Full Moon Yoga, why bother?

-by
Kirti Tarang Pande
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Science says that moon is our planet's satellite. As bright as it may seem, it's merely a reflection of sun. Poor thing doesn't even have its own light. This makes one wonder why in spirituality so much importance is attached to moon? Why the yogis and sufis spend nights meditating on moon? Why tantrics schedule their powerful practices for full moon and new moon? Why Buddhist monks keep precepts?

For a moment, let's set aside what science tells us and connect with what we experience. Have you ever felt intense delight when looking at a full moon, or suddenly felt love rising in you, a sudden urge of passion? Has it ever been that you were feeling lonely or sad for no apparent reason and when you peeped out of the window, it was full moon?

In a month, there are two full moons. Once dedicate a month to connect with not what you have told but what you feel on Full Moons. Simply observe your thoughts and emotions. After all, yogis are not followers but investigator. 

Upon conducting this investigation, you will find that the moon doesn't give or take anything. It simply elevates what we already have. If you're joyful, it makes you ecstatic. If you're sad, it will make you depressed. If you're meditative, it will deepen your spiritual practice. Siddartha became Buddha on a full moon night, didn't he?

Therefore, it's only common sense to mark this day in calendar. So that, on this day we can consciously connect with the qualities that we desire in us. If something has to heightened, it might as well be the thing that brings forth our well-being.    

On contrary, if we carry on with our day with usual absent mindedness we end up strengthening the shackles of our compulsiveness.

It is for this reason, you will find that in both yogic and Buddhist cultures fasts are kept to purify the body on Full Moon days. Precepts of love, compassion and kindness are kept. Spending time on primping the body is avoided and day is spent culturing the emotions.

It is common for yogis to capitalize on the power of this day. In fact, most yoga teachers don't teach on this day. They keep this day to go deeper in their personal practice. At Home Yogis' Home, we feel differently though. We take extra sessions. It is my personal belief that utilizing the power of this day to benefit others is more meaningful than serving my own cause.

Fuil moon is the night when oceans rise. We are 70% water, we too have potential to rise. If only we are aware and we are willing to go through a process for this.

The Process: Full Moon Yoga Flow

Step 1: Chandra Namaskar

(2, 11, 20 or 29 rounds)

 Namaskar Mudra- Exhale- Eyes Closed

1.Tadasana- Inhale- Antar Drishti

2.Ardha Kati Chakrasana-  Exhale- Hastargra Drishti

3. Tadasana- Inhale- Nasagra Drishti

4. Uthita Trikonasana- Exhale- Hasthagra Drishti

5. Ardh Chandrasana- Exhale- Hastagra Drishti

6. Ashwasanchalan- Inhale- Nasagra Drishti

7. Ajneyasana- Inhale- Antar Drishti

8. Malasana- Exhale- Nasagra Drishti

9. Ajneyasana

10. Ashwasanchaln

11..Ardha Chandrasana

12. Uthita Trikonasana

13. Tadasana

14. Ardha Kati Chakrasana

15. Tadasana

Namaskar

Since in yogic wisdom sound is a source of creation, music becomes a medium to align with the rhythm of the cosmos. Following this tradition, Raga Abhogi is the music assigned to Chandra Namaskar. So, if you want to practice the sequence of Chandra Namaskar with music, pick any rendition of Raga Abhogi.

Step 2: Chandra Pranayams

"All that exists in the three heavens rest in control of Prana"
- Prashna Upnishad II.3

Prana is our primal life force. It moves in our being through a system of energy channels. These energy channels are called Nadis in yogic terminology. These nadis exist in our subtle body, which is our mind-prana field. There are seventy two thousand nadis in our mind-body field.

Lunar nadi is one such nadi that determines the flow of our primal energy. This Lunar nadi is called Ida in yogic vocabulary. It has feminine and cooling energy. This implies that it's the functioning of this nadi which makes us intuitive, creative, visionary and open our hearts to love.

It is this love that provides the fuel that sustains our spiritual fire.

So, chandra pranayams are the techniques that open our love window. No body puts it more beautifully than Rumi:

"Close the language door
and open the love window.
The moon won't use the door,
only the window."

The two Chandra Pranayams are

a. Chandra Anoloum
Close the right nostril. Breathe in and out through left.

b. Chandra Bhedan
Breathe in through left, breathe out through right

Practice 11 rounds of each. During this process allow your awareness to rest on the left side of the body, the lunar side- wherever the awareness goes, prana follows.

Step 3: Shrim Chanting

Sit in cross legged position.
Hands in Kamala mudra.
Close your eyes.
Behind the closed curtains of your eyelids there's a vast space called Chiddakash. Visualize bright moon here.

Recite 11 times with exhalation:

"Om Shrim Namah"
Shrim is a mantra with very pleasing lunar quality.
It is a mantra that floods our senses with love, devotion, beauty, delight and divine grace. It gives us the good things of life, including health to our body, fertility, rejuvenation and steadiness to our mind and emotions. However, the best part is that it is one of the softest and safest mantra to use. Just keep one thing in mind that since it is a lunar mantra it lowers our body temperature. For this reason, I strongly recommend that stick to 11 repetitions, don't overdo.

Step 4: Chakra Meditation

Even you don't have a conducive settings or guidance to undergo this process, don't fret. Simply spend the day consciously cultivating loving kindness first towards yourself and then with everyone you come in contact with.

Happy Poornima :)


Further Reading:

Lunar Eclipse and Yoga

THIS NAVRATRI CHANNELIZE THE INNER ‘SHAKTI’ IN THREE BREATHES

-Kirti Tarang Pande

Official website, Instagram, Twitter

Originally Published in Daily Bhaskar

Yesterday, we discussed Tantra, what it is and what it is not. Today, let’s kick-in Navratri by preparing our bodies for Tantra. Just to refresh, yesterday we talked about how Tantra is a technique of goal achievement by harnessing & focusing our inner power.

This is where Navratri comes in. Tenth Mandal of Riga Veda considers Navratris to be the auspicious time to invoke, channelize and harness the Shakti within.

Yogic concept of ‘Shakti’

This Shakti is ‘Mooladhar Nivasini’, that is, she resides in Mooladhar Chakra- the root chakra. Mooladhar Chakra is responsible for grounding us with this material plane- Khshiti, meaning the earth element.

Kshiti is considered to Tamasic in nature in the practice of Tantra. Tamas brings inertia. Therefore, Shakti by virtue of residing here becomes inert in nature.

In other words, we have an innate power but it is sleep mode. The only time we unconsciously turn it on, is during sex. That’s why it’s common mistake to equate Tantric practice with sex.

We are not aware that we doing it or how we are doing it, so we can’t harness it at our own will. However, the worst part here is that we dispel & just disintegrating the ‘Shakti’ outside our body. This implies that we are not even using it!

How to awaken this ‘Shakti’

Yogataravali Sutra in its 5,6 and 8 sholkas  mentions Bandha as the method to do this. It says:

By the practice of the bandha the dormant Shakti awakens and enters into sushumna nadi. The breath becomes kumbhaka (still), the rechaka (exhalation) and pooraka (inhalation) cease to function. Senses are purified and kevala (enlightenment) takes place.

In fact, Acaranga Sutra of Jainisim cites Mahavir Jain attaining enlightenment through Mula Bandha.

How to practice Mool Bandha?

Basic underlying principle of bandhas is that by locking certain physical muscles, we initiate an unlocking at mental & pranic levels.

Following this principle, we lock the physical muscles around Mooldhar Chakra, to unlock our Mooladhar Nivasini, our Shakti. There are two techniques to do this:

1. Antar & Bahir Kumbhak

2. Maha Mudra Khumbhak

At beginners’ level, one should practice Antar & Bahir Kumbhak.

Step 1 Finding the right muscles:

Now, to find these muscles, in my personal practice it follow a simple method. I imagine that I am stuck in crazy Mumbai traffic & my bladder is bursting. I really have to pee; instinctively my body contracts certain muscles. That’s it; those are the muscles (perineal muscles) we are working upon here.

There’s another way to understand this, where I put out pictures of our anatomy & mention different sets of muscles for men & women. As an instructor, I’ve learnt it the harder way that it just confuses the students.

Step 2 Preparing for the locking

Before locking, we must check if we are in sync with the first Niyam (Dos) of Yoga- Sauch (Inner & outer cleanliness). Our bladder must be empty for this practice.

You can start with sitting in Padmasana. Take a Pooraka (inhale), observe Kumbhak (hold the breathe in), let out Rechaka (exhale) observe Kumbhak. Do this three times to ease your body into Kumbhak.

Step 3 The lock

·         Sit comfortably in Padmasana and bring all your awareness to mooladhar chakra.

·         Breathe in deeply & hold your breathe.

·         Mentally contract the mooladhar chakra by contracting your perineal muscles. Visualize that mooladar chakra is being massaged with your thumb.

·         Chant the beej mantra- lam mentally & visualize the Shakti awakening at the Mooldhar Chakra

·         When it’s no longer comfortable to hold the breathe. Exhale.

·         Before you inhale again, hold the breathe.

·         Mentally contract the mooladhar chakra by contracting your perineal muscles. Visualize that mooladar chakra is being massaged with your thumb.

·         Chant the beej mantra- lam mentally & visualize the Shakti awakening at the Mooldhar Chakra

This is one round. You can start with three rounds & as your practice improves, you can take it up to 12 rounds.

Bonus: A cheat trick

To increase the time of breathe retention you can hold your fingers in Shakti Dharana Mundra- press the breathe base of the thumb with index finger. By doing so you will observe that your capacity of comfortably retaining breathe has doubled.

Caution:

1. It’s not advisable to practice this if one is suffering from irregular periods.

2. Shiv Samhita in Chapter 4 insists that this bandha should only be practiced in isolation.

3. In Vedic Yoga, bandhas are esoteric practices and should only be practiced under the guidance of a Guru. You can use this write up increase to discuss your initiation into Bandhas with your Yoga teacher; but don’t use this write up for practice (especially as a beginner).

In case, you’re a beginner and don’t have a good teacher, keep watching this space; soon I will be sharing how to prepare our bodies for Tantra without a Guru.

Watch out! Everything You Know About Chakras Could Be Wrong!

-by Kirti Tarang Pande

Official Website, Instagram, Twitter

Originally published in Daily Bhaskar

These days, you may or may not find a sea shell in Goa, but what you will find is a Chakra Healer, in every lane! Why single out Goa? The scene is same everywhere-  Bombay, Delhi, Himachal, internet. You landed up on this article, didn’t you? Even in my yoga classes, I have people enquiring,  “Do you teach Chakra Yoga?”, “Do you do Chakra healing?” One lady even asked, “Do you fill your Chakras?”  I don’t  know how to answer  to this. Mostly, because there’s no ‘Yes’ or  ‘No’  reply.  If you’re genuinely interested in Chakra  Healing, this is the answer that you deserve:

 CHAKRA MYTHS BUSTED

Myth 1: There are seven chakras in our body

Shiva Samhitha talks about 72000 nadis in our Pranic System. These are the vessels that carry our Pranic Energy, having 114 junction points (not seven) that we call Chakras.

Myth 2: Every Chakra has a corresponding physical organ

According to Shandilya Upnishad, Chapter I,  Maya-sakti  is embodied in human physiology as subtle centers of expressions of Consciousness (Caitanya), that we call as Chakras. In simple words, Chakras are a part of Cosmic Energy, an energy system much higher than our physical body. Therefore, their functions are in correspondence with our Cosmic existence not our needs of this physical plane.

Now the question arises- if Chakras are there to serve a Cosmic Purpose, why are they such an integral part of Ayurvedic healing? The answer is provided by Dhyana-bindu Upnishad which defines Chakras as centers where Nadis are given their purification. Any form of Chakra Healing method used in Ayurveda, is merely a pump used to flush out the blockage in Nadi system, so as to ensure the free flow of Pranic Energy and not fixing the organ that happens to near the location of that Chakra.  This brings us to your next myth.

Myth 3: “I went for Chakra Healing & it worked wonders!”

You may have gone for a Chakra Healing, the practitioner may have called it a Chakra Healing but actually happened was Pranic Healing. According to Yogakundali Upnishad, Chapter III, Chakras can be opened through inner practices of pranayams, mantra and meditation.  The process can be aided with outer measures like diet & gems. This opening clears the path of nadis for Pranic Energy to move freely and do the necessary healing.

The keyword here is ‘opening’, we are not ‘activating’ the Chakra here.  There’s a difference.  Chakra opening paves path to Pranic Healing. Chakra activation will open the doors to enlightenment.

Myth 4: “I went for a Chakra meditation & now I can feel my Chakras being activated”

Once again, let’s refer to Yogakundali Upnishad.  According to the Upnishad, there are only two ways of Chakra activation- Antaranga & Bhiranga.

Antaranga way: This refers to the inner way through meditation. To activate the base Chakra, it requires double the amount energy required for a normal body & brain to function in a day! Only a sadhak whose body is prepared through asanas, sattvic diet of food and thought, & whose nadis are balanced through pranayams can create that much energy. Channelizing that in right direction is another game. This we are just talking about the base Chakra. As we move up, the requirement of energy doubles.  Keep in mind that there are 114 Chakras in body & do the maths.

Bahiranga way: This refers to the outer path of Chakra Awakening- our actions.  One must understand that Chakra awakening/ activation is a method of reversing the process of creation so that we can unify with the creator. Therefore for instance, if one wants to awaken the Muladhar chakra, then one must withdraw from the element of earth. This can be done by giving up the desire (and actions) of earthly possession & accumulation.

So, how can I get Chakra Healing?

You need to ask yourself- why I am looking for Chakra Healing? If the reason is anything but the desire to be a jnani & reach the state of enlightenment, I strongly recommend switching to Pranic Healing. As according to Prasnopnishad:

Pranasyedam vase saevam tridive yat pratisthitam

Mateva putran raksasva srisca prajnamsca videhi na eti

(Meaning: Whatever exists in three worlds is all under the control of Prana. Protecting us as a mother protects her sons; giving us affluence and intelligence.)

However, if you’re in pursuit of Moksha, then I recommend finding a siddha guru with right motivation and taking refuge in him. Please note: Chakra Activation is a tantric process and should only be done under tutelage of a Siddha guru.

 How can I find the right Pranic Healer?

You already have one- You! No one can channelize your Pranic Energy better than you. You just need to know how. At my shala Home Yogis’ Home we always teach our students (even the beginners) basic pranic healing techniques, you can request your yoga teacher to do the same. Happy healing!