ida pingala sushumna

Chakra, Graha and the Rashi

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 As you know there are the 7 chakras from the Sahasrar to the Muladhar. Each chakra is linked to one planet/ graha in a sequence. (Have written two posts on this earlier, here and here).

The Sun is the individual soul, self-ego, the self. He is linked to the Ultimate reality but he is not that. He is just the link. He is the seed of duality which insists that you are separate from the Singular reality. He is just one ray of the Ultimate reality. The light of the Sun, the self-ego is so blinding that you do not realise that it hides the Ultimate reality behind it. This radiance is so magnificent, you are hypnotised here and you do not progress further. This is the last test in your spiritual journey.

In our spiritual practice, we regular humans generally do not focus on the Sun. In all our Dhyan systems, even the Soham mantra/ Sushumna Yog, we do not focus on the Sahasrara chakra at the top of the head. (If you want to experience what happens, try and see once, only once. It causes severe disorientation and other imbalances). However in Vijnyan Bhairav Tantra there is one Dhyan technique which does exactly this, focus on the top of the head at the Brahma-randhra. But this is only for advanced Sadhak-s who have taken Sanyas from the material world and do their Sadhana in extreme seclusion. It is not advised for householders like us.

We always focus on the Ajnya chakra, the third eye chakra between the eyebrows. This chakra is linked to the Moon. The Moon’s job is to ‘reflect’ the brilliance of the Sun. At the Ajnya chakra you ‘reflect’ in more ways than one. You reflect on yourself, your reality, the perceptions surrounding you, your mind, the emotions, the sum total of your existence. You reflect on your Mantra. Here at the Ajnya chakra, the blinding brilliance of the individual soul/Jivatma is brought to levels where you can work with it. The Moon tempers the harshness of the Sun. First you experience the reflected light, transcend it, then onwards to the light of your individual soul then transcend it to experience the Ultimate reality.

The ‘individual soul’ is called the ‘Jivatma’, this is the soul+karmic baggage. The Ultimate Soul or Paramatma is the Reality which we all desire to experience, our deepest desire.

In astrological terms, Sun is a natural malefic but the Moon is a natural benefic. The ‘individual soul’ is considered to be malefic but the ‘reflection of the individual soul’ is considered to be benefic. It is a paradox.

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Next we analyse the signs owned by the 5 Tara graha, ie the non luminous planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars Jupiter and Saturn. Each one of them rules over one ‘male’ and one ‘female’ sign/ rashi. Rashi means a ‘collection of attributes. And male or female indicate the quality of their energy, these words do not mean sex. Male energies are slower to move, more passive and more stable. The female energies are more changeable, adaptable and kinetic. Both are necessary qualities, neither can exist without the other and neither is lesser/ greater than the other. Continuous stability will lead to stagnation and continuous motion will lead to disaster. There are always burst of energy, followed by its consolidation and again a burst of motion, again consolidation, this is a never-ending cycle.

The planets each are linked to one chakra of your energy body. The male sign resides on the Pingala side of the chakra and the female sign resides on the Ida side of that chakra. The Tara-graha have polarity, thus own two signs each. The 12 signs sort of form a garland in sequence over the chakras.

  • Mercury is linked at Vishuddhi chakra. Gemini is his male sign at Pingala side and Virgo the female sign at Ida side
  • Venus is linked to the Anahata chakra with masculine Taurus at Ida and feminine Libra at Pingala sides.
  • Mars – is located at the Manipur chakra with his feminine Scorpio at Ida and male sign Aries at Pingala sides.
  • Jupiter – is seen at the Swadhisthan chakra with the changeable Pisces at Ida and the solid Sagittarius at Pingala sides.
  • Saturn – is at the lowest Muladhar chakra with Capricorn at Ida and Aquarius at the Pingala sides of the chakra.

The Sun and the Moon, the luminaries have no inherent polarity, they are a single intelligence. The luminaries own a single sign each, Cancer and Leo. One is at Ajnya chakra and the other is at the Sahasrara chakra. The Ida/ Pingala end here at the Ajnya chakra and only one Sushumna remains. This Sushumna is the neutral channel, it contains within it the brightest of all nadis, the most subtle Brahma-nadi. The Sahasrara is the top-most chakra, again only the neutral Sushumna connects here. After the Sahasrara the remaining chakras of the head do not have any graha associations and the energies of the rashi-s do not extend here. Within the innermost core of the Sahasrara chakra is the Bindu, the seat of the Parabrahma.

The Moon and Sun are the two luminaries, they see, observe, the witness, they are your two eyes. They see what you desire to see. The choice is yours, If you look ‘outward’, ‘downward’ from your third eye, you will see the manifested creation. If you look ‘inwards’ from your third eye ‘upwards’, you will see your own Self. The choice, as always, is your own.

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Rahu and Ketu are the astral planets, shadow planets, the chhaya graha. They do not own any signs of the zodiac. There are some books, especially by modern authors, which say that the are part-owners of some signs, this is incorrect. Rahu/Ketu do not give any material results whatsoever, so they cannot be even logically linked to any of the Lower 5 Chakras. They do modulate the results (chhaya) of the other graha they are associated with. Rahu is the force of desire for future experience. Ketu is the learning derived from past experiences. You are consciously unaware of both and together they push your energy geometry out of balance. On an esoteric level Rahu and Ketu are responsible for the illusion called Life and Living. They are the Kings of Karma. They help you play the game of Creation. (I have written several posts on their innermost nature, do use the index page to locate these posts)

Conversely they can be consciously used to push your geometry back to its perfect balance, in which case they grant Moksh. These are the singularity hidden in the illusion of duality. If you are travelling inwards towards yourself, you will see that they work as One. If you in your spiritual practice every get the blessing of Rahu+Ketu joined together as One, you will realise the ultimate very soon. A human who has evolved on a spiritual level will always show powerful Rahu/ Ketu, they will be in pivotal positions and will control the entire chart.

Now for a small practical. Jyotish is a Vidya, ie it is used to understand the conscious intelligence operating around you. And to really understand a Vidya you need experience it. If are doing Dhyan regularly for more than 6 months and wish to see how the signs/ rashi and graha/ planets look like within your own energy system, try this. Before sitting for your Dhyan, recite the mantras of the 9 grahas, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu, request them to show themselves to you. Recite a mantra for the Earth/ Pruthvi requesting that she grant you stability. Offer them all your gratitude and then see what you will be shown. If you are an advanced aspirant you can try this during an eclipse, but do this only if you can handle it. (Do change your nadi to the Sushumna before starting. Their strength varies depending on which nadi is active.)

The Graha, the Nakshatra, the Moon and the Sun are all within you. You contain the entire Universe within you. You are the highest Conscious Intelligence yourself Jyotish is just one of the many ways of realising this fact.

 

I have mentioned this in my several posts on Rahu/ Ketu, yet I am being asked this same question about which Rashi’s are ‘owned’ by Rahu/ Ketu, so this mini post. Again Rahu/ Ketu do not own any rashis.

Health tips from Swar yog

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Swar means the the tone, sound, voice, air breathed through the nostrils, 7, etc. ‘Swar yog’, means the conscious power of the vital energy/pran that you are pulling in with your breath. Your pran is your best friend. Now if you are able to use this power consciously you will not only progress on your spiritual path but also live a happier, healthier physical life.

Spiritual growth is everyone’s right. There are several paths which suit people of different temperaments but the destination remains the same. Broadly the paths are of two types Tantra and Yog. Yog is to wilfully avoid the physical experience and focus only on the core inner practice. Tantra is to experience everything with awareness, thus remain immersed but yet apart, ultimately transcending it all. Both require complete control over the mind and the body.Swar yog is analysing the quality of your breathing and recognising the rhythm of the pran that you are pulling in. You adapt your behaviour/actions as per the power of the pran. It is different from Pranayam. Pranayam is controlling pran and then using it.

Health tips from Swar yog

There are 3 swar, and they flow through the Ida, Pingala and Sushumna in a rhythmic pattern.

For perfect health, Ida and Pingala must alternate approx every hour or 1.15 hrs. Both should be open for equal durations. And during the point when they change, the Sushumna should active for 2-3 minutes. i.e. one nostril will feel alternately blocked and then for 2-3 minutes both will feel open. If this is rhythmic then it means that the brain is being utilised equally. If this is not happening in regular rhythm, the body/mind will fall ill, i.e. one part of the brain is over-stressed. If the Left nostril/Ida is open for more time it means a problem which has its source in the mental processes. If the Pingala/right nostril works more than is should there is an imbalance in the flow of vital energy/pran in the physical body and you will fall seriously ill within the next 6 months. You can time your Ida/Pingala durations and if there is a problem address it by consciously shifting the swar (refer post here). Eg. Digestive problems, respiratory problems, impotency, ‘cold’ linked problems are linked to excessive Ida flow. Pingala over-active means problems related to heat, ulcers, acidity, muscle pains, high blood pressure etc. (This post on nature of medical problems)

When you sleep at night, try sleeping on your left side, this will keep the body warm and resolve digestive/respiratory problems. If you are feeling cold, or suffering from ‘cold’ related ailments, sleep more on your right side till the ailments sort out. Sleeping on the back for extended periods is not advisable.

 

The flow of Swar is linked to weather too. If the weather is hot dry, Pingala flows more. In cold rainy weather Ida is more dominant. The Indian season/Rutu ‘Sharad’ is the best as the Swar cycle is best balanced during these two months. When the Sun is in the odd signs, Pingala tends to dominate. And when the Sun is the even rashis, Ida tends to work more. There is a very intimate link between Jyotish and Swar. Especially when you get clients for Prashna kundali, you are required to be aware of your personal swar movement. A lot of your answers can be given from this itself.

For women in the reproductive age group, the swar cycle is unbalanced for the first 3 days of the monthly cycle. Sushumna works more or a combination of Sushumna/Ida overpowers Pingala. The body gets tired and you simply droop. So take rest during these days. From the 4th day of the cycle the swar rhythm somewhat regularises. Always remember if your Swar cycle is disrupted for more than 3 days be alert as you might fall ill soon.

For simple illnesses you can try this simple technique. e.g you have a sudden headache, check which nostril is active and immediately change it to the other one. You will feel relief. If you are getting feverish, close down the Pingala nadi and activate the Ida, your fever will go down. It always works.

Health tips from Swar yog

Now, you can easily check which nostril is active, one will feel ‘open’ and the other ‘blocked’. You can also blow on a mirror. Have you ever checked how your exhaled breath looks like? So take a mirror, keep it 2 cms away from your nose and exhale normally. Look at the shape formed on the mirror. If your Ida is active, left side of the exhaled moisture will be larger, if Pingala is active then the right side will be larger and if the Sushumna is active both halves will be equal. If you keep track of the shape of the exhaled air over time, things can get more interesting.

The five-elements, the Pancha-Bhoot, are also active in the body in a particular rhythm and their activity is reflected in the shape of your exhaled air! If you are already doing some spiritual practice you will be able to instantly see these shapes. Spiritual practice controls the mind so the flow is smoother, so the shapes are more defined. Else you will have to practice something and then observe the shapes and study them for a couple of months. The five cycle in a fixed manner through the Swar cycles. Some practical uses,

Akash tattva in the Swar – small scattered dots. Happens only for 4 minutes so you might not see this pattern in your study. Its significance is limited to spiritual practice. Relax, take a few deep breaths, enjoy the inner nothingness. If you attempt any physical/mental activity during this period, you will be unable to focus. If by a rare chance Akash occurs when Sushumna is active (max 30 secs). You can bless/curse, do any spiritual practice, read any chart, intuition/power is extraordinarily high.

Vayu tattva in the Swar – oval shaped exhalation, for 8mins. Agitated situations so if you act without thinking you will get unexpected results. But if you act with balance and self-focus, this will work.

Tej tattva in the Swar – a triangular shaped exhalation. Occurs for 12 mins. This period gives mental agitation. Keep your opinions to yourself do not get into arguments. Keep away from sharp objects, you might hurt yourself.

Prithvi tattva in the Swar – The mirror is covered by the exhaled moisture as large amount of moisture is created. This continues for about 20mins, so you will see this pattern most commonly. Do some material type of work during this period, plan, think about something permanent physical thing. If you want to work on your health, take medicines or self-healing this is the perfect time.

Aap tattva in the Swar – this exhalation is seen as a half-moon shape. Occurs for 16mins. Things done during this period give immediate but changeable results. So do some actions which require movement.

Health tips from Swar yog

So use your Swar. Sanatan Dharm/Hinduism is about practice and studying the self. You have to be aware of yourself. There is no pill which will do this for you, you have to do it for yourself.

Here is the easiest thing you can do. Be aware of the physical inhaling/exhaling. Whenever you get even one minute free at home or at your work, do this. Mentally recite ‘So’ as you breathe in and mentally recite ‘hum’ as you breathe out. You might think to be very silly and childish. But this simplest thing has the power of the Ultimate. Doing this you will remain aware of your breath. This is the first step which leads on to control of the mind. Ever seen a monkey’s behaviour? The mind is just like that monkey, always looking around, always agitated, picking up objects discarding them, jumping around for no reason, aimless but oh so very busy. This simple 1 minute So-hum is reining in your mind, one minute at a time. Do this for 21days and see the difference in yourself.

Modern ‘biorhythms’ are nothing but a crude version of Swar yog. Take care of your mind/body is these are the vehicles through which you exist on this earth. Being aware of the flow of the Ida/Pingala/Sushumna, the Swar is the first step to permanent health.

 

Health tips from Swar yog