Tag Archives: Kundalini

Chakra Meditation

Image January 21, 2016 jcisnowjs 2 Comments

We are fooled by the term Yoga(Yog). We do Surya Namaskar and say we have done Yoga. We will do kapaalbhati, Praanayam, a few OMs and we will start preaching ourselves as Yoga Guru.There is nothing wrong in doing all these, but to term them as Yog is like ignoring the big picture. Pardon me for using the term Yog and not Yoga, I just prefer it as this is more apt to its hindi nomenclature, like it is Lord Raam and not Lord Rama. I don’t want to pronounce it Yo-Ga. It is Yog.

Yog in simple plain hindi means – To Add, To Sum,To Join.

It is the Yog of us with our spiritual being. Joining of body with mind and soul.

Yoga, however is the most popularized version of physical exercises which are teachings of Yog, to make your body apt for meditation. Only a healthy body can have a healthy mind; and only a healthy mind can have a healthy soul. This is the basis of Yog. We use Pranaayam, and other type of Yogic exercises to make our body fit. Meditation is used to make our mind distraction free and focused, so we can receive the knowledge of beyond. When this is reached, Yog helps us to reach our highest spiritual self. To be one with The One. This joining of trinity. Mind + Body +Soul.

There are so many ways to practice Yog in your life, like Hath Yog,Raaj Yog, Tantra, Mantra, Gyan, Karm. One of them is Kundalini Yog, which involves almost everything from breathing exercises to mantras, to meditation. Kundalini enlightenment works by awakening our Chakras.

I felt fascinated with Chakra Meditation and Kundalini Yog, as somehow, this is the most scientific and processed form of a ritualistic meditation. It’s not just about making your mind blank, it is about enriching your mind/soul. It works on body, mind and soul simultaneously.

There are 7 Chakras, 6 in our body and 7^th on our outer body, just crowning us on top.

Muladhar – Base chakra, or Root Chakra is at the end of our spine. Its representing color is Red and Mantra is Lam. In senses it represents smell. It’s element is Earth. How apt is that when we say – come back to earth, put your foot down, to touch your roots; what we actually means is to be stable and secure, to become grounded; and all these take us to our root which is earth, our Muladhar, our base. This is the Chakra of stability, of the first step. We start from earth. This is our base.

Svadhishthana – This Chakra represents reproductive organs, and our emotions. Water is its element. Water which also represents emotions, feelings, and reproduction. Have you noticed how much watery terms when it comes to our reproductive organs, like flow, blockage, pipes, swimmers, etc… In senses it represents taste. It’s color is orange and Mantra is Vam. Water over Earth.

Manipura – It is the fire element, and quite suitably denotes our digestive system. This fire is used to digest our food, to burn it. Fire over water. Yellow is its color and Ram is its mantra. Sense is sight. It governs fear, power, and anxiety etc. Butterflies in stomach, feeling sick in stomach… we say all these things when we are anxious or scared.

Anahata – It is the Heart Chakra. It governs circulation, love, compassion, and well-being. All matters related to heart. Its color is green, and mantra is Yam. Sense is touch. Has anyone touched your heart? Its element is Air. Air over Fire. It is the most powerful chakra for emphats. Person with strong and awakened Heart chakra is full with love and compassion. It is one of the strong point in being an empath.

Vishuddha – This is throat chakra. Visuddha meaning pure. This chakra govern communication and expression. Its element is Ether. Ether is what this universe is made of. Our sound can not travel without this medium ether. Sound which is a part of communication, ruled by throat chakra. Its color is blue, mantra is Ham, and sense is hearing.

These were 5 chakras with elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. 5 elements. Our body is made of these 5 elements, 5 matters. These are those 5 matters. Now, what resides over matter.

Mind.

Mind over matter.

Ajna – Aagyaa, or gyan chakra. This is our 6^th Chakra. Our mind. Mind over all the matter. It is above all the physical elements. Our mind can go beyond this Ether filled universe. Its color is violet, or indigo. Its mantra is OM. It is also called as third eye chakra. It govern intuition. Clarity. Knowledge. Our consciousness. The sixth sense. This is our 6^th Chakra giving us 6^th sense. This is our inner voice. Its sense is insight.

Sahasrara – thousand petals chakra, also known as Crown chakra is at the crown of our head. It is not inside our body but rather just on the top, where our aura is. This is the final destination of Kundalini shakti, where she unites with her Shiva. Shining like millions of sun put together. The perfect union of Shiva-Shakti. Perfect Yog. This is the place of pure bliss. Enlightenment. Samaadhi. This is where our higher spiritual self resides. To reach there is attainment of Moksha. To attain pure knowledge. To know all. To be all. To be The One. Where there is no difference in body, mind and soul. It’s just a single point. Nothing matters. You are one. Shiva is one with her Shakti. Yog.

This is Yog for me.

Life

Saturday Scroll – Something Funny

Quote July 26, 2014 jcisnowjs Leave a comment

“Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good evening’ and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.” 🙄

Life, Spiritual

Why We Pray to Shiva Linga?

Image February 3, 2014 jcisnowjs 6 Comments

Disclaimer: This article is based on my understanding made through reading various religious and spiritual books. Being a science student I have always looked for reasons behind everything, even when I know that some things can not be explained. Still, I have tried. Fool me. In no way my intentions are to hurt feelings or beliefs of anyone. In fact I am not strong enough to hurt your beliefs. So, try to read the below article with an open mind, otherwise you always have the choice of not reading it.

Why We Pray to Shiva Linga — Shiva Linga

Every time we bring Lord Shiva to our thoughts, there are generally two images that come to our mind. One that has form of a male human God wearing animal skin, having a drum (dumroo) in the hand, Ganga flowing throw hairs and snakes curled around the blue colored neck. Another image is that of a Shiva Linga, to be precise, denoting male phallus and female sexual organ (yoni) at the base.

But, why these two representation of Lord Shiva?

First lets discuss that why we are praying to what looks like the sexual organs of male and female body. So, while I was reading about the Kundalini, the Seven Chakras, and spiritual course of universe coming into existence from a single energy source. It struck me that what I have read in various religious books like Vedas, Shuk-Sagar and Shiv Puraan about Devas location and their role in universe creation, is actually so much related to our body, the Chakras inside and the sleeping Kundalini residing in the body.

Kundalini which dwells in the base of our spine in the Muladhaar Chakra, sleeps there in the coiled form. It rests in coiled form and thus sometimes expressed as a serpent, also named Bhujungi. This Kundalini when awakened is The Shakti, the ultimate energy form in its full power. Shakti which as per Indian Vedas and Puraans is the AadiShakti and companion of AadiShiva. Shiva who is static, used his Shakti the kinetic energy, to create the universe and everything in the universe. It is The Shakti, who has created everything as per the intention of Shiva, and she is thus the Mother of all. Sometimes also, referred as Mother Nature (Prakriti), and Maya the illusion.

Shakti and Shiva both complement and complete each other. Without his Shakti, Shiva is nothing, and without Shiva, Shakti is of no use. This can be stated in simple terms as, if Shakti is power, than Shiva is the Power Holder. If the power holder is not able enough or deserving to hold the power, then the power can not be put into any use. Same way, if a deserving power holder do not have enough power in his hands, he can not do anything useful. Thus, a union of Shiva and Shakti can be the only one powerful enough to create and hold everything in the union as one. That’s why when Shiva created this universe (Srishti), with the help of his Shakti, he took the form of Ardhnarishvar, God represented as half male and half female form.

Coming to how Kundalini is related to the universe creation and Shiva Shakti. Not going into much details here, (maybe in some another post), When Shakti was creating the Universe, one form that she took was, of Prakrti. As Prakrti she evolves Mind (Sixth Chakra), senses and matter of five forms namely Ether (fifth Chakra), Air (Fourth), Fire (Third), Water (Second), and Earth (last Muladhaar Chakra). When Shakti entered the last Chakra, her last creation of universe, she then went to rest there in her coiled sleeping form. This sleeping coiled Shakti is termed as Kundalini. This coiled Shakti, in her lowest form is represented as a serpent (Shakti) clinging to Linga (Shiva),or a yoni (Shakti) making a base for Linga (Shiva). Thus, when we are praying to a Shiva Linga we are also praying for the awakening of the Shiva’s Shakti.

In her true or active form, this Shakti travels through all the six Chakras upwards and move to the seventh Chakra, Shashrara lotus Chakra or Crown Chakra, the Chakra of Shiva. Shiva is said to reside in the Crown Chakra, the highest point. Shakti or Kundalini when awakened to her highest state moves to the Crown Chakra to unite with her Shiva. Here, with the union of Shiva and her Shakti, Moksha is achieved, as this is the stage of God. Here, Shiva and Shakti in union are represented as a point (Bindu), which is in reality the point of creation and also destruction of universe.

Now, to mention why Shiva is represented as two forms, one as Shiva Linga and other as a God in human form. My rendition is that, Shiva when represented as Shiva Linga is shown in his true formless nature, the Aadideva Shiva, in union with his Shakti. But, Shiva when represented as human god, is Mahadev (not Aadideva), along with Parvati by his side (but, not in union). This is the place which Mahadev or Rudra has taken along with other MahaDevs like, Vishnu and Brahma to take care of the Srashti (Universe), created by the Aadidevas Shiva-Shakti.

Hope my interpretation is helpful in explaining what can not be explained.

Let Shakti be with you and you be the Shiva.

Books, Spiritual

Meditation For The Love Of It : Book Review

Image January 29, 2014 jcisnowjs 3 Comments

Meditation For The Love Of It

(Book Review)

When you are interested in knowing something, you will find so many ways to achieve it. That is what happening with me. Since I have started doing Chakra Meditation, I am picking books, articles and every possible opportunity which is increasing my thirst more and more on learning about it. This book “Meditation for the Love of it” by “Sally Kempton” has also enhances my learning experience.

Coming to the review of book, this book is very good for the ones who wants to start their Meditative journey. Author has provided a detailed description of her experience in meditation and her Kundalini awakening episodes. Sally Kempton has spent her 40 years of life in immersing herself in meditation. She has learned the meditation techniques by her Indian spiritual Guru. Their teachings and guidelines are also mentioned in the book in very descriptive format.

If we talk of what does not clicked with me while reading this book, then there is only one point which makes it somewhat less interesting. The point being, it is less of self help book and more of Sally’s meditation journey. It’s actually good for those who are not sure if Meditation is meant for them, and they should proceed with it in their regular life or not. It could be a good inspiration to start Meditation. For those who are just looking for more techniques and exercises for meditation, this book has the information scattered around in a vague way. So you have to kinda dig in to all the Sally’s experiences to find out real stuff.

To mention an example, Chakras are mentioned in the book but nearly in the end, that too very vaguely. Another book is mentioned there for reading about Chakras which should be actually the base of Meditation, in case you want to awaken your Kundalini.

Kundalini is also mentioned at the end and not much has been given about it. I was expecting more. Kind of disappointing to me, but no sad face. Whatever you read and learn, is never sufficient. I need more and thus I have ordered some more books. So, just keep watching this space till I get my hold on those books.

Live and Learn. 🙂