The Spine’s Central Energy
Once in either current for a long time, it is difficult to flow awareness out of it. There are some people who are predominantly piṅgalā, aggressive in nature and strong in their human elements in that area. There are some people who are predominantly iḍā: human, physical and earthy, and full of feeling. And there are some who switch from one to the other. These are the more rounded and well-adjusted type of people, who can move awareness through the piṅgalā current and through the iḍā current and adjust the energies almost at will.
We have still another basic strong current that you should know about. It is called sushumṇā. It is one of fourteen currents within the spine which govern the instinctive, intellectual, conscious, subconscious, sub of the subconscious, subsuperconscious and superconscious areas of the mind. The iḍā and the piṅgalā are two of these fourteen, so this leaves eleven more within the spine.
When we begin a religious pilgrimage or retreat into sādhana and we want awareness to dive deep within, we have to withdraw the energy of the vibrating iḍā and the vibrating piṅgalā current into sushumṇā. This is quite a chore, because these currents have had energy flowing in them for a number of years. So, to rechannel that energy is to rechannel the entire circumference of awareness into the sushumṇā current. This takes a lot of practice.
Breathing, of course, is a major function of control here. Haṭha yoga is a major function, too. Sitting in the lotus position conquers a great deal of the iḍā current. The practices of concentration and observation conquer a great deal of the piṅgalā current. Some good, solid study that disciplines awareness, such as the study of math, music or a skill, moves awareness into the piṅgalā and helps balance these two currents.
Then the next step is to bring awareness into sushumṇā. This is the path. However, if awareness is flowing through the piṅgalā current already and is extremely aggressive, that means the entire nature of the individual is extremely aggressive, intellectual, and it is extremely difficult for him to withdraw those energies into the sushumṇā current. Why? Because he will argue within himself mentally and reason himself out of it. He will simply go to another book, or have a different intellectual look at it, or go to another teacher, or watch television instead, or go to another lecture. He will never quite get around to bringing in this aggressive piṅgalā energy from the intellect back to its source, sushumṇā, so that he can go within and experience superconscious realms of the inner mind consciously.
These two forces, the iḍā and the piṅgalā, are the big challenges. They are what makes a person “human” in the popular sense of the word. It is the degree of energy that flows through the areas of the iḍā and piṅgalā that forms one’s nature, his actions, reactions and responses. The areas of his external personality are governed by these two currents.
How do you bring about a balance? It is done by regular practice of the five steps. Choose a time to withdraw deliberately the energies from both the iḍā and piṅgalā currents and to move awareness into sushumṇā in a very positive way. In the morning when you awaken and at night before you sleep are the best times. Breathe regularly, the same number of counts in and out. Sit in the lotus posture. When you sit in the lotus posture, you are actually short-circuiting the iḍā current to a certain extent. When you are breathing regularly, through the control of the breath, you are short-circuiting the piṅgalā current to a certain extent. Then, when awareness flows into the core of energy within the spine, you soon become consciously conscious of the sushumṇā current. At that point, awareness is within and begins immediately to draw upon all the externalized energies of the body, and these two psychic currents are drawn within to their source.