Use Navel Fire to Open Your Heart

One of the most beautiful things about practicing Kundalini Yoga is that we can help create more light in the world. We can each do our part to dissolve fear and anger with the higher frequencies of peace and love. Every morning we can light up our own lamp and let it shine during the day. As our individual lights increase and join together, the morphogenic field of the planet is transformed. Every day we can each be an amazing shining star that lights the way for others.

The path to the heart includes being honest about our inner anger and how we express and repress it. With the help of Kundalini Yoga, instead of wasting our fire energy on frustration and anger, we can use the fire of the navel chakra to open our heart and be passionate about our unique life. Here are some simple exercises and meditations to direct your fire to your heart.

Lightly pumping the navel and Breath of Fire build and focus pranic fire at the navel chakra. As the fire activates, it become available to (1) descend down to the base of the spine and activate the Kundalini, (2) rise up to open the heart, and (3) of course, to take action for ourselves.

Solar Plexus: Awaken Your Core

Our core is a combination of our navel and solar plexus, which must be activated, integrated, and powerful to awaken our heart.

1. Lying on your back, raise your left leg up to 90 degrees. Keep the leg straight, foot flat, heel pressed up, and toe back. Grab on to the toes of the left foot if you can maintain the knee straight. If not, grab on to your leg. Open up the diaphragm with Breath of Fire for 1 minute. Then chant HAR, lightly pumping the navel and feeling the release at the diaphragm. 3-5 minutes.

2. Repeat exercise #1 on the right side.

3. Sitting with the legs stretched out straight, grab on to the toes (or your legs) keeping the legs straight. You can also use a strap around your feet to get a good stretch. Inhale up and exhale down, each time stretching a bit on the exhale. Bend from the hips, keep the spine straight and stretched. Mentally chant HAR with the movement. 1-2 minutes. Once you have loosened up, chant HAR out loud on the downward stretch. 1-2 minutes.

After each of the exercises, inhale deeply, suspend the breath, relax the body, and then lightly pull in the navel, allowing the muscles along the spine to engage the root lock at the first and second chakras. Then exhale deeply and inhale again. This time as you engage the navel and root, feel the fire energy go up to your heart.

Work up to practicing all three exercises for 5-11 minutes each. After each exercise the locks will deepen and bring more energy up to your heart. Or do each exercise for 1-3 minutes, and then repeat the whole set after a relaxation in between. This is a very effective option as you can practice deepening your locks with each series to open your heart. You will have a great experience and enjoy a deep state of relaxation at the end.

Easy Meditation to Get Up and Go

This is the meditation of choice when you don’t feel like doing anything, but have things that must get done. It is also good for those unable to sit.

Lying on your back, body relaxed, arms resting to the sides, pump the navel (pulling in slightly and releasing). Once you have the rhythm, begin chanting HAR HAR HAR HAR with the tip of the tongue in coordination with the light pumping of the navel. Move the navel and gradually engage the root lock, activating the whole spine. Practice for 5, 11, or 15 minutes. The activation of your navel center and spine will give you energy to do what you have to do.

Quick Heart Opener and Meditation

1. Balance in Crow Pose with the feet flat on the ground. (or in easy pose or standing) Alternately raise one arm at a time from straight out in front, parallel to the ground, to above the head at a 90-degree angle to the opposite arm, moving with a powerful breath. Clear and claim the space in front of your heart. 1-2 minutes.
2. Sitting in Easy Pose, bring your hands to your heart and be with the flow of the breath in the chest. Feel the wave at the heart. Bring all your attention to what you are experiencing at your heart. 3-11 minutes.

3. Begin rhythmically pumping the navel (pulling in slightly and releasing). Once you have established a comfortable rhythm, begin chanting HAR with the tip of the tongue in coordination each light pumping of the navel. First, focus only on moving the navel. Then gradually engage the root lock, activating the whole lower spine. Then feel the ‘H’ sound at the heart. Gradually integrate all of the above and feel the energy awaken your heart. Practice for 5, 11, or 15 minutes. Consciously use the pranic fire at your navel center and Kundalini to transform anger into deep love and compassion at your heart.

Deeply relax on your back with your hands on your heart.

The above exercises come from Your Life Is in Your Chakras, pages 280, 282, and 309.

Read Blogs Fantasy Busters – 2016 – Part 1 and Part 2 for supplemental information.