Kundalini Yoga | Vedasage

Kundalini Yoga - The Path of Leveraging the Kundalini Energy for Objective & Subjective Meditation

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Welcome to the Path of Kundalini Yoga

The Goal of Advaita Vedanta

In Advaita Vedanta, the goal is to realise your true self or directly reveal the experiential knowledge that you are Brahman and have always been this sole reality. It is this direct knowledge that produces liberation, which is the result of being completely detached and free from the dream of samsara—the final goal behind all spiritual teachings. So long as one identifies as someone inside the dream where separation is perceived, their experience is false and ultimately unreal. This perception of duality is equivalent to bondage, therefore, one must utilize effort to disentangle from the dream in order to realize not only the truth of the dream but the truth of their own self.

The Methodology Behind Kundalini Yoga

Following the path of kundalini yoga is one such way to reveal the truth of the dream and the nature of oneself. This path alone can lead to the ultimate realization of one’s true self because it aims to withdraw attention away from the fluctuating mind through the use of the divine and potent kundalini energy. Kundalini can enhance two types of meditation: Objective & Subjective. Objective meditation is when one focuses on a specific thought or object in an attempt to suppress all other thoughts and objects until the thought or object being focused on vanishes. Subjective meditation however is when one withdraws attention from anything conceivable, eventually reverting back to its own source. For both types of meditation however, it requires preparatory practices that enables one to withdraw from the unsteady mind. Thus, the main methodology of this path is to awaken and harness the kundalini energy to enable realization. Through purification of the chakras and nadis, we can help awaken the energy. Through constant use of the spiritually cleansing energy, we can become self-controlled, which allows consciousness to disentangle from the ongoing functions of the operative mind.

The kundalini energy can lead to self-realisation because it allows attention or your awareness to channel inward, away from the mind and all of its deceiving properties that enables the dream of samsara to persist. It is only when consciousness is seemingly entangled in the mind’s functions, that the mind is considered uncontrolled. An uncontrolled mind perpetuates samsara, as one succumbs to desires and thoughts, which gives rise to suffering, as attention constantly drifts in different directions. Controlling the mind by withdrawing attention through usage of the kundalini, allows one to take attention to the extreme depths of the mind, eventually becoming meditative even amidst actions, where detachment from the mind prevails.

You only consider yourself to be the agent or jiva because you are attached to the mind’s functions and perceive all of the phenomena such as the senses and thoughts which deceives one into believing that they are the entity experiencing them. This perception enables the experience to feel as if it is completely real. However, if there is no longer identification with the senses and thoughts, eventually, you lose identification with the agent. All phenomena that was once perceived by the agent, which enabled the experience to be considered real, is now lost and known to be truly non-existent (literally).

You can only perceive yourself to be inside the dream if you hold yourself to be someone perceiving the functions of the mind, allowing oneself to perceive things as if they are the one whose desires are being fulfilled in the dream. This notion is what sustains the false identity of the dream character. However, by completely controlling the senses, thoughts, and the mind’s functions, through persistent control, one becomes meditative, and eventually loses their false identity. What remains is the pure actionless self. In this process, your identity begins to transition into this singular self, which is the substratum upon which everything, including the body, is conceived. During this process, the truth of what you and the dream actually are is realized.

With the mind completely controlled, realization dawns in its full glory, without a trace of attachment to the senses, thoughts or the other functions of the mind. One now remains detached from the dream by being the very truth of it. How can we say there are even the senses or thoughts at this point when one is not entangled in them? How can we say that there are different functions of the mind if only one alone exists? What was perceived as many distinct parts in which the mind was able to operate through, is now only seen as an appearance in a unified whole, with no bearing on the one who has completely detached from them. With the complete control over the mind’s functions, there is nothing left to identify with but Brahman. Self-knowledge has now completely taken over.

Where should you begin on this path?

There are many levels encompassing this path that an individual can engage in practice. However, the level you should first engage in depends on whether the kundalini is awakened or not. If the energy is not awakened, one may find it difficult to concentrate, whether on an object (objective meditation) or away from it (subjective meditation). In this case, they should start at the very beginning of this path. However, if one’s kundalini is awakened, and the mind is naturally self-controlled and does not crave much sensual objects, this demonstrates control and suggests purification of the mind. Such individuals should elevate towards higher themes, such as being concentrative in their actions with use of the awakened energy.

What can you expect on this path?

At first, seekers are recommended to help control the mind through self-improvement. This involves using effort to work on oneself by cultivating sattvic qualities. Sattvic qualities are of goodness, positivity and peace. With the development of sattvic qualities, it helps keep the mind at rest instead of being so deeply engaged its functions that perpetuates selfishness as one continues to indulge in desires that gratify themselves. On the path of kundalini yoga, we will discuss ways in which we can purify the mind by purifying the chakras and nadis, and working to resolve qualities, such as fear, greed, insecurity, jealousy, hatred, etc. By doing some inner work and removing qualities that perpetuate a strong ego, we begin to purify the chakra system. This mental purity starts to break down the barriers of separation between oneself and others. You will begin to perform actions that are naturally selfless and pure, instead of acting out of selfish motives, as these type of actions only reinforces the false identity that commits actions to gratify itself and thus perpetuates the dream of separation. Improving one’s qualities leads to acts of kindness, compassion and empathy which fosters connection with all beings. The more compassion one has, the more connected they are with this world and the more they see things as unified instead of separate. This compassion naturally makes the mind more still and purified, allowing one to embrace life with more acceptance, and surrendering more to its unfoldment whether good or bad proceeds from it.

As the seeker continues to embark down this path, actions become more dedicated to a higher power, as mental clarity fosters a connection with all, and starts to seek something greater, beyond the acts of righteousness and virtue. One begins to engage in actions to call on this greater power, into the realm of continuity. On the path of kundalini, we will discuss ways to invoke the kundalini energy which lays dormant within. Such practices will entail pranayama and mantras. By performing these practices, one begins to take attention into the realm of stillness. This stillness however is not full of continuity just yet, and so these practices are only preparatory to help spark a transition to inner clarity. All these actions work to keep the mind controlled, by turning away from disturbances which are normally perpetuated when one has strong agency in their actions through the mind’s constant fluctuations. With more control of the mind’s functions through these introductory practices, one’s level of concentration begins to become firm.

Note: Yogas such as Kriya and Hatha also fall under this theme as they both aim to awaken the kundalini. These two yogas will not be explained on this path.

Through mastering the theme of mind purification, we will explain how to harness the kundalini energy to enhance concentration, and how to bring up the energy to the deeper and more subtle chakras. The more concentration cultivates through these methods, the more the seeker turns away from disturbances and the fluctuations of the mind. Agency also begins to diminish as concentration allows one to slowly forget about the agent who is performing the practice.

Deepening concentration allows one to be more meditative in their actions, which will be taught through objective and subjective meditation. Similarly, we will talk about the third eye chakra, and how the kundalini must rest there in order to cultivate unbroken attention before plunging into samadhi.

The culmination of this path results in the seeker renouncing all of the mind’s functions, thereby having full control of the mind. Agency is also completely given up, as one loses themselves in the current of samadhi that draws their attention towards the self (unbroken attention). One now identifies as the actionless self, experiencing only unity and non-separation.

As you can see, this path involves fructifying four main themes that leads to realization of one’s true self:

Mind Purification
Concentration
Meditation
Samadhi

By leveraging the kundalini, one becomes self-controlled and disentangles consciousness from the ongoing functions of the operative mind.

If one is no longer entangled in the mind’s functions, then what else is there to hold on to? One no longer is tied to the functions, and therefore loses the capacity to feel or act as if they are the entity who experiences through those functions. Therefore, the individual ceases to exist as something real, and what remains is that which possesses no functions, which is none other than the self or Brahman. The path of kundalini yoga therefore leads one to give up the mind’s functions by ultimately recognizing its illusory nature. So long as there is entanglement in the functions, one will continue to perceive themselves as separate from others and therefore sustain the dream of samsara.

Completing the Sravana phase on this path

Before we go into the depths of this path by following its methodology based around the four themes, we will first briefly explain the conceptual knowledge of Advaita so that you understand the truth of reality in the most accurate manner, as it is truly known through direct experience. This serves as your sravana—which is hearing or reading the truths of reality. This phase is typically associated with jnana yoga, but will be complimented on all paths, including Kundalini, since understanding the truth of reality will help advance your practices on any path chosen as it allows you to view things radically differently. This will help awaken you faster by purifying the chakras/mind more, allowing you to expedite your spiritual growth to reveal the truth.

After a brief but profound understanding of what reality truly is, you will be led to explore a multitude of concepts that will help expand the sravana phase. This involves embracing knowledge about relative truths that you may not already be aware of, either conceptually or experientially. You will learn many different concepts and subjects that will help expand your understanding of the nature of reality. This knowledge will ultimately support you when you begin the path of kundalini yoga by putting it into actual practice, which is the most important part of this program. In other words, your journey down this path will be accompanied by profound intellectual knowledge about reality and its truth. This knowledge will serve as the backbone of your practice, guiding you in the right direction and elevating your consciousness so that you can progress to more advanced themes, ultimately realizing the self.

So are you ready to transform and elevate your consciousness to new heights? There's no turning back now. Let's get to it!

SRAVANA - THE TRUTH OF REALITY:

Right now, it seems that your awareness originates from within the body. Attention, inseparable from awareness, appears to project outward, focusing on objects perceived as separate from yourself due to your identification with the body. You identify as the body because you experience all five senses—hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and seeing. This sensory experience leads you to perceive it as real, viewing yourself as the body that perceives everything from its own perspective. Consequently, you perceive separation because the senses allow you to feel, smell, see, hear, etc., only what is in close proximity. This perception leads you to believe in constructs such as time, space, and the distance between objects.

The experience described above is known as samsara, also referred to as bondage because it entails believing and identifying with something that isn’t really there. But how can we assert that nothing is truly there? After all, your current experience suggests otherwise.

If attention, inseparable from awareness itself, is redirected away from the senses and all phenomena embedded in the dream of samsara—such as objects, time, and space—then what occurs is the observation that what was perceived as separate becomes unified and inseparable from your awareness. This means that what is seen or observed merges with your awareness. The dualistic distinction between subject and object collapses into unity (non-duality). It becomes apparent that awareness is fundamentally all there is, and what appeared to be tangible things were only perceived as such due to the functions of the mind, such as the senses, which interpreted them as separate entities.

To grasp this conceptually, consider yourself as an object positioned in space. This object, with which you identify, appears physical and possesses attributes like shape, size, color, and texture. Now, shift your perspective to identifying with space itself. How would you then perceive the object and its qualities from this new standpoint? From the perspective of being space itself, it becomes challenging to assert that the object retains these distinct qualities. Moreover, how can we argue that the object is separate from you when it is space that forms the very essence of the object, and you are now identifying with that space as the real essence of yourself? In this shift, you are no longer the object with defined attributes; instead, you are the underlying substratum upon which the object is conceived and exists.

When attention is withdrawn, it does not imply identifying with space itself, as even space is a false construct that facilitates the perception of duality. Instead, attention is withdrawn from everything conceivable, leaving only awareness. This awareness is void of space, time, causation, tangibility, substance, attributes, qualities, and all other concepts that imply duality.

In essence, when we speak of awareness, we refer to being aware of awareness only, without focusing attention on illusions or distinct objects which awareness appears to be. Everything ceases to be perceived as "everything" in its entirety but rather as an "appearance of everything". This shift occurs because distinct objects and constructs are only considered true when awareness is entangled in its own illusion, perceiving the tangibility of objects through the mind's functions.

The complete withdrawal of attention leads to the cessation of all constructs and distinctions as concrete entities. Instead, there remains only the appearance of diverse images held within the unified field of awareness. This can be likened to a television screen displaying a variety of images, inseparable from them because the screen forms those very images.

It is here one realizes the truth of duality was actually formless awareness—nonduality.

However, because attention was focused on something false (an illusion), awareness sustained its own false projection and continued to be immersed in something it perceived as tangibly real—things with meaning—when in truth, it was merely an empty imagination. Only when attention is immersed in this imagination does it perceive all the intelligence embedded within it, such as perception through the senses, and concepts like time and space. However, this doesn’t imply the actual existence of time, space, or the senses. In reality, even now, these things are non-existent, similar to water in a mirage. Because you believe there is water, you desire it and perpetuate its supposed existence. This means your attention currently appears to project an illusion, and because it's immersed in it, it continues to perceive all associated knowledge.

Given that the truth of reality is formless awareness, even when discussing reality from a dualistic perspective, there are never actual objects possessing tangibility and substance. Essentially, awareness is simply aware of knowledge. What constitutes knowledge in this context? Here, awareness is aware of objective knowledge, or knowledge pertaining to something other than itself. This knowledge, in essence, is just information—it's immaterial, similar to data. When you interpret there to be an actual object, it's merely knowledge of an object, or data that describes the concept of an object with which you’ve now interpreted to be a real thing. Do you see the crucial difference here? An actual object signifies a real entity, whereas knowledge of an object denotes knowing something (data) that appears to be different than itself. This knowing is inherent in awareness, as awareness inherently knows or is aware (both synonymous terms). It either knows itself void of objective knowledge (self-realization) or knows itself as something else, which is samsara.

This implies that objects are not actual things but merely knowledge of something that you mistakenly perceive as actual things. However, knowledge of something does not imply that this something is substantial or possesses tangibility, because awareness is inherently formless. At no point do things actually exist as independent entities. They are only perceived as such due to ignorance, which is the experience awareness undergoes when it becomes immersed in its own empty imagination, entangled in the functions driven by the innate intelligence of the imagination.

From what I have presented so far, it appears that attention, which is always non-dual, seems to be focused on things that only appear to be dual. Therefore, we should refer to samsara as broken attention. Why is attention considered broken? Because instead of being fixed on its infinite, non-dual self, which is void of objective knowledge such as time, space, and objects, attention appears to wander from one point to another, affirming the existence of other things that are not truly present. This wandering of attention from one point to another can clearly be observed in your own experience within samsara. It is evident through the movement of thoughts and your continuous shift of attention from one object to the next, attributing meaning to various things, all of which perpetuate desires and your underlying drive to fulfill them as an individual entity. When attention consistently operates in this manner, it perpetuates the illusion.

To break away from the illusion is to redirect attention to its unbroken source which can be done via different methodologies. This entails transforming broken attention into unbroken attention. This process is known as spiritual growth, spanning many lifetimes, each essentially a series of recurring dreams in different forms. What appears as an infinite journey culminates in returning to unbroken attention, where everything converges into formless awareness. This does not mean that things transform into something else or revert to non-duality; it simply indicates that the truth of duality was non-duality all along, and what actually changes is perception. However, upon fixing this perception, it is realized that nothing truly changed, not even perception itself, since everything was always formless awareness. Hence, reality is always considered non-dual, even when ignroance appears to be present—a stubborn paradox.

Right now, all you have is your awareness, because awareness is all there is. While you perceive there to be things outside of your awareness, those things cannot exist as separate entities if you were not aware of them through awareness itself. This is similar to seeing objects with the eyes—the act of seeing only occurs within the eyes. How could the experience of seeing be separate or external to the eyes? Similarly, what you are aware of is only known through awareness itself. It is awareness that conceives, and this very conception takes place in awareness.

Moreover, what you perceive as time and space does not actually exist in any moment. There are only thoughts of time and space occurring within awareness. The fundamental thought of there being time and space leads you to believe in those concepts, but they exist only within the completely still and unbroken presence of awareness. They can never be separate from your awareness. When thoughts are entertained, they give rise to various sensations and a multitude of perceptions that reinforce the belief in time and space. However, if attention begins to turn away from these underlying notions, you will begin to realize that there was never any actual movement that inferred the existence of time and space. There was only the appearance of movement, much like a screen that displays the appearance of movement while remaining unchanged throughout, since the screen itself never moves!

As you can see, the conclusion is that what appears to be duality is, in truth, non-duality. Even now, there is only non-duality. The problem is that you don’t see it that way, and because of this misunderstanding, we need to work on removing ignorance or the false perception that you currently hold. By putting in spiritual efforts to resolve this deluded perception, you can gradually unveil the truth of what reality truly is. With this realization, you will know, as an unbroken experiential truth, that you were never the body, never the mind, nor anything that appeared to be different from formless awareness always contained in its own singularity.

So what do you think so far?

Is this hard to believe? You may not truly understand it just yet, as it is still only a conceptual understanding. The goal of this path is to deepen understanding to the extent that it transforms you and eventually enables direct experience. In other words, this conceptual understanding will evolve from being logical and rational to becoming completely direct and intuitive, sparking flashes of insight and transforming into experiential knowledge. While you now grasp the brutal and direct truth of reality, this understanding must be enhanced until it transcends any conceptual grasp. Stopping here would mean you're still viewing truth from the perspective of an individual. This means practice is essential! After all, you have not yet realized it fully, otherwise you wouldn’t be on this platform seeking to deepen your understanding of this knowledge.

As you click through each hyperlink, take the time to read each page carefully and absorb these truths deeply. This is not about superficial reading or skimming through words. It's about contemplating what is being conveyed and acknowledging its implications on your life and the world around you. Do not approach this for intellectual advancement or to boast to others. Learn sincerely and embrace this truth in your life. This is why practice is the most crucial aspect of the spiritual journey; without it, one remains trapped in the conditioned and deluded identity of a dream character.

These concepts will be ordered in a precise sequence and will guide you to deeper subject matter necessary to understand before embarking on the path. Click on each hyperlink and read them in ascending order. As you start each theme of the path, additional hyperlinks will appear along the way. Make sure to read through them all as you progress forward, and most importantly, absorb these truths and apply them to your life immediately. This practice will deepen your understanding and facilitate transformation.

Note: Not everyone will be able to bear the fruit of these teachings immediately. These themes constitute the entire journey for any individual, spanning countless lives in pursuit of perfecting each one. So, even though you may go through each theme on this platform, you will not immediately realize the full fruits of a specific theme, unless you are qualified. This is why it’s crucial to continue acknowledging and embracing each theme as a constant spiritual practice every day. By doing so, you pave the way for realization, whether in this life or in future ones. This requires humility and sincere devotion to the truth, to the extent that even if realization does not come in this life, you continue to practice diligently with the utmost faith. If you cannot accept this possibility, then you may not be a dedicated seeker and should reconsider whether this path is truly what you want to pursue.

The Sravana Phase Extended

Important: Read through each hyperlink

Congratulations, you’ve finished all the introductory conceptual knowledge that you truly need to know in order to fully embrace your path the right way. This completes your sravana phase, which is to understand the truth of reality, and to also understand what reality is not.

As also mentioned in the Choose your Path section, the overarching purpose of spiritual growth is to transform broken attention into unbroken attention. When attention is unbroken, it remains fixed on the self, which is inherently still and unchanging. On the other hand, broken attention is scattered elsewhere, focusing on aspects of identity that are not true to the self. So how do we redirect attention towards undivided focus? The key lies in purifying the mind, which currently disperses attention across many distractions, thereby perpetuating maya (illusion). As attention becomes increasingly still, untouched by false knowledge, it naturally concentrates. This concentrated attention leads to meditation, where eventually the meditator transcends the self and merges into samadhi, ultimately realizing the truth.

You can see how all paths incorporate these four themes: mind purification, concentration, meditation, and samadhi. These themes constitute the journey to realization and are implemented through various methodologies as explained by different paths.

Now that you grasp reality conceptually and understand the importance of completing these four themes for realization, you are prepared to embark on the journey along the path you have chosen.

The Beginning of Kundalini Yoga:

What is the Kundalini Energy?

Kundalini is a blissful and profound subtle energy stored as a potential within the mind of every being. It is commonly associated with the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine, though we will discuss this aspect in more detail later. Kundalini is not a physical energy, so it cannot be seen with the physical eyes; instead, it is experienced as a profoundly blissful and divine energy at your inner core when awakened. This energy exists in a dormant state, hidden within, and awaits activation by the seeker.

Kundalini energy is, in essence, Shakti—the primordial force that projects and animates the appearance of creation. The world’s appearance is essentially composed of shakti or energy. In Vedanta, this energy is equated with the mind, which consists of the three gunas. The term "Shakti" refers to the dynamic movements of the mind. When the mind is perceived to be active or functioning, it is called shakti. Conversely, when the mind is completely still, it is referred to as Shiva or Brahman (synonymous terms in this context).

Kundalini is not separate from shakti; it is shakti itself. It is referred to as kundalini because it represents shakti "coiled" or residing in a state of potentiality in the lowest chakra, hidden from conscious awareness. As the most subtle form of energy, it merges with Shiva (i.e., Brahman), which is formless and beyond physical attributes. In truth, Brahman or Shiva is neither non-physical nor non-subtle. However, because shakti is extremely subtle, it merges into Shiva, transcending the concepts of physicality and subtlety. Due to kundalini's exceptionally subtle nature and its ability to merge into Brahman, it is profoundly intoxicating and blissful, representing the most potent and objectified expression of Brahman.

The main purpose of kundalini is to guide one's attention or awareness into merging with Brahman. Due to its divine and extremely subtle nature, kundalini draws awareness toward its blissful essence, redirecting it from transient, non-self concerns or distracting thoughts. It effectively focuses one's attention on its divine presence, creating a state where the mind becomes absorbed in this sublime experience. This process allows awareness to follow the energy's direction, which depends on one's intentions and spiritual focus.

This means that, when awakened, kundalini energy can lead one to its intended destination based on one's intention. Breath control can also be used to guide its movement. However, directing the energy through intention and breath is only possible once the energy is fully awakened. Before awakening, one can only work with the prana that is already present and accessible, which is also shakti but in a much lower potency.

Kundalini can only be awakened if the mind is sufficiently purified to become aware of its deep inner presence. If one's attention is constantly engaged with the external world and its many different objects, this energy will remain dormant. It awakens only in those whose minds are spiritually purified and capable of perceiving and utilizing this hidden energy according to their mastery. Thus, the awakening of kundalini is closely linked to one’s spiritual maturity.

The energy will awaken only if it is destined to do so for the seeker, as it has been preordained to awaken in a specific lifetime. Therefore, it arises only for those who are qualified to become aware of its presence. For most, however, it remains hidden because individuals are not yet ready to confront this transformative truth, which fundamentally challenges their understanding of reality and their views on physicality. When awakened, this energy profoundly transforms the mind of the seeker, drawing them into higher states of consciousness beyond ordinary perceptions of physicality.

The Introduction of Prana, Nadis and Chakras:

Before Kundalini can be awakened, the chakra system must be purified to a certain degree. In Sanskrit, "chakra" means wheel—they are energy centers where nadis converge. Nadis are pathways of pranic currents, functioning as subtle channels of prana, or life force energy. Many believe that the channels are separate from the prana, as if the prana flows inside the channels, but this is incorrect. The prana itself creates the appearance of the nadis, meaning the nadis are simply prana arranged in a specific pattern. Prana is subtle and forms the subtle body, which is involved in dreaming, astral traveling, out-of-body experiences, and existence beyond physical death. It represents the individual mind, which, though immaterial, manifests as the projection of imagination.

Prana is the life force that permeates all of reality. It activates matter, which, in its inherent inertness, becomes dynamic through prana. This force vibrates reality, causing it to crystallize into specific forms and creating the illusion of physicality. Despite its immaterial nature, prana’s vibrations produce this illusion, much like a fan spinning rapidly appears as a solid shape. Prana is responsible for vital functions such as the heartbeat and bodily movement.

Prana is not distinct from kundalini, just like kundalini is not distinct from shakti. We only term shakti as prana since it is the radiance of shakti, or shakti in a much lower potency. This means shakti, kundalini and prana, including nadis, are all the same, but are only termed differently when in different forms, patterns and potency.

Just as we refer to prana as nadis when they have a tube-like or linear pattern, we refer to chakras as "wheels" because their energy, when it vibrates, radiates in a circular shape, much like the concentric waves formed when a rock is thrown into water. As prana flows in the shape of nadis, they intersect with other nadis, creating radiant energy wheels that represents different realms of consciousness. Thus, chakras can be seen as energetic portals that reveal various levels and expressions of consciousness, each associated with distinct attributes, qualities and knowledge.

Note: The energy itself is knowledge or data that is immaterial. We refer to it as energy because it is indivisible and permeates all that is perceived. Nonetheless, this energy is intelligent, as it manifests in various forms, enabling creation to be diverse and function like an intelligent machine.

The Different Types of Prana:

As previously explained, prana is the subtle energy that flows in pathways, governing and animating the physical body's appearance. There are various types of prana, which are terms used to describe the different directions of its movement. Essentially, these different types of prana represent the same fundamental energy but are distinguished as distinct concepts to explain their specific movements.

The Five Pranas:

Prana: Moves from the chest/heart area, and is an upward flowing energy. It is responsible for the vital functions of the body, including respiration, digestion, and the flow of energy throughout the body.
Apana: Moves from the base of the torso, in the rectum area, and is a downward flowing energy. It is responsible for eliminating or throwing off what is no longer needed. It is also associated with the processes of reproduction.
Samana: Moves from the navel area and deals with digestion. It plays a key role in metabolism and balancing the energy between the upper and lower parts of the body.
Udana: Moves from the throat and drives exhalation, operating in conjunction with prana, which deals with inhalation. It is associated with speech, expression, and influences activities such as growth, communication, and the will to act.
Vyana: Moves throughout the whole body, having no particular center, and is a coordinating energy throughout the various systems.

The five pranas, therefore, regulate the body's functions and maintain harmony and balance in the physical experience. This because the physical experience itself is prana but being expressed as physicality, thus enabling a deception since in truth, it is truly immaterial.

The Nadis Explained:

Nadis are channels that represent the pattern of flowing prana. The term "nadi" comes from Sanskrit and means "channel" or "tube." Nadis are not physical structures but are defined by the flow of prana. According to yogic tradition, there are 72,000 nadis in the body, originating from three primary nadis: the left (Ida), the right (Pingala), and the central (Sushumna). These nadis pass through the spinal cord and the chakras of the spinal column.

However, nadis are not inside the physical body. Instead, prana projects the physical body, so it is more accurate to say that the physical body exists within prana or the mind. Since prana constitutes the physical body, it represents the true essence of the body. You only perceive yourself as being inside the physical body because you identify with its physicality. As one’s consciousness turns inward, it becomes apparent that the physical body is expressed through prana or the mind. Thus, the true nature of the physical body IS the prana or mind, leading to the understanding that prana cannot be inside the body; rather, the body is expressed through prana.

The two major energy pathways are Ida and Pingala, which flow on either side of the central nadi, Sushumna. Both begin at the base of the spine, run along the spinal column, intersecting with Sushumna, and terminate at the nostrils. the Ida and Pingala nadis are channels, which represent the flow of prana. The balance and flow of this energy can influence various aspects of our experience. When energy channels in the Ida, it can create a sense of calm, introspection, and relaxation. It is associated with cooling and soothing effects on the mind and body, promoting rest and reflection. When energy channels predominantly in the Pingala, it can lead to increased activity, focus, and vitality. It is linked to stimulating and energizing effects, driving action and external engagement. Balancing the flow of energy through both nadis leads to a harmonious state. Ida and Pingala constantly seek to merge with Sushumna to achieve equilibrium, enabling the energy to ascend through the subtler chakras and higher dimensions.

Note: Although the major chakras are traditionally associated with different regions of the body, extending from the base of the spine to the head, their locations are not fixed, and are only referenced in those areas when identified with the physical body. However, when one's attention is focused on a chakra, it is experienced as a distinct dimension, since awareness transcends physical location. The physical regions where chakras are connected are merely where they manifest in relation to physicality. However, when deeply immersed in a chakra, this physical connection is less relevant. In essence, all chakras or planes of existence occupy the same space, being superimposed and existing as different dimensions of a singlular center.

When a person is only conscious of the physical world and their physical body, they identify as a human and primarily operate through the ida and pingala nadis, which represent feminine and masculine qualities, respectively. Once these nadis are purified, the chakras also become purified, as they all represent a unified energy. Thus, if ida and pingala are purified, the chakras are purified as well, and vice versa. This purification clears the sushumna nadi, allowing awareness to flow through it and enabling attention to become conscious of its path, thereby reaching higher states of consciousness. It’s important to note that sushumna is always present but remains blocked when attention is unconscious of it due to the predominant qualities of the ida, pingala, and unpurified chakras. Purification, therefore, is the process of attention becoming aware of something much subtler.

Ida Nadi:

Location: Ida runs along the left side of the spinal column and is associated with the left nostril, which impacts the right hemisphere of the brain, dealing with creativity, arts, emotional and social processing.
Characteristics: It is considered the lunar channel and is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system.
Function: Ida governs the mental and emotional aspects, including intuition, creativity, and reflection. It is associated with the feminine principle and represents qualities such as receptivity and introspection.
Impact: When Ida is dominant, one may experience increased mental calmness, introspection, and a more reflective mood.

Pingala Nadi:

Location: Pingala runs along the right side of the spinal column and is associated with the right nostril, which impacts the left hemisphere of the brain, which deals with language, communication, control and movement, and analytical and logical skills.
Characteristics: It is considered the solar channel and is linked to the sympathetic nervous system.
Function: Pingala governs the physical and active aspects of life, including motivation, action, and outward expression. It is associated with the masculine principle (Shiva) and represents qualities such as dynamism and assertiveness.
Impact: When Pingala is dominant, one may experience increased physical energy, motivation, and a more outward-focused attitude.

The Sushumna Nadi: The Central Pathway leading to God Consciousness

The Sushumna nadi is the primary channel, often referred to as the "silver cord." It extends from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, with its endpoint located at the Brahmarandhra, the soft spot at the top of the skull. This area, known as the fontanelle in infants, remains soft until the bone gradually grows and hardens with age. However, bear in mind that this extension from the southern to the northern part of the body pertains only to identifying with the physical body. In truth, the sushumna nadi is simply the path that retraces its steps back to the source, indicating that it is an inward journey.

The Sushumna nadi is known as the "path of light" or the "path of spiritual ascent," symbolizing the journey towards higher consciousness and enlightenment. In yogic tradition, as one progresses through meditation and spiritual practices, the Sushumna nadi becomes activated, leading to spiritual illumination and self-realization. This path involves directing one’s awareness into subtler planes of reality or lokas—dimensions that reveal heightened states of consciousness beyond ordinary physical perception. Therefore, the path does not imply traveling from here to a "higher" region as if it were spatially above you. It is about accessing deeper inner dimensions that already exist within your own locationless center.

The "path of light" refers to the route taken when transitioning from physical existence to the subtle planes (which also occurs after death). However, many do not traverse the entire path and instead enter lower regions, characterized by more deceptive experiences, becoming confined to forces that keep them in these lower realms. Those who complete the journey, however, ultimately unite their attention with Shiva (Brahman). This profound state of unity requires full spiritual maturity, typically attained only by advanced Sages.

Among the 72,000 nadis, or energy channels, the Sushumna nadi is considered the most important. It runs from the base of the spine (Muladhara chakra) to the crown of the head (Sahasrara chakra). When nadis intersect, they form vortices of energy, but the primary energy centers are located where Ida and Pingala intersect with Sushumna. In other words, the major chakra points exist at these specific intersections.

There are seven major chakras, each representing different aspects of consciousness. The activation and balance of these chakras through practices such as the repetition of mantras and pranayama techniques can enhance the flow of energy through Sushumna, facilitating spiritual awakening.

The Chakras need to be Purified:

Kundalini energy can only be awakened when a person possesses strong sattvic qualities, which denote purity and clarity. Therefore, the chakras must be thoroughly purified for Kundalini to traverse its entire network. Without this purification, the energy may become blocked and struggle to penetrate the deeper, more subtle layers of the mind, represented by the higher chakras.

The chakras express different qualities of consciousness, and the concentration of pranic energy in a particular region influences the types of experiences one has. This means that if one's attention is focused more on a specific chakra, it will manifest different qualities, characteristics, and behaviors that will literally be experienced and known. However, this prana is minimal compared to the extremely high potency of Kundalini energy. Kundalini is extraordinarily powerful and can dramatically alter one's perception depending on which chakra it is transmitted through and absorbed by.

This intensified energy significantly magnifies the experience compared to using ordinary prana in spiritual practices. Moreover, the extent to which Kundalini energy is harnessed determines the intensity of absorption in a particular chakra. This, in turn, reveals profound knowledge or wisdom about that specific aspect of consciousness, allowing one to explore deeper dimensions of reality and transcend the perception of physicality, uncovering more profound aspects of existence.

Evolution According to the Chakra System:

The chakra in which one predominantly resides influences the qualities of consciousness they embody, even if their attention is primarily focused on the physical plane. Upon leaving the physical plane, beings become conscious of the path of light (sushumna), no longer embracing the illusion of physicality. They travel this path and eventually connect with the chakra or plane of existence they were aligned with throughout their life. After physical death, one's vibration will determine their resonance, and attention will guide them to the corresponding plane or chakra.

Where one resides after death depends on their spiritual maturity. Those not spiritually aligned to access higher dimensions of consciousness may not traverse the entire path of light and will instead stop at a level consistent with their alignment. Many individuals are unable to enter deeper dimensions because they are not prepared to confront the profound truths of these planes, which can be overwhelming or induce fear and panic. Accessing these higher planes requires significant spiritual maturity, where the ego is sufficiently reduced to handle such experiences.

To illustrate spiritual evolution, consider the different planes of existence relative to the chakras:

Bhūrloka (Physical Plane): This is the realm of physicality, corresponding to the Mūlādhāra (Root) Chakra. Here, qualities such as greed, envy, anger, and selfishness are prevalent.
Bhuvarloka (Astral Sphere): Situated in the Svādhishthāna (Sacral) Chakra, this plane is between the physical realm (Bhūrloka) and the higher realms. It represents an intermediate level of consciousness, where beings travel through before entering the “other side”.
Svarloka (Heavenly Realm): Associated with the Manipūra (Solar Plexus) Chakra, this is where many beings who reside in the physical realm eventually experience "heaven." Most individuals cycle between Bhūrloka and Svarloka until they achieve self-mastery and spiritual maturity to go beyond these lower realms of experience.
Mahar-Loka (Realm of Love and Bliss): Found in the Anāhata (Heart) Chakra, this realm is characterized by love, harmony, and astral bliss, where many saints reside.
Janarloka (Realm of Light): This higher plane is linked with the Vīṣuddha (Throat) Chakra, where beings experience little to no form and begin to sense non-separation and higher knowledge that guides creation of the other lower realms.
Taparloka (Realm of Knowledge): Associated with the Āgyā (Third Eye) Chakra, this plane offers deep clarity and wisdom, akin to experiencing profound states of samadhi, with minimal ego present. It is a thought world where one leverages divine intelligence and creates worlds through thoughts that are experienced all-at-once simultaneously, faster than the speed of light. These manifested worlds thought of by those in this realm, are the same worlds other beings experience in lower worlds, through more deception.
Brahmaloka (Realm of Absolute Truth): Corresponding to the Sahasrāra (Crown) Chakra, this ultimate realm is one of complete unity, where you realize that everything originates from you. It resembles a pure vacuum of bliss with only a slight trace of ego remaining. However, in this realm, there is a horizon that, once crossed, leads to merging with Brahman, the absolute truth. This represents the highest level of spiritual realization.

As one progresses through these planes, the ego diminishes and the qualities associated with higher dimensions become more prevalent, leading to greater spiritual awareness and integration.

The spiritual journey involves the conscious attention transitioning through deeper planes of existence, signified by the chakras. This process parallels the progression from tamas (inertia) to rajas (activity) and ultimately to sattva (purity), marking the pinnacle of one’s journey and leading to non-dual samadhi, or the direct experience of the self. As we evolve from selfishness associated with tamas, through the active pursuit of desires in rajas, we eventually fulfill these desires. This fulfillment brings us to the final desire: the desire to realize the self. At the culmination of this stage, the development of sattva allows us to remain in purity, free from the influences of rajas and tamas.

With an understanding of the nature of Kundalini, nadis, and an overview of the chakras, we will now delve into each chakra in detail and explore methods for their purification. Purifying each chakra to a certain degree is essential for awakening the Kundalini, which will then enable progression to the next theme: concentration. The purification of chakras involves cultivating more sattvic qualities, thereby enhancing spiritual maturity and allowing Kundalini to activate and elevate one’s conscious attention to deeper dimensions.

In light of the non-dual wisdom shared during the sravana phase, we can understand how this perspective can transform our behavior by changing how we perceive the world. Recognizing that there is only one reality, Brahman, which reflects a non-dualistic or unified view of existence, can shift our approach to addressing concerns related to each chakra. As we explore each chakra, we will also discuss methods for their purification through the lens of non-dual wisdom while still utilizing doership and effort, as these are the only means available to us at present.

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THEME 1: PURIFYING THE MIND

Lesson: What Does it Mean to Purify the Mind?

Phase 1: Cultivating Sattvic Qualities

How to Purify the Seven Major Chakras:

Muladhara (Root Chakra):

Sanskrit Meaning: "Root Support"
Represents: Grounding, stability, survival, and physical identity.
Theme: Self-preservation
Location: Base of the spine, at the perineum (the area between the genitals and anus).
Loka: Bhur-loka (the earthly realm, i.e. the physical experience)
Gland: Adrenal glands
Qualities to decrease for overactive chakra: rigidity, paranoia, and materialism.
Qualities to decrease for underactive chakra: Fear, insecurity, and instability.

When one's attention is focused on the muladhara chakra, they are primarily concerned with food, shelter, safety, security, survival, and basic needs. Their energy and focus are predominantly centered on these aspects of existence, leaving little room for other considerations. As a result, their innate desires manifest an experience that resonates with this frequency, leading them to a "physical" existence limited to mundane desires and instinctive concerns, without access to higher knowledge. They become immersed in their own bodies, acting solely based on survival and gratification through food. This state of existence, similar to animals that focus only on eating and survival, creates an illusion that feels convincingly real and is perceived as such due to the lack of means to transcend it. This mode of existence is predominantly tamasic, with minimal rajas, as one lacks the ambition, drive, or motivation to pursue higher goals and instead yields to the instincts of survival.

This chakra affects the adrenal glands which play a crucial role in stability and grounding by managing stress and maintaining physiological balance. The adrenal glands secrete hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which help regulate stress, metabolism, and energy levels, as well as aldosterone, which controls blood pressure and fluid balance. These functions are essential for those immersed in the physical experience of operating through the body and living in what appears to be a physical world.

If one is predominantly focused on survival and self-nourishment, their greatest obstacles in life are likely to be materialism. Deficiencies however can lead to fear and instability. Individuals who are not entirely centered in this chakra may still need to purify it further, as they might also experience these same challenges. To fully purify and balance the muladhara chakra, it is essential to address all of these obstacles.

How to address these obstacles?

Fear related to the muladhara chakra often manifests as anxiety about survival, security, and basic needs. To establish stability, prioritizing the creation of a secure and stable environment is essential. This may involve budgeting, securing housing, and ensuring reliable access to food and resources. Once these fundamental needs are met, one can then focus on addressing the fear of not meeting these needs. It is challenging to work on these fears while struggling to secure basic necessities, as the primary focus will be on obtaining food and shelter.

As a subsequent step, one can engage in activities that connect them to the present moment and the physical body without requiring money. This includes walking barefoot on natural surfaces like grass, watering plants, spending time in nature, and practicing deep breathing outdoors. These activities enhance mental health, improve mood, increase focus and cognitive function, lower blood pressure, and boost immunity. By improving physical and mental well-being, one becomes less susceptible to deeper issues such as depression, poor health, and impaired decision-making, which may require more resources and energy to address.

It is also beneficial to develop a daily routine that provides a sense of stability and predictability. Consistent routines can help reduce anxiety related to uncertainty. For example, enhancing cleanliness and orderliness as a normal duty, promotes both physical and mental purity, since it puts structure in one’s life, thereby fostering a sense of stability and security. Establishing such routines can calm the mind, allowing for clearer thinking and further personal growth. A calm mind lessens anxiety, and as anxiety decreases, fear diminishes, enabling one to gain insight and address deeper issues more effectively, which are all signs of spiritual progress.

Physical health is also crucial to address. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as adopting a whole foods plant-based diet, can be both cost-effective and beneficial. Meals based on affordable ingredients like rice, beans, grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables not only improve health but also contribute to a calm mind. This diet promotes compassion and non-cruelty, enhancing ethics and empathy towards all beings, including animals, which are killed unnecessarily to satisfy desires.

Lesson: The Most Optimal Diet for Spirituality

Cultivating a compassionate heart builds a sense of connection with the world, reducing feelings of separation that can lead to fear and inner hardships. This makes one respect others’ possessions and boundaries which promotes a feeling of abundance and reduces anxiety about scarcity. Through this empathy, it allows you to understand others' more challenging situations, providing perspective on your own difficulties. Seeing that others may face greater hardships can help you feel more grateful for what you have, reducing anxiety and obsessive thoughts about perceived insufficiencies.

Try establishing a routine where you wake up just before sunrise and sleep shortly after sunset. This aligns with the body’s natural cycle, promoting better health and harmony with nature. Synchronizing with the natural rhythms of the day supports balance and overall well-being.

Regular exercise and adequate rest are also essential for overall well-being. They improve health and lifestyle, helping you feel better about yourself and also manage stress more effectively by staying present and appreciating what you have. Engaging in activities that enhance your well-being diverts your mind from negative or detrimental thoughts, allowing you to focus on more pleasant and constructive aspects of life. This shift helps prevent dwelling on issues that obscure mental clarity.

If fears and anxieties become overwhelming, consider seeking help from an affordable therapist or counselor who can assist in exploring and addressing these issues more deeply. This support can illuminate your trauma and provide valuable perspective on how to resolve it. Additionally, connecting with a network of friends, family, or community groups can enhance your sense of belonging and security. Showing compassion and acceptance towards yourself and your fears allows you to confront them directly, instead of hiding and suppressing it. This entire process can be greatly supported by the help of others.

A sense of belonging and worthiness is also deeply connected to this chakra because it governs our basic needs and security, including our place in the world and our sense of self-worth. To address this, reflect on your strengths, achievements, and values. Acknowledge your accomplishments and positive qualities. We all possess certain qualities that many do not share. Therefore, practice self-compassion and avoid self-criticism, as it only makes one feel less empowered than they actually are. You should embrace all of your imperfections and understand that everyone has flaws. These imperfections are what make us unique and contribute to our individuality.

Materialism can also become a significant obstacle for those who obsessively focus on meeting their basic needs to the point of overindulgence. It’s crucial to be content with what you have and avoid unnecessary accumulation of possessions. Unfulfilled expectations often lead to suffering, especially when desiring more than what is currently possessed. Appreciating what you have and recognizing that many others might wish to be in your position can help curb materialistic tendencies. Cultivating gratitude for what you possess will aid in managing materialism effectively.

The need for balancing this chakra:

When your muladhara chakra is overactive, you might find yourself becoming rigid, or having excessive control and structure, which makes adapting to change difficult, as you prefer clinging on to your normal habits. You may place too much emphasis on material possessions and financial security, driven by fear or insecurity. Your behavior could become overly cautious, with anxiety about safety causing you to avoid risks. Additionally, you might struggle with stubbornness, making it hard to accept new ideas or perspectives.

Conversely, if this chakra is underactive, you may feel unstable and insecure, with difficulty establishing a solid foundation in your life. Managing finances could become a struggle, leaving you feeling constantly uneasy about material aspects. Low energy might lead to a lack of motivation and challenges in pursuing goals. You could also experience a sense of disconnection from your body, environment, or basic needs, which might result in feelings of isolation.

Therefore, balancing this chakra means avoiding extremes of overactivity AND underactivity. The more balanced one is, the more they can align with non-duality, which embodies the center where equanimity prevails.

How to expedite balancing through non-dual wisdom:

If Brahman is your inherent nature—eternal, unchanged, and perfect—then why stress over things that are transient and bound to change with time? Any perceived moment inevitably transforms into another moment, making it impossible for changes to remain static. Therefore, recognize that current hardships are temporary and will eventually transform into joy. Cultivate inner security and trust in the world, understanding that all material needs are inherently provided by this unified consciousness. Challenges are opportunities for growth, as growth cannot occur without something to grow from. This perspective can be supported through grounding and a deep understanding of the abundance inherent in Brahman, which encompasses all.

While engaging in activities, remind yourself that you are not separate from the earth or nature. Feel the connection between your body and the earth as an expression of the underlying unity of all things. This awareness helps cultivate a sense of stability and connectedness, which the muladhara chakra represents. Disconnection builds fear and perpetuates the belief in separation, which only intensifies these notions.

Use affirmations such as "I am secure and stable" or "My true nature is unchanging." Repeatedly affirm these statements until they become ingrained in your mind. When difficult situations arise, let these affirmations come to the forefront. Persist with this practice until these situations no longer seem detrimental and you develop indifference toward them. Continuously reflect on how your essential nature remains unaffected by external conditions or fears. This daily practice helps integrate a nondual understanding into your perception of stability and security.

By combining practical actions with nondual wisdom, you address the concerns of the muladhara chakra from a place of deep understanding and integration. This approach paves the way for a more balanced and grounded state, enabling you to progress and move on to addressing the concerns of the next chakra.

Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra):

Sanskrit Meaning: "One’s Own Abode"
Represents: Creativity, sexuality, pleasure, and emotional well-being.
Theme: Self-Gratification
Location: Lower abdomen, about 2 inches below the navel.
Loka: Bhuvar-loka (the realm of atmosphere and mental space, i.e. transition between physical and astral).
Gland: Gonads (ovaries/testes)
Qualities to decrease for overactive chakra: desire, overindulgence, and emotional instability.
Qualities to decrease for underactive chakra: emotional detachment and lack of creativity.

When one's attention is focused on the svadhisthana chakra, they are primarily concerned with emotions, relationships, sexuality, creativity, pleasure, and personal desires. Their energy and focus are predominantly centered on these aspects of existence, leaving little room for lower considerations such as survival, stability, and security. One now holds desires that manifest experiences resonating with this frequency, thereby establishing a pivotal center for sensuality. Experiences related to sensory pleasures—such as food, relationships, pleasant surroundings, and physical touch—are now prioritized since the basic needs of the muladhara chakra are predominantly met. This chakra, therefore, manifests in the realm of sensual pleasure by influencing one's capacity to enjoy and express lower-level desires. It allows one to experience the joys of pleasure and emotional depth in various aspects of life. This mode of existence is predominantly tamasic but with rajas, which provides the motivation to fulfill desires related to sexuality, creativity, and emotional well-being.

This chakra governs aspects of sexuality and reproductive health and therefore affects the gonad glands, which play a crucial role in secreting sex hormones. In males, the gonads are the testes, which produce sperm and testosterone. In females, the gonads are the ovaries, which produce eggs and hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. These hormones regulate reproductive functions and secondary sexual characteristics. Since this chakra is closely linked to sexual energy, desire, and reproductive health, the gonads produce hormones that regulate sexual function and libido while maintaining fertility health.

If one is predominantly focused on sexual desires, emotional well-being, and creativity, their greatest obstacles in life are likely to be sensory overindulgence. Deficiencies in this area, however, can lead to emotional overload or a lack of creativity. Individuals who are not entirely centered in this chakra may also face these challenges and may need to purify it further. To fully purify and balance the svadhisthana chakra, it is essential to address all of these obstacles.

How to address these obstacles?

Sensual activities are what most engage in when living in this chakra. As such, people are immersed in the pleasures of food, sex, physical comfort, music, dancing, intimacy, and similar experiences. Due to these desires, one’s existence tends to perpetuate experiences that fulfill lower-level desires, which ultimately do not reveal the higher knowledge that transcends them. This is why it’s important to address these actions through sensory control.

For example, instead of indulging excessively in food whether through heavy consumption or through taste, practice mindful eating by focusing on eating to live and not living your eat. When eating a meal, stop eating when you're minimally satisfied. Don’t ever overeat as this will only be detrimental to your health and exasperate desires even more. Eat just enough where you’re still a little hungry afterwards (very slightly). This will allow you to be more calm, less full and less lethargic and keeping the amount per meal proportionately throughout the day. By doing this, you begin to control desires that would have otherwise made you overindulge needlessly. This will only put a burden to your health which affects other areas of your life.

You can also practice intermittent fasting as a consistent routine. Allow only a specific window to eat while you abstain for the remainder of the day. This doesn’t mean forcefully suppressing the consumption of food, but developing a routine to control the timing of when food is consumed. Doing so, allows one to develop will power and not succumb easily to desires for food, even during times when they are hungry and agitated. Fasting offers several benefits, particularly through the process of autophagy, where cells break down and remove damaged or dysfunctional components of itself. This cellular cleanup can help prevent disease, cancer, support cell repair, and contribute to longevity. Intermittent fasting also enhances metabolic health, supports weight and fat loss, improves brain function and reduces inflammation.

Music is also a form of sensory pleasure that many people engage in. Often, music is used to add pleasure to activities and avoid boredom. However, this can create a dependency, especially if the activity is done without music, such as going to the gym or driving. While music itself is not harmful, it can affect your mood and behavior if it induces agitation. Therefore, it's advisable to listen to soothing or calm music that minimizes disturbance. Many people struggle with silence and use music to keep their minds occupied, but an excessive focus on music can perpetuate desires tied to this chakra. To be more mindful of music, observe how your body responds, including changes in heart rate, posture, and movement. This awareness helps you stay connected to the present moment. Additionally, try to limit your music intake to experience the present moment more fully, without distractions that divert your focus.

One can also engage in an expressive activity like dancing to benefit from self-expression without becoming overly focused on it for pleasure. When dancing is used as a form of expression, it allows one to stay focused on the movement itself rather than seeking it out as a desire. This can be complemented with music, provided that one remains mindful of the activity and avoids letting the music become a distraction.

One can also engage in yoga postures to energize this chakra and enhance the flow of creative ideas. Complementing these exercises with mindful breathing helps one remain in their own silence, away from external distractions. Other creative activities and hobbies, such as swimming or sports, can also be pursued. These activities not only promote productivity but also improve overall fitness and health, which in turn benefits other aspects of your life.

One can build a balanced approach to physical intimacy by communicating openly with their partner about needs and boundaries, ensuring that physical touch is part of a healthy and mutually satisfying relationship. Emotional connection can help counteract an addiction to sex as a physical act. Sensual activities should ideally be linked to a deeper emotional understanding and respect. Practice having sex with a deeper intention beyond mere gratification and lust. This helps ensure that the experience is both pleasurable and meaningful, rather than just an act of indulgence. Additionally, ensure that your sexual experiences are consensual and respectful. Setting and respecting boundaries contributes to emotional security.

You can also help control sexual desires by abstaining for a while. The longer you abstain from sex and masturbation, the more you can harness and redirect that energy towards other aspects of life. This can lead to increased creativity, improved motivation, and better emotional health. Additionally, focusing on non-sexual aspects of relationships can enhance your overall well-being and deepen connections that are not solely centered around sex.

The need for balancing this chakra:

When the svadhisthana chakra is overactive, you might find yourself overindulging in pleasures such as sexual activity, food, or material possessions. You may struggle with various addictions, using substances or behaviors to cope with emotional issues. Emotional instability could become a problem, manifesting as intense mood swings and difficulty managing your feelings. Additionally, you might become overly dependent on others for validation or support, which can negatively impact your personal boundaries and relationships.

On the other hand, if your svadhisthana chakra is underactive, you might experience a creative blockage, finding it hard to express yourself or feeling uninspired. You could have trouble forming intimate connections or feel uncomfortable with sexual expression. Emotional detachment may become an issue, making it difficult for you to connect with or express your emotions, leading to feelings of numbness or repression. Additionally, you might struggle with forming and maintaining healthy relationships, often feeling disconnected or isolated.

How to expedite balancing through non-dual wisdom:

Recognize that your true nature, the awareness behind these sensual experiences, is not bound by any desire. This understanding helps you detach from the fluctuations of these experiences and brings balance, regardless of the type or intensity of the desires. Be more mindful of sensory experiences such as touch, taste, and smell. You can also practice being fully present during pleasurable experiences. By doing so, these pleasurable experiences begin to diminish as substantial sources of pleasure. This builds greater peace, allowing you to transcend pleasure and become more aware of an even deeper experience of bliss.

Understand that sensory pleasures are not separate from your true nature but are experiences arising within awareness. This realization deepens your connection with the present moment. While you can enjoy life's pleasures, approach them with gratitude, viewing them as expressions of the divine play. Recognize all objects that many strive for as expressions of Brahman, seeing the divine in everything. This perspective encourages moderation by understanding that true fulfillment comes from alignment with Brahman, rather than from individual objects that seem separate from you. The more you practice this, the less distinct things become, and the more you perceive them as part of a unified whole.

Also recognize that emotions are transient and arise within the awareness of your true self. By accepting and releasing emotions without attachment, you align with the nondual understanding that you are the awareness in which these emotions appear and disappear. This perspective helps you avoid becoming overwhelmed by emotions and allows you to maintain a sense of control over feelings that arise independently of your will.

You can also engage in creative activities, seeing that creativity and pleasure are expressions of the same underlying reality. Channel your creative expressions—whatever they may be—as ways to celebrate the divine play of Brahman, understanding that your expression is not separate from the whole.

Use affirmations such as "I embrace my creativity and sensuality" or "I am fluid and free in my emotional expression." Allow yourself to become one with these expressions in your thoughts. This helps you deeply contemplate these affirmations by recognizing that your true essence is the inner space in which creativity and emotions arise. Understand that these aspects of the self are part of the unified experience and do not truly define you.

You can also recognize that relationships and interactions are expressions of the same underlying unity. Approach relationships with a sense of unity and divine connection, practicing unconditional love and empathy, and viewing each interaction as an opportunity to express the essence of Brahman. The more you align with this understanding, the more fairly you treat others and serve without expecting anything in return. As you see greater equality among different beings and things, you become less judgmental and more compassionate and selfless.

Constantly try to see Brahman in all things, which is ultimately the practice of brahmacharya aimed at controlling desires and passions. Brahmacharya is not solely about lust but encompasses all desires that keep attention grounded in the reality of objects. By applying these nondual principles, you can purify and balance the svadhisthana chakra, thereby reducing sensory desires. As you practice controlling these desires, your awareness will elevate, allowing you to see reality in a new light and progress to the next chakra.

Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra):

Sanskrit Meaning: "City of Jewels"
Represents: Personal power, confidence, and willpower.
Theme: Self-recognition
Location: Upper abdomen, in the area of the solar plexus (just below the sternum).
Loka: Svar-loka (the realm of celestial beings and personal power—what most people refer to as “heaven”, i.e. astral).
Gland: Pancreas
Qualities to decrease for overactive chakra: overconfidence, aggression, and perfectionism.
Qualities to decrease for underactive chakra: Doubt, fear of failure, low self-esteem.

When one's attention is focused on the manipura chakra, they are primarily concerned with personal power, confidence, willpower, and ambition. Their energy and focus are centered on these aspects of existence, leaving little room for other considerations such as basic survival needs or sensory pleasures that require less motivation, as their primary drive is for power or status. Consequently, their desires manifest experiences that resonate with this frequency, leading them to pursue these desires without accessing the higher knowledge imbued with love. They become immersed in their own ambitions, which often leads to disappointment as these pursuits are ultimately fleeting. This mode of existence is predominantly rajasic, characterized by ambition, drive, and motivation to achieve higher goals, but often resulting in suffering.

This chakra affects the pancreas, which regulates the body's metabolism and energy levels. The pancreas, through its secretion of insulin and glucagon, controls blood sugar levels, impacting overall vitality and energy. This balance supports stable energy levels, which in turn influences self-confidence, motivation, drive, and personal empowerment.

If one is predominantly focused on power or status, their greatest obstacles are likely to be pride and perfectionism. Conversely, deficiencies in this chakra can lead to doubts, fear of failure, and self-esteem issues. Individuals who are not fully centered in this chakra may still need to purify it further, as they might experience these same challenges. To fully purify and balance the manipura chakra, it is essential to address all of these obstacles.

How to address these obstacles?

Deficiencies in the manipura chakra can manifest as negative beliefs about oneself. For example, one may feel inadequate or believe they lack qualities that others possess, leading to a lack of willpower and drive to pursue challenging goals. To address these deficiencies, it is important to reframe these limiting beliefs. Engage in activities that boost overall confidence, such as setting and achieving small goals or practicing skills that need improvement. Stepping out of your comfort zone can also help build self-assurance and drive.

Often, we hesitate to move forward due to fear of the unknown or fear of failure. However, taking a leap of faith often reveals that our fears were unfounded, leading us to a much better place of happiness. The initial adjustment period may come with uncertainty, uneasiness, and stress, but once these pass, we find ourselves transformed. For those lacking confidence, practicing affirmations and positive self-talk can be beneficial, as well as developing healthy boundaries and assertiveness. These practices help individuals feel more worthy and empowered to pursue their goals. Engaging in activities that strengthen personal control, such as decision-making and assertive communication, can help overcome dependency and indecisiveness. Learning to speak up and not hold back due to fear of judgment or conflict will help build self-worth and respect.

Conversely, if someone has too much pride due to achieving superiority in their career, it is important to take a step back and cultivate humility and compassion. Try to see things from others' perspectives by putting yourself in their shoes and viewing situations from their point of view. This cultivates fairness and helps you treat others equitably regardless of your status. Ahimsa, the principle of non-harm, applies not only to actions but also to words and thoughts. To counteract pride, focus on empathetic and compassionate thoughts that manifest in acts of kindness. Understanding different perspectives can help balance tendencies toward dominance or control. Additionally, work on balancing assertiveness with cooperation—learning to listen and collaborate rather than always leading or controlling can help regulate this chakra. Reflecting on personal values and practicing gratitude can also aid in balancing overconfidence.

Another major obstacle in this chakra is greed. The more greed one harbors, the greater the desire for material wealth, possessions, power, and status. It is essential to let go of excessive desires for control or accumulation beyond what is necessary. Avoid amassing material goods and strive to be content with what you already have, recognizing that true fulfillment comes from inner peace rather than external possessions. This is the practice of santosha, or inner contentment. Practice being generous and share resources with others instead of hoarding them. This approach not only combats greed but also builds empathy and sympathy. Be mindful of consumption and avoid overindulgence, acknowledging that excessive accumulation can lead to imbalance and unnecessary stress.

The need for balancing this chakra:

When the manipura chakra is overactive, it can lead to a tendency to dominate others, driven by a desire to assert power and authority, and result in increased aggression and competitiveness that may manifest as hostility. Perfectionism can become a problem, where the relentless pursuit of high standards causes stress and burnout, and egoism might develop into an inflated sense of self-importance and arrogance which only perpetuates a strong sense of separation between oneself and others.

Conversely, an underactive manipura chakra may lead to low self-esteem, characterized by feelings of inadequacy and a lack of confidence. It can also cause indecisiveness, making it difficult to make decisions or take action due to fear of failure or criticism, and result in passivity and dependency on others from a lack of motivation. Persistent insecurity may also undermine your sense of self-worth and personal power.

How to expedite balancing through non-dual wisdom:

One should set goals and pursue ambitions with the understanding that they are part of the universal plan, aligning efforts with divine will rather than ego-driven desires. In other words, achieve things not for personal gratification, but as a means of fulfilling your role in the expression of Brahman. Every job you seek, possession you strive for, or status you achieve is ultimately an expression of divine will, and the belief that you personally achieved these things is an illusion. The more you accept this perspective, the less you will cling to desires, and the fewer hardships you will face if things don’t go as planned. Life unfolds naturally, like a flower blooming in a garden, so let it flow without attempting to control it intimately. Additionally, recognize that your true nature is not dependent on personal achievements or power, but is the awareness in which these experiences arise.

For those who have deficiencies in this chakra, can build self-confidence through self-awareness practices that acknowledge your inherent infinite power as an expression of Brahman. Use affirmations that reflect this deeper truth to reinforce your sense of inner strength. Approach challenges with the understanding that you are the source of all power, and view setbacks as opportunities for growth. Recognize that everything ultimately serves to help you gradually align with this truth.

One can practice setting boundaries and assertiveness from a place of non-attachment, seeing that there is nothing to fear and that all is simply an expression of the one truth—Brahman. Why be hesitant to voice your truth or respect your self-worth? Such hesitation often stems from the mistaken belief in separation from others, leading to undervaluing oneself. Frequently, we assign specific values to others, reinforcing this sense of separation through our own judgments and notions, even though these beliefs are often only in our minds and not in others' perceptions. In other words, you create a narrative in your mind and assume others share it. Remember, everything is truly equal, and in essence, you are never separate from anything.

Anahata (Heart Chakra):

Sanskrit Meaning: "Unstruck Sound"
Represents: Love, compassion, and emotional balance.
Theme: Self-acceptance
Location: Center of the chest, near the heart.
Loka: Maharloka (the realm of divine love and compassion, i.e. higher astral).
Gland: Thymus
Qualities to decrease for overactive chakra: codependency, overgiving, and neglect of personal needs.
Qualities to decrease for underactive chakra: emotional coldness, isolation, and difficulty in forming connections.

When one's attention is focused on the anahata chakra, they are primarily concerned with love, compassion, empathy, relationships, forgiveness, and emotional balance. Their energy and focus are predominantly centered on these aspects of existence, leaving little room for concerns such as wealth or power. Consequently, their desires align with this frequency, leading them to experience higher knowledge through love for oneself and others. This mode of existence is predominantly sattvic, as it builds a deep connection with others, but also contains rajas, since challenges and pursuits of pleasure still arise, albeit through connection rather than materialism.

This chakra affects the thymus gland, which secretes hormones like thymosin that help regulate the immune system, influencing both physical and emotional health. Given that this chakra governs love, compassion, and emotional stability, the thymus gland plays a crucial role in managing stress and supporting emotional balance. A well-functioning thymus aids the body in handling stress more effectively, thus promoting emotional well-being.

If one is predominantly focused on love and compassion, their greatest obstacles may include codependency and over-generosity. Deficiencies in this chakra can lead to extreme isolation. Individuals who are not fully centered in this chakra might also need to purify it further, as they may encounter similar challenges. To fully purify and balance the anahata chakra, it is essential to address these obstacles comprehensively.

How to address these obstacles?

If one is highly compassionate and loving, they may become susceptible to overgiving and neglecting their own needs. This behavior can lead to codependency, where one relies on others, such as partners, to fulfill their own needs for love and affection. When these needs are not met, it can result in heartbreak and suffering. Prioritizing others at the expense of one's own needs can ultimately be detrimental, as it negatively affects personal well-being. To truly love and care for others, one must first address their own needs.

Therefore, it is crucial to avoid overextending oneself by recognizing personal limits and setting clear boundaries with others. Politely decline additional responsibilities that may overwhelm you while continuing to engage in acts of kindness and service. Always prioritize your own needs, as neglecting them can hinder your ability to support and love others effectively. Allocate time for self-care activities, such as relaxation, hobbies, or exercise, to recharge and maintain emotional balance. This approach allows you to be more energized and better positioned to help and serve others productively.

While empathy is a valuable trait, enabling one to see themselves in others and act with equality, excessive empathy can hinder personal growth. You cannot help everyone in the world, and dwelling too much on others' difficulties can add undue stress to your own life. It is important to emotionally detach from others' issues and assist within your own capacity. Often, we suffer by overly concerning ourselves with others' situations, which may not be as dire as it appears. Additionally, worrying about things beyond your control only leads to unnecessary suffering.

Therefore, while compassion and empathy are important, practicing detachment is also crucial. This balance allows you to continue helping others without becoming overly emotionally involved, which can lead to distress. Consider the productivity of maintaining this detachment while still engaging in selfless service—doing good in the world without allowing it to negatively impact your own well-being.

While excessive empathy can be detrimental, there are also those who need to cultivate more empathy and compassion, especially if they tend to remain disconnected from others, focusing solely on their own ego and separateness. If these qualities are lacking, one should practice seeing things from others' perspectives. Imagine viewing the world through another person’s or animal's eyes, recognizing that despite outward differences, everyone shares the fundamental desire to survive and be happy. By developing empathy, we can become more connected with others and align our actions with this principle, further purifying the anahata chakra.

Additionally, it is important to work on forgiveness. Holding onto resentment only harms yourself and benefits no one. Letting go of grudges and accepting situations as they are can lead to emotional growth and a healthier state of mind. View every opportunity, including conflicts and challenges, as a chance to learn and evolve. Forgiving others and acknowledging their imperfections helps cultivate compassion and acceptance, leading to further emotional balance and connection.

The need for balancing this chakra:

When the anahata chakra is overactive, it can lead to overgiving, where you excessively prioritize others' needs at the expense of your own well-being. This might also result in dependency, where you rely too heavily on relationships for your self-worth or emotional stability. You end up having unrealistic expectations of love and relationships leading to frequent disappointment, and emotional overload can occur, where you become overwhelmed by empathy or sensitivity to others' emotions.

On the flip side, a deficient anahata chakra might manifest as emotional coldness, making it hard to form deep connections or express love and compassion. You might lack empathy to treat others kindly, and experience isolation, withdrawing from relationships and social interactions. Additionally, you may find it challenging to forgive, holding onto grudges and having difficulty letting go.

How to expedite balancing through non-dual wisdom:

Engaging in acts of kindness and service, and seeing all beings as expressions of universal love, allows for truly selfless acts without expecting anything in return. This perspective builds unconditional engagement and helps one to see themselves in others, treating everyone equally. Recognize that even if you cannot help everyone, they are ultimately cared for because their fundamental nature is one of permanent bliss.

Experience love and compassion as expressions of universal oneness. Cultivate a deep sense of empathy and connection with all beings, understanding that they are manifestations of the same divine essence. You can also practice forgiveness and compassion, seeing that every interaction, whether positive or negative, reflects Brahman. All experiences are part of the divine play of Brahman, and releasing grievances will help you connect more deeply with this inner self. Cultivate self-love by acknowledging your own nature and interconnectedness with all forms, and engage in practices that affirm your worth as equal to all parts of the whole.

If all is Brahman, then don’t let the world's atrocities and others' hardships bring you excessive sorrow. Approach these situations with empathy and kindness, offering help where you can, but also recognize the importance of stepping back when needed. Understand that the difficulties others face may serve a deeper purpose related to their own spiritual growth, which you may not fully comprehend.

If everything is eternal and free, there is no need to be overwhelmed by emotional obstacles. View all circumstances and situations as expressions of Brahman, knowing that everything is unfolding perfectly, even within imperfections. Recognize that growth and understanding of your true nature often require navigating through challenges. Embrace these obstacles as necessary for your development and persevere with the awareness that they are integral to the cosmic play.

Vishuddha (Throat Chakra):

Sanskrit Meaning: "Purification"
Represents: Communication, self-expression, and truth.
Theme: Self-expression
Location: Throat region.
Loka: Jana-loka (the realm of knowledge and communication, i.e higher astral and casual).
Gland: Thyroid
Qualities to decrease for overactive chakra: speaking excessively, dominating conversations, and not listening.
Qualities to decrease for underactive chakra: difficulties in expressing oneself, shyness, and communication problems.

When one's attention is focused on the vishuddha chakra, they are primarily concerned with communication, self-expression, truth, listening, and authenticity. They seek to live in alignment with their values and principles, often drawn to expressing and seeking truth according to their inner clarity. Their energy and focus are predominantly centered on these aspects of existence, leaving little room for other considerations, as they are now focused on articulating their truth in various forms. This perspective transcends the dualities encountered in lower chakras, leading to experiences that resonate with a higher frequency of knowledge, though not necessarily with more transcendental truths. This mode of existence is predominantly sattvic, with rajas still present due to ongoing activity and attachment to the physical body.

This chakra affects the thyroid gland, located in the throat, which plays a crucial role in voice production and vocal expression. A healthy thyroid ensures that the vocal cords function properly, which is essential for clear and effective communication. It also regulates metabolism and energy levels, influencing one's ability to communicate confidently.

If one is predominantly focused on self-expression, their greatest obstacles may include over-communication. On the other hand, deficiencies in this chakra can lead to a fear of expression. Individuals who are not fully centered in this chakra may still need to purify it further, as they might also face these challenges. To fully purify and balance the vishuddha chakra, it is essential to address these obstacles.

How to address these obstacles?

For those who struggle with self-expression, start practicing in safe, less crowded environments to build confidence. Gradually move to more challenging settings as you become more comfortable, eventually tackling situations you once found intimidating. Engaging in public speaking or joining a class can help overcome the fear of speaking in front of others and build the necessary confidence for effective verbal expression. Journaling can also clarify your thoughts before sharing them, and exploring various creative outlets, such as writing or singing, can further enhance self-expression.

Many people hold back due to fear of criticism and judgment. Reframe criticism as an opportunity for growth rather than a personal attack. Remember that criticism often reflects the critic's own issues rather than your shortcomings. Learn to let go of criticism and judgment, focusing instead on controlling your own mindset. You cannot control others’ actions or judgments, but you can choose not to take them personally or let them affect your self-worth.

One should avoid inauthentic communication or merely adapting to others' beliefs. Speak and express yourself from the heart, staying true to your own values and beliefs. Align with your inner truth, and embody the essence of the vishuddha chakra by expressing genuine thoughts without being swayed by what others want to hear. If everyone’s version of truth were the same, growth would be limited. Understand that communicating your own truth is an opportunity to build growth, even if it is met with resistance. By sharing your perspective, you plant the seed of knowledge that, over time, may sprout and lead to change, even if others are initially unaware of its impact.

For those who tend to dominate conversations or engage in excessive communication, it is important to control this tendency. Strive for balance by learning to listen as much as you speak. Engage in conversations where you focus on listening more and speaking less. Practice mindfulness in your interactions and seek feedback on your communication to ensure clarity and respectfulness.

The need for balancing this chakra:

When the vishuddha chakra is overactive, it can lead to overtalking, where you dominate conversations and neglect to listen to others. This may also result in bluntness, where your communication becomes overly critical or harsh without considering others' feelings, and a strong need for attention, seeking validation through constant verbal expression. Incessant chatter might occur, making it hard to remain silent or find peace without continuous talking.

Conversely, a deficient vishuddha chakra can cause communication issues, where you struggle to express yourself clearly and feel misunderstood. You might experience shyness, being extremely reluctant to speak or share your thoughts, and have difficulty being authentic. Suppression may also be a problem, leading to the repression of thoughts, feelings, or creative expression.

How to expedite balancing through non-dual wisdom:

Communicate and express yourself with the understanding that all speech is a reflection of universal truth. Words and expressions unfold in constant motion across the sea of interconnectedness, enabling learning and growth to ultimately reveal one's true nature. How you react to what is expressed differentiates between those who are impure and those who are pure. Therefore, engage in honest and clear expression as a means of aligning with the ultimate reality of Brahman, which involves having no resistance towards anything. Use your voice to convey insights that reflect the oneness of all existence, contributing to the expression that allows wisdom to emerge.

Don’t hold back a truth out of fear of others. This reluctance arises from perceiving others as separate and fearing their judgment or negative energy. Such expressions, while showing impurity, serve as opportunities to uplift others and help them align their expressions with truth. In other words, revealing your own purity is a blessing. See all as one unified field expressing itself naturally, while you remain intertwined in this flow without mental resistance. Embrace the flow of consciousness without fear, recognizing that everything is part of a play unfolding with the ultimate goal of revealing true knowledge.

Listen with the recognition that all communication is a form of divine expression. Develop active listening skills, understanding that every conversation is an opportunity to connect with the universal truth underlying all expressions. You never know what insights you might gain that could purify the mind and reveal higher knowledge. Such knowledge can appear suddenly or in a flash, often emerging in moments of silence that can be cultivated through listening. Even listening can be a form of silence if you remain calm and let the words flow through you, allowing them to work their magic at the right divine moment. Use affirmations like “I shall listen to this world as the sound of Brahman.” See every opportunity for listening as a means for upliftment, even while remaining silent. The more you flow through life in this way, the more life works through you to manifest its wonders.

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Ajna (Third Eye Chakra):

Sanskrit Meaning: "Perceiving"
Represents: Intuition, insight, and mental clarity.
Theme: Self-reflection
Location: Forehead, between the eyebrows.
Loka: Tapar-loka (the realm of meditation and insight, i.e. higher casual).
Gland: Pineal gland
Qualities to decrease for overactive chakra: excessive daydreaming, paranoia, and disconnection from reality
Qualities to decrease for underactive chakra: lack of intuition, difficulty in focusing, and limited insight.

When one's attention is focused on the ajna chakra, they are concerned primarily with intuition, perception, wisdom, mental clarity, and insight. Their energy and focus are predominantly centered on these aspects of existence, leaving little room for everyday desires that most beings indulge in to satisfy their egoic selves. As a result, those immersed in this chakra experience a heightened state of intuitional knowledge and a profound sense of divine presence. This mode of existence is extremely sattvic, with minimal rajas, though the ego's presence may still linger in the background.

This chakra affects the pineal gland, a small, pea-shaped endocrine gland in the brain. Its primary function is to produce and secrete melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles and seasonal biological rhythms. Melatonin helps manage sleep patterns by responding to light and dark cycles, thereby influencing sleep quality and timing. This affects mental clarity and intuitive abilities. When the ajna chakra is activated, it influences the pineal gland’s function, impacting hormone production and keeping the body calm and relaxed, which allows the mind to cultivate spiritual awareness, as if it is in a state of waking sleep.

If one is predominantly focused on intuition, insight, and mental clarity, their greatest obstacles are likely to be paranoia or disconnection from reality. Deficiencies in this chakra can lead to a lack of intuition, focus, and insight. Individuals who are not fully centered in this chakra may need to purify it further to address these challenges. To fully purify and balance the ajna chakra, it is essential to confront and overcome these obstacles.

How to address these obstacles?

For those overly immersed in the intuitional insights of the ajna chakra, operating on the physical plane can become challenging. They may struggle with grounding and practical matters, as their focus on intuitive or spiritual insights can make everyday tasks and responsibilities seem less important. This lack of attention to practical duties can lead to obstacles and potential setbacks. Additionally, heightened intuition may result in an over-awareness of others' emotions or thoughts, which can be overwhelming and blur personal boundaries. This can detract from one's ability to fulfill personal responsibilities effectively.

To address these challenges, it is important to ground oneself by engaging in physical activities such as walking or gardening to stay present. Practicing grounding exercises like regular exercise, connecting with nature, or pursuing creative outlets such as painting or writing can help bridge the intuitive and physical realms.

Paranoia can be a challenge for those who struggle to distinguish between intuition and physical reality. Differentiating genuine intuitive insights from imagination or projection may become difficult, leading to confusion or misinterpretation of information. To address this, it's important to regularly assess your thoughts and feelings through self-analysis, which can help clarify and improve your spiritual understanding.

Additionally, a deep focus on internal experiences and spiritual matters might result in feelings of isolation from those who do not share the same interests or understanding. To counteract this, seek out groups or communities that align with your interests in intuition or spirituality. Connecting with others who share your views can offer support and alleviate feelings of isolation.

Deficiencies in the ajna chakra can indeed block intuitive insights. To enhance intuition, several practical techniques can be employed. Visualization exercises, for instance, can be effective. Close your eyes and imagine a bright indigo light at the center of your forehead. Visualize this light expanding and radiating outward, clearing any blockages and enhancing your intuitive abilities. Regular practice of maintaining mental stability, known as tapas, helps purify the mind by burning away impurities.

Additionally, using future visualization techniques can aid in manifestation and enhance intuition. Picture yourself achieving a specific goal or desired outcome, including details such as how you feel, the environment, and the steps you took to get there. This practice not only helps with manifesting desires but also improves intuition by focusing on mental planes of existence. This plane is where knowledge is manipulated to provide you distinct experiences in the physical plane.

There are several spiritual practices that can help harness and enhance intuition. For instance, using tools such as tarot cards can direct your attention to the inner planes, where guidance from astral beings can provide deeper insights. This approach helps shift focus away from physical phenomena and rational thinking, which often limit perception to the material world and neglect subtler dimensions.

Self-study and reflection also play a crucial role in developing intuitive understanding. Engaging with spiritual texts, philosophical teachings, and wisdom literature deepens your knowledge of the nature of reality and your inner self. This process of exploration and reflection fosters a greater self-awareness and supports the growth of intuitive insight.

Through self-reflection, you can identify and address limiting beliefs, emotional blockages, and unresolved issues, recognizing their illusory nature. Clearing these mental and emotional barriers supports the purification of the third eye, leading to more accurate intuitive perceptions. Overall, these methods help quiet the mind and reduce distractions, allowing you to perceive what resides beyond.

The need for balancing this chakra:

When the ajna chakra is overactive, it can lead to overthinking, with excessive analysis and mental activity causing confusion or anxiety. You might experience detachment, where you become disconnected from the physical world and focus excessively on abstract ideas or fantasies. This can also result in self-righteousness, where you impose your beliefs or insights on others, feeling superior or infallible, and paranoia, where heightened sensitivity leads to mistrust or irrational fears.

On the other hand, a deficient ajna chakra might manifest as a lack of intuition, making it difficult to access or trust your inner guidance. You might feel confused, experiencing mental fog that hinders clear decision-making. Disconnection may occur, where you struggle to understand or connect with your higher purpose or spiritual beliefs, and you might have impaired perception, finding it hard to see the bigger picture or recognize patterns and connections.

How to expedite balancing through non-dual wisdom:

Enhance intuition and insights by recognizing that true wisdom arises from understanding Brahman. As you move away from conventional and analytical thinking, begin to embrace knowledge revealed through inner silence. This intuition emerges as a knowing beyond linear thought processes. Understand that mental clarity and intuition are manifestations of unified consciousness, deepening your insight.

Recognize that blocks in intuition often arise from egoic interference, such as fears, doubts, or overthinking. Practice observing these thoughts without attachment, understanding that they are transient and not your true self. This helps in clearing mental clutter and allows your intuition to flow more freely. Similarly, many instances of paranoia or fear may arise if one clings to the ego and fails to embrace higher knowledge. Therefore, it is important to remain detached and flow with the inner peace that arises, fully embracing it to release the ego's fear of the unknown.

Trust and follow intuitive insights, viewing them as reflections of the deeper self and guidance from Brahman, leading you towards its essence. Consider all experiences as part of the unfolding of your own self, with the ultimate goal of uncovering the deepest intuition, where even the object of intuition merges with the self.

Use affirmations such as “I trust my intuition” or “My insight comes from my true self” to recognize that your intuitive insights are expressions of awareness, which is your true nature. The more you trust your intuition, the more you gain conviction in its truth, without needing to overthink or question it. This allows your intuition to deepen, understanding that your true self is what brings intuition into appearance. As this understanding deepens, it transcends mere comprehension, until you become the very essence of intuition itself.

Sahasrara (Crown Chakra):

Sanskrit Meaning: "Thousand-Petaled"
Represents: Spirituality, enlightenment, and higher consciousness.
Theme: Self-realization
Location: Top of the head, or slightly above the crown.
Loka: Satya-loka (the realm of ultimate truth and consciousness, mixture of extremely causal and absolute truth).
Gland: Pituitary gland
Qualities to decrease for overactive chakra: spiritual arrogance, dissociation from the material world, and escapism.
Qualities to decrease for underactive chakra: lack of spiritual connection, lack sense of meaning, and confusion about purpose.

When one’s attention is focused on the sahasrara chakra, they are concerned with the highest consciousness, enlightenment, connection to the divine, and universal oneness. Their energy and focus are predominantly centered on existence itself, transcending dualities. Consequently, their innate desires manifest an experience that uses the physical realm to aid in revealing the true self (i.e., self-realization). This mode of existence is pure sattva, with no rajas or tamas, if one has a complete self-experience.

This chakra affects the pituitary gland, often referred to as the "master gland" because it regulates the function of many other endocrine glands through its secretion of various hormones. Due to its central role in regulating other endocrine glands and its influence on critical physiological processes, the pituitary gland is considered the master gland in the endocrine system. Similarly, the sahasrara chakra is the master chakra, serving as the foundation for all other chakras, which cannot exist without it, as it functions as their substratum.

If one is predominantly focused on spirituality, enlightenment, and higher consciousness, their greatest obstacles are likely to be spiritual arrogance and escapism. Deficiencies in this chakra can lead to a lack of spiritual purpose. Individuals who are not entirely centered in this chakra may still need to purify it further, as they might experience these same challenges. To fully purify and balance the sahasrara chakra, it is essential to address all of these obstacles.

How to address these obstacles?

When one’s sole focus is on spiritual enlightenment and the highest truth, they may begin to feel disconnected from everyday reality. This focus on abstract spiritual concepts can lead to a sense of disconnection from daily life and difficulty in grounding oneself. An overactive crown chakra may result in struggling to integrate spiritual insights into practical aspects of life, causing confusion or detachment, while still being attached to the physical body.

Prioritizing spiritual pursuits to the exclusion of physical health and well-being, such as diet, exercise, and sleep, can create imbalance. To maintain equilibrium, it's essential to balance spiritual pursuits with practical activities. Engage in physical activities and adhere to a daily routine to stay grounded, and integrate spiritual experiences with humility and practical considerations. Balance spiritual experiences with daily responsibilities and social interactions to ensure both aspects of life are embraced harmoniously.

For those who have temporarily experienced transcendental states, there may arise a sense of spiritual superiority, leading them to believe they are more enlightened or spiritually advanced than others. This indicates the presence of a spiritual ego and suggests that their journey is still in its early stages. It is crucial to keep the ego in check and avoid judgment. By diminishing the ego, one will not feel superiority or judgment toward others. Instead, everything will be seen as a natural expression, with zero resistance to any perceived activity.

An overactive sahasrara chakra can also lead to escapism, where one might avoid engaging with the practical aspects of life. Spiritual maturity does not mean withdrawing from the world; rather, one can remain engaged in the world while maintaining mental detachment from its disturbances. Strive to balance your spiritual experiences with practical actions, integrating them so that you can function effectively in the world while remaining detached.

There are those who may lack a spiritual purpose. To find purpose and meaning in life, consider setting goals related to personal growth, exploring your values, and engaging in activities that align with your sense of purpose. Studying spiritual philosophies and practicing techniques that connect you with a higher purpose can foster a sense of unity and interconnectedness. Reflect on your connection with the universe and cultivate a sense of surrender and trust.

The Sanskrit term Ishvara Pranidhana translates to "surrender to the Lord" or "letting go." During challenging times, practice letting go of resistance and accepting situations as they are, trusting that there is a higher plan or purpose behind them.

The need for balancing this chakra:

When the sahasrara chakra is overactive, it can lead to spiritual elitism, where you feel a heightened sense of spiritual superiority and detach from practical concerns. This may result in neglect of reality, disregarding practical aspects of life in favor of spiritual pursuits, which can create imbalances. You might also experience isolation, withdrawing from physical and social aspects of life to focus on spiritual or intellectual interests, and over-intellectualization, where you become overly absorbed in abstract concepts at the expense of practical living.

Conversely, a deficient sahasrara chakra can manifest as disconnection from reality, leaving you with a sense of spiritual emptiness and a lack of connection to a higher purpose. You might struggle with finding or maintaining a sense of direction or personal mission, and overemphasize material or ego-driven pursuits, neglecting spiritual growth. Apathy may also arise, where you feel detached or disinterested in exploring spiritual or existential questions.

How to expedite balancing through non-dual wisdom:

Recognize that all beings are manifestations of the same universal consciousness. If this is the case, then why should one feel superior to others, even if more spiritually mature? Such feelings only indicate that there is more work to be done. Remember that there is no true "higher" self compared to others; rather, all are expressions of the same fundamental reality. By deeply understanding that the sense of individuality and separation is an illusion, the need for comparison or superiority dissolves. Spiritual ego is rooted in the belief in separation, which non-dual wisdom challenges directly. Instead of viewing yourself as “more enlightened” due to your spiritual practices, see your consciousness as a wave in the ocean of universal consciousness, just like everyone else. This perspective helps dissolve the hierarchical view created by spiritual ego.

Non-dual wisdom teaches that the present moment is the ultimate reality and that all experiences are part of this moment. Instead of escaping, fully engage with the present moment and the lessons it offers. There is no escaping what you already are. Embrace the moment, no matter how it is perceived, because there is only this moment. By accepting and integrating all experiences, you move away from escapism and towards a more authentic engagement with life.

For those who lack purpose, recognize that your true purpose is not separate from Brahman. Align with the flow of life, and your purpose will naturally express unity. See meaning in all things and understand that it is not found in external achievements but in recognizing the inherent value and interconnectedness of all experiences. Every moment and action is an expression of the same divine essence. The more you accept life’s natural occurrences—even those that seem unbeneficial—the more you embrace the hidden meaning of purpose and become aware of the ultimate purpose to be revealed.

Theme 1, Phase 2: Taking Attention Beyond Sattvic Qualities

If all chakras have been purified to a certain degree, and one possesses mostly sattvic qualities and are naturally compassionate, self-controlled and have extreme amounts of acceptance towards life, no matter how good or bad situations may seem, they now have the capacity to take their attention beyond the notion of good and bad. As part of this phase of mind purification, we will now discuss ways in which we can take attention towards the inner self where there is more continuity in attention and less breaks due to the distractions of the outer world. This phase will consist of practices of mantras and pranayama, which will help you forget about outer disturbances and come in closer proximity to unbroken attention where inner peace pervades.

Note: The Yoga of Kriya and Hatha can also be applied in this specific phase. Both also aim to help awaken the kundalini, but will not be explained here.

The Introduction to Mantras:

Mantras are sacred sounds chanted or recited for their spiritual power. Embedded in deeper planes of reality or lokas, there exists information or knowledge that vibrates as sound, as sound and vibration themselves represent immaterial intelligence. This is the same intelligence that projects a physical world through its very essence. This intelligence vibrates at subtle frequencies depending on the depth and fundamental nature of the knowledge. The intelligences represent various names and forms, and mantras are designed to invoke these intelligences to elevate one's awareness of these greater powers, facilitating spiritual growth.

Mantras are the very sounds that resonate within these planes of reality; they are essentially information composed of specific vibrations and frequencies. Sages have accessed these dimensions, directly observing and embodying these frequencies. This knowledge is not heard with the ears but is an inner knowing that transcends ordinary sensory perception. When sages attune themselves to these inner planes, they receive this knowledge and bring it back. Thus, mantras are recited to help us align with these frequencies and embody the corresponding planes of knowledge. By tuning our awareness to these inner planes, we shift away from the grosser frequencies associated with qualities such as greed, envy, jealousy, power, status, and insecurity. Mantras serve as a means to transport our awareness to these subtler realms, thereby dissolving karma and desires that keep us bound to coarser planes of existence.

Since mantras represent the frequency of knowledge, their potency is greatly enhanced when recited accurately, aligning one's own sound with the intended frequency. However, their effectiveness can be significantly amplified by inner intention. Even if a mantra is not recited with precise subtle sounds, its benefits can still be realized through the strength of one's intention. Intention is fundamental to the existence of Maya, as it shapes our perception of reality. When awareness is directed by intention, it appears as something it is not. By harnessing the power of intention, one can guide their awareness back to the subtle realms where mantras reside, effectively retracing their steps to an inner space beyond intention.

Repetition of Mantras Accompanied with Intention and Conviction:

Through the consistent repetition of mantras, we can access deeper planes of existence and further purify the mind. This practice enables our attention to explore inner realms and stimulates the kundalini, aligning it with our genuine desire to transcend. The stirring of the kundalini begins when we are ready to recognize its hidden presence. The more persistent and devoted we are in our practice, and the stronger our conviction to uncover deeper truths, the more the kundalini begins to awaken.

Below is a list of some of the most powerful mantras. While you can recite the mantras out loud, they become more effective when recited inwardly, without the need for words, since their true form transcends verbal expression. Words are merely a means to connect with the wordless essence of the mantras. Try to inwardly recite the mantras as specified below, while also ensuring you understand their meanings, as this understanding forms the basis of your intention. The stronger your intention with each recitation, the more profound the practice becomes. Moreover, the more conviction and faith you have in the mantra, the greater the benefits you will experience, allowing your attention to delve deeper into the realm of continuity, embodying the true nature of the mantra. This process will ultimately purify the mind, facilitating the stirring of the kundalini and promoting its eventual awakening.

Several of the Most Powerful Mantras:

Gayatri Mantra

Sanskrit:

“Om Bhur bhuvah svah
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat”

Meaning: Om, we meditate on the divine light of that adorable supreme divine reality, who is the source of the three realms: physical, mental, and spiritual. May this divine light illuminate our intellect.

Intention: To transcend the physical and mental realms and attain higher spiritual awareness.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

Sanskrit:

“Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”

Meaning: Om, I bow to Vasudeva (Krishna).

Intention: To seek the grace and realization of the divine presence of Lord Krishna, who reveals deeper spiritual realities.

Om Namah Shivaya

Sanskrit:

“Om Namah Shivaya”

Meaning: Om, I bow to Shiva.
Intention: To connect with Lord Shiva’s transcendental consciousness and deepen one’s awareness of the ultimate reality.

Bhairavi Namah Mantra

Sanskrit:

“Hrim Shrim, Krim, Adyakalika Parameshvari Svaha
Om Ham Yam Vam Ram Lam
Om Krim Hamsa Ghrini Surya Idam
Argyam Tubhyam Swaha”

Meaning: Om, I bow to Bhairavi, a fierce and transformative form of the Divine Feminine in Hinduism.
Intention: To honor and seek the blessings of Bhairavi, invoking her power and grace to remove obstacles, enhance spiritual growth, and bring transformative energy into one's life.

Tarpana Mantra

Sanskrit:

“Om Devan Tarpayami Namaha
Om Rishin Tarpayami Namaha
Om Pitrum Tarpayami Namaha
Hrim Adyam Kalim Tarpayami Svaha”

Meaning: A prayerful offering to gods, sages, and ancestors, seeking their blessings and favor. It is performed to show respect, seek spiritual nourishment, and ensure the alignment of one's actions with divine and ancestral guidance.
Intention: To honor and seek blessings from gods, sages, and ancestors, ensuring their favor and guidance while maintaining spiritual and familial harmony through ritual offerings.

Guru Vandana Mantra

Sanskrit:

“Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu
Gururdevo Maheshwaraha
Gurur Sakshat Parabrahma
Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha”

Meaning: Acknowledgment and reverence for the guru as the embodiment of the divine aspects of creation, preservation, and transformation. It recognizes the guru as a direct manifestation of the ultimate reality and offers deep respect and devotion. The mantra emphasizes the guru's essential role in guiding and imparting spiritual wisdom.
Intention: To honor and express reverence to the guru, acknowledging the guru as the embodiment of the divine trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) and the ultimate reality. It seeks the guru's blessings and guidance, recognizing their role in imparting wisdom and spiritual insight.

Hamsa Gayatri Mantra

Sanskrit:

“Om Hamsa Hamsaya Vidmahe
Paramahamsaya Dhimahi
Tanno Hamsaya Prachodayat”

Meaning: Meditate upon and seek inspiration from the divine consciousness represented by the Hamsa (Swan). It acknowledges the Hamsa as a symbol of the supreme self or ultimate reality and prays for illumination and spiritual guidance from this highest form of consciousness.
Intention: To invoke and meditate upon the divine consciousness symbolized by the Hamsa (Swan). It seeks enlightenment and guidance from this supreme essence, aiming to elevate spiritual awareness and insight.

Hindustani Bhairavi Melody

Sanskrit:

“Jai Shakti Jai Shakti Jai Shakti Kali Jai Lakshmi Jai Gauri Jai Vani Kali
Jai Mantra-mayi Jai Devi Kali
Jai Tantra-mayi Jai Gauri Kali
Jai Mukambika Saraswathi Kali
Jai Chamundeshwari Eshwari Kali
Jai Kundalini Malini Kali
Jai Jnana-Kriya Iccha-Shakti Kali
Jai Bhasura Shakti Parashive Kali
Jai Dasa Keshava Sannute Kali
Om Shanthi Shanthi Shanthi
Jagajjanani Maha Kundalini Ki Jai”

Meaning: Raga Bhairavi is a devotional and serious melody that evokes feelings of devotion, reverence, and calm. It is traditionally performed in the early morning or late evening and is known for its emotional depth and spiritual quality.
Intention: To inspire devotion and create a serene and contemplative atmosphere. It is used to express deep emotions and connect with the divine, often enhancing spiritual practices and meditation.

Om Indraya Namah

Sanskrit:

“Om Indraya Namah”

Meaning: Om, I bow to Indra, the king of the heavens.
Intention: To invoke the blessings and divine presence of Indra, the ruler of the heavenly realm, enhancing one's connection to celestial realms.

Om Tapasvi Namah

Sanskrit:

“Om Tapasvi Namah”

Meaning: Om, I bow to the ascetic.
Intention: To connect with the divine qualities of Tapasvi (one who performs intense penance), facilitating higher states of meditation and spiritual asceticism.

Om Jnana Gamyaya Namah

Sanskrit:

“Om Jnana Gamyaya Namah”

Meaning: Om, I bow to the one who leads to knowledge.
Intention: To seek guidance and connection with the divine essence that leads to profound wisdom and higher understanding.

Om Maharlokaya Namah

Sanskrit:

“Om Maharlokaya Namah”

Meaning: Om, I bow to the great realm.
Intention: To connect with the divine energies and higher consciousness associated with Maharloka, a plane of elevated spiritual beings and great sages.

The Need for Constant Recital:

First, read through these mantras to understand their meanings and the intention you must have when reciting them. Once you fully grasp the mantra, recite it repeatedly with the same conviction and intention as when you began. Don’t ever let this intention and conviction decrease as you begin reciting more. Continue reciting until the mantra begins to flow effortlessly. In other words, by repeating the mantra enough, you will eventually become absorbed in it. This immersion allows the mantra to transcend your usual perception of the physical world.

Immerse yourself in the mantra, allowing it to resonate naturally without trying to control it. Maintain the conviction and intention behind your recitation until it occurs spontaneously, leading to a deeper understanding of something greater. The more you practice, the more you align with the mantra’s frequency and reveal its true benefits.

Practice these mantras daily and as frequently as possible throughout the day until they become a natural part of your life. Just as a song sticks in your mind after repeated listening, the mantra will deeply embed itself within you. This practice can awaken inner power and potentially stimulate the kundalini energy. Remember, the goal is to invoke this energy—be open to its arrival but humble enough to accept it whether or not it manifests. This humility will further purify your mind, enhancing the effectiveness of your mantra practice and allowing you to harness its true power.

Now that you understand the nature of mantras and how they can help invoke the kundalini, we will discuss the practice of pranayama, which can also help awaken the kundalini. This practice of pranayama can be leveraged during the theme of concentration when the kundalini is awakened to channel it through the subtler chakras.

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The Practice of Pranayama:

Pranayama is a practice that focuses on the regulation and control of breath. The term "pranayama" comes from the Sanskrit words "prana" (life force or vital energy) and "ayama" (extension or control). It involves various techniques to manage and enhance the flow of prana through controlled breathing exercises. It is important to note that prana is not the physical breath itself but the energy behind the breath. Therefore, by controlling the breath, we manipulate the flow of prana. While prana is the general life force or subtle energy present everywhere and essential for everyday functioning, kundalini is distinct in that it is a special, latent energy that, when awakened, can lead to significant spiritual transformation. By manipulating prana, we can stimulate the kundalini, allowing it to awaken and rise from its dormant state.

Pranayama techniques help regulate and control the breath, thereby enhancing the flow of prana (vital life force) through the body. This practice helps stabilize the mind, improve mental clarity, balance emotions and supports physical health by purifying the body. While there are many benefits to pranayama, the ultimate aim of this practice is to awaken the kundalini.

When you start to experience the effects of prana through pranayama practices, you will notice a variety of personal sensations and shifts in perception. You will become more sensitive to the subtle nature of your body, feeling sensations such as warmth and vibrations that you were unconscious of before. Your mental clarity will improve, making you more aware of your surroundings and your internal state, including your heartbeat, as you become less distracted due to conscious breathing. Pranayama must be done while consiously trying to feel the energy behind the breath. This can only happen when you are very still in the concentration, away from other disturbances. You might also sense energy flowing through different areas of your body or notice changes in your breath, which may become deeper and smoother. These experiences can vary for each individual and often require patience and consistent practice to fully appreciate.

Here is a list of pranayama techniques that you can perform daily or weekly, depending on your schedule. Be sure to practice them in a safe and comfortable environment, preferably during times when you are not disturbed. These techniques will be categorized based on the practitioner's level of experience. As you practice, remain conscious of your breath the entire time. Although you may notice notable signs along the way, try to stay focused and continue your practice. This approach helps build momentum, much like winding up a spring—it is only when you stop that the spring releases its energy. Therefore, maintain your practice despite any intense feelings, as this can help you break through to the next level of your pranayama and potentially awaken the kundalini. Start with beginner practices and progress to more advanced ones as you feel ready. Not everyone will need to perform all these practices; sometimes, just one practice may be sufficient to awaken the kundalini if it is your destiny.

Beginner:

Ujjayi (Victorious Breath)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit or stand comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Inhale deeply through the nose with a slight constriction at the back of the throat, creating an ocean-like sound.
  3. Exhale slowly through the nose with the same throat constriction.
  4. Maintain a steady, rhythmic flow of breath and continue for several minutes.
  5. Repeat for several minutes
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with your spine straight.
  2. Using your right thumb, close your right nostril.
  3. Inhale deeply and slowly through the left nostril.
  4. Close the left nostril with your right ring finger and release the right nostril.
  5. Exhale slowly through the right nostril.
  6. Inhale through the right nostril, close it with your thumb, and exhale through the left nostril.
  7. Repeat this cycle for several minutes.
Sitali (Cooling Breath)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Roll the tongue into a tube shape or purse your lips.
  3. Inhale deeply through the rolled tongue or pursed lips.
  4. Exhale through the nose.
  5. Continue for several minutes, focusing on the cooling sensation.

Intermediate:

Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Take a deep inhale through the nose.
  3. Exhale forcefully through the nose while pulling the abdomen inward.
  4. Allow the inhalation to occur passively and repeat the exhalation at a rapid pace.
  5. Perform for a few minutes, then take a few deep breaths to relax.
  6. Repeat cycle for several minutes.
Bhramari (Bee Breath)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Close your eyes and place your index fingers on your ear flaps.
  3. Inhale deeply through the nose.
  4. Exhale slowly while making a humming sound, similar to a bee.
  5. Continue for a few minutes, focusing on the sound and vibration.
Surya Bhedana (Right Nostril Breathing)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Close the left nostril with your right ring finger.
  3. Inhale deeply through the right nostril.
  4. Close the right nostril with your thumb and release the left nostril.
  5. Exhale slowly through the left nostril.
  6. Repeat the cycle for several minutes.
Chandra Bhedana (Left Nostril Breathing)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Close the right nostril with your thumb.
  3. Inhale deeply through the left nostril.
  4. Close the left nostril with your right ring finger and release the right nostril.
  5. Exhale slowly through the right nostril.
  6. Repeat the cycle for several minutes.

Advanced:

Bhastrika (Bellows Breath)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Inhale deeply and forcefully through the nose, expanding the abdomen.
  3. Exhale forcefully through the nose, pulling the abdomen inward.
  4. Repeat the inhalation and exhalation rapidly.
  5. Practice for a few minutes and then take a few deep breaths to relax.
Kumbhaka (Breath Retention)
- How to Do It:
  1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
  2. Inhale deeply through the nose.
  3. Hold the breath for a few seconds (or as long as comfortable).
  4. Exhale slowly through the nose.
  5. Practice gradually increasing the retention time as you become more comfortable.

These techniques are arranged from simpler to more complex, with advanced methods demanding greater focus, control, and practice. Practicing them more frequently will deepen your immersion and facilitate purification. This purification helps create an environment conducive to the awakening and rising of kundalini energy. In essence, pranayama prepares and conditions both body and mind, potentially facilitating the kundalini's awakening when the time is right.

There are many pranayama techniques available, but it is not necessary to master them all. Practicing just a few techniques can be sufficient. The kundalini will awaken in its own time, and if it is destined to erupt, the specific technique used will not matter. It may arise through one of the techniques described above or through other practices, according to its own timing and readiness. It may even awaken spontaneously, as it has for me.

The Pathways are Now Prime to Spark an Awakening:

When the chakras become more balanced, the Ida and Pingala Nadis also achieve equilibrium, as one no longer leans towards the masculine or feminine but rests in a state of balance. Consequently, the Sushumna Nadi, the central pathway between Ida and Pingala, becomes available for channeling awareness. Prana naturally flows through this pathway, allowing one to experience profound peace, joy, and inner satisfaction. However, many people mistakenly identify this prana as Kundalini. If you “think” it is Kundalini, then it is not. The true Kundalini is known with absolute certainty due to its profoundly blissful and divine experience, which shatters all previous beliefs about reality. There will be no doubts about its awakening, as it comes with a full-blown divine intuition that overflows one’s being. Once this energy erupts, you gain a significant capacity for concentration, further exploring the unbroken realms of continuity.

THEME 2: CONCENTRATION

The Awakening of Kundalini:

When the kundalini erupts, it is the most divine and blissful feeling you will ever experience. Before its eruption, you will be in a state of extreme equilibrium, with a still mind that allows your attention to be fully immersed in the energy when it awakens. Before it erupted in me, it was difficult to describe what reality meant, as I was so equanimous that I couldn’t even tell you who I was or what a tree truly was, beyond recognizing its shape. Everything around me seemed to be at a standstill, as if time had frozen. Then, in an instant, the energy exploded. I immediately knew it was divine, as if God had grabbed me and started to squeeze. At that moment, I understood that what was happening was profoundly significant and terrifyingly divine; I could neither resist nor force anything to happen. I knew intuitively that I had to surrender to the experience.

When the kundalini energy erupts spontaneously, it seeks to flow upward and unite with Shiva in the highest and deepest chakra—Sahasrara. However, this does not mean that all seekers with an awakened kundalini will experience this unity. The union with Shiva or Brahman occurs only when the seeker is qualified, marked by their status as a sage and their ability to access deeper realms, which are the very realms they experienced before incarnating. For a sage, this energy flows seamlessly without blockages, as if everything inside the hose is cleared for the water to pour through. When the energy awakened in me, it ascended effortlessly before feeling as if it had smashed my brain. My body instantly shut down, and my breath ceased as I became one with everything, and everything became one with me.

For many, however, this experience does not come in a flash and requires sustained practice to allow the kundalini to ascend, purify the chakras, and clear out blockages in different regions, ultimately leading to union with Shiva. Thus, there is work involved in enabling this energy to flow upward. When the energy is not actively engaged or directed with intention and focus in the chakras, it begins to descend back to the lower chakras, awaiting the seeker's effort to awaken its ascent once more.

The Kundalini Enhances Concentration:

When the energy of kundalini is awakened, it feels extremely vivid and blissful, as if composed of infinite divine intelligence. The energy itself is universally intelligent and imparts knowledge based on where it resides. Its intoxicating, electrical, and blissful nature allows your attention to focus entirely on its energy, drawing it away from the outer disturbances of the world that typically engage you when attention is captivated by the illusion of physicality. This quality of the energy helps maintain concentration in a particular region without drifting, which would otherwise disrupt this focus. When the kundalini is concentrated in a specific chakra, it reveals knowledge about that region, as the energy is one with knowledge and serves as its substratum. Thus, fixing the kundalini in a particular chakra can unveil hidden divine wisdom or knowledge that would otherwise remain inaccessible if attention were continually bound to the perception of physicality, where such insights are veiled.

Additionally, the amount of energy you harness and your concentration in a particular region will determine the extent of wisdom you receive. The more energy and potency you leverage, the greater the fixation, leading to deeper access to knowledge. This increased fixation allows you to continually reveal this knowledge without distraction, thereby retaining the insights gained. Nevertheless, the knowledge is ultimately integrated into the outer dimension, enabling the seeker to communicate their discoveries to others. Furthermore, the deeper your fixation on a chakra, the more profound the knowledge revealed, provided that self-absorption remains heightened.

When the kundalini is awakened, it enhances concentration by drawing your attention irresistibly to this intoxicating energy, as if it pulls you into a realm where knowledge is revealed instantly without relying on hearing or seeing. The knowledge arrives in a flash, similar to the experience of tasting a delicious mango without having to pick it up and put it in your mouth. You grasp this knowledge intuitively, understanding the answers directly without a linear process of communication.

With persistent practice in harnessing the kundalini, your ability to concentrate will improve, even while navigating the physical world. Your experiences with kundalini will transform you, altering how you interact with and perceive your surroundings. This transformation will help you remain calmer through disturbances and respond differently than most people who act out of ignorance.

Lesson: Different Types of Siddhis

Putting the Kundalini Energy into Actual Use:

When the kundalini is awakened, you can direct the energy to ascend towards the higher chakras using intention. This involves employing your mental focus to guide the energy upward, similar to how you use intention to accomplish a specific task. You can also use visualization to aid this process, by picturing the energy rising while simultaneously feeling it. Acknowledge the presence of the energy and direct it upward through your intention. This process can be further enhanced by incorporating pranayama techniques: through inhalation, you can accelerate the upward flow and increase its potency.

Not everyone will be able to harness all of the kundalini energy when it’s awakened. It largely depends on your mastery in utilizing this power, so most people will only access a portion of it. The more energy you harness, the more powerful your intention will be, and the more effectively you can direct the energy where you desire. This is because, as mentioned earlier, the energy is intoxicating. The more energy you control, the more compelling it becomes, drawing your attention more deeply. When you work with a greater amount of energy, its intelligence can begin to guide you, but this requires extreme self-mastery and acceptance of higher knowledge. Those who are still fearful of the unknown or clinging to their physical identity may not reach this level of acceptance, which can lead to trauma, stress, and anxiety from not fully embracing the transformative experience.

When you harness enough of the kundalini energy, you can direct it to specific chakras, depending on which ones you have access to. If you cannot access certain higher chakras, it indicates that more work is needed. You will need to revisit the purification practices for that particular chakra to achieve better balance and resolve any issues.

However, the kundalini itself can assist in purifying a chakra if you focus the energy on it. The more the energy interacts with the chakra, the more purification occurs, as it gives you profound perspective on the traumas you’ve held. This process does not follow a fixed timeline and depends on the current state of the chakra’s purification. As the chakra becomes purified through kundalini exposure, you will notice changes and transformations in how you express its qualities in the physical plane. Therefore, continuous self-analysis and assessment are essential throughout this journey to maintain this inner knowledge.

When you direct energy to a specific chakra, based on its location (refer to the first phase in the chakra overview section if needed), you will begin to feel the qualities and attributes of that chakra. In other words, you will experience what the chakra represents. For example, if you focus your attention on the svadhisthana chakra, which represents sexual desires and pleasure, you will literally feel sensations associated with those qualities, much like how they are experienced during activities that stimulate those sensations. If immersed deep enough in this chakra, you can promote an internal orgasm without even performing any act. These feelings and qualities associated with each chakra can be experienced to varying degrees, depending on how much focus you place on the chakra and how much kundalini energy is present there. This is why maharloka, which embodies love, is felt in the heart, while intuition, embodied in the ajna chakra, is felt in the head. Different feelings and qualities are experienced in specific regions of the body, connecting your attention to a deeper level of associated knowledge.

When you focus on these feelings and qualities, they become more intense as you concentrate the energy in that area. In other words, the more you immerse yourself in the energy at that location, the more energy will gravitate there, further amplifying the experience. The amount of energy you choose to leverage or withdraw depends on your skill level. This is why constant practice is essential for mastering energy: it helps you learn how to direct it, how much to use, and how to manage your own absorption in the process.

The more focused you are on a particular chakra, the more absorbed you become in that region. This means your attention becomes so immersed that you start to lose awareness of the physical body. As this happens, your concentration reaches new levels, and your attention becomes more fixed or still, without drifting away or being disturbed. When you penetrate deeper into this chakra, or become more absorbed within it, it transforms into a portal. This often occurs when you experience intense pulsations from laser-focused energy on a specific region. Through this portal, you move beyond the qualities and attributes of the chakra when experienced in the physical body. In other words, you lose consciousness of the physical body and enter the spiritual realm associated with that chakra. You now have access strictly to that chakra’s knowledge void of any other chakra’s influence.

This is an out-of-body experience, where your attention is channeled into a different dimension. In these dimensions, physical senses like hearing, seeing, and smelling are no longer necessary. Instead, senses operate independently of these physical organs. For example, communication occurs telepathically: your questions arise as thoughts and are answered instantly by others in your mind. There is no room for misinterpretation, as answers are revealed directly through thoughts, eliminating any potential for miscommunication. In the spiritual realms, everything is interconnected, allowing knowledge to be accessed purely through thought.

With access to these dimensions, you experience the hidden realms of knowledge. Each realm contains insights about aspects that were not perceived when your attention was focused on the physical plane of existence, known as bhu-loka. Just as you gain knowledge about physicality in bhu-loka by experiencing its qualities and attributes, you can also access knowledge about the subtle planes, which have their own distinct qualities and attributes. This knowledge is devoid of physicality and is more intuitive in nature, which you inwardly sense is more truthful and pure.

The qualities and attributes you experience while focusing on the anahata chakra (mahar-loka) while still maintaining body-consciousness are just a fragment of those vivid attributes when fully immersed in mahar-loka, when one is not conscious of their physical body. These attributes are less expressed while operating in the physical plane since they are more concealed. But exposing them to body-consciousness is how integration occurs and how one can remove impressions (samskaras) that keeps desires wanting to flow outward towards the realm of physicality. As you can see, when one is projected in a particular realm (such as the physical plane), all chakras are in use but only a limited portion of the chakra’s knowledge is leveraged while operating in the physical plane.

How different realms are perceived through an out-of-body experience held in different dimensions:

Satyaloka (Brahmaloka)
- Representation: The highest realm, associated with truth, supreme consciousness, and the abode of Brahma, the creator deity.
- Perception: This realm is experienced as a vacuum of bliss, with almost no sense of separation. While you do not become Brahma or the innate function of creation, you are one with the creative function, experiencing everything as part of yourself, and yourself as everything simultaneously. It is a pure vacuum of bliss, radiant with sparkling dazzles and infinite knowledge, where you understand all things at once. You are unified with infinite intelligence or the cosmic mind. Here, knowledge is not perceived linearly but forms the basis of all that can be conceived of in linear motion. Deep within this substratum exists a horizon that, if crossed, leads to turiya, or absolute truth. In turiya, you no longer feel the bliss of the pure vacuum but merely witness it, free from any separation or ego that would allow you to perceive something as distinct from yourself.
Tapaloka
- Representation: A realm of intuition and vivid insights about the highest intelligence, where many Sages reside to hold on to their most extreme subtle form.
- Perception: It is experienced as a state of profound inner bliss and spiritual radiance, as if the intelligent space around you is completely pure and free from contaminants. This realm is characterized by access to profound knowledge and wisdom. You can access the cosmic mind's knowledge while maintaining an extremely subtle form of self. With this knowledge, you understand things instantly and can experience anything conceivable without taking physical action. For example, you can experience the thrill of flying without actually flying; the experience feels vividly real and clear without the need to leap into the air. In this realm, every thought manifests instantly, bypassing linear time and motion. Time operates differently here—it slows down, as there is no need to traverse through it, but yet thoughts can be expressed rapidly fast through your own creation. Knowledge is accessed purely by thought, manifesting instantly to satisfy your desires. Thoughts succeed each other rapidly, allowing you to appear in any world instantly by willing it, as you generate thoughts from the cosmic mind itself.
Janaloka
- Representation: A realm of light associated with beings characterized by their high levels of wisdom.
- Perception: Perceived as a space of profound understanding and harmony, this realm offers a deeper connection to cosmic truths and divine intentions. It is experienced primarily as light, where you retain a transparent form and have extremely vivid sensory perceptions. You can smell, taste, and touch light in countless expressions, while still maintaining a more dualistic form compared to tapoloka. In this realm, you might feel as if you are roaming through space, causing time to operate differently, with your subjective experience moving from point A to point B at a slower pace. The space here is intensely filled with light and warmth, creating an environment you never want to leave. It is extremely peaceful and imbued with immense inner joy, while still being closely connected to the intelligence that shapes this realm and others.
Maharloka
- Representation: A higher realm of significant spiritual merit and beings who possess a lot of love and harmony with others.
- Perception: Experienced as a realm of profound love, tranquility, and connection with others and the environment, this realm offers a diversity of worlds that are much more vivid and beautiful than nighttime dreams. The air might smell like a million roses, and you can explore worlds that are extraordinarily heavenly. Here, there is a deep connection with all beings and the environment, characterized by love, compassion, and interconnectedness. The worlds available are infinite, shaped by your desires and intentions. Unlike the physical world, pain, disease, or illness do not exist here. Instead, you inhabit a realm of enhanced imagination, overflowing with bliss and beauty. While this realm is heavenly like Svar-loka, it is far more blissful and imbued with a higher level of intelligence that can be influenced through intention. Imagine any dream you’ve enjoyed as a blissful adventure and amplify it by 10,000—that’s how the dream world in these lokas manifests as your actual reality.
Svarloka
- Representation: The heavenly realm where beings experience pleasure, happiness, and reward for good deeds.
- Perception: Experienced as a paradise of sensory delights and enjoyment, this realm is characterized by beauty, luxury, and blissful experiences. It is often described as "heaven" in near-death experiences and represents a plane that surpasses physicality. While it may not have the extreme love of Mahar Loka, it is considered a heavenly paradise by those transitioning from the physical plane, with its beauty and majesty making it a place where no one wants to leave. Although there are some limitations to what one can experience, the realm is astral in nature, embodying serenity, warmth, peace, pleasure, and a profound sense of security, as if other beings and guides are watching over and taking care of you.
Bhuloka (Earthly Realm)
- Representation: The physical plane of existence to embody the “human experience” encompassing the material world and everyday life.
- Perception: Perceived as the realm of physical reality and duality, this loka encompasses the full range of human experiences and challenges, similar to those you encounter as a human being. Here, beings identify with the human body and experience a plane of physicality where pain, suffering, and trauma are prevalent. This realm is characterized by greater deception and enhanced perceptions of separation, leading to suffering. It lies between higher and lower realms, which allows for a broad spectrum of experiences, encompassing both lower and higher states of consciousness. It provides a valuable contrast for understanding higher states, as it juxtaposes good and bad experiences. In this plane, one can experience both heaven and hell; while some may encounter heavenly experiences, others may face significant suffering, reflecting the dual nature of this realm.

The lower lokas, while often described as hellish, do not consist of eternal fires as depicted in many religions. Instead, they are deceptive states of consciousness that obscure the truth of higher states. In these realms, it is more challenging to grasp higher truths, leading to increased suffering and pain because beings are unaware of more profound experiences and truths. You can get a sense of the qualities and attributes of these realms by focusing energy in your lower extremities for an extended period. The sensations are typically unpleasant compared to the more joyful qualities experienced when focusing on the heart chakra, for example. This contrast provides insight into how these lower states must feel if you were actually living in them.

The perception you have in these different lokas is not fixed by a single experience. Instead, experiences in each loka can manifest in infinite ways while still retaining the essence of each loka’s specific qualities and attributes. The duration you can remain in these dimensions depends on your level of concentration. Masterful individuals can remain in these realms indefinitely, while those who are newly exposed to them may lose the experience quickly and need to re-enter and practice in order to stay for longer periods.

In addition, when kundalini is awakened, it may not ascend to the higher chakras due to major knots, or granthis, which are located in specific centers. These knots represent experiences that must be transcended for spiritual growth. Breaking a knot acts as an initiation, marking a significant uplift in spiritual development and maturity. It signifies access to higher dimensions, achievable only through mastery of the realm previously experienced. The more significant the knot broken, the greater the initiation. This initiation is recognized through the direct experience of reaching a higher plane, which provides intuitive knowledge in a sudden flash, offering innate understanding with complete conviction and zero doubts.

To explain these knots in more detail, we will examine each of the three knots, their locations, their embodied qualities, and what is required to break them in order to access deeper dimensions and planes.

The Three Major Granthis:

Brahma Granthi (Root Chakra)

Center: Base of the spine (Root Chakra or Muladhara).
Loka: The earthly realm (bhu-loka), associated with material and physical existence.
Initial Significance: Represents aspects of human existence, such as survival, security, and material concerns. It reflects deep attachment to the physical realm and the ego's sense of identity tied to physical needs and desires. Going beyond this knot means you access more spiritual based knowledge, understanding that physicality is an illusion and removing this materialistic mindset that one originally held. When accessing spiritual based knowledge, you are no longer immersed in the more deceptive form of physicality where hellish qualities and attributes pervade.
Kundalini’s Journey: To ascend through this granthi, the kundalini must transcend basic survival instincts and fears, overcoming attachment to the physical world and personal security. This allows the energy to move upward to higher centers of consciousness, such as that of swargaloka—spiritual based knowledge.

Vishnu Granthi (Heart Chakra)

Center: Heart region (Heart Chakra or Anahata).
Loka: The emotional or relational realm (mahar-loka), dealing with personal interactions and emotional experiences.
Initial Significance: Represents attachment to emotional bonds, relationships, and personal desires. It reflects limitations imposed by emotional attachments and the ego's involvement in personal and relational aspects. Going beyond this means you access god consciousness, instead of being immersed in worlds that are individual based, even if connected through love and harmony. In other words, to go beyond is to expose a realm that is more impersonal.
Kundalini’s Journey: To pierce through the Vishnu Granthi, the kundalini must move beyond personal attachments and emotional dependencies. This involves going beyond a sense of love and compassion, allowing for a deeper, more expansive connection with god consciousness and higher impersonal knowledge.

Shiva Granthi (Third Eye Chakra)

Center: Forehead area (Third Eye Chakra or Ajna).
Loka: The higher subtle plane associated with spiritual understanding (tapa-loka)
Initial Significance: Concerns spiritual knowledge and represents an attachment to ego-based understanding of reality. It can be a barrier to direct spiritual enlightenment. Overcoming this knot reveals the direct experience of absolute truth and is considered the greatest initiation one can undergo. Breaking it provides mastery over all other realms and leads to the ultimate pursuit of revealing the true self.
Kundalini’s Journey: To transcend the Shiva Granthi, the kundalini must move beyond the limits of ego-based knowledge, where one still has the presence of ego exposing higher knowledge. This stage involves reaching a higher state of spiritual insight and direct experience, exposing profound awareness and enlightenment.

In essence, the journey of Kundalini involves overcoming fundamental attachments and limitations associated with each chakra and its corresponding realm (loka). By breaking through these granthis, one facilitates spiritual ascension and realizes higher states of consciousness. To evolve and progress to the next major initiations, one must remain immersed in these higher states for an extended period to reduce karmic footprint and attachments.

While many consider these out-of-body experiences to be a form of samadhi, they are not non-dual samadhi, which represents the pinnacle of spiritual maturity. Instead, these experiences are higher states of consciousness, often referred to as yogic samadhi, where consciousness is heightened to access extra-sensory states. This is a natural occurrence before one exposes the self, since these are the subtle states that must be exposed and fully negated to reach the final and inner substratum, beyond all subtle states.

Nonetheless, with the practice of using kundalini, your concentration is enhanced and developed to a sufficient degree. The more you leverage this energy, the more you fixate your awareness on one point, rather than allowing it to drift as it does when attached to physicality. As your concentration improves from being immersed in the chakras without deviating, you can maintain this focus for longer periods with less effort. Therefore, the practice of concentration involves persistently using this energy to advance your focus. The more you practice focusing on a specific chakra, the more your concentration elevates, helping you progress to the deepest chakras where attention becomes more unbroken and less influenced by ego.

Once the kundalini reaches the ajna chakra, attention begins to become still as one enters a state of god consciousness while still retaining an ego in the background to recognize god as a powerful source. After mastering the other chakras and reaching this point, you advance to the third theme: meditation.

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THEME 3: MEDITATION

Focusing on the Ajna Chakra and Burning Karma:

Now that you've entered the ajna chakra, you should feel as though you're in a trance with minimal separation, while your ego remains in the background, noting, "I am experiencing a trance." This trance helps you go deeper, as if it's persuading you to become more immersed in its hypnotic state. The kundalini burns desires, since the force of energy is too intoxicating for you to even entertain them. It also burns thoughts, which prevents the occurrence of desires, since desire can only exist through thoughts of them existing! This is why kundalini is a means for sensory control.

Through concentration, you can deepen this trance by remaining engaged and absorbed in its experience, which allows you to shift your focus away from other thoughts that might reinforce the ego. If your attention drifts away from the trance, promptly bring it back and continue with it. This is the ultimate test and the reason why mula-avidya exists. Mula avidya is the deepest desire—the desire to experience reality as a separate individual self. It is the most fundamental desire for consciousness itself, deeper than any desire for external things, since external things cannot exist as separate entities without the desire to experience individuality. We are all conditioned to cling to external things, which reaffirms our fundamental desire to experience ourselves as separate beings holding onto things. This experience persists as long as we maintain this fundamental desire and the need to cling to things.

So, how do we remove it? In the ajna chakra, you have the capacity to connect with the inner knowledge that pervades this realm, which will help you deepen the trance and begin the process of dissolving mula avidya. As this dissolution progresses, you will become more immersed in the deeper dimensions, leaving behind disturbances that sustain desires and the affirmation of a separate self.

This is why the ajna chakra burns the most karma. It is equivalent to savikalpa samadhi as it also exposes duality while being immersed in high states of consciousness. The more you focus the kundalini on the ajna chakra, the more you align with it, gradually reducing distractions. This is a sign of burning karma. The yogi understands that remaining focused on the ajna chakra for an extended period helps dissolve karma or desires that might otherwise pull attention back to physical experiences in future lives, even if this involves willingly assisting others. These desires to help, even if they serve to keep sacred knowledge alive, still represent attachments. Consequently, the yogi burns karma in proportion to the need, whether to clear it completely or to prevent succumbing to forces that would draw attention to lower planes of existence.

Meditation in Motion:

When you are immersed in the ajna chakra long enough, the sense of active concentration fades. You become effortlessly absorbed, no longer needing to combat the disturbances that previously pulled your attention away, even if only slightly. It’s as if you’ve reached an elevator that lifts you to a higher state without the need to climb stairs. When concentration becomes effortless, it transcends mere concentration and becomes unbroken meditation. Even so, you might still experience a subtle awareness of being in a continuous meditative state. There are no more interruptions; you have entered a deeper, more still space with an enhanced sense of connectedness.

If you become deeply absorbed in the ajna chakra, you may eventually break through to the sahasrara chakra, which is akin to Brahmaloka. This transition can be achieved with a significant amount of kundalini energy and focused concentration. Alternatively, you can direct most of the kundalini energy to ascend to Brahmaloka, where the creative principle of creation takes over.

To elevate the kundalini, you need to build up energy in the anahata chakra (the chest area). This can be done through breathwork and intention. As you build up the energy, it becomes increasingly potent, condensing and intensifying. Eventually, you will feel an overwhelming urge to release it. At this point, you must intentionally direct the energy upward to the head. Powerful intention is crucial; without it, the energy may ascend but fail to pierce through the ajna chakra if it has not been adequately purified. Using the force of kundalini like a slingshot, you can propel the energy upward to the sahasrara chakra and enter Brahmaloka, where profound meditation occurs.

Lessons:

Objective Meditation vs Subjective Meditation

Kundalini can be used for both objective and subjective meditation. As described in the above lessons, objective meditation involves focusing on a specific object or thought while suppressing all other objects and thoughts until the single object or thought being focused on disappears. In this case, Brahman is objectified by turning it into a thought, and one loses themsleves in this single thought appearance.

In contrast, subjective meditation aims to negate all objects and thoughts, including those about Brahman. During this process, subtler thoughts and knowledge are revealed and negated until Brahman is exposed as the final ultimate, unchanging source.

Subjective meditation aims to achieve jivanmukti, which is liberation while retaining the body's appearance. This can only occur if kundalini is complemented by viveka—the spiritual power to turn inward completely without the need of being inactive. Without viveka, the use of kundalini tends to result in objective meditation, where Brahman becomes objectified in meditation. In this scenario, the seeker may either fall into laya (a state of dormancy or further objectification) or, if they have sufficient spiritual merit, ascend through higher realms and willfully discard their bodies through mahasamadhi to attain liberation in the higher, more subtle realms before merging with the absolute truth.

Therefore, kundalini can be used to achieve any type of mukti. How a seeker chooses to attain liberation will be guided by their destiny. No form of mukti is inherently superior to another; they all reveal the same inner truth through different methodologies. Only the ignorant entertain such debates.

The Leap of Faith:

While many believe the sahasrara chakra is the ultimate abode of truth, it is not entirely so. It is Brahmaloka and thus still influenced by maya, albeit minimally. When you enter this chakra or plane, you become immersed in a vast sea of interconnectedness with only a slight trace of ego remaining to recognize this state. Deep beneath this chakra however lies a horizon that draws you closer the more you focus on it. As your attention becomes increasingly absorbed by this horizon, sharp intuitive flashes of knowledge emerge. This knowledge is not about the ego or its entertainments but about liberating yourself from it. You will experience profound insights revealing that as you approach this horizon, while your ego diminishes, leaving behind the formless substratum—Brahman, or the bottomless pit.

As you approach the horizon within the sahasrara chakra, you start to receive glimpses of what Brahman is like through direct knowledge. This is intuitive knowledge that guides you in making a critical decision: Will you turn back and maintain the ego, or will you dive into this singularity, letting go of everything, including your sense of being a separate self? Furthermore, since extreme amounts of bliss is felt, one tends to remain in this shrouded layer without the discipline to cross over.

Lessons:

Laya vs Liberation:

The leap of faith can be taken in three ways:

While the physical body is still alive but no longer conscious of its appearance (Laya)
After the death of all bodies (physical, subtle, and causal) (Kramamukti)
While the physical body is still alive and conscious of its appearance (Jivanmukti)

If the leap of faith is taken while the physical body is still alive and without awareness of its appearance, it will result in a form of laya, or temporary dissolution of the ego. This means the ego will eventually revive, and the individual will revert to the body or mind that has not yet permanently died, where the illusion of duality still exists. This occurs because the seeker has not eradicated all vasanas or the potential to revert to duality and has instead temporarily suppressed duality rather than permanently transforming it into non-duality (i.e., fully correcting one’s perception).

If the leap of faith is taken after the death of all bodies, it results in kramamukti, or liberation in stages. In this case, one eradicates all desires through the highest realm of Brahmaloka and eventually destroys the ego permanently upon crossing the horizon, thus plunging into absolute truth and never returning. This is typically achieved through mahasamadhi, or the willful death of the body. Note: This type of leap involves objective meditation but requires siddhi to willfully discard the physical body.

However, if one makes the leap of faith while still retaining the appearance of the body, by avoiding laya and remaining fully alert, they can abide in sahaj nirvikalpa samadhi, or turiya, while still holding the body’s appearance. This means they have fully realized the truth that Advaita Vedanta teaches: nonduality is already present and not necessarily something to be sought after bodily departure. In this instance, one effectively dissolves the mind or permanently removes the illusion of its existence. Note: This type of leap represents the pinnacle of subjective meditation.

All leaps of faith can be facilitated with the help of kundalini, as this energy is designed for such transformations. However, making the leap while still retaining the appearance of the body requires the power of viveka, the ability to turn inward even while outward appearances persist. Even through the highest plane Brahmaloka, viveka is naturally used to isolate oneself from the appearance, thereby merging into Brahman through mahasamadhi. This means with viveka, you are not suppressing anything but are turning away from everything while it continues. Kundalini, being a divine energy, can greatly enhance viveka, helping you pierce through the veils of duality while maintaining the form of duality as merely an appearance, not as an actual reality. Without viveka, kundalini will result in laya, or temporary dissolution of the ego.

Alternatively, achieving mahasamadhi, which can be granted only by grace (Shaktipat), is another route. This grace, given by the cosmic intelligence or shakti, serves as a spiritual reward for liberation. Essentially, all forms of liberation are manifestations of Shaktipat, since it is grace alone that enables liberation. However, you must make the necessary efforts to approach grace closely enough for it to guide you. Shaktipat is only bestowed upon those with purified minds, who are ready for that final push toward liberation.

Fear and Resistance:

Fear and resistance are present throughout the entire journey of purification and the awakening and use of kundalini. However, the fear that arises when approaching the horizon to plunge into the depths of Brahman is the most profound. It is the fear of annihilating the ego and realizing through profound knowledge that it never truly existed. To reach and embody this realization, you must relinquish the ego to see that it was never real. Yet, most people resist letting go of the ego because it has been central to their existence in the illusion of perpetual dreams. It represents all we have known through lifetimes of ignorance.

So, how can one overcome this fear?

To understand how to overcome fear, we first need to understand its nature. Fear, stress, anxiety, and panic often arise with the awakening of kundalini for a fundamental reason: the aim of kundalini is to dismantle our existing view of reality. It transforms us, revealing that what we once considered normal was, in fact, not. Our instinct is to cling to this old normalcy rather than embrace a more truthful reality. This resistance occurs because we prefer the comfort of the familiar over the unfamiliar, driven by ignorance or unconsciousness about these new states. Fear, panic, and anxiety emerge when we venture down this path because the kundalini energy can disrupt our perceptions abruptly, rather than through a gradual transition. This potent energy often shatters our established views more forcefully, accelerating spiritual awakening to deeper levels. Due to the intense resistance many face, this form of yoga is considered the most dangerous and should be approached with caution. Consequently, some people have misinterpreted the energy, labeling it as negative or evil due to a lack of understanding and their own spiritual immaturity.

If we engage with the energy respectfully and allow it to guide us gently, it will act accordingly and serve as a powerful purifier for our upliftment. Its sole purpose is to assist the seeker in growth. Thus, even if one experiences resistance, this very resistance will contribute to growth by burning more karma than if the energy had not awakened at all. Therefore, we should treat the energy with the utmost respect and gratitude, having faith that it will fulfill its destined and intended purpose.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If one cannot handle the profound energy due to an inability to manage the bliss and more disruptive truths, it is best to let it subside. Simply stop thinking about the energy and focus on your previous desires and activities. The energy remains active only if you maintain intention and attention on it. By redirecting your attention elsewhere, the energy will eventually subside and settle in the chakra that aligns with your spiritual maturity. The more spiritually advanced you are, the higher the chakras where the kundalini will naturally reside.

Ideally, keeping the energy centered in the heart chakra helps you stay grounded in your purpose while remaining exposed to higher knowledge. This approach also prepares you to elevate the energy to higher chakras when the timing is right. If not managed properly, the kundalini may remain in the muladhara chakra and continue to do so until you master the art of keeping it elevated and in continuous motion within the higher chakras.

Therefore, only by dwelling in the higher chakras long enough and dissolving the deeply rooted karma of mula-avidya can you overcome the strongest fear: the fear of relinquishing the ego. If mula-avidya has not been completely eradicated, even upon crossing the horizon, you will inevitably return to your respective realm or take on a new body. This is why the potential for dreaming must be extinguished.

THEME 4: SAMADHI

As you can see from the above themes, we began with mind purification because attention was constantly trying to latch on to different things. It is often distracted by various things, such as objects or thoughts which enables the false perception of linearity. Because attention continually clings to different things, it reinforces the existence of the jiva, which perceives these things as separate from itself. This experience perpetuates samsara by affirming the illusion of time and space, allowing the perception of external objects to occur, albeit as an illusion. The mind purification phase helps attention become still, as described by the transparent mind, which begins to cling less and less and finds peace in its own stillness, where attention no longer wanders as much. This begins to remove the false perception one experiences.

The theme of concentration is when attention becomes firm and one-pointed, allowing it to stabilize without drifting as much as before, when one was constantly immersed in samsara. As concentration intensifies, attention becomes still and unbroken, perceiving itself as stillness, with the illusion of separation beginning to dissolve in deep meditation. This occurs as a result of a one-pointed mind, where attention turns inward, becoming self-absorbed. In other words, because attention is all you have, instead of being directed outward toward illusions that perpetuate the perception of externalities, it turns in on itself, away from these illusions, as if being drawn into its own singularity—which is its true nature void of a deception that makes you believe otherwise. It becomes unbroken, no longer shifting from one object or thought to another, allowing the perception of thoughts and linearity to cease altogether.

When awareness caves in on itself, with nowhere else to go, it has no choice but to plunge into samadhi, or complete self-absorption, marked by the loss of ego. One no longer feels like a doer or someone who exerts effort or will. Samadhi is synonymous with the true self since one reveals the actionless self. There is no longer the perception of thoughts, nor the illusion of separation as a real phenomenon. Only one unified awareness shines and remains, and this awareness is the real "you"—the only thing in existence, as this "you" is existence itself. The pure mind is revealed as the self, and we can no longer label it as a mind, since there was only ever the self!

Lessons:

As you can see, the most advanced theme is samadhi, as it represents the tail end of all spiritual efforts. When one is qualified to even approach this theme, it indicates that their mind is so purified that it becomes purely transparent, allowing them to perceive their true nature as the one and only Brahman (pure consciousness). Regardless of the type of samadhi—whether it is nirvikalpa samadhi without the presence of objects, or nirvikalpa samadhi in the presence of objects—any samadhi will not initially be 100% stabilized due to the vasanas that divert attention away from it and back to the impure mind that holds the existence of the jiva. Therefore, samadhi must be practiced repeatedly to remove these deeply rooted vasanas and to fully break the conditioning that has enabled you to experience maya for what seems like an eternity. When the deep rooted conditioning of vasanas are dissolved, then samadhi as your natural self remains perpetually permanent (moksha). Attention is now fully self-absorbed and completely and utterly unbroken without any potentiality that exists to make it seem or appear otherwise. The objective world vanishes as only pure awareness shines in its own eternal and dimensionless center.

The only way to eliminate these deep-rooted vasanas while occupying a physical form is to sustain samadhi in the presence of objects. If this cannot be done during the appearance of the physical experience, then the only alternative is to willfully discard the physical body and travel to the subtle realms, merging with Brahman after all other bodies (subtle and causal) have been fully discarded.

For the Sage who knows their true nature and whose mind is greatly purified, they possess the ability to adopt either method, as they are already capable of accessing and reaping both through constant telepathic communication and the intuitive knowledge revealed in the deep field of inner intelligence before the grand finale. Therefore, no method is greater than the other. The idea of one method being superior is a belief held only by the ignorant—those who lack the power to master both. The Sage will redeem the reward of liberation on their own terms, though ultimately, it is Ishwara who calls them and leads them in the direction they are destined to tread.

The Ultimate Rewards to be Redeemed:

Plunging into Brahman while retaining form:

Since Brahman is the underlying truth of all deceptive states of consciousness, such as the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states, it can be accessed through any manifested state, without needing to discard a specific state, like the physical body. This means there is no need to die physically to access the non-dual substratum, as Brahman is the truth of all illusory states and can be accessed at any moment, regardless of the body, since it is the essence of all states. Advaita Vedanta speaks of this truth, the non-dual self, which you always possess but which remains hidden from your perception due to immersion in these deceptive states, creating the illusion of something separate. This implies that if you practice sadhanas diligently and purify the mind to a significant degree, the non-dual self you already have—since it is the essence of your being—can be realized even in the midst of the waking world (i.e., amidst the appearance of objects), if one chooses to attain liberation in this way. This liberation is known as Jivanmukti, or liberation with form.

Through subjective meditation, this liberation can be attained by repeatedly turning attention away from all thoughts and objects, withdrawing consciousness from the intelligence of maya (which includes the projected body), until awareness is fully isolated from the illusion and focused on the non-dual substratum. This can occur even while one still retains the appearance of maya and continues to inquire amidst active experiences. Over time, actions become actionless, and one directly perceives that moving action is merely an appearance, projected on the unchanging screen of awareness. It becomes clear that there was never a need to forcibly suppress actions, but only to redirect attention away from them, while they appear to continue.

When one withdraws attention from the physical body, they no longer experience the senses as something real. Instead, they inwardly sense the prana, or the energy that constitutes the appearance of the physical body. What once appeared to be a physical body is now recognized as energy, revealing the truth behind the illusion of physicality. Since the senses are not being actively engaged but still seem to function, they remain aware of this phenomenon, though they now perceive it as subtle occurrences that no longer concern them. This contrasts with one who is completely immersed and hypnotized by the senses, without engaging in any sadhana to shift their attention away from them. From this perspective, for the one who has entirely turned away from the senses, those senses are now known to be non-existent. They no longer perpetuate a physical experience, and what was once perceived as physical can now be understood as immaterial, like energy.

When attention is increasingly turned away from the energy, while still retaining the appearance of the physical body—though it can no longer be regarded as truly physical—the individual begins to perceive a more truthful reality. This reality becomes less about energy and more about intuition, accompanied by vivid insights into the immaterial mind. They enter realms where the sense of separation diminishes, bringing with it greater bliss and less ego, allowing them to perceive the interconnectedness of all realities.

One enters deeply self-absorbed worlds that are atomic in nature—so withdrawn and condensed into a point of immense power, allowing one to create worlds through thought alone. Whatever one desires, worlds manifest, for these are highly intelligent dimensions where thoughts shape realities. The fundamental nature of any reality, whether subtle or physical, is made up of thoughts driven by imagination, superimposed on pure awareness. In these highly intelligent, causal realms—since they are the source of other worlds—one can venture freely. However, if attention becomes absorbed in these thoughts, the individual finds themselves inside the worlds created by those thoughts, with the solidification of an ego that perceives itself as experiencing these realities. But if one holds onto this subtle, intelligent realm and withdraws attention from the thoughts that spontaneously create worlds, they can venture even deeper. By continuously practicing self-inquiry, one must keep turning attention away from anything conceivable. Failure to do so keeps attention locked in illusion. However, even within the deepest recesses of the mind, the illusion grants one the intelligence to understand maya and its multiplying creations.

When attention rests on a realm that cannot easily be described as thought, but rather as a state of blissful interconnectedness—like a pure vacuum—it suggests Brahmaloka, the abode of truth. While the Sage remains conscious of the body and the waking world, their mind is inwardly absorbed in Brahmaloka, where they receive sharp, vivid insights. In this realm, there exists a horizon, and if crossed, one enters the absolute while still retaining the appearance of the body. If one ventures close enough to the horizon, where the split or isolation between the self and the non-self can eventually occur, profound realizations arise about what lies beyond. These realizations happen while still retaining the ego—the perception of being an individual who knows a truth that transcends individuality. As one continues to hold onto their form while being inwardly elsewhere, the form doesn’t disappear but is instead perceived as illusory. The horizon represents the point where the plunge must happen, where the distinction between the self and the non-self dissolves through inner meditative discrimination. Initially, this crossing is terrifying, and one will not immediately cross over, especially if desires for something different still persist. To remove these deeply rooted desires that have sustained the notion of individuality—desires deeper than those for mundane objects—one must remain by the horizon for some time, until all desires are extinguished and the fear of going beyond is gone. This dissolving of desires is the cultivation of extreme dispassion, which can only occur through deep inquiry. Through this process, one works toward giving up the desire to experience the dream of maya as a separate self. The deepest levels of dispassion can only be cultivated by confronting the horizon of consciousness, which ultimately merges with the pure self.

The symptoms leading up to the exposure of absolute consciousness, or Brahman, are marked by sharp, hard-hitting insights like flashes of instant downloads into your being of a formless reality that exists beyond the illusion of maya. Pulsations reverberate through the very foundation of the false "self," which is merely an appearance. These pulsations cause the perception of a snapshot—or the specific "now" moment you're aware of in any given instant—to throb. This throbbing, or pulsating, breaks apart the snapshot from the next subsequent one, revealing that your true identity exists beyond these almost identical but distinct moments. In other words, the truth of who you are is the space between the snapshots (a thought appearance), a space that you were unable to grasp before, since your attention was fixed inside all of the unraveling snapshots. This fixation paved the way for the illusion of linear experiences to unfold within the appearance of a body you considered to be physical. You were deceived by the convincing illusion of successive snapshots, where each moment flowed seamlessly into the next, creating the illusion of a solid reality while you perceived yourself as a solid entity. In truth, this false sense of self is nothing more than a culmination of lifeless, inert snapshots, much like the distinct frames that make up the projection of an unfolding movie. All of this happens while you continue to hold the empty appearance of the physical body. However, as the experience unfolds, you no longer see the body as physical, but as an appearance that arises and dissolves continuously with each pulsation or throb. This suggests that the waking world itself is an illusion—a stubborn projection—perpetuated by the cycling of these fleeting, fragmented moments.

The more the snapshots flicker in and out of existence, the more you begin to truly realize that you are that which exists beyond the snapshots—as the gap between them. Even during this time, inquiry is still underway, as you continue to make the effort to turn inward. The more you turn inward, the faster these snapshots start to flicker. It is here that you must use every ounce of your remaining volition and the sharpest viveka to pierce through what seems like a tiny, dense hole in order to isolate awareness, or your very own attention, from the flickering snapshots. This tiny hole isn’t literally a hole, but rather a concept used to explain how razor-sharp your viveka must be to fully separate your awareness from the projecting snapshots. When you turn inward, you’ll see that it’s almost impossible to fully detach, but because it is possible to go all the way to the last, minute ounce of absorption left, you can fully isolate awareness from the projection. We refer to this as the tiny hole you must pass through in order to make the plunge into your eternal and formless self. If this occurs, the snapshots become fully isolated, and you enter pure observer mode, where you simply witness the projection of the empty physical world unfold, while all that is contained in your projected formless form does not touch you at all. It is here that you are thoughtless and non-separate from the appearance of diversity, but one with it, as there is only you—a formless reality that also constitutes the projection. It is you witnessing yourself purely as a witness, without attachment to the intelligence of the projection, which might otherwise allow you to experience something falsely. There are no longer any feelings of pain, anxiety, fear, stress, or any quality of consciousness that the mind can experience, since you no longer perceive them as such, but are simply aware of them, untouched by them. This is complete freedom as your own eternal self, where you hold only unbroken knowledge of who you are—and nothing more.

Because the appearance of a projection, with which you are non-separate, is all just you at once, the observer you hold yourself to be can be equated with self-knowledge. This is because you now realize who you truly are, as both the observer and this knowledge itself are one and the same as it is simply an inner knowing that is perpetually constant. This can only occur because you witness yourself while the projection continues to unfold, showing the appearance of many, but without perceiving them as separate entities. Everything is unified, much like a TV screen that is one with all the characters and objects in the movie being played on its screen. This means that when you identify as witness consciousness, or as the pure observer in a self-realized mode, the appearance of the projection itself gives you knowledge of who you are. You are able to compare your true self with that which you are not—the appearance of many. This comparison is what provides the self with steady and unbroken knowledge (again, both of which are synonymous). However, the more one remains as witness consciousness, the more the appearance begins to dissolve, as it can no longer be sustained. This is because attention is no longer immersed in the illusion that keeps it alive. It is a natural function of the appearance to dissolve as attention, now rooted in the pure observer, loses itself and becomes more self-absorbed. It no longer witnesses any appearance. In this case, the appearance dissolves as the pure observer merges with its own infinite nature of singularity, leaving no appearance to compare itself to. As a result, it loses knowledge of itself and remains forever lost in its own infinite and eternal self, with the appearance of maya forever dissolved and vanished. This is supreme moksha, i.e., turiyatita, or unknowable consciousness (nirguna), the absolute truth of reality.

Plunging into Brahman while discarding all forms:

Since Brahman is the ultimate truth and exists even in the absence of all bodies, such as the gross, subtle, and causal bodies, it can be accessed when one discards them all—i.e., when one willfully gives up all bodies through their death. The bodies, consisting of the physical, subtle, and causal aspects, are part of the illusion; therefore, if no bodies remain, what persists is the eternal truth, which cannot be classified as either subtle or physical, as it transcends physicality, subtlety, and even causality (hidden as potential). The Advaitic truth, however, is that the bodies need not be discarded because the truth of Brahman underlies them all and can be accessed without discarding them. Instead, they can be used as a means to realize the ever-present self. However, if one’s mind is sufficiently purified through repetitive sadhana, they can willfully relinquish the physical, subtle, and causal bodies at will and enter the absolute consciousness of Brahman without retaining the appearance of the waking world—or any appearance, for that matter—should they choose to attain liberation in this way. This form of liberation is known as Kramamukti, or liberation without form.

Through objective meditation, this liberation can be attained by repeatedly focusing attention on a very subtle objectification of Brahman, which can be described as an extremely subtle thought imposed on the mind. If attention is sustained on this subtle thought long enough without wavering, one can instantaneously travel or "teleport" out of the body to a highly subtle and intelligent realm. If one possesses the siddhi or power to relinquish attachment to the physical body, they can willfully give it up. Upon reaching this realm, they will encounter a truth that is subtler than what was initially perceived as physical reality—though still an illusion, it is one that must be transcended further by withdrawing deeper inward to remove it.

When the subtle world is experienced, and one is no longer conscious of the physical body during this experience, it signifies an out-of-body experience, where the individual completely loses full body-consciousness. In this state, they become aware of the presence of the intelligent subtle realms, accompanied by the Sages who inhabit these higher planes. In these realms, the Sage who enters the subtle world—while the physical body they once inhabited remains inactive—can redeem their ability to willfully sever or cut ties with the inactive body, as they possess the power to do so through the intelligence of the inner worlds. This is something an ignorant person cannot achieve, as they are unable to access these deep realms while retaining the physical body. Thus, while the ordinary person dies as a result of succumbing to fate, the Sage can choose to die on their own terms, at their own will. They can forcefully discard the pranic cord that remains subtly attached to the physical body by entering the higher realms, which dissolve the cord. This cord cannot be sustained in these elevated states, as attention, when directed there long enough, dissolves the connection, an effect that also occurs through sheer intention.

When attention is completely absorbed in the higher realms, one can retain the ego in this realm while relinquishing the experience of physicality, as they are now immersed in something more immaterial and blissful. With the dissolution of the pranic cord—the force that keeps one attached to the body and enables the physical experience—the subtle world becomes their primary realm of experience, which they may desire to remain in unless they overcome this desire and feel the urge to seek something deeper and more truthful, guiding them toward the absolute.

As attention is drawn deeper and more withdrawn while operating within the subtle world, the individual perceives a more truthful reality, which becomes more intelligent and less about energy, and more about intuition and vivid insights of the immaterial mind. They venture into realms where the sense of separation diminishes, accompanied by greater bliss and less ego, allowing them to see the interconnectedness of all realities.

One enters deeply self-absorbed worlds that are atomic in nature, so withdrawn and condensed into a point of immense power, allowing one to create worlds through thought alone. Whatever one desires, worlds are created, for they exist in a highly intelligent dimension where thoughts shape realities. The fundamental nature of any reality—whether subtle or physical—is simply composed of thoughts driven by imagination, superimposed on pure awareness. One can explore these highly intelligent, causal realms, as they are the source of all other worlds. However, if attention becomes absorbed in these thoughts, the individual finds themselves within the worlds they’ve created, with the solidification of an ego that perceives itself as experiencing these realities. But if one holds onto the intelligence of this subtle realm, they can venture even deeper by withdrawing attention from the thoughts that spontaneously generate worlds. By traveling deeper into these realms, one begins to reach the deepest recesses of the mind, where glimpses of the absolute truth (Brahman) arise. In these depths, the individual starts to relinquish the forms they once held onto, which allowed them to experience other subtle realms where greater separation was perceived. The deeper the journey, the less separation is perceived.

When attention rests on a realm that cannot be easily described as thought, but rather as a state of blissful interconnectedness—much like a pure vacuum—it suggests Brahmaloka, the abode of truth. In this realm, there exists a horizon, and if crossed, one enters the absolute. If one ventures close enough to the horizon, sharp and profound realizations much like instant flashes of download into your being arise about what lies beyond, all while still retaining the ego, or the perception of being an individual who knows a truth that transcends individuality. In this state, individuality is almost completely dissolved, as one no longer retains awareness of other forms. Only a trace of the body remains, which allows it to completely dissolve, marking the crossing over the horizon. One will not immediately cross over, as the experience can be terrifying if desires to experience something different still persist. Therefore, to remove these deeply rooted desires that have long sustained the notion of individuality (which are more fundamentally engrained than desires for mundane objects), one must remain seated by the horizon for some time, until all desires are extinguished and there is no longer fear of going beyond. This dissolving of desires is the cultivation of extreme dispassion, where one eventually relinquishes the desire to experience the dream of maya as a separate self. The deepest levels of dispassion can only be cultivated by confronting the horizon of consciousness, which merges with the pure self, which can also be equated with pure dispassion, though it loses its meaning.

Before merging with the absolute, one fully locks into the pure observer mode, witnessing the world of the causal body and fully embracing awareness of the potentiality of all that can exist. The knowledge of one’s true self is firmly established, but it gradually loses its significance when the appearance of potential fades, as it can no longer be sustained once awareness is completely detached from it. Since the potential no longer needs to be expressed—there is no knower who yearns to witness the expression—it sees no reason to survive. Witness consciousness is free from it, and as a result, the potential loses its strength to sustain its own appearance and dissolves. The pure observer, now absorbed in its own infinite nature, loses knowledge of itself, while the potential is permanently lost. This is supreme moksha, i.e., turiyatita, or unknowable consciousness (nirguna), the absolute truth of reality.

A Special Type of Liberation Not Disclosed:

Lesson: The Point of No Return

Since Brahman is the ultimate truth and is present even in the presence of all bodies—such as the gross, subtle, and causal bodies—and can also be accessed by relinquishing the presence of all bodies, it can likewise be accessed through the subtle world, even during dreaming. Just as the Kramamukti merges with Brahman after the death of all bodies through the causal world, and the Jivanmukti accesses Brahman in the waking world, one can merge with Brahman through the subtle world and automatically discard all bodies through this mergence. This form of liberation, though seldom discussed, can be accessed through dreaming if one’s mind is sufficiently purified through repetitive sadhana. How can this liberation not be possible if Brahman is the truth even in the presence of all different bodies, including the subtle body, which one retains while dreaming, in deep states of consciousness, or when the physical body is discarded (i.e., physical death)? To deny this would contradict the central message of Vedanta, which asserts that Brahman is always present, regardless of which bodies are perceived. The mergence through the subtle world is a real phenomenon, though it is only glimpsed as a reward by a very few sages, of which only an even rarer few will fully redeem. I will coin the term for this liberation as Suksma-Mukti.

Through dreaming, this liberation can be attained, but it comes only to a rare few who are sufficiently qualified for liberation. In truth, this liberation is available to anyone who has already achieved the reward of Jivanmukti or Kramamukti, provided they progress far enough to let go of the final desire to leave the play of maya behind. For those who can attain liberation while retaining form—or even through the causal world by giving up all forms—they will receive glimpses of this liberation in the dream world. They will have the absolute conviction that they can redeem it if they choose to, much like the certainty one has when realizing they are Brahman while still retaining the body in the appearance of the waking world.

When the Sage enters the dream world, assuming they have not yet attained Jivanmukti or Kramamukti, they will, at rare times, receive profound glimpses of liberation—an experience that cannot be considered a mere dimension, but rather the bottomless pit of infinite stillness, intuitively recognized as the point of no return. It is here that a horizon exists, and if crossed, one enters the absolute.

If one ventures close enough to the horizon, sharp, hard-hitting realizations will arise about what lies beyond, all while still retaining the ego, or the perception of being an individual who is aware of a truth that transcends individuality. Individuality, in this context, is so dissolved that one becomes unconscious of other forms. Only a trace of the body remains, which allows it to completely dissolve away, marking the crossing over the horizon. However, one will not immediately cross over, as the experience can be terrifying if the desire to experience something different still exists. Therefore, to remove these deep-rooted desires that have always sustained the notion of individuality (which are deeper than desires for mundane objects), one must remain seated by the horizon for some time, until all desires are extinguished and the fear of crossing over is gone. This dissolving of desires is the cultivation of extreme dispassion, where one eventually works on relinquishing the desire to experience a dream of maya as a separate self. The deepest levels of dispassion can only be cultivated by confronting the horizon of consciousness, which merges with the pure self.

When the most deeply rooted desire fades away, one fully accepts their fate and is drawn into the singularity of infinite stillness, becoming unknowable consciousness—forever lost in their own eternal nature, never again to experience a world that contradicts their truth. This is supreme moksha, i.e., turiyatita, or unknowable consciousness (nirguna), the absolute truth of reality.

The Three Liberations:

The three types of liberation can occur through different realms of existence: the physical world (jivanmukti), the causal world (kramamukti), and the subtle world (suksma-mukti).

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