Sadhguru Explains Your 7 Chakras

7 Chakras: Mystical Dimensions of the Body’s Seven Chakras

Sadhguru tells us about the 7 chakras, which are the major junction points of the nadis in the body, and explore various mystical aspects of these seven fundamental chakras.

Sadhguru: There is too much of “chakra talk” going on everywhere. Especially in the West, wherever you go, there are “wheel alignment centers” where they claim to “align” your seven chakras. From yoga studios to chiropractics, everybody is talking about it these days. That has become a fad. But though everybody only talks about seven chakras, there are actually 114 chakras in the body. 

What Are the 7 Chakras?

You can see them as 114 junctions or confluences of nadis. The nadis are the channels of prana in the energy body. These junctions are always in the form of triangles. They are called chakras because they embody movement from one dimension to another, and the word “chakra” means “wheel” or “circle.” But they are actually triangles. As in sacred geometry.

The Significance Of 108 In Astronomy + Chakras

Out of these 114 chakras, two are outside the physical body. Of the remaining 112, only 108 can actually be worked upon, the remaining four just flower as a consequence. The number 108 has manifested in the human system because it is a significant number in the making of the solar system. The diameter of the sun and the distance between the earth and the sun is 108 times. The diameter of the moon and the distance between the earth and the moon is 108 times. The diameter of the earth and the diameter of the sun is 108 times. And hence, 108 is significant in various spiritual practices. 

112 Chakras Arrange Into 7 Dimensions

These 112 chakras arrange themselves into seven dimensions, with sixteen aspects in each dimension. Instead of going into 112, which is too much of a number for a lot of people, generally, only seven were spoken about because of these seven categories or seven dimensions. It is these seven dimensions which are generally being referred to as the 7 chakras, which are in turn the basis for the seven schools of yoga.  

For a human being to live a full-fledged physical and social life, he needs only twenty-one chakras in his body to be active. These 21 chakras are also connected with the number seven. Because of the three dimensions of energy of Pingala, Ida and Sushumna, there are seven sets, each with three chakras functioning as one. So if twenty-one chakras are functioning, physically, psychologically and emotionally, you will be complete. But energy-wise, you will be a cripple.

If other dimensions have to become a living reality, the rest of the chakras have to be activated. Intelligence has to be empowered by energy. Otherwise, a sleeping intelligence is as good as being non-existent. A computer which cannot be turned on is as good as a slab of stone. It is the same with the human system too. This is a super computer, but most people are keeping it functioning only on the level of survival. If only twenty-one chakras are functioning, physically, psychologically and emotionally, you will be complete. But energy-wise, you will be a cripple.

If something more of what the human system is capable of needs to happen, it needs an activation. Hatha Yoga is that discipline which activates the whole system. Unfortunately, people think Hatha Yoga is an exercise or some kind of health regimen. Yoga never focuses on curing something. We only look at how this physical system can be made full-fledged. If it is full-fledged, everything will be fine. It will activate something that will lead to curative process by itself anyway. 

The Location & Names of the 7 Chakras

The seven fundamental chakras are known as muladhara, which is located at the perineum, the space between the anal outlet and the genital organ; svadhisthana, which is just above the genital organ; manipuraka, which is just below the navel; anahata, which is just beneath where the rib cage meets; vishuddhi, which is at the pit of the throat; ajna, which is between the eyebrows; and sahasrara, also known as brahmarandra, which is at the top of the head, where when a child is born, there is a soft spot. 

Chakras Have Physical + Spiritual Dimensions

Chakras have more than one dimension to them. One dimension is their physical existence, but they also have a spiritual dimension.

We can speak in terms of lower and higher energy centers, but such language is often and too easily misunderstood. It is like comparing the foundation of a building to the roof. The roof is not superior to the foundation. The foundation of the building is more basic to the building than the roof. The quality, life span, stability and security of the building depends to a large extent on the foundation rather than the roof. But in terms of language, the roof is higher, and the foundation is lower. 

If your energies are dominant in muladhara, then food and sleep will be the most dominant factors in your life. Chakras have more than one dimension to them. One dimension is their physical existence, but they also have a spiritual dimension. This means that they can be completely transformed. For example, if you bring the right kind of awareness, the same muladhara that craves food and sleep, can become absolutely free from the process of food and sleep. 

Subtler Aspects of the 7 Chakras in the Body

These chakras have a manifestation in the body. And they also have a subtler manifestation. These manifestations are called kshetras. Kshetra means a place where someone resides. You may be in your office, but your residence is somewhere else. Just like that, there are kshetras that are external ones, called bahya kshetras, and there are internal ones called antar kshetras. There is a home and a holiday home! 

When you are at home, you will be one way. Generally, the mundane occupies your time and life. Most of your time goes in cooking, cleaning, maintenance and fixing up things. When you go to your holiday home, even though there is cooking, cleaning and all the other stuff, the mundane does not occupy the whole of you. It is a more exuberant existence. 

A holiday home in the mountain is a more exuberant existence, though it may be physically more taxing than being at home. Being at home is easier. Many people have given up and just stay at home because it's easier. But the reason why you went to another home away from home is you still want to know the coziness of a home, you don’t want to stay in a hotel, but you want a more exuberant existence. The Creator provided for all that. You can be in the antar kshetra, not so vibrant and just sleeping, or you can be in the bahya kshetra. Any time you want to go back home, it's not a problem, you can always step back. 

The second chakra is svadhisthana. If your energies are dominant in svadhisthana, pleasures will be most dominant in your life – you seek pleasures, you enjoy the physical reality in so many ways. If your energies are dominant in manipuraka, you are a doer; you can do many things in the world. If your energies are dominant in anahata, you are a very creative person. If your energies are dominant in vishuddhi, you become very powerful. If your energies are dominant in ajna or if you attain to ajna, then intellectually, you are realized. Intellectual realization gives you peace. Experientially it has not happened yet but intellectual realization has come to you, which brings you to a certain state of peace and stability within yourself irrespective of what is happening outside of you. And once your energies hit sahasrara, simply like crazy you are ecstatic! There is no external stimulant, there is simply no reason, but you are ecstatic simply because energies have touched a certain peak. 

7 Chakras, 7 Levels of Intensity

Fundamentally, any spiritual path can be described as a journey from the muladhara to the sahasrara. This journey is an evolution from one dimension to another; these are just seven different levels of intensity. 

To move your energies from muladhara to ajna, there are many spiritual processes and several ways, but to move from ajna to sahasrara, there is no path. There is no particular way. One has to either jump or fall into a bottomless pit. This is called “falling upward.” 

In yoga, they say unless you are willing to fall upward, you won’t get there. This is why so many so-called spiritual people have come to the conclusion that peace is the highest possibility – because they got stuck in ajna. Peace is not the highest possibility. You can become ecstatic, so ecstatic that the whole world becomes a big joke in your understanding and experience. Everything that is dead serious for everybody is just a joke for you. 

To move your energies from muladhara to ajna, there are many spiritual processes and several ways, but to move from ajna to sahasrara, there is no path.

But people come and stop at the ajna for a long time, just to make up their mind to jump. This is why in the spiritual traditions, so much stress was always laid on the Guru-shishya relationship – the master-disciple relationship. This is simply because if you have to take this jump, you need deep trust in the Guru. 99.9% of the people need trust, otherwise they cannot jump. This is the reason why so much stress is laid on this relationship, because without trust, one will never take that jump. 

ISHA INSTITUTE

Excerpt from Sadhguru’s discourse at the Isha Hatha Yoga School’s 21-week Hatha Yoga Teacher Training program. The program offers an unparalleled opportunity to acquire a profound understanding of the yogic system and the proficiency to teach Hatha Yoga.

For more information, visit www.ishahathayoga.com or mail info@ishahatayoga.com

Autobiography of a Yogi

Miraculous Tales from Swami Paramahansa Yogananda’s “Autobiography of a Yogi”

Excerpt

Who Is Paramahansa Yogananda?

Hailed as the "father of Yoga in the West," Paramahansa Yogananda is regarded as one of the great spiritual figures of our time. Born in northern India, he came to the United States in 1920, where for more than 30 years he taught the ancient science of meditation and the art of balanced spiritual living. That same year he founded Self-Realization Fellowship, to disseminate his writings and teachings worldwide. Through his best-selling classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, and his numerous other books, he has introduced millions throughout the world to the spiritual principles of yoga meditation and the universal truths underlying all world religions.

A Miraculous Story

Here Yogananda recounts the miraculous tale of Lahiri Mahasaya, his param-guru’s (his guru’s guru), meeting with the Divine “deathless one” known only as Babaji (father), who is said to maintain a youthful body over millennia, travelling with a small group of disciples in the subtle realms of the Himalayas, lovingly watching over and guiding humanity through the ages.

Yogananda’s Spiritual Lineage

Babaji’s First Meeting With His Disciple Lahiri Mahasaya

as recounted by Yogananda

“Babaji’s first meeting with Lahiri Mahasaya is an enthralling story, and one of the few which gives us a detailed glimpse of the deathless guru.”

These words were Swami Kebalananda’s preamble to a wondrous tale. The first time he recounted it I was literally spellbound. On many other occasions I coaxed my gentle Sanskrit tutor to repeat the story, which was later told me in substantially the same words by Sri Yukteswar. Both these Lahiri Mahasaya disciples had heard the awesome tale direct from the lips of their guru.

“My first meeting with Babaji took place in my thirty-third year,” Lahiri Mahasaya had said. “In the autumn of 1861 I was stationed in Danapur as a government accountant in the Military Engineering Department. One morning the office manager summoned me.

“‘Lahiri,’ he said, ‘a telegram has just come from our main office. You are to be transferred to Ranikhet, where an army post is now being established.’

“With one servant, I set out on the 500-mile trip. Traveling by horse and buggy, we arrived in thirty days at the Himalayan site of Ranikhet.

“My office duties were not onerous; I was able to spend many hours roaming in the magnificent hills.

A rumor reached me that great saints blessed the region with their presence; I felt a strong desire to see them.

During a ramble one early afternoon, I was astounded to hear a distant voice calling my name. I continued my vigorous upward climb on Drongiri Mountain.

A slight uneasiness beset me at the thought that I might not be able to retrace my steps before darkness
had descended over the jungle.

“I finally reached a small clearing whose sides were dotted with caves. On one of the rocky ledges stood a smiling young man, extending his hand in welcome. I noticed with astonishment that, except for his copper-colored hair, he bore a remarkable resemblance to myself.

“‘Lahiri, you have come!’ The saint addressed me affectionately in Hindi. ‘Rest here in this cave. It was I who called you.’

“I entered a neat little grotto which contained several woolen blankets and a few kamandulus (begging bowls).

“‘Lahiri, do you remember that seat?’ The yogi pointed to a folded blanket in one corner. “‘No, sir.’ Somewhat dazed at the strangeness of my adventure, I added, ‘I must leave now, before nightfall. I have business in the morning at my office.’

“The mysterious saint replied in English, ‘The office was brought for you, and not you for the office.’

“I was dumbfounded that this forest ascetic should not only speak English but also paraphrase the words of Christ.

“‘I see my telegram took effect.’ The yogi’s remark was incomprehensible to me; I inquired his meaning.

“‘I refer to the telegram that summoned you to these isolated parts. It was I who silently suggested to the mind of your superior officer that you be transferred to Ranikhet. When one feels his unity with mankind, all minds become transmitting stations through which he can work at will.’ He added gently, ‘Lahiri, surely this cave seems familiar to you?’

“As I maintained a bewildered silence, the saint approached and struck me gently on the forehead. At his magnetic touch, a wondrous current swept through my brain, releasing the sweet seed-memories of my previous life.

“‘I remember!’ My voice was half-choked with joyous sobs. ‘You are my guru Babaji, who has belonged to me always! Scenes of the past arise vividly in my mind; here in this cave I spent many years of my last incarnation!’ As ineffable recollections overwhelmed me, I tearfully embraced my master’s feet.

“‘For more than three decades I have waited for you here-waited for you to return to me!’ Babaji’s voice rang with celestial love. ‘You slipped away and vanished into the tumultuous waves of the life beyond death. The magic wand of your karma touched you, and you were gone! Though you lost sight of me, never did I lose sight of you! I pursued you over the luminescent astral sea where the glorious angels sail. Through gloom, storm, upheaval, and light I followed you, like a mother bird guarding her young. As you lived out your human term of womb-life, and emerged a babe, my eye was ever on you. When you covered your tiny form in the lotus posture under the Nadia sands in your childhood, I was invisibly present! Patiently, month after month, year after year, I have watched over you, waiting for this perfect day. Now you are with me! Lo, here is your cave, loved of yore! I have kept it ever clean and ready for you. Here is your hallowed asana- blanket, where you daily sat to fill your expanding heart with God! Behold there your bowl, from which you often drank the nectar prepared by me! See how I have kept the brass cup brightly polished, that you might drink again therefrom! My own, do you now understand?’

“‘My guru, what can I say?’ I murmured brokenly. ‘Where has one ever heard of such deathless love?’ I gazed long and ecstatically on my eternal treasure, my guru in life and death.

“‘Lahiri, you need purification. Drink the oil in this bowl and lie down by the river.’ Babaji’s practical wisdom, I reflected with a quick, reminiscent smile, was ever to the fore.

“I obeyed his directions. Though the icy Himalayan night was descending, a comforting warmth, an inner radiation, began to pulsate in every cell of my body. I marveled. Was the unknown oil endued with a cosmical heat?

“Bitter winds whipped around me in the darkness, shrieking a fierce challenge. The chill wavelets of the Gogash River lapped now and then over my body, outstretched on the rocky bank. Tigers howled near-by, but my heart was free of fear; the radiant force newly generated within me conveyed an assurance of unassailable protection. Several hours passed swiftly; faded memories of another life wove themselves into the present brilliant pattern of reunion with my divine guru.

“My solitary musings were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. In the darkness, a man’s hand gently helped me to my feet, and gave me some dry clothing. ”

‘Come, brother,’ my companion said. ‘The master awaits you.’

“He led the way through the forest. The somber night was suddenly lit by a steady luminosity in the distance.

“‘Can that be the sunrise?’ I inquired. ‘Surely the whole night has not passed?’

“‘The hour is midnight.’ My guide laughed softly. ‘Yonder light is the glow of a golden palace, materialized here tonight by the peerless Babaji. In the dim past, you once expressed a desire to enjoy the beauties of a palace. Our master is now satisfying your wish, thus freeing you from the bonds of karma.’ He added, ‘The magnificent palace will be the scene of your initiation tonight into Kriya Yoga. All your brothers here join in a paean of welcome, rejoicing at the end of your long exile. Behold!’

“A vast palace of dazzling gold stood before us. Studded with countless jewels, and set amidst landscaped gardens, it presented a spectacle of unparalleled grandeur. Saints of angelic countenance were stationed by resplendent gates, half-reddened by the glitter of rubies. Diamonds, pearls, sapphires, and emeralds of great size and luster were imbedded in the decorative arches.

“I followed my companion into a spacious reception hall. The odor of incense and of roses wafted through the air; dim lamps shed a multicolored glow. Small groups of devotees, some fair, some dark- skinned, chanted musically, or sat in the meditative posture, immersed in an inner peace. A vibrant joy pervaded the atmosphere. “‘Feast your eyes; enjoy the artistic splendors of this palace, for it has been brought into being solely in your honor.’ My guide smiled sympathetically as I uttered a few ejaculations of wonderment.

“‘Brother,’ I said, ‘the beauty of this structure surpasses the bounds of human imagination. Please tell me the mystery of its origin.’

“‘I will gladly enlighten you.’ My companion’s dark eyes sparkled with wisdom. ‘In reality there is nothing inexplicable about this materialization. The whole cosmos is a materialized thought of the Creator. This heavy, earthly clod, floating in space, is a dream of God. He made all things out of His consciousness, even as man in his dream consciousness reproduces and vivifies a creation with its creatures.

“‘God first created the earth as an idea. Then He quickened it; energy atoms came into being. He coordinated the atoms into this solid sphere. All its molecules are held together by the will of God. When He withdraws His will, the earth again will disintegrate into energy. Energy will dissolve into consciousness; the earth-idea will disappear from objectivity.

“‘The substance of a dream is held in materialization by the subconscious thought of the dreamer. When that cohesive thought is withdrawn in wakefulness, the dream and its elements dissolve. A man closes his eyes and erects a dream-creation which, on awakening, he effortlessly dematerializes. He follows the divine archetypal pattern. Similarly, when he awakens in cosmic consciousness, he will effortlessly dematerialize the illusions of the cosmic dream.

“‘Being one with the infinite all-accomplishing Will, Babaji can summon the elemental atoms to combine and manifest themselves in any form. This golden palace, instantaneously created, is real, even as this earth is real. Babaji created this palatial mansion out of his mind and is holding its atoms together by the power of his will, even as God created this earth and is maintaining it intact.’ He added, ‘When this structure has served its purpose, Babaji will dematerialize it.’

“As I remained silent in awe, my guide made a sweeping gesture. ‘This shimmering palace, superbly embellished with jewels, has not been built by human effort or with laboriously mined gold and gems. It stands solidly, a monumental challenge to man. Whoever realizes himself as a son of God, even as Babaji has done, can reach any goal by the infinite powers hidden within him. A common stone locks within itself the secret of stupendous atomic energy; even so, a mortal is yet a powerhouse of divinity.’

“The sage picked up from a near-by table a graceful vase whose handle was blazing with diamonds. ‘Our great guru created this palace by solidifying myriads of free cosmic rays,’ he went on. ‘Touch this vase and its diamonds; they will satisfy all the tests of sensory experience.’

“I examined the vase, and passed my hand over the smooth room-walls, thick with glistening gold. Each of the jewels scattered lavishly about was worthy of a king’s collection. Deep satisfaction spread over my mind. A submerged desire, hidden in my subconsciousness from lives now gone, seemed simultaneously gratified and extinguished.

“My stately companion led me through ornate arches and corridors into a series of chambers richly furnished in the style of an emperor’s palace. We entered an immense hall. In the center stood a golden throne, encrusted with jewels shedding a dazzling medley of colors. There, in lotus posture, sat the supreme Babaji. I knelt on the shining floor at his feet.

“‘Lahiri, are you still feasting on your dream desires for a golden palace?’ My guru’s eyes were twinkling like his own sapphires. ‘Wake! All your earthly thirsts are about to be quenched forever.’ He murmured some mystic words of blessing. ‘My son, arise. Receive your initiation into the kingdom of God through Kriya Yoga.’

“Babaji stretched out his hand; a homa (sacrificial) fire appeared, surrounded by fruits and flowers. I received the liberating yogic technique before this flaming altar.

“The rites were completed in the early dawn. I felt no need for sleep in my ecstatic state, and wandered around the palace, filled on all sides with treasures and priceless objets d’art. Descending to the gorgeous gardens, I noticed, near-by, the same caves and barren mountain ledges which yesterday had boasted no adjacency to palace or flowered terrace.

“Reentering the palace, fabulously glistening in the cold Himalayan sunlight, I sought the presence of my master. He was still enthroned, surrounded by many quiet disciples.

“‘Lahiri, you are hungry.’ Babaji added, ‘Close your eyes.’

“When I reopened them, the enchanting palace and its picturesque gardens had disappeared. My own body and the forms of Babaji and the cluster of chelas were all now seated on the bare ground at the exact site of the vanished palace, not far from the sunlit entrances of the rocky grottos. I recalled that my guide had remarked that the palace would be dematerialized, its captive atoms released into the thought- essence from which it had sprung. Although stunned, I looked trustingly at my guru. I knew not what to expect next on this day of miracles.

“‘The purpose for which the palace was created has now been served,’ Babaji explained. He lifted an earthen vessel from the ground. ‘Put your hand there and receive whatever food you desire.’

“As soon as I touched the broad, empty bowl, it became heaped with hot butter-fried luchis, curry, and rare sweetmeats. I helped myself, observing that the vessel was ever-filled. At the end of my meal I looked around for water. My guru pointed to the bowl before me. Lo! the food had vanished; in its place was water, clear as from a mountain stream.

“‘Few mortals know that the kingdom of God includes the kingdom of mundane fulfillments,’ Babaji observed. ‘The divine realm extends to the earthly, but the latter, being illusory, cannot include the essence of reality.’

“‘Beloved guru, last night you demonstrated for me the link of beauty in heaven and earth!’ I smiled at memories of the vanished palace; surely no simple yogi had ever received initiation into the august mysteries of Spirit amidst surroundings of more impressive luxury! I gazed tranquilly at the stark contrast of the present scene. The gaunt ground, the skyey roof, the caves offering primitive shelter-all seemed a gracious natural setting for the seraphic saints around me.

“I sat that afternoon on my blanket, hallowed by associations of past- life realizations. My divine guru approached and passed his hand over my head. I entered the nirbikalpa samadhi state, remaining unbrokenly in its bliss for seven days. Crossing the successive strata of self- knowledge, I penetrated the deathless realms of reality. All delusive limitations dropped away; my soul was fully established on the eternal altar of the Cosmic Spirit. On the eighth day I fell at my guru’s feet and implored him to keep me always near him in this sacred wilderness.

“‘My son,’ Babaji said, embracing me, ‘your role in this incarnation must be played on an outward stage. Prenatally blessed by many lives of lonely meditation, you must now mingle in the world of men.

“‘A deep purpose underlay the fact that you did not meet me this time until you were already a married man, with modest business responsibilities. You must put aside your thoughts of joining our secret band in the Himalayas; your life lies in the crowded marts, serving as an example of the ideal yogi-householder. ”

‘The cries of many bewildered worldly men and women have not fallen unheard on the ears of the Great Ones,’ he went on. ‘You have been chosen to bring spiritual solace through Kriya Yogato numerous earnest seekers. The millions who are encumbered by family ties and heavy worldly duties will take new heart from you, a householder like themselves. You must guide them to see that the highest yogic attainments are not barred to the family man. Even in the world, the yogi who faithfully discharges his responsibilities, without personal motive or attachment, treads the sure path of enlightenment.

“‘No necessity compels you to leave the world, for inwardly you have already sundered its every karmic tie. Not of this world, you must yet be in it. Many years still remain during which you must conscientiously fulfill your family, business, civic, and spiritual duties. A sweet new breath of divine hope will penetrate the arid hearts of worldly men. From your balanced life, they will understand that liberation is dependent on inner, rather than outer, renunciations.’

“How remote seemed my family, the office, the world, as I listened to my guru in the high Himalayan solitudes. Yet adamantine truth rang in his words; I submissively agreed to leave this blessed haven of peace. Babaji instructed me in the ancient rigid rules which govern the transmission of the yogic art from guru to disciple.

“‘Bestow the Kriya key only on qualified chelas,’ Babaji said. ‘He who vows to sacrifice all in the quest of the Divine is fit to unravel the final mysteries of life through the science of meditation.’

“‘Angelic guru, as you have already favored mankind by resurrecting the lost Kriya art, will you not increase that benefit by relaxing the strict requirements for discipleship?’ I gazed beseechingly at Babaji. ‘I pray that you permit me to communicate Kriya to all seekers, even though at first they cannot vow themselves to complete inner renunciation. The tortured men and women of the world, pursued by the threefold suffering, need special encouragement. They may never attempt the road to freedom if Kriya initiation be withheld from them.’

“‘Be it so. The divine wish has been expressed through you.’ With these simple words, the merciful guru banished the rigorous safeguards that for ages had hidden Kriya from the world. ‘Give Kriya freely to all who humbly ask for help.’

“After a silence, Babaji added, ‘Repeat to each of your disciples this majestic promise from the Bhagavad Gita: “Swalpamasya Dharmasya, Trayata Mahato Bhoyat”-“Even a little bit of the practice of this religion will save you from dire fears and colossal sufferings.”‘

“As I knelt the next morning at my guru’s feet for his farewell blessing, he sensed my deep reluctance to leave him.

“‘There is no separation for us, my beloved child.’ He touched my shoulder affectionately.

‘Wherever you are, whenever you call me, I shall be with you instantly.’

“Consoled by his wondrous promise, and rich with the newly found gold of God-wisdom, I wended my way down the mountain. At the office I was welcomed by my fellow employees, who for ten days had thought me lost in the Himalayan jungles. A letter soon arrived from the head office.

“‘Lahiri should return to the Danapur office,’ it read. ‘His transfer to Ranikhet occurred by error. Another man should have been sent to assume the Ranikhet duties.’

“I smiled, reflecting on the hidden crosscurrents in the events which had led me to this furthermost spot of India.

“Before returning to Danapur, I spent a few days with a Bengali family at Moradabad. A party of six friends gathered to greet me. As I turned the conversation to spiritual subjects, my host observed gloomily: “‘Oh, in these days India is destitute of saints!’

“‘Babu,’ I protested warmly, ‘of course there are still great masters in this land!’

“In a mood of exalted fervor, I felt impelled to relate my miraculous experiences in the Himalayas. The little company was politely incredulous. “‘Lahiri,’ one man said soothingly, ‘your mind has been under a strain in those rarefied mountain airs. This is some daydream you have recounted.’

“Burning with the enthusiasm of truth, I spoke without due thought. ‘If I call him, my guru will appear right in this house.’ “Interest gleamed in every eye; it was no wonder that the group was eager to behold a saint materialized in such a strange way. Half- reluctantly, I asked for a quiet room and two new woolen blankets.

“‘The master will materialize from the ether,’ I said. ‘Remain silently outside the door; I shall soon call you.’

“I sank into the meditative state, humbly summoning my guru. The darkened room soon filled with a dim aural moonlight; the luminous figure of Babaji emerged.

“‘Lahiri, do you call me for a trifle?’ The master’s gaze was stern. ‘Truth is for earnest seekers, not for those of idle curiosity. It is easy to believe when one sees; there is nothing then to deny.

Supersensual truth is deserved and discovered by those who overcome their natural materialistic skepticism.’ He added gravely, ‘Let me go!’

“I fell entreatingly at his feet. ‘Holy guru, I realize my serious error; I humbly ask pardon. It was to create faith in these spiritually blinded minds that I ventured to call you. Because you have graciously appeared at my prayer, please do not depart without bestowing a blessing on my friends. Unbelievers though they be, at least they were willing to investigate the truth of my strange assertions.’

“‘Very well; I will stay awhile. I do not wish your word discredited before your friends.’ Babaji’s face had softened, but he added gently, ‘Henceforth, my son, I shall come when you need me, and not always when you call me.

“Tense silence reigned in the little group when I opened the door. As if mistrusting their senses, my friends stared at the lustrous figure on the blanket seat.

“‘This is mass-hypnotism!’ One man laughed blatantly. ‘No one could possibly have entered this room without our knowledge!’

“Babaji advanced smilingly and motioned to each one to touch the warm, solid flesh of his body. Doubts dispelled, my friends prostrated themselves on the floor in awed repentance. “‘Let halwa be prepared.’ Babaji made this request, I knew, to further assure the group of his physical reality. While the porridge was boiling, the divine guru chatted affably. Great was the metamorphosis of these doubting Thomases into devout St. Pauls. After we had eaten, Babaji blessed each of us in turn. There was a sudden flash; we witnessed the instantaneous dechemicalization of the electronic elements of Babaji’s body into a spreading vaporous light. The God-tuned will power of the master had loosened its grasp of the ether atoms held together as his body; forthwith the trillions of tiny lifetronic sparks faded into the infinite reservoir.

“‘With my own eyes I have seen the conqueror of death.’ Maitra, one of the group, spoke reverently. His face was transfigured with the joy of his recent awakening. ‘The supreme guru played with time and space, as a child plays with bubbles. I have beheld one with the keys of heaven and earth.’

“I soon returned to Danapur. Firmly anchored in the Spirit, again I assumed the manifold business and family obligations of a householder.”

Lahiri Mahasaya also related to Swami Kebalananda and Sri Yukteswar the story of another meeting with Babaji, under circumstances which recalled the guru’s promise: “I shall come whenever you need me.”

“The scene was a Kumbha Mela at Allahabad,” Lahiri Mahasaya told his disciples. “I had gone there during a short vacation from my office duties. As I wandered amidst the throng of monks and sadhus who had come from great distances to attend the holy festival, I noticed an ash-smeared ascetic who was holding a begging bowl. The thought arose in my mind that the man was hypocritical, wearing the outward symbols of renunciation without a corresponding inward grace.

“No sooner had I passed the ascetic than my astounded eye fell on Babaji. He was kneeling in front of a matted-haired anchorite.

“‘Guruji!’ I hastened to his side. ‘Sir, what are you doing here?’

“‘I am washing the feet of this renunciate, and then I shall clean his cooking utensils.’ Babaji smiled at me like a little child; I knew he was intimating that he wanted me to criticize no one, but to see the Lord as residing equally in all body-temples, whether of superior or inferior men. The great guru added, ‘By serving wise and ignorant sadhus, I am learning the greatest of virtues, pleasing to God above all others— humility.'”

Read More Miraculous Accounts in the immensely popular

Autobiography of a Yogi

Energy Healing Barbara Brennan

Barbara Brennan + Energy Healing

What Is Energy Healing?

Energy healing is a holistic practice that activates the body's subtle energy systems, primarily to remove blocks. By dissolving, transmuting, or otherwise removing these energetic blocks, the body's inherent ability to heal itself is stimulated.

An easy way to think about it is simply that energy is like water; when it’s clear and flowing it is healthy, when it’s stagnant or blocked it creates a dis-ease or disharnony within the environment, whether that’s mental, emotional, physical, or environmental. Just as you would apply various techniques to clear water or to create better flow, so energy healing has discovered techniques that work on clearing the human energy field, or aura.

Whether you believe energy healing is the "next big frontier in medicine," or whether you’ve already studied its origins and wisdom from cultures throughout time and across millennia, it’s now time to take back our wisdom of how the body (and life) works by focusing on the energy of consciousness that creates and sustains us. (And you can read more ways we recognize energy healing below).

Now you can experience why people all over the world are swearing by energy medicine with one of the world's most respected healing modalities, Brennan Healing Science®.

Barbara

Barbara is a world-renowned spiritual leader, healer and educator. A pioneer and innovator in the field of energy consciousness.

A former NASA physicist, she dedicated her life to exploring the Human Energy Field and realms of human consciousness.

She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy, a Doctorate of Theology, a Master’s Degree in Atmospheric Physics, B.S. in Physics, and worked as a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She is also a graduate of the Institute of Core Energetics and a Senior Pathwork® Helper.

Barbara Brennan’s best-selling books and courses are considered classics in the field of complementary medicine.

Barbara has researched the Human Energy Field for more than 35 years. Her work resulted in the development of Brennan Healing Science, a holistic healing modality based on the Human Energy-Consciousness System and its relationship to health and disease. It is one of the most comprehensive approaches to energy healing and human transformation on the planet.

Mapping The Human Energy Field

Her first book, Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field, is considered a foundation in the field of spiritual healing, with reputedly over one million copies in print in 22 languages.

Brennan receives intuitive information about her clients during sessions, and is able to see repetitive patterns in the energy fields of her clients indicating common roots underlying their difficulties.

Brennan's books contain drawings of auras and energy fields, and descriptions of how human energy fields interact with each other.

She has popularized a seven-layer model of the energy field, adapted from thousands of years of ancient wiisdom, each layer being structured of differing frequencies and kinds of energy and performing different functions.

She views the chakras as transformers that receive and process universal energy, as well as enabling expression and healthy functioning of the individual's own consciousness and psycho-physical make-up.

Brennan has created a type of energy healing technique that she calls "full spectrum healing" to work on the seven layers of the human energy field or auras. The technique she calls spiritual surgery , for example, works on the fifth level of the human energy field using the power of spiritual surgery.

Learning To Work With Your Energy Field

Barbara’s work adeptly and methodically takes practitioners through stages into the nitty gritty of working with the Human Energy Field. In her book, Core Light Healing, practitioners become familiar with:

• The nature of the creative process from the Human Energy Consciousness perspective
• How each of us creates blocks in our energy fields; how blocks look, interact, and ultimately cause dysfunction in our lives; and the process involved in the clearing of blocks and releasing our creative potential
• How to develop and work with High Sense Perception and its role in facilitating the clearing of blocks in our energy fields
• The nature of fourth-level reality and its vital role in the creative process
• The fourth level as it relates to healing relationships and the cord connections that underlie those relationships

“I’ve been a fan of Barbara Brennan’s work for over 25 years—she has touched thousands with her healing gift. In her new book, Core Light Healing, Barbara has created the essential healing guide—a fascinating read for anyone seeking to understand the role that energy plays in mental, physical, and spiritual health and to free themselves from destructive patterns and suppressed trauma that prevent them from living their very best life.”
— James Van Praagh, New York Times best-selling author of The Power of Love

The Barbara Brennon School Of Healing

In 1982, Barbara founded the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. Combining High Sense Perception skills and hands-on energy healing techniques to assist individuals with their personal process of healing,

Brennan Healing Science practitioners are trained to interact with a client’s energy field in a deeply intuitive way, energetically supporting the client into alignment toward healing, as well as clearing, balancing, and renewing the energy field that supports physical and emotional health. It touches every aspect of a person’s life to improve the quality of life.

Listen as Barbara explains Divine Will (in under 2 minutes) as defined by one of her closest spirit guides. “Love, not Will, is the creative force in the universe. Will is not what you would think. Will is not a force, but a divine template of precision ever unfolding the perfect you.”

Workshops + Classes + Books + More

Workshops and classes are held now on Zoom for those interested in becoming an energy healer.

Learn More About Classes + Workshops

Books, Audio, Guided Meditations, Music

“Books like Core Light Healing show up in your life—like people you love—as acts of destiny! Barbara Ann Brennan is a NASA-trained physicist and an extraordinary mystic. She’s here to take you on a mind-altering, heart-opening journey into the cosmos and your divine nature. Let’s go!”
— Robert Holden, author of Holy Shift! and Life Loves You

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5 More Ways We Recognize Energy Healing

1. We've been studying the body's energy centers for thousands of years.

India has a long tradition of mapping the subtle energy channels, or nadis, in the body. Yogic mastery over certain energy systems on the path to enlightenment can naturally produce superhuman abilities, or siddis. The seven chakras, the energy transmission centers of the body, were first described in ancient Hindu texts.

Reiki is the Japanese tradition of energy healing, and it dates back to the early 20th century. 

The Chinese recognize the energy superhighways of the body as Meridians, the study of which traditional Chinese medicine practitioners used to develop Acupuncture.

These ancient cultures used different modalities to stimulate the body's natural ability to heal, but they all recognized the power of internal energy.

It is worth noting that the earth itself is also comprised of internal energy channels, with chakra-like vortexes and meridian like ley-lines that distribute and balance cosmic light and life force for the health and healing of the planet.

Energy layers are themselves expressions of scaleable repeating patterns seen everywhere in nature, from cells, to plants, to humans, to weather, to planetary movement, as recognized in mathematics such as The Golden Mean, and in Sacred Geometry such as the Flower Of Life.

2. Energy healing is based on scientific principles.

We all learned in high school physics class that matter is made up of molecules. Even something that is solid, such as a table, is vibrating all the time. As humans, we, too, are vibrating.

When you say someone has "good vibes," you are really talking about that person's vibrational energy—and happy people tend to vibrate on a higher frequency.

Places have vibes too. When you walk into a room, for example, in which a fight has just occurred, you may feel a dense energy that makes you want to leave right away. Or you may feel the stagnancy from dis-use or other clues to what energies have remained there. Just like water, energy can stagnate in places and will benefit from a fresh influx or re-activation, whether that comes in the form of fresh air, crystals, or intentional clearing. In contrast, the beach has a light vibe due to the sun, salt (a neutral energy cleanser), the energy coming in through the motion of the waves, the moving the air, and the crystalline silica in the sand.

It must be said that Energy healing is a complementary modality that shouldn't exclude Western medicine. Now it is up to Western medicine not to exclude a new view on Energy in health and healing.

3. Anyone can benefit from natural energy healing.

Just as you don't need to understand the law of gravity before you feel its effects, you don't need to completely grasp the concept or science behind energy healing before you benefit from it or dive into the practice. Energy and healing is as natural a process as the sun shining and the earth turning. When we give our conscious attention to it and focus our intentions for assisting these natural processes, we call it engaging in energy healing.

Any time is a good time to visit an energy healer. I would recommend going in with an open mind for maximum benefit. If you are stressed, anxious, or physically drained, an energy healing session can help you relax and feel more balanced. And if you're already feeling good, it's always possible to feel a little better.

For more in depth energy work, accessing karmic samskaras (patterns), or multiple layers and timelines, you may be interested to seek out alternative practitioners. Various methods or cultures and practices have their own focus, from Medical Intuitives to Shamanism and more.

4. There are many types of more mainstream accessible energy healing modalities.

Just as there are many manifestations and beliefs about energy, there are as many types of energy healers, and you can find them practically everywhere. (You might even be an energy healer yourself!

When you're looking for an energy healer, remember to find an intuitive alignment, be picky and ask plenty of questions before working with a practitioner. Your sovereignty requires deep trust and attunement in order to work more deeply and effectively.

If you are new to energy healing, consider starting your search by dropping by a local yoga studio or asking a friend who's into alternative healing to get a referral for a reputable practitioner.

There are many kinds of energy healing techniques, and each one calls on slightly different tools and methods. Here's are a few you already know:

• ACUPUNCTURE: Acupuncture uses small needles to stimulate the flow of energy in the body.

• REFLEXOLOGY: This modality frees up blocked energy and promotes healing by stimulating pressure points on the feet, hands, and ears.

• MASSAGE: Yep, even massage is an energy healing practice. It releases tension in the muscles, encourages the flow of lymph, and allows for deep relaxation.

5. You can practice basic energetic clearing in your home.

Just as you shower and brush your teeth every day, you should also be cleansing your energy regularly. Once you visit with an energy healer, keep the good vibes flowing by taking a bath in Epsom or pink Himalayan salts for 20 minutes whenever you start to feel the heaviness creeping back into your body. Smudging, or burning sage around you, can also help clear negativity from your energy field. And finally, crystals have their own healing properties that can help give your energy a little boost.

All you need to begin your energy healing journey is curiosity and a willingness to learn. Who knows? You might just get hooked!

Adapted with gratitude from mbgmindfulness

Now the next time you need a refresh, you have plenty of practices to choose from. You might even decide to begin practicing on your own!