in energy channel is a nerve (called sushumna) lying within the spinal column. Although the locations of the chakras have a rough correspondence with the major plexuses they are not physiological entities and exist only as parts of the subtle body just like the mind. The word chakra means wheel which in its dynamic state is in circular motion radiating energy outwards. There are seven of these providing energy to and controlling different parts of the gross body.

The first and the lowest is called muladhar chakra, it is located at the base of the spine just above the anus and coincides with the sacral plexus. Mooladhar means the main base and it is here that the latent divine energy called kundalini resides slumbering like a coiled snake. Whe

Meditation and exercises are meant to keep a person healthy and are primarily preventive measures. People have used them in every age in every society. Exercises are more familiar and have now become an integral part of a healthy life style. The advances in technology have made different types of exercises more convenient and easily accessible to meet the varying needs of people in different walks of life. Meditation on the other hand is not as common largely because it deals with the body at a different level. For this reason technology has not had any impact on it; science has not made enough progress to deal effectively with the body beyond the physiological level. But meditation can be as effective as exercises. As with exercises meditation can be practiced at different levels. An athlete preparing for a competition does exercises with a different degree of intensity compared to a person whose aim is to keep in normal health. Similarly a person does meditation following different techniques depending on the goal he is pursuing. There are some exercises which are an aid to meditation and at some point these exercises blend with meditation. It is this blending that makes the two effective in preventing and curing physiological disorders.

We are all familiar with physical therapy as a part of modern medical practice; it involves physical exercises. Meditation becomes effective as a therapy much the same way but it brings in the mind to act on the body in order to resolve the physiological problems; meditation exercises the mind and then the mind exercises the body. Different forms of meditation use different techniques but the basic premise of meditation therapy is the same - using the power of the mind to heal the body.

The meditation technique and the exercises described here are those that I have practiced for years. This is by no means an attempt to teach meditation or yoga exercises; it is simply a description of my own experiences in normal daily life in which bodily afflictions are inevitable occurrences and the daily practices have to be modified to meet new requirements. The techniques are described in as simple terms as possible although some key terms are introduced to cover the basic concepts. It is neither possible nor desirable here to go into the details of either the meditation technique or the exercises, since the purpose of the book is to give an account of my experience in dealing with physical disorders. But I do believe that they have played a significant part in the cure and an overview of the techniques may provide a better understanding of their therapeutic role.

Meditation. Meditation means different things to different people both in terms of the process and the goal. However, in general meditation involves the interaction of the mind with the subtle body, and through it, with the gross body. There are several meditation techniques, the one discussed here is based on the Kundalini yoga system. According to this system there are seven major energy centers called chakras in the body, they are located along the spinal column and provide the life sustaining energy to the body. The main energy channel is a nerve (called sushumna) lying within the spinal column. Although the locations of the chakras have a rough correspondence with the major plexuses they are not physiological entities and exist only as parts of the subtle body just like the mind. The word chakra means wheel which in its dynamic state is in circular motion radiating energy outwards. There are seven of these providing energy to and controlling different parts of the gross body.

The first and the lowest is called muladhar chakra, it is located at the base of the spine just above the anus and coincides with the sacral plexus. Mooladhar means the main base and it is here that the latent divine energy called kundalini resides slumbering like a coiled snake. When

athlete preparing for a competition does exercises with a different degree of intensity compared to a person whose aim is to keep in normal health. Similarly a person does meditation following different techniques depending on the goal he is pursuing. There are some exercises which are an aid to meditation and at some point these exercises blend with meditation. It is this blending that makes the two effective in preventing and curing physiological disorders.

We are all familiar with physical therapy as a part of modern medical practice; it involves physical exercises. Meditation becomes effective as a therapy much the same way but it brings in the mind to act on the body in order to resolve the physiological problems; meditation exercises the mind and then the mind exercises the body. Different forms of meditation use different techniques but the basic premise of meditation therapy is the same - using the power of the mind to heal the body.

The meditation technique and the exercises described here are those that I have practiced for years. This is by no means an attempt to teach meditation or yoga exercises; it is simply a description of my own experiences in normal daily life in which bodily afflictions are inevitable occurrences and the daily practices have to be modified to meet new requirements. The techniques are described in as simple terms as possible although some key terms are introduced to cover the basic concepts. It is neither possible nor desirable here to go into the details of either the meditation technique or the exercises, since the purpose of the book is to give an account of my experience in dealing with physical disorders. But I do believe that they have played a significant part in the cure and an overview of the techniques may provide a better understanding of their therapeutic role.

Meditation. Meditation means different things to different people both in terms of the process and the goal. However, in general meditation involves the interaction of the mind with the subtle body, and through it, with the gross body. There are several meditation techniques, the one discussed here is based on the Kundalini yoga system. According to this system there are seven major energy centers called chakras in the body, they are located along the spinal column and provide the life sustaining energy to the body. The main energy channel is a nerve (called sushumna) lying within the spinal column. Although the locations of the chakras have a rough correspondence with the major plexuses they are not physiological entities and exist only as parts of the subtle body just like the mind. The word chakra means wheel which in its dynamic state is in circular motion radiating energy outwards. There are seven of these providing energy to and controlling different parts of the gross body.

The first and the lowest is called muladhar chakra, it is located at the base of the spine just above the anus and coincides with the sacral plexus. Mooladhar means the main base and it is here that the latent divine energy called kundalini resides slumbering like a coiled snake. Whe

y. Different forms of meditation use different techniques but the basic premise of meditation therapy is the same - using the power of the mind to heal the body.

The meditation technique and the exercises described here are those that I have practiced for years. This is by no means an attempt to teach meditation or yoga exercises; it is simply a description of my own experiences in normal daily life in which bodily afflictions are inevitable occurrences and the daily practices have to be modified to meet new requirements. The techniques are described in as simple terms as possible although some key terms are introduced to cover the basic concepts. It is neither possible nor desirable here to go into the details of either the meditation technique or the exercises, since the purpose of the book is to give an account of my experience in dealing with physical disorders. But I do believe that they have played a significant part in the cure and an overview of the techniques may provide a better understanding of their therapeutic role.

Meditation. Meditation means different things to different people both in terms of the process and the goal. However, in general meditation involves the interaction of the mind with the subtle body, and through it, with the gross body. There are several meditation techniques, the one discussed here is based on the Kundalini yoga system. According to this system there are seven major energy centers called chakras in the body, they are located along the spinal column and provide the life sustaining energy to the body. The main energy channel is a nerve (called sushumna) lying within the spinal column. Although the locations of the chakras have a rough correspondence with the major plexuses they are not physiological entities and exist only as parts of the subtle body just like the mind. The word chakra means wheel which in its dynamic state is in circular motion radiating energy outwards. There are seven of these providing energy to and controlling different parts of the gross body.

The first and the lowest is called muladhar chakra, it is located at the base of the spine just above the anus and coincides with the sacral plexus. Mooladhar means the main base and it is here that the latent divine energy called kundalini resides slumbering like a coiled snake. Whe

the book is to give an account of my experience in dealing with physical disorders. But I do believe that they have played a significant part in the cure and an overview of the techniques may provide a better understanding of their therapeutic role.

Meditation. Meditation means different things to different people both in terms of the process and the goal. However, in general meditation involves the interaction of the mind with the subtle body, and through it, with the gross body. There are several meditation techniques, the one discussed here is based on the Kundalini yoga system. According to this system there are seven major energy centers called chakras in the body, they are located along the spinal column and provide the life sustaining energy to the body. The main energy channel is a nerve (called sushumna) lying within the spinal column. Although the locations of the chakras have a rough correspondence with the major plexuses they are not physiological entities and exist only as parts of the subtle body just like the mind. The word chakra means wheel which in its dynamic state is in circular motion radiating energy outwards. There are seven of these providing energy to and controlling different parts of the gross body.

The first and the lowest is called muladhar chakra, it is located at the base of the spine just above the anus and coincides with the sacral plexus. Mooladhar means the main base and it is here that the latent divine energy called kundalini resides slumbering like a coiled snake. Whe

in energy channel is a nerve (called sushumna) lying within the spinal column. Although the locations of the chakras have a rough correspondence with the major plexuses they are not physiological entities and exist only as parts of the subtle body just like the mind. The word chakra means wheel which in its dynamic state is in circular motion radiating energy outwards. There are seven of these providing energy to and controlling different parts of the gross body.

The first and the lowest is called muladhar chakra, it is located at the base of the spine just above the anus and coincides with the sacral plexus. Mooladhar means the main base and it is here that the latent divine energy called kundalini resides slumbering like a coiled snake. When awakened it rises through the sushumna to the other chakras providing them the energy. This energy center feeds energy to and controls the genitals and the lower parts of the body. The second energy center is svadhisthan chakra, it is located just above the genitals and corresponds to plexus hypogastricus. The word swadhisthan means one’s own abode. From the point of view of gaining immortality through progeny this is the center where a person really exists. It controls the organs of excretion and procreation. The third is called manipur chakra, it is located in the navel region, and corresponds to the solar plexus. Manipur literally means jewel city and this center has a special significance; it is through the navel that the life is sustained before birth and it is here that the vital energy is stored on its downward path from the highest center. This center controls the parts of the body around the navel - lever, stomach, pancreas etc. The fourth center is anahat chakra located in the heart region; the word anahat means that which is not killed and in this sense it is associated with the soul. The physical correspondence of this center is with plexus cardiacus and it controls the heart, the lungs, shoulders and arms. The fifth is vishudha chakra, it is located at the base of the neck and corresponds to plexus larengeus; it controls the neck and the throat. Vishudha means purest of the pure. The sixth energy center is called aagyaa chakra; aagyaa means command and the name simply denotes that this is the command center for the body both gross and subtle. It is located at the top of the spinal column in line with the midpoint between the eyebrows known as trikuti which is often talked of as the chakra itself. The physical correspondence of this center is plexus covernus and it controls the head and the organs therein. The seventh and the highest chakra is sahashrar chakra located at the crown of the head; it corresponds to plexus choroidus. Sahashrar mean thousand petals and is symbolic of the lotus flower that is regarded as the seat of the divine. It is important to remember that all these energy centers lie within the spinal column and the kundalini rises through them elevating the person to the highest state of consciousness.

In the literature of this particular yoga system one often comes across terms such as arising or awakening of the kundalini; these terms refer to its transformation from the dormant to the vibrant state. Many practitioners assert that they have felt distinct sensations during this transformation. However, some people may feel a throbbing sensation just below the skull. It may feel as if some thing is gyrating; sometimes the sensation may be very strong. The only thing I can relate this sensation to is the fact that babies in their first few months have palpitations in this region where the skull is not yet fully formed. But there may be a physiological explanation of this sensation that I am not aware of.

Although the ultimate goal of the practice of kundalini yoga is to att