Moving the energy from the crown to the feet is just as good as from the feet to the crown chakra. With some practice you might get both directions flowing at the same time. You can also alternate them, one with the inbreath and one on the outbreath. Kundalini is triggered by holding the upward moving current (prana) and the downward moving current (apana) in the navel chakra after reversing them.
Tom what evidence/experience do you have to verify that crown to feet is just as good? could you elaborate please?
both directions flowing at the same time seems incredible, can you do it?? is it more benefitial than just up, down etc?
i would prefer to activly encourage kundalini arousal Tom, are you saying that downward energy flow will not at all stimulate it?
i thought general concentration of energy in and around the coxys aroused it up or down....
One of my teachers suggesting bringing the energy from the crown down to the feet instead of the other way around. He said that it is more grounding and that bringing the energy up to the crown caused dizziness in himself and several of his students. There was a book I read about kundalini and chakras (I forgot the title and authors as this was several years ago and at the time I was only reading for my own benefit) that said that it is important to keep an upward flowing currant balanced by a downward moving currant. It said that if more energy is moving one way than the other it could cause imbalance and discomfort. It suggesting alternating the directions and then moving both directions at once. At first I just rapidly alternated between moving energy up and down, but now it is no more difficult to send energy up and down at the same time than it is to split the energy between both arms or legs. I have not found more benefit from a particular direction or combination of directions. The most important thing has just been to keep the energy moving.
Hatha yoga uses pranayama and bandhas to stimulate the kundalini into motion. Mulabhanda especially. The purpose behind the asanas is to prepare for pranayama. The bandhas keep the extra energy from draining out of the chakras. I have included some information from a web site on mulabhanda.
http://www.focalpointyoga.com/bandhas_-_energy_locks.htm
Mulabhanda - also known as Root Lock, Core Lift and The Squeeze
NOTE: The muscles used here are also very close to the sexual organs, and until you learn to isolate and strengthen the pelvic floor (perineum) muscles, you will also be contracting musculature close to the sexual organs. For many people, this can bring up sexual energy. If this happens for you, relax the body and release any tension, then do a few rounds of Kapalabhati breathing. This will help dissipate some of that energy. Also, focus on drawing that energy up the spinal column into your head and your heart. Visualization is a powerful tool, and consciously guiding this energy up the body can help give you greater mental and physical energy in the body. I recommend practicing these techniques in a location where the release of sexual energy will not cause any problems for you, until you learn to isolate the muscles without releasing that energy in an uncontrolled way.
Mulabhanda (also known as the Root Lock or Core Lift). This lock increases and holds energy in the first and second chakras, channeling dormant energy from the base of the spine. It contracts the rectum, sexual organs, and navel. This is similar to a Keggle exercise, for those who are familiar with that technique.
To engage Mulabhanda, inhale deeply. As you exhale, contract and draw in the anal sphincter muscles, as though you were holding in a bowel movement. Then contract the muscles of the urethra, as though you needed to urinate and had to hold it in. Finally, contract your abdominal muscles in, pulling the navel back towards your spine. Some people find it useful to contract the muscles 1 inch below the navel and 2 inches into the body. At first, you will be contracting the muscles of the buttocks as you learn this technique. Eventually, you will be able to isolate the perineum (muscles of the pelvic floor between the anus and the genitals, which holds your organs inside the pelvis). Once you can isolate the perineal muscles, you will be able to lift just the center of the perineum and rather than a large contraction pulling the whole floor up and into your body, you will be able to use a subtle contraction, lifting just the center of the perineum like a gentle pinch lifting a tissue.
Inhale, release, exhale, engage. To strengthen the muscles, hold the root lock as long as possible before releasing. Eventually, you will be able to hold it on both the inhalation and exhalation by isolating the muscles of the perineum (pelvic floor), but at first, it will probably move with your breath.
In acupuncture theory, there are several major and lots of minor meridians that carry energy through the body. Of the major ones, half go up and half go down. It seems to make sense. I think of it like veins and arteries, some carry energy in and some out. I agree with Tom, I think it's important to balance them. But also, when you work in one direction you also strengthen the other. The goal is a good clear FLOW of energy, not to take energy and move it somewhere else, and leave it there. In my opinion, anyways.
Do what feels comfortable for you, and if it works, it works!
Leaving energy in one place is bad. :) That is not quite what I meant by keeping it from draining out of the chakras. It is just that the energy has to be kept in place long enough to trigger an effect. It is not a condition to be maintained indefinitely.
We have energy flows both up from the earth thru our feet and down through our crown. Whatever feels better is not wrong, however I would not stop doing the other direction totally.
thanks for the feedback folks :D
Tom do you practise hatha yoga? and have you aroused your kundalini??
Tom, by clenching the buttocks as if you were holding in a bowel movement will that encourage kundalini arousal and/or is it good for exercising the base chakra??
my base chakra is very weak (if thats the correct term) and i want to develop it- will that buttock clenching exercise help me to do so???
my theory on energy flow being easier in a downwards motion is that our bodies are used to being pulled down by the earths gravity.
The base chakra is located halfway between the anus and genitals. So is the perineum. The idea is to locate the perineum and just tense it up so as to keep energy from leaking out the base chakra. Mulabhanda removes blockages from both the base and second chakra. It also caused the higher bandhas to automatically be put in place when done correctly.
Yes, I do yoga ... just nowhere near as much as I'd like.
According to two people who have observed me in person, my kundalini has been partially activated for a few years now. I don't know what to think exactly. It feels like my life has been thoroughly disrupted for several years now.
I would think this is because your crown is more active.
To me and the technique I use the energy naturally flows up.
The way that I always think of it is that energy comming from the crown is more spiritual, from the divine self and much more difficult. The energy from one of the physical elements such as earth (through the ground), air, fire, water is much easier to channel as you have experienced the physical manifestations of it.
thing is though, spritual energy may be more difficult in my opinion, but it is good because you get a kind of clensing while you activate the chakras.
travis, were you reffering to me?? i KNOW my brow chakra is the most active and only recently discovered that my awareness is ALWAYS situated there, now, when i relax the whole of my head, its a very strange feeling.
its as if ive been unconcsiouly focusing on it my whole life.
i wonder if it has anything to do with me having quite a big forehead.
Is that why my gut is so big? cus my chakra there is the most active?
I found it kinda weird that RB stated to make sure you dont make the energy flow down. However if certain currents need to flow up like the person said about meridians in accupuncture seems you wouldnt be doing any good by making them flow down. I'd need more information before i start trying to make the energy flow down through the crown chakra towards the base
You mentioned kundalini and from everything i've read it comes up through the spine. I wouldnt go against philosophy thats been practiced for 100's of years just cus i believe the direction doesn't matter. Sometimes things are done for a reason.. such as many monks etc who have practiced things for centuries found a real reason why things should be done a certain way.
Kundalini is usually described as starting at the base chakra and going up to the crown chakra, but this is only one possibility. It is unusual for the kundalini to be activated and to reach the crown chakra on the first attempt and then to stay there. It comes back down. It also moves to the sides. It fills the body.
hello to the people :D
when practising NEW, i find it much easier to start at the crown and channel it down into my feet rather than feet to crown.
since this wasnt the way Robert did it, i have assumed it is wrong, because he draws it up throug his feet. But he also says "what works, works"..
so, if anyone knows weather directing the energy flow down rather than up is wrong in some way (for the energy body???)
then please say so.
it also seems logical for the energy to travel up because it has many connotations of growth or evolution to it...
e.g.
a blooming flower, kundalini, tree of life, ascention etc....
i recall asking a question like this a while ago, but i dont remember much about it.