Naadis and Chakras

• The world nadi is derived from nad, meaning a hollow stalk, sound, vibration and resonance. Nadis are tubes, ducts or channels which carry air, water, blood, nutrients and other substances throughout the body. They are our arteries, veins, capillaries, bronchioles and so on. In our so – called subtle and spiritual bodies, which cannot be weighed or measured, they are channels for cosmic, vital, seminal and other energies as well as for sensations, consciousness and spiritual aura. They are called by different names in accordance with their functions. Nadikas are small nadis chakras are ganglia or plexuses in all three bodies – the gross, subtle and causal. The subtle or causal bodies are not yet recognised by scientists or the medical profession.

• It is said in the varahapanisad that the nadis penetrate the body from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head. In them is prana, the breath of life and in that lrtife abides atma, which is the abode of sakti, creatrix of the animated and inanimate worlds.

• All nadis originate from one of two centres, the kandasthana – a little below the navel – and the heart. Through yoga texts agree about their starting points, they vary about where some of them end.

NADIS STARTING FROM BELOW THE NAVEL

• Twelve digits above the anus and the genital organs and just below the navel, there is an egg – shaped dulb called the kanda. From it 72000 nadis are said to spread throughout the body, each branching into another 72,000. They move in every direction and have countless outlets and functions.

• The siva samhita mentions 3,50,000 nadis, of which fourteen are stated to be important. These and a few others are listed with their functions in the table given opposite. The three that are most vital are the susumna, ida and pingala.

• The susumna, which runs through the centre of the spine, is split at the root and terminates at the crown of the head in the thousand – petalled lotus(fahasrara), which is the seat of fire (agni). The varahopanisad describes it as blazing and shining and as being sound incarnate. It is also called the ' supporter of the universe', the brahmanadi and the aperture of brahma. It is illumination. It gives delight to the sadhaka when prana enters it and swallows time.

NADIS STARTING FROM THE HEART

• According to the kathopanisad and prasnopanisad, the atma, which is said to be the size of a thumb, dwells within the heart, from which a hundred and one nadis radiate. In the chandogyopanisad it is said that as the outer cover of man is his physical body, his inner core is the heart, where in abides the atma. It is also called the antaratma ( soul, heart or mind), antahkaraan (source of thought, feeling and consciousness) and chidatma (faculty of reasoning and (consciousness).

• Here the heart stands for both the physical and the spiritual one. All the vital breaths or winds are established there amd do not go beyond it. It is here that the prana stimulates actions and activates intelligence. The intelligence becomes the source of thinking, imagination and will. When the mind is controlled and the intellect and heart are united, the self is revealed.

• From each of these 101 nadis emanate one hundred subtler nadis, each of which branches off into another 72,000. If there is harmony between the five winds (vayu) (namely, prana, apana, udana, vyana and samana) and these nadis, then the body becomes a heaven on earth; but if there is disharmony, it becomes a battle ground of diseases.

• Of the 101 nadis, only the chitra splits into two parts at the root of the susumna. One part of the chitra moves within it, extending upwards to the aperture (randhra) of brahma at the crown of the head above the sahasrara chakra. This is the gateway to the supereme spirit. The other part of chitra moves downwards towards the generative organ for discharge of semen. It is said that at the time of death, yogis and saints consciously leave through the brahmarandra. Since the aperture is in the spiritual or causal body, it cannot be seen or measured. When prana rises upwards, via the chitra through the chakras, it takes with it the radiance, a creative energy latent in semen. The chitra is transformed into the brhama nadi or para nadi. Then the sadhaka becomes one who has sublimated his sexual appetite and is free from all desire.

DHAMANI AND SIRA

• Nadis, dhamanis and siras are tubular organs or ducts within the physical and subtle bodies conveying energy in different forms. The word 'dhamani' is derived from 'dhamana', meaning a pair of bellows. The nearest analogy is an orange. Its rind represents the gross, the membranes represents the subtle, and the segments, containing the juicy buds, the casual bodies respectively. The nadis carry air, the dhamani carry blood, and the siras distribute the vital seminal energy throughout the subtle body.

• Ayurveda is the science of life and longevity. According to its texts, which deal with ancient Indian medicine, siras start from the heart. They carry blood and seminal vitality from and to the heart. Siras are thicker at the heart and become thinner as they beanch out like the veins of a leaf. Seven hundred of them are considered important. They are divided evenly into four categories, each of which caters for one of the humours; wind for proper functioning of the body, bile for harmonising the organs, phlegm for free movement in the joints, and blood, which circulates oxygen and its own form of vital energy.

NADIS ANS CIRCULATION

• The siva samhita states that when food is digested, the nadis carry the best part to nourish the subtle body, the middle part to the gross body, and discharge the inferior part in the form of faces, urine and sweat.

• The food that is consumed is turned into chyle, which is carried through certain ducts known in ayurvedic texts as sortas – a synonym for nadis. Their functions are wide, for they also carry the vital energy orbreath known as prana, water, blood and other material to various tissues, marrow and ligaments, as well as discharge semen, urine, faeces and sweat.

• In breathing, nadis, dhamanis and siras perform the dual function of absorbing vital energy from the in – coming air and throwing off the resultant toxins. The in-breath moves through the windpipe to the lungs, on into takes up the energy from the oxygen and percolates it into the dhamanis with the help of prana in the nadis. The percolation transforms the seminal fluid into vital seminal energy and discharges it into the siras, which distribute it to revitalise the body and the brain. The siras then discharge used – up energy and gathered toxins such as carbon dioxide into the dhamanis and through them into the windpipe, to be breathed out .

• The varahopanisad calls the body a 'jewel' filled with essential ingredients. In pranayama the essential ingredients. In pranayama the essential ingredient, called blood, is enriched and refined like a jewel as it absorbs the various energies. The nadis, dhamanis and siras also convey smells, flavours, forms, sounds and intelligence. Yoga helps them to function properly by keeping all these channels pure, the body immune from diseases and the intelligence keen, so that the sadhaka can get to know his body, mind and soul.

• Some nadis, dhamanis and siras may correspond to arteries, veins and capillaries of the respiratory and circulatory system. They may also be nerves, channels and ducts of the nervous, lymphatic, glandular, digestive and gentio – urinary systems of the physical and physiological body. Others carry vital energy to the mental body, intellectual energy to the intellectual body, and spiritual energy to the casual or spiritual body. The terminating point of each nadi is to be found in follivle, cell or hair. They function as inlets and outlets of various energies. In all, 5.9 billion of them flow in the gross, subtle and casual bodies. No wonder it is said that the body is full of nadis.

KUNDALINI

• Kundalini is divine cosmic energy. The world is derived from 'kundala', meaning a ring or coil. The latent energy is symbolised as a sleeping serpent with three and a half coils; it has its tail in its mouth, which faces downwards. It lies at the hollow base of the susumna, two digits below the genital area and two above the anus.

• The three coils represents the three states of mind (avastha), namely awake (jagrt), dreaming (svapna) and in deep sleep (susupti). There is a fourth state, turiaya, combining and transcending the others, which is represented by the last half-coil. It is attained in samadhi.

• The hatha toga pradipika (III,1) states that as Adi Sesa, the lord of serpents, supports the universe, so kundalini uploads all the disciplines of yoga.

• The energy which passes through the ida, pingala and susumna is called bindu, literally a point having no parts or no magnitude. These three nadis represent respectively the nadis of the moon, the sun and fire. Before the word 'kundalini' came into vogue, 'agni' (fire) was used to present the divine power which purifies and rises upwards like fire. Through the discipline of yoga the direction of the mouth of the coiled serpentine energy is made to turn upwards. It rises like steam through the susumna via the chitra (emanating from the heart) till it reaches the sahasrara. When the creative energy (sakti) of kundalini is awakened, ida and pingala merge within the susuma. (siva samhita, V,13)

• Metal is refined by burning of the dross. By the fire of yogic discipline, the sadhaka burns up within himself the impiurities of desire, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and envy. Then his intellect becomes refined. The cosmic energy latent within him is then awakened by the grace of god and the guru (hatha yoga pradipika,III,2). As this rises, the sadhaka gets more and more in tune with the divine. He becomes free from attachment towards fruits of action (karma mukta) and unattached to life (jivana mukta).

• According to tantric texts, the object of pranayama is to arouse the latent power (sakti) called kundalini, the devine cosmic energy in our bodies, layng at the base of the spinal column in muladhara chakra, the nervous plexus situated in the pelvis above the anus at the root of the spine. This energy has to be aroused and made to ascend through the susumna from the muladhara chakra to the thousand – palled lotus in the head, network of nerves in the brain. After prercing the intervening chakras, it finally unites with the supreme soul. This is an allegorical way of describing the tremendous seminal vitality which is obtained by the practice of uddiyana, mula bandhas and self – restraint. It is a symbolic way of describing the sublimation of sexual energy.

• When the kundalini reaches the sahasrara, the sadhaka has no feeling of his own seperate identity and nothing exists for him. He has crossed the barriers of time ans space, and becomes one with the universe.

CHAKRAS

• 'Cdhakras' means a wheel, a ring, chakras are flying wheels, radiating energy, located at vital centres along the spine, connecting the nadis to the various sheaths (kosas).

• As antennae pick up radio wave and transform them into sound through receiving sets, chakras pick up cosmic vibrations and distribute them throughout the body in the nadis, dhamanis and siras. The body is a counterpart of the universe, a microcosm within the macrocosm on the gross, subtle and spiritual levels.

• According to yoga texts, two other important types of energy pervade the body, that from the sun radiating through the pingala nadi, and from the moon through the ida nadi. Both these currents criss-cross at the chakras, the vital centres along rhe susumna, the nadi of fire in the spinal cord.

• To convert the energies generated within the body and to prevent their sissipation, asanas and mudras, pranayamas and bandhas were prescribed. The heat so generated causes the kundalini to unciol. The serpent lifts its head, enters the susumna through the chakras one by one to the sahasrara.

• The generation and distribution of prana in the human system may be compared to that of electrical energy. The energy of falling water or rising stem is made to rotate turbines within a magnetic field to generate electricity. The electricity is then stored in accumulators and the power is stepped up or down by transformers which regulate the voltage or current. It is then transmitted along cables to light cities and run machinery. Prana is like the falling water or rising steam. The thoracic area is the magnetic field. The breathing processes of inhalation, exhalation and retention of breath act like the turbines, while the chakras represent the accumulators and transformers. The energy generated by prana is ike electricity. It is stepped up or down by the chakras and distributed throughout the system along the nadis, dhamanis and siras, which are the transmission lines. If the power generated is not properly regulated it will desreoy th emachinery and the equipment. It is the same with prana and ojas, for they can destroy the body and the mind of the sadhaka.

• The main chakras are : (1) muladhara (mula = source, adhara = support, vital part) , situated in pelvis above the anus; (2) svadhisthana (seat of a vital force), situated above the organs of generation; (3) manipuraka, situated un the navel; (4) surya, the sun; and (5) manas (mind), between the navel and the heart; (6) anahata (heart), in the cardiac area; (7) visddhi (pure), in the pharyngeal region; (8) ajna (command), between the eyebrows; (9) soma, the moon in the centre of the brain; (10) lalata, at the top of the forehead; and (11) sahasrara, which is called the thousand – petalled lotus in the brain. The most important of them are muladhara, svadhisthana, manipuraka, anahata, visuddhi, ajna and sahasrara.

• The muladhara chakras is the seat of the element of earth and of smell. It is the base of the annamaya kosa, the body of nourishment, connected with the absorption of food and the evacuation of faces. When this chakra is activated, the sadhaka becomes firm in vitality and ready to sublimate his sexual energy.

• The svadhisthana chakra is the seat of the element of water and of taste. When it is activated, th esadhaka becomes free from disease and acquires vibrant health. Feeling no fatigue, he becomes friendly and compassionate.

• The manipuraka chakras is the seat of the element of fire and when it is activated the sadhaka obtains calmness even in adverse circumstances.

• The svadhisthana and the manipuraka chakras are the fundations of the pranamyaka kosa, the physiological body. Both have to move together, co-ordinating their functioning during inhalation and exhalation in pranayama.

• The surya chakra, commonly lies between the surya and the anahata. It is the seat of emotion, igniting imagination and creativity, and can be stabilised by pranayama involving retention of the breath.
• The anahata chakra lies in the region of the physical and the spiritual body. When activated, they strengthen the heart, develop adoration and knowledge. They free the sadhaka from sensual pleasures and make him follow the path of spirituality.

• The visuddhi chakra, in the region of the throat above the chest and at the base of the neck, is the element of ether. It represents the intellectual body. When it is activated, the sadhaka's power of understanding increases, he becomes intellectually alert. His speech becomes distinct, clear and fluent.

• The soma chakra regulates the temperature of the body.

• When the lalata chakra is activated, the sadhaka becomes the master of his destiny.

• The sahasrara chakra, also callled sahasrara dala is the seat of the supreme spirit at the end of the brahma nadi or susumna.

• When the kundalini energy reaches the sahasrara, the sadhaka has crossed all barriers and becomes an emancipated soul. This state is reflected to in the sat chakra nirupana as the state of void.

References

The above mentioned information is added from the book called LIGHT ON PRANAYAMA by B.K.S. IYENGAR.