Taurus Earth Root Lock Query

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

I have Sun Gemini and Libra Ascendent so am always very interested in what

will help me ground.. and how I can work with the earth energy to bring

stability to my life.

 

My attention was drawn to the latest NMB, particularly..

 

"EARTH ENERGY

Taurus is the Earth element, so during your meditation be sure to bring your

attention to your root chakra. Practice root lock so that you feel the

energetic roots from your first chakra connecting you to the Earth. We want

to establish an experience of rootedness and a secure foundation in our

body. This is accomplished by being present TO the sensations in our lower

body."

 

My specific query is with regards to what the root lock does.

 

Previously I had thought that the root lock reverses the flow of energy (the

apana) which usually connects us with the earth, changing the direction of

this downward flow.. redirecting it upwards to be mixed with the of Prana.

 

However, here, it says that Root Lock may be practiced to allow us to, 'feel

the energetic roots from your first chakra connecting you to the Earth',

thus increasing our sense of groundedness?

 

I have never thought of the Root Lock as being something which could help me

be more grounded.. rather something that would be more elevating for raising

energy.

 

Can anyone share some insight please.

 

Thank-you,

Krishan Shiva Kaur,

Hampshire, England.

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam, Krishan Shiva Kaur.

 

You wrote seeking an interpretation of the following:

 

"Practice root lock so that you feel the energetic roots from your

first chakra connecting you to the Earth. We want to establish an

experience of rootedness and a secure foundation in our body. This is

accomplished by being present TO the sensations in our lower body."

 

I'm responding not so much to give advice, but to describe my

interpretation and and the grounding techniques I use when practicing

KY. I am curious about what the teachers and seasoned practitioners

think about this. Having practiced hatha yoga for almost 20 years

including study with an excellent teacher, I've felt confident in

studying KY with videotapes and written materials thus far.

 

One video I use is Chakra Yoga (Gurutej Kaur). It teaches 2 asanas

for each of the 7 major chakras from root to crown. Locks are

practiced each time the 2 asanas for each chakra are completed. Sat

Kriya is practiced for the crown and another asana? directing the

viewer to pull the energy up after exhaling while seated in easy

pose. To understand the locks, I carefully studied the lesson on

yogatech.com. and other written materials.

 

Whenever I practice directing the spinal energy, it is with a

consciousness of my connection and the intention of strenghtening my

connection to spirit and the earth. I seek to connect with the center

of the earth (manifestation) through my root chakra and the heavens

(spirit/inspiration) through my crown. I do this because like you, I

feel the need to strengthen groundedness and of course, connection

with spirit is the point of yoga. While I practice this way because

of what I have learned over the years from various teachings, I don't

consider it to be a mixing of techniques, just an extension of the

connection points.

 

For a short time I studied Chi Kung and there is an exercise where

one practices this which reminds me a lot of Sat Kriya. In this Chi

Kung exercise one repeatedly directs the energy down to the center of

the earth through the spine then up to a point in the heavens and

back down again. It is done quickly as in Sat Kriya. When I practice

Sat Kriya, I simply direct the energy to and from the extended

points. I can intuitively feel when I've reached the center of the

earth and that point in the heavens. Grounding into the center of the

earth and pulling the energy up from there through my spine into the

heavens feels right for me. As I am clearing and strengthening the

major chakras, I want to strengthen those connections as well. It is

harder to do it this way and I wouldn't recommend it unless moving

the energy from the cocyx to the crown is easy.

 

There is a grounding technique that involves sending an energetic

cord down from the root chakra to the center of the earth. You

visualize it and after you practice it for a while, you can feel it.

You can use the same technique to strengthen the connection from the

crown to that point in the heavens by sending an energy cord up. If

you decide to try it, you might want to practice these separate from

ky practice until you can feel the energy and when you reach the

points.

 

In your inquiry you stated:

"Previously I had thought that the root lock reverses the flow of

energy... which usually connects us with the earth, changing the

direction of this downward flow.. redirecting it upwards to be mixed

with the of Prana."

 

When I pull the energy up, practicing root lock, I pull the energy up

from the center of the earth and lock it in the root chakra. Sending

it down is more a matter of grounding, i.e. establishing or

strengthening the connection. How can one pull the energy up without

a strong connection?

 

I'd like to know from some more experienced KY practitioners whether

all of this makes sense in the context of KY practice. If not, I

apologize for disseminating any incorrect information.

 

Sat Nam, Linda