DETERMINACIÓN DEL RATIO DE RENDIMIENTO

Within the stillness o f the body, become aware o f the spinal passage.

Visualize the passage flowing from the perineum , just below the base of the spine in mooladhara chakra, rising up to the crown o f the head, to sahasrara chakra.

Intensify your awareness of this passage o r visualize a transparent, silver-white tube extending all the way from the base of the spine to the crown of the head; awareness of a thin transparent stream of light from m ooladhara to sahasrara.

The major chakras are situated along this nadi like tiny lights, sparkling diamonds or rubies strung on a thread, lake your awareness to the lowest point, the mooladhara chakra, from where this psychic passage emanates.

Mooladhara is situated slightly inside the perineum midway between the scrotum and anus in males, and on I he posterior side o f the cervix in females.

Visualize m ooladhara as a point o f bright light.

Move up to swadhisthana chakra, situated at the base of (lie spinal column at the level o f the coccyx or tailbone.

Visualize it as a point o f intense light.

Try to visualize its full length from within.

Add the breath and let your awareness flow with the breath up and down this nadi.

As you inhale, try to feel the breath moving from m ooladhara below the base o f the spine, to ajna chakra at the top of the spine.

As you exhale feel the breath descend back down to mooladhara.

Come closer and closer to the breath, total and unbroken flow of the breath; prana and awareness are moving together up and down the spinal passage. Become aware of the prana, the particles or streaks of light, flowing along the length o f the spinal passage with the breath.

Do not miss a single breath.

Stage 3: Ending the practice

Release the awareness of the psychic passage and the movement o f prana.

Focus on the natural breath moving in and out o f the body.

Feel the physical body surrounding the breath.

Be aware of the whole body in the chosen meditative posture.

Feel the floor beneath the body, and the space sur- rounding the body.

Recall the details of the room.

Be aware o f the external environm ent, the sounds around you, smells or odours from within the room, any tastes in the mouth.

When your consciousness is fully externalized, gently and slowly open your eyes.

T he practice is now complete.

Hari Om Tat Sat

At the time o f exhalation the awareness moves down from sah a srara a n d passes th ro u g h ajna, b in d u , vishuddhi, anahata, m anipura and swadhisthana to mooladhara.

As you pass through the various points o f light, mentally repeat the names o f the chakras.

Begin the process o f inhalation at m ooladhara and, as the breath and awareness pierce each chakra, repeat the nam e o f the chakra: m ooladhara, swadhisthana, manipura, anahata, vishuddhi, ajna, bindu, sahasrara.

rhen exhaling, repeat: sahasrara, bindu, ajna, vishuddhi, anahata, manipura, swadhisthana, mooladhara.

Continue moving the awareness and the breath through each chakra point with mental repetition of their names.

Be completely aware o f the process. It should not be unconscious; apply total concentration.

Continue with the practice, intensifying the awareness of the chakras.

Stage 3: Ending the practice

Now get ready to end the practice.

Leave the awareness o f the spinal passage.

Leave the awareness of the chakras and o f the ujjayi breath in the spine.

Cradually become aware of the physical body and of the surrounding physical environment.

Keel the contact of the floor beneath the body and the space surrounding the body.

Become aware o f all the sounds around you.

Be aware o f the sense o f smell, the sense of taste.

Make sure you are totally back in your physical body.

When you feel ready, slowly begin to move the body and when you feel completely externalized, you may open your eyes.

Hari Om Tat Sat

Move up to m anipura chakra, situated directly behind the navel on the inner wall o f the spinal column.

Visualize it as a point o f radiant light.

Move up to anahata chakra, situated directly behind the centre of the sternum in the spinal column.

Visualize it as a point of shining light.

Move up to vishuddhi chakra, situated in the cervical plexus, directly behind the throat pit.

Visualize it as a point o f vivid light.

Move up to ajna chakra, situated at the very top o f the spinal column, directly behind the eyebrow centre in the region of the m edulla oblongata. Visualize it as a point of gleaming light.

Move up to bindu at the top of the back of the head, where brahmins wear the tuft of hair.

Visualize it as a point of blazing light.

Finally, take the awareness to sahasrara at the crown of the head.

Visualize it as a region o f luminosity.

Visualize all the chakras simultaneously.

Become aware of the consciousness ascending the spinal passage from m ooladhara to sahasrara with the breath, passing through each o f the chakras in turn.

As you breathe in, the breath comes up from mooladhara, along the spinal passage, piercing all the chakras.

By the time you have com pleted the inhalation the awareness should have reached sahasrara.

As you begin to exhale the awareness should be at sahasrara.

When you complete the exhalation the awareness should again be at m ooladhara.

There is control over inhalation and exhalation; the awareness moves with the speed of the breath.

At the time of inhalation, the awareness moves up from m ooladhara and passes through swadhisthana, m an ip u ra, an ah ata, vishuddhi, ajna an d bin d u to sahasrara.

As you breathe in, sthulakasha, the inner space, expands, as you breathe out this space contracts.

Observe the phenom enon o f the body feeling like it is expanding and contracting like a balloon.

Intensify this awareness and rem ain awake and alert.