be creative.
During the process of creativity, a fine stream of energy moves up from the heart centre and
connects to the memories of touch, sounds, smells, feelings, and tastes in the brain, and links
them to words, colours, and designs to form a piece of art, music, poetry, or a new invention of
science. If the person who is creating becomes aware of the process of the creativity, he or she
will feel these energy sensations. The advantage of becoming aware of creativity is that one can
go beyond creativity itself, control it from higher centres, and invite it at will. So if the artist or
scientist moves to the seventh centre, then the creativity of the fourth and fifth chakras can be
fully accessed, because being at a higher centre means one naturally has mastery over the
lower centres. Also, a wonderful sense of wholeness can be experienced by this person in the
process of creativity.
Most creative people suffer because they remain at the fourth and fifth centres and feel
fragmented within. Although they create wonderful pieces of art, music, beautiful poetry, and

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great inventions, their daily lives don’t reflect their works. They remain focused on the fourth
and fifth centres. Energy experience and the existence of higher centres remain outside their
awareness.
The fourth centre is the door to personal subconscious and a staircase to universal unconscious.
Conscious life is only the tip of the iceberg of our existence. We are conscious of only a small
part of our totality, and the rest of it lies deep in our subconscious and unconscious. In these
hidden dimensions of our being lie our motives, conditioning, and all the unwritten history of
our human heritage. This is the place where the primal past meets the present and affects the
future. That material and animal energy, by which the wheels of the human world move, resides
in this realm of light and darkness and expresses through the dreams. These dreams not only
connect us to the animal and material world, but also hold clues to our deeper identities, and
the directions in which we can move. This realm hides our past, our creative energies, and also
our destinies.
Once we are able to contact that energy of the subconscious and unconscious, we can learn
how to tune ourselves with our dreams and harness the force within to move to a state of
wholeness. The barriers between the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind have to
be demolished. When such a process of demolition of barriers is on, tremendous energy is
released in our brain, mind, and heart. By contacting and harnessing that energy, a person
becomes a shaman or a healer.

Path of Shaman
The fourth centre is also the chakra of the shaman. A shaman is a person who has opened the
door of the personal subconscious and has walked courageously into the unknown darkness of
universal unconscious. A shaman leaves behind cultural conditioning and swims in this primal
ocean, each drop of which heals the wounds of the person. In that adventure, a person finds his
or her own unique spirit- animal or human which may become his or her totem or deity. This
animal or deity contains the energy of the subconscious and unconscious, which can be now
invited to become alive and stay with the shaman to heal.
The primal sound of Om or Amen vibrates in the depth of universal subconscious. The sound of
Om or Amen was present at the lower three chakras, but in the form of undifferentiated
vibrations. At the heart centre, this sound becomes audible. Primal sound is not produced by
the striking of two objects – rather, it arises in aloneness without the contact of objects. In
Sanskrit, it is called the Anahat sound, which means that a sound is produced without striking
two objects or energies. That is why the heart chakra is also called the Anahat chakra.
The fourth centre, with its primal energy, belongs both to the divine and devil in human beings.
Both the divine and devil come from the same root word Div which mean to shine. When the
subconscious and unconscious energy of the centre is repressed or distorted, it takes the form
of the devil, and when the same energy finds its path and becomes conscious experience, it
becomes the divine. Out of the denial of one’s true self is born the devil. Full realization and
acceptance of one’s own unique being leads to the divine.

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In a feminine person, this centre is more open and accessible. The centre’s mysterious material
and animal energy was a cause of fear in the mind of many people, leading to the persecution
of women in many religions.
At this centre, the great mythological world of gods and goddesses, demons and spirits
emerges. While the origins of mythic thinking lie at the third centre, they come into full fruition
at the fourth. It is at the fourth chakra that the mammalian brain meets the uniquely human
component of the brain. This centre is the bridge between the material and animal past of a
person to the uniquely human present and divine future.
Wind is the element of the fourth chakra, an element that imparts even more freedom to move
and change. The Earth element has little movement, and while water and fire have more, wind
moves swiftly and more quickly than the previous three. This chakra is connected with the
heart, lungs and thymus gland, which are important parts of the immune system. When this
chakra is active, there may be a sensation of fullness in chest or pain.
Anahat chakra’s color is green with twelve petals and seed sound Yum.

Fifth Centre or Throat Chakra or Vissudha: Science, Systems, Communication and

Expression - The Path of Intellect
The fifth chakra is uniquely human. Complexity reaches its peak at this centre, and expresses
itself in the special human capacities for logic, rationality, reasoning, planning for the future,
and language. Through these extraordinary faculties, human creativity is unleashed, and the
universe of the mind is born. In the womb of this universe, science, systems of governance, and
the idea of a universal moral order grows. Science becomes the ultimate power in human hands
to transform the outer world and control forces of nature. At the peak of this mastery and
control, humans think that they are the new gods.
At the first and second chakras, humans were helped by the power of their ancestors, family,
clan, and tribe. At the third and fourth centres, they were helped by the presence of God, gods,
goddesses, and spirits. These powers and concepts helped humans to cope with the fear of the
death. Humans at the lower four centres were subservient to the forces that protected them.
Those powers were beyond their control, and community or tribal efforts were needed to take
the help of such forces. In that kind of environment, individuality was not encouraged, because
the individual was too weak to deal with the forces and spirits of nature. The culture and
community shaped the life of the person.
But at the fifth centre, the traditions of the four previous chakras are broken. Through logic,
reason, and language, science emerges as a powerful tool in human hands that helps in
mastering the forces of nature. Instead of praying to the ancestors of the first and second
centres, and the gods and goddesses of the third and fourth, people themselves start becoming
those powerful spirits, ancestors, gods, and goddesses.
Universal morals, national constitutions, human rights, and systems of governance emerged at
the fifth centre and through them humans moved on a path to become their own masters and

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shape their own destiny. Through the amazing discoveries of science, people seek to become
immortal. That quest for immortality was always there as a fundamental human motive, but
earlier in human evolution that quest was through the intercession of spirits and gods.
In the fifth chakra, the parallel universe of the mind is born, where thoughts control the body
and environment to create a unique world. Humans are the gods of this created world that
functions parallel to the world of nature. This is the centre where thoughts gain supreme
significance, and a new capacity of thinking about thoughts is achieved. Natural objects and
phenomena are observed, labeled, and categorized; universal forces are discovered and uniform
laws conceived; logical theories and systems are created, and science and technology make
rapid progress.
At the fifth centre, the individual becomes the fundamental creative unit of the human world,
rather than the family, group, or clan. Accordingly, the individual’s fulfillment replaces the
fulfillment of the aspirations of the community.
The fifth chakra is the centre of discrimination, where, by the help of moral law and reason, a
person connects to the society and moves toward the greater good. It is not the voice of gods
and spirits, but the written law governing the life of the person. He or she is free to follow the
pursuit of his or her happiness if that path doesn’t contradict the social order and does not
violate the rights of others.
When the throat chakra becomes active, there is an explosion of creative expression. Creativity
at the four lower centres was communal, limited, and mythic, intricately a part of daily living.
Although creativity occurs at the fourth centre, it expresses and communicates fully at the fifth.
The person becomes a creator.

Writer’s Block
When people experience a block in their creativity, they are experiencing an obstruction in
energy flow between the fourth and fifth centres. In spite of the urge at the fourth centre to
create, and at the fifth to express and communicate, no real creativity takes place. The fifth
centre has its own creative power, but it is a mechanical and synthetic one without originality. It
is good for imitation and innovation. The leap into radical new creative forms either comes from
the fourth or seventh centre.
Time at the fifth center becomes linear and flows from the past to the present and from the
present to the future. History walks on the linear path of time. An emergence of history is
possible through the linear perception of time. Before linear time came into existence at the
fifth centre, the story of the world was told only by mythic stories handed down through oral
communication. In a way, fragments of history were embedded in the myths but it was not the
type of history that emerges at the fifth chakra. At the first three centres, stories and folklores
are conveyed orally; at the fourth, myths emerge in form of epics, and at the fifth, history
replaces myths. Myths are cyclical and history is linear. Myths emphasize a repetition of events.
An event’s essence remains the same, but the form changes. But history asserts that whatever

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happened in the past will not happen again, because things will change in the future. History
gives a sense of progress, of evolution. Without linear time, evolution is not possible.
While linear time gives the human mind a sense of progress and evolution, it also creates more
fear and anxiety. Fear of death is always lurking in the background at all of the chakras, but as
we evolve toward higher centres, we become more and more aware of it. At the fifth centre, we
are not only aware of our remote past through written and spoken history, but also of the future
in which we will not exist physically. The future will continue, but without being us there. This
certainty of not being in the future evokes the fear of death, which is particularly intense at the
fifth centre because of our increased awareness. At the fifth centre, humans weave a vast web
of escape mechanisms to cope with the fear of death.
When the fifth centre is in balance, the faculty of thinking, reasoning, and rationality function
optimally. It also imparts the quality of making good moral judgments and not succumbing to
superstitions. With analysis and synthesis through the fifth centre, a person arrives at rational
conclusions that help in deciding the course of future actions. From this centre, Jnana or
knowledge emerges. Jnana or knowledge is the central element of Buddhism and Vedantic
Hinduism.
This centre provides a person with creative expression. The person may be intensely creative
within, but if expression of that creativity doesn’t happen, the person will remain unfulfilled.
Great teachers are creative, but they also know how to communicate that creative energy in
different forms of expression. That can only be possible if the fifth centre is open and
functioning at its optimal level.
If the person stays at the fifth centre, he or she may be trapped in the world of reason and
rationality. Reason and rationality, products of the thinking mind, are important milestones on
the way, but they are not the destination. But the power of the mind is so great, and its creative
expressions so complex, that it may seem as if the mind itself is a master of life. A person can
move forever in the parallel universe of the mind and never complete the journey towards
wholeness. If this happens, the person has become stuck at the fifth centre.
In the vast universe of thinking, the mind’s thoughts and images are often powerfully drawn into
the fields of science and technology. People, or indeed even a whole community, may become
so absorbed in this universe of thoughts that they may altogether abandon the search for more
dimensions of truth. They may think that they have already arrived at the truth by mastering a
fraction of the forces of nature, or by knowing something about the brain or external universe.
They may consider themselves wise.
The biggest problem of the fifth chakra is that it never allows any experience to remain pure,
fresh and direct. All experiences are filtered, changed and brought under the categories of
known by memories, theories, concepts, definitions and beliefs which are already stored in the
fifth. As the direct experiences of lower four chakras move up, the force and energy of the fifth
is mixed with them and changes them forever. The fifth chakra thrives on predictability and
doesn’t want anything unknown, because the unknown may contain danger including the
danger of death. A sense of wonderment is missing because of the fifth.

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If the energy of the fifth centre moves downward, then one may succumb to illogical and
irrational forces, which hamper the growth and wellness of a person. Such a person may justify
the cultivation of such irrational forces through logic and reasoning, and may become
instrumental in the rise of superstition and the making of a cult. Such cults produce mass
hypnosis and mass hysteria, which is detrimental to the journey toward higher centres. A
downward movement of the energy of this centre may lead to the continuation of useless
rituals and practices, deeply harmful to the person both physically and psychologically.
An upward movement of the energy of this centre makes a person more aware of the inner and
outer world, which ultimately leads to wisdom. The Yoga of Knowledge is transformed into the
Yoga of Wisdom. There is much knowledge around us to gather, but we require discrimination
about what knowledge is relevant and good for our inner development. The upward movement
of the energy of the fifth chakra performs that discriminative function effortlessly.
The element associated with the fifth chakra is space. It lies at the root of the neck and is
connected to the cervical plexus, thyroid, and parathyroid glands. The vocal cords lie within the
field of this chakra, which is an instrument of expression as well. Sound is the special sense of
the centre. Sound is the sense that appears first in human beings, when they are still growing in
the womb as a fetus. It is also the sense to disappear last when a person is dying. It has sixteen
petals and its color is blue and the seed sound is Hum.

Sixth Centre or Third Eye Chakra or Ajna: Death and Naked Duality - Path of Insight
Traditionally the sixth chakra has only two petals, which is deeply symbolic, and its colour is
white, which is significant as well. It is quite a transition from the complexity of sixteen petal of
fifth centre with its vibrant blue colour. Suddenly the complexity and many sidedness of the
centre of reason and science give way to the simplicity of the two dimensions of existence,
namely life and death.

Individuality and Aloneness

At the first chakra, the person was defined by the family, clan, or the country and had very little
freedom or identity apart from that family or group. There were no individual rights or
privileges, and the community governed a person’s life. But by the time a person arrives at the
fifth centre, the rights of the individual have become paramount, and the person now has the
freedom to dissent from a particular family or group without being punished. But
simultaneously, that person is governed by a more universal law or ethic, based on kinder
treatment of the person. That is what evolution is all about. The person is moving or growing
out of the confining walls of the family, group, nation, and myth, and is also adopting more
universal rules. This is the process of becoming individual. Individuality consists of shedding the
rigid loyalties of race, religion, colour, and sexual and gender preferences imposed from outside,
and moving inward to realize one’s own nature. Individuality is the process of discovering
nature’s gift. When nature creates us, it implants its seed within us and that is what we have to
know. By knowing that secret, we establish communication with nature at large and will

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eventually be in communion with it. The fifth centre is certainly the strengthening of the
process of individuality that began as soon as the first centre became active. The sixth centre is
the flowering of the same movement.
At the sixth chakra, everything that supported the person both from outside and inside is left
behind. The family and tribe of the first chakra are no more with the person, nor are the
pleasures of the second and the willful action of the third. The mythic world of God, gods,
goddesses, angels, and spirits of the fourth centre are also left behind, and even the realm of
logic, reason, and science of the fifth centre no longer accompany the person. At the sixth
centre the whole of existence is divided into two, a clear duality, in which the person - as the
subject - stands in front of the universe as its object and adversary. The person is bare
psychologically, because all the support, pleasure, distractions and escape of the rest of the five
chakras are no more with the person. At the sixth chakra, a lonely person is staring at the
universe while the fear of death is rising, and there is no escape from it because all escape
mechanisms of the first five chakars are dropped. Finally life is confronting death.
The fear of death becomes an unavoidable presence at the sixth centre. Fear was always
present in the background, starting from the first centre, but there were strong mechanisms to
cope with it, escape it, and push it beyond the reach of awareness. That was essential to live in
the world with reasonable emotional comfort. But those mechanisms of escape ended at the
fifth centre, where the last effort of the mind to protect the person was expressed through
reason, science, and systems. After the fifth centre, no escape route was left. In a dark and
closed universe, a person is left face to face with his or her own mortality. Life meets death at
the sixth centre. Life and death were always one, but the fear arising out of self-consciousness
separated the two. Now, at the sixth centre, they are facing each other. This encounter is seen
not through two ordinary eyes, but by the third eye of insight. Two sides of a single existence
are facing each other. One side is the psychologically naked person representing life, and the
other side is the vast but enclosed universe where death is staring at the face of the person, and
there is no escape from it. One is completely lonely, without any support, and is surrounded by
a universe indifferent to the person. That is why the colour of this centre is white. White is the
colour of peace, but also the colour of death.
A universe full of death, without any escape, is the universe of the existentialists. This dreadful
universe seems to contain only angst and fear, and appears to offer no escape routes at all. In a
paradoxical manner, this brings a kind of freedom to the person. When a person leaves all the
supports and identities behind, he or she is on her own. The person is free to think and act as
he or she desires, and make choices for which he or she is totally responsible. Although there is
a sense of total responsibility for thoughts and actions, these actions look absurd because
everything seems to be moving towards the black hole of death. It is the direct experience of
reality without the interference of logic and reason, God, gods or spirits, or the protective forces
of tribes and ancestors. The person is inconsolable, because there is clear insight and clear
realization of the futility of all human efforts and the meaninglessness of existence. It is truly
the opening of the third eye of Shiva, the god of dissolution. The opening of the third eye brings
the painful and agonizing awareness of annihilation and death. When the life and the death face
each other awakening occurs. Normally one wants only to live and doesn’t want to die. In a life

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where there is psychological avoidance of death, living is incomplete and unfulfilled.
Completeness cannot be experienced if death, which is the other half of wholeness, is not
faced.
As the person moves through the chakra awareness of death brings alertness to the person, an
extraordinary state of total attention and focus. The brain becomes thoughtless yet fully aware
of what is going on in the moment. All senses are alert and the noise of thoughts and emotions
stops. The absence of the noise of thoughts and emotions is a state of peace. Fear is replaced by
tranquility. That is another reason why the colour of this chakra is white.
At this chakra, the perception of reality is direct, and a person receives direct knowledge, which
is why it is called insight. The person can see from within. Until the fifth centre, perception was
conditioned by the family or clan, religion or myths, or logic and reasoning. But at the sixth
chakra, all those supports drop, and the brain is relatively free to perceive directly. Such an act
of perception and seeing makes those capabilities of the brain active, which thus far were
dormant. Such activation may give a person certain psychic abilities. While such abilities can be
thrilling, they are often detrimental to further progress because it is tempting to become
attached to these unusual abilities.
Like all other centres, the energy of the sixth centre may move up or down. The downward
movement of energy makes one stuck in a state where one is fearful of death, expressing itself
in deep anxiety and panic attacks. Although such a person has developed deeper insight and
intuition, life may appear meaningless because the person is constantly trying to avoid
situations that bring anxiety. Often this avoidance behavior turns into the avoidance of life itself,
since many situations that enrich life are also anxiety provoking.
If the energy of the sixth centre moves upward, a new force is generated that pushes the person
on the way towards becoming a true individual with wholeness and wellness. In this upward
movement of energy, life and death come together in full awareness, and the person becomes
the master of both the mind and body. A teacher or guru is not necessary any more, as the
person is fully capable now of moving alone on the inner journey. The Sanskrit name of this
centre is Ajna, which means command. At a fully activated sixth centre, a person becomes his or
her own commander. This mastery of one’s own self is not only psychological and existential,
but has a correlate at the level of the body and its physiology. When the centre is fully
functional, the two channels of sun and moon energy meet, unite with each other, and work in
harmony. The energy of the sun channel inspires action, while the energy of the moon channel
takes the person to contemplation and inner rest. It is the state of stillness and action. These
two fundamental energies of life could not work in harmony before the person arrived at the
sixth centre. The person was split into the deep divide between death and life, remaining in
conflict between the opposite pulls of the culture and his or her own nature.
If the sixth centre is fully functioning, it brings peace to the heart and mind of a person, as well
as physical and physiological changes in the body. The body and mind move towards
integration. They were split and in deep conflict at the fifth centre, but at the sixth chakra a
natural and spontaneous command on the body and mind’s urges is established. This state of
command is not a result of will or force. It is effortless. Control by will cannot survive for long

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and leads to pathologies of both mind and body. Such discipline brings much sorrow and pain.
However, there is a state of natural and effortless restraint that happens without the
interference of will. Such a state of restraint becomes part of life itself.
Another remarkable feature of this centre is the awareness of one’s dual nature in terms of
gender. After all, our left brain is more masculine and our right brain is more feminine. The left
brain is connected with ‘I’ or isolated personhood, thoughts, language, details, analysis and
action in an outward and pro-active or more aggressive approach to the world. The right brain is
receptive, emotional, holistic, visual-spatial, and imaginative. It is connected with emotions, art,
music, abstract thoughts and is more silent.
In Indian tradition it’s beautifully depicted by Ardhanarishwar, half female and half male image
of Shiva and Parvati. Yin-yang symbol also represents the same idea.
In a man, the first centre was masculine and the second centre was feminine. Although before
the sixth centre the person experienced the opposite gender within himself or herself,
awareness of such qualities was only partial. Mostly the person ignored, neglected, or actively
suppressed such impulses emerging on the surface because of cultural influence. Up to the fifth
centre, society and cultural influence was the dominant factor with regard to gender in the life
of a person. At the sixth centre, however, one is gradually set free from those psychological
constraints and is able to feel and comprehend the presence of the qualities of the opposite
gender within oneself. At the sixth centre, a person cannot ignore the presence of the opposite
gender within, and this is expressed through dreams, feelings, and overt behavior. Instead of
behaving according to the expectations of the culture, the person will start expressing the
qualities of the opposite gender. A man may function as a mother, and a woman as a husband in
his or her interactions with the external world. The sixth centre is the last shrine on the path of
the journey towards the full individuality. The pilgrimage that began at the first chakra is about
to come to an end. The last piece in the puzzle of the body and mind, the last line in the poetry
of individual life, and the last stroke of the brush in the painting of personal existence is about
to take place.
Third eye chakra is located between two eyebrows and the pituitary gland is the endocrine
gland of this centre, which plays a role in the regulation of all other endocrine glands. It’s
beyond elements and the seed sound is Aum.

Seventh Centre or Crown Chakra or Sahasrara: Individuality, Wholeness and Wellness -

Arriving at the Peak of Evolution
The seventh chakra is the continuation of the experiences of the sixth center.
We are born into a family, culture and tradition, and the center of our day to day life lies in
those institutions. A human baby becomes aware of the mother, other people and the world
around it, earlier than it becomes aware of its body and feelings. We are socialized rather than
individualized. That is why humans are called social animals. We don’t belong to ourselves.

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Whatever we see, taste, hear, feel, think and experience is through the filters of the family,
society and culture.
But by arriving at the seventh chakra we are reborn through our own womb of potentiality into
wholeness, wellness, freedom and individuality. After our physical birth we walk into the human
made world and become conditioned. But after the rebirth at seventh chakra, we discover our
own center with which we were born, before we became socialized. At seventh chakra we find
our unique individual place in the world and look and feel from our own perspective. Our centre
is our mind-body which functions as an integral unit rather than as a result of the chaos of the
fragmented and scattered pieces of life. We enter and swim in life’s river with ease, moving
towards the unknown and mysterious ocean of existence.
Many of us think that the individuality and freedom can only be achieved by the rejection of the
old and traditional way of living and by accepting what is modern or contemporary. We also feel
that independence means leaving people and places and living in our own creative ways. Yet
those who aspire for that kind of rustic individualism, shunning the past, live an isolated and
fragmented life. That kind of life is a reaction to the old ways of living.
Discovering our individuality is not an ideology, a social reformation and revolution. It’s not the
renunciation or rejection of the ethical framework of society. It’s about our own self, about our
own mind. It’s peaceful and silent transformation of a person into a fully functional individual.
The seventh chakra is the final destination in our evolutionary journey. After the seventh chakra,
there is yet some more distance to cover, but there is no path to walk or guide to follow. The
seventh centre is not an independent chakra, but is born out of the integration and synthesis of
the six previous chakras. However, the seventh chakra is not the sum total of the qualities of
the six chakras. It goes beyond anything which is represented in the six centers. The seventh
chakra is the crown shrine, the pinnacle of personal achievement. No individual achievement
can ever match the experience of living at the seventh chakra. Any other personal achievement
belongs to one or the other chakras, is inherently incomplete and partial and thus cannot bring
fulfillment. But the seventh is the union of all levels from family rooting, through the middle
levels, up to facing the naked duality at the sixth chakra. Here, a process of purification begins,
in which the clogged channels of communication in mind and body are cleared, allowing energy
to flow freely. Free flow of energy through the brain and body is an intimate communication
between body and mind. Such communication binds cells with the organs, organs with systems,
and systems with one another. After this clearing of channels, the flow of the energy sensations
connects with feelings, feelings with the emotions, emotions with thoughts, thoughts with
creativity, and creativity with wholesome living. In this state of complete interconnectedness,
body and mind function as an integrated unit. On the ground of that wholeness, the flower of
the soul is born. Although some people have glimpses of the soul or wholeness, very few are
able to live in it, while still enjoying the fruits of the mind, body and the world.
The soul is the state of well-being with passion and contains the essence of all the lower chakras
- the beauty of the family, tribal or group ties, the pleasure of the worldly things, passionate
action, feelings and emotions, creativity and its expression, and living with ever-present death.
In this state of living, the person knows how to live simply, understanding the difference

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between what is essential and non-essential. This simplicity contains within it all the complexity
of life, but the person now becomes like the spider who weaves her web every day, yet is never
trapped in it. Simplicity is harmony in complexity. In this simplicity an individual experiences
passion with austerity.
The sixth chakra is the last piece in the mind-body riddle and as soon it becomes fully functional
and its energy moves upwards, the whole picture of individual life becomes clear, because the
seventh chakra comes into existence. As the last piece fits into place, the brain, which is the
instrument of perception, is lit up from within. Brain dormancy is over and the wellness reserve
is fully accessible. As the brain fills with delight and energies, it becomes young again. The
young brain is free from psychological conditioning and doesn’t live either in memories or in
dreams for the future. This brain is in communion with the moment, with all its senses open.
Such a brain is filled with passion, vibrating with the energy of wholeness, and doesn’t require
any external stimulation to experience that ongoing state of passion. The physical body goes
through the natural process of aging, but a brain that vibrates with the energy of wholeness
remains fresh and passionate even at the time of death. A brain that is dependent on the
external means for its passion and energy will become stale and wither as soon that external
support is gone. Withdrawal of the external supports happens naturally as we age. The family
and community pays less attention to the aging person and the body’s capacity for sensual
pleasures diminishes. But a brain that functions on its own resources and energy is its own
master and continues to be aware, passionate and full of delight. This is a state of freedom and
integration, individuality and independence.
We are often confused about the nature of true independence. We think that independence
means a capacity to make certain decisions on our own, or to live separately and make personal
choices about our job, clothes, cars and house. That is also a type of freedom, but one in which
we still depend on the world for the pleasure. If the outer world is in chaos, then our inner
world is shaken as well. But an awakened brain is not dependent on the external world for its
joy. A person with an awakened brain could be called a Fakir or a kingly beggar - a person who
needs some basic minimum help for the survival, but beyond that it is not dependent on the
world. This individual can choose a life of poverty, of the utmost simplicity because the brain is
no more a victim of the habits and addictions.

The Problem of Addictions

Why do addictions or harmful habits tend to occur so frequently? The reason behind addictions
and harmful habits of any kind is the lack of the optimal functioning of the brain which leads to
brain dormancy. Such a state of dormancy is either the result of deficiency in the neuro-
chemicals in the brain, emotiona trauma, tragedies or due to conditioning done by the family,
society and culture. The conditioning is like a prison for the brain, where the brain can’t access
its own resources. To some extent, the programming that occurs during childhood is entirely
natural and inevitable. It’s part of the normal process of socialization and enculturation. The
problem begins when a person has reached adulthood and is unable to understand how much
of his or her perception of the world is culturally conditioned. At this point, conditioning

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becomes an obstacle for further growth of the person. The person feels smothered, yet is
unable to fully comprehend why he or she suffers and feels unfulfilled.
A partially functioning brain has access to only a fraction of its resources. Physiologically, the
brain that is not functioning optimally lacks the proper balance of the neuro-chemicals, which
then leads to low mood, anxiety and lack of pleasure in daily life. To escape from these unhappy
feelings, the person craves for external stimulation to reach a state of the pleasure and
excitement. Power, wealth, sex, drugs, alcohol, food and a million more things are stimulants
that keep a person in a state of excitement and pleasure. Since all of these stimulants come
from the outer rather than the inner environment, their effects are always transitory, lasting
from a few minutes to a few days. When the effect of such stimulation ends, a person is left in
the misery of withdrawal, craving for fresh stimulation. This soon becomes a cycle in which the
person wants to attain the same kind of pleasure by ever more powerful stimulations, which
leads to habit formation and eventually to addiction. The person now is dependent on the
external world for pleasure, and there is nothing within which can provide contentment and joy.
As a person gets more and more dependent on external sources for pleasure, his or her own
innate capacity to produce pleasure withers and eventually becomes dysfunctional or non-
functional.
Deficient functioning of the brain is almost the normal state in our world, and that is why the
addiction to wealth, food, objects, entertainment, excitement, drugs, and alcohol is
commonplace. Such addiction to external stimulation is leading the world towards an
environmental catastrophe. Each one of us wants now more and more stimulation through
wealth, power etc. To produce enough of that stimulation we need resources which come from
the earth and our natural environment, and that drain on our natural resources is clearly
unsustainable.
We are in “doing” mode all the time. Doing is needed because it stimulates the brain and gives
pleasure and excitement. What we need is a state of non-doing where we are contented with
ourselves and live on inner resources. The human brain has a well-developed pleasure pathway
or reward system deeply embedded in its core, rich in neuro-chemicals. This system provides a
sense of pleasure, contentment and excitement. The brain has the purest of wine which has
ever been distilled in the evolutionary history of the universe, and it always waits for us to drink
it and by drinking it we become drunk with the divine.

Full Functioning of the brain

When the chakras are awakened, there is a free flow of energy connecting the chakras. The
effect of such an awakening on the dormant brain and body is remarkable, as both starts to
function fully. Such a brain and body produce their own pleasure chemicals, an elixir of inner
joy. This state of optimal functioning results in the emergence of natural austerity. When a
person is naturally austere, then he or she eats, sleeps, works, exercises and is involved in sexual
activity only as much as is needed for the health of the brain and the body. This is not a forced
austerity - rather, the body and mind function to their optimal efficiency naturally. Although this

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lifestyle may seem like a frugal or austere way of living, it is actually a natural way of rich living.
The person’s senses are sharp and the brain is exquisitely sensitive, and needs very little outer
stimulation. A person lives with effortless passion.
An awakened brain is the ultimate flowering of a person’s potential, and the person now
becomes a true individual. During the journey from the first chakra to the seventh, a person
undergoes the process of individuation. The many masks of conditioning are gradually laid
aside, and the fragmented mind slowly comes into harmony with itself.
An awakened brain is a clear mirror, a wholeness in which seemingly opposing forces are seen
as one truth and one movement. The individual realizes for the first time the taste of an
undivided perspective, where all things move in dynamic balance and wholeness. This
wholeness is neither perfection nor symmetrical, but rather it is like nature, which may seem
chaotic but actually has a subtle order and wholeness. The individual feels a sense of natural
harmony within - but it is the harmony of a jungle rather than a cultivated garden. Although a
jungle seems like chaos, it has its own innate pattern where all its components function
together in a rhythm. In this state there is not only the awakening of the brain but also the
awakening of each cell, organ and system of the body. Sensations from all over body are felt as
a stream of vibrations flowing from the periphery of the body towards the centre and from the
lower parts of the body to the upper parts. This is the flow of energy in which nerve impulses
move from peripheral nerves towards the spinal cord and brain. They are felt throughout the
day and night without interruption. These sensations create the feeling as if the body is
vibrating like a fine tuning fork and gives a feeling of gentle pleasure.

Awakening of the Energy Centres

After awakening, the sensations are not only felt in the body but also at the locations of all the
chakras. Sometimes, the energy of an awakened chakra may be particularly intense and may
produce mild discomfort or at times pain. The individual may feel either intense sensations or a
feeling of whirling energy. The pain a person feels after the awakening of the chakras is the
result of the forceful push by the rising energy to clear out the channels. This pain may be
particularly intense in the chest and head, and may be confused with a heart attack or migraine.
The energy of the first chakra is usually felt either in the perineum or at the lower end of the
spine. The energy of the second chakra it is usually felt in or just above the genital area or at a
corresponding point at the back. The third chakra’s energy is felt in front of the body between
the belly button and the pit of the stomach or at the back. The energy of the fourth chakra is
felt in the front of the chest. The fifth’s energy is noticed at the root or the back of the neck.
The energy of the sixth centre is usually experienced on the forehead, and the energy of the
seventh is perceived on the top or all over the head.
Beside all of these sensations associated with the flow of energy, an individual may also
experience unique sensations of ants crawling, heat, movement of a serpent on the back of the
neck, chest and abdomen. When the chakras become active and both moon and sun channels
are functioning at their peak, the energy finds its way into the central channel. At this point, it

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flows like a stream, starting at the lower end of the spine and moving upwards towards the
brain. As the stream of sensations reaches the brain, it takes the form of a rising spring, flowing
to the top of the brain and then falling back to soak the whole brain with its effect. It is the
Fountain Effect.
The anatomical appearance of the spinal cord and brain looks like a snake. The spinal cord
represents the body and tail, while the brain represents the hood of the snake. When energy
flows upwards through the chakras, it literally feels as if a serpent with a hood is moving within
the body. That is why in many traditions such energy is called serpent power. The serpent is a
symbol of healing all over the world.
When the cells, organs, nerves, spinal cord and brain are flooded and flushed by the energy,
purification of the body and brain occurs. This purification means that all those emotional
memories, which were accumulated in the brain and affected the behavior of the person, are
washed away. Such purification leads to the freedom of the brain from the conditioned mind,
which brings healing to both the brain and the body. While the conditioned mind is washed
away in this process of awakening, the technical intelligence, which is essential for survival and
innovation, and also the intelligence which is capable of thinking and expressing emotions,
remains intact. A programmed brain is trapped in the chains of the past and once the chains of
past conditioning are broken, new energy, which heals and brings wellness to the person, is
released. The past emotional contents of memory are cleansed and the individual no longer
reacts to them. At this point, the individual is no longer the victim of trauma, tragedies, abuse,
anger, hatred, grief and guilt accumulated from the past. An individual cleaned of the dirt of the
past becomes transparent and in this transparent body and brain the flame of wholeness and
soul clearly shines. The whole tree of life is lit from within, from roots to the trunk, from trunk
to the branches, and from branches to the leaves, flowers and fruits. From peripheral energy
channels to the sun and moon streams and from chakras to the river of the central channel - all
become active, flowing and connected to each other in wholeness. There is no more
fragmentation. The body and the brain function with their natural rhythm.
This movement of the energy may give a hot sensation or produce tingling in the spinal cord,
and in the brain it may create pressure or thunder-like feelings. Often ecstasy is the experience
of this state, although this can turn into pressure and headache if the process intensifies.

Chakras: Experience of Expansiveness

The chakras can also be thought of as the windows to the universe. Each chakra makes a
particular part of the brain and body optimally functional and simultaneously it opens a window
to a new world. That is why activation of the chakra is not only about the individuality and
integration at a personal level, but also about the reintegration into the larger universe. The
microcosm of the body and brain doesn’t function in isolation from the macrocosm. But when
the brain and body are not functioning fully, we are seldom aware of that connection. We live in
ignorance by not realizing our intimacy with the natural universe. Since we don’t have an
intimate relationship with nature, we don’t treat nature and the earth compassionately.
Whatever relationship we have with nature tends to be intellectual or sometimes emotional,

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devoid of any deep connections and commitment to its well-being. In the absence of the feeling
for nature, we don’t mind destroying it indiscriminately. However, once the chakras are open
and the energy is flowing, we experience intimacy with the earth in all its beauty. We fall in love
with the sun, moon, earth, sky, ocean, plants, animals, humans, wind and water. And if we are in
love with nature, then how can we possibly inflict harm upon it? In this love affair with the
earth, the individual always sees himself or herself in the context of larger forces. But that
doesn’t mean that the human made world is rejected. Ultimately the human made world is also
an extension of the natural world but more removed from it. That is why the individual finally
finds a niche in both the natural and human made world and belongs to both of them. When
one’s home is within oneself, there is never a feeling of alienation. This is the experience of
expansiveness.

Emergence of the Witnessing Self

The awakening of the brain allows another dimension of perception known as witnessing
awareness or mindfulness to emerge. In our ordinary life, we experience three states of waking,
dream and deep sleep. All of these three states function through the conditioned consciousness
of the mind, which is full of reactions and without equanimity and peace. But when the fourth
state of witnessing awareness, which is equivalent to deep sleep and awareness, emerges after
the experience of awakening of the seventh chakra, the individual becomes a witness to his or
her own body, emotions and thoughts as well as to the surrounding world. This witnessing
awareness is non-reactionary, because it happens in the present moment without the bias of
the past. The individual observes the inner and outer world without being judgmental. Non-
judgmental consciousness doesn’t mean that the person doesn’t discriminate between right
and useful versus wrong and harmful, but rather that the process of discrimination flows
directly from the practical needs of the society and people. The individual doesn’t reject the
person who is doing wrong, but still he or she will try to prevent such a person from committing
harmful acts against others. But inside, the person doesn’t carry any hatred or grief towards
such people. The individual at the seventh chakra is still in touch with the fifth chakra of systems
and morals, and knows that rules and laws are necessary to maintain harmony amongst people
and communities.
An individual as a witness is aware with equal passion of a sunset or a storm or the anger and
sorrow of others and also the pain, prejudices, fear and other emotions within oneself. Arriving
at the seventh chakra doesn’t mean that the person has become completely free from grief,
anger, sensuality or hatred and violence. In witnessing awareness, the person’s brain becomes
like a lotus on which water drops of the reactions fall but don’t stay. They slip away without
leaving any mark on it. This is the movement towards the state of Turiya. Turiya means simply
the fourth state and is the experience of tranquility of deep sleep with full awareness.
Experiencing a state of mindfulness or witnessing awareness doesn’t stop an individual from
experiencing sorrow and pain, fear or anger. In fact they are felt more deeply because a clean
brain and sensitive nervous system perceive everything more vividly and sharply. But because
of the serene awareness, no long lasting impressions are left on the mind. In the witnessing

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state, a person doesn’t retain emotional memories. Events and feelings are experienced
moment to moment, and then they are gone. The individual is neither carrying the burden of
the past nor is trapped by the worries of the future.
When someone is bogged down by the burdens of guilt, anger, and grief from the past or is
anxious about the future, he or she is unable to live joyfully in the present moment. The present
has been hijacked by the past and future. An individual in the witnessing state still plans the
future in order to live in the world, but doesn’t get attached to those plans and dreams. If plans
and dreams come true that is fine, but if they don’t it doesn’t matter anymore. There is no place
for disillusionment in the life of an individual in the state of witnessing. He or she has already
crossed that dark sea of disillusionment and despair at the sixth chakra.
The person in the state of witnessing is sensitive, responsive and with a clear sense of selfness.
Selfness means when others become a part of one’s own self and the sense of selfness keeps on
expanding. Selfness is expansive.
The witnessing awareness is the beginning of spontaneous meditation, which continues
effortlessly during both waking and sleep. It is no longer necessary to do an intentional
meditation practice. Life itself becomes meditation. At this level, even an act of violence is
meditation, because the action is taken as the last resort in self-defense and is done with
compassion rather than with hatred.
At the seventh chakra, there is no gender. Until the sixth chakra a person was either a male or a
female but at the seventh chakra, the inner feminine and masculine meet and embrace each
other which results in an asexual union. However, in this union great pleasure is experienced,
although it is no longer a sexual union. True celibacy emerges at this point because the need for
the external male or female diminishes. Various spiritual traditions of the world have depicted
this union in the symbol of a half male and half female deity.
The darkness of death, which brought much fear at the sixth chakra, is resolved at the seventh
centre. Death is an ever-present reality and accepted as part of living. But that doesn’t mean
that the body will not respond to danger with fear or that an individual will neglect his or her
well-being or become involved in reckless and dangerous activities. Actually, the individual
worships life as never before. Living is full of delight, and so to waste it or to end it, carelessly
becomes the most unwise decision one could make. Ignorance breeds carelessness rather than
integration and wholeness. The basic physiological fear of death is a natural protective response
in the body to save it from dangers, and that protective response remains and continues.
However, the psychological fear of death comes to an end.
At the seventh chakra, a person arrives at the edge of time and space. Our life is defined by the
boundaries of psychological space and time. Psychological space means that there are
unbridgeable gaps between our thoughts, feelings and the feelings and thoughts of others. We
communicate but we are never in communion. Psychological time means that our life is divided
into a linear movement of the present, past and the future. This gap of space and this split of
time lead us into isolation and fragmentation. We live in a state of becoming or forever chasing
the future which never comes. And we are the prisoners of a virtual space, which we created
around us. This space is but an illusion of the mind. But at the seventh chakra, we feel for the

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first time that these boundaries of space and time are not the ultimate truth; that there is more
to realize beyond these limits. This inkling of something that is beyond time and space is the
result of a slipping of consciousness for a moment, from the edge of the crown chakra into a
realm that is beyond individuality, and allows us to have a glimpse of universal consciousness.
Seventh chakra is supposed to have thousand petals which simple means that there are many
petals. It’s located at the crown of the head and connected with the pineal gland. It has no color
means it contains all colors and is also beyond all colors.

Involution
Involution means rolling on itself or “turning in”
Involution happens when integral energy of the chakras starts rolling on itself or falling on itself.
At the end of evolution at the seventh chakra, the inner lamp of one’s consciousness is lit and
now, holding that lamp, consciousness descends from seventh chakra to the first chakra through
the sixth, fifth, fourth, third and second. But this descent is radically different from what was
experienced in ascent from the first to the seventh. In ascent and evolution, a person leaves
behind social and cultural centers and discovers one’s own natural centre. But in descent of
involution, even that centre is transcended. So a person goes beyond centre or individuality. It is
the experience of universal consciousness both within and outside. There is now only one
consciousness, and this consciousness is rolling on itself. Consciousness becomes conscious of
itself. It is like a mirror looking at the mirror, or an ocean wave reaching its peak and curling and
falling on itself.
Descent or involution is like a water fountain in which a stream of water bursts forth from the
earth and goes up (evolution). At the crown, it becomes a fountain and then comes down like
an umbrella to fall again on the earth covering a much wider area (involution). We can also call
it a Bunyan phenomenon. The Bunyan tree grows and reaches its crown and then releases the
aerial roots which descend and cover a wide area of earth.
Evolution reaches its peak at the seventh chakra when the person becomes an individual. The
mind and the body function as one unit and energy movement. The individual’s consciousness is
no longer external, social or cultural, but is established in one’s own mind-body complex. The
individual feels anchored within. Social and cultural identities and roles may continue, but lose
their significance. Identity comes from one’s own mind-body nature or innate intelligence.
There is a clear awareness of the world outside and the world within. Society, culture, the
physical world outside, and the world in the interior of the body, including feelings, thoughts,
memories and possibilities for the future are observed with equanimity. And even when an
individual is lost in inner and outer turmoil, recovery is quick and no wounds and scars are left
on the mind. Self-esteem comes from within so it is sustained during the gains and losses.
But still, the individual lives in a world of duality, in which an individual is a subject or observer
and the world is observed as an object. So there is an individual as subject and there is world as
an object and both are connected by the act of observation. Individuality is duality.

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But in involution, something radically different happens. A person’s centre or centers are in
society and culture, in an Individual the center is within but with involution there is no center,
neither in culture nor in the individual. It is a centre-less state and the individual is released into
universal consciousness which is everywhere, in all things both living and non-living. This is an
experience of oneness.

Involution to the Sixth Chakra

The sixth chakra is the chakra of existential despair and fear. Involution to the sixth chakra
brings the experience of the universal despair hidden in the heart of all human beings. This
brings insight into universal fear and suffering. It is not an intellectual or emotional
comprehension. It is experienced directly through the eyes of wisdom and compassion. But
such fear, despair and suffering don’t leave any mark on the individual who is experiencing
them. The individual feels but doesn’t suffer. Virat or cosmic form described in Bhagvadgita the
experience of the cosmic dimension of sixth chakra.

Involution to the Fifth Chakra

The fifth chakra is the chakra of intellect and logic. Involution to the fifth chakra brings the
experience of wisdom. The intellect and logic of the fifth chakra turns into universal wisdom and
insight. Wisdom at this level not only knows about the state of human beings, but also
articulates and expresses its solution in clear teachings. Jnana or the knowledge becomes Jnana
yoga.

Involution to the Fourth Chakra

The fourth chakra is the chakra of feelings. Involution to the fourth chakra transforms the
feeling of love into universal love and compassion. Love and devotion becomes Bhakti yoga.

Involution to the Third Chakra

The third chakra is the chakra of emotions, will and passion. Involution to the third chakra
brings the experience of universal will, passion and action. The ordinary action becomes Karma
yoga.

Involution to the Second Chakra

The second chakra is the chakra of life, energy and sex. Involution to the second chakra brings
the experience of universal energy or Shakti.

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Involution to the First Chakra
The first chakra is the chakra of matter and death. Involution to the first chakra is the most
difficult one and brings the experience of universal matter being biologically alive and as a
conscious entity. Matter is the densest component of existence and the most difficult to
penetrate, because consciousness is hidden deep in it. At this chakra there is no difference
between life and death. They become one.

Awakening of the Energy and Chakras

The chakras and the dormant energy may be awakened in several different ways. When we
begin the journey in a systemic way, we start from the most open and dominant chakra in
ourselves and then proceed to all the other centres with the help of yoga poses, meditation,
prayer, chanting, breathing and life style management. A teacher’s help is sought whenever
necessary.
In other people, the chakras and its energy is awakened spontaneously with or without wanting
it. Certain events or states help in this process of spontaneous awakening.
One such way is through love and passion towards someone or something. If we really love
someone or something with passion and intensity then all our energies are focused. Our fourth
chakra is flooded with the energy, which slowly or suddenly spills over into other chakras
making them active and more functional. This love or passion may be towards God, a deity, an
image, idea or a person. However, we rarely do things or love someone with such intense
totality. A programmed brain is cautious, careful and calculating. It cannot take a leap into the
unknown. Whatever we do, including loving someone, there is usually a selfish motive behind it.
When passion is experienced for the sake of passion, it becomes free from the motive, and a
spontaneous awakening happens. Then love becomes devotion and devotion leads to surrender.
In others, the chakras and their energy may become active if they face extreme danger
or the possibility of death. Dangers and facing the possibility of death in an illness or accident
converges all the energies in a person to a focal point. When danger is near and death is close,
the brain and body’s innate intelligence brings all its resources together to deal with it. In those
moments, the mind’s chatter stops and the brain is free from the past and future. There is an
intense focus on the present moment. In some people it may lead to profound changes that
become the catalyst for further transformation, leading to a life of wholeness.
In some people, these changes are more gradual. Tragedies in the family, personal losses and
disillusionments may become the stimulus for a change and transformation.
Some people are born with awakened chakras and actively flowing energy. These people may
face problems if their culture doesn’t understand such awakenings. Some of the symptoms of
this awakening such as the despair, low mood, visions, anxiety and emotional turmoil may be
taken as a sign of the mental illness by doctors, or a possession of evil spirits by traditional
healers. Medications, hospitalization or other aggressive methods may be recommended by
medical specialists.

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The path of the awakening to one’s own chakras and energy is full of insights, creativity and
excitement, but it may also bring significant physiological and emotional turmoil. In those
moments of chaos, a cultivated patience, teacher, and the help of a loved one is needed so one
is not thrown into despair.
On the path of awakening a person may feel ecstatic one day and in depression the next day.
One moment the body may vibrate with energy and the next moment it is completely
exhausted. Sleep may be disturbed with nightmares, and old forgotten memories both good
and bad may emerge, creating mood swings and emotional volatility. The person may feel
depressed and life may seem meaningless. The person may not feel hungry and may lose weight
or feel distressed without reason. Loss of interest in daily activity may occur, and the body may
go through pain. Unusual anxieties and fear are often experienced. Sometimes, physiological
disturbances in the digestive cardiac, reproductive, nervous and other systems may happen, or
migraine-like headaches may appear. There may be decreased and increased libido which may
put strain on relationships.
But all these disturbances and turmoil are transient and part of the process of cleaning the
nervous system from the dust of the past. All of these problems will disappear in due course of
time.

Evolution or ascent

Chakras Brain Body Kosha Gland Component Sound

Root Reptilian Gross Annamayakosh Adrenal Matter Lam
Energy/Sex Reptilian Gross Pranamayakosh Testis/ovary Energy Vam
Solar Mammalian Subtle Manomayakosh Pancreas Emotions Ram
Heart Mammalian Subtle Manomayakosh Thymus Feelings Yam
Throat Neo-cortex Subtle Vijanmayakosh Thyroid Intellect Ham
Third eye Chaos Chaos Chaos Pituitary Existential Aum
Crown Harmony of Causal Anandmayakosh Pineal Witnessing Silence
the three
brains

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 When crown chakra becomes active with witnessing consciousness

Chakra Experience
Root Somatic intelligence/Deh samadhi
Energy Somatic intelligence/Deh samadhi
Solar Emotional intelligence/Bhav or Vitark samadhi
Heart Emotional intelligence/Bhav or Vitark samadhi
Throat Cognitive intelligence/Vichar samadhi
Third Eye Existential intelligence/Asmita samadhi
Crown Integral intelligence/Anand samadhi

Involution or descent

Chakra State of experience

Third eye Universal despair with darkness and light (Virat
form)
Throat Universal wisdom – Jnana Yoga
Heart Universal love- Bhakti Yoga
Solar Universal passion – Karma Yoga
Energy/Sex Universal energy – Shakti Yoga
Crown Non-dual Brahman and Nirvana
Root Matter becomes conscious – Padarth Yoga

CONCLUSION

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During this exploration of the chakras and its connecting energy, we described the sequence of
awakening as linear events starting from the root centre and ending in the seventh chakra. But
in real human experience, awakening never proceeds in this well organized and linear pattern.
Though we are born with seven chakras, one or two of them tend to dominate our lives while
others function less intensely or may be dormant. So in one person the heart chakra may be
more active and in the other it may be the throat centre which is more awakened.
The dominant chakra, which is expressing itself in our lives become the point from where we
start our journey, yet our goal is to finally arrive at the seventh chakra. If someone’s fifth chakra
is functioning well, then that person’s path is through Jnana Yoga or intellect. If the fourth
chakra is more active, then the Bhakti yoga will be the best for the person. If a person’s third
centre is more active then Karma Yoga or willful action is the way to go.
The path of the chakras and energy is a zigzag one. One has to take many detours, sometimes
fall, and then stand again and continue. On this path teachers and teachings can help, but no
one can guide a person from minute to minute or on a day to day basis. Ultimately one has to
become one’s own teacher, and only then will the voyage be completed.

The seven vows of marriage according to the chakras

In Hindu marriage ceremonies, the bride and groom must walk seven times around a
sacred fire, making a vow with each circumambulation.

Why seven circumambulations or vows?

 The seven circumambulations or vows are done to acknowledge and affirm

the seven levels of existence and consciousness. They are represented in Hindu
culture as the seven chakras.

 The sixth chakra is the Ajna chakra which is located between the two
eyebrows, in the middle of the forehead. The tradition of applying a bindi or a
red dot on the woman’s forehead is to remind the couple that spiritual progress
is the ultimate goal of life. It reminds them not to descend to the lower chakras
after marriage and become lost in the ordinary world.

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  From the sixth chakra, the progression is towards the seventh chakra
which is located at the crown of the head. After marriage, women part their hair
and apply Sindoor or red powder to remind them that the destination in life is
the crown or seventh chakra. A similar ritual is observed by men, although these
traditions are not as common as they used to be. Men may apply a Tilak or red
powder to their foreheads and grow a chot (tuft of hair) at the crown of their
heads.

What is the meaning of the Saptpadi or Seven vows?

1. The first vow is connected with the first or Mooladhar chakra – Arth (wealth)

 We will safeguard our physical survival and well-being through a joint

effort, by ensuring food, shelter, clothes and physical safety. Since both of us
will be equal partners in all of life’s endeavours, there will be no conflict even
if the wife earns more than the husband, or if the wife is employed and the
husband is not.

 We will not earn our livelihood by corrupt means or through the

exploitation of the poor and the helpless. Also, we will not earn our
livelihood by damaging other living beings, or the natural world.

 Our earnings will not be spent on ourselves and on our family alone.
We will donate and contribute money for the well-being of the community,
the country and the earth.

2. The second vow is connected with the Second or Swadhisthana Chakra –

Kaam (Desires)

 Our relationship will fulfill the needs of the body with guilt-free
physical intimacy, in order to un-tie the physical knot or Braham granthi and
make us free in the body.

 If both of us agree and feel ready, we will have children. When children
are conceived, the parents should have healthy bodies and happy minds. To
bring children into the world is not appropriate if we conceive them with
conflict and cannot take care of them with love.

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  Within ethical limits, we will fulfill each other’s desires through
appropriate means, but we will not forget the underprivileged and will
contribute to their survival and well-being.

3. The third vow is connected with the Third Chakra or Manipura Chakra –
Akansha (Passion)

 We will help each other in finding our life’s true calling and passion.
We will encourage each other in walking that path, so that we can grow into
fully functional individuals.

 We will not oppress each other or make each other an instrument of

selfish desires. This will help us in maintaining love for each other in our
relationship.

 Our goal will be to transform passion into compassion and love.

4. The fourth vow is connected with the Fourth or Anahat Chakra –Bhavana and
Samvedna (Emotions and Feelings)

 We will express and affirm our emotional love to each other, as well as
our other feelings, in order to keep the relationship transparent.

 We will reveal emotional traumas, scars and suffering from the past in
order to heal and to be healed.

 Our goal will be to develop emotional intimacy, which will un-tie the
emotional knot or Vishnu granthi and make us free. Our love will extend to
the community, world and the nature.

5. The fifth vow is connected with The Fifth or Visshudha Chakra – Buddhi
(Intellect)

 We will help in each other’s intellectual growth and to express

ourselves in creative ways.

 In our relationship we will use Vivek (reason and discrimination) to

strengthen our bond and to save ourselves from taking the wrong path. This
will help us to un-tie the intellectual Rudra granthi at the sixth chakra.

 We will strengthen the institutions based on reason and wisdom, which

will include political, social, spiritual and economic organizations. Only the
institutions based on reason and systems can save the community, country

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 and the world from chaos and anarchy, and can help the individual and
society to prosper.

6. The sixth vow is connected with the Sixth or Ajna Chakra – Existential

 We will make our relationship adventurous by exploring the inner and

outer worlds rather than living in fixed patterns and cycle of life.

 Knowing that the fear, pain and suffering are inevitable, we will go
through existential crises together and use them to make our life deeper and
more meaningful, in order to bring us closer rather than to create a distance
between us.

 We will make sure that the crisis makes us more empathetic to those
who are suffering and going through the darkness of fear and pain.

7. The seventh vow is connected with the Seventh or Sahasara Chakra – Atmic
(Spiritual)

 Our goal is to become soul mates by untying the knots of the body,
emotions and intellect and crossing the turbulent river of fear, pain and
suffering together to develop a total or Atmic intimacy.

 Atmic or soulmate-ness is a feeling of a space in which two people live

as two bodies but one existence. They are connected at all levels yet remain
individual and continue to grow on their own paths.

 We will try to achieve this at the end of Grihastha ashram or the

householder stage and after fulfilling our duties towards family, we will enter
into Vanprastha or the explorer stage to fulfill our destiny. This will lead us
into Sannyas ashram, the door for freedom and self-realization, in order to
accept death as a part of larger life.

Chakras, Brain and Future of Humanity

Introduction

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…miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep – Robert Frost

In an individual, Chakra and its conscious, dynamic energy Kundalini are the living blue prints
and maps of the evolution. Once we experience these maps and blueprint they become the
actual territory of the world within and of the universe outside.

From the emergence of the universe to the formation of the earth and rise of the life on it, from
earth religions to individualism, democracy, materialism and growth of the science, the history
of evolution is contained in the dynamic conscious energy which flows through the human body
and the nervous system. Seven chakras are like the seven brains and each brain is a milestone in
the new evolutionary step.

These insights are brilliantly expressed in three Sanskrit words ‘Pind mein Brahamand’ means
Universe lives in the body.

But the chakras and the Kundalini with its conscious energy not only contains what happened in
the past but also gives a clear clues about what is happening in present such as various
revolutions in the middle east and also what is about to come in near and far future politically,
economically, ecologically and spiritually.

Emergence of the nascent world culture, changes in status of religions, exponential growth of
science, technology and environmental destruction can be foreseen if we are able to enter into
dynamic conscious energy within our body and nervous system. They all point out towards
another mile stone in human evolution in which fragmented pieces of human perception and
life will integrate to give birth to a new consciousness. In spite of all darkness and destruction,
fragmentation and conflicts we are moving from falsehood to truth, from darkness towards light
and from death to beyond death.

But the above perspective is not the guess work or utopia but the insights which are connected
with body’s biology and consciousness.

Fear of death and search for immortality

Fear is the prison, fear is the key

Individually and collectively, the fear of death or the complete cessation of the ego or self is the
core problem of the humanity. The reason for this fear is the self-awareness which was brought
to humans by the evolution of the brain. Self-awareness is the ability to be conscious of what is
going on in our body and mind and also in the outside world. Although self-awareness is

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present in some advanced animals such as dolphins, dogs, elephants, whales and chimpanzees,
in humans it is much more expansive. It extends into the remote past and the distant
anticipated future. Humans can have knowledge of their personal past and the past of their
country, cast, race and religion, but also they can guess into the future. One of the future events
about which they are absolutely certain, is personal death. This fills their mind with fear, and
their whole life is spent in efforts to escape and transcend death. Fear of death begins around
the age of three years when the formation of the conscious mind starts. That is the time when
the consciousness of memories also begins. Although memories begin to form since the time of
the birth, or even before, from the womb of the mother, they remain buried deep in the
subconscious mind from which their recall is difficult.

The other interesting fact about the child is that it fears not only the dark, devouring and
frightening mystery of death, but also the blinding light of life. A child’s brain is not mature
enough to comprehend and deal with either the turbulent and unpredictable world of nature or
the complexities of human made culture.

Fear of death and life forces a child to reach out to their parents and caretakers for safety and
shelter. The parents and caretakers provide the safety and shelter through love and myths and
stories about the power of God, gods, angels, morality, traditions and knowledge, which they
received from their parents and caretakers to feel safe. These myths, stories, traditions and
knowledge become the child’s belief system and gives firm rooting into a family, culture, religion
and society. The rooting is the beginning of the formation of the ego or the self, a necessity for
the healthy development of the child.

Ego: a promise for immortality

The ego or the self is a construct about oneself and the world. It is conditioned by the family
and the culture. It is based on a belief system rather than on facts. The ego provides relief from
the fear of death by living in a symbolic and mythic world. By living in a mythic world, the child
is veiled from the truth of living and dying. The child is protected from death, but is also
separated from life. If you don’t want to die then you can’t live either. Ego puts a narrow filter
on the brain and the awareness to allow only that much of experience about life and death
which the child can manage with comfort and without anxiety and fear. Such protection and
narrowing down by the ego prevents the breakdown of the young brain and mind which
otherwise could create havoc in the child's life.

The child lives in the illusory world of the ego but such an illusion is the child’s vital need. The
illusory ego keeps the lid on the fear of death and imparts virtual immortality through its mythic
and symbolic world that saves the child from the anxiety of the death. The ego is the

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immortality principle in humans. It is the promise of an endless life. We must be clear at this
point that it’s not the body’s death which is a problem, because the body’s death is already
transcended into the mythic universe of the ego. The main problem is now of ego’s death which
is the immortality principle in a person. The body can die, but ego must continue. A person
wants the continuation of the ego at any cost, at the cost of oneself and at the cost of others.
Unless someone walks a different path and shatters its illusion and finds true immortality, ego is
the way to become immortal. But that path of truth is only for the few. Most have to depend on
the ego to live forever. That is why ego becomes the master and governs people’s life even
when it separates them from the life.

But how does ego achieve this illusory immortality for its owner? The ego mediated immortality
is achieved by creating a world of name and form and time and space.

Humans can’t live with a nameless and formless world. The nameless and the formless belong
to the unknown, and the unknown brings fear to the ego. Ego can only deal with the known and
familiar. The unknown carries the possibility of death for the ego, because death lives in the
unknown. We don’t have the inner knowledge of death. That is why the unknown, which is
nameless and formless, has to be reduced to the known, to bring it to the level of ego to
manage it, pray for and worship it. Naming things and events and giving them a form is the
device of the ego to make the unknown and the infinite accessible, to change them into
symbols, concepts and definitions.

By reducing the living reality to symbols, the ego can gain some mastery over the environment,
for the better and prolonged survival of the body. But in the process of naming, the nameless
life becomes the prisoner of the symbol, and its free movement is lost in the rigid boundary of
form and definitions. Instead of the intimacy of the fully alive world, the symbol can only
provide its virtual shadow. Human history is crowded with countless gods, goddesses, angels,
demons and a plethora of other symbols to deal with the unpredictable forces of nature, life
and death. God is the ultimate symbol; an effort to comprehend the totality of life and death.

While the name and form helps in bringing the boundless and the unknown to the manageable
level of the known, mental time and space impart a sense of vicarious immortality by creating
an endless future in prescribed places. In the endless future, time never ends. The ego lives
forever and has a sense of immortality. Heaven, hell, spirit world and rebirth are the creation of
the ego’s immortality drive. The ego’s illusory immortality is also achieved through one’s
children, legacy, a mention in the history, charity, monuments, work of art, science, wealth and
in hundreds of other ways.

The slow maturation of the brain means that the child has to live with the illusory ego for a long
time and can only try to break its hold as a grownup adult. The shattering of the child’s illusion

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before the ego is mature will have the devastating consequence that may lead to anxiety,
depression, emotional volatility and even psychosis.

To summarize the above…

When humans first perceive the reality of death and the enormity of life, they are filled with
fear. The ego provides them shelter from fear with the promise of immortality in an endless
future. The human ego or self is extraordinarily fertile, and generates all kinds of ideas to
distance itself from death and life. Concepts like God, spirit, soul, gods and goddesses shield
the mind from the frightening specter of death. These ideas have formed the foundation of
religion.

Later, humans began to study the world around them, noticing patterns in nature. This led to an
examination of the natural laws governing these patterns, and then to an exploration of the
universe of matter and energy. Humans began to feel a sense of power over nature, and this
became another protective shield against the fear of death and life. These ideas formed the
foundation of science.

The ego, a collection of thoughts and emotions, became increasingly complex in order to find
new ways to cope with the fear of death. The human mind began to imagine a world beyond
death. As this quest for immortality gained momentum, the ego became increasingly dominant
over the body.

The body inevitably grows old and decays. The ego, ever searching for a way to deny death,
perceives the body as an obstacle in its quest for the immortality. With ever-increasing
complexity, the ego seeks to alter or mould the body in order to preserve it. As the body
becomes a slave to the ego, its natural functioning is disrupted.

Destructive nature of ego

The ego’s constant interference in the body’s functioning, leads to the loss of harmony and
homeostasis in the body. As a result, the body can’t function in its optimal state. This state of
dysfunction causes a decline in well-being which is expressed as a lack of natural pleasure in
daily living.

This lack of well-being drives the person to seek pleasure from outside sources. Constant and
sustained seeking, leads to dependence on external sources. Habituation makes a person seek
more and diverse stimulation to maintain the same pleasure.

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Directly and indirectly, all external pleasures are derived from consuming Nature’s resources.
Habituation and increasing demand for pleasure cause more consumption of natural resources
which leads to ever more destruction of Nature.

Besides seeking constant pleasure the second reason behind the destruction of nature is the
human desire to create an endless future for the survival of the ego. The endless future is
created through one’s own children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on, amassing
wealth and power, creating works of art, building empires, corporations and monuments. The
person wants to be sure that after the body's death something is left behind and continues
forever which will save the ego from annihilation.

The journey from self-awareness to environmental destruction is like this...

Self-Awareness

Fear of Living and Dying

Formation of Ego or Self for Safety and Immortality

Alienation, Conflict and Guilt

Discontent

Decline in Pleasure and Well-Being

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Consumption of power, wealth, food, sex, drugs, knowledge to maintain pleasure

Environmental Destruction

At this point we are clear about how the ego emerges, its role in the life of a person and the
destruction it causes. Now the question is, is it possible to break this cycle of destruction? Yes, it
is possible if the dominance of the ego comes to an end. It's not the death of the ego which we
want, because without the ego we can't function in the world. But if the ego's dominance ends,
then instead of functioning as the master, it will become a servant and help us in day to day life.
Then the brain will be freed from its prison which will bring the experience of well-being. The
search for pleasure in the world will stop, and with that, environmental destruction will slow
down.

How then can the ego’s dominance end? It can end by a death-like impact on its illusory
existence which will shatter it into many pieces. With the passage of time, those pieces will be
reassembled into a new arrangement, and the new arrangement will change the master ego
into the servant ego.

Environmental catastrophe is inevitable

‘Evolution is suffering and celebration’

So as evolution moved forward from the first chakra, it brought more ways to enjoy life and
more fear of death. People coped by worshipping and praying to the elements of nature, gods,
goddesses, spirits and finally God. That was the case up to the fourth chakra. But at the fifth
chakra something changed. With the discovery of the new tools of reason and science, humans
started to take control of the material world which was previously governed by God and the
spirits. Such control over matter and energy brought an explosion of creativity and technology,
which transformed the human world. Humans began to become the master of their world
which slowly started replacing God with science and technology.

Technology brought unprecedented comfort and pleasure to many. And that was the enjoyment
of life. But by being at the fifth chakra and with an increase in knowledge, fear and anxiety
about death also increased. This time it was not coped with by the old gods, spirits and God,
but by the increased material safety and consumption to prolong life and its pleasure. Instead of
the ego's continuance in the world of spirit, heaven, and rebirth, the emphasis was on living in
the material world as much as possible with pleasure and comforts.

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That would have been fine if this had been confined to a few. But by seeing and hearing about
the freedom of democracy, the individual's rights in combination with the power of science,
technology and material comforts, people of other cultures started demanding the same. The
demand increased rapidly because of the mass media and communication. People watched in
awe on the television screen, the opulence of the imagined religious heaven in the real cities of
the real world. Masses of people wanted to imitate and follow western culture to have a taste
of that heaven. That is what happened. That demand and imitation began the process of the
homogenization of the other cultures, resulting in the emergence of the first world culture in
human history, the core of which was formed by the western civilization. Although the world
culture is nascent and new, it’s spreading quickly in all directions.

With the rapidly increasing number of consumers, people soon realized that the earth's natural
resources were limited and would eventually run out. But no one is ready to listen. A consumer
is an addict, and the consumption is an addiction. Who is going to stop whom? All of us are
involved in it. It's a massive movement which cuts across race, religion, and countries. Except for
the very few, most of us are in the same boat of consumerism. The fatal attraction of the
consumerism besides the addiction to comforts and pleasure, also gives a sense of power and
self-esteem to which the ego is attached. And why not? After all, the self-esteem is ego’s lifeline.

This process is now unstoppable and the earth can’t sustain the consumption at such high and
massive levels. We are moving towards inevitable environmental disaster. But this disaster is
also good news. Its force and destruction will be like a death impact on humanity which will
bring a radical change in the consciousness of a significant number of people, by pushing them
into the sixth chakra and then making them come out at the seventh. The seventh chakra is the
chakra of awakening of the individual consciousness and well-being, which will result in de-
addiction and de-conditioning. That will be the beginning of an entirely new era. From the first
chakra to the fifth, it was the formation and the growth of the ego, the sixth chakra was the
shattering of the ego and the seventh chakra is the entry into a new consciousness in which the
ego becomes subservient rather than functioning as the master, as it did until the fifth chakra.

But the seventh chakra is not the end. After the flowering of the seventh chakra, further
expansion of consciousness will begin. This we can name involuton. In involution, individual
consciousness starts to universalize. The individual person becomes a universal being.

From a human point of view, it seems that environmental disaster and its impact on humans
and other species, is a catastrophe created by the bad choices made by humans, and that we
must and can prevent it. We have the will and freedom to make better choices for the better
future of ourselves and for the rest of the planet.

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But from the Naturality point of view, the picture seems different. First of all, although we have
some freedom of choices, we don’t have free will. But that freedom of choice can only be used
if we have individualized consciousness. Except for the few, our consciousness is fundamentally
a social consciousness on which we don’t have any control. It compels us to make decisions by
subconscious influences. We are part of the crowd which we call the group, community, race,
religion, nation or the world. Apart from the crowd, we have little individuality.

While the human point of view is egoic, narrow and revolves around humans, the Naturality
perspective goes beyond human thinking into the experience of the non-dual in which the
oneness of the universe is realized. This oneness in all things includes not only humans but also
minerals, plants, and animals. Humans are only one type of living being amongst many. They are
part of a grand cosmic wholeness in which they can participate as a witness through whom the
action is happening, but they are not the action taker. The cosmos will move with or without
them and they don’t have any control over its movement.

From a Naturality point of view, whatever is happening at the fifth chakra is due to the force of
evolution and cannot be prevented. It will take us to the sixth and then to the seventh chakra.
Environmental disaster is going to happen, but it will be like a pruning of the earth and will push
us to the next stage of evolution. All evolutionary leaps come with catastrophe. Whether it is an
individual or the whole of humanity, without the shattering of the old, the radically new can’t
happen. Also a wide spread natural disaster may unite the humanity because there wouldn’t be
any other choice except to face the global catastrophe together as one unit, one body and one
organism.

So far, except for some individuals, Naturality is grabbed by the ego. The ego is Naturalized and
taken as genuine natural expansion. But after the sixth chakra, people will experience the true
intimation of wholeness and well-being. Humanity’s future is wholesome and evolution won’t
stop until we experience interconnectedness and the oneness of the cosmos. So, in spite of the
darkness and disasters, there is no place for pessimism. How could there be pessimism if the
whole cosmos is the expression of timeless and eternal consciousness? But in order to arrive
there, we must be prepared to endure the shocks and trauma of the forward thrust of the
evolution.

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 Section 5
The science of Kundalini Yoga

Evolution of the Human Brain

Universal Nature is the source of all that exists. Universal Nature is primal, without a
beginning or an end, and from that boundless and infinite energy the universe comes into
being. From the most primitive life forms, a process of evolution towards greater and greater
complexity began. It took billions of years for the human brain to evolve into its present form,
the most marvelous instrument of perception in the universe.

Through the brain and the sense organs, we consciously experience the world. The brain
and the body are intimately linked, acting upon each other in a seamless fashion. Together, the
brain and body make it possible for us to survive in the world, to interact with other living
beings, and to experience a range of emotion.

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 Because our brain was fashioned by Nature, the brain is capable of revealing Nature’s
secrets and intelligence. This is why it is sometimes referred to as the “three pound universe”. If
consciousness can tune into the brain in a certain way, the structure, function and underlying
interconnectedness of the cosmos both materially and spiritually will be revealed. It will also
reveal the underlying interdependence and oneness of life and consciousness, which is the
experience of liberation.

Each one of us has an innate nature that is unique, and yet is part of the universal
Nature. As we become more conscious of our own inner nature, we begin to get glimpses of the
universal Nature. We discover that individual and universal Nature is one and the same. We
realize that the microcosm contains the macrocosm and macrocosm contains the microcosm. In
other words, the drop contains the sea and the sea contains the drop.

The Expression of Consciousness

Primal consciousness is infinite and contains all possible forms of consciousness, which
can be experienced by living beings. What is experienced depends on how developed the brain
is. At a particular level of brain development, a new form of consciousness is experienced.
Mirroring and perception begins with unicellular organisms. Before this, consciousness lies
buried deep within matter.

As our brain develops and vibrates at a particular frequency, we experience a specific

level of consciousness. As self-aware human beings, we can change the structure and
physiology of our brain and become conscious of those experiences that are not available to
other living beings. This is conscious evolution. Within us, all possible levels of consciousness
are already there, so consciousness itself does not evolve. Rather, the brain evolves and gains
more and more access to it.

All creative and spiritual practices are about changing the structure and physiology of
the brain in order to tune into more conscious experience. We have the potential to become
conscious of every evolutionary frequency of the brain, eventually arriving at a point where the
frequency becomes almost infinite or zero. Here we tune into a primal consciousness. This gives
us the experience of non-duality, Nirvana or the feeling of timeless and space-less existence.

In this process of evolution there are no unpredictable leaps. What we consider a “leap”
is the result of a slow build up of evolutionary movement that reaches a critical threshold. This
is when a new state of consciousness is perceived. Also there are no sharp boundaries between
evolutionary stages - they overlap and merge with one another. Evolutionary movement is like
the formation of a river. The river begins its journey drop by drop from a melting glacier in the
mountains. These drops become a trickle, and this trickle a stream and this stream turns into a

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river. As the river flows down the valley, it becomes wide and powerful and eventually merges
with the sea. Water from the sea evaporates into the sky and falls in the mountains, returning to
its original source. This cycle repeats and continues. All these stages overlap and there are no
clear divisions between each stage.

In advanced animals, the brain is responsible for emotions. In humans it has brought the
wonders of self-awareness, through which we are able to experience feelings and emotions as
well as reflect on the past and contemplate the future. We are capable of logical thinking, which
has unleashed endless creativity and has led to the emergence of science, art, ethics, religion
and culture. But above all of this is the incredible ability we possess to feel the presence of the
infinite and eternal, the source of the universe itself. The infinite is not an empty void but
contains all that is possible, was possible and will be possible. People have given this feeling of
boundless and timeless existence many names including God, Braham and so on.

Physical Consciousness - Primal: Unicellular and multi-cellular organisms (Root and

energy/ sex chakra)

The evolution of the brain can be visualized as an image of the Tree of Life. Different
stages of evolution correspond with the various parts of the tree, beginning with inert matter
and energy in which consciousness is hidden, although present. The first active expression of
consciousness is in the form of a single cell, which represents the consciousness of the body in
its most rudimentary form. The entire cell functions as a brain because nothing is differentiated.
However, this single cell is the seed of the fully differentiated human body and brain.

Early physical consciousness is reflexive, without the capacity for self-awareness or

reflection. Sensation is the mode of perception that helps in attraction and repulsion towards
the positive and negative environment. Primal fear appears at this stage of consciousness as
repulsion, which helps in moving away from dangers in the environment. Survival and
reproduction, which occur in a repetitive and fixed pattern, are the only mode of living and are
completely controlled by nature. There is inner silence without any language, but that silence is
brimming with life’s energy. The body is in communion with the material universe without any
sense of time and space.

This level is the ground upon which the tree of life grows. If we become conscious of this
level of existence, then it leads to non-dual materialism in which matter becomes conscious of
itself and is in communion with the rest of the material universe.

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Physical Consciousness –The Reptilian Brain (Root and Energy/Sex chakra)
In the ground of the cell and body, the roots and stems of the tree of life evolve and
grow. Nerve roots, the spinal cord and the brain stem form. The brain stem is the reptilian brain
where consciousness emerges but without the element of self-awareness or self-reflection. The
brain stem has centres for the circulatory and respiratory systems, and communicates with the
body through the spinal cord and nerve roots. This helps in the maintenance of homeostasis or
dynamic balance.

At this level, the organism lives in survival and reproduction mode with all systems
controlled by nature in a predictable pattern. Perception occurs through a complex combination
of sensations. There are sounds but no language and no mental boundaries or attachments.
There is no sense of time and space. The world of names and forms has not been born. The
organism lives in an unconscious eternity.

It is possible to become aware of this level of existence and this experience is called
Non-Duality or Void or Nothingness. This consciousness at its primitive level can be stimulated
by jogging, climbing, running, exercising, dancing, extreme sports, physical yoga and the sweat
lodge experience.

In summary, the body with physical consciousness at the reptilian brain level is the root
and stem of the tree of life.

Emotional Consciousness – Mammalian Brain (Solar and Heart chakra)

Emotional consciousness occurs in the limbic system or mammalian brain. This is where
the pleasure centers and the centres for the autonomic nervous system, vital for homeostasis
and mind-body interface, are located. At the level of the mammalian brain, the non-dual state
of the body and the reptilian brain are split into the duality of subject and object. This duality is
perceived moment to moment rather than in a linear fashion. Self-awareness arises for the first
time, but only briefly. Experience is based on emotions, not reason. Nature still plays the
primary role in the organism’s development but nurture starts contributing in a significant way
to growth.

Consciousness becomes somewhat reflective and attachment becomes part of living.

Mental boundaries are drawn, creativity is expressed, life and death are separated and
existence is purposeful. The world of time-space and name-form is born. It is possible to
become aware of emotional consciousness, which leads to living moment-to-moment.

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 Emotional consciousness forms the branches and leaves of the tree of life. This level of
consciousness can be stimulated through music, chanting, singing, sex, breathing, yoga, extreme
sports, trauma and emotional arousal ("Emotional trance").

Intellectual Consciousness – Human Brain (Throat chakra)

With the development of the neo-cortex and prefrontal cortex in humans, the size and
weight of the brain increase. At this stage of evolution, humans develop logic, rationality,
language and the ability to plan for the future. Through these extraordinary faculties, human
creativity is unleashed, and the universe of the mind is born. Science, systems of governance,
and the idea of a universal moral order grow out of this universe.

Thoughts are of supreme significance. Natural objects and phenomena are observed,
labeled, and categorized; universal forces are discovered and uniform laws conceived; logical
theories and systems are created, and science and technology make rapid progress. The
individual becomes the fundamental creative unit of the human world. Accordingly, individual
fulfillment takes precedence over the fulfillment of the community. The formation of self or ego
is complete. We have now developed the ability to reflect about our thoughts and actions.

At this level of development, raw and direct experiences that emerge from the reptilian
and mammalian brain are changed and categorized before they reach our consciousness.
Everything goes through a process of conditioning. All experiences are filtered and changed by
the old and known. Nothing “new” is experienced.

Although the three components of the brain are not separate, socio-cultural
conditioning of the neo-cortex dominates one’s life. We essentially become social animals
rather than fully functional individuals with unique innate natures. This results in a persistent
sense of frustration and a loss of well-being. This cycle may continue for a long time unless
trauma, suffering, a sensitive nature, disillusionment or a search for meaning pushes us into the
next stage of evolution.

Intellectual consciousness forms the flowers and fruits of the tree of life.

Right and Left Brain

The Western concept of the Ego or self differs from the Eastern. In the West, the Ego or
self is primarily a sense of ‘I’ while in the East it is the feeling of ‘I Am’. ‘I’ is achieved when
intellectual consciousness is added to emotional and physical consciousness but they don’t
function in unison and harmony. ‘I Am’ contains all three types of consciousness working in
harmony, which results in mind-body integration. “I” belongs to the left-brain and is primarily

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connected with liner time. ‘Amness’ is related to the right-brain, which is being aware of one’s
existence in the here and now. ‘I’ has sense of time while ‘Amness’ has a sense of space.

Many functions of the left and right brain overlap. However, in certain areas of
functioning, they have distinct roles. The right brain is intuitive and has a circular or network
memory, which doesn’t have the sequential quality of the left brain. This side of the brain is
more peaceful, creative, artistic, imaginative and aesthetic. Closely connected to the limbic
system, this side of the brain is linked to emotional states and is more interconnected and
interdependent than the left brain. The right side of the brain also appears to play a role in
mystical experiences, as well as in the experiences of sex and love. Yoga, meditation, music, arts,
and extreme sports can help us tap into this brain.

Right Brain Memory

When sequential memory (located in the left brain) is damaged, the right-brain can
compensate. Although the left-brain will always play a role, the right-brain compensates by
creating a memory mechanism that is mainly impressionistic, emotional and experience based.
Right-brain memory is like Indra’s net of jewels (a metaphor for interconnectedness and
interdependence of all life) in which each point of memory is like a switch which if pressed, will
light up the whole network of memory. Each point reflects the whole. We can call this memory
as ‘linking memory’ or ‘image memory’.

Such memory is used in Indian classical music. A musician can play a raga, which may
last up to three hours, entirely from memory without written music. Using this type of memory
stimulates spontaneous creativity because we are accessing the limbic, creative brain through
the right-brain.

Left Brain

The left-brain is a newer development and doesn’t have a counterpart within the older
parts of the brain. The left-brain is innovative but not creative in that it can improve and perfect
existing creative expression, but raw creativity always emerges from the limbic system or
emotional brain. The particular characteristics of the left brain include a sense of time and
connection to past, present and future (a sense of “I” ness). The functions of the left brain are
more analytical than the right brain, with cognitive capacities of reason and logic. Memory is
linear and sequential. Thoughts are structured, bounded and confined by limits.

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Intellectual Trance or Samadhi
Harmonious (Satvik) – When intellect and logic work for positive feelings and for affirmation

Thinking Ability (Vichar) – One’s own thinking emerges

Physical, emotional and intellectual consciousness forms the self or ego, which has a
component of ‘I’ and ‘Am-ness’. Together they form the expression “I Am”.

Existential Consciousness – The Experience of Disintegration (Third eye chakra)

At this stage, the tree of life is shaken. Here, the prefrontal and neo-cortex lose their
dominance and the turbulent energy of the mammalian and reptilian components of the brain
take over. This results in mental chaos, loss of cognitive control and sense of self and identity. In
existential consciousness, social and cultural customs, rewards and achievements are stripped
of their meaning and we are left psychologically naked and exposed. We become fully conscious
of our fear of death and life.

Everything that has supported us, both externally and internally is left behind. The family
and tribe, the pleasures of life and action are all abandoned. The mythic worlds of God, gods,
and spirits as well as the realm of logic, reason, and science no longer accompany us. All of
existence is divided in two, a clear duality, in which the person - as the subject - stands in front
of the universe as its object and adversary. Finally life confronts death.

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the innate ability of the brain to change itself with new experiences. It used to
be thought that brain cells could not change or regenerate, and that once damage was done it
was irreversible. However, we now know that the human brain has a remarkable ability to
change and reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. Research done on long-time
meditators such as Buddhist monks has shown that the brain is flexible and can be changed
even to the last moment of life.

When we read the writings of the sages, we realize that the concept of brain malleability is not
new. Their concept was that both the body and brain could be changed and transformed by
inner and outer experiences. The change can be positive (positive neuroplasticity) when we can
erase negative patterns of traumatic experiences, or it can be negative (negative neuroplasticity)
such as in case of chronic pain when the pain is projected on the body from the brain.

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On the path of Naturality, neuroplasticity is of great significance. As we learn to live according to
our nature, our brain become more and more free from past conditioning and eventually the
brain is changed radically in the experience of liberation. It begins to function as a harmonious
and integrated unit, filled with awareness, bliss and compassion (the ABC of life).

Sri Aurobindo, and his spiritual companion, the Mother of Pondicherry, went even further,
experiencing and describing a radical transformation of the body at the cellular level. Similar
experiences were reported by the contemporary sage UG Krishnamurti. We can call this
Somato-plasticity (the word Soma in Greek means body). But as yet, there is no scientific
explanation for this phenomenon - it will take time before scientists can discover this secret of
the body.

Witnessing Consciousness – Integration and Wholeness (Crown chakra)

The chaos and disorganization of the existential crisis is like the pupa stage of a butterfly's
life cycle. After the smooth development of the larva, the pupa loses all symmetry and
organization and becomes like featureless glue. Even the genetic material breaks down,
becoming scattered and without pattern. But out of this chaos, a butterfly emerges ready to fly.

At the state of integration and wholeness we become fully functional individuals with
natural and spontaneous witnessing consciousness. One of the early signs of this state is a sense
of well-being which becomes an ever-present feeling. At this stage the tree of life achieves full
growth. The characteristics of witnessing consciousness are as follows…

 The reptilian, mammalian and neo-cortex complexes work in harmony. This is

experienced as ‘flow’, or bliss.

 The brain functions as one and as an integral part of the body. This is experienced as
oneness of mind and body.

 The brain is awakened and dormancy is over. This leads to the activation of pleasure
centers, bringing a sense of well-being.

 Increased connectivity and communication between various parts of the brain and
the body. This results in a feeling of wholeness. This is also felt in the form of tingling
sensations in the body and a fountain of energy intermittently pouring into the brain.

 The prefrontal cortex thickens and more mirroring properties of neurons are
activated resulting in witnessing consciousness.

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 The integration of the neo-cortex, limbic system and reptilian complex allows our innate
nature to express itself in physical, emotional and intellectual intelligence. The expression of
innate nature is the realization of our genetic potential and epigenetic influences with which we
are born. Although our acquired conditioning (post birth) is gone, our conditioning from our
past life, parent’s genes and the influences of ancestors are still with us.

The integration of the various components of brain produces a sustained release of

energy. This energy rushes through the brain and body and washes away the memories of past
traumas and suffering. Healing occurs. This sustained energy flow is experienced as passion and
persistent pleasure. Also, the release of energy from the mammalian and reptilian parts of the
brain helps us to connect our experiences in various ways, which can result in an outpouring of
creativity.

Destiny, hidden in our genetic and epigenetic heritage is discovered with the awakening
of innate nature. We realize what our unique contribution can be – what we were born to do. As
we develop this witnessing consciousness, we are able to accept mortality as a part of life. Time
moves from moment to moment and we experience spontaneous meditation.

Bliss (Anand) state or Samadhi – This is the first experience of joy (or bliss) from within.

Amness (Asmita) state or Samadhi – This is the experience of one’s existence in space - This is
“Am"-ness.

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 Section 6
The Practice of Kundalini Yoga

The ten practices for Kundalini Yoga

1. Natural Ethics - self-care and care for others
2. Self-Knowing - studying the book of life
3. Worship and Prayer
4. Fasting and Pilgrimage
5. Yoga Poses
6. Purification (Shathkarma)
7. Mudras (gestures)
8. Bandhas (locks)
9. Breathing Exercises (Pranayama)
10. Meditation

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 1. Natural Ethics – Self-care and Care for Others
We cannot play life’s symphony without practicing the notes of ethics.
Dharma means ‘the natural laws which sustain the inner and outer universe’. Ethics should
be in accordance with Dharma because living according to Dharma is a natural way of living. To
understand ethics is to discover the inherent laws and principles of living. When we live in an
ethical way, we integrate the traditions and customs of a specific society and culture and live
harmoniously in that environment.
Any practice including Kundalini Yoga can’t grow and flower without ethics. An ethical
boundary is not a prison but a fence that protects the individual and the community at large.
Such protection brings the sense of trust and ease needed for the process of awakening of
Kundalini and chakras.
The first principle of ethics is self-care. We must take care of our body, our feelings and
emotions as well as our intellect and soul. Without proper self-care, we can’t take care of
others. If we are healthy and happy, only then we can make others healthy and happy. Through
self-care we experience emotional and cognitive intelligence. In turn, this leads to the
experience of soul or wholeness.
On the path of Kundalini, ethics are not detailed instructions on how to think, behave or
live. It’s not a rigid set of rules to govern and manage life. It is about discovering the innate
ethical sense that is embedded in our biology, brain and body. Natural ethics must go hand in
hand with the social and cultural environment of our time and place. While social and cultural
ethics are more or less the same for any given community or group, natural ethics differ from
person to person because they are connected to our unique innate nature. For example,
compassion is to be expressed differently from person to person. In an Earth person,
compassion is expressed through the direct care of others while in a Fire person it is expressed
through meaningful leadership. Wind people express compassion through creative thought and
action that helps to alleviate suffering. Within this framework, we each have our own way of
thinking and behaving ethically.

The following mantra is the mantra of practice of ethics:

Dharma Daham, Dharma Manas, Dharma Buddhi-Atman

Right care to body, feelings, mind and soul
Dharma Priya Jan, Dharma Serva Jan, Dharma Desh, Dharma Dhara
Right care to family, community, country and the earth

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 Dharma Neham, Dharma Ekam, Dharma Hee Gatisheelta
Let feeling of love and oneness sustain right care
Dharma Jeevan, Dharma Chetan, Dharma Hee Ananda Param.
Let right care bring the bliss of conscious existence.

Self-Care has seven components that contribute to wellness, that are governed by the
innate nature of the body and mind. They are discovered through the study of one’s own life.
These seven components are: sleep; food; exercise; sex and relationships; work; home life and
mind-body practice. They are the seven pillars of Yogic life.

Sleep

Out of all the needs of the human body and mind, sleep is the most important one. We can live
with inadequate food and exercise for months without damaging our body, but without optimal
sleep the quality of life will deteriorate within a few days. During the night we take a whole
journey from the waking state to the dream state and then to dreamless sleep where we merge
into the very source from where we emerged. But we don’t remember. What we experience in
the morning is a sense of rejuvenation and energy and we are ready for the day. Disturbed sleep
leave us tired with poor decision making capacities.

Yoga practice makes the brain energized and the mind calmer. It gets more blood flow, its size
expands, and its various parts become more connected with each other which leads to a
harmonious and holistic functioning. If we don’t have adequate sleep then such a radical
transformation of the brain may be disturbed, and we may not get the full benefit of our
spiritual efforts. Only a few Yogis and meditators are able to compensate the lost sleep through
asanas, pranayama and meditation. Most have to make sure that they sleep well. Sleep and
dream time can also be used for meditation practice.

Sleep helps us in:

 Detoxification of brain
 Healing and growth
 Rejuvenation of the immune, nervous, muscular and skeletal systems
 Memory processing: Working memory is important, because it keeps information active
for further processing and supports higher-level cognitive functions such as decision
making, reasoning, and episodic memory

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  Dreams: Dreams are important symbols of our psycho-physical state. They not only give
us a clue as to what is happening in our individual life, but they can connect to the
Sagun Braham or universal consciousness which is the common heritage of all humanity.
Connecting to Universal consciousness not only heals a person but takes them to higher
Samadhi states. The inner Guru is born out of these dream experiences, and we can be
guided in our spiritual journey on a day today basis. Dreams can also be a source of
creativity. Many scientists, painters, writers and musicians got their inspiration from
dreams, including James Watson who discovered DNA and Beethoven one of the
greatest musicians.

Food

Food is the next important part of a yogic life. The doshas are connected with the digestive tract
in a person. The stomach is connected with Kapha or earth, the small intestine with Pita or fire
and the large intestine with Vata or wind. In Ayurveda, Doshas determine what type of food one
should consume. The most important food caution in a yogi is to eat less than a full stomach. As
we mentioned earlier the brain of a yogi needs more blood supply than a normal person,
because the brain tissues are expanding and connecting with one another. Eating to the point of
having a full stomach will divert the blood supply to the stomach rather than to the active brain,
reducing the effect of yogic efforts.

Yogic food should be fresh, warm, vegetarian, unless adequate vegetarian food is not available
(Tibet, Siberia, polar region) or a person can’t digest it (Dalai Lama). Food should be cooked
properly and must not contain too many hot spices. Raw food is good only for few people or for
a limited time period.

The human digestive tract contains a full brain known as the ‘Gut Brain’. The gut brain can’t
think but feels. It gives a clear idea of the qualitative aspect (Satvic, Rajsic, and Tamsic) of food.
Good food brings a sustained feeling of well-being, while Rajsic and Tamsic food may give
transient pleasure but they are detrimental to one’s well-being and nourishment in the long
term. That is why we must think carefully about what kind of food we eat.

Exercise

Neither the Asanas nor pranayama can replace a whole body workout. Exercise not only moves
the muscles, joints, bones and organs to increase the blood perfusion, but it prevents brain
aging and deterioration of memory. Brisk walking is the best exercise. Many who are involved in
Yoga don’t exercise and become overweight.

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Relationships

The most important relationship of a yogi is with himself/herself. In other words it’s the self-love
and self-acceptance which is the beginning of Yoga. Many reject this part of theirself and their
body, because it’s too painful to look at the dark parts of life. People label themselves as ugly
and not worthy. They try to cope with self-rejection through mastering perfect poses or become
a disciplinarian. Yoga involves following our own nature with ease and comfort. Unless we
create a loving and harmonious relationship with ourselves, no matter what we do with our
practice it won’t come to fruition. Self love is not self-indulgence or narcissism but rather self-
care and self-respect. If we can love ourselves, we can love others without being pathologically
attached or dependent on them. A lack of relationship with ourself brings co-dependency and
lack of fulfilment.

Walking on a yogic path doesn’t mean dissolving our relationships with the world and living in
isolation. We still remain connected to the world, but the center of that connection is not in
others; it is within ourselves. In other words the center of life is within rather than in the outside
world.

Work

To become a Yogi doesn’t mean that we stop working and expect the world to provide a
livelihood for us. We have to fulfill our physical needs on our own. But this work must be
according to our innate nature which will enrich our yoga practice. Most people’s work is
against their nature, and the work becomes a burden rather than a joy which leads to
fulfilment. Working according to our nature is Karma Yoga (Yoga of work). In Karma Yoga the
work itself becomes an end rather than a means for some other end. It generates delight and is
done without being attached to the fruit of the work. Work itself becomes fulfilment.

Home

We don’t need the help of a Vastukala or Feng Shui expert to built or arrange our home. Our
home should be planned according to our Dosha or personality. A Vata person needs a small but
cozy home with warm colors. A Pita dosha must have a bigger house with cool colors and a
Kapha person’s house must be free from darkness and humidity. The home should have just
enough possessions for the need of the person.

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Asanas, Pranayama and Meditation

All asanas, pranayama and meditations are not good for all people. We must decide about the
practice according to our innate nature or Prakirti.

2. Studying the Book of Life – Self-Knowing

‘The most beautiful book to study is the book of life’
We accumulate vast amounts of knowledge over the course of our lives. We read
constantly but the book that remains unread is the book of our own life. We don’t realize that
the source of all knowledge is the life that flows through us and through the universe. Science,
religion and art all originate from this flow of life.
The book of life contains what was, what is and what will be. Without reading the book of
life, our story can’t be completed. We all have a story embedded in our biology and mind, but
often it is interrupted by an endless parade of distractions, tragedies and losses. Unless we pick
up the threads of our story we can’t discover the meaning in our lives and discover our destiny.
In studying the book of our life, we must start with the conditioned brain and gradually
move towards finding our innate nature. As we gain greater insight into our innate nature, the
conditioning that stifles our personal growth begins to fall away. We begin to live with a more
natural flow, a harmony of mind and body.

Innate nature is formed through the combination of three influences:

1. Genes from parents (Genetics)

2. Influence of ancestors, family members and environment, which modifies the genetic
expression in an individual (Epigenetics)
3. Karmas (memories) from past lives (NOTE: A belief in rebirth is not necessary in order to
understand this concept. We could also say that memories and tendencies are encoded in
one’s genes.)

Innate Nature: Insights from Ayurveda

The ancient Indian system of Ayurveda is more than a system of healing. The word
Ayurveda means “knowledge of life”, and traditionally, the Ayurvedic physician would advise his
patients about many aspects of their lives. He would prescribe not only herbal medicines, but
also suggest lifestyle changes. The philosophy underlying Ayurveda provides some fascinating
insights into the differences between various personality types and temperaments. This ancient
system of knowledge can be used as a tool to learn about one’s innate nature. Innate nature
means the mind-body personality with which we are born.

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 According to Ayurvedic philosophy, we can also learn about innate nature through the
concept of the three doshas or mind-body personality; Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire) and Kapha
(Earth). The word dosha comes from ‘dus’, which is related to the English word ‘dys’, meaning
flawed. One’s constitution or personality is called a dosha because it can be easily disturbed by
external and internal factors.

Knowing our mind-body personality provides a preliminary concept of our unique innate
nature. To know one’s nature requires observation as well as knowledge of the body’s physical
features, emotional responses, and patterns of thought. This knowledge can then be refined
and expanded through ongoing and spontaneous self-observation. In other words to know our
innate nature means opening the book of our life and studying it.

Besides the concept of the three doshas, we must also understand the concept of the five
elements. It is important to realize that we are speaking here in a metaphorical way rather than
in a strictly scientific way. We are not discussing a chemical analysis of matter, nor discussing
the periodic table of the elements. Rather, we are drawing on ancient concepts and ideas about
the world that have proved useful over the centuries. Sages in the Indian Ayurvedic tradition
considered that the world was composed of five essential elements: earth, water, fire, air and
space. These elements can be used to describe not only the physical world around us, but also
the human body and mind. Looking more closely at the human body, Ayurvedic sages described
how various combinations of the elements form unique bodily constitutions, or temperaments.
So the elements form both the individual (microcosm) and the universal (macrocosm) nature.
These elements can be experienced through somatic sensations – in other words, through
feelings. As we learn more about our individual constitutions, we can also learn to live in a more
relaxed and healthy manner in the world.

In the following section, the five elements will be described, along with the corresponding
constitution. It’s important to note that nobody’s constitution is composed of only one type –
we all have a blend of various elements that make up our unique nature. But usually one
constitution is predominant. By learning about the underlying constitutional types, we can
begin to balance our constitution through making deliberate changes in our lifestyle.

The Five Elements

- The first element is Earth and is felt as solidity. It resides in the sacral area where the root
energy centre or chakra is located. It spreads from here to the whole mind-body. Earth is solid,
stable, cool and calm. It roots and nurtures. All smells emerge from the earth so it is connected
with our sense of smell and the nose.
- The second element is Water and is felt as fluidity. Water resides close to the pubic bone
in front of the body where the bladder and second or sex centre of energy is located. It spreads
from here to the whole mind-body. Water is lighter than earth and is fluid, cool, and calm.

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Without water, taste cannot be experienced. Therefore, water is connected with our sense of
taste and the tongue.
- The third element is Fire and is felt as energetic and passionate movement. Fire resides
at the naval point where the solar center of energy or chakra is located and spreads from there
to the whole mind-body. Fire moves quickly. It is lighter than water and it is hot, dry and
passionate. Fire produces light and without light we cannot see. Therefore, fire is connected
with our sense of vision and the eye.
- The fourth element is Air and is felt as lightness and quick movement. Air resides in the
middle of the chest where the heart center of energy or chakra is located and spreads from
there to the whole mind-body. Air is lighter than fire. It is ever moving, cool, dry, unstable and
connected to our sense of touch and the skin.
- The fifth element is Space and is felt as expansiveness. Space resides at the root of the
neck where the throat center of energy or chakra is located and spreads from here to the whole
mind-body. In space all other elements live and grow. Space is the lightest, coldest element and
is present everywhere simultaneously because of its infinite movement. Without space, sound
cannot travel and therefore, space is connected with hearing and the ear.

Innate nature or Prakirti

When the five elements combine, three mind-body personalities, Doshas or constitutions
emerge. The various combinations of these personalities shape the unique nature of each
human being.
When earth and water elements combine, the Earth personality is born. The
parasympathetic nervous system is more active in this personality.
When water and fire elements combine, the Fire personality is born. This personality is a
combination of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
When the air and space elements combine, the Wind personality is born. In this personality, the
sympathetic nervous system is more active.
There is no pure personality or constitution - each individual has components of all the three
main constitutions. However, in most people one constitution tends to dominate.
We can learn about our own unique constitutional blend by reflecting on a variety of physical
and psychological characteristics. In the next section, each basic constitutional type will be
described. By studying these descriptions, we can begin to identify characteristics that reflect
our own mind and body. As we learn more and more about our inherent constitution, we can
make changes to our lifestyle in order to balance the constitutional elements that may be
causing ill-health.

The Constitutional Types and the Autonomic Nervous System

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The basic constitutional types were described by Ayurvedic scholars thousands of years ago.
Using scientific terminology, we can make a linkage between the constitutional types and the
human nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for survival and dynamic
balance (homeostasis) of the body and brain. It does not need the conscious mind for its
functioning. Emotions and feelings are intimately connected to the sympathetic and
parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system is the emergency response system of the body and brain. It
elicits the fight, flight or freeze reaction when faced with internal or external danger. It diverts
blood from the skin, the digestive and reproductive organs to the heart, brain and muscles in
order to prepare for action. The heart rate and blood pressure rise, the muscles tense, digestion
and reproduction slow or shut down entirely and breathing becomes rapid and shallow. One
feels nervous and tense.

Activation of the Parasympathetic nervous system creates a state of rest and relaxation, the
opposite of the sympathetic response. Blood goes to the skin, digestive and reproductive
organs. The muscles relax and the heart rate and blood pressure drop. One feels calm and
grounded.

In some people, the sympathetic nervous system is more readily activated, while in other
people it is parasympathetic nervous system that predominates. We can now make a linkage
between the constitutional types and the autonomic nervous system.

The Three Basic Constitutional Types

Earth or Parasympathetic
Earth is formed by earth and water elements.
Body
People in whom earth is the dominant constitutional type tend to have a solid stocky build,
a graceful slow walk, lustrous skin, hair and eyes and a cool body temperature.
Sleep: These individuals tend to sleep well, with few dreams.
Eating: Because they have an acute sense of smell and taste, most people with an earth-
predominant constitution are fond of food. They easily gain weight and may have difficulty
losing it.
Exercise: They tend to be slow to move but have good endurance.
Sex: Earth-predominant people tend to have a gradual sexual arousal but sustained
passion.
Mind

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 Emotion: People of this constitutional type tend to be calm, caring and nurturing.
Cognition: They tend to ponder things deeply and make thoughtful decisions. They can be
slow in making up their minds on an issue.
Memory: These people may take some time to remember but they retain memories for a
long time.
Relationships: Because of the stable nature of this constitutional type, these individuals
tend to enjoy long lasting relationships. They can partner with any other constitutional type.
Examples: Earth-predominant people often tend to pursue careers in the health or
education professions, where their calm and caring nature is a great blessing. They can also be
found pursuing careers as athletes, negotiators and managers.
Unbalanced Earth
Each constitutional type has its own unique strengths as well as weaknesses. When the
earth constitution becomes out of balance, various problems can arise. One may
 become overweight or obese
 retain water in the body
 become lethargic and feel cold
 sleep excessively
 become emotionally static because of excess attachment
 feels withdrawn and depressed.

How to balance the Earth constitution

After considering the physical and psychological characteristics of the Earth constitution, we can
then formulate useful ways in which to balance the negative side of this constitutional type.
Sleep: People with an Earth constitution should take care not to over-sleep, which can
create a feeling of sluggishness. They should also make it a habit to arise early in the morning.
Eating: These people must watch their diet closely, because of their tendency to gain
weight. Dry, warm food in small quantities is best for them.
The best types of food are those that have drying and stimulating qualities – in particular,
foods that taste bitter, astringent and pungent. Addition of these foods to the diet will help to
balance this constitutional type.
Exercise: People with this constitution have great endurance and should exercise as much
as they can. Those who wish to practice yoga should choose an active form of yoga, such as the
Sun Salutation. Even meditation practices should be more active - such as walking meditation or
chanting.

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 Relationships: These people tend to form enduring and deep relationships.
Emotional and cognitive: It is important for people with this constitution to constantly set
new goals for themselves, in order to stimulate their minds and reach their highest potential.
Work: The best type of work for people with an Earth constitution is something that is both
active and stimulating, involving the body. However, because of their innate stability, Earth
people can thrive in a variety of work environments. They can tolerate even demanding
schedules such as night shifts.
Partner: People with an Earth constitution has accommodating personalities, and can form
relationships with people of any other constitution.

Fire or interface of parasympathetic and sympathetic

Fire has water and fire elements.
Body
People with a fire-predominant constitution tend to be well-built, with ruddy and oily skin.
Their body remains warm, and their gait is steady but impatient.
Sleep: They tend to sleep well, and have intense dreams.
Eating: Often, they have a strong appetite and good digestion. They are generally able to
maintain a steady weight.
Exercise: They have good endurance and they usually enjoy physical activity.
Sex: Passionate and satisfying.
Mind
Emotion: People of fire-predominant constitution tend to be energetic and passionate
about what they do.
Cognition: They are good at making quick decisions and are action-oriented people. They
tend to be persistent and focused in their behavior. They can be egotistical and opinionated.
Memory: Their memory tends to be sharp.
Relationships: People of Fire-predominant temperament are often able to form
relationships quickly. However, for a happy and long-lasting relationship, they need to be
matched with someone whose temperament is well-suited – for example, someone of Earth
temperament. Two people of Fire temperament may have difficulty sustaining a long-lasting,
happy relationship.
Examples: Fire-predominant people are often activists, political and business leaders, and
pioneers.

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Unbalanced Fire
As with any other constitution, there are negative consequences when Fire becomes
unbalanced.
One may
 become restless
 develop rashes and heartburn
 develop high blood pressure
 develop insomnia
 become irritable, revengeful and destructive.
 develops excessive anger leading to depression.

How to maintain Fire in balance

Sleep: For people with a Fire-predominant constitution, a good sleep every night is
essential.
Eating: There are three preferred tastes – Bitter, astringent and sweet. These have pacifying
and cooling qualities, which is helpful in balancing this constitution. Cold water, and cooling
foods are also helpful.
Exercise: These people should choose forms of exercise that are moderate and calming. For
example, a relaxing form of yoga or tai-chi will help to calm them. Meditation practices such as
mindfulness are well suited to people of this temperament.
Relationships: With a partner who has Earth qualities, these people can form lasting
relationships.
Emotional and cognitive: Fire-predominant people should avoid confrontation with others,
which will aggravate their fiery nature. They should set challenging goals for themselves, in
which logical thinking and action are involved.
Work: These people have natural leadership qualities, and a work structure that allows
them to use these skills will be satisfying.

Wind or Sympathetic
Wind has air and space elements. It is the most unstable personality type because of the
presence of swiftly moving air in the expansiveness of space.
Body
People with a Wind-predominant constitution tend to be thin, with dry, cold skin.

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 Sleep: They are often restless sleepers, and have many dreams.
Eating: They may have an irregular appetite and poor digestion. Their weight may fluctuate
rapidly.
Exercise: They can move rapidly, but they often have poor endurance.
Sex: Quick arousal and fall.
Mind
Emotion: Their predominant emotion is anxiety – they can be quite nervous and fearful.
Cognition: People with Wind-predominant constitutions tend to be highly creative, and
ideas come easily to them. However, their thoughts may be unfocused, with frequently
changing theories.
Memory: Their memory tends to be poor.
Relationships: Unless they find someone with a stable, warm constitution, Wind-
predominant people may have unstable and frequent relationships.
Examples: Artists, musicians, painters, writers and poets.

Unbalanced Wind
With an excess of movement of air in space, one may
 become restless, cold and exhausted
 experience a loss of appetite and weight with bowel disturbances
 develop low blood pressure, insomnia, headaches
 experience anxiety, panic attacks and chaotic thinking

How to maintain Wind in balance

Sleep: People with this constitution should try to ensure that they get a long sleep every
night.
Eating: Three preferred tastes– Sweet, salty and sour. Food should be accompanied with
plenty of warm liquids.
Exercise: Ideally, exercise should be moderate and calming. Peaceful yoga, tai-chi and
receptive meditation are best.
Relationships: If these people find someone with a stable, warm constitution, their
relationship can be long-lasting and satisfying.

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 Emotional and cognitive: Because Wind people need to balance their creative and
sometimes unstable thought patterns, they do well with people who tend towards methodical
and logical thinking.
Work: People of Wind-predominant constitution should try to get into a type of work that
is structured, in a stress-free, supportive environment.

A Table of Constitutional Types

The following table summarizes the essential aspects of the various constitutional types. By
studying this table, we can gain insight into our own unique constitutional type.
Knowing your Innate nature or constitution

Qualities Sympathetic or Interface of sym. & Parasym or Earth

Wind parasym. or Fire

Body

Build Thin Medium Solid & stocky

Skin & Hair Dry Oily Lustrous

Body Temperature Cold, minimal Warm, profuse Cool, moderate

sweating sweating sweating

Digestion Poor Good, intense Slow but good

appetite

Sexual Arousal Quick arousal, Passionate sex life Slow arousal but
quickly spent maintains

Exercise Endurance Poor, exhausted Good Can endure heavy

quickly exercise

Sleep & Dreams Irregular sleep with Good sleep with Good, deep with

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 many dreams intense dreams pleasant dreams

Pulse Rate Around 80 or 60-80/per min., <60/per min, strong

above/per min., strong & stable
may be irregular

Mind

Memory Poor Sharp & good Slow to remember

but retain

Emotion Fear Excitement Calmness

Thinking (cognition) Plenty of superficial Logical & precise Slow & methodical
thoughts

Stress Response Anxiety/flight Anger/fight Freeze

Lifestyle Irregular & erratic Planned, busy Steady, may be

stuck in a rut

Vocation Creative, artist Leader, pioneer Manager, caretaker

Natural Inclination Original thinking & Action-taker Loyal believer,

mystic follower

TOTAL

3. Shathkarma

Shath means six and Karma means actions. Shathkarma are six actions or techniques to clean
and purify the body and mind. Following are the six techniques which constitute Shathkarma
and are described by Yogi Swatmarama in Haṭha Yoga Pradipika

7. Neti
8. Dhauti

9. Nauli

10. Basti

11. Kapalbhati

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 12. Tratak

1. Neti – In Neti nasal passage are cleaned with the help of either plain or warm salt water.
Neti pot is used for the cleansing. In Sutra Neti a thread or thin rubber catheter is used
which is inserted from the nose and comes out of mouth. Neti helps in the problems of
nose, sinuses and throat.

2. Dhauti – Dhauti is to clean the stomach by drinking one liter of warm salt water on empty
stomach and then vomit it out. In Vastra Dhaut a long and thin cotton clothe is used instead
of water.

3. Nauli – Nauli is the forceful movement of abdominal muscles to tone them up and also
massage abdominal organs to clean them and make more active.

4. Basti – Basti is the cleaning of the gastrointestinal tract by sucking the water through anus
into large intestine or drinking it and then allow it come out from anus. Another way to
clean the intestine is to perform ‘Sankha Prakshalana’ in which large quantity of warm salt
water is drunk and it slowly comes out through the anus because salt water can’t be
absorbed by the intestine.

5. Kapalabhati – Described under Pranayam

6. Trataka – Trataka is unblinking focus on a point or flame to develop concentration.

4. Worship and Prayer

Worship and prayer emerge from the heart and are infused with love. Prayer transcends reason
and calculation. It is the devotee’s soulful expression of longing to see the Divine Beloved (God).
When prayer does find words, they are like mere waves on the surface of a vast ocean. Only the
devotees’ willingness to be thrown ever more deeply into the experience of prayer will lead
them to a path previously unknown to them. It is this path, which is transparent and free from
fear and guilt, that allows total surrender. This type of prayer is called worship. In this act of
surrender, this worship, the devotee merges with the Divine Beloved.
Worship at this depth calls upon the devotee to journey inward into aloneness. No external
teacher or guide is required. The heart becomes the guide, and without an intermediary, there
is a direct connection with the Beloved.
In worship, a male or female deity (Shiva/Shakti/Kundalini) is chosen and then invited to reside
in the body and mind to become one with it. Such ritual placement of deity is also known as
Nyasa. Various mudras can be performed to increase the effect of the worship. Worship should
engage all five senses to bring more power to the process of worshipping and can be
accompanied with the chanting of mantras or prayers either loudly or silently.

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Instead of a deity, a person can worship sacred geometrical forms such as Yantras and
Mandalas. Yantra means instrument or device and Mandala means circle or form. Yantras and
Mandalas represent the form and essence of the deity and of the universe.

Devotional Images on the Journey

Prayer is the heart’s longing to unite and merge with the Divine. Usually, this prayer is focused
on an image, idol or deity to which human-like qualities are attributed. Prayer cannot occur in a
void or be offered to nothingness or the unknown. We need some image, whether it is of a god,
goddess, prophet, ancestor, or elemental force to offer worship. Because these images are
embedded in our subconscious, prayer is inwardly directed and fired by emotional energy.
Devotion is the force that guides prayer. A devotee is moved to pray by the desire to surrender
to some higher presence. That complete surrender is an act of transcending the ego or limited
self.
The path of meditation leads individuals to the same ego transcendence as the surrender of
prayer. However, meditation takes the path of the intellect and is the silent, calm, non-
judgmental witnessing of one’s thoughts and mind. Dedicated devotion to the practice of
meditation eventually throws us into the radical experience of ego-transcendence. We achieve a
newfound clarity as well as a deep experience and comprehension of the wholeness of the
internal and external worlds we inhabit.
Both in meditation and in prayer, it is the light of awareness that illuminates the dark
corners of the mind and clears away the memories that clutter it. Shadows of these memories
remain, but their emotional content is gone. The turmoil associated with them is also gone and
we experience the freedom of true transcendence.
In meditation and in prayer we choose particular words, images and movements, organize
them into a sequence, and perform them according to a plan. This mental and physical activity
is clearly formulated by the mind, but it is the only way to begin on a deliberate path towards
deeper awareness. The mind becomes a disciplined tool, which is necessary for us to move to
the point of ego transcendence.
This explains why, in the beginning, meditation or prayer is mental, mechanical and
repetitive. As we engage more deeply, the process becomes more organic, revealing the inner
nature of the mind and its inherent vitality. We reach a breakthrough point after which
meditation and prayer become spontaneous. We become meditative or prayerful all the time.
In this state, life becomes an effortless meditation or prayer. The process continues without a
conscious focus, whether we are eating, sleeping, working or making love.
We can see that meditation and prayer both begin with efforts of the will. In this way,
meditation and prayer are similar to any other mental activity. Because our minds live within
the confines of culture, religion and tradition, the first goal of meditation and prayer is to
replace conventional religion and culture with our own way of thinking. Societal and cultural
programming is a deep hypnotic spell under which individuals may spend years, never realizing

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that they are not living their true lives. When we decide to be hypnotized in our way and
through our own efforts, we begin the process of gaining control over ourselves.

5. Pilgrimage and Fasting

Pilgrimage
‘Travelling for transformation is pilgrimage’
Travel and pilgrimage are two different experiences. Travelling is movement for the sake of
pleasure. While travelling, many people not only want to maintain the comfort and distractions
they enjoy at home, but actually want more heightened experiences in a short period of time.
They prefer not to stay long enough to develop an understanding of the place or people. A
physical, emotional and intellectual status quo is maintained and there is little possibility for
inner change during or after travel. Old boundaries stay intact and there is little inner growth.
Pilgrimage, on the other hand, is movement in order to challenge the ego or self, physically,
emotionally and intellectually. Pilgrimage is done with humility and with an open mind. We
prepare to face the unknown. Pilgrimage puts a strain on the individual, which may lead to a
point where old boundaries and limits are broken. This brings about change, transformation and
the emergence of a new layer of self or a deeper and broader self. This may lead to the union of
the body and mind (emotions, intellect) and subsequently to the discovery of the Soul (mind-
body integration).

Fasting
There are two reasons to engage in fasting. The first reason to fast is to withdraw from
what we don’t need. Every day we consume an excess of food, water, space, energy and wealth.
This overconsumption inevitably creates problems – for ourselves, for others, and for the
environment in which we live. When we learn to live in a naturally austere way, we lessen the
burden on others and on our planet. Also, we feel lighter and healthier, consuming only what
we need.
The second reason for fasting is to withdraw from food and water for a short period of time
to eliminate toxins and unburden the body. Such fasting helps to break the comfortable but
confining boundaries we have been accustomed to since birth. Fasting has the same effect as
pilgrimage. It brings new insight and breaks the structure of the old self so that we can
experience a new dimension of living.
If our body gets cold, the mind takes it as a sign of impending death. If our breathing
becomes subtle, that too is taken as a sign of approaching death and we experience fear. In the
same way, if food is withdrawn from the body, the mind takes it as an indication of famine and

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we experience the fear of death. That is why fasting (withdrawal from solid food, while
continuing with fluids) is a good way to gain some insight into the process of dying. It is a safe
way to come to terms with mortality.
During fasting, the body experiences hunger and unpleasant sensations. However, after
three to four days of restlessness and stress, hunger disappears and the body starts living off its
own resources. In the beginning, the mind is anxious and fearful but gradually it becomes calm
and merges into the witnessing self.
Fasting can take us to the witnessing self, a state in which joy, energy and calmness are
simultaneously present. The emergence of the witnessing self is the beginning of coming to
terms with our own mortality. A body that is fasting activates itself and the brain to create a
pain-free, calm and high-energy state. This is the result of neurochemicals such as endorphins,
dopamine, nor-epinephrine and serotonin pouring into the brain and body. If the body’s
functioning is not interfered with by too many medical procedures and medications, this state
can also be an experience of the dying process.
Death is an integral part of the body and the body has sufficient resources to deal with it in
a smooth and orderly way. However, when the mind interferes too much in the process, death
becomes a frightening experience. Controlled, supervised fasting is a way to counteract this and
to let the mind experience and prepare for the process of dying. Fasting should be done in a
natural, restful and conflict-free environment, where a guide is present. Chanting, meditation,
prayer and worship are positive additions to the process.

6. Yoga poses

Yoga brings the following benefits -

1. Full orientation of the body in space and time. This brings about a state of balance, which
enhances body awareness. The body learns to move naturally and without fear.
2. Moving from body image to the body-actual. Our body image is created by our cultural
memories and beliefs and does not represent the real body. Many mind-body pathologies
are the result of our body image. Body actual is the body’s map in the brain and represents
the real body. Living in body-actual is to ground the awareness in reality and create
stability.
3. Paying attention to body postures brings the mind and body together. Normally our mind is
absorbed in thinking and is distracted while the body is in action.
4. Holding a body posture for a sustained period of time stimulates neuro-vascular bundles in
the body, which are rich in sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. During a yoga pose, the
pressure on specific parts of the body stimulates neurovascular bundles and plexuses. This leads
to relaxation because of decreased activity in the sympathetic nervous system and an increased
activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. The brain, immune and endocrine systems

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begin to function at their optimum, creating mind-body homeostasis, which is experienced as a
sense of well-being.
5. Poses and movements release embedded memories of abuse, trauma and pain and heal
the body and mind.
Yoga poses were not invented by a specific person in a particular time and place. They
developed from the observation that when we experience inner states such as fear, anger,
peace, joy and tranquility, the body moves in a particular way. A joyful child may begin to dance
spontaneously. If we are sad, we may also be able to experience joy if we dance. Happiness
brings a natural smile but if we smile intentionally it may give us a feeling of happiness.
Laughter yoga is based on this observation. Great actors know this and produce expressions at
will by changing their breathing and taking specific body postures. It follows that if we
intentionally move in a certain way or take a certain pose, we create specific inner states in the
body. This is the law of ‘Reciprocal Response.’
Consciously maintaining a certain pose also gives us a more accurate orientation of the
body in space, which generates better balance, grounds the mind in the body and improves its
overall functioning. This is the result of right hemispheric stimulation, which has a calming
effect and also increases creativity and hemispheric synchronization. Also, the brain develops a
more accurate map of the body and is able to work in harmony with it.
In the beginning, yoga poses and movements are intentional but a point comes when they
become spontaneous. Our inner state guides the body to assume certain postures that allow for
a smooth, unobstructed flow of energy.
In order to optimize the benefits of yoga, the following guidelines should be observed:
1. Poses should be sustained for varying lengths of time, depending on an individual’s
flexibility and endurance. The minimum duration is twenty seconds.
2. At no point should we hold our breath.
3. Individuals should remain aware of the pose and/or breath.
4. Opposite poses complement each other and bring balance.
5. One should not feel tired after yoga poses.

Siddhasana- or the pose of the ‘accomplished one’ is the best for Kundalini Yoga because of the
pressure on root and energy/sex chakra. To be in Siddhasana...

.Sit on the ground

.Place left heel at the perineum between anus and penis/vagina and the right heel on the root
of penis or vagina in such a way that lower part of the legs placed over each other and are
comfortable
.Back is straight but relaxed

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.Hands can be placed on knee in Jnana mudra

Vajrasana – or diamond pose

In this pose we sit on our heels with back straight and hands resting on thighs

Sukhasana or easy pose

Any comfortable sitting pose in which back is straight

Sleep Pose
Sleep pose is the posture we take when preparing for sleep. It helps in preserving energy
and maintains calmness during sleep.
Lying on our right side is best because it allows breathing to occur through the left nostril.
Left nostril breathing stimulates the right side of the brain, which brings calmness and silence as
it is the left brain that is connected with thoughts. This position also encourages gastric
emptying. In sleep pose, the legs are crossed at the ankle or shin, and the hands are folded as in
prayer. This allows the body’s energy to flow in a circle and without any wastage of it.

Bindu (Point) Yoga

Point or Bindu yoga poses press and activate some of the major chakra and energy points
in the body. This brings relaxation along with stimulating the flow of bio-energy in the body. This
sequence of poses begins with a series of standard yoga poses, whose description can be found
in any book about yoga. Following these standard poses, there is a sequence of poses aimed at
pressing specific energy points on the body.
A guide to these poses is as follows:
1. Begin by standing in Mountain pose
2. Then move smoothly into Cat pose
3. Next, lie prostrate with your folded hands fully stretched forward
4. Then, raise your head and press the seven bindus or pressure points as follows:
 Middle of the forehead
 Eyebrows
 Temple
 TMJ or temporal-mandibular joint where the ear joins the face

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  Cheek bone
5. Now, place your chin in your cupped palms, and use your thumbs to knuckle the inner
sides of your eyes
6. Come back into Cat pose
7. Move smoothly into Child’s pose
8. Finally, end the sequence in Mountain pose
* Full breathing has to be maintained throughout the poses, along with body awareness.

In Kundalini Yoga any Hath Yoga pose can help in awakening the energy.

Sujun Movements to Awaken Energy and the Chakras

Position: Standing - Each movement is done seven times

 With both palms gently strike the scalp

 With the left middle finger tap the crown chakra point and with the right middle finger,
the third eye point

 Tap any other forehead or temple point which is sore

 Rub the temporo-mandibular joints on both sides with index fingers

 Rub the bones behind the ear with the index fingers

 Rub the margin, lobe and inside of the external ears with the thumb and index finger

 With the left hand massage the junction of the neck and the upper back a in clockwise
fashion

 With the right hand massage the junction of the neck and the upper back in a counter-
clockwise fashion

 Massage the point of the throat chakra with the fingers both in a clockwise and counter-
clockwise direction

 With the fingers rub and press the space between the clavicle and the upper part of the
breast bone or sternum

 With the left hand massage the heart chakra in a counter-clockwise direction

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  With the right hand massage the heart chakra in a clockwise direction

 With the left hand massage the naval area (third chakra) in a counter-clockwise direction

 With the right hand massage the naval area in a clockwise direction

 With both hands strike the soft part of the lumbar area

 With the inner side of the right palm massage the outer side of the left elbow and
forearm

 With the inner side of the left palm massage the outer side of the right elbow and
forearm

 Clap sharply five times

 Gently strike both hands in an interlacing manner

 Gently strike the space between the thumb and the index finger in an interlacing
manner

Posture: standing or sitting

 With the inner side of both hands, gently strike or massage the outer side of the leg just
below the knee and continue to the ankle
 With the inner side of both hands, gently strike or massage the inner side of the leg just
below the knee and continue to the ankle

 Massage the space between the big and second toe with both index fingers

 Stomping the feet

7. Breathing or Pranayama
Breathing is a unique phenomenon in humans because of its involuntary and voluntary
aspects. First of all, breathing happens in the present, so whatever we do with the breath is
going to be connected with the present moment. Secondly, breathing is a bridge between the
body and mind and so it changes when we experience different mental and emotional states. If
we are calm, breathing is deep and slow. If we feel a sense of love, our breathing becomes deep

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and slow. In anger, the breath is deep and fast, while in fear, it is shallow and rapid. In extreme
fear, we hold our breath. Thirdly, breathing is partly involuntary and partly voluntary, which
means that we can partially control it to achieve certain body-mind states. Pranayama is
particularly useful to awaken the Kundalini and chakras.
Following techniques of Pranayama are good to practice in Kundalini Yoga. Their duration
ranges from ten minutes to thirty minutes.

Sushumna Breathing

Sushumna breathing is a technique of conscious breathing in which we feel and assume that we
are inhaling deeply from the lower end of the spine and going up all the way up to the crown
chakra point and then exhaling deeply and going down all the way to the lower end of the
spine.

Conscious deep breathing through each chakra

In this type of breathing we feel and assume as if we are brething into chakra and breathing out
of chakra.

Full Yogic Breath

Full Yogic breathing is a combination of abdominal (lower lung), chest (middle lung) and collar
bone (upper lung) breathing to make the whole lung expand and massage the abdominal organs
by the up and down movements of diaphragm. Full Yogic breathing stimulates stretch receptors
in the lung to stimulate the parasympathetic system, specifically Vagus nerve to put a person in
anabolic or relax and digest mode.

Full Yogic Breathing starts with active inhalation and abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing in
which deep inhalation moves the diaphragm down and as inhalation continues it lifts the ribs to
expand the middle chest and finally the upper part of the chest expands lifting the collar bone.

Exhalation is passive in which diaphragm moves up, abdomen flattens, ribs and collar bones
return to the normal position.

Ujjayi

Word "Ujjayi" comes from the Sanskrit "ud" and "ji" means "to be victorious". Ujjayi breath
means, the breath of victory over mind’s turmoil. It also means who makes us ‘Ujjaval’ or full of
glow and brightness.

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In order to practice Ujjayi breath take a deep inhalation through your nose or mouth and then
exhale slowly through your nose while constricting the throat muscle to produce the sound of
ocean waves which you can hear clearly.

Anulom-Vilom or Nadi Shodhan or Alternate Nostril Breathing

Anulom means going according to natural flow and Vilom is going against the flow.

In alternate nostril breathing both nostrils are used alternately for breathing. Right nostril is
connected with Pingala or sun nadi which stimulates left brain for energy and activity and left
nostril is connected with Ida or moon nadi which stimulates right brain for calmness and repose.
When both nostrils are stimulated alternately by the pranayam a balance of activity and
relaxation is achieved in which sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous systems work in
harmony.

In order to practice alternate nostril breathing support your right elbow on your left palm. Your
right thumb is blocking the right nostril, middle finger resting on the middle of forehead (third
eye or sixth chakra) and little finger is close to the left nostril when needed.

Now take a deep inhalation from the left nostril, block the left nostril with little finger, open the
right nostril to exhale and inhale deeply through it. Then Block the right nostril with right thumb
and exhale and inhale through the left nostril. Repeat the cycle for 5-10 minutes.

Kapal Bhati (glowing forehead)

Kapal means skull and Bhati means shinning. Kapal Bhati is a pranayam which purifies the brain
and fills it with shine and delight. It’s a part of Shathkarma (six actions to cleanse the body and
mind).

To practice Kapalbhati pranayam, sit in Sukhasna or pose of stability and comfort. Do the
exhalation forcefully and quickly (opposite of normal breathing) and inhale slowly and passively.
Inhalation is three times longer than exhalation.

Bhastrika (bellow breathing)

Bhastrika is done by inhaling and exhaling forcefully either through both nostrils or through
alternate nostrils with a hissing sound.

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Kalajayi Breath or the Breath of Dissolution
There are many different breathing techniques that can be practiced. Which technique is
most effective depends on the individual. Kalajayi breathing or breath of dissolution is based on
a new breathing technique. Kalajayi comes from two words, Kaal= Death or time and
Jayi=becoming victorious. Kalajayi is a breathing technique used to overcome the fear of death.
When death is approaching, our breathing pattern takes a distinct form. Our breathing is
deeper and faster with progressively more forceful exhalations. This reaches a peak and then
breathing becomes shallow and eventually stops for a few moments. This cycle is repeated. This
type of breathing pattern is called Cheyne-Stokes respiration.

The Technique
Kalajayi breathing can be practiced either lying down or sitting comfortably in a chair. After
closing the eyes and relaxing for a few seconds, allow the breath to become progressively
deeper and faster while the exhalations becomes longer and longer. After three such deep
inhalations and deeper exhalations, take three progressively shallower breathes and then
suspend the breath completely for a few seconds before breathing normally again.
A single cycle of Kalajayi is composed of six breaths or six inhalations and exhalations.
First breath is normal
Second is deeper
Third deepest
Fourth is deepest
Fifth is deeper
Sixth is normal
Repeat this cycle. In the beginning (in a single sitting) individuals should not do more than
three to five cycles. Later on, when one is more comfortable with this breathing technique, the
number of cycles can be increased.
Kalajayi breath helps in reducing the thoughts or may bring a single thought state.

8. Bandhas

Bandhas means locks. Bandhas are used to lock and pool the energy in particular parts of the
body by contracting muscles and then channelizing that energy in specific directions and
locations to awaken the Kundalini. Bandhas untie the three knots of Brahma, Visnu and Rudra

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granthis at root chakra (Muladhara), heart chakra (Anahata) and throat/third eye chakra
(Vissudha) to release more pranic energy for spiritual awakening.

Three main Bandhas are used in Yoga. When all three are used together they are called Maha or
great Bandha.

1. Moola or root Bandha for lower body – Moola Bandha is connected with root
chakra and Brahma granthi. It’s done by contracting the pubo-coccygeal muscle (not
the anal or urethral sphincter) of the pelvic floor to lock the energy at the lower
abdomen and direct its flow into the central channel or Sushumna nadi. In Moola
Bandha Apana or downward flowing prana is directed upward to meet Prana or
inward flowing energy.

To practice Mool Bandha sit in Siddhasan. The left heel is placed under the root of
penis or on perineum. Inhale deeply and then as you exhale slowly contract pelvic
floor up and sustain it throughout exhalation.

2. Uddiyana or moving up Bandha for middle body – Uddiyana bandha is to lock the
outward moving Prana by contracting the abdominal muscle and make it flow into
the heart center and up. It’s related to Visnu granthi and solar plexus.

Uddiayana bandha can be done either in sitting or standing pose. Slowly exhale all
the air out and then slowly pulling the abdomen in and up. Hold the breath for some
moments and then slowly release and inhale.

3. Jalandhara Bandha or throat lock for upper body – In Sanskrit Jal= throat or net and
dharan= stream. So Jalandhara means a lock which by locking the Prana in throat
makes it flow into the network of desired nadis. It’s related to Visshudha or throat
chakra, Rudra granthi and Udana prana.

To perform Jalandhara Bandha sit straight. As you inhale slowly and deeply bring
your chin down towards the neck. Suspend the breath at the end of inhalation and
sustain the bandha as much as you would like to. To break the Bandha exhale slowly
and bring the chin in its normal upward position.

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 9. Mudras

Mudras are hand and finger gestures (or occasionally the whole body), which stimulate sensitive
energy points to have specific positive effects on body, Prana and mind. Word Mudra comes
from Mud=pleasure and Ra=bringing forward. Gestures which bring positive and pleasant
effects on mind-body are Mudras. It also means seal or enclosure. Mudras are extensively used
in spiritual practices and dance. Although there are many Mudras but the important once in
Yoga are the following:

1. Jnana or Chin Mudra – Jnana means wisdom or insight. Murda which brings Jnana is
called Jnana Mudra. To perform Jnana Mudra touch the tip of the index finger with the
tip of the thumb. Rest of the finger are straight and parallel to each other. This Mudra is
performed with both hands.

2. Abhaya Mudra – Abhaya means fearlessness. In Abhaya mudra right hand is held upright
and palm faces outward.

3. Bhairav Mudra – Bhairav is another name for Shiva. This Mudra is to invite and receive
the grace of Shiva. Empty cup like gesture of palm symbolizes receptivity. To perform
Bhairav Mudra turn your left palm into the shape of cup and put it in your lap and then
put the right cup like palm on the top of the left. Thumbs are placed over each other.

4. Dhyan Mudra – Dhyan Mudra is similar to Bhairav Mudra except that the tips of two
thumbs touch each other to form an oval.

5. Vajrapradama Mudra – Vajrapradama means firm resolve. This Mudra is for unshakable
confidence in universe and yourself. Place your hands on your heart with fingers
interlaced and thumbs staying apart.

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 6. Namaste Mudra – Namaste is composed of two words Nama=Bow and Aste= to you. It
means that I bow to the divine in you. Namaste is done by bringing the two palms facing
each other and putting them on the middle of the chest at heart center.

7. Pushpaputa Mudra – Pushpa means flower and puta is to offer. This mudra is used to
offer flowers and feelings to others and divine. To perform this Mudra brings your
cupped hands in such a way that the tips of little and ring fingers are touching each
other.

Kechari Mudra (Moving in Inner Space)

Kechari means to move into the space. By practicing Kechari mudra, a practitioner moves into
the inner space of the mind and body.

The Kechari mudra is done by touching the palate by the tip of tongue and slowly stretching it,
so that it will eventually stimulate the Lalna chakra in the palate on the back of the mouth
behind the nasal opening.

Vajroli Mudra (Diamond Gesture)

Vajroli mudra is the drawing of milk, honey or water through the urethral opening.

Yoni Mudra or Shanmukhi (Closing of the Six Gates) or womb Gesture

The Yoni Mudra is performed in a sitting pose by closing the ears with thumbs, eyes with the
index-fingers, nostrils with the middle-fingers, the upper lips with the ring-fingers and the lower
lips with the little fingers. After establishing the Yoni mudra, the mind is focused on each of the
seven chakras.

Shambhavi Mudra

The Shambhavi mudra or Shiva mudra is named after Shambhu which means Shiva. The
Shambhavi mudra is done by rolling both eyes upward and towards the third eye chakra. The
eyes remain open.

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 10. Meditation

What is Meditation?
Meditation is the de-conditioning of the brain and body. It is Relaxation, Awareness and
Expansion of Awareness. The word meditation comes from the Latin root ‘meditatum’, which
means ‘to ponder’. Dhyana comes from the Sanskrit root ‘dhyai’, meaning to contemplate or
meditate. It also means attention. Meditation can help to shatter the prison of conditioning,
allowing us to emerge into a new state of being.

The History of Meditation

It is not certain when the practice of meditation actually began. Perhaps it started with the
first humans on earth as they naturally experienced various states of altered consciousness.
Later on, it became an essential practice that shamans, healers and priests used to
communicate with spirits and dead ancestors.
Meditation was a part of the pre-Vedic and Vedic tradition in India and techniques of
meditation were described more than 5000 years ago. It is an integral part of all Indian religions
and practices. The most definitive book about meditation - Vigyan Bhairava Tantra - is four
thousand years old. It is a dialogue between Siva and his consort Devi, in which Siva describes
112 meditation techniques to Devi.
It is important to note that a meditation technique is NOT meditation. However,
meditation techniques are important ways to calm the mind and bring many other benefits to
body and emotional states.

Active and Receptive Meditations

Active meditation techniques integrate body movements and breathing exercises.
Receptive meditation is masterly inactivity, or in other words a calm observation of what is
going on. Vipassana or Mindfulness and Zazen are an example of receptive meditation.

Witnessing and Absorptive Meditation

In witnessing meditation such as Mindfulness, the meditator is alert, attentive, calm and
doesn’t lose consciousness.
In absorptive meditation, the meditator is totally absorbed by the meditative experience
and may lose body consciousness. Kirtan and whirling dance are examples of absorptive
meditation.
In the following section, two new meditation techniques will be introduced.

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Awareness of the Chakras and Energy

After a few minutes of deep and slow breathing, the mind is focussed on the individual chakras,
starting from the crown and slowly going down to the root chakra. Such focus will give us
awareness of which chakra is the most open and functioning.

Then feeling the whole body, one will become aware of any energy or prana flow in the body. If
energy is active in any chakra, then constantly focussing on the energy will slowly become a
meditation.

Allow the breath to be gentle, slow and deep. (2 to 3 minutes).

Feel as if you are breathing in and out through your spine. (2 to 3 minutes).

Visualize, imagine or feel a source of light, or a miniature sun the size of a quarter, shining at the
lower end of your spine in mid line, just beneath the surface at the front of your body. Now
visualize, imagine or feel this light filling the surrounding area with glowing warmth. It is the first
or root chakra.

Visualize, imagine or feel a source of light, or a miniature sun the size of a quarter, shining at the
upper level of your pubic bone in mid line, beneath the front surface of your body. Now
visualize, imagine or feel this light filling the surrounding area with glowing warmth. It is the
second or energy chakra.

Visualize, imagine or feel a source of light, or a miniature sun the size of a quarter, shining at the
level of your navel in mid line, beneath the front surface of your body. Now visualize, imagine or
feel this light filling the surrounding area with glowing warmth. It is the third or solar chakra.

Visualize, imagine or feel a source of light, or a miniature sun the size of a quarter, shining at the
level of the middle of your chest in mid line, beneath the front surface of your body. Now
visualize, imagine or feel this light filling the surrounding area with glowing warmth. It is the
fourth or heart chakra.

Visualize, imagine or feel a source of light, or a miniature sun the size of a quarter, shining at the
level of root of your neck in mid line, beneath the front surface of your body. Now visualize,
imagine or feel this light filling the surrounding area with glowing warmth. It is the fifth or
throat chakra.

Visualize, imagine or feel a source of light or a miniature sun the size of a quarter, shining at the
level of the middle of your eyebrows in mid line, beneath the front surface of your body. Now

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visualize, imagine or feel this light filling the surrounding area with glowing warmth. It is the
sixth or third eye chakra.

Visualize, imagine or feel a source of light, or a miniature sun the size of quarter, shining on the
top of your head, inside the skull, filling your brain with glowing warmth. It is the seventh or
crown chakra.

Now we are going to, chakra by chakra, create a stream of golden energy that will flow from
your root chakra to your crown chakra

Focus on the first chakra inside the pelvis and connect it to the second or energy chakra at the
level of the upper border of your pubic bone. Connect them with a stream of golden energy.

Focus on the second chakra at the level of your pubic bone and connect it to the third or solar
chakra at the level of your navel point. Connect them with a stream of golden energy.

Focus on the third chakra at the level of your navel and connect it to the fourth chakra in the
middle of your chest. Connect them with a stream of golden energy.

Focus on the fourth or heart chakra in the middle of the chest and connect it to the fifth or
throat chakra at the root of the neck with a stream of golden energy.

Focus on the fifth or throat chakra at the root of the neck and connect it with the sixth chakra in
middle of eyebrows with a stream of golden energy.

Focus on the sixth or third eye chakra in the middle of eyebrows and connect it to the seventh
or crown chakra on the top of the head with a stream of golden energy.

All seven chakras are connected with a stream of golden energy, which is flowing upward.

Now we are going to visualize, imagine or feel that the many energy channels from various parts
of your body are converging into different chakras and funneling their energy into them.

Be aware of the energy channels from both lower limbs and experience this energy funneling
into the first chakra.

Be aware of the energy channels from the pelvis and buttocks and experience this energy
funneling into the second chakra.

Be aware of the energy channels from the abdomen and the corresponding part of the back and
experience this energy funneling into the third chakra.

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Be aware of the energy channels from the chest and the corresponding part of the back and
experience this energy funneling into the fourth chakra.

Be aware of the energy channels from both upper limbs and shoulders and experience this
energy funneling into the fifth chakra.

Be aware of the energy channels from the face and the adjacent area and experience this
energy funneling into the sixth chakra.

Be aware of the energy channels from the head area and experience this energy funneling into
the seventh chakra.

All of this golden energy comes out from the top of the head like a fountain, comes down
around the body, and is absorbed by the earth; and so the active circulation of energy
continues. This golden energy forms a protective sheath around the body.

Meditations from Vijan Bhairava Tantra

Awareness of the Spine and the Nadi inside It

 Sit or lie with a straight backbone or spine

 Become aware of the spine by feeling it from top to bottom

 Enter into its hollowness and feel the inside of it

 Visualize, imagine or feel the presence of a thread, like Nadi, glowing with white light
from the bottom of the spine to the crown of the head

 Stabilize the focus and remain with it for 15-20 minutes

Heart Chakra Meditation

 Bring your focus to your feeling heart which is either in the center of the chest or slightly
to the right side

 Feel as if you are feeling, seeing, touching, listening, tasting and smelling from the heart
center

 Remain with the experience for 10-15 minutes

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Light Rising in the Spine

 Focus on the lower end of the spine at the root chakra

 Visualize, imagine or feel rays of light radiating from the root chakra

 Now allow the light rays to go from center to center until they reach the crown.

 Become aware of the entire path of light

Spark of Light Jumping from Chakra to Chakra

 Visualize, imagine or feel a spark of light at the root center in the perineum

 Allow it to jump from center to center until it reaches the crown chakra

Braham or Expansiveness Meditation

Braham is a Sanskrit noun, which is derived from the verb ‘Briha’, which means expansive
or vast. Sometimes it is equated to the word ‘God’, but in its original sense, the word means ‘the
ever-expanding awareness which includes all that is possible and all that exists’. It includes the
Becoming and the Being. It is time and space, as well as that which is beyond time and space.
The brain has no perceptual boundaries and can focus on a dewdrop or on a remote galaxy
in the immensity of space. It can go back and forth between the states of Being and Becoming
with ease. But when the ego or the self, which consists of thought, breaks the intimacy between
the brain and the biological universe, we become confined by mental space and time. We are
trapped in a world of names and forms, and suffer from fear, conflict and discontent.
Labeling our world is essential to create order. However, when labeling carries a judgment
such as good and bad, inferior and superior, ugly and beautiful or right and wrong it creates
division, fragmentation and conflict. The same applies to form. We create a mental map (form)
of what is desirable, pleasurable and familiar. What is outside of these things is excluded from
that mental map. This also leads to fragmentation and distortion.
The purpose of Braham or Expansiveness Meditation is to expand the boundaries of
consciousness and to eventually break them. This allows the brain to become free to experience
unbound perception. In the process of expansion, the brain begins to include even that which is
not familiar, desirable or pleasant in its field of consciousness. As a result, fear and hostility
dissipate as our sense of rigid ‘otherness’ disappears. All becomes a part of the one, non-dual
movement of life. It is a state of Peace, Passion and Bliss, free from fear, conflict and discontent.

Technique:
A guide to this form of meditation is as follows:

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 1. Begin with slow, deep and gentle belly breathing for five minutes.
2. With closed eyes feel the whole body, not focusing on any particular body part. Feel the
presence of the body. This establishes awareness of your own presence. Stay with it for
five minutes.
3. Allow your relaxed awareness (and/or body) to expand slowly three to four feet around
you. Notice what you hear, see and feel. Stay with it for five minutes.
4. Expand your awareness further in all directions until it fills the space you occupy (room,
studio etc). Whatever comes into this field of expanded awareness becomes a part of
you. People, objects, buildings, sounds, light and any elements of nature- all become
part of your awareness. Thoughts, memories and emotions are also part of your
awareness. They are not separate from you. They are part of your being. Stay with this
for five minutes.
5. Allow your awareness to expand further until it no longer has a distinct boundary.
6. Stay with it for five minutes.
7. Slowly allow your field of awareness to shrink back to your own body’s presence
8. Open your eyes

Alternative Technique
Another technique can be used to create a similar experience, as follows:
1. Bring a relaxed focus to the middle of the chest. Slowly bring this focus into the
darkness of the heart space deep within the chest for 2- 3 minutes
2. Become aware of the breath in the darkness of the heart space for 2 -3
minutes
3. Allow the breath to slow and deepen without strain. Slow, deep inhalation and
slow, deep exhalation – 5 minutes
4. Breathing becomes normal and regular, 2-3 minutes
5. Visualize, imagine or feel a flame or light with a warm glow deep in the heart
space. Allow it to occur without forcing it. Be open. Continue for 2- 3 minutes.
6. Let that warm glow slowly fill the body from within – starting from the head,
and then move to the eyes, face, neck, shoulders, chest, left upper limb, right upper
limb, belly, pelvic area and buttocks, left lower limb and right lower limb. The whole
body glows with a warm light.
7. Let go of any images and simply become aware of sensations and feelings. You
are feeling your own presence – 2-3 minutes
8. Allow the feeling of your warm and glowing presence to spread beyond the
boundary of the body to 3 to 4 feet around it – 2-3 minutes

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 9. Allow it to expand further and fill the whole room. The whole room is filled
with your own presence and whatever comes into the field of your presence and
awareness becomes part of you. 2-3 minutes
10. Allow it to expand further beyond the room and go wherever it goes without any
limit- 2-3 minutes
11. Then allow your presence and awareness to shrink to the room – 1 minute.
12. Become aware of your body. Stay with it for 2 to 3 minutes
13. Take three deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.

From the Universal to the Individual – the descent

From a meditative and spiritual point of view, the whole universe is full of consciousness.
Even the rocks and minerals have consciousness, although in them it is deeply buried. Eliciting a
response becomes easier with trees, flowers, and of course with human beings.
The same is true with light and luminosity, which is the innate feature of all living and non-living
things in the universe, and which can be experienced during meditation, prayer, consumption of
psychedelic drugs (such as LSD), fasting, exhaustion, chanting and dancing.
This meditation is based on this fact; of an all pervading consciousness and light.

Technique
 Breathe slowly and deeply for 5-10 minutes
 Visualize, imagine or feel the presence of a conscious energy around you, which fills all
the space and extends beyond it, and has no boundaries
 The presence permeates rocks, water, sky, trees, animals, empty space, buildings,
people, sun, moon, clouds, river, mountains and everything else which you can imagine
 The presence is peaceful, silent and full of love
 Allow the presence to enter into you, through the opening of the crown chakra on the
top of the head. The presence fills your head space and brain with a peaceful, loving
light
 Allow the presence to descend to the third eye chakra and to the forehead, the eyes, the
face and the ears. All are filled with a peaceful, loving light
 Allow the presence to descend to the throat center and to the neck, the shoulders and
the arms. All are filled with a peaceful, loving light
 Allow the presence to descend to the heart center and the chest, lungs, heart and space
within. All are filled with a peaceful, loving light

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  Allow the presence to descend to the solar center and to the abdomen and to the
organs within the abdomen. All are filled with the peaceful, loving light
 Allow the presence to descend to the energy/sex center and to the reproductive organs
outside and within, and they are filled with the peaceful, loving light
 Allow the presence to descend to the lower end of the spine and to the perineum and
the whole pelvis, and they are filled with the peaceful, loving light
 Allow this peaceful loving presence to descend down to the thighs, legs and feet and
from there, allow it to come out through the soles of the feet, to merge back into the
space from where it came, completing the circulation.

Sound meditations
In Indian classical music Swars or seven notes are connected with a chakra and a god or
goddess. Swara means ‘who creates its own sweetness’. Each note is a seed which, with the
help of other notes, holds the potential to sprout, thus creating rich and lush growth sounds
and their corresponding states. Each of the seven notes is related to one of the seven chakras
and deity. It is believed that the playing of a raga will stimulate one or more of the chakras and
also connect individuals to the energy of a deity. Connecting to the chakras means, stimulating
the endocrine glands, immune system and the whole of the body and mind. In essence, to play
or listen to a raga is to practice spirituality and to awaken the body and the mind in harmony.

Swar Sa’s is mother of all notes and is known as Shadja. Shadja is the goddess whose four heads
represent the spread of sound in all four directions or in circular form. Light travels linearly.
Shadja’s eight arms signify the octave. The fifth note, Pa, is the father note.

Swar/Western Root Word Chakra Deity Animal

SA - Do Shadja - Mother Muladhar or root God Ganpati Peacock

RE - Re Rishabh Swadhisthan or sex God Agni Bull

GA - Mi Gandhar Manipura or solar God Shiva Goat

MA - Fa Madhyam Anahat or heart God Vishnu Dove

PA - Sol Panchama - Vishuddha or throat Narada Cuckoo

Father

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 DHA - La Dhaivat Ajna or third eye God Sadashiva Horse

NI - Ti Nishad Sahashara or crown God Surya Elephant

Bija mantra for chakras

Bija means seed. The bija mantras are single syllable seed sounds. They are chanted either
loudly, silently or whispered. Their chanting releases the energy contained within them and has
the ability to activate the various frequencies or petals of Chakra and Kundalini to take the Nada
Yogi to the higher consciousness. The following are the seed sounds for seven chakras...

1. Mooladhar or Root Chakra – LAM – chanted as “lum”. Lam purifies and connects to the earth
element. While chanting LAM, the person will focus on the perineum, the location of the root
chakra.

2. Swadhisthan or Sex Chakra– VAM – chanted as vum. Vam purifies and connects to the water
element. While chanting VAM, the person will focus just above the pubic bone in the front or
lower part of the sacrum on the back, the location of the sex chakra.

3. Manipura or Solar Chakra – RAM – chanted as rum. RAM purifies and connects to the fire
element. While chanting RAM, the person will focus on the naval, the location of solar chakra.

4. Anahat or Heart Chakra – YAM – chanted as yum. Yam purifies and connects to the wind
element. While chanting YAM, the person will focus in the middle of the chest, the location of
the heart chakra.

5. Vissuddha or Throat Chakra – HAM – chanted as hum. HAM purifies and connects to the
space element. While chanting YAM, the person will focus at the root of the neck, the location
of the throat chakra.

6. Ajna or Third Eye Chakra – Om. While chanting Om, the person will focus on the third eye
point between the two eyebrows

7. Crown Chakra – Om (aum). There is no chant but listening to the silence, in which the sound
of Om is heard as the buzzing of the bees or humming.

Tantric mantras

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 1. Om – Om is the most important of all mantras. It can be either chanted on its own or can
be added at the beginning of the other mantras. It is described in detail under the
philosophy of Nada Yoga

2. Hum – Hum is pronounced as Hoom. It’s a powerful mantra of Shiva and also
connected to Agni or fire and can be used to gain strength, power and clarity. It can be
sung as ‘Om Hum Shivaya Namha’ or Sivo Hum

3. Hrim – Hrim is a mantra of goddess as the mother of the universe which carries with it
all the power and energy of the world, including the ability to destroy the illusion. It can
be sung as Om Hrim Durgaya Namha

4. Krim – Krim is the mantra of the goddess Kali. Kali brings Kal or death to destroy the
ignorance. It can be sung as Om Krim Kaliya Namha.

5. Klim – It’s seed syllable of desire

6. Trim – It’s a seed syllable of fire

7. Strim – It’s seed syllable of peace

8. Hlim – It’s seed syllable of protecton

9. Shrim – Shrim is pronounced as Shreem and is a mantra of goddess Lakshmi. It brings

abundance within the mind and body and in the outer world. It can be sung as ‘Om
Shreem Laxmiaya Namha’.

10. Om Namo Shivaya, Om Namo Shivaya, Om Namo Shivaya, Om Namo Shivaya – I bow to
the one who brings the well-being

11. Om Shakti, Om Shakti, Om Shakti Om - Om Shakti, Om Shakti, Om Shakti Om – I praise

the creative force of the universe

12. Jai Mata Durga, Jai Mata Kali, Durga Kali Namo Namha – Hail to mother Durga and
Mother Kali

13. Sivo Hum, Sivo Hum, Sivo Hum, Sivo Hum – I am Shiva

14. Om Sachid Ekam Brahma – Absolute is Being and Consciousness

Practice to awaken the invidividual chakras

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Shathkarma and Sujun movements are common to all chakras

Ajna or third eye center

Breathing – Alternate nostril breathing

Mudras – Shambhavi mudra, Shanmukhi mudra

Seed Mantra - Aum

Meditation – Focusing on the flame in the middle of eyebrows

Sujun movement – massaging the forehead

Vissudha or throat center

Posture – Cobra pose and Shoulder stand

Breathing – Ujjayi

Mudras – Khechari mudra to stimulate the Lalna chakra which is connected with Vissudha

Seed mantra - Hum

Bandhas – Jalandhar

Meditation - Focusing on the flame at the root of the neck

Sujun movement – Massaging the root of the neck in front and back

Anahat or heart center

Posture – Prone with hands pressing against the center

Breathing – Breath of heart (assuming and feeling as if you breathing deeply and slowly into the heart
and from the heart) and Brahmari breathing in which after closing the external ear by finger a gentle
sound of humming is produced which mimics the buzzing of the big black bee

Seed mantra – Yum

Bandhas – Both Jalandhar and Uddiyan bandhas

Meditaiton – Sound and chanting

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Sujun movement – Massaging the center of the chest in circular movements

Manipura or solar center

Posture – Prone with hands pressing against the center in abodomen

Breathing – Bhastrika or bellow breathing and breathing into chakra

Seed mantra – Rum

Bandhas – Uddiyan bandha

Meditaiton – Kundalini and Chakra meditaiton

Sujun movement – Massaging the center of the abdomen in circular movements

Swadhisthan or sex/energy center

Posture – Prone with hands pressing against the pubic bone

Breathing – Anyone of the breathing exercises

Seed mantra – Vum

Mudra – Vajroli in man and Sahajoli in women in which urethra is contracted

Bandhas – Ashwin (horse) in which lower part of the rectum and anus is contracted

Meditaiton – Kundalini and Chakra meditaiton

Sujun movement – Massaging the pubic bone in circular movements

Mooladhar or root center

Posture – Siddhasana

Breathing – Anyone of the deep breathing exercises

Seed mantra – Lum

Bandhas – Moola bandha

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Meditaiton – Kundalini and Chakra meditaiton

Sujun movement – Massaging the middle of the perinium

Section 7
Experiences of Kundalini and Chakras

Experiencing the process

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Yoga Kundalini Upanishad

During meditation you behold divine visions, experience divine smell, divine taste, divine touch,
hear divine Anahata Sounds. You receive instructions from God. These indicate that the
Kundalini Shakti has been awakened. When there is throbbing in Muladhara, when hair stands
on its root, when Uddiyana, Jalandhara and Mulabandha come involuntarily, know that
Kundalini has awakened.

When the breath stops without any effort, when Kevala Kumbhaka comes by itself without any
exertion, know that Kundalini Shakti has become active. When you feel currents of Prana rising
up to the Sahasrara, when you experience bliss, when you repeat Om automatically, when there
are no thoughts of the world in the mind, know that Kundalini Shakti has awakened.

When, in your meditation, the eyes become fixed on Trikuti, the middle of the eyebrows, when
the Sambhavi Mudra operates, know that Kundalini Shakti has become active. When you feel
vibrations of Prana in different parts inside your body, when you experience jerks like the shocks
of electricity, know that Kundalini has become active. During meditation when you feel as if
there is no body, when your eyelids become closed and do not open in spite of your exertion,
when electric-like currents flow up and down the nerves, know that Kundalini has awakened.

When you meditate, when you get inspiration and insight, the nature unfolds its secrets to you,
all doubts disappear, you understand clearly the meaning of the Vedic texts, know that
Kundalini has become active. When your body becomes light like air, when you possess
inexhaustible energy for work, know that Kundalini has become active.

When you get divine intoxication, when you develop power of oration, know that Kundalini has
awakened. When you involuntarily perform different Asanas or poses of Yoga without the least
pain or fatigue, know that Kundalini has become active. When you compose beautiful sublime
hymns and poetry involuntarily, know that Kundalini has become active.

Hath Yoga Pradipika

The Yogi whose sakti has awakened, and who has renounced all actions, attains to the condition
of Samadhi, without any effort.

When the Prana flows in the Susumna, and the mind has entered sunya, then the Yogi is free
from the effects of Karmas.

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O immortal one (that is, the yogi who has attained to the condition of Samadhi), I salute thee!
Even death itself, into whose mouth the whole of this moveable and immovable world has
fallen, has been conquered by thee.

Amaroli, Vajroli and Sahjoli are accomplished when the mind becomes calm and Prana has
entered the middle channel.

Sant Gyanshwara (1271-1296)

Gyaneshwari is a book written by well known saint from Maharasthra Sant Gyanshwara. The
sixth chapter of the book describes kundalini in which Sant writes that Kundalini is the greatest
energies of all. With the influence of this energy the body becomes pure and glows. Everything
in the body becomes symmetrical and eyes are bright and full of radiance.

'Kundalini is one of the greatest energies. The whole body of the seeker starts glowing because
of the rising of the Kundalini. Because of that, unwanted impurities in the body disappear. The
body of the seeker suddenly looks very proportionate and the eyes look bright and attractive
and the eyeballs glow.’

Pure force of Kundalini frees all parts of the body from the diseases. Joint by joint she fills the
radiance in various regions of the body and frees the flow of the blood through vessles.

‘Once every cell has been enlightened, the Kundalini again permeates the whole being and fills
it with divine power. At the same time she absorbs all the forces of the body into herself and
only she, the pri-mordial force of life, remains.

‘Youth and age cease to exist and a pure state, existing beyond time, is born in their place.
Externally the body appears as clean and pure as the body of a child, but the power of that
force within is beyond description. ‘The body of the yogi possesses the radiance of gold, though
it is of incredible lightness, like the wind. The mass of earth, the weight of water, he no longer
carries within himself. All is thus achieved. The salt of the body dissolves itself in the water. The
water is consumed by the fire within. The fire in turn is extinguished by a cooling wind in the
heart. Only this cool whisper of divine breath remains. On it the yogi is borne through all
worlds, can look beyond all seas, and even understand the thought processes of an ant. He
walks over water without getting his feet wet. Nothing lies beyond his reach. ‘The force itself
becomes name-less, and the body is no longer of this earth, but in its perfection is raised aloft
into the heavens, where it becomes a worker of wonders, without any effort.

‘The divine Breath is the reflection of the primordial Kundalini, the immaculate Goddess. She is
truly the Mother of the whole Universe, the ultimate majesty of the soul. ‘In the hour of a Yogi’s

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death Kundalini gathers itself on the spinal column. Only the skin still covers the visible body of
the yogi, who has already ceased to live in the world of the elements. He is empty and has
become light.

‘Into the breath of the heart the Kundalini climbs and becomes a fountain of divine sounds, as it
unites with Shiva, the all-pervasive divine Being. The body trembles all over with a gentle
thunder at the consummation of this union, and the resonance causes the opening, at the top
of the head, of the gateway to sublime freedom. ‘Here at the top of the head is the region
which is called Sahasrara, or the thousand petalled lotus, and in the very centre, far above the
Void that spreads beneath the heart, there resides another Void, that is called Brahmarandhra,
or the dwelling place of God.

‘At the moment of death the power of Kundalini surges up for the last time through the
Sushumna channel in the centre of the spinal column, and pierces the zone of the
Brahmarandhra, taking all the\ forces of life with her, leaving nothing behind: everything
dissolves into the stream of Kundalini, whose own force is no longer discernible, nothing more
than a gentle breeze. Then the five elements that make up the body are dispersed, and fall
away; the body dissolves into itself, and this breeze of life unites with the breath of the Divine,
and both melt into the invis-ible formless form of God. Awareness becomes free and absolute. It
is no longer separate from Shiva. The Yogi has become God’s child.’

Ramkrishna Paramhansa (1836-1886)

Describing his experience of the rise of the Kundalini, the Master once said: "Something rises
with a tingling sensation from the feet to the head. So long as it does not reach the brain, I
remain conscious, but the moment it does so I am dead to the outside world. Even the
functions of seeing and hearing come to a standstill, and talking is then out of the question.
Who is to speak? The very distinction between 'I' and 'you' vanishes. Sometimes I think I would
tell you everything about what I see and feel when that mysterious power rises up to this, or
even this (pointing to the heart and the throat). At that stage it is possible to speak, which I do.
But the moment it has gone above this (pointing to the throat), somebody stops my mouth, as it
were, and I am off my moorings. I make up my mind to relate to you what I feel when the
Kundalini goes beyond the throat, but as I think over it, up goes the mind at a bound, and there
is an end of the matter!" Many a time did the Master attempt to describe this state, but every
time he failed. One day he was determined to tell those present about these experiences and
went on with his description of them up to the stage when the energy rises to the level of the
throat. Then pointing to the sixth centre, opposite the junction of the eyebrows, he said, "When
the mind reaches this point, one catches a vision of the Paramatman and falls into Samadhi.
Only a thin, transparent veil intervenes between the Jiva and the Paramatman. He then sees like
this ... " And as he attempted to explain it in detail, he fell into Samadhi! When his mind came

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down a little, he tried it again, and again he was immersed in Samadhi! After several fruitless
attempts like this, he said with tears in his eyes, "Well, I sincerely wish to tell you everything
without concealing a bit, but Mother won't let me do so on any account. She gags me!"

Again referring to the different ways in which the Kundalini rises to the brain, the Master would
often say, "Well, that which rises to the brain with a tingling sensation does not always follow
the same kind of movement. The scriptures speak of its having five kinds of motion. First, the
ant-like motion: one feels a slow creeping sensation from the feet upwards like a row of ants
creeping on with food in their mouths. When it reaches the head, the Sadhaka (spiritual
aspirant) falls into Samadhi. Second, the frog-like motion: just as frogs make two or three short
jumps in quick succession and then stop for a while to proceed again, in the same way
something is felt advancing from the legs to the brain. When this reaches the brain, the man
gets Samadhi. Third, the serpentine motion: as snakes lie quiet, straight or coiled up, but as
soon as they find a victim in front, or get frightened, they run in a zigzag course, in like manner
the 'coiled up power' rushes to the head, and this produces Samadhi. Fourth, the bird-like
motion: just as birds in their flight from one place to another take to their wings and fly
sometimes a little high and sometimes low without however stopping till they reach their
destination, even so that power progresses and reaches the brain, and Samadhi ensues. Fifth
and last, the monkey like movement: as monkeys going from one tree to another take a leap
from one branch to another and thus clear the distance in two or three bounds, so the Yogi feels
the Kundalini going to the brain, and Samadhi ensues."

These experiences he would detail at other times from the Vedantic standpoint, as follows: "The
Vedanta speaks of seven planes, in each of which the Sadhaka has a particular kind of vision.
The human mind has a natural tendency to confine its activities to the three lower centres the
highest of these being opposite the navel and therefore is content with the satisfaction of the
common physical appetites, such as eating and so forth. But when it reaches the fourth centre,
that is, the one opposite the heart, the man sees divine effulgence. From this state, however, he
often lapses into the three lower centers. When the mind comes to the fifth centre opposite the
throat, the Sadhaka cannot talk of anything but God. While I was in this state I would feel
violently struck on the head if anybody raised worldly topics before me. I would hide myself in
the seclusion of the Panchavati where I was safe from these inflictions. I would flee at the sight
of worldly-minded people, and relatives appeared to me like a yawning chasm, from which
there was no escape if I once fell into it. I would feel suffocated in their presence---almost to the
point of death, and I would feel relieved only when I left the spot. Even from this position a man
may slip down to the three lower centers. So he has to be on his guard. But he is above all fear
when his mind reaches the sixth centre opposite the junction of the eye-brows, He gets the
vision of the Paramatman and remains always in Samadhi. There is only a thin transparent veil
between this place and the Sahasrara or the highest centre. He is then so near the Paramatman
that he imagines he has merged in Him. But really he has not. From this state the mind can
come down to the fifth, or at the most, to the fourth centre, but not below that. The ordinary
Sadhakas, classed as 'Jivas' cannot come down from this state. After remaining constantly in
Samadhi for twenty-one days they break that thin veil and become one with the Lord for ever.

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This eternal union of the Jiva and the Paramatman in the Sahasrara is known as getting into, the
seventh plane."
Excerpt from the book, Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Shirdi Sai Baba (1835-1918)

Shirdi Sai Baba like Ramakrishna Paramhansa was a fully accomplished yogi and sage and lived
his whole life in the small village of Shirdi, Maharasthra. He used to say that ...afterwards a
big snake awakened (Kundalini awakened). It was very virulent and angry. Then it jumped
up and down - from The Gospel of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba: A Holy Spiritual Path by Durari
Arulneyam

J Krishnamurti (1895-1986)

Krishnamurti, a great sage and philosopher of 20th century left a deep impact on the modern
spirituality. He shunned the organized religions and the role of a Guru in self-realization.

His statement...Truth is a pathless land...and that his mission is ...to set man absolutely and
unconditonally free... are the essence of his teachings.

Throughout his life J Krishnamurti experienced the force or energy and he called this experience
as ‘the proccess’. It’s described in his biographies written by Mary Lutyens and Pupul Jayakar.

Experiences from August 17-20, 1922

Then, on the 17th August, I felt acute pain at the nape of my neck and I had to cut down the my
meditation to fifteen minutes. The pain instead of getting better as I had hoped grew worse. The
climax was reached on the 19th. I could not think, nor was I able to do anything, and I was
forced by friends here to retire to bed. Then I became almost unconscious, though I was well
aware of what was happening around me. I came to myself at about noon each day. On the first
day while I was in that state and more conscious of the things around me, I had the first most
extraordinary experience. There was a man mending the road; that man was myself; the pickaxe
he held was myself; they very stone which he was breaking up was a part of me; the tender
blade of grass was my very being, and the tree beside the man was myself. I almost could feel
and think like the roadmender, and I could feel the wind passing through the tree, and the little
ant on the blade of grass I could feel. The birds, the dust, and the very noise were a part of me.
Just then there was a car passing by at some distance; I was the driver, the engine, and the
tyres; as the car went further away from me, I was going away from myself. I was in everything,
or rather everything was in me, inanimate and animate, the mountain, the worm, and all
breathing things. All day long I remained in this happy condition. I could not eat anything, and
again at about six I began to lose my physical body, and naturally the physical elemental did
what it liked; I was semi-conscious.

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The morning of the next day (the 20th) was almost the same as the previous day, and I could
not tolerate too many people in the room. I could feel them in rather a curious way and their
vibrations got on my nerves. That evening at about the same hour of six I felt worse than ever. I
wanted nobody near me nor anybody to touch me. I was feeling extremely tired and weak. I
think I was weeping from mere exhaustion and lack of physical control. My head was pretty bad
and the top part felt as though many needles were being driven in. While I was in this state I felt
that the bed in which I was lying, the same one as on the previous day, was dirty and filthy
beyond imagination and I could not lie in it. Suddenly I found myself sitting on the floor and
Nitya and Rosalind asking me to get into bed. I asked them not to touch me and cried out that
the bed was not clean. I went on like this for some time till eventually I wandered out on the
verandah and sat a few moments exhausted and slightly calmer. I began to come to myself and
finally Mr. Warrington asked me to go under the pepper tree which is near the house. There I
sat crosslegged in the meditation posture. When I had sat thus for some time, I felt myself going
out of my body, I saw myself sitting down with the delicate tender leaves of the tree over me. I
was facing the east. In front of me was my body and over my head I saw the Star, bright and
clear. Then I could feel the vibrations of the Lord Buddha; I beheld Lord Maitreya and Master
K.H. I was so happy, calm and at peace. I could still see my body and I was hovering near it.
There was such profound calmness both in the air and within myself, the calmness of the
bottom of a deep unfathomable lake. Like the lake, I felt my physical body, with its mind and
emotions, could be ruffled on the surface but nothing, nay nothing, could disturb the calmness
of my soul. The Presence of the mighty Beings was with me for some time and then They were
gone. I was supremely happy, for I had seen. Nothing could ever be the same. I have drunk at
the clear and pure waters at the source of the fountain of life and my thirst was appeased.
Never more could I be thirsty, never more could I be in utter darkness. I have seen the Light. I
have touched compassion which heals all sorrow and suffering; it is not for myself, but for the
world. I have stood on the mountain top and gazed at the mighty Beings. Never can I be in utter
darkness; I have seen the glorious and healing Light. The fountain of Truth has been revealed to
me and the darkness has been dispersed. Love in all its glory has intoxicated my heart; my heart
can never be closed. I have drunk at the fountain of Joy and eternal Beauty. I am God-
intoxicated."

Source: Lutyens, Mary. Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening, (Boston: Shambhala, 1997) pp.
157-160.

1961 and beyond... excerpt is from his Note Book –

‘Little sleep but wake up to be aware that there is a great sense of driving energy which is
focused in the head. The body was groaning and yet it was very still, stretched out flat and very
peaceful. The room seemed to be full and it was very late and the front door of the next house
was shut with a bang - There was not an idea, not a feeling and yet the brain was alert and
sensitive. The pressure and the strain were there causing pain. An odd thing about this pain is

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that it does not in any way exhaust the body. There seems to be so much happening within the
brain but yet it is impossible to put into words what exactly is taking place. There was a sense of
measureless expansion.’

‘As one sat in the aeroplane amidst all the noise, smoking and loud talking, most unexpectedly,
the sense of immensity and that extraordinary benediction which was felt at il L., that imminent
feeling of sacredness, began to take place. The body was nervously tense because of the crowd,
noise, etc. but in spite of all this, it was there. The pressure and the strain were intense and
there was acute pain at the back of the head. There was only this state and there was no
observer. The whole body was wholly in it and the feeling of sacredness was so intense that a
groan escaped from the body and passengers were sitting in the next seats. It went on for
several hours, late into the night. It was as though one was looking, not with eyes only but with
a thousand centuries; it was altogether a strange occurrence. The brain was completely empty,
all reaction had stopped; during all those hours, one was not aware of this emptiness but only in
writing it is the thing known, but this knowledge is only descriptive and not real. That the brain
could empty itself is an odd phenomenon. As the eyes were closed, the body, the brain seemed
to plunge into unfathomable depths, into states of incredible sensitivity and beauty. The
passenger in the next seat began to ask something and having replied, this intensity was there;
there was no continuity but only being. And dawn was coming leisurely and the clear sky was
filling with light. – As this is being written late in the day, with sleepless fatigue, that sacredness
is there. The pressure and the strain too.’

UG Krishnamurti (1918-2007)

U. G. Krishnamurti, was an Indian sage who questioned anything which was related to
spirituality and enlightenment. For him it was not the Nirvana or Moksha but the freedom of
the biological body from the thoughts and knowledge which was the most important goal of
human life. He rejected the very basis of thought and in doing so negated all systems of thought
and knowledge.

Krishnamurti called this state of freedom of the body as the "natural state". He claimed that the
demand for enlightenment was the only thing standing in the way of enlightenment itself, if
enlightenment existed at all. He said ‘It is the body that is immortal. It is living from moment to
moment. As a human body it is an extraordinary piece of creation. But as a human being he is
rotten because of the culture.’

His experiences of transformation were closer to what is described as Kundalini.

U.G. refers to the events that happened to him during the summer of 1967 as the 'calamity':

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I call it 'calamity' because from the point of view of one who thinks this is something fantastic,
blissful and full of beatitude, love, or ecstasy, this is physical torture; this is a calamity from that
point of view. Not a calamity to me but a calamity to those who have an image that something
marvelous is going to happen.... I can never tell myself or anybody that I'm an enlightened man,
a liberated man, or a free man, or that I am going to liberate mankind.
On the eighth day he was sitting on the sofa and suddenly, in his words:

There was a tremendous outburst of energy--tremendous energy shaking the whole body and
along with the body, the sofa, the chalet and the whole universe--shaking, vibrating. You cannot
cause that movement.... Whether it was coming from outside or inside, from below or above, I
didn't know--I couldn't locate the spot. It lasted for hours and hours.... There was nothing I
could do to stop it; I was totally helpless. This went on for days.
Then for three days U.G. lay on his bed, his body contorted with pain--it was, he says, as if he
felt pain in every cell of his body. Similar outbursts of energy occurred intermittently throughout
the next six months, whenever he lay down or relaxed.

It's a very painful process. It's a physical pain--it has a form, a shape of its own. It is like a river in
spate. The energy that is operating there does not feel the limitations of the body; it is not
interested; it has its own momentum. It is not an ecstatic, blissful beatitude and all that rubbish!

U.G. explains that thought had controlled his body to such an extent that when that control
loosened, the whole metabolism went agog. Then the movement of his hands changed. They
started turning backwards. 'That is why they say my movements are mudras (mystical gestures).'

Certain hormonal changes started occurring in his body. Now he didn't know whether he was a
man or a woman. Suddenly there was a breast growing on the left side of his chest. It took three
years for his body to finally fall into a new rhythm of its own.

Here U.G. questions the value of this description for the world. Reading about it may be
dangerous because people may try to mimic the outward manifestations of the process. People
have a tendency to simulate these things and believe that something is happening to them.

While going through these changes in his body, his friends observed that

‘Up and down his torso, neck and head, at those points which Indian holy men call chakras, his
friends observed swellings of various shapes and colors, which came and went at intervals. On
his lower abdomen the swellings were horizontal, cigar-shaped bands. Above the navel was a
hard, almond-shaped swelling. A hard, blue swelling, like a large medallion, in the middle of his
chest was surmounted by another smaller, brownish-red, medallion-shaped swelling at the base
of his throat. These two 'medallions' were as though suspended from a varicolored, swollen ring
-- blue, brownish and light yellow -- around his neck, as in pictures of the Hindu gods. There
were also other similarities between the swellings and the depictions of Indian religious art: his
throat was swollen to a shape that made his chin seem to rest on the head of a cobra, as in the
traditional images of Siva; just above the bridge of the nose was a white lotus-shaped swelling;

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all over the head the small blood vessels expanded, forming patterns like the stylized lumps on
the heads of Buddha statues. Like the horns of Moses and the Taoist mystics, two large, hard
swellings periodically came and went. The arteries in his neck expanded and rose, blue and
snake-like, into his head.’

Pandit Gopikrishna (1903-1984)

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Gopikrishna revived the interest in Kundalini in

modern times. He was an accomplished Kundalini master and taught and wrote from the direct
experience. His teachings not only include the direct experience of Kundalini which he had for
many years but also the importance of Kundalini from biological, scientific and evolutionary
perspective. He describes various aspects of Kundalini in many lucidly written book. Following
paragraph is from his book Kundalini: Path to Higher Consciousness...

“Suddenly, with a roar like that of a waterfall, I felt a stream of liquid light entering my brain
through the spinal cord. Entirely unprepared for such a development, I was completely taken by
surprise; but regaining my self-control, keeping my mind on the point of concentration. The
illumination grew brighter and brighter, the roaring louder, I experienced a rocking sensation
and then felt myself slipping out of my body, entirely enveloped in a halo of light. It is
impossible to describe the experience accurately. I felt the point of consciousness that was
myself growing wider surrounded by waves of light. It grew wider and wider, spreading outward
while the body, normally the immediate object of its perception, appeared to have receded into
the distance until I became entirely unconscious of it. I was now all consciousness without any
outline, without any idea of corporeal appendage, without any feeling or sensation coming from
the senses, immersed in a sea of light simultaneously conscious and aware at every point,
spread out, as it were, in all directions without any barrier or material obstruction. I was no
longer myself, or to be more accurate, no longer as I knew myself to be, a small point of
awareness confined to a body, but instead was a vast circle of consciousness in which the body
was but a point, bathed in light and in a state of exultation and happiness impossible to
describe.

About a year after his first Kundalini experience, his dreams began to take on a
"phosphorescent" quality and he experienced the transformation of his dream life:

Every night during sleep I was transported to a glittering fairyland, where garbed in luster I
glided from place to place, light as a feather. Scene after scene of inexpressible glory unfolded
before my vision. The incidents were of the usual character common to dreams. They lacked
coherence and continuity, but although strange, fanciful and fantastic, they possessed a
visionary character, surrounded by landscapes of vastness and magnificence seldom seen in real

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life. In my dreams, I usually experienced a feeling of security and contentment with the absence
of anything the least disturbing or disharmonious...
Krishna, Pandit Gopi, Kundalini: Path to Higher Consciousness

Jivasu – Sudden awakening

It was an afternoon in the hot month of June, 1984. As I was slowly waking up from a siesta
before visiting the ashram hospital, I was suddenly seized with a searing pain in my head. Before
I could think of doing something about it, my body filled with electrical energy that soon started
moving in a wheel-like fashion, in my abdomen, chest and head. To add to the confusion, my
breathing became erratic and shallow and heart was pounding with speed in my chest. I had
intense nausea as well a desire to use the toilet. I felt a sense of impending death. Frightened
and thinking that I was about to die, I somehow gained the strength, threw myself off the bed
and crawled to the bathroom. Soon I was holding my head under the running cold water from
the tap. After a few minutes, the treatment worked. The headache began to disappear and my
energy began to calm. I stood up and looked in the bathroom mirror. My face was ashen grey, as
if all the blood had been drained from my body and it felt completely empty. The total duration
of the experience must have been about ten minutes. I came out of the room and looked at the
ashram buildings, the river in the valley and people walking on the street. They looked like
holographic images projected in empty space. Their solidity was gone and they were like images
from the dreams.

Some of the common symptoms and signs of the Kundalini awakening

 Energetic sensations like electricity in the body or internal lightening bolts
 A sensation of insects or snakes crawling on the body, often along the spine

 Waves of intense pleasure or bliss, even leading to the orgasm

 Sensory overload – sounds, lights, noise – everything becomes too much

 Mudras (hand gestures), Bandhas (locks), Asanas (postures), or Pranayama (breathing

practices) may come spontaneously rather than being intentionally practiced

 A sense of confusion or uncertainty about what is happening in these experiences

 Inner sounds, such as musical instruments, buzzing, roaring, or thunder

 Waves of creative, intellectual, or spiritual insights

 repeated intense inner body heat "hot flashes", hands and/or bottoms of feet extremely
hot, spine, back, head, entire body heat

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 repeated cold flashes, inner body cold spots, certain chakra areas turn cold for periods

 muscle spasms, twitching, itching, strange sensations on or under the skin, nerve
sensitivity

 mental confusion, inability to focus mentally, temporary loss of certain words, names,
terms etc.

 sudden mood changes, intense anger, frustration, sadness, joy, bliss, repulsion of all
things negative

 smelling smokey burning incense when none is physically there

 clairaudiently hearing non-physical sounds, voices, words, clicks, buzzing, unrecognizable

sounds

 sudden waves of dizziness, sense of falling, sense of tipping over, dropping through the
floor etc.

 Feelings like snakes or ants crawling on the body, particularly along the spine, or
between the feet and head

 sudden eating/food changes,

 severe belly bloat, swelling in the gut & upper diaphragm area,

 intense phases of pain in the head, pressures in the head, skull sore and bruised feeling

 inability to physically be around people and/or large groups of people

 inability to function, need for privacy & quiet to survive all you're living through

 nightmares, archetypal dreams, lucid dreams. Insomnia or waking up at specific time of

night

 repeatedly coming awake at specific times of the night

 profound physical exhaustion, emotional exhaustion, mental exhaustion

 body weakness, muscle weakness, lethargy, achy body, bones, joints

 Manic states, restless, edgy, can't relax, can't rest or be comfortable, mind races despite
exhausted body. Feels feverish without having fever with chills

 glorious changes and expansions in consciousness, perceptions,

Experiences on the Path of Kundalini Yoga – The final results

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 The Ego and Beyond

The first step on the path of Kundalini Yoga is the development of a healthy ego. Without
a well-grounded ego, the foundations of spiritual life will be shaky. If we attempt to transcend
an ego that is not fully formed, we can face both mental and physical health problems.

The Healthy Ego

The four features of a healthy ego are as follows:
1. Self-care
2. Care of others
3. Trust
4. Boundaries

1. Self-care
Self-care and self-love are the most important features of a healthy ego. If we can love and
take care of ourselves then we can do the same for others. Self-care includes care of the body,
emotions and intellect, which leads to growth and development. Self-care should be done
according to our innate nature.

2. Care of Others
Care of others is not only needed to ward off self-indulgence and narcissism but also to
maintain one’s self-esteem, which is the ego’s driving force. In a way, appropriate care of others
is equivalent to self-care. An ego shaped by culture needs energy and rewards from family and
society. It is through the care of others that we receive these rewards.

3. Trust
When we have a healthy ego, we are able to trust people. These bonds of trust promote
psychological health, and they also help us move ahead in the world. Forging strong links with
others will support us in times of both prosperity and hardship. Without this vital trust, we will
live in constant anxiety and sense danger everywhere.

4. Boundaries
When we have a healthy ego, we also need to create boundaries. Appropriate boundaries
protect us from others who might harm us physically or emotionally. The concept of boundaries
also applies to our own mental landscape. We can’t allow all of the endless thoughts and

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emotions that arise within us to occupy our brain, or else our emotional landscape will be in
chaos. We must learn the art of discriminating between what is healthy and appropriate for us,
and what is harmful. We must allow in only that which can be assimilated with ease and
comfort. It can be tempting to leave ourselves wide open to all sorts of people, experiences,
thoughts and emotions – but this is not healthy. Creating boundaries is the art of saying ‘No’.
4. Quest
Quest the inner and outer restlness of ego to find, discover, possess and know more.

Individual and Collective Ego

The ego not only provides protection from the maddening dance of life and death but it
also helps in survival, both individually and collectively. At an individual level, a well-developed
ego is an essential step on our life’s journey. As we explored in earlier in this chapter, the
healthy ego has four elements – self-care, care of others, trust, and boundaries. These form a
solid foundation for the development of the personality, and a well-functioning social identity.
Without this foundation, an individual who tries to explore the mysteries of life and death may
be thrown into emotional chaos.
At a collective level, ego consciousness makes humans a self-reflective species, aware of
the vast movement of emotions, thoughts and memory. As this awareness develops, we can
reflect upon life and decide the course of action that is best for our survival and development.
We move to a level of reflection that helps us to prevent actions that put our lives at risk.
Because of this capacity of awareness, reflection and planned action, we have become the most
powerful species on earth.
But what are the costs of this dominance of ego in our lives? The ego is like an engine
that constantly needs fuel to operate. Self-esteem is this fuel. Without constant injections of
self-esteem, the ego collapses. Self-esteem is boosted by rewards, achievements and
recognition. Elaborate social and cultural traditions, customs and behaviors constantly create
the energy of self-esteem. While this is a natural and positive process, we can become slaves to
our egos, caught up in an endless cycle of seeking approval and reward.
Our ego has been strongly influenced by the process of enculturation, creating a worldview
whose boundaries are limited by a particular place and time. Also, our experiences are being
constantly filtered by the ego, allowing in only those perceptions that do not shake an artificially
created sense of security. The combination of these factors results in a narrow and distorted
view of the world.
The protective boundaries imposed by the ego also block us from fully experiencing who
we are. By confining reality to symbols, we gain some sense of mastery over our environment.
But in the process of naming the nameless, life becomes trapped by symbols and its free
movement is lost within the rigid boundary of form. Instead of intimacy with a world teeming
with life, we experience only a partial view of the world, limited by the boundaries created by
our symbols. We have to go beyond these boundaries in order to experience life and death
directly.

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 Learning about our Own Egos: An Ego Typology
Learning more about the characteristics of own egos can be very helpful in our quest to
discover our innate nature. Thousands of years ago, Indian sages and Ayurvedic scholars
developed a typology of the ego, which can serve as a basis for examination of our own ego
tendencies. In this typology of the ego, there are three categories:
1. Tamsic or stuck/inert – People in whom this type of constitu is predominant are
fearful, and avoid action in the world. Often, they suffer from low self-esteem. The
thought of action brings anxiety. As a result, their motivation to move forward in the world
is lacking.
2. Rajsic or passionate – A person with a Rajsic ego tends to be assertive, arrogant and
sometimes aggressive. Such individuals are often thought to be egotistic. On the positive
side, these individuals are active in the world, and may display significant leadership
qualities.
3. Satvic or harmonious – People in whom a Satvic ego is predominant tend to be
caring, gentle and loving. The Satvic ego is the most adaptable ego type, and such
individuals often are naturally drawn to a spiritual path.

Opening to Door to Self-Knowing – The Way of Crisis and Loss

Most people prefer to stay within the familiar boundaries of their known world - a
comfortable place for the ego. However, sometimes life will impart them a shattering blow,
whether it is a personal loss, a failure, or a devastating illness. This event destroys the edifice
upon which the ego is built. In such moments, the ego’s comfortable world crumbles. These
catastrophic moments in life allow the suppressed content of the subconscious to flood the
mind, brain and body. We become overwhelmed and lost. We feel a sense of disillusionment as
we realize that the social and cultural values we held dear are limited and give us no real
understanding of life. Once this devastating realization sets in, we may fall into despair.
For most people, recovery from a devastating life event involves rebuilding the structure of
the ego. We try to incorporate the event into the way we view the world, by making it a part of
the narrative of our life. This is a healthy strategy in many ways, because it allows us to begin
functioning in the world once more. However, by merely rebuilding the structure of the ego we
are actually losing a precious opportunity for spiritual growth.
In order for us to progress spiritually beyond the bounds of the ego’s structure, we have to
face our subconscious. Conscious life is only a small part of our total existence. It’s like the tip
of the iceberg, while hidden underneath is a vast ocean of human experience. Here lie feelings
of guilt, anger, and fear; memories of trauma, failure and despair; wounds and scars from
painful events of the past. But this mysterious ocean of human experience also includes light,
insight, creativity and joy – the most precious gifts of the subconscious. These treasures can be

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discovered when we enter the dark world of the subconscious and illuminate it with the light of
consciousness. We can then transform its energy and integrate it into our daily lives.
So we see that a shattering experience of disillusionment can actually become the catalyst
for great spiritual growth. We become vulnerable and receptive, acquiring the sensitivity
required for change. When we reach this level of sensitivity, then the distraction and protection
provided by the ego is no longer effective. If this process is allowed to take its own course, it
leads to the experience of soul or wholeness. A second birth occurs within us as we are born
into the wholeness of soul. We become creators and recreate ourselves. Rebirth is the result of
this mind-body union.

Opening the Door to Self-Knowing: The Way of Love

Love cannot dissolve the ego but it provides space and is a catalyst for such dissolution.
Although love helps us cope with fear, it cannot take us beyond it. However, it provides the
ground upon which fearlessness can develop.
Love is “hard wired” into the body and brain. This feeling we call love is a deep part of all
living beings, an essential condition for survival. Out of love, new life is conceived and born. Out
of love, a mother cares for her child. Feelings of love are present at all levels of human
relationship, whether it is between a parent and child, between lovers, wife and husband,
brother and sister or between friends. This love has nothing to do with a conscious cultivation
of the emotion of affection. It is simply present in the fibers of all living beings. Love expresses
itself in many forms depending on the stage of evolution. It can manifest as sex, passion,
emotional attachment, devotion, intellectual longing and universal love or connection.
Not only does love have a basic survival value but it is essential for pleasure, joy and
wellness in daily life. Babies who are not touched in a loving way during the early months of
their lives suffer from an inner atrophy. Their brains do not mature fully and they miss
something vital for proper development. They may look physically healthy but their inner world
doesn’t have the same richness of feeling and response. They may be emotionally cold and are
often unable to form lasting bonds. They may lose their capacity to receive and give love, and as
a result experience loneliness. We cannot live without pleasure, so if deprived, we seek
pleasure through food, power, wealth, dominance and excessive consumption.
Real love not only gives us freedom from those complex systems of pleasure but also
cultivates a natural restraint. A person who experiences love derives contentment from within
by connecting lovingly with others. Such contentment prevents the search for excessive external
pleasure. Love gives us a feminine or nurturing quality, and a gentle flexibility expresses itself
within us. Loving people don’t seek worldly power for their own gain and they are not empire-
builders. At some level, it is a lack of love that pushes us to consume, dominate and kill. We may
become materially rich but remain poor, lonely and insecure within.
Although each cell of our body is soaked with love, we don't always perceive that love. So
often, these feelings are obscured and suppressed by the thinking mind. As time goes on, the
mind's presence becomes more and more overwhelming and slowly love becomes a thought

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process. However, if love is given its full expression, then it can break through the rigidity of the
mind, and wash away all the structures created by thought. Love clears the path for a sacred
journey.
When the body discovers its innate love, the prison of the ego is shattered. Love unleashes
energy in the very root of our being, uncovering hidden memories of trauma, tragedies and
conditioning. Because it washes away the past and awakens the body, love provides space for
true revolution and real reformation. The body’s awakening is a biological transformation that
soaks our whole being with unending passion.

As love ascends from the lower levels it becomes progressively freer. It moves from sex
to attachment, attachment to devotion, devotion to creativity and finally from creativity to bliss.
When love surpasses its own limits, it becomes nameless and timeless.

Ego, Free Will and Freedom

As we develop a more scientific understanding of our world and of our own body and
mind, it is becoming clear that there are no independent entities, individuals or even thoughts
in the universe. Everything is connected with everything else. Since every part of nature affects
and influences every other part, there is no possibility of complete independence.
This brings us to the question of free will. Free will is the ability to think and act completely
independent of our environment or culture. A person with free will can live in absolute
aloneness and act on the world with total freedom.
But- is free will really possible?
We are not born as clean slates. We come into the world with our own particular nature,
constitution or temperament, which determines how we are going to respond to the natural
and human-made world. The blueprint of future behavior has been laid down even before we
are born. Our nature is not rigid, however, because it contains a range of possibilities. It is the
foundation upon which we build our lives. This nature is the result of countless past generations
and their interaction with the environment. This is all transmitted through our parents’ genes.
After birth, culture begins to condition us to become people who can be assimilated and
absorbed into society. In essence, a person is a product of both their genetic makeup and
cultural conditioning. While genes create a general biological and psychological template,
cultural and social influences fill in the specific details of the person. This mixture of nature and
nurture forms the basic structure of the ego.
Is it therefore possible to think of a person as someone with free will? Can we become
totally independent of the world and think, speak, choose and act completely free of any
internal or external influence whatsoever? Free will is neither biologically nor psychologically
possible. Free will is an illusion of the ego, a false understanding of the importance of the
individual self within the universe. With the increasing dominance of ego in our lives, we forget

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our original nature. We use the ego as a shield against the fear of death, and gradually we live
our lives within that illusory world. Instead of being a shield to protect us from fear, the ego
becomes a prison that traps us and prevents us from perceiving a greater truth.
The illusory world creates by the ego is shattered when death comes to the physical body,
because the ego is rendered helpless and eventually, it collapses. But is it possible to move out
of that illusory world before we face our physical death? In other words, is it possible to
transcend the ego?

Going Beyond the Ego

We have seen that the idea of free will actually isolates us from the rest of the world. If we
truly had free will, we could act independently of the past and future. But this is simply not
possible. As we develop a more scientific understanding of our world and of our own body and
mind, it is becoming clear that there are no independent entities, individuals or even thoughts
in the universe. Everything is connected with everything else. Since every part of nature affects
and influences every other part, there is no possibility of complete independence and therefore,
we cannot have true free will. Instead, we must see the universe as a whole, wherein each part
is integral to the whole.
However, the absence of free will doesn’t mean the absence of freedom. Life always gives
us many choices, and there are many doors to freedom waiting to be opened. We can think of
life as having a wide range of possibility, which may become reality as our awareness expands.
With this expanding awareness, one becomes cognizant of the presence of the many doors of
freedom - doors that were always there but hidden. As we learn to open these doors, we move
into greater awareness and a different quality of freedom.
This freedom is part of a wholeness that goes beyond an ego trapped by ignorance. As we
make a choice on the path to freedom, a new door opens. This gives us more freedom and
more choice. Finally, a point comes when this freedom becomes boundless, timeless and
infinite. At that point all doors disappear and no structure confines life. This is the experience of
a cosmic state. Here, there is no free will but total freedom.

The Soul State

In the preceding chapter, we explored how the ego creates an image of the world around
us, and our place within that world. Although it has an important role to play in our lives, the
ego also imposes limitations that affect our ability to understand ourselves.
As we begin to move beyond the confines of the ego, we become aware of a deeper source
of knowledge. This is the knowledge of the soul. The word soul has been used in many
different contexts, both secular and religious. Here I am using the word soul as a way to refer to

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our innate nature, which often remains hidden from our conscious perception. As we tap into
soul knowledge, we move to a much more profound understanding of ourselves.

Discovering our Innate Nature

Despite the limitations imposed by the ego, there is always a part of our being that does
not surrender to these constraints. The flame of innate nature burns brightly deep within each
of us, calling us to explore our own unique path. Our innate nature is dynamic and constantly
sends signals of its presence. We may ignore it in order to maintain a comfortable existence
within society, but then we live a fragmented life plagued by a persistent conflict between our
innate nature and the ego. It is the struggle between what is and what should be.
This fragmented life can lead to a persistent state of alienation, conflict and discontent.
We are aware that something is missing from our lives – something precious and unique. We
lack a sense of wholeness and fulfillment, but we don’t know how to achieve this state of well-
being. As a result, we struggle with a deep sense of frustration. There are many ways in which
we try to assuage that frustration, whether by the pursuit of material goods, power, or money.
In an earlier chapter, we explored the concept of innate nature at some length, drawing
in concepts from Ayurvedic ideas about constitution and personality. As we progress on our
inner journeys, we begin to reclaim our own innate nature. As this seed of self-understanding
begins to grow and then to flower, we become increasingly aware of our own destiny – the
unique roles that we are meant to play in this world.
But the path to discovering our innate nature is a long and difficult one. Teachers,
parents and social and religious leaders encourage children to dream, wanting children to
achieve great things to help create a better world. Rarely do adults encourage children to realize
and express their innate and natural potential. These waking dreams become part of the ego.
Although these dreams are borrowed from culture, we still carry them with us to escape fear.
Such dreams don’t come from a child’s authentic nature, so they are fragile and can shatter
easily when faced with the existential problems and challenges of life.
Children are encouraged to dream in order to reach the top of the social ladder. However,
once the dream is realized, many still remain unfulfilled and the search goes on for more. It is
rare to meet people who feel a sense of fulfillment and abundance after having achieved their
dreams. These borrowed dreams cannot bring contentment.
But does this mean we should not have dreams at all? Dreams are both wonderful and
appropriate if they are in accordance with our own nature and not against it. They can bring
passion and joy. Once we are in touch with our true nature, a different kind of dream emerges.
These dreams express our innate nature through the arts, science, religion and a new culture.
In the process of fulfilling our dreams, reaching a goal becomes the most important task.
This becomes a burden because we want to attain the reward as soon as possible with the least
amount of effort. But when dreams emerge from our inner nature then the journey becomes as
delightful as the destination. Our parents, teachers, leaders or culture no longer determine our
goals. We decide what goals to pursue and we feel fulfilled because both dream and action

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come from within. Each person comes to a point of self-actualization, and will experience the
same joy of fulfillment regardless of their position.
However, this natural process is all too rare. Most of us pursue dreams contrary to the
natural flow of life and inevitably, they are shattered. This disillusionment is painful but it opens
the door for the discovery of our own nature. However, disillusionment in itself is not sufficient
for true transformation. Disillusionment may temporarily shatter the worldview given to us by
culture and give us a brief glimpse of who we truly are. Usually however, cultural traditions,
family and religion swoop in to pacify us. Before we can go beyond disillusionment in search of
our innate nature, we are seduced back into society. Since most of us cannot endure the pain of
disillusionment, we happily accept the consolation of these old dreams and abandon our quest
for truth.
A person who never pays attention to their own innate nature remains ignorant about the
power and energy hidden within and depends on external sources for psychological survival.
The path of self-discovery is not easy, since a new way of living has to replace the old.
Everything truly new has to come from within the seeker rather than from the outside world.
Often the disillusionment that brought about the possibility of self-discovery is quickly replaced
by another dream from culture and the cycle starts all over again. The person never arrives at
the state of self-fulfillment.
These dreams ultimately lead us nowhere. There is no progress on life’s path, as we keep
moving within the same boundaries. Slowly the inevitable physical and psychological decay sets
in. As we grow old, both in body and mind, society leaves us behind. After a life spent pursuing
dreams and goals shaped by culture, we are seemingly discarded. We become obsolete in the
outer world, and empty within. Stripped of outer rewards, we face old age in desolation.
However, we may refuse to accept dreams re-packaged by society. We say ‘no’ to the
prescriptions, distractions and consolations, and refuse to forget the wound that disillusionment
has created. Rather than distracting ourselves in the pursuit of mindless pleasure, we feel the
pain in its entirety. We don’t seek shelter in theories, philosophies or religion, but stay with
what we are experiencing in its full depth and darkness. We refuse to repair the shattered
dreams, because we realize that underneath lies something precious. As we allow ourselves to
undergo this process, the sensitive self emerges. In the darkness of despair, a nascent self has
been nourished. Without the death of the old self, the new cannot be born or grow. Despair is
poison for the old self but it is vital nourishment for the emerging natural self.
Despair is a time of darkness during which one does not know where to go. This is a
difficult time because all that belongs to the past becomes futile and meaningless. Relatives,
friends, power, wealth, religion- everything that once formed the foundation of life, feels empty
and meaningless. Yet from this darkness, new life emerges. In the process of rebirth, we
become psychologically free. The journey from the borrowed dream into Soul is about the
transformation of a person into an individual.
The most surprising thing is that after disillusionment, dreams return. These dreams,
however, are rooted in our individuality and innate nature and contain all the energy and
passion of our body, feelings and thoughts.

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 The process of shattering, disillusionment and rebirth into our innate nature is summarized
below….

Normal endless cycle of life and death

Dreams (worldly)
Deeds
Disillusionment
Distractions and dreams
Decay
Death (physical)

Ending the endless cycle and moving into freedom

Dreams (worldly)
Deeds
Disillusionment
Despair
Death (psychological)
Deliverance
Dreams (innate)

Soulfulness-Full Flowering of the Person

While the ego is the foundation of human life in the world, the soul roots us in our innate
nature. Our home becomes internal rather than external. The soul is the flowering of a person
and it is when we become fully functional individuals. Like the ego, the soul expresses itself in
many ways. Below are some of the main ways that we can feel the presence and movement of
soul.
- Connection – love and compassion
-- Natural meditation
- Well-being
- Healing and creativity
- Accepting mortality

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 - Awakening of our bodily, emotional and intellectual intelligence
- Witnessing Consciousness
- Discovering Destiny

Connection – Love and compassion

The word soul comes from the word ‘solo’ which means to ‘stand alone’. However, it
doesn’t mean feeling lonely or living in isolation. Aloneness is the experience of being with
one’s own self. To be alone means that the inner space which was once occupied by the ego is
emptied and refilled by one’s own fullness.
With soulfulness there is a sense of space within to move, think and live. We don’t feel
isolated because now connection and communication with the world is genuine, authentic and
wholesome. True compassion develops. In order to be compassionate we must have enough
space within to truly feel another’s fear and suffering. We can’t be compassionate when our
inner space is cluttered with our own sorrows and unresolved problems.

When we try to show compassion through an ego state we inevitably fail, because the
ego is riddled with divisions and fragmentations. Our compassion is selective and biased. We
constantly react to events, mostly based on unconscious biases and judgments as well as
memories of past events. Reaction is always based on the past and future and creates chaos in
the psyche, consuming a great deal of energy, reopening old wounds and creating new wounds.
So much of the time we live a wounded life, due to this recurrent process of reaction.

However, the soul responds rather than reacts. A response is immediate, without any
involvement of the past or future. Response is conscious and comes from the present moment.
Mirroring, and the compassion that is born out of it, is a state of total perception without delay
or analysis of any kind. It is not a thought-out process but an immediate response, not
interfered with by memory. It’s a complete feeling that doesn’t leave a mark on the brain. The
brain becomes a smooth, self-cleaning mirror.

Here we must make a distinction between compassion, sympathy and empathy.

Sympathy is a cultivated pattern of words and gestures, taught to us in order to form
relationships with others. Sympathy is a necessary social and cultural formality, but it doesn't
touch the true heart. In contrast to sympathy, empathy comes from the heart and is authentic.
One feels the pain and sorrow of another and is ready to extend a helping hand. But the
problem with empathy is that we often accumulate the suffering of others and become
burdened by them.
True compassion doesn’t consume energy nor does it carry any notion of sacrifice. In true
compassion, the person feels the sorrows and pain of the other, and responds. But those
sorrows and pain don’t leave any mark on the person. Everything is experienced and then it’s
gone. It emerges from within, without seeking recognition or reward, and is accompanied by joy

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and energy. One does not become depleted when offering true compassion, because it arises
from an inexhaustible well within.

Natural Meditation
The ego’s self-reflection and self-observation is incomplete because the ego cannot
penetrate the subconscious. Its world remains divided and so ego meditation is a technique
only and not natural meditation. While in a soul state, all is observed and reflected without
judgment. It’s like standing on the shores of a turbulent ocean and watching the waves with
complete serenity. Meditation becomes effortless and spontaneous - natural meditation.

Well-Being
At this point, the social and cultural conditioning of the ego is shattered and the brain and
body are freed from constriction and conformity. They are filled with energy. The reward or
pleasure centers become fully active on their own without stimulation from outside. The sense
of well-being that arises doesn’t depend on external factors, so we become less dependent on
the world for pleasure, happiness and joy. This soul state has been described as being
“intoxicated with the Divine”. This state is also the experience of wholeness.

Healing and Creativity

Compassionate, loving and non-judgmental witnessing of the world, both inside and out, is
the beginning of healing. Such witnessing is free from anger, fear, disgust, guilt or shame. The
flame of awareness illuminates the hidden subconscious mind, where old wounds, scars and
painful memories have accumulated. These memories consume the precious resources of the
brain, leaving little energy to face and resolve life’s deeper problems. Awareness turns these
memories into a stream of energy. This energy washes away the old, from the brain and body
and old wounds are healed. We are left with a clear body and mind.
Soulful creativity is different from ordinary creativity. In ordinary creativity new forms of
poetry, science, music and philosophies are created. Although the soul’s creativity includes all
these creative expressions, it also helps in recreating the creative people themselves. With
awareness and compassion, we are carved into new individuals. We are recreated according to
our own innate nature and reborn as fully functional and healed individuals.
The lives of many creative people are full of suffering, discontent and self-destruction.
Those around them also suffer and pay a high personal price. However, in soulful creativity, we
are in harmony within and with the outside world.

Awakening of Body, Emotion and Intellect Intelligence

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 At the very root of individual existence is our innate nature. This nature branches into
three components of our being - body, emotions and thoughts. Each has its own intelligence.
The higher the position of a component in terms of evolution, the more powerful and dominant
that component becomes. Emotion is more powerful than the body and the intellect is stronger
than emotion. The ego muffles the intelligence of the body, which results in a conflict between
the intellect, emotions and body.
As we discussed earlier, the pure direct experiences of the body and emotions are filtered
and edited by the ego. We rarely experience anything directly, because of fear of the unknown.
When the ego goes through the dark and turbulent passage of the subconscious, it is slowly
stripped of its power. Only at this point is it possible for us to face our own death. In these
moments of clarity, we realize that the notion of “I as the doer” is an illusion. As the illusion of
the doer ends, witnessing consciousness begins.

Two stories from the ancient Hindu scriptures illustrate the significance of facing our fear of
death. The Katha Upanishad is a book of rare beauty and depth, in which the story of Nachiketa
captures the essence of the dialogue between life and death. Nachiketa is a young man who has
a deep faith as well as an enquiring mind. One day he questions the meaning of a ritual that his
father is performing. His father is insulted by his probing questions and curses him, sending him
to face the Lord of death, Yamraj. In a moment Nachiketa arrives at the abode of Yamraj, a place
where nobody ever returns to the world of the living. Yamraj is not at his home, and Nachiketa
has to wait three days for him to return. When Yamraj finally returns, he becomes curious about
this boy who has waited so long to see him, and has such an enquiring mind. After they speak
for some time, Yamraj finally tells Nachiketa that he may return to the land of the living and that
he will be granted three boons. For the third boon, Nachiketa asks: "Lord! Every living being in
the world is mortal. They go through a cycle of happiness and grief in accordance with their
meritorious work or sin. It is said that even if the body dies, the soul remains eternal. What is
the secret of this? Tell me the answer to this."

Yamraj wants to avoid the answer to this question but Nachiketa persists. Finally, Yamraj
elaborates on the nature of the true Self, which persists beyond death. The key of the realization
is that this Self (within each person) is inseparable from the supreme spirit, the vital force in the
universe. Satisfied, Nachiketa returns to his home and re-unites with his father. The meaning of
this story is that only the knowledge of death can bless us with a full life.
The same theme is explored in the story of Savitri and Satyavan from the epic known as the
Mahabharat. Savitri, representative of feminine energy, frees Satyavan, the masculine force,
from death by her courageous encounter with the Lord of Death. Satyavan is a prince who is
told by a seer that he will die at an early age. The princess Savitri loves him deeply, and marries
him in spite of knowing about the prediction. Satyavan does die at his appointed day and time
and is taken away by Yamraj, the Lord of Death. But Savitri has a determined spirit, and decides
to follow Yamraj into the Kingdom of Death. Moved by her devotion, Yamraj finally agrees to
restore Satyavan to life. The Savitri-Satyavan story is a metaphor about the meaning of life and

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death. Savitri in this story represents the embodiment of spirit and spirituality, which is capable
of bringing the essence of life back from the clutches of death. Consciousness, rather than the
physical body, is the essence of life.

Body’s Intelligence
We are grounded in our bodies, the basis of our lives. Within the body, all evolution and
involution takes place. The last part of involution, the most difficult to achieve, is the expansion
of the body’s intelligence into a universal experience. How can the expansion of the body’s
intelligence be described? Although we can be aware of thoughts and emotions, we are only
dimly aware of the interior functioning of the body. It is a dense darkness where consciousness
lies deeply buried. Most of us go through life never becoming aware of the body’s unique
intelligence.
In animals, the body moves and functions in instinctual patterns that govern eating,
sleeping, and reproduction. But in humans, this bodily rhythm is disturbed by the ego. The
quantity of food, exercise, sleep, sex, and work are all governed by the ego and this comes in
direct conflict with the natural rhythm of the body.
When a person moves into a soul state, the ego’s grip is released and the body begins to
function with its natural rhythm, with an inherent inner discipline. It’s a state of natural
austerity, where the body takes what is necessary to maintain life, no more, no less. There is no
withdrawal or indulgence. When the body is functioning with its own natural rhythm, it
maintains an inner balance or homeostasis. In this state of homeostasis, we feel a deep sense of
wellbeing and energy. A constant sense of wellbeing is a sign that the body’s intelligence has
awakened. This is an important step on the journey, but by no means the last.

Emotional Intelligence
Emotions originate in the body and are connected to the limbic system of the mammalian
complex of the brain. Emotions provide finely tuned input about the internal and external
environment, which helps to protect the body and maintain a state of internal balance or
homeostasis. While the body has its own mechanisms for maintaining balance, emotional
intelligence compliments and enhances these mechanisms. Emotions are spontaneous and
automatic. When we become conscious of them we experience them as feelings. The
distinction between emotions and feelings has been clearly described in the writings of
neuropsychologist Antonio Damasio.
There are six primary emotions- fear, anger, happiness, sadness, surprise and disgust.
These six have been observed in the facial expressions of people from various cultures all over
the world. Out of these six emotions, four and a half are negative. Surprise can be negative and
sometimes positive. We have more negative emotions to ensure survival against the many
dangers present in the world. Fear is the most basic emotion and the root of all other emotions
as we have explored.

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 Many of the emotions and feelings we cherish are compound emotions created by social
and cultural conditioning. They are a mix of primary emotion and social and cultural learning.
Such emotions include guilt, jealousy, shame, resentment, love, hatred, and embarrassment. All
emotions have their own purpose, even those that we typically classify as "negative" emotions.
When the emotion is not connected to the body and the higher cognitive functions then it can
have detrimental effects. For example, fear is useful to a point but in excess, it paralyzes and
constricts life. Anger is a defensive action but excessive anger becomes violence. Jealousy is
necessary because it protects a relationship and pushes us to be our best, but in excess, it is
destructive. Guilt is corrective but excessive guilt is a prison.
If emotions become disconnected with the body and cognitive intelligence, they can result
in an unstable state of dysregulation and dysfunction. In contrast, the body in a state of positive
homeostasis nourishes and grounds emotions, while cognitive intelligence fine-tunes them
according to our natural, social and cultural environment.
Emotional intelligence is a dynamic state of body and mind. It has two main features:
1. Emotions are connected consciously with the body and with the cognitive or thinking
mind.
2. They are expressed consciously and not accumulated in the brain and body as memories,
so there is no pattern formation and addiction to them.
Emotional intelligence is essential in creating direct, deep and stable relationships with
others as well as with ourselves. Self-love and love for others originate from emotional
intelligence. Emotions should be expressed and released appropriately, otherwise they
accumulate and may become the cause of physical and mental health problems.

Intelligence of thoughts or intellectual intelligence

Cognitive intelligence is the ability for thinking, moral reasoning, analysis and also
reflection upon our own thoughts. Ordinarily we borrow and memorize the thoughts of others,
which become our thinking and knowledge base. When we are cognitively intelligent, thinking
comes from within and it is based on the intelligence of our own body and emotions. While the
body’s intelligence is expressed through sensation and emotional intelligence through emotions
and feelings, cognitive intelligence expresses itself through thoughts. These three modes of
intelligence are three dimensions of the same reality. In combination, they form one’s innate
nature.
The uniqueness of cognitive intelligence lies in its clear logic, reasoning and its awareness
of the vast amount of memory stored in the brain. When we use our cognitive intelligence, we
can use memories of past experiences to help us make decisions about the future. Our
conclusions are then based on evidence that may be subjective or objective. The full expression
of morality and conscience occurs through our cognitive intelligence. Cognitive intelligence is
also the beginning of the democratization of knowledge, which doesn’t discriminate between
color, race or socio-economic strata. The intellectual mind, history, science, systems, the rights

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of the living and non-living are all products of cognitive intelligence. Cognitive intelligence is
self-reflective, which is why no automatic patterns of negative thoughts are formed.

Emergence of the Witnessing Self

The soul is the experience of a seamless conscious union of the reptilian, mammalian and
human complexes of the brain. This brings the new quality of witnessing consciousness or
mindfulness to our perception. Witnessing consciousness also becomes integrating
consciousness, where the convergence and divergence of experiences happen. In this state, the
body and mind are integrated so they function as one entity rather than as fragmented
segments. The mind-body split is healed.
Witnessing is the property of mirror neurons in the brain. Although the animal brain also
has the mirroring property, it is much less advanced than in humans. This capacity is the reason
behind our growth and evolution. It is also responsible for empathy, as we attempt to read the
thoughts and emotions of others. In ordinary experience, mirroring is also responsible for self-
observation and self-reflection, although it is riddled with biases and prejudices.
In a soul state, the brain’s mirroring capacity is fully activated, which results in clear and
non-judgmental witnessing. The union of all parts of the brain releases electrical and chemical
energy that flushes out some of our unwanted memories, wounds and scars. If the mind is not
involved and our consciousness is in a pure mirroring state, we experience life in a waking
dream-like state.
We can link this state of witnessing awareness to our analysis of the chakras. When the
seventh chakra is awakened, this is the point where we become witnesses of our own bodies,
emotions and thoughts and of the surrounding world. This awareness is non-reactionary
because it occurs in the present moment and is therefore unbiased by the past. We observe the
inner and outer world without judgment. However, this doesn’t mean that we no longer
discriminate between right and wrong. Rather, it means that the process of discrimination flows
directly from the practical needs of society. We will still try to protect society from harmful
behavior as we are still in touch with the fifth chakra of systems and morals. Rules and laws are
necessary to maintain harmony.
Events and feelings are experienced moment to moment, and then they are gone. We
neither carry the burden of the past nor are we trapped by worries of the future.
If we are burdened by the guilt, anger, and grief of the past or are anxious about the
future, we are unable to live joyfully in the present moment. In a witnessing state, we still plan
for the future but don’t get attached to those plans and dreams. They are no longer of central
importance to our happiness. There is no place for disillusionment because we have already
crossed through that at the sixth chakra. In a state of witnessing awareness, we are sensitive,
responsive and we have a clear sense of “selfness”. Selfness means when others become a part
of our sense of self. This self keeps on expanding.

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 Witnessing awareness is the beginning of spontaneous meditation, which continues
effortlessly whether we are awake or asleep. An intentional meditation practice is no longer
necessary, because life itself becomes a meditation. At this level, even an act of violence is
meditation because the action is taken as a last resort in self-defense and is done with
compassion rather than with hatred.

The sun of non-judgmental witnessing burns intensely, illuminating everything that

comes into its contact. That field of contact is vast and becomes even more so by the process of
constantly breaking old boundaries and walking into unfamiliar territory, gaining new
knowledge and insights about one’s own self and the outside world. The external world is
created by the mind, and when we understand the mind we know the world also. When our
mind dies for a few moments and is born as pure self-awareness, the outer world also dies and
is born anew. In this new state of awareness, both the inner and outer reality become one
ground of truth, on which the ever changing world of joy and sorrow rises and disappears like a
wave in the ocean. The witness to this rise and fall of the world remains tranquil and
unwavering.

Accepting Mortality
Accepting our own mortality is the prime achievement of soulfulness. Here we are not
referring to physical death but accepting the death of the ego. We can accept physical death but
it is extremely difficult to accept the total annihilation of consciousness. No matter how much
we grow and develop, we wish to continue to exist as someone, somewhere. Longing to
continue forever is woven into the very fabric of who we are.
As we have explored throughout this book, the fear of dying is our core challenge. It begins
around the age of three and haunts us until close to death. Death is then finally accepted and
occurs peacefully. However, from the age of three until death, we deal with the fear of death by
drowning ourselves in distraction. This helps to temper the fear - otherwise it would be difficult
to live and cope with daily life. But in many, fear seeps in and causes many problems, ranging
from anxiety, depression and stress to bodily illnesses. Life, already constricted, becomes even
narrower because all of our reserve energy is being invested in the management of fear and
anxiety.
Because of our conscious or subconscious fear of dying, we don’t live life but rather cope
with it. Coping is not living. Life and death are two sides of the same experience and if we deny
one, we deny the other. Living fully means living with all the dangers that come with life. We
must explore life according to our nature and dare to move forward to experience and live it
fully. The most profound moment in life is when we are freed from the fear of death. At this
point, all other fears and phobias slowly disappear as well. This doesn’t mean that we never
experience fear or sorrow. They will instead pass through us for a moment and will be gone
without a trace in the next.

Discovering Destiny

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 Destiny is the feeling of a clear, conscious purpose in life that emerges from our innate
nature. A sense of destiny fills life with passion and meaning. It is not a job or a duty – it’s a
movement that continues until death. It never ends because when we arrive at a certain point,
another journey begins. It may or may not be useful to society and we may or may not receive
rewards for it. Yet when we are on that journey, we do not need external rewards, because the
experience of passion, meaning and wellbeing satisfy that desire for reward.
Destiny is not an intellectual or emotional concept - it is embedded in each cell of the body.
Our social and cultural environment may help it to flower but the seed of destiny already exists
in our body and mind. Life’s purpose is to discover this seed of destiny and allow it to grow in a
full tree.
Destiny ignites passion and unites the mind and body in a harmonious whole. It’s there all
the time and continuously gives us insights. We are born with our destiny. If we believe in
reincarnation or rebirth, then destiny is the continuation of the story of our past lives, threads
of which we pick up in this life. If we don’t believe in rebirth/reincarnation, then destiny lies in
our genetic makeup. It’s predetermined but has flexibility. It has definite roots but also wings -
the roots are in our body and the lower part of the brain, while the wings are in the newest part
of cerebrum where we interact with the society and culture.
The basic nature of our destiny is innate and comes from within, but its expressive form
has immense freedom and is directly related to the environment in which we live. For example,
if a person is destined to become a leader, that leadership role may take on different forms
depending on where that person is born. He or she may become a family, tribal, business,
spiritual, community or national leader.
Unfortunately, many of us never discover our destiny. We die still longing for passion,
meaning and fulfillment in life, and we feel as if our work has been left unfinished. Fear is the
reason behind this. Destiny is a step into the unknown and fear is the response to the unknown.
In Indian tradition, the stage of Vanprastha (going to the forest) is when we step into the
unknown and find our destiny. The last stage of Sanyasa or renunciation (all is put forth) is the
complete fulfillment of that destiny.

Realization of the universal self

Over the ages, many seekers, saints and sages have written about the concept of
liberation, often called enlightenment. It is usually described as an esoteric, mystical and

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supernatural process that cannot be explained in terms of nature, biology and science.
Liberation is thought of beyond material existence, reason and analysis. It is a common notion
that biology and spirituality, as well as science and the sacred, are entirely different domains of
experience.

In this chapter, I will challenge this notion. By bringing biology and the body into a
discourse about liberation, I'll explain that liberation is not supernatural, metaphysical or
otherworldly. It is the unexplored part of our nature and is available to all of us, all the time, if
we want to experience it. In the past, thunder and lightning were considered supernatural and
created by gods. However, as we discovered their origin, they became very real parts of our
natural experience. The same process has occurred with many diseases including smallpox,
epilepsy and various mental disorders. They were once thought to be the result of spirit
possession, but the discovery of germs and an increased understanding of the brain made it
clear that diseases were a part of nature.

If liberation is understood to be a part of nature, then pseudo-mysticism (emotional and

sentimental) will disappear and essential mysticism will remain. Pseudo - mysticism breeds
Gurus, experts and specialists who claim to have special powers. While sincere and honest
teachers point out the right path, the corrupt and dishonest seek power over people and ask
them surrender their mind, body and wealth. It is important to separate emotional and
sentimental mysticism from genuine mysticism. Emotional and sentimental mysticism are
connected with the emotional component of the brain, while genuine mysticism emerges after
the integration of various parts of the brain and body. In sentimental mysticism, we remain
mired in emotional experiences, mistaking them for advanced states of consciousness. We
remain prisoners of fear and sorrow.

The concept that liberation is a biological phenomenon that can be studied is not a new
one. Buddha and Patanjali (founder of Asthang yoga) were two of the greatest sages in history.
They described their experiences as inner quests based on reason, and they refused to believe
in anything mystical or based solely on faith. They stated that spiritual experiences are a natural
part of life and could be explored by anyone through systematic analysis and practice, much like
a scientist investigates the laws of nature and the universe. They were spiritual scientists
through and through.

All of us are liberated at some level - however there are always more levels of liberation to
experience. Abraham Maslow’s self-actualization and Carl Jung’s individuation are stages of
liberation, as are Buddha’s Nirvana and Raman Maharishi’s abiding in the eternal non-dual Self.
If we explore Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and the experiences of Mother of Pondicherry and UG
Krishnamurti, they describe an experience of liberation that is body and matter based. These
teachers talk about divine materialism where matter itself becomes conscious.

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 Liberation is not a point but a process that begins even before we are born. From
conception to becoming an adult, we go through the evolutionary stages of the universe’s
emergence from Nothingness. If we continue to search further and succeed, we will experience
Nothingness itself and be released into its timeless and nameless womb, the source of all that
exists.

During the process of liberation we become more and more conscious, bringing more
awareness and knowledge. Eventually during this process of expansion, consciousness
transcends knowledge and we come to persistently live in a state of non-knowing and yet we
are fully aware. Non-knowing is the direct experience of existence without the aid of the
thinking and reasoning mind.

In essence, liberation is an endless process with no point of final arrival. A problem develops
when we think that our own or someone else's liberation is final and accept ourselves or
someone else as the authority. When we proclaim ourselves Gurus or become blind followers of
some other self-proclaimed Guru, the process of liberation stops. We may bask in reflected
glory and feel elevated while the Guru is alive. However, once the Guru is gone our liberation
also comes to an end. Instead of doing the hard work of learning, understanding, practicing and
experiencing, we waste time waiting for something to happen.

Learning from a teacher who is not posing as an authority or Guru is a good spiritual
practice. Spirituality, like medicine, politics, economics or physics, can be taught by an
accomplished teacher. But no teacher can make us creative or give liberation.

Liberation can be reached by many paths. We must turn to our knowledge of our own
innate nature in order to decide which way to explore. For some seekers, the path of devotion
(bhakti) will be the most natural way forward. For others, the path of reason and logic (gyan)
will suit them best.

In the preceding chapter, I introduced the idea of soul or wholeness as the peak of
individual evolution. Brain dormancy comes to an end, the mind and body work in unison and
we become fully functional individuals. The consciousness of an individual is not conditioned by
culture and society. The self-esteem of an individual comes from within and there is a constant
feeling of wellbeing.
However, at this point we are still prisoners of individuality itself, which is determined by
our genetic makeup. Living with one’s soul is not enough. We must go beyond the limits of
individuality to become truly free. The process of going beyond one’s individuality is the
beginning of Universal Mind or consciousness.

Universal Mind: Experience of God – When Life and Death are companions

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 The soul is the ending of all known paths, but it is the beginning of another journey that
has no clear guideposts. In order to arrive at soul, we must ascend to the seventh chakra
through the lower six chakras. The seventh and last one is the soul point. There is no path
beyond it - everything is veiled in mystery. We can’t do much except to be vigilant and wait.
Suddenly it may happen - we are thrown off the edge of our individuality and released into vast
space brimming with experiences. This is the realm of universal mind or consciousness, which is
named GOD by many religions.

The experience of Universal Mind unfolds in stages, described as follows: a sense of

Oneness with the World; the God Experience; Universal Love, and Becoming Prayerful.

Universal Mind is an ever-changing sea of experience. It contains the shadows of all that
has happened, is happening and will ever happen in the universe. It is a store of all the memory
records of human experience, nature and the universe itself. It carries the past, the present and
also the future. It has the micro and macro, subtle and gross, high and low. It is a churning
ocean of creativity. The greatest musicians, poets, painters, scientists and intellectuals access
the energy of this endless creative force and if they remain connected, their creativity is never
exhausted.
Universal Mind contains darkness and light, evil and good, negative and positive. The
Universal Mind is the God of all faith-based religions. God is the sum total of all experiences
ever possible. The God of Universal Mind is half dark, full of death and destruction and half
light, brimming with life and vitality. If we only accept the light and life and reject the darkness
and death, we miss the totality that is God.
The God of Universal Mind is the God of duality. We experience God but we remain
separate. The relationship is of Master and servant, Lord and devotee and Lover and beloved.
Although Universal Mind is vast and feels infinite, it remains within the boundaries of space and
time.
Universal Mind is the womb from which all myths are born. These myths are the common
heritage of humanity. They contain archetypal images and figures and often appear in our
dreams. During dreaming when the censuring and controlling part of the ego is absent, we have
access to the mythic and mystical world of the universal mind.
Universal Mind is not tranquil or still - to be in constant flux is in its very nature. It’s the
state of being but also the process of becoming. Universal Mind is also named “KalpTaru” or
"wish-fulfilling tree", because it can fulfill any desire that is in accordance with our nature. There
is a feeling of total trust and surrender, and we become channels of universal energy.
With the experience of Universal Mind we feel a sense of oneness with the world, and the
world becomes the expression of the one God. The grace of God in the world brings the
experience of universal love, a love that is not selective or limited. It embraces all as the
creation of God. In Universal Mind, death and life become lover and beloved and can’t be
separated. This brings further freedom from the fear of death because we realize that there is
no death and that when our body dies, the spirit lives on in Universal Mind.

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Universal No-Mind: Experience of Emptiness and Non-duality
When God, mystery, creator, creation, time and space are all emptied out, then only pure
consciousness is left. This consciousness is without name, form, time or space. It is nothingness,
the beginning of stillness, tranquility and silence. The brain has no ripples of thought and
becomes a clean mirror, reflecting what goes on within and outside. In universal nothingness all
events, states, thoughts and feelings are experienced as impermanent. Life moves and changes
on its own without an absolute self or mover. All is experienced as one interconnected and
interdependent web of life.
The experience of Universal No-mind and Nothingness includes the following: Stllness;
Universal Compassion; Ending of Thoughts; Birth and Death become two sides of one
experience.
Stillness and peace are the cardinal features of universal consciousness. Either there are no
thoughts at all or they no longer affect us. Streams of thought may flow through the mind, yet
we stand apart from the turbulence of the mind and live in serenity. There is no fear of death
because birth and death are realized as two sides of the same reality.
However, this state is not a detached state. We become an intimate part of the web of life
but are still free. From this connection and interdependence, a compassion that is free from
suffering arises. We come to know the nature of the world and with this understanding we can
connect with those who suffer but we don’t suffer with them. We also experience a state of
action-less action in which action is taken but memory of that action is not formed because
there is no mind to retain anything. Brain, body and mind become like a lotus petal on which
the drops of sufferings are felt for a moment and then they are gone, leaving no mark on the
lotus.

Liberation Illuminated through the Chakras

Earlier we explored the awakening of the chakras as a way of describing the progressive
expression of consciousness. Later, we used the chakras as a way to describe human evolution
and the future of humanity. In the next section, we'll explore liberation as illuminated by the
chakras.
We can view each chakra as representing progressively greater understandings of life
and death, the central problem facing humanity. The chakras express the same energy, but in
different forms. In the first chakra of the body, the process of living and dying occur
simultaneously. But with evolution, life and death become two separate entities which are
expressed in different chakras in different forms.
This may be best understood by studying the following table:

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Life and Death Viewed Through the Chakras
First chakra : Death and life are one
Second chakra: Life is sex and fertility and death is impotency and infertility
Third chakra: Life is passion and death is anger
Fourth chakra: Life is love and death is fear
Fifth Chakra: Life is creativity and death is blockage of the creativity.
Sixth Chakra: Life is life and death is death and they confront each other
Seventh Chakra: Life and death accept each other and exist simultaneously

We can see how our understanding of liberation is deepened by this reflection on the
chakras. The language of the chakras gives us a way to express this inner journey from the
ordinary to the sacred, and then to a state beyond. We can also explore various form of yoga
practice that deepens our understanding of the unique energy of each chakra.
In this journey through the chakras, there is no fixed endpoint. Even if one reaches the
seventh chakra, where life and death accept each other, there is still more to explore and
discover. The ascent through the chakras from the first to the seventh is only at the beginning of
another journey. Once evolution of the expression of consciousness reaches its peak, then one
can begin to descend down the chakras (involution). Carrying the flame of consciousness, we
explore the chakras in the light of biology and the body, until we reach the first chakra where
the energy is most dense and difficult to penetrate. Illumination of the first chakra has been
called Material Non-Duality. Yet even this is not the end - the human journey of exploration
must continue.
The journey towards union of the universal and the divine is represented in the following
table:

The Experience of Evolution and Involution at Different Chakras

Chakra Evolution (individual) Involution (universal)
First chakra Matter Universal matter and quantum world (Padarth yoga)
Second chakra Energy Universal energy or Shakti
(Shakti yoga)
Third chakra Emotions Karm yoga
Fourth chakra Feelings Bhakti yoga
Fifth chakra Intellect Gyan yoga
Sixth chakra Insight Cosmic form with death and life (Virat)
Seventh chakra Integration

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 Ultimately, Yoga is the state when the individual and the universal are in seamless union.

Natural Being (Sahaja) – The Body is fully Awakened

This state is expressed in the following ways. The body becomes fully functional, with all
senses and systems operating at their peak. The first and second centres of conscious energy
are awakened, leading to an awakening of the body’s cells, a transformation and liberation of
the body. Changes in nature and the universe are felt in the body, which is in communion with
biological nature as well as the material universe. The body of a Natural being is affected by
everything that happens on this earth and beyond. The experience is primarily one of physical
sensation rather than of feeling. In a Natural being, life and death become one.
But this is not the end of our own journey towards truth. Truth is boundless and so the
journey continues…according to our nature.

Section 8
Precautions about Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga is like anyother yoga and same precautions should be observed as in the practice
of other Yogas. Best way to remain safe is to know your mind and body and practice according
to it. Walk the middle path in the beginning and then slowly move to your limits. In case of
sudden awakening of Kundalini you can consult a Kundalini yoga teacher.
Body has tremendous wisdom and it can adjust and adapt to many experiences of Kundalini
awakening.

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To be on the path of Kundalini Yoga gives us the extra responsibility of taking care of our body
and mind. To eat qualitatively and quantitatively good and nutritious food, to have enough rest
and sleep, to exercise the body and live in harmonious relationships with others are the basic
priniciple of Kundalini Yoga. Home where we live should be clean and suit our innate nature or
Prakirti and we practice those asanas, pranayam and meditation which are suited for our mind
and body. That is why the first and most important learning in Ayurveda is to know our
constitution or innate personality and then to put a lifestyle according to that personality. The
seven pillars of the Yogic life are already described in the self-care section.

 Make sure you are aware of your physical and mental state. If you have physical
problems such as slipped discs, lung and heart diseases, high blood pressure and
diabetes, hormonal deficiencies or excesses, aneurysms, stiffness and any other
significant organ problem, either don’t do Kundalini yoga or proceed with extreme
caution. If you have a history of mental health problems or are suffering from them,
either don’t do it or proceed with caution. Such mental health problems include anxiety,
depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, other types of psychosis or any eating disorders.
Kundalini Yoga can make some of these problems worse or can precipitate an acute
attack of the illness.

 In the case of a Kundalini awakening, be prepared for physical and emotional upheavals
in your daily life, and make sure you have the support of loved ones.

 Warm up with gentle poses and breathwork before you move on to the hard poses,
mudras, bandhas and other kriyas or actions.
 Don’t overdo it. Go slowly to avoid exhaustion and fatigue.
 Modify various asanas, bandhas, mudras and other actions according to your body and
mind

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 Section 9

Further Readings
1. Sri Aurobindo or adventure of consciousness – Satprem
2. J Krishnamurti – a biography – Pupul Jayakar
3. Living with Kundalini – Gopi Krishna
4. UG Krishnamurti: A life – Mahesh Bhatt

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5. Kundalini Yoga – Swami Sivananda
6. Play of Consciousness – Swami Muktananda

7. Kundalini Tantra – Swami Satyananda Saraswati

8. The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga – Arthur Avlon

Essence of Kundalini Yoga is to live in Peace with Passion

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www.nadyoga.org www.naturalitypath.com

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