Awakening of kundalini in stages
- Prana usually flows in ida and Pingala
- Prana is made to flow in ida and Pingala
- Prana is made to flow in sushumna
- Kundalini energy is awakened
- Kundalini is guided upwards
- It rises to Sahasrara
Kundalini yoga aids in the discovery of the prana source, (the basic life current) in the body and teaches us how to use it. Prana or the life force is carried to all parts of the body by 72,000 currents or nadis that flow in the body.
Important Nadis
When we study kundalini, we need to know of the three important nadis. They are Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadi.
- Ida and Pingala cross over the spinal column and the back a number of times.
- The Ida nadi passes the left nostril
- The Pingala nadi passes the right nostril
Ida represents the cool energy of the moon while Pingala represents the hot energy of the sun. The nadis meet at the points in the spine known as Chakras. The sushumna originates from the base of the spine where the three nadis meet and travels up the center of the spine to the top of the head. This center at the base of the spine is called the seat of the kundalini and is the place where the kundalini energy is dormant.
Kundalini when awakened passes through Sushumna nadi through various chakras. They are:
- Muladhara
- Swadhisthana
- Manipura
- Anahata
- Vishudha
- Ajna
- Sahasrara
When kundalini passes on from chakra to chakra, the mind opens up and the sadhaka or the practitioner enters into higher realms of consciousness. Samadhi results when kundalini is raised to the Sahasrara and merges with Lord Siva.
Prana flows along the centers of the spine unhindered except if blocked by impurities. Normally prana cannot reach Sushumna but only flows through the Ida and Pingala nadi. The way prana flows in the body has direct consequences on our state of mind. The free flow of prana in the Sushumna is not normally possible because something hinders the flow. A coiled snake, the Kundalini, symbolizes this block.
Ida and Pingala can be directed to flow evenly by following breath-balancing exercises like alternate nostril breathing.
