A thundershower brings great relief from the scorching heat of the sun. The pitter-patter of raindrops falling fills the air with its rhythm. The sun, storehouse of energy, ceases to be our favourite for a while. A few days of clouds, rain, thunderstorm and showers are enjoyed by all. Very soon, however, we eagerly look forward to sunlight as the dull weather brings down our energy levels.
It’s the balance of energies in the cosmos that keeps us on our feet. We absorb these energies in the form of prana, the life force, and reach it to the various organs for them to work in unison. So our absorbing the energies from the cosmos keeps us physically alive. Any imbalance affects mental and physical health.
By learning to balancing these energies, we could derive maximum benefit from what is available to us in forms of vibrations in nature. A blend of these sounds and vibrations activates the chakras, the main energy centres in our body, thereby bringing about complete health and harmony between the cosmic vibrations and our chakras.
Chakra literally means a wheel or circle. In the human body energy flows through three main channels or nadis, namely sushumna, pingala and ida. Pingala and ida start from the right and the left nostrils respectively. These move to the crown of the head and then course downwards to the base of the spine. These two nadis intersect each other and also with sushumna. These junctions of the nadis are called chakras which regulate the body mechanism.
The ‘Kundalini Pranayam’ performed regularly energises and balances the chakras. Each major chakra has a sound to activate the energy of that particular area and open itself to receive maximum benefit from cosmic energies:
1. Mooladhara chakra: Moola or root is the adhara or source of support. From here, prana reaches energies to every nook and corner of the body. It is situated in the pelvis. Colour: red, sound vibration: ‘lam’.
2. Swadhishthana chakra: This controls the functions of reproductive and excretory organs. Sva signifies the vital force and adhishthana means abode. It is situated above the organs of generation. Colour: saffron, sound: ‘vam’.
3. Manipura chakra: Situated in the navel region, this chakra controls every organ below the diaphragm and helps to increase digestion and assimilation to maintain perfect health. Colour: red, sound: ‘ram’.
4. Anahata chakra: Anahata means the unbeaten. Situated in the cardiac area this improves heart and lung function. Colour: green, sound: ‘yam’.
5. Vishuddhi chakra: This signifies purity and enables all the glands to function to their optimum and maintains perfect hormone balance. Colour: violet, sound: ‘ham’.
6. Ajna chakra: Ajna means command. Situated between the eyebrows, this chakra is vital in stimulating the pituitary gland and slowing down the ageing process. It has the shape of the crescent moon. Colour: silver-white, sound: ‘om’.
7. Sahasrara chakra: Sahasra means one thousand. This works towards mind and body balance and promotes total health. Colour: rising sun, sound: ‘mmmmm’.
Taking the most comfortable position, close your eyes and visualise each chakra and its colour as you inhale and chant the particular sound as you exhale. Regular practice of ‘Kundalini Pranayama’ brings about complete harmony in the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual energies, thus keeping oneself in tune with cosmic energies.