Chakras and prana

I 100%  believe in the power of using crystals to stimulate, relax and restore the chakras as they are in the aura.

Photo by Susanna Marsiglia on Unsplash.com

Chakras are intimately connected to our prana/Mauri/life-force

The mystique of chakras is huge. And so is the spiritual reality of them. And this reality is so far removed from what is written about them. I truly cannot understand how such strange notions that abound, are now believed to be the truth regarding chakras. And I speak as someone who has had their first chakra awakening in the early 1970s. I am talking about the chakras in the spiritual spine, sushumna, rather than as in the aura. When they awaken, it is 100% to do with sushumna.

The internal level of the Chakras need to have the correct practices done regularly, for them to wake up. 

So what was I doing for that first chakra awakening? To be honest, I just did a few poses each day, not holding them. And poses do indeed stimulate the chakras. 

I also was doing Nadi Shodana, alternate nostril breath, 3 rounds only, everyday at home, for most of that first year of yoga, with kapalabhati, maybe 100 breaths, once a week in class. 

Pranayama is absolutely one of the main methods of stimulating, activating, and awakening chakras. Because we need prana for this. I seriously do not agree with doing breath of fire/breath of glow/kapalabhati to excess as is done by Yoga Bhajan's yoga. It is far too much. There is incredible energy contained within each of the chakras on a spiritual level. I have heard of some not good results doing breath of fire to excess throughout a class. In this case we are releasing suppressed emotions, stimulating suppressed thoughts, and shaking up the pranic sheath, and all of this can create a lot of mental/emotional distress, as our emotions are what block our pranic sheath. So, when we do lots of stimulating pranayama, we are in effect, shaking up and exposing our suppressed emotions, which can be hard to handle. 

I actually suspect that this is what is really happening when people think that they are having kundalini experiences. 

How to use pranayama

Do your pranayama at the end of the class, and in the correct order: stimulate, then pacify. 

If you are using both bhastrika and kapalabhati, then bhastrika comes first, because it stirs up the internal heat, and trust me, this heat is closely allied to the energy of the lower chakras. In fact, bhastrika is the primary pranayama for kundalini and chakras. And in this version, the abdomen is pumped as you do these bhastrikas. You also need to know that it stirs up the mind-stuff and suppressed emotions. So, in your classes, tone it down! Work up to an absolute maximum of 120 bhastrikas, both nostrils together. And do this only for advanced, long time practitioners. For beginners, start with ten, then two lots of ten, then 3 lots, until you get to a maximum of fifty, one round only. It is advisable not to do overkill.

If you are also doing kapalabhati, it follows bhastrika as it is a brain/mind clearing pranayama. It cools both. Follow the same number instructions as for bhastrika.

So we have stimulated the energy which has stirred the hidden mental and emotional parts of us, with bhastrika, and it just makes sense to then do kapalabhati for a clear mind. 

They also pumps the abdomen so they are stimulating the seat of prana as well.

The seat of prana is in the abdomen, behind the navel area. It is separate to manipura/navel chakra. But is one of the pathways to this chakra.

If you are just doing one of these pranayamas, for chakra purposes, do bhastrika.

Follow with the alternate nostril breath, three to five rounds. In/left, out/right, in/right, out/ left, is one round. In your classes, unless they are advanced students, just do slow, relaxed, even breathing with this. Eyes closed.

Keep your eyes closed after, and go within, as The Silent Witness. 

Another important practice

Another mega important practice is called uddiyana bandha, the stomach lift. There are lots of contra-indications: avoid for crohns disease, am unsure about celiacs, dangerous with IUDs, unsure about fibromyalgia and similar problems, don't do with endometriosis, nor when pregnant or menstruating. 

The version that I used that first year when I had my base chakra awakening, and whenever I have waning prana levels, was called Agni Sara Kriya, in the system that I was learning. It is when you do the stomach lift, then pump the abdomen in and out, about eight to ten times, whilst holding the breath out. 

You could do just two uddiyana in a class, followed by one agni sara, or maybe just two agni saras. They are actually cleansing practices. Do these after pranayama or at the start of the class. 

Agni Sara is so important regarding our energy levels, that I would recommend that yoga teachers do it two to three times each morning on arising.

This is chakras in a class, and for your own personal spiritual evolution, gently starting at the deep end, so to speak. 

Asanas and chakras? At some stage, I shall get around to it.