An Approach to Yoga of
Life thru Cakras
Updated 21 April 2022
These
notes are meant as reminders, not instructions, for students of Ramanand Patel.
They are neither complete nor final. All suggestions to refine these notes are
welcome.
This
is one of the many ways to awaken the cakras, or more accurately, to awaken and
raise the kundalini.
There
seven cakras located in the subtle body (sukshma sarira). These locations certainly have an effect on
different parts of the physical body (sthula sarira). However, it is not useful to over emphasize the
exact location in the physical body as long as a general location is
understood. Each of the lower six cakras have three types of energies. If left
unattended pressures and experiences of life create a negative charge. This
general negativity is first resolved thru Ajna cakra
as described below. Then the more specific negativity and positive energies as
they relate to different aspects of life are resolved thru other cakras. Next
the student understands the neutral energy of each of the lower six cakras.
Finally the deeper aspects of resolution thru Ajna
are addressed.
The
beginner is advised to spend one month on the negative energy related to the
lowest (muladhar) cakra. The student then focuses for
a month on the positive aspect of that cakra before proceeding to the next
cakra. This process will take about twelve months. While a month is prescribed
here some students may find that they need more or less time on a particular
aspect of a cakra.
Some
students prefer to address the negative of each cakra followed by the positive
of that cakra. During practice of pranayama it is also a useful practice to
address the negative for a few breaths, then the positive for a few breaths and
finally the neutral. The exact sequence in which this is done will vary
depending on the student.
The
next six months of the practice are spent on understanding the neutral aspect
of each cakra. Better than either the positive or the negative is to see the
relationship of the “I” with the positive and the negative. The I wants to escape from the negative and indulge in the
positive. Question who this I is. It is this neutral aspect that lifts the
kundalini energy up to the Ajna cakra, from where its
merger with the Sahasrara cakra is beyond the scope
of this writing.
The
following text gives a brief meaning of each cakra, its basic element, the
related sound and an outline of the negative, the positive and the neutral
energies. While the work proposed here is largely thru breath in pranayama, it
is equally applicable to breath in asana as well as breath in life.
For
a particular physical restriction or challenge, first make the necessary
adjustments and employ the necessary props in a posture. Then student ask the
mind to draw a well-defined boundary around this restriction. Breathe into this
boundary and observe the collapse of the boundary, either partially or completely,
before beginning to address the work on cakras. For exact approach on how to do
this please refer to class notes. Same method can apply to a psychological
blockage. However, for this to be effective the student must first learn to
locate the specific physical area or organ of the body that is most affected by
this emotion. This by itself may not completely resolve the underlying
psychological issue; however, it may help break the first layer of the pattern.
1.
Muladhar Cakra: Mula means
the root or the un-manifest. Adhar means support or
foundation. This is the cakra where the kundalini energy lies dormant. The
element is Prithvi, the earth, and hence one's relationship with all earthly
possessions (including the phyisical body) is to be
considered. The sound is Lumn(g).
This
is related to attachment with material or objective world. Nothing wrong in
having possessions as long they do not possess you. The negative charge is
created when the possessions own the possessor. Observe how your energy is
affected when you consider (or fear) what would happen if these possessions
were to be lost. Let the breath take this negative charge from the Muladhar to the Ajna. There it
gets helplessly resolved into the infinite past. Breathe out loving,
understanding, accommodation.
The
positive charge is the energy related to willingness to share. This positive
charge becomes highly refined when such willingness and resulting action are
effortless. The positive energy is the energy created through sharing the
possessions or using the body in service of others who may be less fortunate.
The inhalation is used to receive this charge as a privilege. One exhales a
sense of blessing and humility.
Deeper
understanding of this effortlessness by the intelligence leads to the neutral
energy. In this neutral energy one first sees that one is a trustee, neither
the owner nor the giver. This neutral state looks into the question of who is
this “I” that owns or shares the objective world. When the I is seen to be the
image created by the mind then the positive and the negative become irrelevant
and there remains only the neutral energy of truth wherein there is a
choice-less and effortless awareness of what I is. Any sharing done is without
expectation of any recognition or reward. Care is exercised to see that any
pride connected with the sharing is understood to be an error.
2.
Swadhisthana Cakra: Su adhisthana means manifest foundation. The element is Apas, water and the sound is Vumn(g).
This
is related to attachment to pleasure and aversion to pain. The neutral is joy
of being without any other reason.
Negative
charge is where the mind tries to increase the personal pleasure and decrease
the personal pain without any regard for other life forms. Pleasure as it is
followed by pain will also create a negative charge.
Positive
charge is enjoyment of normal pleasures without violating the rules of dharma,
particularly the one of ahimsa, non-injury to all. It also entails the thought
and action to help others to gain pleasure and decrease pain, again in
compliance with dharma.
Neutral
energy is when the “I” created by mind is absent. There is the joy of “being”
without a reason. One observes pleasure and pain without any additional
reaction because these pleasures and pains belong to the body-mind-sense
complex (i. e. ego) rather than to I, the
consciousness.
3.
Manipur Cakra: This is the abode of wealth. The element is Agni the fire and
the sound is Rumn(g).
This
cakra is related to physical survival. The negative energy is created by
seeking increasingly more physical security. Attempt to gather more and more
food, shelter, etc. are examples of this negative energy.
The
positive energy is created by living in the world with minimal attachment to
the need for physical security and also by providing
others with this minimum security.
The
neutral is to see that there is no such thing as physical security and that the
demands belong to the image “I” which creates a false idea of future from the
past experiences.
4.
Anahat Cakra: Anahat means
primordial sound, which is produced without anything being struck. The element
is Air, Vayu and the sound is Yumn(g).
This
is related to attachment to emotional security. Negative energy is generated
when one demands increasingly more emotional security. Learning to live with
minimal demand for such security as well as by offering and providing such
security to others generates the positive energy.
Another
example of positive charge is the result generated when one understands that
the only person one can change is one-self.
The
neutral is the wisdom to know that there is no such thing as emotional security
and the demands for such security belong to the image “I” created by thought.
5.
Vishudhi Cakra: Shuddha
means refined or pure. The element is Akasha, ether and sound is Humn(g).
This
cakra is related to attachment to all aspirations and need for spiritual
survival.
Negative
charges arise out of fear created by misunderstanding about God that is created
by blind belief, by not reaching the goal and by unhealthy doubts.
One-up-man-ship amongst monks seeking enlightenment is an example of such
negative energy. Being in a hurry to achieve the higher goals is also a major
negative charge of this cakra.
Positive
charge is created by contentment that I am on the right path, healthy doubts,
repeated questioning in a healthy way, thoughts and actions to help others
along the path, and prayers.
Neutral
is uninterrupted effortless clarity to “what is”.
6.
Ajna Cakra: Ajna means
command or granting of permission. From here kundalini is granted permission to
rise to the Sahasrara cakra. Its element is infinite
space or the very essence of space, Maha Tatva. Its sound is Aumn(g).
This
is the ultimate cleanser of all negative energy with regard to different
aspects of life. Attention to this is initially used to create general initial
cleansing before attending to specific aspects of life through the other lower
cakras. The previous lower cakras are all time bound and finite, both
physically and psychologically. Ajna on the other
hand being infinite is free of time limitation.
As
all negative energy is devoured here the resulting energy is neutral. This
neutral energy is the state that is not time bound and hence free of lack of
patience as well as of infinite patience.
Whenever
dealing with a negative energy of a lower cakra, on inhalation let love drive
all the charge of any negative energy from that cakra into the Ajna cakra. This negative charge gets sucked into the
infinite past, just as nothing escapes from a black hole. On exhalation let
forth loving, understanding, accommodating energy. Remember this is not about
approving, accepting or forgiving; it is about reclaiming your lost freedom.
Remember exercise of bragging and the meditation of “let it be”. Those who have
not attended my classes on these aspects of bragging and "let it be"
may find this confusing; sorry, it will be clarified in some future writing.
7.
Sahasara: What happens from Ajna
to Sahasrara is not a subject of discussion. No
amount of verbal explanation can bear any fruit. All expectation of such fruit
simply become a hindrance.