We have been discussing the Chakras, the energy centers along the spine imagined by the authors of the Vedas, the “knowledge writings” from thousands of years ago. While it has been said that there are literally hundreds of them, the consensus seems to be that that there are a group of seven of them that are the most important. The Chakras are only part of the picture, however.
The Upanishads, written from the eighth century B.C.E. to the second century C.E., describe something referred to as Nadis (literally “rivers” or “flows”). These conduits or channels, in addition to the Chakras, constitute what is known as the “subtle body”. The Nadis allow the flow of the Vital Force.
Various Upanishadic Texts describe anywhere from 72,000 to 300,000 Nadis. The most important Nadis are the Ida (“comfort”), Pingala (“tawny”), and Sushumna (“most gracious”). Ida on the left is associated with the Prana (“rising vital breath”), and is traditionally linked to Shakti (female) energy. Pingala on the right is traditionally connected to the apana (“descending vital breath”) and the Shiva (male) energy.
There are two main descriptions regarding the location of these two primary Nadis in the body. The earlier understanding is that all three channels shoot directly up from the Muladhara towards the Sahasrara, the Ida on the left, the Pingala on the right, and the Sushumna supporting the chakras in the center. While the Sushumna actually is said to reach the Sahasrara, the Ida terminates at the left nostril and the Pingala at the right nostril A later interpretation is that the Ida and the Pingala alternate, crossing over the Sushumna at each of the second through sixth Chakras, almost identical with Western depictions of the Caduceus. The three Main Nadis, when we get deeper into the unveiling of the Nova Thought System, will correspond with the Three Sources.
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