Last 3 days the meditations have been deeper. No matter how deep you go, you can always go deeper! 2 days ago, my meditation was so deep that all that was left was an awareness of a mass of energy. I suspect that this is the “siddhapitha” one of the places between Agna chakra and Sahastrar. The next day I was not able to go so deep but what was left was consciousness but shakti or energy was not experienced. Todays meditation was different. It was as if finally shakti was working on Vishudha chakra and turning it upwards. I had asked Gurudev where is the Jeeva or soul located. This has NOT been clearly described in the literature. His answer unequivocably was Vishudha chakra. I accepted but today I was able to experience it.
Paramhansa Yogananda had said, if a disciple experiences pure soul, he is on the verge of liberation. (ref God talks with Arjuna). The person who can experience this chakra can clearly understand what Ramana Maharshi meant when he said, “There are only 2 choices – to look within or look outside” Until now, my understanding of the choice was a choice of the mind but that is not true. He was referring to something much higher. The choice is the choice of the soul. Not the choice of the intellect or desire or the emotions or even ego. When the soul decides to look within and above, the Vishudha chakra turns upwards and the prana from the body starts climbinb up. Otherwise, the soul looks downwards and outwards and remains entangled in the worldly matters through the representative ego at the anahata chakra and subsequently builds up emotions and desires and then a fake intelligence to support the ego and emotions. This downward trend started from ego at anahata chakra, emotions or chitta (which includes memories) at manipura chakra and intelligence at swadhisthan chakra. Confirmation of my words is supported by Paramhansa Yogananda in God talks with Arjuna and also from my personal experience.
Thus with the soul wishing to look within, the Vishudha chakra turns upwards, the prana from the body begins to withdraw and then soars above to agna chakra. A very nice description of the prana moving between Anahata chakra and agna chakra is given in Mahayoga vigyan by Yogendra vigyani. I re read it all today and even sentences which I did not understand became clear. It is only when our prana goes to this level, does the disciple begin to have some degree of control over prana and mastery over nature only comes when it is perfected and can be taken to Agna chakra.
Paramhansa Yogananda has said that there are 3 stopping places.
1) Muladhara. Here the disciple is caught between the outward sounds including bodily sounds and the desire to go within.
2) Anahta chakra . This is the second stopping place.
3) Agna chakra. The description I have given is between Agna chakra and Anahata chakra.
Hope this helps someone who is walking the path and wants a clear and concise description of it.
For a Yogi, true pratyahar, the literal meaning being prati which means towards and ahar is meals – is withdrawaing of the prana from the limbs and to make it ascend.
This part is now natural and automatic – occurs when I look above with my eyes.
One more thing, the experience of consciousness is and should be complete. The spiritual eye can simultaneously experience matther, the inner world and the prana. This has been written by Yogananda Maharaja also.
I will end this blog which can summarize this part of the ascent to the divine. “”To make changes in this world and in ones destiny or the destiny of others around you, one must not think of change, nor should one desire the change nor should one imagine the change. All you have to do is will the change without thinking, desiring or imagining the change!”
Bhavin