This practice was designed to support the purification of the subtle energetic centers or chakras that exist along the central axis of the spine,
Again in the subtle energetic body.
So as we journey through these centers beginning from the root or the base of the body all the way up to the space above the crown,
We will practice imagining or visualizing or sensing these centers as balls of energy,
As discs of energy,
As spinning wheels of energy,
As a sense,
A felt sense of energy.
The point is that it is to be experienced by you in whatever way comes naturally to you.
If you're not a visual person,
Then you may not get a sense of a spinning ball or wheel or disc of light,
But you may find it much easier to connect through the felt sense of the experience at that particular center in that particular region of the body.
The practice is quite simple.
We will spend a couple of minutes up to five minutes at each of the 12 centers.
We will be using a 12 chakra system for this practice.
And as we spend that three to five minutes at each center,
We will very gently get the sense of the breath energy flowing in and out of that center.
With each of the exhalations,
As the exhalation flows out of that center or from that center,
We will have the inner sense of the mantra om.
The breath energy flowing is the mantra om.
Piercing through that center,
Flowing through that center.
Very simple.
Let's begin.
This will take about an hour.
It's probably ideal that you practice this laying down.
Find a comfortable position.
You may practice this in a seated position,
But again,
Be aware that you will be in the practice for about an hour.
You may lay on the back,
Setting yourself in a supported and comfortable position.
Take a few moments to ensure that your head and neck is supported.
If it's more comfortable to have the knees bent,
Then put a pillow or bolster underneath the back of the knees so you have slightly bent legs.
You may want to position yourself so that your spine is long.
Whether you're seated or laying on the ground or on a bed,
It doesn't matter.
Position yourself so that the spine is long.
If you're working within this central vein or this central channel of energy,
This core channel of energy,
It's ideal that the spine is positioned correctly in a relaxed,
Neutral position,
A stable,
Supported position.
Make any adjustments,
Any final adjustments to your body positioning,
To your clothing,
To your props.
If you'd like to have a blanket over you so that you're warm,
Then make any final adjustments so that you feel ready to become still,
More still.
You may close your eyes if that's comfortable.
The eyelids may be heavy and rest together very gently.
Just notice if there's any tension in the jaw,
If there's any clenching or holding,
If the throat is tight.
Just notice,
You don't have to change it,
Just notice areas of tension,
Perhaps areas of relaxation.
See if you can become aware of what it feels like for the whole body to be supported there by the bed or by the ground.
See if you can feel the support of that bed,
That solidness.
See if you can allow yourself to sink down into it more,
To become heavier against it.
You may take with that a deepened breath if you like and then release from your mouth a big sigh.
Just be aware of the whole body supported,
Held by the ground or held by the bed.
The whole length of the body.
The whole length of the spine and torso,
From the root of the pelvis to the crown.
Now,
I would like to invite your awareness to sink down,
Deep down into the body,
Right to the root of the body,
Right to the root of the pelvis.
Right at the center of the pelvic floor.
See if you can develop a felt sense of that,
That space there.
You don't have to try to do anything with it other than become aware of and see if you're able to feel.
Become aware through feeling of the space at the root of your body.
In fact,
You may imagine that the inhalation is just gently flowing in through the root of the body like you're breathing through the center of your pelvic floor.
And the exhalation after the breath flows in through the root of the body,
The exhale flows gently back down and out,
Passing back through the root of the body.
You may,
If it works for you,
Visualize a ball of energy or a disc,
A flat spinning disc or wheel of energy of any color,
A pleasant white and blue and whatever can be anything for you.
Or you may just have the sense,
The felt sense of this space.
The inhalation flows very gently and very naturally in through the root of the body and back out.
This is your first center.
The Mooladhara.
Are you able to just get the sense that your inhale gently pierces through the root of the body and just rest there for a moment until the exhalation is ready to gently flow back down and out.
And along with this,
You may begin to get the inner sense of the mantra all flowing with the exhalation.
So as the inhalation gently pierces in through the center of the pelvic floor coming to rest for a moment.
And then as the exhalation flows,
It flows as the vibration,
Aaauuuum.
A thought vibration,
Piercing through the root of the body,
Piercing through Mooladhara.
And do you continue this,
Of course,
At your own pace,
Finding your own gentle and natural rhythm,
The awareness,
The felt sense held at the root of the body,
Just in front of and at the base of the spine.
So this central channel along with which these chakras or energy centers exist is along,
Is just in front of the spine,
Is not actually in the spine,
Through the spine,
But up along the,
Through the center of the body,
Beginning here at the root.
The inhalation gently flowing in as if it's piercing,
Gently touching the subtle energetic center and this pearlescent ball of energy.
Your slowly spinning disc of energy,
Whatever it is for you.
After that inhalation comes to rest for a gentle moment,
Then the exhalation flows as this subtle thought form of AUM.
Let the exhalation be that vibration.
I say that so that you don't think of them as being separate,
The breath and the mantra.
Breath energy flows as the mantra AUM,
Gently flowing out of or from the root of the body.
If you're visualizing a spinning ball or disc of energy,
Maybe it's a couple of inches in diameter,
It's not very big.
You are imagining as if you are breathing gently in and out of the root of the body,
Without force,
Very natural breath.
The breath energy touches that subtle energetic center,
Coming to rest for a moment and then flowing very gently as the mantra AUM,
In thought form,
As thought vibration.
Then you may let go of the mantra for a moment and just allow the awareness to reside for a few more moments there at the root,
There at our first center.
Notice anything,
You feel anything or not,
You might feel nothing,
No expectation to feel something or not,
There's no expectation.
Now the awareness is going to travel from the root of the body up just a few inches.
The front trigger point for the second center which is called swadhisthana,
Front trigger point is at the pubic mound.
You need to touch it with your fingertips of one hand,
Find your pubic mound.
And at the back of the body it's at the sacrum,
Front and back trigger point.
Just allow the awareness to reside somewhere in the center there between those two points,
Between the pubic mound and the sacrum.
And you may imagine as if the breath energy is flowing down gently,
If you're laying on your back vertically straight down through your pubic mound,
Toward the sacrum,
Where it comes to rest for a moment,
Perhaps touching that light energy,
That ball or disc or wheel of light energy,
Or residing there as an energetic felt sense before flowing as an exhalation back up and out as if the exhale pierces back through the pubic mound flowing out of the body.
You may be very visual,
You may not,
You may just use imagination to imagine this breath energy piercing through the pubic mound,
Coming to rest in the center of the body just above or in front of the sacrum and then flowing as a gentle om.
That om as it flows with the exhale,
It flows to pierce back through the pubic mound,
Expanding or spreading out outward from the body.
As this gentle exhale.
No rush,
This isn't a breathing technique.
If you can allow the breath to flow just very naturally,
Very softly,
Imagine or feel as the breath pierces through your pubic mound,
The front trigger point for the second center.
Meaning the breath comes to rest just in front of or above the sacrum,
However you're positioned.
It flows as om and that om can expand or spread outward through the body like you're emanating an om from Swarishtana in the second chakra.
Okay.
See if you can maintain a subtle felt sense of this energetic center as the inhalation gently comes to rest for a moment.
Be really there feeling and really feel that subtle vibration of om emanating,
Flowing from and emanating from the second center,
Flowing from the pubic mound.
Okay.
.
Maintain as best as you can.
Maintain your awareness.
Maintain your attention here in this second center.
If you become distracted,
Gently invite yourself back.
So that the inhalation flows through the pubic mound,
Comes to rest in the center of the body.
Flows outward as AUM.
And you may let go of the mantra for a moment.
Come to rest in that second center.
You may just take a moment there to notice anything.
Without trying to do anything.
Just notice whatever is there.
Any sensation.
And then you may allow your awareness to flow up from that center a few inches to the third center which is called Khanda.
Which we've talked about a lot in other sessions.
Halfway between the navel and pubic bone.
So if you need to use your fingertips,
Find your pubic bone mound,
Find your navel and poke halfway between.
That's the front trigger point.
At the back of the body it's right at the top of the sacrum.
See if you can allow your awareness to reside there.
So the inhalation may flow in through that center,
The lower abdomen.
As if the inhale is flowing toward the top of the sacrum at the back of the body.
Although the inhalation you may feel come to rest before it actually reaches the center.
Since we are remaining in the central vein and that exists in front of the spine.
Not in the spine.
The exhalation flows from that center and exits back out through the lower abdomen about halfway between the navel and the pubic bone.
And once you feel comfortably established there,
Then you may include the mantra OM as the energy of the exhale.
The mantra OM.
Don't rush it.
The inhalation will naturally pierce the front trigger point of the khanda at the lower abdomen.
Coming to rest.
Just in front of the top of the sacrum.
And again you may visualize a small spinning disc or wheel or sphere of energy of any color.
A light energy.
Or you may just develop a felt sense of that subtle center.
Allowing the subtle energy of the breath to pierce through that point and come to rest.
For a brief moment before it flows back out emanating from your body as OM.
Can you imagine that this OM as the exhale,
It emanates from you.
It spreads as it flows out,
As it pierces through the lower abdomen.
It's like you're emanating this primordial vibration of OM from that center.
The inhalation,
If you're laying on your back,
Flows vertically down and pierces the khanda,
The front trigger point of khanda.
It reaches the khanda in the core of the body,
The center of the body.
Directly behind the lower abdomen in the center.
And it slowly flows from there as this nice easy OM.
However long your exhale is.
If you are visualizing a sphere of light energy,
A pearlescent sphere of energy,
You may also imagine or get the sense that as the inhalation reaches that sphere of energy that it glows a little bit brighter.
It's like that inhale stimulates or charges that center as it reaches it.
It charges it up.
It becomes brighter.
That energy then flows from that center as the mantra OM,
Purifying,
Cleansing the center,
The mantra OM.
Which in this case emanates from the lower abdominal region.
And then you may let go of the mantra when you're ready.
You may come back,
The awareness back to rest at that lower abdominal center,
Deep in the core of the body.
And then you may travel up a few more inches to the region directly behind your navel,
Directly in front of your lower back.
The fourth center known as Manipura.
The inhalation may just very gently pierce through the navel as it flows into the body,
Coming to rest just above the arch of your lower back.
The exhale energy then flows back out,
Back up and out,
Piercing back out through that navel and emanating from you as the mantra OM.
You have to only allow the breath to flow without trying to do anything.
You're not trying to breathe deeply or hold the breath in any way,
But rather just allowing it to flow,
But directing it as breath awareness.
So the awareness flows as that inhale piercing through the navel and coming to rest in the center of the body,
Just above the arch of the lower back and flowing and the exhale flows as OM.
The fourth center known as Manipura.
We're just imagining like we're breathing gently in and out of the navel.
As if the breath was able to flow vertically down through the navel and back up out of the navel.
As it flows out of that mantra OM,
Cleansing or purifying that center,
Primordial vibration of OM.
The fourth center known as Namaskaram.
You may let go of the mantra when you're ready.
You may let go of the mantra when you feel ready.
And the awareness can come to rest in the body behind the navel or beneath the navel,
Again depending how you're positioned.
And what do you notice?
If anything,
What do you notice there?
And then see if you can allow the awareness to flow up a little bit higher,
Directly behind the breast bone,
The sternum bone.
If you're not sure,
Just touch the center of your rib cage,
The center of your chest,
Right at the base of the sternum bone.
The sixth center,
Anahata,
Commonly known as the heart center.
You may develop a felt sense,
If possible,
A felt sense of this space of the heart.
And or you may visualize or imagine a ball or a disc,
A wheel of energy spinning.
And the inhalation vertically passes through the sternum bone,
Through the base of the sternum bone and comes to rest there in the center of the body at the seat of the heart.
And then the exhalation flows back up and out,
Piercing through the base of the sternum bone and exiting the body,
Flowing from the body.
It's as if you're feeling the heart from the heart.
Breathing gently in and out of the space of the heart.
See if you can follow that exhalation really closely.
Feeling every moment of it as the mantra,
As the mantra syllables of Ah.
Allowing that primordial source of vibration to cleanse or purify the subtle energetic center of the heart.
You mantra all emanating from the heart.
The inhalation flowing smoothly and gently.
A stream of water,
A current of electricity flowing in through the sternum bone,
Coming to rest for a moment.
And vibrating and emanating as the thought vibration of Om,
Which would be considered to be more potent even than Om spoken or chanted out loud.
The subtle thought form.
And when you feel ready,
You may let go of the mantra and return to the center of the heart for a few moments.
Just to notice anything.
You may notice nothing or you may notice sensation,
Vibration,
Heaviness,
Lightness,
Openness,
Closeness.
It could be anything.
And from the seat of the heart,
We will continue our journey up the central vein,
The center of the body,
The center behind the base of the throat.
So you may begin to imagine or get the sense that the breath energy is piercing through the throat,
Flowing into the throat.
The center which is called Vishuddha.
So as the inhalation pierces through the throat comes to rest in the center of the throat or neck just in front of the spine.
And you may imagine or visualize a small disc or wheel of energy,
Small sphere of energy,
Any color or no color.
The inhalation touches it,
It may glow brighter and become stronger as if becoming activated.
And then allow the mantra Om,
AO,
AO.
To emanate from,
To flow from and emanate from the center of the throat.
Again,
Ensure that you are not rushing,
You're not forcing this,
Not turning it into a breathing technique.
Do your best to just allow,
Allow yourself to be held there by the ground,
The bed.
Allow your body to be heavy,
Which means relaxed,
As relaxed as possible.
And the easiest,
Most natural sense of breath.
So when the breath is ready to flow,
It flows and it pierces through the throat.
Subtle energetic center of the throat.
The front trigger point being at the throat,
The front of the neck,
The back trigger point being at the spine.
Somewhere above,
Just above the base of the neck.
Are you able to feel the subtle vibration of Om?
Flowing through and emanating from the center of the throat.
Flowing through and emanating from the spine.
.
And when you're ready you may let go of that mantra and continue residing within the center at the throat for a few more moments.
And what do you notice?
What do you feel?
If anything,
Then you may continue up the central vein,
The center of the body to the palate.
Just add or just slightly above the palate.
If you turn the tip of the tongue straight up,
Touching the soft part,
Right there,
Right above there.
You can relax the tongue if you like or keeping the tongue curled slightly up is a technique that we have spoken about and I will expand upon further later on.
Called Kachari Muja.
For now the tongue can just relax.
You may just imagine that your inhale flows in through the nostrils and touches that spot just above the soft palate.
You may even literally feel cool sensation of the breath flowing past the soft palate.
Try to keep the jaws relaxed as you can.
Center which is called Talu.
As the inhalation flows in,
It comes to rest,
Meaning it stops for a moment,
A brief moment perhaps,
Right at that spot just above the soft palate.
Where you may imagine or get the sense of subtle energetic center or sphere of light.
Or nothing.
You may visualize emptiness there,
Voidness.
Allow the exhalation to flow as the mantra Om.
Flowing from this beginning at this center,
The soft palate and flowing exiting back out of the body as if that Om is flowing out of the nostrils,
Flowing into the space in front of your face.
See if you're able to feel like I described the cool air of the breath touching that center.
You may notice the soft palate and flowing out of the nostrils.
And then again you may let go of the mantra.
And then we will continue up just another inch above that into the center of the brain.
Related to the eyebrow center,
The space between the eyebrows,
The seed of intuitive wisdom,
Of higher knowledge if you will.
You may imagine that that inhalation or you may get a felt sense of the inhalation piercing through the space between the eyebrows flowing toward the center of the brain.
Allow the inhalation to come to rest for a moment in the center of the brain.
Touching,
If you like charging or stimulating that subtle energetic center and then flowing as the mantra Om,
The exhale flowing as the mantra Om and piercing the space between the eyebrows as that Om emanates from your eyebrow center.
Imagining the mantra Om as it flows,
As the exhalation it's emanating from the eyebrow center.
And then again,
The mantra Om as it flows,
As the exhalation it's emanating from the eyebrow center.
The inhalation pierces through with ease flows through to reach the center of the brain.
When the exhalation is ready to flow back from the center of the brain and out through the eyebrow center.
Just so slowly with complete awareness as the syllables of Ah,
Ooh,
Mmm.
Mmm.
Mmm.
It's as if we are breathing in and out to the spot between the eyebrows,
Breathing into the center of the brain,
Holding for a brief moment and flowing as Om,
That Om cleansing that center purifying.
Mmm.
And when you feel ready,
You may let go of the mantra coming to rest again in the center of the brain.
And continuing up a few more inches.
There is a center at the top of the forehead,
More or less at the hairline,
But we're going to just go straight up to the crown.
The crown of the head.
Imagine where the soft spot of a baby would be.
You may just imagine that the inhalation flows from the space above the crown,
Reaches the crown,
Rests there for a moment and then Om,
The mantra Om emanates from the crown,
Flowing slowly and gently until it too comes to rest.
The inhalation would flow back to the crown of the head.
The energy of the inhalation.
And as you follow the movement of the inhale and the exhale to this trigger point at the crown of the head,
See if you can do so while holding the attention there at that spot.
You may experience sensations of varying types or nothing.
Again,
We do this with no expectation.
Just holding the awareness at that round opening.
The mantra Om.
As if it's emanating from the opening of the crown to the sky above.
The mantra Om.
The mantra Om.
Do your best to refrain from trying to pull the inhalation in and down into the body and pushing it out.
See if you can just let it be really natural.
While you remain acutely aware,
Intently aware of every moment of that inhalation being so there at the crown as it holds for a moment.
Feeling every moment of that subtle thought form of the mantra Om emanating out into the sky like a light shining from the crown,
A light of Om shining from the crown into the sky above.
The mantra Om.
Then you may let go of the mantra when ready.
Continue with your awareness at the crown,
The opening at the crown.
Then we will move just another couple of inches up.
Couple of inches above the crown,
Two,
Three,
Four inches.
You may imagine or visualize that sphere of light energy,
That wheel,
Spinning wheel of light energy if you like,
Or a void space.
A few inches above the opening of the crown.
This can get a little bit tricky as we get subtler and subtler.
Some of us may find it challenging to hold our attention and feel,
Develop a felt sense of this subtle space outside of the boundary,
The physical boundary of our skin and our bones.
So you may need to just imagine a few inches above the crown,
The inhalation flowing there,
Touching that spot and then flowing away from it.
If you find it helpful,
You may imagine that the inhalation flows from the space of ether above the crown,
The sky above the crown,
Just flows from that infinite void comes to rest a few inches above the crown.
And then the exhalation returns back into the sky as the mantra,
AUM.
.
See if you're able to keep your attention at that spot a few inches above the crown,
Residing in that subtle space as the inhalation flows and comes to rest there.
The AUM begins there and it emanates up into the infinite void above,
AUM,
As exhalation.
.
.
.
.
So maybe this is a couple of feet above your head.
Depends who you talk to,
12 inches above the head.
See if you can allow your awareness to reside at the upper limits of your subtle felt sense,
Meaning see how far you can feel or sense above the crown outside your body.
A foot or two feet.
Just imagine that you're breathing there,
That your inhalation flows from the infinite ether out there,
If there was an out there,
Comes to rest a foot or so above your head.
And then it emanates in all directions infinitely as the primordial vibration of AUM.
.
.
.
As if you're breathing there,
The inhalation flows and comes to rest a foot or so above the crown.
And then emanates as AUM,
Vibrates in every direction infinitely as AUM.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
What do you notice?
We want to slowly journey all the way back down,
Reversing the order,
Just slowly.
From a foot above the crown,
We come back to a couple of inches above the crown.
And then to the crown itself,
The skull,
Where the opening on a newborn baby would be.
Then we'll come down to the hairline at the top of the forehead,
And then to the spot between the eyebrows,
Piercing through into the center of the brain,
And then down to the palate,
And the throat.
And traveling down to the heart,
The heart center,
And further down to the abdominal area,
The lower abdomen,
And the pelvic region behind the pubic bone,
And right back down to the root of the body.
Be aware of the entire body.
Be aware of all of the energetic centers and the entire length of that central vein.
See if you're able to develop a sort of all-inclusive awareness of every center,
Of every part of the physical body,
And every energetic center existing along this central axis of the body.
Be aware of the body,
The whole body,
The entire space of the body,
All at once.
The body being held by the bed,
Or being held by the ground.
I want you to take a few more minutes,
As long as you need,
To just be there,
Exploring with curiosity the sensations that are present,
Residual effects of the awareness you just practiced with.
Just take a few more minutes,
Or as long as you need.
You need 10 minutes,
Take 10 minutes.
Just being there,
Doing nothing.
Aware of yourself and the body,
With all of its sensations and thoughts and sense perceptions.
Be there.
Namaskaram.
Thank you.
Thank you.
