Chakra Shuddhi: Cleansing of Chakras

Chakra shuddhi means ‘purification of the psychic centres’. These practices are used in kundalini yoga for the location of the psychic centers. In japa yoga these practices make up a special anusthana which can bring great benefits to a serious practitioner, who is able to devote one week or one month uninterruptedly to the practice. In kundalini yoga it is said that before the kundalini awakens, the chakras must be purified, opened and awakened. These practices form an important part of this process. Each psychic center is dealt with, in separate stages, and in the final stage all the psychic centers are dealt with consecutively.In chakra shuddhi, first each center is located and identified. Then with deep breathing, a psychic passage is established between the chakra kshetram, or trigger point in front of the body, to the actual chakra point in the spine. Finally, with the addition of mantra, the chakra is purified and opened. As the sound vibration of the mantra gradually builds up along the psychic passage, the psychic center is awakened.

Chakra Shuddhi

While concentrating on the chakra points, the breathing and the mantras create a high voltage of energy which is released and circulated to the brain. This energy helps to remove mental dissipation and steadies the mind, so that even after a few minutes of the chakra shuddhi practice, the mind becomes focused and  is still almost effortlessly.

7 Chakras in our Body

Chakra Shuddhi  is a 8 Stage Process:

Stage I: Muladhara chakra shuddhi

Muladhara or the Root Chakra

Stage 2: Swadhisthana chakra shuddhi

Swadhisthana Chakra or the Sacral Chakra

Stage 3: Manipura chakra shuddhi

Manipura Chakra / Solar Plexus / Nabhi Chakra

Stage 4: Anahata chakra shuddhi

Anahata Chakra or the Heart Chakra

Stage 5: Vishuddhi chakra shuddhi

Vishuddhi Chakra or the Heart Chakra

Stage 6: Ajna chakra shuddhi

Ajna Chakra or the Brow Chakra

Stage 7: Chakra shuddhi
Stage 8: Ending the practice

Techniques For Chakra Shuddhi

First 7 steps are for Chakra identification and the final stage combining all of them.Let us now understand these 8 steps one by one:

Stage I: Muladhara shuddhi

Mooladhara chakra or Muladhara Chakra does not have a kshetram or trigger point, so it must be located directly. To locate this chakra more easily, siddhasana or siddha yoni asana is recommended.

A sitting posture, this will help to locate the awareness at the mooladhara chakra point.

Place your hands on the knees in chin or jnana mudra.

Jnana Mudra,also known as Chin Mudra or Gyan Mudra

Close your eyes and relax the whole body. Be aware of the meditation posture. Go through each part of the body and make sure that there is no tension or tightness in any part. Let the breathing become slow and rhythmical. Move your awareness to the point of contact where the lower heel is pressing into the perineum or yoni. Become intensely aware of distinct pressure at that point.

Centre your whole awareness at the pressure point. Become aware of a pulse beat in this area as you locate the exact position of mooladhara chakra. Become aware of your breathing. Feel or imagine that you are breathing in and out through this pressure point. Feel the breath moving through the perineal body, or the yoni becoming finer and finer, so that it pierces the point where mooladhara chakra is located.

Move your awareness with the steady rhythm of the natural, spontaneous breath. Experience mooladhara chakra being pierced with every inhalation and exhalation. Move your awareness with the breathing. Do not let your attention to become dissipated.

Mooladhara Chakra

Now integrate mental repetition of the mantra 0m with each breath. As you inhale, repeat 0m, feeling the vibration moving upward with the breath and piercing your mooladhara chakra point. As you exhale again repeat 0m, feeling the vibration moving downward with the breath out of the chakra point.

OM

Experience the mantra 0m as it moves in and out through mooladhara chakra. You can feel the purifying and opening of the mooladhara chakra with the movement of the breath and mantra. Continue with this practice for five minutes.

Meditation

Stage 2: Swadhisthana shuddhi

Ensure that you are sitting correctly in siddhasana or siddha yoni asana and that your body is relaxed. Now move your awareness to the point where the upper heel is pressing against your pubic bone. Become intensely aware of the distinct pressure at that point. Focus your awareness at the pubic bone, which is known as swadhisthana kshetram (your pelvic area )or the trigger point for swadhisthana chakra.

Hold your awareness at this point and be aware of the pulse beat here. Now move your awareness in a straight line back to the coccyx bone at the base of your spine. This is the location of swadhisthana chakra. Hold your awareness here for a few moments and become aware of your pulse beating at this point. Intensify your awareness of swadhisthana chakra. Become aware of your breath. Bring the awareness of your breath down to the pelvic region.

Feel or imagine that you are breathing in and out through this area. As you inhale, the breath enters swadhisthana kshetram at the pubic area and moves straight back to the coccyx in the spine, swadhisthana chakra. As you exhale, the breath moves forward from the coccyx or swadhisthana chakra to the pubic bone, the pelvic area. With the movement of your awareness and breath, create a psychic pathway between swadhisthana kshetram at the pubic bone, and the chakra point at the base of your spine.

Feel that you are connecting these two points with your breathing and awareness. With each inhalation feel the pelvic area expand along with your awareness and breath moving from your pelvic area to swadhisthana chakra. With each exhalation, feel your pelvic area contract and the awareness move from swadhisthana chakra to your pelvic area. Feel the breath becoming finer and finer so that it pierces swadhisthana kshetram and the chakra point.

Continue with this awareness for five minutes.Now add mental repetition of the mantra 0m to this practice. As you inhale, mentally repeat the mantra 0m and feel the vibration move from your pelvic area to swadhisthana chakra.

OM

As you exhale. repeat the mantra 0m and feel the vibration moving from swadhisthana chakra to your pelvic area. Experience the mantra and the breath move in this psychic passage.

Intensify your awareness of this movement through this psychic pathway.You can Feel the mantra and your breathing purify and open the swadhisthana chakra. Continue with this practice for five minutes.

Meditation

Stage 3: Manipura shuddhi

Now you have to leave the awareness of swadhisthana chakra. Bring your awareness back to the meditation posture. If you wish to adjust your position now, you may do so. Make sure that your body is comfortable and relaxed.

Where is Manipura Chakra ?

Bring your awareness to your navel or nabhi. This is manipura kshetram or trigger point. Intensify the awareness of your navel. Become aware of the pulse beat at this area. Now move your awareness in a straight line back to the spine. This is the location of manipura or the nabhi chakra.

Hold your awareness at this point for a few moments. Try to feel your pulse at this point, behind the navel in the spine. Be aware of the steady rhythmic pulse beat at manipura chakra.

Become aware of your breathing in the abdominal region. Feel the gentle expansion and contraction of the abdomen with each breath. Imagine you are breathing in and out through this area. As you inhale, the breath enters through the navel and travels straight back to the spine, to manipura chakra. As you exhale, the breath travels from the chakra point in the spine to the navel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubE1-JQm6Fk

Continue in this way, moving your awareness with the breath between these two points. With inhalation, feel the abdomen expanding and the breath moving straight back from the navel to manipura chakra. With exhalation, feel the abdomen contracting and the breath moving from the manipura chakra point in the spine to manipura kshetram.

Create a psychic pathway between these two points with the movement of each breath. Feel that you are connecting manipura kshetram to manipura chakra. You will be able to See the psychic passage clearly. Be aware of the breath becoming liner and finer so that it pierces the manipura kshetram and chakra point.

Feel the Awareness around your Navel

Continue this awareness for five minutes. When this movement becomes spontaneous and effortless, start chanting the mantra 0m. While inhaling, the mantra moves with each breath from manipura kshetram at the navel to manipura chakra in the spine. While exhaling, the mantra moves from manipura chakra to manipura kshetram at the navel.

OM

Try to experience the mantra and breath moving in this psychic passage. Intensify your awareness of the vibration of the mantra moving through these two points. Feel the mantra and breath are purify and open manipura chakra. Continue with this practice for five minutes.

Stage 4: Anahata shuddhi

Leave the awareness of manipura chakra. Become aware of your chest, the area within the rib-cage. Try to focus your awareness at the sternum in front of your heart. Intensify your awareness at this point. Feel it pulsating in rhythm with your heart beat. Hold your awareness at this point. This is anahata kshetram or the trigger point for anahata chakra.

Anahata Chakra or the Heart Chakra

Move your awareness in a straight line back to the spine, to anahata chakra. Centre your attention at the chakra point. Become aware of the anahata chakra pulsation in rhythm with your heart beat.

Breathe In Breathe Out

On Completing your awareness of anahata chakra, Bring your attention to the natural breathing. Feel the expansion and contraction of the chest as you breathe. Now imagine that you are breathing in and out through the chest area. As you inhale, the breath enters the body through anahata kshetram, at the chest, and moves in a straight line back to the spine, to anahata chakra. As you exhale, the breath moves forward from anahata chakra to  the sternum, anahata kshetram.

With inhalation, the chest expands and the breath moves from the sternum to anahata chakra. With exhalation, the chest contracts and the breath moves from anahata chakra to the sternum, anahata kshetram.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlzQtuxMres

Follow the movement of your breath with complete awareness. Now become aware of the psychic passage between these two points.You will be able to feel that you are connecting anahata kshetram to anahata chakra. Intensify your awareness of this psychic passage. Feel the breath becoming finer and finer, so that it pierces anahata kshetram and anahata chakra point.

Anahata Chakra

Bring your awareness closer to the breath and become aware of these two psychic points. Continue in this way for some time. Now add mental repetition of the mantra Om to the movement of breath.

OM

As you inhale, feel the mantra 0m moving with the breath from anahata kshetram, at the sternum, to anahata chakra, in the spine. As you exhale, feel the mantra 0m moving from anahata chakra to anahata kshetram, at the sternum. There should be complete awareness of the vibration of the mantra moving with the breath in the psychic passage between these two points. Feel that the mantra and the breath are purifying and opening up anahata chakra. Continue with this practice for five minutes.

Meditation

Stage 5: Vishuddhi Shuddhi

Leave awareness of anahata chakra behind. Bring your attention up to your throat area. Become aware of the point in the throat pit. This is the kshetram or trigger point for vishuddhi chakra. Be aware of the pulse beat at the throat. Focus on the pulse beat at vishuddhi kshetram.

Vishuddhi Chakra

Now move your awareness straight back to the spine. This is the location of vishuddhi chakra. Hold your attention at this point and feel the pulsation there. Your whole awareness is at vishuddhi chakra. Become aware of the natural breath. Feel that you are breathing in and out through the throat. Experience the breath entering the body through the throat, vishuddhi kshetram, as you inhale, and move back to the point of vishuddhi chakra, in the spine. Experience the breath moving from vishuddhi chakra to vishuddhi kshetram, at the throat, as you exhale.

Vishuddha Chakra

Keep your awareness moving with the breath between these two points. Feel the gentle expansion and contraction of the throat area with each inhalation and exhalation. While inhaling, the throat area expands and the breath moves from vishuddhi kshetram to vishuddhi chakra. While exhaling, the throat contracts and the breath moves from vishuddhi chakra to vishuddhi kshetram.Experience the movement of breath in this psychic pathway. Feel that you are connecting vishuddhi kshetram to vishuddhi chakra. Intensify your awareness of the psychic passage and the breath moving between these two points.

Be aware of the breath piercing the vishuddhi kshetram and chakra point. Allow your whole awareness to move with the breath through this psychic passage. Continue for some time. Now add the mantra 0m to the practice. As you inhale, mentally repeat the mantra 0m. Feel the mantra moving with the breath from vishuddhi kshetram straight back to vishuddhi chakra. As you exhale, mentally repeat the mantra. Feel the mantra moving forward with the breath from vishuddhi chakra to vishuddhi kshetram. Experience the vibration of the mantra in the psychic pathway. Feel the mantra and breath moving through vishuddhi kshetram and vishuddhi chakra. Feel the mantra and breath purifying and opening vishuddhi chakra. Continue in this way with steady, unbroken awareness for five minutes.

Stage 6: Ajna shuddhi

Leave your awareness of vishuddhi chakra now. Bring your awareness to the center of your eyebrows. Hold your attention at this point. Become aware of your eyebrows. This point is known as trikuti or bhrumadhya. Centre your whole awareness at this point. Try to feel the rhythmic pulsation at the eyebrow centre. Intensify your awareness of the pulsation at this point. Now move your awareness straight back to the top of the spine, in the middle of the head. This is the location of ajna chakra.

Hold your awareness at this point and feel the pulsation there. Intensify your awareness at this point of ajna chakra. Become aware of the natural breath. Imagine that you are breathing in and out between these two points. Feel the breath entering the body through the eyebrow centre, bhrumadhya, as you inhale, and moving straight back to the top of the spine, ajna chakra. As you exhale, feel the breath moving from ajna chakra forward to the eyebrow centre, ajna kshetram. Move your awareness with the breath between these two points. While inhaling, feel the head expanding as the breath moves from bhrumadhya to ajna chakra. While exhaling, feel the head contracting as the breath moves from ajna chakra forward to bhrumadhya at the eyebrow centre.

Intensify your awareness of this psychic passage. Feel that with every breath you are connecting ajna kshetram to ajna chakra. Feel the breath moving between these two points. Experience the breath piercing the ajna kshetram and chakra point. Centre your whole attention on the movement of the breath in this psychic pathway. Continue for a few moments.

Now begin to integrate the mantra 0m into the practice. As you inhale, mentally repeat the mantra 0m. Feel the mantra and breath moving from ajna kshetram straight back to ajna chakra. As you exhale, mentally repeat the mantra 0m. Feel the mantra and the breath moving forward from ajna chakra to ajna kshetram. Experience the vibration of the mantra as it moves through the psychic pathway between ajna kshetram and ajna chakra. Feel the mantra and breath purifying and opening up ajna chakra. Intensify this awareness. Do not let your awareness slip for a moment. Continue in this way for five minutes.

Stage 7: Chakra shuddhi

Now bring the awareness down to mooladhara chakra at the perineum. Centre your awareness at mooladhara chakra.

You must feel the mantra 0m pulsating slowly and deeply there. The pulsation will feel as if the chakra is being struck from inside. Feel the 0m mantra pulsating at mooladhara chakra 21 times. Bring your awareness to swadhisthana chakra at the coccyx. Feel the mantra Om pulsating at this point. Experience the 0m mantra pulsating at swadhisthana chakra 21 times. Come up to manipura chakra behind the navel. Experience the 0m mantra pulsating at manipura. Count 21 pulsations.

OM

Now move your awareness to anahata chakra behind the heart centre. Feel the 0m mantra pulsating slowly and deeply at anahata chakra and again count 21 pulsations. Move up the spine to vishuddhi chakra, behind the throat. Be aware of the mantra 0m pulsating and striking vishuddhi chakra from within. Count 21 pulsations. Come up to ajna chakra at the top of the spine in the centre of the head. Count 21 pulsations of the mantra 0m at ajna chakra. There should be unbroken awareness of the mantra. Move your awareness to the top back of the head, to bindu chakra. Experience the mantra 0m at this point. Feel 0m pulsating at bindu as you count 21 pulse beats. Move up to sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head. Count 21 pulsations of the mantra at sahasrara chakra.

This is one round. Now bring your awareness back down to mooladhara chakra at the perineum and begin the next round. Continue upwards through each chakra point from mooladhara chakra to sahasrara. Experience the mantra pulsating at each chakra. Count 21 beats at each chakra. There should be continuous, unbroken awareness of the mantra 0m.

[ LEARN ABOUT : Creation and God ]

Stage 8: Ending the practice

Now leave your awareness of the mantra and chakras. Become aware of the natural and spontaneous breath. Feel the slow, steady rhythm of your breathing. Become aware of the physical body and the meditation posture you are seated in. Feel the physical contact between the body and the floor. Become aware of your surroundings. Be aware of the room in which you are sitting, and of any sounds in the external environment. Breathe in deeply and chant three times.

Feel Your Surroundings

 

Atul Kumar
Atul Kumar
O Lord’ like others let me be engrossed in worldly pleasures as abundantly as I wish but with a condition that all such pleasures should appear to be embedded in you, so that my thought differentiation in these pleasures is totally removed. ~Acharya Uppal-Deva

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