Week Five - Sushumna Nadi, A Central Line
Hello everyone,
December has absolutely flown in! This Sunday 5pm at Thrive will be our last yoga practice of 2025... I can't believe it! I know it's a busy and sometimes hectic time of year for many, but if you have any inclination to join us for one final hatha yoga practice of the year this Sunday, do let me know and I will save you a space :) It will be a calming and rejuvenating practice, closing out our winter term with the theme of sushumna nadi - the central energy channel. A full body and spine health yoga practice. A sequence full of breath (pranayama) and postural work, with the hopes to cultivate inner awareness and set intentions for light-heartedness as we transition consciously into some lovely holidays and a brand new year!
*Keep reading this letter to learn a little about sushumna nadi, the central energy line - or you can zoom to the bottom of the page to read about our upcoming January term and a brand new second yoga class offering on Sunday evenings called 'soft stretch yoga'. Bookings for the new five week term in January are now open! :)
During this term we've explored and moved with the concept of prana and the primary nadis. To recap, prana is the Sanskrit word for life-force, or energy, and the word nadi describes a channel of prana (energy) within the body, very much like a river flowing with water. So far we've looked at ida nadi, which is a flow of prana that runs up the left hand side of the spine and is associated with feminine qualities and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest state), and then pingala nadi, which is a flow of energy that runs up the right hand side of the spine and is associated with more masculine qualities and the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Last week we took a deep dive into yoga mythology and explored how the union of goddess Shakti and god Shiva represents the natural duality of energy within the mind and body and the dynamic relationship between them, but this Sunday we are taking it back to the nadis - because we have one more to explore. The most important one... Sushumna nadi. The central line.
Sushumna nadi begins at the base of the spine and is a key conduit for the flow of shakti - creative life force. It is said that when ida and pingala nadi, the feminine and masculine qualities within one person, are perfectly balanced - prana can then finally flow through sushumna nadi unrestricted, allowing the individual to feel a great sense of inner peace and divine clarity. Life becomes free and easy, with a newfound understanding of creative possibilities and the great resounding relief of experiencing unconditional contentment and satisfaction. This is considered a spiritual awakening. So... this is a very powerful nadi to work with!
The sushumna subtle energy pathway is linked to each of the seven primary chakras (energy centres, or wheels) within the body, as it begins at the seat of the spine in the muladhara chakra, and journeys all the way up to the crown of the head and the ajna and sahasrara chakras.
A fascinating observation in this study of subtle energy pathways and how they link with the chakras is to observe how the ida nadi (moon energy) and pingala nadi (sun energy) travel up either side of the spine not in a straight line, but in a sort of DNA style spiral. If you observe the simple illustration below, you'll see that ida nadi and pingala nadi move apart from each other momentarily but then come together again in a repeating pattern, joining with the central line of sushumna nadi and creating a temporary union of all three nadis...these intersection points are the famous chakras (energy centres) that run along the spine!
So, the place where the three nadis meet at specific points along the spine are exactly where we find the chakras (energy centres). By understanding this subtle energy relationship, one might hypothesis that the ability of the chakras (energy centres) to spin freely and resolve the numerous physical and psycho-emotional conditions they're capable of healing is dependant upon the individual's ability to consciously balance the inner masculine and inner feminine, and come into peaceful union with oneself. To put this into more modern context, this is a conversation about self love. Forgiveness, compassion, understanding, attentive listening, honest communication...all between you and you. The most precious and important relationship of your life. Your own. For me, this is what yoga practice is all about.
If you're feeling confused or intrigued about what the chakras are and you want to learn more, I have some exciting news! I've decided to theme our new year term around the first three chakras, to dive deeper into the psychosomatic power of understanding these transformative energy centres, which are the doorways between mind and body connection. There is so much to uncover here!
The new year yoga term will run from January 4th to February 1st. There will be not one but two yoga classes running every Sunday evening! Our lovely Hatha Flow class at 5pm, and a brand new 'Soft Stretch' yoga practice at 6:30pm. The soft stretch yoga class will be a variation of our yin yoga practice but with more elements of gentle flow and integrative movement to help calm the mind and release tension in the body, but with the same soft atmosphere and all our cosy supportive props and blankets! I will share more details in the thank you email next week :)
"How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you." – Rupi Kaur
Le grá agus buíochas,
Macha
