Nadi Vidya: The Inner Streams of Prana

• Format: YTT Short Course
• Chose four Short Courses to create an Eclectic Weekend Module
• Also part of “The Subtle Anatomy of Yoga: Awakening the Pranic Body” YTT Themed Intensive Module
• Instruction Time: 3 hours

Out of hundreds of thousands, there are 14 primary nadis, or channels of pranic flow, which serve to distribute prana throughout the body. Of these 14, three are considered the esoteric channels of hatha yoga. These nadis are where the work of yoga effects the chakras, our growth and development, and the emergance of yogic consciousness. Without flow of prana within the nadis there can be no life. All that we do in yoga serves to stimulate and liberate the flow of prana in these channels. Prana is the power and the gift of life. Vidya translates as knowledge. Understanding the relavance of these channels historically lead to a renaissance of hatha yoga and tantric meditation practices used to calm the mind and awaken yogis to higher states of awareness. Largely lost amidst todays physical asana approach, they are just as relavant today. A few of these practices will be explored.

Yoga Alliance: This program satisfies Yoga Alliance requirements for anatomy and physiology, philosophy, lifestyle and ethics, and elective hours.

Course Outline (3 hrs)

• Introduction to the Nadis: Streams and Rivers of Life Energy
• Flow of Prana: role in Flexibility, Strength, Self Healing, Spiritual Growth and Development
• Balancing the Nadis
• Prana, Vayus, Marma and Nadi: Managing the Flow of Prana and Concsiousness Throughout the Body
• The 3 Esoteric Channels (Sushumna, Ida, Pingala), the Brain, Swara, and Yoga
• The 14 Major Nadis: Spheres of Energetic Influence; Streams of Consciousness and Life Energy
• Nadi Imaging Practice
• Nadis and the Orifices of the Body
• Movement of the Nadis
• Nadis and the Seven Chakras, Five Senses, Organs of Action, Five Vayus
• Treatment of the 14 Nadis: Nadi Sampradayam, Hatha Yoga, Pranayam, Panchakarma, Abhyanga, Diet
• Channel Pathology:  The Four Imbalances of Prana
• Cleansing the Nadis: Nadi Shodhana and more techniques
• Nadis and Meditation: Tantric Ajapa Japa Meditation, Nadi Pranayam
• Ajapa Japa Meditations: Parvati’s Lotus, Shiva Shakti Dharana with Mantra Placed in Nadi
• Three Psychic Passages (Nadis) Meditation Practice

Practices:

• Nadi Dharana: Visualizing, Sensing, and Moving Prana Through the 14 Major Nadis
• Prana Vidya and Nadi Pranayam exercises
• Cleansing the Nadis (Nadi Shodhana and other techniques)
• Introductory Tantra Ajapa Japa exercises: Breathing Prana Through the Psychic Channels (Three Esoteric Nadi)
• Advanced Tantra Ajapa Japa exercises (Parvati’s Lotus, Shiva Shakti Dharana with Mantra Placed in Nadi)