Compilation of Newsletters for the April Moon Month
Arundhati, the Awakening of Creation
This word arose in my awareness this month as I took a glance at The Hatha Yoga Pradipika scribed by Swami Swatmarama. The translation I read, issued by the Bihar School in India, contained commentary by Swami Muktibodandanda of the lineage of Swami Sivananda Saraswati. While the text is thought to have been scribed in the centuries after 6 AD, it claims it’s mystical roots in the primordial origins of the sacred knowledge of Hatha Yoga from the beginning of time. Swami Muktabonananda mentions Arundhati as another name for kundalini, the powerful feminine creative source, which resides dormant and resting in the terrain of the subtle energy body commonly associated with the cradle of the pelvic bowl. Muktabodananda breaks the word Arundhati down into “arun” translated as “dawn” and “dhati” which he translates to mean to “generate” or “create”. The dawning of a new creation. Arundhata, he adds, means unobstructed. It’s a powerful description of the potent and mysterious creative potential within each and every one of us, and a clue to tapping into the potential of our yoga practice. Hatha Yoga in it’s essential expression is a discipline in the management and effective direction of this creative force, leading us to a place of full alignment with and expression of our sacred potential in this world and beyond.
Folklore runneth over with tales of the power and pitfalls of awakening this goddess force. The most famous teller of these tales is Gopi Krishna who wrote a book about the unexpected eruption of his kundalini force and the trials and tribulations of having the energy charge through his body. Any time we encounter powerful expressions of feminine creative forces it’s good to consider that, historically, feminine power has been feared and this has resulted in a great deal of distortion of information related to these energies. My experience in energy work while working with students and clients over the years is that the awakening of this force does not have to be violent or disruptive. It does not require forceful action to ignite it (although you can try that if you want). It’s part of human evolution that it organically awakens when we have certain experiences, some of which are the practices of yoga. Yoga ignites it and supports in the management and direction of the energy. What is important is how well prepared you are and how well you are able to sustain a healthy environment for the unfolding of this energy.
When the energy is managed in a balanced and well directed manner, what unfolds is gentle awakenings and shifts in perspective and understanding. The way this is cultivated, is through balance. In the simplest sense, creating an environment in the body, mind and life which is neither aggressive nor passive (think easefully assertive), neither nurturing of depression nor anger (think peace), and vaster than self absorption (think relating) will create a habitat for a productive and rich unfolding. Nurturing a balanced state allows the process to be one of healing, rather than a struggle to control.
When the energy is directed in an uplifting but grounded fashion, the creative process reflects a spiritually evolutionary journey, and an important one. It’s the upliftment that leads us to a higher vision, the transcendence of a mundane understanding of the world we live in. What is the use of this? A well balanced cultivated transcendence nurtures an empowered and liberating perspective. It opens us up to our capacity to choose. In a gentle and non-reactive way, we learn, step by step, to function without feeling trapped in the confirmed of the opinions or perceptions of those around us. WE are opened to align with our inner truth across the varying facets of our person — from our relationship to our body to our relationship with our higher power and everything in between (in realms of love, power, creativity).
OM
From Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra: 1.28-1.29:
Repeat the sound of Om and all is revealed. This anchors one in inner consciousness and dissolves obstacles.
This month we are investigating the direction and management of or essential creative force, known by many names, primarily kundalini, but this month I’m thinking of it as Arundhati. This week we’ll begin by exploring the most simple and fundamental technique for managing this energy, and that is Om.
Om is vibrationally whole. It contains within it every sound, and every possible vibration so it is the closest thing to totality that we can merge with materially. When we focus on parts – this or that – then our creative force becomes divided. This can diminish clarity and inhibit the yogic process.
Om is beyond language. Beyond language there is no limit – we can create something wholly new and not yet conceived of. Beyond language we are not bound to create within that which already can be named.
The resonance of Om permeates all levels of our being – the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual so it’s capacity to illuminate unity impacts all of the dimensions of who we are.
Practically, how does this mystical practice pan out? Well, when you have a moment of conflict, within or without. Stop and Om, inside or out and allow yourself to tune into the sound and feel, it will uplift the energy and pull into the center. Before practice, it points us in the right direction.
The Straight Arrow
To begin with: It’s said that no effort in yoga is ever lost. It stays with you forever – no matter how clumsy the attempt.
The bottom line? In it’s purest form, the Arundhati (another term for the primordial sacred energy kundalini) travels through the energy channels along the spine, easily piercing the tangles and moving upward directly toward illuminated consciousness. The only thing that can create this experience is pure devotion. One instant of pure devotion to a spiritual ideal, love, truth or God, can be sufficient. In an instant Arundhati’s journey is complete and we experience the Truth of everything. The purity of the devotion comes from an unadulterated desire to experience that spiritual ideal.
Unadulterated is one word which could reflect this, uninterrupted is another one. That would mean never wavering into lack of faith or anger or delusion about the state of affairs in the universe – meaning that we have right relationship to both our spiritual lives and our material lives in an undivided way. Holding the space for both of them as the waves of life press against us.
In the tales of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana (ancient Indian epics which illuminate the principles of yoga), the heart of the stories revolve around archery, the greatness of the archers and the dedication to their craft. The stories illuminate the rewards of accomplishment and the pitfalls which deter the practitioners as well. Author Ramesh Menon, one translator of these epics, details the nature and the precision of a well-aimed arrow – the all-consuming focus and calculation required. The target is determined, and at the beginning of the arrow’s journey it is positioned in such a way that one would expect it to travel smoothly through varying conditions towards it’s destination – the target. To have such expertise and insight is phenomenal.
In a pure classical yoga practice there is only one target – the state of yoga. If we aren’t aiming for that target, well that’s okay, the effect is never lost. This is a spiritual principle, but you may have already observed it’s a physical one too. You may have experienced that when an asana aligns it’s more of a discovery than an accomplishment and after a break in practice you move back to the level of accomplishment more swiftly than the initial journey. The point is that all practice is sustainable on some level.
These detours of the straight line of Arundhati aren’t always errors. Sometimes they are little side trips into discoveries and experiences which are helpful. The yoga practice teaches us that just about any action or experience when offered with a sense of devotion, can serve to establish the right direction in the inner flow of our consciousness.
It’s All Good
We started the month speaking about the creative force Arundhati, most often known as kundalini. We spoke of how this force can be violently awakened, or naturally awakened. We’ve used spaciousness in the hips to gently open the channels surrounding the energy in it’s dormant state, and focused on our third eye centers to encourage the energy in an upward direction. Is that it? Is that Yoga? Well, these are practices of yoga, but in the experience of “YOGA”, the state of union arises unites and ignites the central energy channel, the sushumna, from our roots to our crowns. Then, there is union, there is yoga, there is bliss, there is understanding and wisdom.
So how do we do this? Let’s take a simple decision. Should I eat chocolate chips or carrots? The mind flips from one to the other, “good” “bad” “black” “white” “sun” ‘moon” “right” “left”. This movement of the mind is reflected in the channels of energy by movement from right to left, left to right. We fluctuate. Patanjali says that Yoga occurs when the fluctuations are no longer dominant. Stop. Breath. Lift the pelvic floor. Focus on the 3rd eye center. Center!!
Maybe the first time or the millionth time you do this the creative energy moves fully into the central channel and you move out of duality. If you are all in, roots to crown, mind and heart, you move out of duality. “Carrots good, chocolate chips good. It’s all good”. This is the union of the sun and the moon. Opposites and fluctuations between apparent opposites no longer exist. Any choice made from that point of view is beyond duality. There is no wrong choice. We become the Om itself. Yogis absorbed in this Om state experience profound healing. We are yoked to the cosmos within and without on a sublime level. Don’t forge…Om is a technique which will get you there, as well, it’s the journey and the destination.
On a practical level we step into the flow. Everyone experiences this state of union organically from time to time. The practices of yoga allow us to cultivate them intentionally.
Compilation of Newsletters for the April Moon Month
Arundhati, the Awakening of Creation
This word arose in my awareness this month as I took a glance at The Hatha Yoga Pradipika scribed by Swami Swatmarama. The translation I read, issued by the Bihar School in India, contained commentary by Swami Muktibodandanda of the lineage of Swami Sivananda Saraswati. While the text is thought to have been scribed in the centuries after 6 AD, it claims it’s mystical roots in the primordial origins of the sacred knowledge of Hatha Yoga from the beginning of time. Swami Muktabonananda mentions Arundhati as another name for kundalini, the powerful feminine creative source, which resides dormant and resting in the terrain of the subtle energy body commonly associated with the cradle of the pelvic bowl. Muktabodananda breaks the word Arundhati down into “arun” translated as “dawn” and “dhati” which he translates to mean to “generate” or “create”. The dawning of a new creation. Arundhata, he adds, means unobstructed. It’s a powerful description of the potent and mysterious creative potential within each and every one of us, and a clue to tapping into the potential of our yoga practice. Hatha Yoga in it’s essential expression is a discipline in the management and effective direction of this creative force, leading us to a place of full alignment with and expression of our sacred potential in this world and beyond.
Folklore runneth over with tales of the power and pitfalls of awakening this goddess force. The most famous teller of these tales is Gopi Krishna who wrote a book about the unexpected eruption of his kundalini force and the trials and tribulations of having the energy charge through his body. Any time we encounter powerful expressions of feminine creative forces it’s good to consider that, historically, feminine power has been feared and this has resulted in a great deal of distortion of information related to these energies. My experience in energy work while working with students and clients over the years is that the awakening of this force does not have to be violent or disruptive. It does not require forceful action to ignite it (although you can try that if you want). It’s part of human evolution that it organically awakens when we have certain experiences, some of which are the practices of yoga. Yoga ignites it and supports in the management and direction of the energy. What is important is how well prepared you are and how well you are able to sustain a healthy environment for the unfolding of this energy.
When the energy is managed in a balanced and well directed manner, what unfolds is gentle awakenings and shifts in perspective and understanding. The way this is cultivated, is through balance. In the simplest sense, creating an environment in the body, mind and life which is neither aggressive nor passive (think easefully assertive), neither nurturing of depression nor anger (think peace), and vaster than self absorption (think relating) will create a habitat for a productive and rich unfolding. Nurturing a balanced state allows the process to be one of healing, rather than a struggle to control.
When the energy is directed in an uplifting but grounded fashion, the creative process reflects a spiritually evolutionary journey, and an important one. It’s the upliftment that leads us to a higher vision, the transcendence of a mundane understanding of the world we live in. What is the use of this? A well balanced cultivated transcendence nurtures an empowered and liberating perspective. It opens us up to our capacity to choose. In a gentle and non-reactive way, we learn, step by step, to function without feeling trapped in the confirmed of the opinions or perceptions of those around us. WE are opened to align with our inner truth across the varying facets of our person — from our relationship to our body to our relationship with our higher power and everything in between (in realms of love, power, creativity).
OM
From Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra: 1.28-1.29:
Repeat the sound of Om and all is revealed. This anchors one in inner consciousness and dissolves obstacles.
This month we are investigating the direction and management of or essential creative force, known by many names, primarily kundalini, but this month I’m thinking of it as Arundhati. This week we’ll begin by exploring the most simple and fundamental technique for managing this energy, and that is Om.
Om is vibrationally whole. It contains within it every sound, and every possible vibration so it is the closest thing to totality that we can merge with materially. When we focus on parts – this or that – then our creative force becomes divided. This can diminish clarity and inhibit the yogic process.
Om is beyond language. Beyond language there is no limit – we can create something wholly new and not yet conceived of. Beyond language we are not bound to create within that which already can be named.
The resonance of Om permeates all levels of our being – the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual so it’s capacity to illuminate unity impacts all of the dimensions of who we are.
Practically, how does this mystical practice pan out? Well, when you have a moment of conflict, within or without. Stop and Om, inside or out and allow yourself to tune into the sound and feel, it will uplift the energy and pull into the center. Before practice, it points us in the right direction.
The Straight Arrow
To begin with: It’s said that no effort in yoga is ever lost. It stays with you forever – no matter how clumsy the attempt.
The bottom line? In it’s purest form, the Arundhati (another term for the primordial sacred energy kundalini) travels through the energy channels along the spine, easily piercing the tangles and moving upward directly toward illuminated consciousness. The only thing that can create this experience is pure devotion. One instant of pure devotion to a spiritual ideal, love, truth or God, can be sufficient. In an instant Arundhati’s journey is complete and we experience the Truth of everything. The purity of the devotion comes from an unadulterated desire to experience that spiritual ideal.
Unadulterated is one word which could reflect this, uninterrupted is another one. That would mean never wavering into lack of faith or anger or delusion about the state of affairs in the universe – meaning that we have right relationship to both our spiritual lives and our material lives in an undivided way. Holding the space for both of them as the waves of life press against us.
In the tales of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana (ancient Indian epics which illuminate the principles of yoga), the heart of the stories revolve around archery, the greatness of the archers and the dedication to their craft. The stories illuminate the rewards of accomplishment and the pitfalls which deter the practitioners as well. Author Ramesh Menon, one translator of these epics, details the nature and the precision of a well-aimed arrow – the all-consuming focus and calculation required. The target is determined, and at the beginning of the arrow’s journey it is positioned in such a way that one would expect it to travel smoothly through varying conditions towards it’s destination – the target. To have such expertise and insight is phenomenal.
In a pure classical yoga practice there is only one target – the state of yoga. If we aren’t aiming for that target, well that’s okay, the effect is never lost. This is a spiritual principle, but you may have already observed it’s a physical one too. You may have experienced that when an asana aligns it’s more of a discovery than an accomplishment and after a break in practice you move back to the level of accomplishment more swiftly than the initial journey. The point is that all practice is sustainable on some level.
These detours of the straight line of Arundhati aren’t always errors. Sometimes they are little side trips into discoveries and experiences which are helpful. The yoga practice teaches us that just about any action or experience when offered with a sense of devotion, can serve to establish the right direction in the inner flow of our consciousness.
It’s All Good
We started the month speaking about the creative force Arundhati, most often known as kundalini. We spoke of how this force can be violently awakened, or naturally awakened. We’ve used spaciousness in the hips to gently open the channels surrounding the energy in it’s dormant state, and focused on our third eye centers to encourage the energy in an upward direction. Is that it? Is that Yoga? Well, these are practices of yoga, but in the experience of “YOGA”, the state of union arises unites and ignites the central energy channel, the sushumna, from our roots to our crowns. Then, there is union, there is yoga, there is bliss, there is understanding and wisdom.
So how do we do this? Let’s take a simple decision. Should I eat chocolate chips or carrots? The mind flips from one to the other, “good” “bad” “black” “white” “sun” ‘moon” “right” “left”. This movement of the mind is reflected in the channels of energy by movement from right to left, left to right. We fluctuate. Patanjali says that Yoga occurs when the fluctuations are no longer dominant. Stop. Breath. Lift the pelvic floor. Focus on the 3rd eye center. Center!!
Maybe the first time or the millionth time you do this the creative energy moves fully into the central channel and you move out of duality. If you are all in, roots to crown, mind and heart, you move out of duality. “Carrots good, chocolate chips good. It’s all good”. This is the union of the sun and the moon. Opposites and fluctuations between apparent opposites no longer exist. Any choice made from that point of view is beyond duality. There is no wrong choice. We become the Om itself. Yogis absorbed in this Om state experience profound healing. We are yoked to the cosmos within and without on a sublime level. Don’t forge…Om is a technique which will get you there, as well, it’s the journey and the destination.
On a practical level we step into the flow. Everyone experiences this state of union organically from time to time. The practices of yoga allow us to cultivate them intentionally.
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Natalie Ullmann 