Category: Chakras

Kundalini: The Ancient Power

“Everybody, whether householder or sannyasin (renunciate) must remember that the awakening of kundalini is the primary purpose of human incarnation.” – Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

Kundalini is the energy which brings alive our subtle body system by way of activating the chakras. It is traditionally said to lie as a serpent coiled three and a half times deep within the depths of our foundational chakra, the muladhara. The aim of the practitioner of kundalini yoga is to blast open the muladhara in order to release this ancient energy. The chakra is located on the perenium right at the base of the spine and it is said to be the secret abode of Lord Ganapati, the Remover of Obstacles. Once the energy has been activated it ascends the subtle yogic channel known as sushumna which runs the length of the spine and into the brain. Its resting place is the brow chakra, ajna, known in meditation as the Place of Command which rests on the pineal gland. From ajna it might then be possible for this kundalini-shakti to ascend higher, to the crown chakra, the sahasrara, otherwise known as the Thousand Petalled Lotus which once opened showers indescribable bliss down through the whole of the body both subtle and physical.

Continue reading “Kundalini: The Ancient Power” →

Eye of Meditation

The header image for this article is a photograph taken by Johannes Plenio as found on Pexels.

Today the sitting was better, more focused than the last couple of mornings when I have struggled to stay on the button, struggled to keep concentration tight enough so as not be continually losing sight of the meditation object, struggling to place it in the mind’s eye. What is this eye? To keep concentration tight enough so as not be continually losing sight of the view, struggling to place it, can be difficult and requires practice. Again, what is this eye? Well, for me, as I have written before in other places here and there, the mind’s eye is located more or less in the centre of the forehead, between the eyebrows, or at least just above the point which is between the eyebrows.

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Ajna Chakra

The header image for this article is a photograph taken by Johannes Plenio as found on Pexels.

Related to this post please see – https://tracelesstrails.com/2019/10/28/chakra-files-ajna-meditation/

Ajna

Brow chakra

The purpose of this piece on the ajna chakra is simply to clarify, for my own reference, the notes that I have taken over the years from two primary sources, the books Kundalini Tantra and Kundalini Yoga for the West. There are slight differences in their interpretations of various aspects of the chakras, in these notes both interpretations are listed, more often than not.

These notes below are taken from the book Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati –

The ajna chakra is known as the divya chakshu, eye of knowledge, the channel through which the spiritual aspirant receives revelation and insight into the underlying nature of existence. It is also known as the Eye of Shiva, with Shiva the epitome of meditation, the Third Eye, the “command”, the “monitoring centre”, the bridge which links the guru and the disciples, it is here that the directions of the inner guru are heard in the deepest state of meditation. Continue reading “Ajna Chakra” →

Vishuddhi Chakra

The header image for this article is a photograph taken by Johannes Plenio as found on Pexels.

Vishuddhi

Throat Chakra

The purpose of this piece on the vishuddhi chakra is simply to clarify, for my own reference, the notes that I have taken over the years from two primary sources, the books Kundalini Tantra and Kundalini Yoga for the West. There are slight differences in their interpretations of various aspects of the chakras, in these notes both interpretations are listed, more often than not.

These notes below are taken from the book Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati –

The vishuddhi chakra is known as the “purification centre“. The Sanskrit word means “to purify“. In this chakra the purifying and harmonizing of all opposites takes place. It is also known as the “nectar and poison centre“. Nectar, which drips down from bindu, is said to split into pure form and into poison, the latter is discarded, the pure nectar however enriches the body, ensuring health and longevity. Continue reading “Vishuddhi Chakra” →

Anahata Chakra

The header image for this article is a photograph taken by Johannes Plenio as found on Pexels.

Anahata

Heart Chakra

The purpose of this piece on the anahata chakra is simply to clarify, for my own reference, the notes that I have taken over the years from two primary sources, the books Kundalini Tantra and Kundalini Yoga for the West. There are slight differences in their interpretations of various aspects of the chakras, in these notes both interpretations are listed, more often than not.

These notes below are taken from the book Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati –

Anahata is an important chakra because kundalini has to stay in anahata for  a long time. The word means un-struck, unbeaten, it alludes to the non-physical, non-empirical sound which is endless and unbroken in the same way that the physical heart beats continuously from birth up until death. Continue reading “Anahata Chakra” →

Manipura Chakra

The header image for this article is a photograph taken by Johannes Plenio as found on Pexels.

Manipura

Solar Chakra

The purpose of this piece on the manipura chakra is simply to clarify, for my own reference, the notes that I have taken over the years from two primary sources, the books Kundalini Tantra and Kundalini Yoga for the West. There are slight differences in their interpretations of various aspects of the chakras, in these notes both interpretations are listed, more often than not.

These notes below are taken from the book Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati –

Mani means jewel and pura means city so the translation of manipura can be “city of jewels”. In Tibetan it is known as “mani padma” the jewelled lotus.

This chakra is the centre of dynamism, energy, willpower, achievement. It is often compared to dazzling heat, the power of the sun. It is radiates and directs pranic energy throughout the body. Continue reading “Manipura Chakra” →

Swadhisthana Chakra

The header image for this article is a photograph taken by Johannes Plenio as found on Pexels.

Swadhisthana

Sacral Chakra

The purpose of this piece on the swadhisthana chakra is simply to clarify, for my own reference, the notes that I have taken over the years from two primary sources, the books Kundalini Tantra and Kundalini Yoga for the West. There are slight differences in their interpretations of various aspects of the chakras, in these notes both interpretations are listed, more often than not.

These notes below are taken from the book Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati –

“One’s own dwelling place”, swadhisthana, is also involved in the awakening of kundalini in muladhara. It corresponds to the reproductive and urinary systems in the gross body and it is physiologically related to the prostatic or utero-vaginal plexus of nerves. Its location is at the base of the spine, at the level of the coccyx or tailbone.

Anatomically very close to muladhara, swadhisthana can be experienced as black in colour due to being the seat of primary ignorance, but traditionally it is represented as a six petalled vermillion or orange / red lotus. On each petal is a letter – bam, bham, mam, yam, ram, sam – written in the colour of lightning. Continue reading “Swadhisthana Chakra” →

Muladhara Chakra

The header image for this article is a photograph taken by Johannes Plenio as found on Pexels.

Muladhara Chakra

Root Chakra

The purpose of this piece of work on the muladhara chakra is simply to clarify for my own reference notes that I have taken over the years from two primary sources, Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and Kundalini Yoga for the West by Swami Sivananda Radha. These works have slight differences in their interpretations of various aspects and workings of the chakras, therefore in these notes both interpretations are sometimes listed.

These notes below are taken from the book Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati –

Muladhara is the root, the foundation of the whole chakra system, and its influence is at the root of the whole of our existence. Impulses rise through the body from muladhara and find the widest expansion of our awareness when in sahasrara, the crown chakra. Muladhara is understood as moola prakriti, the transcendental basis of physical nature which is the original source of all evolution. In tantra the muladhara is the seat of kundalini shakti, the basis from which the possibility of higher realization arises. Kundalini lies dormant as a coiled serpent. Once awakened it makes its way through the sushumna nadi in the spinal cord until it reaches sahasrara in the crown of the head, the place where the experience of enlightenment occurs. The sushumna nadi is known as the central channel. Continue reading “Muladhara Chakra” →