Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic

by Darren Main

  The Energy Pathways

  External signs appear when the nadis are pure. The body will definitely be lean and bright.

  —Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:19

  This life force is carried throughout our subtle body through tiny pathways know as nadis. There are said to be at least 72,000 of these pathways in the human body. While this is a staggering number, some systems of yoga claim there are many more. Whatever the number, these tiny conduits bring life force to all parts of the subtle body. When these nadis get blocked with mental impurities and unexpressed emotions, the prana is not allowed to flow. Because our natural states of health and wholeness are dependent on a continuous flow of prana, blocks in our nadis create dysfunction in the body.

  The first time I went to a nudist camp, I was very self-conscious. It seemed so odd to see so many people living their lives naked. They were playing volleyball, walking dogs and jogging. Somehow, I had let a friend talk me into going, and at first I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life. As luck would have it, I bumped into someone I knew. It was my friend Jeff’s mom. As if seeing your friend’s mom naked were not socially awkward enough, she had had a double mastectomy. There were two large scars where her breasts used to be. And still she sat there as if nothing was wrong.

  Because she was reading and didn’t see me, I decided to avoid her. I started to quietly back away, but just when I thought I was safe, she spotted me. She called my name and waved for me to come over. There was no escaping, so I took a deep breath and walked over to her. I was careful to keep eye contact with her at all times so as not to look at her scars and offend her. I’m sure my discomfort was very evident. We had only talked for a few minutes, but already it felt like an eternity. I don’t think I have ever been in such an awkward position. Seeing my angst, she smiled, took my hand and said, “Darren, it’s okay to look. I am not embarrassed any more.”

  She then took my hand and placed it on her chest. I thought I would die. But because she made it okay, I started to relax. And I was able to be honest with myself and with her. I was no longer afraid of offending her because it was clear that she was very comfortable with herself. In that moment I was able to challenge my long-held beliefs about women’s breasts, cancer, and a whole bunch of other things.

  We had a great conversation that afternoon, and she went on to tell me something that I would later learn was a very yogic idea. “Darren, I spent my life being ashamed of my body. I hated my breasts because I was taught to think they were dirty. I didn’t even breast feed my children because I felt it was unnatural. Imagine that, the most natural thing on earth, and I had let society tell me it was wrong. After I got cancer and had my surgery, I needed some serious psychotherapy. Through my counseling, I realized that my whole attitude toward my breasts is what had caused my cancer, or at least greatly contributed to it. After a lot of work, and a fair amount of courage, I decided to start coming to this camp. I want to feel good about my body, and I don’t want ever to be ashamed of any part of who I am, because I know that if I keep things bottled up or deny a part of myself, it will make me sick again.”

  The release of old ideas and judgments that she referred to is how we clear these pathways, the nadis. When we practice yoga we are seeking to clear these pathways so that the energy can flow more freely and health and balance can be restored to the body. The experience of cleansing the nadis is called Nadi Shuddhi. Every unresolved emotion and psychological block, whether conscious or unconscious, gets held in our nadis. If we don’t clear those blocks, dysfunction is sure to develop in the body.

  One way of clearing these blockages in our energy body is by practicing hatha yoga. Each pose is designed to open up these channels of energy, and the breath helps us to flood the body with prana and direct that prana to the areas on which we are working. The blockages held there are thus brought to our conscious awareness and we can then let them go.

  This is why people have that great glow after a yoga practice. In a well-balanced yoga practice, all of the energy pathways get opened and cleared. This Nadi Shuddhi glow is one of the great gifts of yoga practice, and it is one of the first things that people notice early on. It feels as if every cell in the body is alive and pulsing with life. When we practice yoga consistently, we begin to work deeper and deeper into the nadis, and the deeper held blocks start to let go. This is what gives long time yogis that peaceful aura that even the casual observer notices.

  When we clear these nadis, we reduce the chances of small problems occurring such as colds and fatigue, and we also reduce the chances of things like cancer and heart disease. This is not to say that there aren’t external factors that affect our health, but our body’s ability to cope with those factors is greatly increased when we keep the energy flowing.

  Perhaps Jeff’s mom would have developed cancer even if she hadn’t held a lot of judgments about her breasts. Maybe she could have avoided the experience. Whatever the case, she is more open now, and her health—both mental and physical—has never been better. This is the result of letting go of old patterns [These old patterns are called Samskara, and will be discussed in Chapter 11.] and letting life flow freely through her.

  Each time we come to the yoga mat, we surrender into the flow of life and we gradually begin to realize that health and wholeness are not things that we acquire, but rather things that we surrender into.

  The Seven Chakras

  When the nadis are disrupted by impurities, the breath doesn’t enter the middle. How can umani exist? How can the goal be attained?

  —Hatha Yoga Pradipika 2:4

  As I mentioned, there are at least 72,000 nadis in the human body. While it is not important to know all of them, it is helpful to know a few of the major pathways, as they have a very direct impact on how and why we practice yoga.

  The main channel of energy in the body is called the sushumna and it runs directly through the spine. Many nadis flow out of the sushumna and travel out to the rest of the subtle body. This is why so much focus in hatha yoga is placed on the spine. If this channel of energy is blocked or shut down, all the other nadis are affected. Once we open this channel of energy, a major step has been taken.

  In addition to the sushumna, there are two other nadis that are quite important. They are the ida and the pingala. These two nadis work closely with the sushumna. Both start at the base of the spine and then wrap around the sushumna like two vines growing up a tree. The ida and the pingala are responsible for balancing the two sides of the brain and consequently, the two sides of the body.

  The ida and the pingala originate at the base of the spine (in the first chakra) and cross each other at four points along the sushumna. They climb as high as the forehead where they end in the sixth chakra. It is these intersections that create the first six major chakras. [Many texts place the chakras in between the ida and pingala rather than where they intersect.] A seventh chakra is found at the top of the head.

  A chakra is a vortex of energy in the subtle body. They are frequently described as spinning wheels of energy. There are quite a few throughout the body, but the seven major chakras along the spine are of the greatest concern to the modern yogi.

  People who are able to see auras can frequently see the seven chakras and can determine a person’s relative health on physical, mental and emotional levels by noticing how they spin and how congested they are. Barbara Ann Brennan, [10] one of the foremost authorities in energy medicine, describes chakras as “two funnels that are placed end to end with the sushumna running between them, each of them spinning and exchanging information with the outside world. I like to think of them like little whirlpools in a stream.”

  While it may be helpful to be able to visualize the seven chakras, it is of far greater importance to understand their significance in our spiritual practice. I think of each of the chakras like a Compact Disc: they contain programmed information which is recorded and played back. This information can be recorded or erased, or played on a repeat cycle as oft
en as the mind allows. When we practice yoga, we bring our awareness to these chakras, whether consciously or unconsciously. As we become more aware of this programming, we can make more conscious choices about it. We can keep the programming, erase it or replace it. This programming can take the forms of tightness in the physical body, repressed emotions or rigid thought paradigms. Each of the yoga poses works to open up one or several chakras. When we do this, blocks in those chakras get released and our programming in the respective chakra gets healed.

  Each of the seven major chakras is responsible for a different aspect of our being. In order to be self-actualized, we need to have all the chakras working in concert with one another and relatively free from blocks. Most of us have glimpses of this balance from time to time, but very often we get stuck in one chakra or another and try to get it to function for all the others. This creates a great imbalance in our bodies, hearts and minds, which is frequently reflected in the external circumstances of our lives.

  In order to understand how the yoga practice affects these energy centers in the body, let’s turn our attention to each of the seven major chakras and explore their role in our yoga practice.

  Muladhara

  The first chakra, muladhara, is physically located at the base of the spine. This is the seat of physical survival. It is where we learn how to feed and clothe ourselves, and how to live and function in the context of a society or tribe. When this chakra is out of balance we frequently experience lower gastro-intestinal problems and/or tightness in the legs and feet. Mentally we tend to be flaky or ungrounded, and things in the physical world are perceived to be difficult. When we balance this chakra in our yoga practice, many of these physical conditions are replaced with health and wholeness. Both our external and internal lives seem to become more organized and purposeful, and life seems more abundant.

  It is important to note that a person's external circumstances are not a good indicator of the condition of their first chakra. A better indicator is their reaction to those circumstances. For example, there are very wealthy people who live their lives from a mindset of complete scarcity, even though they want for nothing. Likewise, there are people who feel a deep sense of abundance and yet have very little in the way of material things.

  Svadhisthana

  The second chakra, svadhisthana, is located between the pubic bone and the navel. It is the seat of our sexual and creative energies. It is here that we feel the desire (or lack of desire) to procreate. It is also where our sexual orientation is defined and where we make decisions about romantic partnership. While the first chakra dictates how we interact with our society, this chakra determines how we interact with a mate or mates.

  Physical symptoms that can indicate an imbalance in this chakra include prostate, uterine, testicular, ovarian and vaginal problems such as cancer, inflammation, sexual dysfunction, and recurring infections. Bladder and urinary tract infections are also common. Tightness in the hips, buttocks and lower back can also indicate some blocked energy.

  In addition to procreation, it is the seat of creative energies. It is here that we move beyond the first chakra’s survival-based preoccupations to our vocation or life’s work. When the first and second chakras are not in balance with each other, we find one of two extremes—the workaholic or the starving artist. By balancing the second chakra, we heal conflicts around our sexuality and break unhealthy patterns in our romantic relationships. We also let our creative juices flow, and we begin to become more balanced in our relationships with our parents and/or our children.

  Manipura

  The third chakra, manipura, is the seat of one’s identity and personal power. Its physical location is just above the navel. When this chakra is in balance, we experience a healthy sense of Self. The Self is defined outside of ego terms such as age, race, sexual orientation, gender and occupation. The statement, “I am,” doesn’t need to be followed by an external condition or description to be meaningful.

  To the degree that manipura is out of balance and blocked, however, the ego will run the show that is our life. On a physical level, an imbalance in this chakra usually manifests in the abdominal organs. Conditions such as ulcers, digestive problems, and blood sugar issues are more likely.

  Manipura is also the emotional center of the body. While the other chakras also process emotions, this chakra is where we tend to hide unwanted emotions and experience base emotions. Thus we can experience ‘gut feelings’ or a feeling in ‘the pit in the stomach’.

  Anahata

  Anahata is the fourth chakra and is located between the shoulder blades and over the breastbone. It is often referred to as the heart chakra, and it is here that we experience love, compassion, forgiveness and mercy. When this chakra is fully open, love fills us and pours out to others.

  All forms of love—romantic love, parental love, friendship, and ultimately a love for all beings—are experienced here. When this chakra is fully open we are able to know God in all beings. People like Mother Theresa displayed a heart center that was very open.

  When this chakra is out of balance or blocked, jealousy, bitterness, fear, resentment and hardness take the place of love. The heart chakra also controls the cardiovascular system and the thymus gland, which is responsible for healthy immune functioning. Therefore, when there is a blockage in anahata, it can result in heart disease, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.

  Visshudha

  At the throat area we find visshudha, the fifth chakra. This energy center is the seat of communication and communion. It is in this area that we find the need to understand and be understood. This is where we share ideas, both good and bad, and develop means of communication that can range from rudimentary language skills to the written word.

  When this chakra is out of balance or blocked, we use our ability to communicate in ways that hurt rather than heal. Rather than insight, we inspire ignorance. Collectively, we try to shout above others rather than use our voices in concert with one another. On a physical level, weaknesses in this chakra often manifest as sore throats and infections in the throat and lungs. Thyroid and metabolism problems are also common, as are frequent bouts of laryngitis.

  When this chakra is open and balanced, communication becomes more fluid. Our internal dialog becomes more honest and in accord with our true nature as Atman. The words we speak to others are clear, direct and honest, as are other forms of communication. We also become comfortable with silence and use our words to convey meaningful ideas rather than to fill empty spaces.

  Ajna

  The sixth chakra, ajna, is located at the point between the eyebrows. It is the center of perception and cognition. On a physical level it regulates the lower brain functions and the five physical senses. It also helps us to interpret the information that these senses bring to us from our perceived external world.

  On a spiritual level, this is the center responsible for the so-called ‘sixth sense’. It is here that we find things like intuition, visions, and mystical experiences. We all have, to a greater or lesser degree, a veil in front of this chakra; this veil is known as perception. This perception filters what gets taken in and warps it to fit the picture of reality that our ego seeks to uphold. A person’s spiritual practice seeks to remove this veil so that we can see things as they are, rather than how the ego would have us perceive them.

  Imbalances in ajna can manifest in mental illness, such as schizophrenia, headaches, brain tumors and seizures. In past cultures, people with imbalances in this area have been labeled ‘demon possessed’. Today they are labeled ‘mentally ill’. Whatever the organic cause of a person’s mental illness, meditation and yoga have proven to be quite effective in helping people with a variety of conditions to find mental health and balance.

  Sahasrara

  The seventh chakra is located at the crown of the head and is our connection to Spirit. Its Sanskrit name is sahasrara. While the muladhara roots us and grounds us in our physical nature, sahasrara roots us in our
spiritual nature. It is here that we strive and reach for the heavens, and where we find a deep yearning to evolve and realize our true nature as Atman.

  When this chakra is out of balance, we frequently have blocks around our spiritual life. These blocks can manifest in either of two extremes. On one end is the religious zealot whose hard and fast dogmas prevent him or her from really knowing Spirit at all. On the other end are the spiritual denialists who won’t even acknowledge they have a spiritual nature.

  When we open this center, we allow a direct revolution. Rather than experience God in the context of myth or religious dogma, we literally KNOW. This experience is called Samadhi and will be covered in great detail in Chapter 12.

  The Chakras as a System

  It is easy to see these chakras as completely separate, having little to do with each other, and to pick and choose favorites, but this is very dangerous. The seven major chakras each contribute to the whole experience of being human. When we let one get out of balance or shut down, we process life in unbalanced ways and we fill the chakras with conflicting programs.

  When I was in college, I worked for a suicide hotline. On one of the all-night shifts I received a call from a woman who was very distressed. She had taken several handfuls of sleeping pills and was drinking as well. Her intention, of course, was to end her life.