La práctica espiritual

Hay persona que identifican una práctica espiritual con un ambiente exótico y extraño a la gente, cuando esa parte interna de nuestro ser nos acompaña des del nacimiento y lo que revela es una visión mucho más enfocada y definida de la realidad que rodea nuestra vida cotidiana. No es algo que se pueda practicar una o dos veces por semana o pueda pretenderse aprender, porque es algo innato en el alma humana que eventualmente se puede manifestar en las persona que están cultivando ese aspecto. No es una cuestión de buscar algo insólito y confuso, sino más bien entrar en un eje de extrema realidad y comprensión. Por lo cual la practica espiritual no se puede definir por el ambiente externo y el decorado, sino por la intención con la que uno mismo  en su interior la desarrolla.
Es como si alguien cocina como un acto de amor o lo hace solamente para preparar algo para alimentarse, es la intención lo que define el acto.

Chakras: Energy Vortices from the book prana and pranayama 3/3

Vishuddhi chakra
Vishuddhi is the purification centre and is known as the fountain of youth. According to tantric philosophy, amrita or the nectar of life falls down from bindu into this chakra, generating vitality, health and longevity. In the yogic texts it is stated that with the awakening of this centre all diseased
states can be reversed, and even an old person can become young once again.
When vishuddhi is activated cool, sweet drops of nectar drip down into the throat, causing a feeling of blissful intoxication. The ability to neutralize poison, both internally and externally, is also associated with vishuddhi. At this level all the poisonous and negative experiences of life can be absorbed and transformed into a state of bliss.
Vishuddhi is associated with vijnanamaya kosha and initiates higher mental development. It is the centre for receiving sound vibrations and acts like a transistor radio, allowing one to tune into the thoughts of others, whether close by or far away. When vishuddhi is purified, the sense of hearing becomes very sharp, not only through the ears, but through the mind.
Vishuddhi is located behind the throat pit in the spine and is associated with the thyroid gland. The element is ether or akasha. By meditating on vishuddhi, the mind becomes free of thought, pure and empty, like space. Vishuddhi is seen as a violet lotus with sixteen petals. Its bija mantra is Ham.
Ajna chakra
Ajna literally means 'command' and is the monitoring centre, also known as the guru chakra. It is the point of confluence where the three main nadis, energy channels: ida, pingala and sushumna, merge into one stream of consciousness and flow up to sahasrara. During deep meditation, when all the senses have been withdrawn and one enters into the dimension of shoonya, or void, guru or the higher consciousness guides the aspirant from ajna to sahasrara by issuing commands through this centre.
Ajna is the centre of mind and represents a higher level of awareness. It is also known as the eye of Shiva, the third eye or the eye of intuition, which gazes inward rather than outward. It is often called divya chakshu, the divine eye, or jnana chakshu, the eye of wisdom, because the spiritual aspirant receives revelation and insight into the underlying nature of

existence through this centre. Ajna is the doorway through which one enters the psychic or astral dimension. When this centre is developed one acquires psychic powers. Direct mind-to-mind communication takes place at this level.
At ajna lies the rudra granthi, the knot of Shiva. This knot is symbolic of attachment to the psychic personality and to the siddhis which accompany the awakening of ajna chakra. It effectively blocks one's spiritual evolution until attach-ment to psychic phenomena is overcome and the knot is freed. The trigger point for ajna is located at the eyebrow centre. It is known as bhrumadhya and is an important focal point for the practice of meditation, concentration and visualization.
The development of ajna is very important for success in pranic science. Prana can never be experienced in the form of light unless ajna is developed to some extent. The vision of light is usually seen first at ajna or bhrumadhya, or in chidakasha, the space of consciousness, which is directly associated with ajna. In the practice of prana vidya, ajna acts as the control centre for the distribution of prana. If the vision of light at ajna is well developed, one will have no difficulty in visualizing the raising of prana and its movement throughout the body. Otherwise, the imagination must be used until the actual experience develops.
Ajna is associated with vijnanamaya kosha. It is located at the top of the spinal cord in the mid-brain and corresponds to the pineal gland. The tattwa or element is mind. This is the point where the mind changes from gross to subde, from outward to inward. Ajna is represented by a silver lotus with two petals. The bija mantra is Om.
Bindu
Bindu means 'point'. It is the point of creation where oneness first divides into multiplicity, the ultimate point from which all things manifest and into which all things return. Within bindu is contained the evolutionary potential for the myriad objects of the universe, the blueprint for creation. Bindu is

the gateway to shoonya. It is located at the top back of the head, at the point where Hindu brahmins keep a tuft of hair called shikha.
Bindu is represented by a crescent moon and a drop of white nectar. The tantric texts describe a small depression or pit within the higher centres of the brain which contains a minute secretion of fluid. In the centre of that tiny secretion is a small point of elevation, like an island in the middle of a lake. In the psycho-physiological framework, this tiny point is considered to be bindu.
The moon at bindu produces amrita, the life-giving nectar, and the sun at manipura consumes it. This means that during the course of life, the drop of nectar produced at bindu falls down to manipura, where it is consumed by the fire element. Due to this process one suffers from the three ailments of vyadhi, disease, jara, old age; and mrityu, death. Yoga and tantra employ techniques by which one is able to reverse this process, so that the amrita is retained at vishuddhi, or sent back up from manipura to vishuddhi, and then to bindu. In this way perfected yogis have experienced immortality.
The first manifestation of creation was nada or sound, and bindu is also the point where the original nada emanates. Bindu is associated with anandamaya kosha. When bindu is awakened, the transcendental sound of Om is heard. Bindu is very important in prana vidya and in many higher yogas.
Sahasrara
Sahasrara is the seat of supreme consciousness, located at the crown of the head. Actually it is not a psychic centre at all, because it is beyond the realm of the psyche. Sahasrara is the totality, the absolute, the highest point of human evolu-tion, which results from the merging of cosmic consciousness with cosmic prana. The experience of cosmic prana is the aim of the science of prana. Once mahaprana is experienced, one no longer needs to practise techniques. Transmission of energy will take place spontaneously with a thought, gesture, word or look.

Sahasrara is the master key that controls the awakening of all the chakras from mooladhara to ajna. The chakras are only switches; their potential power lies in sahasrara. When the kundalini shakti reaches sahasrara, self-realization or samadhi dawns. At this point, individual consciousness dies and universal consciousness is born. Sahasrara is infinite in dimension, like a huge radiant dome. It is visualized as a thousand-petalled lotus, unfolding from the crown of the head in all directions into eternity. Sahasrara is associated with anandamaya kosha.

Chakras: Energy Vortices from the book prana and pranayama 2/3

Swadhisthana chakra
Swadhisthana means 'one's own abode'. It is located at the coccyx, very near to mooladhara, and is also responsible for the awakening of prana shakti. This centre is the storehouse of all the latent samskaras and impressions, which are considered to be the substrata of individual existence. Therefore, it forms a karmic block, making it difficult for the awakened prana to pass through this area.
In psychological terms, swadhisthana is associated with the subconscious mind and is responsible for drowsiness and sleep. It is also related with the reproductive organs and the sense of taste. The desire for pleasure, especially in the form of food and sex, increases when this centre is activated. These desires can become an obstacle to the awakening of prana at this level. In order to pass through this centre one needs to develop willpower.
In relation to the three gunas, or qualities of nature, mooladhara and swadhisthana are predominantly influenced by tamas or lethargy, dullness and ignorance. Swadhisthana is associated with pranamaya kosha and the water element. It is represented by a lotus flower with six vermilion petals. The bija mantra for this centre is Vam.
Manipura chakra
Manipura literally means 'the city of jewels'. Located behind the navel in the spine, its development is very important for success in the pranic science, as it is the storehouse of prana. This centre is associated with heat, vitality, dynamism, generation and preservation. Manipura is often compared with the dazzling orb of the sun, without which there would be no life. As the sun radiates light and energy, so manipura radiates and distributes pranic energy throughout the body, regulating and fuelling life's processes.
Manipura is predominantly influenced by rajas - activity, dynamism, strength and will. This centre is associated with pranamaya kosha and its element is fire. It is represented by a bright yellow lotus with ten petals. Its bija mantra is Ram.

Anahata chakra
Anahata means 'unstruck' or 'unbeaten'. It is the seat of anahad nada, the cosmic sound, which is experienced only in the highest state of meditation. This sound is unstruck, because it is not caused by any external form of friction nor can it be heard by the ears, mind or psyche. It is transcen-dental sound, which can only be perceived by the pure consciousness.
Anahata is the heart centre and is responsible for the awakening of refined emotions. The person with a developed anahata is generally very sensitive to the feelings of others. This centre relates to the sense of touch and its awakening bestows the power to heal others either by touch or by radiating energy. Many people who perform miraculous healing do so through the agency of anahata.
The heart centre is the seat of divine love. It is here that emotion is channelled into devotion. Vishnu granthi, the second psychic knot, representing the bondage of emotional attachment, is located here. When this knot is opened, one becomes free of all selfish, egoistic and emotional attachment, and attains mental and emotional control, equilibrium and peace.
Anahata is associated with manomaya kosha, the mind and emotions. At this level one becomes free of fate and takes control of one's destiny. Hence, the symbol of kalpataru, the wish-fulfilling tree, is also found at this centre. When this tree starts to fructify, whatever one thinks or wishes for comes true. Anahata is located behind the heart in the spine. Its element is air and it is represented by a blue lotus with twelve petals. The bija mantra is Yam.