Get to Know Nadis

Article by Ashwini Chubé

As a child, I suffered from a lot of minor health issues from tonsillitis to stomach troubles. Well and after trying many many super specialists in mainstream medicine who advised surgery as the only solution for my constant tonsillitis and cold and cough my parents finally took me to a homeopathic doctor who I recently came to know is a Reiki Master too.

He took it up as a challenge to cure me and well within about 6 months of my treatment I was perfectly alright. Only one thing I remembered as a part of the discussion with us was he said she has Nadi imbalance causing the problem. He said he’ll take care of all of it through his homeopathic medicines and healings.

Months passed and turned into years and as an adult, I was drawn to Reiki eventually becoming a Usui Reiki Grandmaster. Once while having a meaningful conversation with my Reiki Master in 2015 she introduced me to the concept of Nadis. Since then I researched it, discussed with other fellows Reiki Masters and have prepared a detail tabular study for anyone and everyone who wishes to know about Nadis.

What are these Nadis and how do they influence?

The word Nadi comes from Sanskrit word meaning stream. Nadis are the astral tubes made up of astral matter that carry psychic currents. The Sanskrit term ‘Nadi’ comes from the root ‘Nad’ which means ‘motion’.

There are many Nadis in the human body. Different authors state the number of Nadis in different ways. Many theories even say the presence of 16108 Nadis. The ancient Hindu mythology talks about Lord Krishna who had 16108 wives – which in fact is a metaphor for Krishna(Consciousness) to have 16108 wives(energy channels). Theories also talk about 72000 to 350000 Nadis in human subtle body or energy body of which there are 14 primary ones. Note that these Nadis are not visible to a naked eye as they are part of subtle energy body (sukshma deha) and not physical body (sthoola deha)

The 14 chief Nadis

1. Sushumna
2. Ida
3. Pingala
4. Gandhari
5. Hastajihva
6. Kuhu
7. Saraswati
8. Pusha
9. Sankhini
10. Payasvini
11. Varuni
12. Alambusha
13. Vishvodhara
14. Yasasvini

3 Primary Nadis

The 3 primary Nadis are Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. All 3 originate at the Root chakra or Muladhara – the place where they originate is called the Kanda. Then Ida begins its course from left alternating its route to right and left at each chakra – whereas Pingala begins its course at right alternating left and right at each chakra. Sushumna, on the other hand, goes straight up the spine.

Within Sushumna are secondary Nadis – Vajra and Chitrini and within Chitrini is the Bramhanadi the conduit for Kundalini. It is said that Kundalini the serpent Goddess resides and sleeps on the Root chakra. However many times Sushumna is also addressed as the Bramhanadi.

Ida and Pingala indicate time, the past and the future respectively. Sushumna is the destroyer of time. It is the present moment and it is timeless.

Let us know their details from the tabular representation below:

	Ida	Pingala	Sushumna
Location	Left of spine	Right of spine	Central straight  running through the spinal channel and through each of the chakras
Alternative names	Shashi or lunar channel or Chandra Nadi	Mihira or solar channel or Surya Nadi	Absolute channel or Bramha Nadi
Meaning	Comfort	Tawny or Tanned or Golden	Joyful or gracious
Nature or Temperament	Introverted and calm	Extroverted or active	Balanced
Brain	Right side of the brain	Left side of brain	Both sides
Body Side	Left side of the body	Right side of body	Central
Corresponding River	Ganges	Yamuna	Saraswati
Course Begins	Left of Muladhara	Right of Muladhara	At center of Muladhara or base
Course ends	Left nostril	Right nostril	Crown Chakra
Temperature	Cooling	Heating	Salvation or enlightenment
Energy	Feminine Energy	Masculine Energy	Neutral
Colors	White or Cool colors	Red or Warm colors	Colourless
Controlling functions	Controls all mental processes thus calming the mind and relaxing the body. Its function is cooling (tamas), inertia.	Control essential life processes and imparts vitality efficiency and strength. Its function is burning (rajas), action	Its function is Agni, Fire (sattva), illumination
Temperament	Nurturing and Creativity	Vigour and Vitality	Enlightenment
Time indication	Past	Future	Present – timeless

As Sadguru says “Fundamentally, Sushumna is attribute-less, it has no quality of its own. It is like empty space. If there is empty space, you can create anything you want”

The Journey

• Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna all 3 originate at the Root or Muladhara chakra – thus it is the meeting place of the three main Nadis and is known as Yukta Triveni
• From the Root chakra, Ida and Pingala alternate from the right to left sides meeting and crossing each other and mirroring each other at each chakra until they reach Third Eye or the Ajna chakra where they meet Sushumna Nadi
• At the third eye or Ajna chakra, the meeting of the three main Nadis is called Mukta Triveni
• Continuing beyond Ajna chakra, Ida and Pingala end in the left and right nostrils respectively
• Sushumna travels till the Crown chakra or Sahasrara and terminates there
  

  Image by AdinaVoicu

What happens when Nadis are imbalanced

If Pingala flows, the body will be restless; if Ida flows, the mind will be overactive. Both Nadis mirror each other temperaments and extremity can lead to what we call as polarity. The key is to balance both Nadis to get an equilibrium in life.

As quoted by Sivananda: The breath flows through the right nostril for one hour and then through the left nostril for one hour. Man is busily engaged in worldly activities when the breath flows through Ida and Pingala. When Sushumna operates, he becomes dead to the world and enters into Samadhi.

How to balance Nadis

1. Pranayama :
   Alternate Nostril breathing can help balancing both the Nadis. Yoga calls this practice as Anuloma Vilom or Nadi Shuddhi. Anulom Vilom or alternate nostril breathing is effective in balancing both Nadis (Caution: Anulom Vilom to be done only under guidance and supervision of a certified Yoga master)
2. Reiki to balance the energy
   Regularly giving Reiki to the body and all Chakras will balance the flow of energy in both the Nadis. Reiki is a smart intelligent energy and can know where there is an imbalance working on intention to balance the Nadis
3. Physical Exercises
   Any physical exercises can help open up nasal channels thus helping to balance Nadis. Typically yogic asanas involve both the yin and yang energy and breathing while performing asanas will balance both nostrils (Caution: Yogic asanas and exercises to be done only under guidance and supervision of a certified Yoga master)

Nadis in other culture:

In addition to the Yogic traditions, even other cultures talk about the Three Nadis

In European traditions, there is an entire theory about healing related to the Caduceus of Hermes: the two snakes of which symbolize the kundalini or serpent-fire

In Chinese and Eastern traditions they talk about Yin and Yang energy and Yin and Yang symbol which is very much the embodiment of the masculine and feminine

Conclusion

Well, all said and done the primary objective of this article was to reach out to you all and spread more awareness about your subtle bodies which if balanced can lead to an overall state of health, happiness, spiritual well being.

Thanks for reading!

Love and Reiki blessings to all my readers

References and Research sources:

• Upanishads
• Shri Bhagvad Geeta
• Shiva Samhita and Yogic texts
• http://www.sivanandaonline.org/
• http://www.tantra-kundalini.com/
• http://www.ishayoga.org

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Ashwini Chube is a Motivational Speaker, Life Transformation Trainer, Wellness coach, Spiritual Teacher, Access Consciousnesses Bars Facilitator & Reiki Grandmaster. Ashwini is also a Writer, an avid blogger and is currently working on her 2 upcoming self help and spiritual books.
She has founded the company Unicorn Insight with a vision to create a world where the world runs on consciousness, joy abundance and love instead of fear, lack and scarcity. Ashwini's mission is to empower individuals to know who they truly and authentically are and help them tap in their power. Unicorn Insight has been instrumental in transformations of lives - whether it is through individual one on one coachings, group workshops, corporate trainings or motivational talks.
Ashwini is a former Investment banker and holds an MBA in finance having worked in Corporate world of Banking and Mergers and Acquisitions with Banks like Morgan Stanley and RBS for 8 years in Mumbai and London before she pursued her calling in 2015.
Get in touch with Ashwini through her Website: www.unicorninsight.com or at unicorninsight@gmail.com. Her Facebook page is: facebook.com/ashwinichubeofficial