Yoga Teacher Training 100 Hour - Category Four

A 'Nadi' is commonly a 'tube, pipe, nerve, blood vessel, pulse and is a term for the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual knowledge, the energies, or prana of the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body are said to flow. Within this framework, the Nadis are said to connect at special points of intensity - the Cakras. The three principal nNadis run from the base of the spine to the head, and are the Ida on the left, the Sushumna in the centre, and the Pingala on the right. We go into this further and cover the relationships between Cakra;s and Nadi's.

Our Sacred Spiral Subtle Body Meditation practice aims to balance and energise all electro-magnetic systems in the three bodies. As such, this includes these Pranic conduits known as Nadi's.

This Cakra Meditation can be used to balance and energise our major electro-magnetic centres. This promotes health and vitality as well as spiritual development.

Use in conjunction with the Pranic Breathing Meditation for a full rounded breath, energy and meditation session.

There is also a transcript of the guidance in the resources section for you to download.

These Cakra Tone Vocalisations are ancient chants with sound and syllable specific to each of the seven major Cakra's. Use this daily, first listening through and then chanting along with and learning as you do so.

Regular use installs the sound and syllable within our sub-conscious minds and they become available to us in a similar way that a software program is installed on your computer for use at any time needed.

I have also included in the Resource section an article I wrote giving a slightly alternative perspective on the entire 'Cakra' discussion.

Building upon the previous material, we now look a little more in-depth at the more practical aspects of the knowledge of subtle energy and it's sysytems. The approach will benefit the student teacher in a class situation as well as give relevance to personal practice and spiritual life development.

Assignment for your benefit and to get a sense of your retention of the material.

Use this Pranic Breathing video in conjunction with the notes as a first practice before moving on to the Silver Fountain movements. Be sure to read carefully through the detailed notes on deepening your Pranic Practice as well.

This simple breathing and meditation practice encompases multiple aspects and potential results when taken regularly. On a superficial level we enhance breath and lung capacity and improve general health and vitality. On a subtle energy level we balance and energise all major Cakra's and Nadi's in our electro-magnetic bodies and can use the practice for deep spiritual growth and practical knowledge.

Use this Pranic Breathing Meditation as a stand alone practice or after the Cakra Meditation. A transcript of the guidance is available to download. The practice energises underactive centres, calms overactive centres, balances and promotes vitality, promotes coherence across all major Cakra's, brings health and the development of awareness and Spiritual growth.

This Guided Meditation has been included here as an advanced practice, since by definition, when engaging in any 'altered state' of awareness, we have to engage our various energy bodies, or Kosha's. Practice in this field will yield more and more familiarity and facility with the Pranic, or energetic activity required instead of only our common, linear, usual, physical body Kosha.

Included is both an audio and a transcript inj the main article with preparation notes and suggestions.

In Sacred Spiral we strongly support practice in and connecting with, nature and any natural environments such as gardens and the greater outdoors. Nature has a tremendous sense of balance and harmony that we tend to have lost as humans as we inhabit deeper and deeper urban spaces and now even worse, virtual tech spaces inside machines. Simply being in nature for a while has a great positive and uplifting effect on us spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.

This standing Pose set was taken very early morning at Emoyeni Buddhist Retreat in the Magaliesburg mountains South Africa.

You can follow along, and as before, use the material to develop your own sets and deepen your knowledge and understanding by analysis.

Instruction is deliberately excluded so that we can bypass the rational mind while practicing. Keep this faculty for learning the postures and practice. 

A quick postscript to assess where you are and what's coming up next. Be encouraged, you are nearing the finish line.