Kundalini

from:kundalinicare.com
Kundalini Shakti works in and through her container, the subtle body. The subtle body includes the three central sheaths (koshas) of the five that comprise the human being (see diagram), according to the Vedic philosophy of India. These three are energy, mind, and discernment. The energy sheath has a subtle physiology of its own, which employs subtle energies (vayus), subtle elements (tattvas), subtle energy flow patterns (svaras), subtle energy currents (nadis), subtle energy centers (chakras), subtle energy points (marmas), and subtle brain centers (dalas). The mental sheath is made up of the sensory/motor function of mind (manas), the persona (ahamkara), and the storehouse of latent memories and patterns (chitta), which includes the impressions of all our past karmas, even from previous lives. The discernment sheath (buddhi) includes the refined ability to discern what is truly good and helpful for our inner development.

Chakras

from:luminanti.com

CHAKRA	EM Spectrum	Hindu Name	Glands Organs Body Parts	Element	Note Vowel	Stones	Essential Oils
Soul Star	Magenta UV	~~~	12" above head	Unknown Cosmos	ALL NOTES oohmmm	selenite Golden 'C'	jasmine rose neroli all delicate flower oils all root oils
Crown	White Gold Violet	Sahasrara (thousandfold)	pineal brain head	Light	B ngngng "sing"	clear quartz rutilated quartz any clear crystal	frankincense sandalwood myrrh benzoin neroli lavender angelica St. John's Wort
Brow	Indigo Violet	Ajna (to perceive)	pituitary hypothalamus amygdala eyes temples	Thought	A mmm nnn	amethyst lapis lazuli sugulite azurite	rosemary lavender peppermint spruce frankincense elemi clary sage
Throat	Blue	Visshudha (purification)	thyroid throat ears jaw neck	Ether Sound	G eee "see"	blue lace agate blue topaz celestite	blue chamomile sage lemongrass hyssop
Higher Heart	Turquoise	~~~	thymus shoulders heart	Air Ether	G flat F#	turquoise chrysocolla gem silica aquamarine	helichrysum myrtle litsea rose geranium
Heart	Green	Anahata (unstruck)	heart lungs breasts shoulders arms hands	Air	F ay "play"	aventurine green tourmaline green apophyllite malachite rose quartz pink tourmaline	rose bergamot melissa jasmine rosewood
Solar Plexus	Yellow	Manipura (lustrous jewel)	solar plexus digestive system liver gall bladder spleen pancreas adrenals	Fire	E ah "father"	citrine sulpher gold yellow calcite	juniper vetivert rosemary yarrow petitgrain palmarosa marjoram lemon
Sacral	Orange	Svadhisthana (sweetness)	ovaries testicles prostate kidneys bladder sacrum	Water	D oo "do"	carnelien/sard red jasper cuprite	ylang-ylang jasmine neroli rose rose geranium orange sandalwood
Root/Base	Red	Muladhara (root/support)	adrenals coccyx perineum pubic bone legs & feet	Earth	C oh "note"	black tourmaline smokey quartz bloodstone hematite onyx pipestone	patchouli vetiver myrrh frankincense sandalwood cedarwood galbanum benzoin angelica St. John's Wort all root oils
Earth Star	Deep Red Infrared	~~~	6" below feet into the Earth	Earth's Core	ALL NOTES oohmmm	ruby garnet petrified wood bloodstone pipestone obsidian	myrrh cedarwood vetiver all root oils all delicate flower oils

© 1997-2008 www.luminanti.com. All rights reserved.

Cutting Cords

a very short (about 3 minute) mini cord cutting with Archangel Michael

A good technique physically cutting the energy cords and inviting in energy of mother earth and father sky
from: Sealed with Love
Other cords can be cut using the “Cutting the Ties That Bind,” exercise by Phyllis Krystal to

remove the energy of unhealthy relationships from your auric field. Visualize an infinity sign with the inner circles colored white and the outer circles colored violet – violet is transformation and white is new beginning. Imagine you are standing in one side of the figure eight and the person you want to let go of is standing in the other side. Then imagine you are having a conversation and you are telling this person how much he or she has helped you in your life, how much you appreciate the experience. See the cords that connect you to the person, ask for the cords that need to be cut to light up. 
Then using a pair of golden scissors cut the energy cords you have built between you seeing the cord ends absorbed by yours and the other persons being, making sure that the cords are healed and sealed.  When you have finished thank the person for their friendship and then proceed to cut the circles in half allowing each half to become a complete circle. Wave good-bye and see them in their circle leaving your auric field floating into the distance. Do this daily until you feel they have been released
Another version: from bali3000

It is recommended to do this visualization first upon rising before you get out of bed and right before you sleep for at least two weeks. Keep a journal  of your memories that emerge about life experiences with the person you have placed in the top circle of golden light, visualizing yourself in the lower circle of golden light. 

EFT 

Simple Chakra Meditation

Pineal Gland

Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

from:anmolmehta.com

Kundalini Yoga Kriya Video - Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

Pranayama, the science of breathing and breath control, is undoubtedly one of the greatest arts one can learn and practice for spiritual growth and personal development.  It holds within itself the power to transform the lowest most gross to the highest most refined.  This transforming power of pranayama can act upon any and all levels of your being, whether that be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual (energetic).  This science has been perfected over the centuries in the East and was mostly kept secret, only handed down verbally from Guru to a deserving disciple.  Now, it is much more available to those who seek it, but I still feel that the knowledge really only finds those who are deserving of it.  Having said that, life has brought you here now, so take this opportunity and discover the tremendous power of the Science of Pranayama.
The 3 Pranayamas I am going to present here are typically not for beginners.  Fortunately, all 3 have modifications, which you can start out with first before building up to the advanced techniques.  I will also present these modifications here and I strongly suggest you start with them first before jumping ahead to the advanced techniques.  In moving forward sanely, gently and systematically you will prepare the system to better handle the affects of the advanced forms.  This systematic approach is not only much safer, but is also better for extracting the full benefits of the pranayamas.  Part 1 of this series is about Sodarshan Chakra Kriya.  Before I go into Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, I want to give some quick guidelines that should be followed for all 3 pranayamas in this series.
Basic Guidelines for practicing Pranayama:

1. Do not practice any advanced pranayama if you are unwell.  Only do light easy pranayamas.
2. Clothing should be loose and should not restrict the movement of the abdomen.  Our breathing is already very shallow, we don’t need to compound the issue further by hampering the natural movement of our diaphragm.
3. Your stomach should be empty.  Which means you need to wait at least 2-3 hours after a meal before practicing pranayama.
4. If possible practice in the early morning.  Early morning is the best time to practice your sadhana (spiritual work).  For more information and help on this you can read The Secret on How to Become an Early Riser.
   
5. You should sit in a comfortable position, preferably in some variation of cross legged (sukh asana).  For more information on  sukh  asana or other positions you can sit in (like a chair) see Silent Mind Meditation Program: Basic Meditations - Chapter 7. 
   
6. Most importantly, DO NOT STRAIN.  I cannot emphasize that enough.  Take your time, you will enjoy your practice more and you will be able to establish a regular routine as you will not dread doing your daily work.
7. One last thing.  The pranayamas being taught here, when practiced sincerely over time, can bestow great power to the practitioner.  Normally, these techniques were not transcribed and as mentioned earlier, were taught only to those held in great trust, so I ask you to respect that trust and agree to not in any way misuse the powers obtained from the practices described below.
   

Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:
Background:  Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (set) was taught to me by my Kundalini Yoga teacher Ravi Singh who studied it under the guidance of Yogi Bhajan.  It dates back a few thousand years and is reputed among all the known Yogas, including Kundalini Yoga, to be the most powerful Pranayama exercise there is.  You will notice that it is called a kriya, although a kriya typically is a complete set of asanas and yogic exercises (see Introduction to Kundalini Yoga for more information on kriyas and how Kundalini Yoga works in general), it also applies in some cases to a single exercise, which is very complete in and of itself.  Sodarshan Chakra Kriya is a pranayama exercise that is exactly that, very complete and also very powerful.
Benefits of Sodharshan Chakra Kriya:  The superlatives describing Sodarshan Chakra Kriya are lavish to say the least.  In Yoga terms it will give you Nao Niddhi (the nine precious virtues) and Artha Siddhi (the 18 occult powers).  These 27 facets contain all of human life and in acquiring them you perfect all that can be perfected in a human.  Given this Kriya’s reputation for bestowing Psychic and Yogic Powers, it is is often practiced by those interested in acquiring these siddhis (powers).  There is no harm in this, as long the powers are used for the benefit of others and to assist you in your spiritual progress.  This kriya, though, is equally valuable to those interested in the final goal of human life - to see and merge with the Divine Non-Dual nature of Reality.  This is because, it is very effective in dissolving the blockages (granthis) caused by frozen emotional debris in the nadis (the channels for the movement of Kundalini Energy) and as the channels are purified greater flow of kundalini is facilitated allowing for the chakras (energy vortexes) to be activated and balanced.  In turn, the activation of the chakras and this greater flow of Kundalini Shakti (energy) leads to the refinement of awareness which allows one to penetrate the veil of illusion - that Reality consists of duality.
Sodarshan  Chakra Kriya also dramatically improves your physical wellbeing.  In fact, as you practice it you will start to feel quite invincible over time.  It expands your nervous system, respiratory system and helps your digestive system.  I find that the most profound health benefit is a boost to the immune system when I practice this kriya regularly.  Overall the kriya promotes peace, joy and strength.
Description of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:  Sit up straight, have your spine erect and bring head back slightly (not up) so your chin is subtly drawn in and back like a soldier at attention.  This aligns your spine with the back of your head and is also called Jalandhara Bandha.  Your eyes should be 1/10th open looking down at the tip of your nose.  Rest your left hand on your left knee.  Block your right nostril with your right thumb and have the remaining fingers pointing upwards.  Now breathe in deeply through the left nostril filling your lungs to capacity.  Lower your right hand now and place it on your right knee.  With your breath held in (Antar Kumbhaka) begin to pump your stomach (pulling in the abdominal muscles) to the mantra "Wahay Guru".  You will pump your stomach 3 times for each iteration of Wahay Guru.  Once for Wa, once for Hay and once for Guru.  The mantra should be chanted mentally of course, since the breath is held in.  Chant for a total of 16 Wahay Gurus, so for a total of 48 stomach pumps with the breath held in.  Then raise your right hand, close off the left nostril with your right pinkie and breathe out of your right nostril.  This completes 1 cycle - breathe in through left nostril, hold and pump, breathe out through right nostril.  Continue to repeat this cycle for the duration of the kriya.
Duration:  There is no formal time duration for Sodarshan Chakra Kriya; it is left up to the practitioner to determine what is right for them.  Below I will give the recommendations when I discuss the modifications.
Beginners Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:  Modify kriya as follows:  Do only 1 pump for each chant of Wahay Guru.  So in total with your breath held in you will do 16 pumps per cycle.  Also, reduce the force of the pump to where you are comfortable.  Start with 3 minutes and build up to 11 minutes.  The kriya should be practiced daily.
Intermeditates Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:  Modify kriya as follows:  Do only 2 pumps for each chant of Wahay Guru.  One for Wahay and one for Guru.  So in total you will do 32 pumps with your breath held in per cycle.  Pump your stomach with a moderate force.  You should try to do 11 minutes, then go to 22 minutes and then to 31 minutes daily.
Advanced Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:  Do the kriya as described above in the description section.  You should be pumping your stomach with full force and you should do 31 minutes daily.  The commitment should be to do 40 days without missing a day, 31 minutes each day.  This was exactly the requirement by Ravi for his Kundalini Yoga teacher’s training course as well.  If you miss a day, you go back to 1 and start over till you complete 40 days.
Perfected Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:  Yes there is more, you are not done yet :-D.  To do the perfect and complete kriya and thus extract the maximum benefit and reach super human caliber, the requirement is to do 62 minutes per day and build it up to 2 1/2 hours everyday.  If you can discipline yourself to do that, the kriya will provide everything needed in all areas of your life.
Design of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:  This kriya bestows its many blessings by taking full advantage of many important aspects of Pranayama and Yoga numerology.  Below are some of the details behind this successful design.

1. Breathing in through the left nostril activates the right hemisphere of the brain.  This hemisphere is responsible for your meditative, creative and artistic powers.  Activating it helps unleash and grow these aspects of your nature.
   
2. The number 16 is associated with the Ajna Chakra, also know as the Third Eye, Divine Eye or the Eye of Shiva.  Chanting the mantra Wahay Guru 16 times activates Ajna Chakra, which is responsible for many psychic abilities and the power of intuition and wisdom.
3. The mantra itself, Wahay Guru, means ecstasy beyond words and represents one’s higher consciousness.  Chanting this mantra attracts this divine energy towards one.
4. Pumping the navel helps ignite and awaken Kundalini Shakti so she can make her ascent up the primary Nadi (Shushumna) all the up to the Crown Chakra (Sahasrara Chakra) activating, rejuvenating, balancing and healing all the other Chakras and associated organs in her path.

In part 2 and 3 of this series I will describe and detail 2 more powerful Yoga Pranayamas that I hope will be of value to you in your spiritual growth and personal development.

Heart Chakra Healing & Balancing Kundalini Yoga Set

from:anmolmehta.com

Kundalini Yoga Kriya #4

Purpose of Heart Chakra Balancing Kundalini Yoga Kriya:

The following set of Kundalini Yoga exercises opens, clears and balances the Heart Chakra (energy vortex), which is the 4th Chakra, of the Tantra Kundalini 7 Chakra System.  This Chakra is called the Anahata Chakra, meaning "unstruck sound".  It is located on the spinal cord directly in line with the center of the chest. The Heart Chakra governs the respiratory and circulatory organs and systems and is associated with the attributes of love, compassion and forgiveness. 
This kriya activates the Heart Chakra and overall is excellent for improving and strengthening the heart and lungs.  It promotes better circulation and helps detoxify the system.  It also helps soften one’s character and makes one more loving and kind.  Even though the yoga poses and exercises in this kriya are not complex, the set itself is not the easiest, so take more rest as required and Do Not Overdo it.

(From Free Yoga Videos, yoga video #4, Heart Chakra Balancing Yoga Video)

Description of Heart Chakra Balancing Kundalini Yoga Kriya:
1. Chest Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

a. Guided Instructions for Chest Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Sit up straight with your legs crossed (sukh asana).
• Bring your arms out to the side with the palms facing forward.  Arms are parallel to the ground.
• As you exhale rotate your arms forward, keeping them straight almost to the point where the palms meet (but don’t clap).  The pectoral chest muscles will contract.
• Now rotate your arms back as you inhale thus expanding and stretching your chest area.
  
• Start off slowly at first to stretch and warm up your shoulders, then find a good rhythm and continue at a comfortable pace.
  

b. Duration for Chest Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise: 1-5 minutes.

c. Benefits of Chest Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Works on your chest muscles, shoulders and upper back.
  
• Activates and balances the Heart Chakra.
• Improves lung capacity.
  

d. Practice Tips for Chest Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:  For all the Kundalini Yoga exercises in this kriya that require you to sit in sukh asana, you may want to keep a firm cushion or rolled up blanket under your buttocks so your hips are raised above your knees.  This will help take the pressure off you lower back, hips and knees.  Yes you will be sitting a lot :-).

2. Ringing Bell Kundalini Yoga Exercise: (Variation of Rajju Karshanasana)

Free Online Yoga Video of Breath of Fire

(Required for this exercise and other yoga poses below)

a. Guided Instructions for Ringing Bell Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Sit with your legs parallel and extended in front of you.
• Now lean back and look upwards.
• Begin the Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise.
• Now reach up and pull down with alternating hands each time pretending you are pulling a bell rope to make a bell ring.  As you reach up make a fist around the rope and pull down so your fist ends by your waist.  When you reach up straighten you arm.  Remember you are reaching up grasping pulling down with one hand, as that hand is coming down you should be reaching up with the other.
• You should go at a moderate to fast pace.
  

b. Duration for Ringing Bell Kundalini Yoga Exercise: 1-5 minutes

c. Benefits of Ringing Bell Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Works on your chest muscles, shoulders and upper back.
  
• Cleanses the Heart Chakra.
  
• Loosens the shoulder joints.
  

d. Practice Tips for Ringing Bell Kundalini Yoga Exercise:  Use the Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise to help get you through the early points of resistance.
3. Relax in Yoga Corpse Pose: (also called Shav Asana)

a. Guided Instruction for Yoga Corpse Pose:

• Lie on your back and have your arms out to your sides about six to twelve inches away from your body.
• Turn your palms slightly upward.
• Relax your body and breath.
  

b. Duration for Yoga Corpse Pose: 1-3 minutes.
c. Benefits of Yoga Corpse Pose:

• Allows the body to consolidate the gains from the previous exercises.
• Helps the body heal and rejuvenate itself.
• Promotes relaxation and peace.
  

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d. Practice Tips for Yoga Corpse Pose: Try to consciously relax your entire body.  Release all your tensions and worries and stay in the present moment as best you can.

4. Double Arm Rotations Kundalini Yoga Exercise: 
a. Guided Instructions for Double Arm Rotations Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Sit up straight in sukh asana.  Bring your chin back and in slightly like a soldier at attention, you should feel a slight tension in the back of your neck.
  
• Extend your arms out in front of you.
  
• Make a fist of both hands, with your thumbs inside your fist.
  
• Begin the Breath of Fire Breathing Exercise and keeping your elbows straight make big circles with your arms.  The circles should be big, but kept in front of you.  The right arm is moving clockwise, while the left arm is moving counter clockwise.  The arms should move at a moderate to fast pace.
  
• The arms should move in sync — outward together and inward together.
  

b. Duration for Double Arm Rotations Kundalini Yoga Exercise: 1-5 minutes.
c. Benefits of Double Arm Rotations Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Awakens and expands your Heart Chakra.
  
• Improves respiration and circulation.
  
• Oxygenates your blood and gets your energy going.
  
• Develops your shoulder and upper back muscles.
  

d. Practice Tips for Double Arm Rotations Kundalini Yoga Exercise:  Don’t give up at the first sign of discomfort.
5. Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose: (The following article has Illustrations of Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose).

Picture of Modified Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose

Picture of Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose

a. Step-by-Step Instructions for Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose:

• To start this yoga pose, come up onto your knees and have your feet hip distance apart, with toes extended.
  
• For modified Camel pose have your hands, fingers pointing downward supporting your lower back and arch back as far as comfortable.
  
• Now tilt your head back and such that you are facing the ceiling.
• You should be pressing forward with your hips and also expanding your chest region, by pressing your elbows back.
  
• In the full version of Camel Pose, drop your hands back and hold on to your heels.  Again you should arch your back, press your hips out and expand your chest.
  
• Begin Breath of Fire Yoga Pranayama, in either pose.
  

b. Duration for Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose:

• 30 seconds - 7 minutes
  

c. Benefits of Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose:

• Excellent yoga posture for overall health and wellbeing.
• The pose expands the abdominal region, helping digestion and elimination.  It helps to heal and balances the Navel Chakra.
  
• Opens and heals the Heart Chakra by expanding and stretching the chest region.  Excellent for the respiratory and circulatory systems.  Bestows softness of character.
  
• Releases tension in the ovaries and helps the immune system by working on the lymphatic system.
  
• The posture, activates and balances the Throat Chakra, and works to heal and rejuvenate the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
  
• The exercise opens up the hips and builds strength in the thighs and arms.
  
• Stretches and strengthens the shoulders.
  

d. Practice Tips for Kundalini Yoga Camel Pose:

• Start with the modified version of Camel Pose and work your way to doing the full version over time.
• If the Breath of Fire makes you dizzy or uncomfortable, just switch to normal breathing instead. 

6. Shoulder Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

a. Guided Instructions for Shoulder Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Sit up straight with your legs crossed (sukh asana).
• Bring your arms out to the side with the palms facing up.  Arms are parallel to the ground.
  
• As you exhale rotate your arms up, keeping them straight almost to the point where the palms meet (but don’t clap). 
• Now rotate your arms back down to the starting position (out to the side and parallel to the ground)  as you inhale.
  
• Find a good rhythm and continue at a comfortable pace.
  

b. Duration for Shoulder Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise: 1-5 minutes

c. Benefits of Shoulder Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:

• Works on your shoulder muscles and upper back.
• Balances the Heart Chakra.
  
• Improves the functioning of the lymph nodes and strengthens the immune system.  Good anti breast cancer exercise.
  
• Draws the energy upwards to the higher centers.
  
• Improves lung capacity.
  

d. Practice Tips for Shoulder Fly Kundalini Yoga Exercise:  This is the last tough exercise in this kriya and since you have come this far, why not finish well.

7. Relax in Yoga Corpse Pose (#3 above) for 2-5 minutes:  While in Shav Asana, try this simple Heart Chakra Meditation.  With every inhalation feel more and more love radiating from your heart center and flowing through your system.

This concludes the Heart Chakra Balancing Kundalini Yoga Kriya.

How to Heal & Balance Your Chakra Centers

From: anmolmehta.com

Chakra Analysis

The Kundalini Yoga Seven Chakra model is a great way to approach your personal development and spiritual growth.  I have given an overview of this model in the article Kundalini Yoga Seven Chakra System, and in this article I would like to give you some guidelines on how use this model to help you achieve your highest potential.
Essentially, Chakra points can be thought of as energy centers which govern various regions of your body, and are responsible for various personality traits and emotions.  Balancing and healing these centers in turn helps to rejuvenate and strengthen the corresponding organs and glands in that chakra’s region, as well as uplift the emotions governed by that chakra.
This healing and balancing process entails the following two steps.  Chakra analysis to help determine what center needs some work, and then yoga exercises and meditation techniques to help heal and balance that center.  For each chakra I have given some guidelines below to help accomplish both these steps.  I have provided a way to analyze yourself to see which chakra might be out of balance and then provided some treatment options to help you correct this imbalance.
Below is by no means a comprehensive chakra analysis guide, as that would be quite extensive, but it should give you enough information to make a solid judgment of where your weaknesses lie, so you can start to work on those areas.
The Chakra Analysis, Healing & Balancing Guide below points out the primary emotions and traits a particular chakra center is responsible for.  Then it provides 4 questions to ask yourself to help you understand how you are doing in that department.  If you are answering "yes’ to most of these questions for a particular chakra, it means you need to work on that center.  To do so, practice the yoga and meditation techniques provided to heal and balance that particular chakra (these are links to the actual articles with those techniques).

Chakra Analysis, Healing & Balancing Guide:

1. Root Chakra: 

Physical Security, Fear, Health

1. You  feel physically insecure and weak.
2. You have constant health issues and illnesses.
3. You have a lot of fear.
4. You don’t feel connected to the Earth and a part of nature.

Yoga & Meditation Techniques to Help Heal Root Chakra:
Kundalini Yoga Crow Pose for Root Chakra Cleansing
Kundalini Yoga Cat-Cow Pose for Fighting Fear

2. Sex Chakra: 

Creativity & Self-Expression

1. You suffer from sexual dysfunction.
2. You have trouble expressing yourself and conveying your emotions.
3. You lack creativity.
4. Your life is dull and monotonous.

Yoga & Meditation Techniques to Help Heal Sex Chakra:
Sat Kriya to Raise Sexual Energy
Hatha Yoga Butterfly Pose

3. Navel Chakra:

Willpower & Anger

1. You lack willpower and determination.
2. You have anger issues.
3. You have control and power issues.
4. You have low energy.

From the above I am sure you see why Kundalini Yoga emphasizes working on the Navel Chakra before all others.  Without it functioning properly, you have neither the energy nor the willpower to bring about positive change in yourself.

Yoga & Meditation Techniques to Help Heal Navel Chakra:
Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose
Core Abdominal Power Yoga Set
Yoga Ab Exercises & Workout for Toned Stomach
Kapalbhati Yoga Pranayama

4. Heart Chakra: 

Love, Grief, Forgiveness

1. You have a hard time forgiving others and have many enemies.
2. You are often depressed and sad.
3. You don’t feel much empathy or compassion for others.
4. You are not charitable.

From the above, you will see why many yoga and meditation teachers feel that the heart center is the place to concentrate one’s efforts.  This center is especially important for those drawn to the devotional path to spiritual growth.

Yoga & Meditation Techniques to Help Heal Heart Chakra:
Kundalini Yoga Jesus Pose for Sacrifice & Inner Strength
Hatha Yoga Camel Pose
Heart Chakra Opening & Balancing Set
So Hum Mantra Meditation Technique

5. Throat Chakra: 

Communication, Thinking

1. You have a hard time communicating your thoughts and ideas.
2. You are not a clear thinker.
3. You are not a good listener.
4. You gossip too much.

Yoga & Meditation Techniques to Help Heal Throat Chakra:
Yoga Neck Rolls (from the Kundalini Yoga Spinal Warm-up Series)
Hatha Yoga Camel Pose
Hatha Yoga Plough Pose
Hatha Yoga Shoulder Stand

6. Brow Chakra (Third Eye):

Intuition, Psychic Powers

1. You don’t have much intuitive ability.
2. You don’t feel like you have much guidance from within.
3. You have not experienced much that is out of the ordinary.
4. You find the world dull and mundane.

The Third Eye is another chakra which is often the focus of early kundalini work.  This is because opening and balancing this center provides you access to inner guidance and the ability to “feel” your way through life.
Yoga & Meditation Techniques to Help Heal Third Eye Chakra:
AUM Mantra Meditation Technique to Open Third Eye

7. Crown Chakra: 

Spirituality, Bliss

1. You are not at all spiritually motivated.
2. You have not experienced much in terms of spirituality or transcendence.
3. You don’t see the poetry of life and nature.
4. You are too materialistic and frivolous.

Yoga & Meditation Techniques to Help Heal Crown Chakra:
Kundalini Yoga Crown Chakra Meditation Technique

Chakra Analysis & Healing Summary:

These guidelines will get you started on analyzing the state of your chakras and determining where you need the most help.  I would suggest picking the weakest chakra and working on it for 1 to 2 weeks and then re-assessing yourself to measure the progress.  From there move to the next weakest chakra and continue on from there.

Silent Mind Meditations

Chapter 12
Silent Mind Meditation: The SM Meditations           
Here are some new Videos explaining the Silent Mind Meditation Technique that I recently created.  This is a 2 part series and both videos are available below.

As outlined in Chapter 8 (SM Meditation Program: Phase 2: Daily Yoga and Meditation Practice) for the first 2 weeks you will do the basic meditation that you have chosen for 30 minutes.  Once you begin the third week of Phase 2 it is time to start your SM meditations.  SM meditations are done in the same posture as you have chosen for your basic meditations.  For weeks 3 and 4 of phase 2 you should do your basic mediation for the first 10 minutes of the meditation session and then for the final 20 minutes you should practice the SM meditation designated for that week.  No break should be taken between the basic meditation and the SM meditation.  The basic meditation will serve to settle the mind down making it easier to observe.  The SM meditation will take you the rest of the way.  It is now time to explore exactly what SM meditation is and how to do it.         
From the program you have participated in so far you must have started to gather some ideas about the nature and purpose of SM meditations.  SM meditations use the power of acute awareness and intelligence generated by a vitalized, intense system to directly perceive the mind and by virtue of this perception bring the thinking process to halt itself. This will be clearer as we break down and investigate the process behind SM. Following are the 7 steps of SM practice. 
1.  You have a single, absolute fact.
2.  You personalize the fact.
3.  You form a single intent to perceive this fact.
4.  You apply all your energy and passion in pursuit of this intent.
5.  You crystallize.
6.  You negate the fact.
7.  You let go. 
Let us now explore each of these aspects in detail. 
1. You have a single absolute fact. 
SM meditation is based on generating the required energy and channeling it into swift attention and instant comprehension so that the fact of what is going on within starts to be directly perceived.  One of the more interesting aspects of the condition we are in is that it can be stated in many irrefutable ways.  In the first step of the process you choose one particular way of factually describing your internal condition.  This description is the single absolute fact.  This fact is what you will be pursuing to realize, not intellectually, but actually during an SM session.  The fact must have the following constitution… 
1.  It must be an absolute constant truth in the sphere of our minds and its relationship to Reality.
2.  The more appealing it is to you the better it will work.
3.  It must be intellectually understood.
As stated above the fact is a truth related to the workings of your mind and thinking processes as it currently is.  In other words, it is not an impersonal fact, like the mass of the moon or the elemental makeup of water.  It is a fact that describes the constant internal state of your mind, such as, “Desire is the phenomenon that drives you to struggle.”  In other words, the fact is in action, available for your viewing, from moment to moment.  It is a remarkable thing when you start to see how repetitive and simplistic your mind really is at a fundamental level where these facts are constantly in operation.
The second aspect of the fact is much more subjective.  Essentially, you want to use whatever description touches a nerve and carries a punch.  A description that is inspiring and has an affect on you will be more effective. The deeper and greater the affect the better.  As you try the various SM meditations, each based on a particular description of the condition of your mind, you will start to get a better feel for this aspect.  Some meditations will be simply easier for you to grasp and work with at particular times.
The third aspect is that we must understand the fact fully at the intellectual level.  This understanding will be of great help to you when you are trying to apply yourself to see the actuality of the fact in action.  This understanding can be ascertained and enhanced through study, discussion and self-dialogue.  The SM meditations provided later in the program are explained clearly and fully to give you this understanding. 
2. You personalize the fact. 
The second step of SM is to personalize the fact.  So, for the above fact, “Desire is the phenomenon that drives you to struggle,” you would form the quest; “Let me see desire driving me to struggle.”  This will then become the reality that you will seek to actualize. 
3. You form one single intent to perceive this fact.
The third step of SM practice is to have a single passionate intent, which is to see this fact in action.  You must have absolutely no other intention in mind except this one.  Your mind forms just one desire, one wave, which is to perceive this fact.  Be firm in this resolve for the mind is going to throw up many tantalizing subjects and you must repeatedly return to the pursuit of your intent.  One of the main goals of the basic meditations was to help you develop this ability to focus and stay on the topic of your choosing and in this case the topic has to be the single minded purpose of seeing yourself subjected to the fact. 
4. You apply all your energy and passion in pursuit of this intent.
This is where the work really begins.  So far you have selected the fact, personalized it and set your single-minded intent.  This is the step where you are going to apply yourself with as much passion and energy you can muster to see the fact in action.  What is most important here is that we are not talking about understanding the fact intellectually, what we are saying is that you must encounter and realize the fact through direct perception.  This is the key to SM and everything hinges on it so let us explore it greater detail.
Normally we understand things intellectually using our logical and analytical mind, but now we are going to comprehend via direct perception.  We are going to constantly, moment to moment, watch our thinking process and see clearly the actual fact in operation.  In other words, instead of simply understanding conceptually that “Desires drive you to struggle”, the very process of  “Desire driving you to struggle”, is going to be completely grasped and instantly comprehended as it occurs from moment to moment.  The beast of desire can be and is going to be encountered. The verbal and intellectual understanding will occur in parallel to the realization of the actual phenomenon, instead of just existing as a mental construct.  At first, since you may not have applied yourself in this way, you may continue to remain at the intellectual level, but, as you persist keenly and arduously applying the full capacity of your energies, the thinking process will spontaneously start to slow down and you will begin the catch glimpses of the fact.  Once this begins you must remain deadly focused and push forward so that the next step of the process can occur.
5. You Crystallize.
Crystallization brings with it a great joy.  It is the witnessing of the fact in action from moment to moment without missing a beat.  Your energies are now fully integrated and the fact along with its entire story is being understood effortlessly.  The power of swift attention and acute intelligence are now at work and all movements of the mind are being comprehended.  During this stage the mind is an open book.  Not only is the fact clearly visible but so is the truth behind any other thought that occurs as well.  This is insight now flowing.
6. You negate the fact.
This step is very closely linked to crystallization and there is usually some back and forth between these two stages in a SM session.  The negation of the fact arises naturally because it becomes clear from seeing the mind in action that its current state breeds suffering.  The facts that underlie the movement of the mind all bind us to time and ego, and all have their roots in the desire/fear combination.  They perpetuate in us a sense of incompleteness and dissatisfaction and keep us bound to the fruitless pursuit of self-security. Seeing the fact in action clearly brings this entire picture to light and leads to the natural, sane and spontaneous negation of this pattern.  In other words you clearly see the state “desire driving you to struggle”, and all that it entails (greed, suffering, hope, fear, pettiness etc) and you just reject it.  As it occurs again, for if the mind moves the fact is in operation again, you see it again and reject it.  This leads to the last stage.
7.  You let go.
As you dive into SM meditation the subtle truth that will become ever so painfully clear is that you are the source of your suffering.  The mind upon inspecting itself will realize that it is the creator of the very activity that is causing all the grief.  For example, when one, seeing greed being the source of all the struggling tries to end it, one is just perpetuating greed by hoping to attain a state free of greed.  When one sees oneself struggling constantly and decides to try to stop that, one has in fact undertaken a new struggle.  Startlingly, this perpetuation of the current state is all that the mind is capable of doing and SM meditation brings the mind to this realization.  This then means that the mind will have to stop its mischief and that requires for it to cease, for you to let go of it.  When you arrive here you will know what to do, and it will just be a matter of courage at this point.  Have faith, be brave and Jump. 
SM Meditation I:  Fact of Struggle
The first SM meditation that we will introduce is one of the most powerful and potent.  It is the following fact, “One is constantly struggling.”  This is the way our mind is at all times- engaged in a struggle.  Thus the fact meets the first criteria of being in constant operation in the sphere of self-consciousness.  Although the impact of this knowledge on you is unknown (second criteria), in general this fact is quite poignant and usually has a strong impact.  Finally, the third criteria requires that you understand the fact intellectually so lets explore it in some detail.
By struggle we are referring to any internal effort that you are placing yourself under.  It is meant in the broadest definition of the word and includes any attempt your mind is making to achieve.  As you turn your attention to your thinking process you will see that you are constantly setting a goal for yourself and are busy trying to achieve that goal.  The question that arises is - Can we ever free ourselves from this pattern of eternal striving?  Of course, one must see clearly that trying to free oneself is just another struggle.  So negation of the fact is not to try and chase its opposite.  To pursue a state of "non-struggle" is still a continuation of struggle.  So what is meant by negation instead is to just drop it, finish it, reject it immediately.  To summarize then, you have your intention set to see your mind in constant struggle and upon seeing this clearly drop it every time it is noticed.  The mind must realize that anything at all it tries to do is just useless - only creating more struggle.  Remember the key to SM is that the concept is not the actual.  What you need to do is to see the actual, the fact, and not just its interpretation by the mind.  The very seeing of struggle is the ending of struggle.
SM Meditation II: Pursuit of the Ideal
The keen mind will start to see that any one piece describes the whole puzzle and that if you can understand one piece completely you will understand the whole puzzle and consequentially all the pieces.  The second SM meditation is just another way of describing the current constant state of the mind; it is the fact that “One is always in pursuit of the ideal”.  Another way to putting this, which lends itself to be easily seen during meditation is, “One is always subject to ‘shoulds’”.  “I should be watching my mind,” “I should not be greedy,” etc. and, as always, to say that you should not be under the control of shoulds is just another "should". The ideal is the authority that prevents you from ever just being in the present - as you are.  It creates the gap, the conflict, between what is and what should be and then trying to bridge this gap becomes the rest of your life.  It results in the endless effort of your mind to arrive somewhere, to become something.  This authority arises from two sources.  One is the authority of an outside entity which then dictates what one ought to aspire to - how one ought to live one’s life.  Two, there is the authority granted to conclusions drawn from past experiences.  Authority decrees, do this, do that, be like this, be like that, implying that as things are, as you are, is unacceptable.  The problem is that in trying to change, to become the ideal you don’t change at all.  In other words, in trying not be greedy you remain greedy and in trying not be selfish you are obsessed with yourself, in trying not to be violent you are in conflict.  The ideals are just fictitious.  There is no such thing as non-greed, unselfishness, non-violent etc.  There is just the perpetuation of greed, conflict etc.  SM meditation demands that you see that any attempt to change is to pursue the direction established by another "should", and so has to be dropped.  The only truth is the way things are, exactly at this very moment.  Whether it is the conclusions of past experiences or the voices of others that are telling you how things should be, your job is to see the painful condition of always chasing the ideal and reject it.

Chapter 14
Silent Mind Meditation Program: Yoga for Awareness
Body Work: Yoga for Awareness
Having developed your body to be more supple and energetic it is now time to exploit the ancient science of Raja Yoga to raise your level of awareness using it.   Awareness is the light that is going to illuminate the inner walls and reveal the false in the false.  It is the key to the success of the Silent Mind meditations.  The set you will do in phase 3 is the Yoga for Awareness set described in Appendix 3 (Yoga for Awareness Set).  This Raja Yoga set is based on the Chakra and Kundalini system of the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali and works directly on the energy centers of the subtle body (more information on the Chakra system is available in the Kundalini Yoga Section or Articles Page).  It uses body locks (bandhas) and breath control (pranayam) to work its magic.  All the guidelines from the previous Yoga sets apply to this set as well.  This set takes about 15 minutes to complete and should be done after the advanced Pranayam described in the breath work section below.  Thus, the total time spent on the Pranayam and Yoga set will be 20 minutes and this will be followed by 40 minutes of meditation.  
Breath Work: Advanced Pranayam
The following  Pranayam set utilizes retention of breath and as pointed out earlier any such forced retention must be approached cautiously.  The following exercise should be done for 5 minutes prior to doing the Yoga for Awareness set. 
Description:  The exercise is quite simple, but very potent.  Sit (preferable) or lie in the position you have chosen, then keeping relaxed inhale while counting up to 4 slowly, hold your breath for a count of 16 and exhale to the count of 8.  The count is slow and steady, about 1 second per count, done mentally of course. 
Benefits:  This pranayam helps dissolve blockages in the subtle body systems, increase the strength of your nervous system and raise your energy to higher vibrational frequencies.  This refined energy then works to activate and balance your higher energetic centers which are responsible for awareness, insight and connectivity to the beyond. 
Cautions:  If you at all feel uncomfortable holding your breath for the count of 16 cut all the counts to half.  Inhale to the count of 2, hold for a count of 8 and exhale to a count of 4.  If this too feels uncomfortable, practice STB (Silk Thread Breathing described in Chapter 4: Yoga for Meditation ) instead for 5 minutes.  Do not practice this pranayam if you have high blood pressure, instead do STB.
 

Siddhis

from Wikipedia

Five Siddhis of Yoga and Meditation

In the Bhagavata Purana the Five Siddhis of Yoga and Meditation are described as below:

• tri-kāla-jñatvam: Knowing the past, present and future;
• advandvam: Tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities;
• para citta ādi abhijñatā: Knowing the minds of others and so on;
• agni arka ambu viṣa ādīnām pratiṣṭambhaḥ: Checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on;
• aparājayah: Remaining unconquered by others;

Eight Primary Siddhis

Ganesha with the Ashta (8) Siddhis. The Ashtasiddhi are shown as attendants of Ganesha. Painting by Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906)

There is the concept of the Ashta Siddhi (eight siddhis) in Hinduism. These are:

• Aṇimā: reducing one's body even to the size of an atom
• Mahima: expanding one's body to an infinitely large size
• Garima: becoming infinitely heavy
• Laghima: becoming almost weightless
• Prāpti: having unrestricted access to all places
• Prākāmya: realizing whatever one desires
• Iṣṭva: possessing absolute lordship;
• Vaśtva: the power to subjugate all.^[5]

[edit] Ten Secondary Siddhis

In the Bhagavata Purana Lord Krishna describes the Ten Secondary Siddhis as:

• anūrmi-mattvam: Being undisturbed by hunger, thirst, and other bodily disturbances
• dūra-śravaṇa: Hearing things far away
• dūra-darśanam: Seeing things far away
• manaḥ-javah: Moving the body wherever thought goes (teleportation)
• kāma-rūpam: Assuming any form desired
• para-kāya praveśanam: Entering the bodies of others
• sva-chanda mṛtyuh: Dying when one desires
• devānām saha krīḍā anudarśanam: Witnessing and participating in the pastimes of the Apsaras
• yathā sańkalpa saḿsiddhiḥ: Perfect accomplishment of one's determination
• ājñā apratihatā gatiḥ: Orders or Commands being unimpeded