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Kundalini Rising, Part 1: The Root Chakra

Gary Z McGee
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24
Kundalini Rising, Part 1: The Root Chakra

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” ~ Carl Jung

Imagine your spine is a tree trunk with seven ascending flowers (chakras) growing out of it. These flowers are either opened or closed depending upon your health, mental disposition, and ability to communicate with the cosmos.

Muladhara chakra is the seat of Kundalini energy

These flowers emit a distinct energy unique to your personal frequency, but they are profoundly interconnected, both with each other and with the greater cosmos. This article will discuss the significance of the first of these chakras:

Muladhara, the root chakra.

If the crown chakra is the Übermensch (overman) of the Kundalini process, then the root chakra is the Untermensch (underman). But don’t allow this lowly connotation to fool you into thinking that the root chakra is any less important, or even less powerful. After all, there cannot be an over without an under.

There cannot be a flower without its roots. Opening the root chakra is reconnecting with the often neglected, often suppressed, savage, prima materia heart of man. It’s a tapping into the latent energy of the unconscious realms hidden beneath the soil of the human condition, dark and muddy, but alive in a way that subsumes all levels of individuation.

The root chakra is symbolized by a red lotus with four petals. It is located at the base of the spine in the coccygeal region (tailbone area), while its central activation point is located within the perineum. It is the lowest vibration of the body and has the slowest wavelength.

Lord-Indra-atop-Erawan-also-known-as-Airavata-the-King-god-of-elephants
Lord Indra also known as the King god of elephants

The four petals directly denote stability and foundational survival, and are indirectly related to the four sides of the square, the four directions, and the four elements: earth, air, fire, & water. The chakra extends downward, connecting us to the earth while ‘grounding’ us.

It is related to instinct and to the basic ‘fight or flight’ mechanism of the human condition. Known also as the seat of Kundalini, dormant kundalini rests here, wrapped around the four-petaled lotus, just waiting to be awakened.

The deity associated with this region is Indra who is often depicted riding a white seven-tusked elephant. The tusks symbolize the seven elements vital to physical functioning. He personifies the underworld, the unconscious abyss and the interconnectedness of all things rooted.

His lesson is that Humankind only seems to be an un-rooted being, but his un-rootedness is an illusion. We’re like walking trees, but all trees have roots. Like Allan Watts said, “Nature is always differentiated unity, not unified differences.”

Chakra Chart

The root chakra is the energy center of the entire Kundalini process, but it is also the toxin-release center. It connects us to the earth because that is where we receive all of the vital nutrients essential to our survival, and it is also where body toxins are released. The root chakra doesn’t just ground us physically, it also grounds us temporally by keeping us in the present moment.

Those whose root chakra is open tend to be healthier, more balanced, and grounded. They tend to be less fearful and more centered. Those whose root chakra is closed or underactive are often fearful, lack focus, are nervous, imbalanced, and disconnected, and tend to suffer from depression and autoimmune deficiencies, especially those dealing with the blood.

A beautiful video on Root chakra meditation with Tibetan singing bowls

Root Chakra Meditation/ How to Open the Root chakra

While meditating, focus your energy (or Qi) on the base of the spine. Notice how you feel about your connection to the earth. Literally relax and ‘drop’ your kegel muscles. Imagine your spine branching down into the earth like the roots of a tree.

Another video awakening video on balancing and tuning the Root chakra –

Visualize yourself receiving the full bounty of the earth’s ‘nutrients.’ Other ways of opening the root chakra are through aromatherapy, massage, yoga and exercise. Exhale the toxins and inhale the energy. Uncoil the Kundalini ‘snake’ wrapped around your sacred roots and guide it to the next level; to the second chakra: The Swadhisthana.

Image Sources:

Indra
Chakra Chart

Friedrich Nietzsche’s Metamorphoses of the Spirit

Juan Pablo Hern
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27
Friedrich Nietzsche’s Metamorphoses of the Spirit

The wisdom of the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, is often overlooked due to an unfair reputation that precedes him. Let’s explore his thought-provoking concepts that can nourish our soul: Nietzsche’s three metamorphoses of the spirit, the will to power, his conception of Apollonian and Dionysian (explained ahead), and the endless return.

It challenges our way of living and invite us to live with bravery, joy and authenticity thus, it can be seen as advice for strengthening our spirit and to find our inner self.

The will to power, Nietzsche says, is what life is; and because we are life, we are also it. We are fundamentally will that wants to overcome its limitations, to rise from the obfuscation to lucidity, and to go on with our life in a merry way.

If we are made of such wonderful matter, where does the weakness of our spirit come from? How come there are times when we feel down and unable to take control of our own existence? If we are a guest of honor in this cosmic symphony of beauty why aren’t we acting like it?

Let’s look into Nietzsche’s Metamorphoses of the Spirit

Nietzsche writes in his famous book, ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’ a powerful metaphor where he describes the three transformations that our spirit undergoes. In the beginning, we are a camel: we live an arid life carrying a tremendously heavy burden: the moral, that is, all the dos and don’ts of society. We go around doing what others tell us to do, and we behave how we are supposed (conditioned) to behave. In this stage, we affirm life, but by doing and believing stuff that does not spring from our own will.

Nietzsche's metamorphoses of the spirit
Nietzsche explains the three transformations that our spirit can undergo

When the camel gets tired of bearing all the weight, he rebels. He no longer wants to do what others tell him to do: his spirit screams for authenticity. Annoyed with the values that are subscribed to him, he becomes contumacious:a lion. In this stage, we fight the world and all its rules. We say a firm “no” to the moral, making it a stage that negates, characterized by its rebelliousness and ferocity. Perhaps, now, life is no longer heavy, but rather a problem that needs to be kept at bay or fought against.

Once we get tired of being gruff; when we see that there is no point rejecting everything, the final moment of this metamorphosis comes – it’s glorious and super fun! The child. This transcends the former stages as we no longer think in terms of whether what we are doing is morally correct or incorrect, or is imposed or comes from within.

Our actions have now acquired a very distinct characteristic: we do what we want because we want it! Like a child on a playground who has genuine fun not because he is told to (camel) or because he doesn’t want to do what he is told to do (lion) but because he finds a great deal of joy in doing it.

The things that have to get done are no longer heavy nor something that we have to fight against, the categories proper-improper, correct-incorrect dissolve and we are left with a delightful game. The world turns into music, and we no longer walk or talk, but rather dance and sing. There is nowhere to get to or nothing to be attained, for you are already there and having everything that you could ever need.

Our actions no longer need justification, they are all grounded in what we want to do, just by the mere fact that we want to do them! We need not make logical arguments or rank it in terms of how proper it is, there is just an unfolding delight.

The video below is a short film on Nietzsche’s Metamorphoses of the Spirit –

There is a Zen story that I think exemplifies very well to be in a state that goes beyond the moral dichotomy-

A senior and junior monk were walking down a path until they encountered a river that had a strong current. There they saw a young and beautiful woman who wanted to cross but was not able to. Upon seeing this, the senior monk offered to carry her on his shoulder, and he eventually did. Gently he dropped her on the other side and said good and parted ways. The junior monk was furious!

Many hours pass until the junior monk, not being able to withhold his anger, said to him: “As monks we are not supposed to touch women, how could, let alone touch her, but carry her?!!”-The senior monk replied: “As for me, I left the woman hours ago by the river but you seem to be carrying her still.”

There is thus a strong emphasis that Nietzsche, among other thinkers and tradition, puts on overcoming the mind, or what he calls our Apollonian side (name taken from the ancient Greek god of the sun – representing reason), for it cannot even come close to grasping the depth and marvel of our emotions, creativity and ultimately our own will: our Dionysian side (name taken from the ancient Greek god of wine – representing the extemporaneous manifestation of our being).

time

It is a loving passion and not reason that should govern us. Too many thoughts can weaken our potential; its like caging a wild bird, limiting all its possibilities of living, by confining it to a small place.

But if we have to make choices to use our head in important life-changing decisions or even, to try and find criteria by which we could discern which path to follow, there is a powerful experiment that Nietzsche puts forward: the endless return.

If you were to live your life, over and over, again and again for the rest of eternity, what would you do here and now, in order to find this very moment be worth living for an eternity?

Nietzsche says: love your fate that you construct! Embrace every part of it! Be bold and fearless! Turn yourselves into someone who could face eternity and shout to it: I am this and I love the life that I am living!

So, to summarize, how can we strengthen our spirit? Be innocent and forgetful like a child: do not let your mind cage your spirit and make decisions that could withstand being done over and over for an eternity.

Image Source

Painting of Friedrich Nietzsche
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5 Meaningful Methods of Meditation

Gary Z McGee
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23
5 Meaningful Methods of Meditation

In my last article, A Layman’s Guide to Mindful Meditation, we discussed the “why” of meditation. In this article we will discuss the “how.” There’s a myriad of methods for meditation. Some are easy and some are difficult.

All require daily practice to perfect. Here are five of the most popular methods of meditation and what they each bring to the Meditation Table. Here’s why you should mix them for maximum mindfulness.

Methods of Meditation

Mindfulness, or Spiritual Method:

A most popular method comes from Buddhist meditation practice of Vipassana. It’s all about practicing detachment from each thought and being centered in the “here and now.” It focuses on situational awareness and “in the moment” presence. There is also a focus on communion with the cosmos, which can translate to prayer, but not necessarily. The best way to commune with the universe is to ask questions as opposed to seeking answers. In the mindfulness method, answers are mere side-effects of good questioning.

How to: One can practice mindfulness in any position, even lying down. The key is presence with the present moment, and clear and concise communion with the cosmos.

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

Zen or Zazen Method:

Also from the Buddhist tradition, this method is all about simply sitting. It is often done for long periods of time. Its focus is mostly on posture and spine alignment with minimal focus on breathing techniques. It is the most monastic of all the methods and is therefore difficult to make progress in. Most monks practice this method while concentrating on a Zen koan or spiritual parable.

How to: The most effective positioning of the body for the practice of Zazen is the stable, symmetrical position of the seated Buddha. Keeping the back straight and centered, pretend a silver thread is pulled taut through your spine and up through your head, connecting to the ceiling.

Kundalini or Transcendental Method:

This method comes from the Vedanta Hinduism tradition and ties into different forms of Yoga practices. It focuses more on breathing patterns than the previous methods, using the power of breathing to launch one into a higher sense of self, or even a transformation of self. The electromagnetic field created by the human body is akin to the electromagnetic field created by the Earth.

Transcendental method is all about tapping into the stream of energy naturally created by the relationship between the human body’s energy chakras with the environment’s energy vortexes. The main focus of this method is to ride this rising stream into infinity, to learn what needs to be learned, and then to return to the finite realms with new-knowledge in tow.

How to: Breathing is primary. Positioning is secondary. Relax your body, take three deep breaths; then proceed to take deep breaths and hold them for at least ten seconds each. This allows for the oxygen to cleanse the chakras and then release toxins through exhalation, while increasing kundalini energy.

Qigong Method or Movement Method:

This method comes from the Taoist tradition. It is all about hyper-focus on breathing techniques and/or bodily movements to cultivate and maintain life energy. This is the most philosophical of the methods, deriving most of its techniques from martial arts and meditative healing methods.

It focuses on moving Qi (life force) through the body through focused breathing, mental techniques, and precise movements. This method is all about the balance and equilibrium of both inner and outer forces.

How to: No matter what Qi exercise you’re doing, imagine the Qi moving through your body as you breathe in an out. As you inhale through your nose, imagine the Qi moving through your body and down to your Lower Dantian, or naval area. As you exhale through your mouth imagine the Qi moving through the rest of your body. Repeat.

Drumming and/or Om Method:

This may be the oldest form of meditation known to humanity. The drumming method is typically used by native and aboriginal cultures, and is generally shamanic in nature. The Om method is traditionally from Vedanta Hinduism, though the sound itself is fairly universal to mankind. These methods focus on breathing and heart rhythm in accordance with, or even dissonance with, the sound and feel of the percussion or mantra.

The heart beat itself is a drum. Breathing is a drum beat that we can control. These two methods are all about transformation through vibration and the awareness of cosmic frequencies. Shamans often use drum meditation to cross physical, mental, and spiritual thresholds. It’s a bridge that carries them to a higher sense of self in accordance with the greater cosmos.

How to: Create a sacred place. Clear your mind. Breathe with intent. If you’re the drummer, infuse your intention into the drum before drumming. Begin playing or listening to the drum. Give yourself a few minutes to fall into rhythm with the beat. Fade your drumming into silence, feeling your body’s response to the beat, then return to the drum. Repeat with clear intent.

There you have it: a minor helping of meditative methods. Each have specific techniques, but they all overlap in various ways. One of the keys to becoming a meditative master is to use all the methods to your advantage, while also allowing for personal creativity by giving your meditation a signature as unique as your own fingerprint.

Remember: the heartbeat that sustains your life is acting on the same frequency that sustains the universe. The heart with which you feel God is the same heart with which God feels you. May the Om be with you.

Image Source ~

Spiritual Energy Unleashed

Understanding the Ego and the Self

Juan Pablo Hern
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16
Understanding the Ego and the Self

The etymology of the word ego is simply “I” in Latin. It was used by Latin speakers in the very same way that we use the first person singular nominative case personal pronoun in modern English, which is “I”.

In present day, we use the word “ego” to make a specific distinction; for example when we wish to address an inflated sense of self-worth, but also to refer to our identity that we have built around ourselves.

But what, actually is the “ego”, and what is its relationship with what we call “self”? Understanding the Ego and the Self

“The ego represents what may be called reason and common sense, in contrast to the id, which contains the passions.” ~ Sigmund Freud 

understanding the ego

We can say that the ego is fundamentally a construct. It is made of parts just like a building is made up of concrete and, our ego is made up of our dreams and fears, aspirations, memories and so on. Let’s take a quick look into what the traditions of the West and East say on the subject.

For Freud, the Ego is part of a psyche’s apparatus that mediates between our basic human instincts (ID) and the moral that is socially upheld as desirable (Super Ego – The super ego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society – our sense of right and wrong.)

The latter two elements of our psyche are in mutual contradiction and it is the job of the Ego to ‘unify’ these contradictory aspects. The result of this synthesis is something that is –apparently– stable and coherent, even though it is under a lot of pressure and always under construction.

The iceberg metaphor is usually employed to exemplify the mechanics and visibility of these forces: the Ego is the tip, the visible part, which is only there because it’s supported by another deeper and less accessible mass of ice.

Buddhism Understanding of the Ego

According to the Buddhists, nothing possesses an underlying reality. One of the most common (and normal) aberrations of our mind is to think in terms of identities. The concept of Anatta or no-self is very clear on this: there is nothing that has a substance, they are all aggregates. The same happens with our ego: it is illusory to think that it exists. The Story of Nagasena and the Chariot is often told to explain this further:

quote on ego

In this story, a king named Milinda asked a Buddhist wise man called Nagasena to explain the idea of anatta, or ‘no self’. Nagasena points to the king’s chariot. The king agrees that the axel is not the chariot, and nor are the wheels, frame, or harness. What the king thinks of as a ‘chariot’ is made of several different objects. There is no chariot above and beyond this combination. Likewise, the ‘self’ is made up of several separate and changing elements, and there is no single entity called a ‘self’.

The same is valid for the ego: there is no such thing. What we are is a constant flow of sensations and thoughts and to identify ourselves with any of these is to create an attachment to an illusion which ultimately leads to suffering.

There are equivalent thoughts in Western philosophy by thinkers such as John Locke, Heraclitus, and David Hume which can be likened to the ‘bundle theory of the self’ and to the Theseus Ship Paradox which is just different ways of putting what the Buddhists are saying.

Hinduism Understanding of the Ego

For Hinduism on the other hand, there is such thing as a Self and it is called Atman. It is what we find when we peel away all the illusory layers of the mind (where the Ego lies). It is equal to that of the impersonal Absolute (Brahman) – like a spark of the sun (they are both fire). Again, there is an emphasis on self-knowledge, for it is through it that we can pierce the veil of illusion and see our true nature.

“knowing others is wisdom. Knowing the self is enlightenment”. ~ Lao Tzu

Many traditions highly value this kind of knowledge and see it as a pathway to happiness. It is essential to remain aware of our Ego, recognizing that it is a construct that can be redefined and molded according to our desires. If possessing an ego is unavoidable, we should strive to shape it to serve our purposes, viewing it as a tool rather than allowing it to dominate us.

“[the] ego is a social institution with no physical reality. The ego is simply your symbol of yourself. Just as the word “water” is a noise that symbolizes a certain liquid without being it, so too the idea of ego symbolizes the role you play, who you are, but it is not the same as your living organism.” ~ Alan Watts

In the video below Alan Watts delves deeper into Understanding the Ego and the illusion of it all –

Understanding this concept and remaining receptive to the evolution of our self-perception can bring dynamism and growth within our existence: It is beneficial to not take oneself too seriously, as a rigid identification with the Self can lead to stagnation. On the other hand, engaging in self-discovery and laughing at oneself facilitate the journey toward self-realization.

Watts explained, “…man’s un-happiness is rooted in the feeling of anxiety which attends his sense of being an isolated individual or ego, separate from “life” or “reality” as a whole. On the other hand, happiness – a sense of harmony, completion, and wholeness – comes with the realization that the feeling of isolation is an illusion”

You can complement with the 4 signs that your Ego is dissolving, or has spirituality become a part of your ego, or perhaps, practice presence and mindfulness to detach from the ego and its pettiness.

Resources:

Is Your Ego Your Servant or Your Master?

Understanding the Ego

Shinrin-Yoku: Walk in the Forest to Heal Oneself

Bhavika
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12
Shinrin-Yoku: Walk in the Forest to Heal Oneself

I have always been a nature lover, who appreciates spending time outdoors and soaking in the positive energy of the green surroundings. There is a popular practice in Japan called ‘Shinrin-yoku’ which means ‘taking in the forest atmosphere’ also known as ‘forest bathing‘.

Shinrin-yoku
Shinrin-yoku, a popular practice in Japan, which means ‘taking in the forest atmosphere’ or ‘forest bathing’. It has shown to improve mental and physical health

Spending time in nature is healing energy for the mind, body and soul. The idea with Shinrin-yoku, a term coined by the government in 1982 but inspired by ancient Shinto and Buddhist practices, is to let nature enter your body through all five senses, and feel at one with the forest. It is about being mindful of your surroundings and the experience.

It’s not about extreme outdoor sports or being alone in the wilderness, but about allowing your body and mind to unwind in the midst of nature, similar to natural aromatherapy.

Ancient wisdom and tribes, who live in harmony with nature, have advocated this for long, and only in recent years there have been studies carried out to prove the health benefits of forest bathing.

Researchers have shown that forest bathing can significantly lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, along with lower blood sugar, blood pressure and heart rate, reduces depression and anger.

Other research points out that walking in the woods can boost the body’s immune system by increasing anti-cancer proteins and enhancing the so-called natural killer activity of certain cells.

Humans have evolved from nature, that’s our home, and is one of the reason why we are so comfortable in it, even though many wouldn’t realise that. Lets go through some of the studies conducted to validate these claims, long known to man –

Reduced Stress levels

One study conducted by Yoshifumi Miyazaki from the University of Chiba, on 260 people at 24 sites in 2005 and 2006 found that the average concentration of salivary cortisol, a stress hormone, in people who gazed on forest scenery for 20 minutes was 13.4 percent lower than that of people in urban settings

forest-bathing-health-benefits

Miyazaki has taken more than 600 subjects into the woods since 2004. He and his colleague Juyoung Lee, also of Chiba University, have found that leisurely forest walks, compared with urban walks, show a 12.4 percent decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, a seven percent decrease in sympathetic nerve activity, a 1.4 percent decrease in blood pressure, and a 5.8 percent decrease in heart rate.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

In a controlled study by University of Illinois, 17 children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were exposed to different environments.

They found that children experienced substantially improved concentration after a 20-minute walk in a city park as compared to a 20-minute walk in downtown or residential settings. The researchers concluded the positive results were comparable to the effects of Ritalin.

Creativity

A pilot study by psychologists Paul and Ruth Ann Atchley of the University of Kansas and David Strayer of the University of Utah found that after three days of hiking and camping in the wilderness, participants in an Outward Bound course improved their scores on tests of creativity by 50 percent.

Increases Natural killer cells

Natural killer (NK) cells are a type of white blood cells that plays an important role in defense against bacteria, viruses and tumors. With aging, high stress levels, and pesticides, the NK count can reduce.

The video below shows more about shinrin-yoku science, forest bathing practice in Japan and its effect on the human health –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUfbMIGcxkM
In 2005 and 2006, Qing Li from the Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, brought a group of middle-aged businessmen into the woods to hike for three days. By the end, blood tests showed that their NK cells had increased 40 percent. A month later, their NK count was still 15 percent higher than when they started. But when the same people walked in the city, their NK levels didn’t change.

One of the theories as to why ‘Shinrin-yoku’ or forest therapy works is that trees give off scents of volatile oils, known as phytoncides have proven to increase the activity and efficiency of NK cells.

Lowers Blood Sugar

Albert-Einstein-Look-deep-into-nature,-and-then-you-will-understand-everything-better

Forest bathing may also help control blood sugar. A Japanese study followed 87 adults diagnosed with type-2 diabetes for six years. They walked in the forest nine times in this period for 3 or 6 kilometers (1.9 or 3.7 miles), depending on their physical ability.

At the end of the study, researchers found that the forest walkers had lower blood sugar, improved insulin sensitivity, and decreased levels of hemoglobin A1c.

Any form of exercise can help improve blood sugar regulation in people with diabetes. When you consider that the frequency of the walks (only nine times in six years) and the fact that blood sugar levels were significantly decreased but not really different between those who walked the long and short distance, researchers concluded that factors, apart from exercise, also led to the positive long-term results, including changes in hormonal secretion and nervous system function associated with blood sugar metabolism.

Regularly walking in the forest also leads to ~

Increased flow of energy
Deeper and clearer intuition
Increased capacity to communicate with the land and its species
Increased flow of prana/life force
Deepening of friendships
Overall increase in sense of happiness

It is such a simple process, just walk in the forest, listen to the sounds of the birds chirping, meandering streams, absorb the greenery around you and the aromas of the forest. Its only when we disconnect from nature, do we face health issues and illnesses. Biologist E.O. Wilson coined the term ‘biophilia‘, which means ‘love of life or living systems’ describes this innate human need.

If you are leading a busy life or staying in the city, take time off and reconnect with nature, visit a park at least few times a week, or wander in the woods. I remembered a quote I read by Frank Lloyd Wright, “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”

References:

The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku

Forest Bathing in Japan

Benefits of Forest therapy

Image source:

Michael Hanson – Olympic National Park, Washington

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