A Beginner Guide

Sahaja Yoga
a beginner’s guide
First published in Great Britain 2005
First U.S. edition (revised) published 2006
Copyright © 2006 Vishwa Nirmala Dharma

Contents
What is Sahaja Yoga? 1
Experience of the cool breeze 2
Thoughtless awareness 3
About Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi 5
What is meditation? 9
How do I meditate at home? 13

Raising the Kundalini and giving yourself a bandhan 13
Daily meditation 16
The Subtle System 19

The Kundalini 19
The three channels 20
1. Mooladhara chakra 21
2. Swadhishthana chakra 23
3. Nabhi chakra 26
3a. The Void 28
4. Heart chakra 29
5. Vishuddhi chakra 31
6. Agnya chakra 33
7. Sahasrara chakra 36
Chakra cleansing techniques 41

Footsoaking 41
Balancing the left and right sides 43
Techniques for clearing any chakra 48
Taking it further 50
Meditating with affirmations 51
Sharing the experience 52
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, founder of Sahaja Yoga
What is Sahaja Yoga?
“At the very outset we have to understand that truth is what it is, we cannot conceptualize it,
we cannot organize it and we cannot use it for our own purpose. Moreover, with the blinkers on
both the sides like a horse, with all our conditionings, we cannot find the truth. We have to be
free people. We have to be open-minded people, like scientists, to see for ourselves what is the
truth. If somebody preaches something, professes something, says something, it is not to be
accepted blindfolded.” Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
S
ahaja Yoga is a meditation technique developed by Shri Mataji
Nirmala Devi. Sahaja means “born with you” and Yoga
means “union with the divine.” Sahaja Yoga is a natural and
spontaneous process that gently transforms us from within, enabling
us to manifest and express positive human qualities and to enjoy the
peace and the bliss of life described in all scriptures. Sahaja Yoga is
an inner revolution that brings about the transformation of human
beings into spiritual beings who gradually manifest sublime qualities Sacrum Bone
of compassion, generosity and detached, unselfish love, and who
live in a progressively profound state of bliss and inner peace. It is a
living process and a gradual transformation of our awareness, not a
mental projection or a concept.
Sahaja Yoga is not a fad movement that becomes popular over-
night and then collapses like any “ism” that we believe in one day
and then denounce the next day. In the same way that a seed sprouts,
then grows from a small shoot into a mighty tree, Sahaja Yoga grows CERVICAL
both individually and collectively in an entirely natural way. SPINE (7)
THORACIC
Sahaja Yoga is a spiritual movement of global proportions. SPINE (12)
People from more than 100 countries around the world, from all age
groups and diverse religious and social backgrounds, are united by LUMBAR
SPINE (5)
their experience of the same inner joy and peace.
SACRUM
COCCYX
Sahaja Yoga involves the awakening of a subtle spiritual energy
known as the Kundalini which lies dormant in the sacrum bone Spinal cord
at the base of the spine in three-and-a-half coils. Sacrum is derived
from the Greek word for “sacred.” The gentle awakening of this
Kundalini energy and the inner journey of self discovery is known
as Self Realization or Yoga. Those who have received Realization
are known as “realized souls” or dweejaha in Sanskrit, meaning
“twice born.”
1
Sahaja Yoga – a beginner’s guide
Experience of the Cool Breeze

The awakened Kundalini rises up the spinal column until it reaches
the limbic region of the brain from where it flows gently through
the top of the head at the fontanelle bone. The Kundalini can be felt
coming out of the fontanelle bone as a cool breeze or cool vibrations
(chaitanya). These cool vibrations can also be felt on the fingertips
and on the palms of the hands.
It is very important to understand that we feel these sensations
on our central nervous system. It is for this reason that Sahaja Yoga
cannot be referred to as a blind belief. It is an experience and a
scientifically provable phenomenon. In the same way that all human
beings can feel the heat of the sun’s rays upon their skin, all human
beings can feel the cool vibrations and can experience Sahaja Yoga in
the same way.
The experience of the cool breeze on the hands and on the
top of the head is the physical evidence of the awakening of the
Kundalini and its union with the all-pervading power of the
Divine. Many people may experience a warm breeze, instead of
cool breeze, coming out of their hands and the top of their heads.
This indicates that Kundalini is doing its work of bringing the
various aspects of a person into balance, and this heat is a result
of its work. Once the various aspects come into balance, the heat
goes away, and a cool breeze can be experienced. It may take some
time to experience the cool breeze, and experienced practitioners
of Sahaja Yoga (Sahaja Yogis) can help in clearing out any obstacles
to experiencing the cool breeze.
In the Gospel of John, Christ makes references to both the cool
breeze and the need for second birth, and indicates that spirituality is
an experience:
“Truly, I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see
the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus replied, “How can a man be
born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s
womb and be born again?” Jesus answered, “Unless one is born of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which
is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
Spirit. Do not be amazed that I say this to you. The wind blows
where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know
where it comes from and where it is going; so it is with everyone
2 What is Sahaja Yoga

Subtle System
Central Path of Evolution
Collective Unconscious
who is born of the Spirit.... Truly, I say to you, we speak of what we
know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our
testimony.” New Testament – John (Chapter 3) scribble about GAP
Superego 7 Ego
Collective Supra Conscious

6
Thoughtless Awareness
Future
5
The Indian scriptures describe the following four states of human Gap between
awareness: thoughts
Pingala Nadi Ida N
Jagruti the waking state of consciousness S

4 4
Swapna the dreaming state of consciousness Sushumna Nadi
Sushupti the state of deep sleep in which the mind, the ego
and superego are still
Turya the state of thoughtless awareness beyond the mind 3
The first three states of awareness are commonly experienced1 in

7
2
our daily lives. The fourth state is the state of thoughtless awareness 2
or nirvichara samadhi. This is the state in which the constant rising
and falling of thoughts in the mind comes to an end.5 At 4first a 1
3 6
gap—vilamba—begins to appear between the thoughts. As this
gap grows the thoughts diminish and, with the regular practice of
meditation, the mind enters easily into thoughtless awareness.
1
The
2 3 4 5
attention becomes still like a lake without any ripples on
Mooladhara
innocence
it and a
Swadisthan Nabhi Anahat Vishuddhi
creativity evolution security collectivity
deep inner peace begins to dawn upon our awareness.
When there are no ripples on the water of a lake, its surface
becomes almost invisible as it reflects the beauty of the landscape
around it—the trees and the sky and clouds. In the same way, the
still mind reflects the beauty of the creation and melts into the bliss
“Empty
and the peace of the divine. Our growth in Sahaja Yoga lifts us to
yourself of
this higher level of consciousness.
everything.
“Now, instruction in Yoga (Union). Union is restraining the Let the mind
thought-streams natural to the mind. Then the seer dwells in his become still.”
own nature. Otherwise he is of the same form as the thoughts.” Lao Tze
Patanjali – “Yoga Sutras” Tao Te Ching,
verse 16
“Enjoyment is only possible when you are beyond your mind.
With your mind you can never enjoy. It’s like a big load. It will not
act, it will not help. Enjoyment comes when you are in complete
silence—in a rippleless lake. The reflection of all the joy that is
created on the shores of that lake are completely reflected, they are
3
not deflected. If there were ripples it would have been a different

image altogether and would have been something nowhere near the
image of reality.” Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Italy, Oct 1, 1995
In the state of thoughtless awareness we think neither of the

past nor of the future. We are entirely in the present moment, in
the state of being and do not waste the precious moments of life
thinking about times that are finished forever or yet to come. We
start to enjoy our Self, our Spirit, our own inner beauty and the
beauty of creation. We start to enjoy being. We are able to enjoy the
singing of birds and the scent of flowers at a much deeper level as
we are no longer bombarded by the meaningless mental chatter that
assails our awareness and pollutes our attention, distracting us from
the simple joys of our existence.
In this state, we start to feel the vibrations of our chakras and
our surroundings (and the effect of our behavior and lifestyle) on
our fingertips. As a result we spontaneously and naturally change
ourselves and our environment so that we maximize the joy, both for
ourselves and for those around us. Shri Mataji has described this as
“innate religion.”
“The Self, which is in fact the Lord and which is called ‘I’
because it abides in the body, is different from the physical and
subtle bodies. ‘I am that Spirit. I am without attributes, actionless,
eternal, ever free and indestructible. I am not the body which is ever
changing and unreal.’ This is called Knowledge by the wise.”
X
Shri Adi Shankaracharya
4 What is Sahaja Yoga

About Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
“ These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, shall teach you all things, and bring all
things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:25
S
hri Mataji Nirmala Devi, known affectionately as Shri Mataji “Behold
or Mother, is the first spiritual teacher in history to give large- thy Mother.”
scale Self Realization as described by many great saints and
John 19:26
prophets of the past. Today, millions of people all over the world
have experienced their spiritual ascent, described and predicted by
these great prophets, thanks to Shri Mataji. Her physical presence
has been seen to be the catalyst for the en-masse awakening of the
Kundalini. Even more remarkably, merely holding one’s hands,
palms upwards, towards a photograph of Shri Mataji is enough to
grant Self Realization, as long as there is the desire to receive it.
Shri Mataji’s early life

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, a descendant of India’s royal Shalivahana
dynasty, was born to a Christian family at Chindwara, Maharashtra,
near the geographic center of India. She was born at noon on the
Spring Equinox, March 21, 1923. She was born Self Realized and
knew from her birth that she had a unique gift which had to be
made available to all mankind.
Shri Mataji and her parents, Prasad and Cornelia Salve,
played an active role in India’s fight for independence. Her father,
a talented lawyer and close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, was a
member of the Constituent Assembly of India and helped write
India’s first constitution. He was a renowned scholar and was fluent
in 14 languages.
As a child Shri Mataji lived for a time, along with her parents,
in the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi who affectionately gave her the
nickname “Nepali.” Even at a young age, her deep wisdom and Mahatma Gandhi
understanding was evident to the Mahatma. Shri Mataji played a
courageous role as a youth leader in the fight for freedom. In 1942
she was arrested, imprisoned and tortured for her participation in
5
Gandhi’s “Quit India” Movement. She later studied medicine at the
Christian Medical College in Lahore, in what is now Pakistan.
Shortly before India’s independence, Shri Mataji married C.P.
Srivastava, one of India’s most respected high-ranking civil servants.
Mr. Srivastava held the post of Joint Secretary to the Office of the
Indian Prime Minister, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, from 1964 to
1966. Later, he was unanimously elected for four consecutive four-
year terms as Secretary General of the United Nations International
Maritime Organization based in London. He was knighted by the
C.P. Srivastava
Queen of England in 1989 and received similar honors from many
countries for his service.
Shri Mataji’s Sahaja Yoga work

After fulfilling her familial duties of bringing up two daughters, Shri
Mataji embarked on her spiritual mission. On May 5, 1970 she was
meditating on the many problems of humanity on a lonely beach in
India, when a blissful divine experience filled her whole being and
she knew that the moment had come for her unique spiritual gift—
the ability to give en-masse Self Realization—to be shared with the
whole of humanity.
Shri Mataji began with a small handful of people in India. She
worked with Western seekers beginning in 1973, after her husband’s
transfer to London. Very soon thousands of ordinary people in
many countries were getting the blissful experience of Kundalini
awakening and discovering for themselves that, using Shri Mataji’s
techniques, they could also pass this experience on to others, just as
one candle can be used to enlighten another.
Unlike the many so-called “gurus” of the modern era, Shri Mataji
has never charged for her lectures or for giving Self Realization. She
has always insisted that you cannot pay for your enlightenment
and has warned of the dangers of going to the many false, self-
proclaimed “gurus” and cults who are only interested in making
money and are not capable of giving Self Realization. In addition to
her spiritual work, Shri Mataji has also started a number of charitable
organizations in India to help the poor and the sick. Among these
are a large hostel for destitute and homeless mothers in Delhi and a
hospital in Mumbai to treat people using Sahaja Yoga techniques.
X 7
What is meditation?
“Union with the Essence of our Lord comes about quickly... provided suspension of thought has
been practiced long enough. From this I understood the prophetic saying ‘better an hour of
meditation than seventy years of religious practice,’ since by this meditation a man is transported
from the created world into the world of purity; and one could also say, from the presence of the
created into the presence of the Creator. And God is our Warrant for what we say.”
Shaikh al-Arabi ad-Darqawi – ‘Letters of a Sufi Master’
M “Controlling
editation is not something that we do but is a state of our
awareness in which we are not thinking. To get into this the thoughts
state we must let go of all our thoughts. This process is and the
known in Sanskrit as vichara shaithiliya meaning “relaxation of the activities of the
thoughts.” At first it may be hard to become thoughtlessly aware
senses, let the
even for a few minutes a day but by following the advice in this
yogi practice
booklet and by listening to Shri Mataji’s many lectures, the subtle
techniques that will help to achieve this state can be easily learned
meditation
with a little dedication and perseverance. for self-
purification.”
Thoughtless awareness, or nirvichara samadhi, is the first step Shri Krishna,
on the path of Sahaja Yoga. Without achieving this awareness we are “Bhagavad Gita” (6:12)
not practicing Sahaja Yoga properly. Try to be honest with yourself
about how thoughtless you are becoming in meditation. Watch your
mind and your attention and try to detach your attention from all
the thoughts that come into your mind.
Go within yourself
“Try to meditate. Meditate more, so that you reach that inner being.
And this inner being is the vast ocean of bliss which exists in every
one of us, the vast flood of light that floods everybody’s inner beauty.
So to approach it, you have to go within yourself by denying things
which are against it, against your movement.
“Sometimes the wind can be very, very strong for you to not
understand that the glory of God is within, but turn back. Every
moment remember that your movement has to be inward. When
you move inward you forget the ideas of your outer glories. It is an
individual journey towards God. When you meditate and when
you reach there, then you become collective. Before that it’s an
9
absolutely individual journey within. It’s an absolutely individual

journey.
“You should be able to see this; that in this journey nobody
is your relation, nobody is your friend. You are absolutely alone,
absolutely alone. You have to move alone within yourself. Don’t hate
anyone, don’t be irresponsible, but in a meditative mood you are
alone. No one exists there, you alone, and once you enter into that
ocean then the whole world becomes your family, the whole world is
your own manifestation. All the children become your children and
you treat all people with equal understanding.
The whole expansion takes place when you enter inside your Spirit and start
seeing through the eyes of the Spirit. There’s such calm, such peace, such bliss
within you. You have to be ready for that journey. In that journey you are alone
in your meditative state, and the more you find something in your meditation,
the more you want to go and distribute it to others.
That has to be. If that does not come into you then it has not worked out,
there is no purity, there is some sort of a bias.
“In that individual pursuit, whatever you find, you want to

enjoy it with others, you want to give it to others. This is the sign of
the person who has been really meditative. The one who has been
meditative and has not been able to distribute what he has found is
cheating himself and cheating others as well. Because that joy that
you receive in your meditation has to be distributed, has to be given,
has to be shown. It should flow in your being as the light radiates
from every illumined lamp. You don’t have to take a vow to say that
‘this is an enlightened light’; in the same way a saint should not have
to be certified that he is a saint. The depth you achieve within your-
self spreads all over. It is such an action and reaction. The deeper
you become, the radiation is much more.
“A simple, very ordinary person, uneducated person, can be like
that. We have one gentleman called Varick in Bombay. He’s an old
man, and is so deep. He radiates love. He’s so meditative. You don’t
have to spend too much time on meditation.
“But whatever time you spend, whatever you gain, has to be
visible outside—how you radiate and how you give it to others.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – 1988
10 What is meditation?
Meditation is effortless
“In the same way vibrations are coming, they are radiated. What
you have to do is to expose yourself to it. The best way is not to put
in any effort. Don’t worry at what point you have a problem. Many
people during meditation, I have seen, if they catch somewhere they
go on looking after it. You just don’t have to worry.
“You just let it go and it will work by itself. So you don’t have
to put in any effort. This is what meditation is. Meditation means
exposing yourself to God’s grace. Now the grace itself knows how
to cure you. It knows how to mend you, how to settle down itself
into your own being, how to keep your Spirit kindled. It knows
everything. So you don’t have to worry as to what you have to do
or what name you have to take, what mantras you have to do. In
meditation you have to be absolutely effortless, expose yourself fully
and you have to be absolutely thoughtless at that time.
“Supposing, possibly, you might not be thoughtless. At
that time you have to just watch your thoughts, but do not get
involved into them. You will find gradually as the sun rises,
darkness goes away and the sun’s rays go into every part and makes
the whole place enlightened. In the same way your being will be
completely enlightened, but if you put in an effort at that time
or try to stop something within you or try to give it a bandhan, it
will not.
“Effortlessness is the only way into meditation, but you should
not be lethargic about it—should be alert and watch it. The other
side could be that people just doze off. No, you have to be alert. If
you doze off, nothing will work out. That’s another side of it. If you
are lazy about it nothing will work out. You have to be alert and
open, absolutely aware, completely effortless, absolutely effortless. If
you are absolutely effortless, meditation will work the best.
“Don’t think about your problems at all, whatever chakras you
have, anything, just expose yourself to the vibrations. See when the
sun shines all the nature exposes itself to the sun and receives the
blessings of the sun effortlessly. It does not put in any effort, it just
receives the sun—the sun’s rays start acting. In the same way the all-
pervading power starts working. You are not to maneuver it, you are
not to do anything about it. Just be effortless, absolutely effortless.
11
“Do not take any names (mantras). Do not bother if... this is
catching, that is catching. It is working out. It will go on working
as long as it can and it will do the miracle that it has to do. You
don’t have to worry about it, it knows its job. But when you put
an effort you actually create a barrier for it. So no effort is needed,
be absolutely effortless and say ‘let it go, let it go’—that’s all. No
mantras are to be chanted. In case you find it’s impossible then you
can take my name, but there is no need even. When you put your
hands toward me that is the mantra, it is sufficient, this gesture
itself is the mantra. You see there is no need to say it more, but the
thought in the mind, the emotions, is what we spread our hands to
that and it should work. When this emotion is absolutely complete,
there is no need to say any mantra—you go beyond it.
“So one has to be absolutely effortless, absolutely effortless.
That is what it is. Meditation is for your own ascent, is for your own
capital gains that you have to have. But once you get to it, you also
achieve your powers. Like if you become the governor, you get the
powers of the governor. At this time you don’t have to think about
anybody else.
“You are not to put your attention towards anybody else but
just receive, just receive it. Do not think about any other problem,
but that you have to be absolutely effortless. It would work the best
on the people who are just receiving it.
“You have problems, that’s why you are here, but you cannot
solve them, they are to be solved by the divine power. This must be
understood fully, that we cannot solve our problems. It is beyond us
to solve our problems. So leave it in the hands of divine power and
X
expose yourself effortlessly, absolutely effortlessly.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – London, Jan 1, 1980
12 What is meditation?
How do I meditate at home?
W
henever it fits your schedule, you should meditate every
day for at least 10 minutes. Some people find that
beginning the day in a state of peace and silence makes
the whole day go better. Some people find the best time is in the
evening, where the soothing effects help take them into deep and
nourishing sleep. And many people meditate both morning and
evening, and include some cleansing techniques (described later)
with the evening meditation.
Shri Mataji has recommended the following meditation
techniques to enable us to enter thoughtless awareness, but
meditation is not merely a technique. It’s very important to
understand that meditation should be done from the heart, with
love and respect for the divine Spirit that is within each of us.
Preparing for meditation

Place the photograph of Shri Mataji respectfully on a clean table or
shelf and light a candle in front of the photo. It is preferable to put
a cloth under the photo and to place the photo in a frame. Place
the photo approximately at eye level, so that you can see the picture
clearly.
When sitting down to meditate you should always begin and
end the meditation by raising the Kundalini and giving yourself a
bandhan.
Raise your Kundalini

(See the illustration on the next page.) To begin, place the left hand
in front of your Kundalini, which is at the base of the spine. Place
the right hand behind the left hand, with both palms facing your
body. Move the right hand over the left hand and back under the
left hand. Now slowly raise your left arm, keeping the left hand in
the center of your body, moving up the spinal cord.
While your left hand moves upwards, continue to move the
right hand up the inside and down the outside of the left hand.
13
Raising the Kundalini
14 How do I meditate at home?

Watch your hands while raising them and tilt your head back as the
hands move above eye level. When above the head, spin your wrists
and tie a knot as shown in the diagram on the opposite page. Raise
the hands from the base of the spine to above your head in this way
a total of three times. The third time, tie three knots.
Give yourself a bandhan

Next we give ourselves a bandhan (protection). We describe an
arc with our right hand from the left hip, over the top of the head
to the right hip and back again. This should be done calmly and
rhythmically to feel the benefit. Do this seven times. The eyes can
be closed or open while giving yourself a bandhan. Keep the left
hand palm upwards on the lap.
Giving yourself a bandhan
15
Daily Meditation
a. Having raised your Kundalini and given yourself a bandhan, sit
with your hands palm upwards towards the photograph of Shri
Mataji and look at the photograph for 5 –10 minutes without
thinking. Then close your eyes. Watch your thoughts and let
go of any thoughts in your mind. Be patient. The thoughts will
gradually recede and the gaps between them will increase. If your
attention is wandering, say, “Where is my attention?” This will
bring your attention back to your Spirit and stop the thoughts.
Try to identify with your Spirit by saying, “I am the Spirit, not
this body or these thoughts.”
b. If thoughts are still there, you can say, “Not this thought” each
time a thought rises. The thoughts will slowly give up. You can
also say, “I forgive everyone.” Say this sincerely from the heart
and it will have a powerful effect.
c. If you are thoughtlessly aware, relax and enjoy the meditation.
Keep watching your thoughts. Keep your attention inside and see
how you are feeling. You should start to feel peaceful and joyful
and may feel the chakras in your body awakening.
d. Finally, try to put your attention onto the Sahasrara chakra, on
top of the head, for a few minutes before raising your Kundalini
again and giving yourself a bandhan.
16 How do I meditate at home?

Meditate with your heart
“With respect if you do meditation it’s perfect. But first of all, your
heart and your mind must have respect. In any way, when you
meditate, you should do it with love, that’s all. Love will cleanse
everything.... Love means without any malice, without any anger.
Something that is desired. It’s such an abstract thing that you
cannot put it in words, but it’s a feeling within you. And when you
meditate with love, means, supposing you are very angry and you
are frustrated, then you come and meditate and go on saying things
like “Mother do this, kill him! Do that!” It doesn’t work out. But
in love, means actually it is no thought. It’s just a feeling. Feeling of
emancipation. Just a feeling.” Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – London, 2001
“The thought that starts moving in our mind all the time which
creates tensions is not the thought of the Spirit. So what you should
say is ‘Not this thought, not this thought, not this thought, not this
thought, not this thought’—and see how you relax. Now you are
relaxed. ‘Not this thought, not this thought.’.. Just go on refusing
accepting any thought. So you go into Nirvichara. In that state you
feel the Spirit. Christ has done the greatest work on this, I should
say, but we do not understand because his life was like a micro thing
you see, 33 years. So we have to open it out a little bit and see what
he did. He has given us the greatest weapon, of forgiveness.
“When you forgive a person, what do you do? You accept the
situation, to begin with, and secondly you forgive what you think
has been done wrong to you. But because nothing can be done
wrong to your Spirit, you just forgive, because you are the Spirit.
And when you forgive, you have found that your tension goes away.
So even to your thoughts if you say, ‘Alright, forgive this thought,
forgive this thought,’—because the thought is also not to be
punished. ‘Forgive this thought, forgive this thought, forgive every-
thing.’ Not forget—forgive. Because then you will even forget that
you are the Spirit.”
X Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Hampstead, Easter 1984
17
The Subtle System
Central Path of Evolution
Collective Unconscious
Sahasrara
integration 7
SUPEREGO EGO
Collective Supraconscious
Agnya
Collective Subconscious
6
forgiveness
Future
Past
Vishuddhi
collectivity 5
PINGALA NADI IDA NADI
Heart Spirit
security 4 4
SUSHUMNA NADI
3a Void
Nabhi 3
evolution
1
7
2 Swadishthana 2
creativity
5 Mooladhara
3 6 4 innocence 1
Kundalini
The Subtle System
“Formless yet complete, existing before heaven and earth. Silent and limitless, alone and
unchanging. Pervading everywhere, yet untiring. It is the Mother of all things under heaven.
I do not know its name so I call it ‘Tao’.” Lao Tze – Tao Te Ching, verse 25
W
hen we sit and meditate, one of the first things we may
feel is a burning or tingling on different fingers and parts
of the hands. These sensations indicate the state of our
subtle system—cool indicates balance, heat indicates imbalance.
Sahaja Yoga includes many techniques for removing the heat and
stress from the subtle system, allowing us to more fully enjoy our
meditation and see the benefits in our daily lives.
The Subtle System consists of seven energy centers (chakras),
three energy channels (nadis) and the Kundalini. The chakras
correspond to the plexuses of our central nervous system and the
energy channels correspond to the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic
nervous systems within the spinal column. Chakra means “wheel”
in Sanskrit, because the chakras rotate clockwise. Like lotus flowers,
each chakra has a different number of petals, which corresponds to
the number of sub-plexuses within each physical plexus.
The Kundalini
“Turning away from materialism... I have entered into the sky of
the mind, and opened the Tenth Gate. The chakras of the coiled
Kundalini energy have been opened, and I have met my Sovereign
Lord King without fear.” Kabir – “Guru Granth Sahib,” pg. 972
The Kundalini is a subtle, feminine energy that resides in the

sacrum bone at the base of the spinal column in three-and-a-half coils.
Kundalini
In the same way that a power cord connects a lamp to the household
current, the awakened Kundalini connects human awareness to the
Paramachaitanya, the all-pervading power of divine love.
The Kundalini can be thought of as a rope with thousands of
strands. When we first get Self Realization, only one or two strands
find their way through the chakras and reach the Sahasrara chakra at
the top of the head. However, with daily meditation, gradually more
strands of the Kundalini connect us to the divine power and the
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experience of meditation becomes more profound and blissful. The

Kundalini, and the experience of its awakening, have been described
by various Indian saints such as Adi Shankaracharya (ca. 600 A.D.),
Kabir (ca. 1500 A.D.) and Jnanadeva (ca. 1200 A.D.).
Establish the Spirit

“Now how do you remove the thought from your mind is the
problem. Thoughts are all the time in your mind... but when the
Kundalini rises, then what happens is that these thoughts become
elongated... and there is a gap in between the thoughts and this gap
is the place of our peace. If you achieve that peace, the world peace
can be achieved. By just taking placards, by shouting for peace, you
cannot establish peace. Peace has to come from the hearts of human
beings. In the hearts of human beings peace can be only established
when you establish the Spirit.” Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
The Three Channels

Left side (Ida nadi)
Also known as the Moon channel, this channel looks after our left
sympathetic nervous system and is the channel of our emotions,
our desires and the record of our past experiences. In its pure state it
expresses the qualities of deep joy, pure love and compassion. If we
are weak or damaged on the left side, symptoms include emotional
attachments, self-indulgent behavior, depression, low self-esteem,
guilt, lethargy, and ritualism. Left-sided people believe they are
“always wrong.” These problems can be cured in Sahaja Yoga using
cleansing techniques such as the three candle treatment (see page 44).
Right side (Pingala nadi)

Also known as the Sun channel, this channel looks after our right
sympathetic nervous system and provides energy for our creativity,
our rational mind, futuristic thoughts, and our physical energy and
dynamism. An imbalanced right side shows up as egotistical and
dominating behavior, self-denial, extreme rigidity, arrogance, pride,
anger, and intolerance. Right-sided people believe they are “always
right.” A simple solution to an overheated right side is to put ice on
the liver and do cold footsoaking (see page 41).
20 The Subtle System

Central channel (Sushumna nadi)
This is the nadi of our equilibrium and evolution. It regulates
our autonomous nervous system which looks after the heartbeat
and digestion—things which our body does for us without our
conscious will or control. As our attention moves to the Sushumna,
our human awareness evolves and our attention gradually stops
swinging like a pendulum from the past to the future, from the Ida
nadi to the Pingala nadi, from sadness to happiness, from lethargy
to overactivity, and remains always in the center, in the present
moment. Our awareness becomes peaceful and our nerves bubble
with joy.
The Seven Chakras

There are seven major chakras within our subtle system:
Mooladhara, Swadishthana, Nabhi (Manipura), Heart (Anahata),
Vishuddhi, Agnya and Sahasrara. Each chakra has different qualities
and, by awakening these chakras, we awaken and enhance their
qualities within us, making us more balanced and integrated. Our
enlightened chakras give us joy and peace.
1. Mooladhara chakra
Physical manifestation: Pelvic plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: Four
Element: Earth
Controls: Excretion and reproductive organs
Qualities: Innocence, wisdom, fearlessness
“A person who is filled with Virtue is like a newborn child.”

Lao Tze – Tao Te Ching verse 55
“The devotees of the Lord dwell forever in peace. With a

child-like, innocent nature, they remain detached, turning away
from the world.” Guru Nanak – ‘Guru Granth Sahib’
“..unless you change and become like children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus Christ – Matthew 18: 2
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“The True Person is detached and humble and to the world

appears confusing. The people all strain their eyes and ears, yet the
True Person remains childlike” Lao Tze – Tao Te Ching verse 49
Situated below the sacrum bone, the awakened Mooladhara

chakra gives us innocence and wisdom. Innocence gives us joy with-
out the limitations of conditionings and prejudice, a quality that can
be found in small children. This quality diminishes as we grow up
and develop a sense of ego and selfish desires. Fortunately this innate
innocence is never destroyed and can return to us by practicing
Sahaja Yoga. It is like the sun which is obscured by clouds but which
shines again after the clouds pass. In India the elephant-headed
deity, Shri Ganesha, is worshipped as the essence of innocence and
wisdom. He has the body of a child, symbolizing innocence, and the
head of an elephant, symbolizing humility and wisdom.
Innocence
“There have been stories that children who have fallen from a very
great height were completely saved, nothing happened to them.
Their innocence is such a powerful thing. It has all the wisdom of
the world, all the understanding of the world. Anybody who tries to
harm the innocence, the whole world—which may not have cared
so much for innocence, might not have worshipped innocence so
much—stands up against anybody who tries to harm the innocence.
“You can see in your own lives around you, when anybody tries
to trouble children—all of them, whoever they are, whatever may
be their nationality, they all jump to safeguard that child. What is it?
What is it within us that makes us so very conscious to protect the
innocence?
“It’s really a shame, a great shame for us, when we find in this
world that innocence is under attack. Anything else can be tolerated.
Innocent people who have done nothing wrong, those who have no
malice, who are living like little children, I should say, if they are
attacked by anyone—not that the whole world reacts to that—but
every one of them cannot bear any innocent person or innocent
being being harmed.
“We don’t realize that, within us, there is the ocean of love
and ocean of understanding for children. Why? Why should it be?

Why should we feel like that, especially for children? Especially for
innocence? There are people who are always attacking innocent
people, innocent children—there are, but no one wants to support
them. No one thinks that it’s proper to ill treat children. And those
who have done this all suffer as a reaction.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Cabella, Italy, 2001
Causes of problems with the Mooladhara chakra: Promiscuity, sexual

perversion, lack of contact with nature and Mother Earth
Treatments: Sitting on the earth, spending time in nature (such as

gardening), not looking at others with adulterous eyes, putting attention
on small children or on nature
2. Swadishthana chakra
Physical manifestation: Aortic plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: Six
Element: Fire
Controls: Kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas,
uterus, intestines
Qualities: Creativity, pure attention,
pure desire, pure knowledge
The Swadishthana chakra moves like a satellite around the

Nabhi chakra and the Void and provides us with our sense of
aesthetics, art, and music, and our appreciation and connection with
nature. It looks after our digestive organs and provides us with the
dynamic energy to do physical, mental and creative work.
Right Swadishthana
The quality of the right Swadishthana is pure attention. Without
good attention our mind moves from one thing to another
uncontrollably and we find it hard to enter thoughtless awareness
easily and for sustained periods.
“My mind has been pierced by the Name of the Lord, like the
goldsmith, whose attention is held by his work. Like the young girl
who carries a water-filled pitcher on her head. She laughs, plays,
and talks with her friends, but keeps her attention on the pitcher of
water.” Namadeva – “Guru Granth Sahib,” pg. 972
23
Causes of problems with the right Swadishthana chakra: Excessive

thinking and planning, dominating others, materialism, greed, drinking
alcohol, drug abuse
Treatments: Cold foot-soak, ice-pack on liver (right Swadishthana and

right Nabhi). See page 41.
Left Swadishthana
The qualities of the left Swadishthana are pure knowledge and pure
desire. Our pure desire is the desire for Self Realization, for the inner
bliss and peace that is the next step in our evolution. If we do not
have a pure desire to get our Self Realization then our experience of
meditation is weakened. This chakra can be very badly damaged by
going to false gurus. Clinging on to concepts or dogmas that you
have read in books can also be a cause of a catch on this chakra.
Causes of problems with the left Swadishthana chakra: False knowledge,

false desires, drug abuse, following false gurus, black magic
Treatment: Work on the chakra with a candle flame (see page 44)
The power for our creative action

“The balloon that is yellow is the Ego. You see down below it
starts from the Swadishthana. This is the color of the bile within
Ego
us. This Swadishthanaa chakra which is for our creativity is
directly connected to the Ego. It starts rotating round the Void,
and going to the various parts of the Void. The Void is the green
circle within us where physically we have the uterus and the
kidneys. It’s a complete viscera, all the intestines, ascending,
4
transverse and descending colon, the liver—more the upper part of
liver—then also the pancreas and the spleen. So all the problems
of these organs are collected by this chakra which comes out of
the Nabhi chakra, and moves round and round and round, and
collects all the problems.
“It nourishes and gives power, the vital power, to these organs and
also it generates the necessary power for our creative action. It also
collects the fat cells of the Void and converts them into the cells for
the brain for its use—for the gray matter. All this work it has to do—
one chakra. It manifests the aortic plexus outside—on the physical
level. It has got six subplexuses which look after all these organs. This
chakra is meant for our action. When we go into action this chakra
starts working. By the first power which is on the left hand side,
we desire, but by the second one, we go into action and it’s called
Kriya Shakti. Now when this action starts within us it produces the
byproducts or we can say all the problems of these organs, which are
to be deposited somewhere and they are all deposited in the brain
as ego. All the problems that we have out of this, this creativity, and
the action of all these organs are to be counterbalanced and as a
counter balance the ego develops.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Oct 22, 1979
“Especially in England I have seen, also in the west I would

say, everywhere, people get very easily tired. On the television also
you find people will come (and sigh), “Haaaahhh.” Young people!!
They’ll walk ten yards then they’ll say, “Haaahhh.” Why are we so
tired? Because we think too much. All energy is wasted in thinking,
so no energy left to enjoy anything whatsoever. For example, you
have to have people for dinner, so you think, ‘What to bring? How
to make it formal? What to do?’ So agitated, so nervous about the
whole thing that, when the guests come they feel like running away
because so much of tension.
“Thinking, thinking, thinking, planning, planning, planning,
planning, running. Ultimately the whole joy has disappeared. So
the second center (Swadishthana) does a very miraculous thing
is to provide the gray cells in our brain, when we are using it for
thinking, and also it looks after your liver, your pancreas, your
spleen, your kidneys and part of your abdomen. Instead of doing
that, poor thing is busy only sending gray cells to your brain,
because of thinking, thinking, thinking, like mad. So you develop
all other diseases like liver trouble, which is very common. Then
you develop diabetes — very common. Yesterday at least, there were
ten people who said, “We have diabetes.” Now, diabetes you do not
develop by taking too much sugar—take it from me.
“In India if you go to a village you will see that he takes sugar in
such manner that in the cup the spoon must stand at a right angle.
Otherwise he won’t drink it, and he never gets diabetes. The reason
is, he doesn’t think of tomorrow. He just works hard, eats his food
and sleeps off nicely. He doesn’t take sleeping pills either. So this
diabetes comes by over-thinking, and can be easily cured if you can
take to Sahaja Yoga.” Shri Mataji – Porchester Hall, London, Aug. 1989
25
3. Nabhi (Manipura) chakra

Physical manifestation: Navel/Solar plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: Ten
Element: Water
Controls: Stomach, intestines, liver, spleen
Qualities: Seeking, peace, generosity,
satisfaction, pure attention,
looking after others
When enlightened by the Kundalini, the Nabhi chakra gives

us unconditional generosity, complete contentment and profound
inner peace. On the right side, it looks after the upper part of our
liver which is the organ of our attention. The Nabhi is the center of
our seeking. We seek food, shelter and comfort and, ultimately, we
seek to evolve into a new state of spiritual awareness and to receive
our Self Realization.
Causes of problems with the right Nabhi chakra: Excessive thinking

and planning, dominating others, materialism, greed, fanaticism,
drinking alcohol, drug abuse.
Treatment: Cold foot-soak, ice-pack on liver (right Swadisthan and

right Nabhi). See page 41.
Causes of problems with the Left Nabhi chakra: Excessive worrying,

lack of generosity, lack of care for others/selfishness
Treatment: Work on the chakra with a candle flame (page 44)
The aesthetics of matter

“At the Nabhi chakra one has to know that one should not hanker
after money too much. Those who hanker too much after money
may develop their right side better. They may have money, no
doubt, but they miss their left side. Left side is Gruha Lakshmi
[hospitality and generosity]. They have no Gruha Lakshmi in their
house. They are very hectic people, they run about. They run the
rat-race, they get heart attacks. If not heart attacks they will get
leukemia, they will get diabetes, liver problems—all such diseases.
Because their attention is on money and not on God.
“Attachment to money, attachment to people, is nothing but
a hook which hooks you to baser levels. You have to rise above and
then you really enjoy the beauty of richness.
“As I told you the other day, I see all beautiful things, it’s nice
that I don’t possess them. See now these carpets are spread here.
If they were mine I should worry, ‘Oh God, I hope they are not
going to be spoiled, I hope nobody sits on them, I hope they are
insured and nobody runs away with them.’ But when they don’t
belong to me I am enjoying them better—other people’s things,
is a better idea. This myth carries us to such an extent of stupidity
that sometimes I wonder whether these human beings are human
beings or they are their possessions. Their Spirit is lost, everything is
lost—they are not bothered. But if their little possession is lost they
weep and weep, as if they are dead.” Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Delhi, 1983
“The third center which we call the Nahbi chakra, this center on one side is made
of water, another side with fire, around it are our ten valencies which we can call
our innate religion within ourselves.
Now this Nahbi itself, or we can call it the solar plexus, or we can say the navel
chakra, as soon as the Kundalini rises, she awakens this. And the light, when it
spreads, you become religious. I don’t have to tell you anything—you just become.
I don’t have to say that you don’t take drugs—you just don’t take it.”
“Overnight I have seen people have given up drugs, alcoholism,

everything. And they enjoy their virtues, that’s the best part of it.
Some people think, ‘Oh then what is the fun?’ What is this that
you take something in the pub and next day you have a hangover?
Here you take something and next day you’re much better off. It
never comes down. It never gives you a reaction. It’s not artificial,
it’s not intoxicating, it is from your nerves it’s bubbling out. So this
is the center which is very important in us because most of us have
a problem with this center. And here we have a capacity, by this
center, that we enjoy our generosity.
“Now we are materialistic. It’s a good idea, to be materialistic.
But the aesthetics of matter are that you can give it to others
suggesting your love. I think that’s the only thing matter can do.
And in a very special way you can express that love. For example,
somebody likes a particular thing and you go all the way to get it
and give that small thing, very small thing to the person and the joy,
27
not out of the money that you have spent, but the feelings you have
expressed, of knowing what that person would love. This kind of a
depth develops within you. Such a lovable beautiful society you enter
into, and you don’t need anything because everybody is looking after
your needs.” Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Porchester Hall, London, Aug. 1989
3a. The Void

Physical manifestation: Aortic & Solar plexus
Element: Water
Controls: Stomach, intestines, liver, spleen
Qualities: Guru principle, self-discipline and dedication,
mastery over self, will power, knowledge of
the divine, teaching of divine knowledge
Prophets: Abraham, Moses, Zarathustra, Lao Tze,
Confucius, Socrates, Raja Janak, Mohammed,
Guru Nanak, Sai Nath of Shirdi
The Void is the part of the subtle system that is created by

the movement of the Swadishthana around the Nabhi and gives
Moses us self-discipline and self-mastery. Without mastery over our baser
desires and our minds, we cannot become one with our Spirit. False
knowledge and false gurus damage this center very much. It is for
Zarathustra this reason that we suggest that you don’t mix Sahaja Yoga with
other so-called spiritual knowledge.
Confucius
The primordial masters
“Any time a realized soul will come he will say the same thing.
Lao-Tze That’s why there is so much similarity, I should say, the unity. In all
these people, whether it is Lao Tze, whether it is Mohammed Sahib
or whether it is Raja Janaka or Nanaka—they said the same thing.
Socrates Now where is the difference that comes in? Also we see that these
incarnations came for a different type of a job. Like Moses came to
establish the Void, as we say, here in the center. All these Primordial
Masters came to do that... All these people who were Primordial
Masters came on this Earth to establish the balance and that’s why
whatever they have said, all have said the same thing.
“My task is easier because there are sensible people in these
days, but when Christ lived what sort of people lived there?
Absolutely cruel, violent, nonsensical. Mohammed Sahib had a Mohammed
very bad time. Guru Nanak had a very bad time. So you must
understand that the truth when it comes to a person like that, not
only that he knows but he can make others also know. Raja Janaka
“This is what William Blake has said: ‘At this time, men of
God—that’s you people—will become Prophets and they will
have powers to make others Prophets.’ So people sometimes say, Guru Nanak
‘Why didn’t it happen earlier?’ No, that was not the time. Now the
blossom time has come, so it is happening.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Chiswick Town Hall, London, July 10, 1984
Sai Nath of
Shirdi
Abraham
4. Heart (Anahata) chakra

Physical manifestation: Cardiac plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: Twelve
Element: Air
Controls: Heart, lungs, sternum bone
Qualities: Joy, compassion, sense of security,
love, responsibility
“One should identify oneself with the Atma (Spirit), the

witness, who does not take part in any kind of activity, by thinking,
‘I am the witness of these likes and dislikes.’ It is in this way that one
comes to identify oneself with the witnessing consciousness. One
knows oneself thus: ‘I am neither the body, nor the sense organs, nor
the ego, nor the mind, nor the intellect, for I am within all these; I
am the eternal inmost witnessing consciousness, the witness of these
changing phenomena...’ ” Shri Adi Shankaracharya – “Sarva vedanta siddhanta”
Within the Heart chakra resides the Self: the Spirit or Atma.
The Spirit manifests when our heart is open, at which point we feel
the pure joy of existence and the meaning and purpose of our place
in creation. The quality of the Heart chakra is pure, unconditional
love. Before our realization we rarely love unconditionally—we
29
expect something in return. We mistake feelings of love for physical

attraction, infatuation and selfishness. We love our children
because they are “ours” but do not love other children in the same
way. Often we expect something back from them later in life as a
repayment for our love. Love that expects is emotional attachment.
Pure love has no motive. It emanates from the Spirit and not from
the body or mind. If you see how a small puppy runs to every
person it sees in a park just to give them its love and share with
them its joy, that is the essence of love. The Heart chakra also
manifests in the head at the fontanelle bone (the Brahmarandhra
Pitha of the Sahasrara chakra) so it’s important to keep our Heart
“And this chakra clean, as this is the entry point to the super consciousness,
is what the where the Kundalini escapes from the subtle system and unites us
with the Paramachaitanya—the all-pervading power of divine love.
seeking is for.
We are
seeking Causes of problems with the Heart chakra:
our Spirit.” Left side: Problems with the with mother, neglect of the Spirit,
Shri Mataji excessive physical and/or mental activity
Nirmala Devi Right side: Problems with the father; problems with the father’s health
Center: Insecurity, fear, lack of proper care and respect as a child
Treatments: Maintaining respectful relations with wife/husband, mother

and father, and your children. Taking several deep breaths while in
meditation uses the air element to cleanse the heart chakra.
We are seeking our Spirit

This Spirit in the heart is the Witness, which witnesses us, which
looks after us. But we are not conscious of it. That means the Spirit
is not flowing, is not radiating in our central nervous system. We
are not conscious of it. We know there is someone, we know some-
one inside is there, we are aware of it, in a way, but it is not flowing
through our conscious mind, through our central nervous system.
And this is what the seeking is for. We are seeking our Spirit.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Brighton, 1980
“The enjoyment of life is only possible when we get connected

to the Spirit and that connection to the Spirit is only possible if you
sprout into that. You become the Spirit, as Christ has said in simple
words, ‘You have to be born again.’ It looks very simple, but how?
You are to be baptized. But how? Say I go to a theosophical college
or some sort of a college, they’ll say: ‘Now you have got the right to
baptize.’ Now to any intelligent man... can it be possible?
“Baptism, if it is a living process in which you have to get
connected with the Spirit... that means you have to achieve a state
of mind where you become the Spirit. That connection has to be
established. If that connection is not established then you cannot be
twice born by certifying yourself. I’ve seen many people they said,
‘Mother, I’m twice born.’ I said, ‘How do you say you are twice-
born? What is the certificate you have got of being twice born?’ You
cannot certify yourself. This is not a self-certification. Supposing a
dog says, ‘I’m a human being.’ Will you accept it? No. I mean, it can
go about and say that, ‘I am a human being.’ But it doesn’t become
one. It’s a state. It’s an evolutionary quality. A fish which has to
become a tortoise has to become a tortoise. She can’t just say, ‘Oh, I
am a tortoise, I am a tortoise.’
“This is where human ego comes in. By saying something you
do not become. And this is one of the basic things we must know—
that we have to become, in actuality, in reality.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Hampstead, April 22, 1980
5. Vishuddhi chakra
Physical manifestation: Cervical plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: Sixteen
Element: Sky/Space/Ether
Controls: Neck, arms, face, tongue, mouth,
nose, teeth, thyroid
Qualities: Sweetness of communication,
diplomacy, collectivity,
detachment, self-respect and
respect for others,
brother/sister relationship
“Controlling the thoughts, speech and actions, ever absorbed

in the yoga of meditation, and taking shelter in detachment;
relinquishing egoism, violence, pride, lust, anger, and desires for
possession; free from the notion of ‘my’ and peaceful; one becomes
fit for attaining oneness with Brahman.”
Shri Krishna – “Bhagavad Gita” (18:51)
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The Vishuddhi embodies the qualities which govern our

communication with others. As it awakens we discover greater
self-respect (left Vishuddhi) and greater respect for others (right
Vishuddhi). Our ego is not bloated by praise and we are not upset
by aggression or criticism. The Vishuddhi is also the chakra that
manifests the power of witnessing. By daily practice of Sahaja Yoga
meditation, we become identified with our Spirit. In this state of
union with our Spirit, we become the witness of our body, our
mind, our thoughts, our emotions, and ultimately the detached
witness of the drama of our lives.
Causes of problems with the Vishuddhi chakra:

Left Side: Guilt, immorality, lack of self-respect
Right Side: Disrespect for others, talking aggressively,
foul speech, sarcasm
Center: Lack of detachment or collectivity, smoking
Treatments: Meditate with attention on the Vishuddhi chakra (base of

the throat). Say “I am part and parcel of the whole.”
The center for communication

“These sixteen petals look after the cervical plexus. Now this is a very,
very important center and this is the center for communication. For
example, when you talk you communicate. Through your hands,
you shake hands, you touch somebody and you can communicate.
Even if you cannot talk, with your hands you can communicate also.
“When we think we are very responsible this center goes out.
Like some people they were traveling by plane. They were from
villages, they did not know what was a plane. They were told to
take less luggage because it should not be a weight for the plane. So
they got into the plane and put all the luggage on their heads and
they said that ‘We are trying to reduce the weight of the plane.’ In
the same way we are also behaving, when actually the all-pervading
power which has created us, created this universe, and has brought
us to this level of human beings is doing everything, but we think
we are responsible—that we have to do it. But once you become a
Sahaja Yogi you just do it but you don’t think that you are doing it.
You just say ‘it’s happening’, and what a beautiful feeling it is. Then
you don’t have high blood pressure, you don’t have headaches, you
don’t have tensions—no. Because we are not doing it, it’s just done
and you find it’s all done.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Porchester Hall, London, Aug. 1, 1989
“Now when you meditate, try to meditate in a sustained way,

first of all sustain it. Then you find that you are getting into the
state of Samadhi, means at a state where you start feeling the joy
and the bliss of God’s blessings, and then you start saying, ‘Oh God,
what a blessing, what a blessing, and what a blessing.’ Once you
have reached that state then you have to realize, ‘Who am I?’ Who
are you? What are you? You are the Spirit. After establishing your
sustained attention on the Spirit you’ll develop a state where you’ll be
in a complete state of witnessing with joy.” Shri Mataji – July 23, 1983
6. Agnya chakra
Physical manifestation: Optic chiasma
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: Two
Element: Light
Controls: Pineal body/Pituitary gland,
eyesight, memory, mind
Quality: Forgiveness
“The door of liberation is very narrow, less than the width of a

mustard seed. Your mind is larger than an elephant; how will it pass
through? If I meet such a true Guru, who mercifully blesses me
with the gift, then the door of liberation will open wide for me, and
I will easily pass through.” Kabir – ‘Guru Granth Sahib’, page 1367
The Agnya is the narrow gate which, when open, allows our
Kundalini to ascend to the limbic area of the brain. It is the chakra
of forgiveness, humility and compassion. Forgiveness is the power to
let go of anger, hatred and resentment and to discover, in humility,
the nobility and generosity of the Spirit. Once we start to see that by
not forgiving others we are actually doing no harm to anyone other
than ourselves, we start to realize that it is not only wise and gener-
ous to forgive but also very practical and pragmatic. By forgiving, we
start to feel a tremendous sense of peace and relief. The embodiment
of forgiveness was Christ who, while being crucified by the Romans,
33
said, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing.”
He also gave a powerful mantra—“Forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us.” Forgiveness melts away all
our ego and conditionings, our false ideas of racism and national-
ism, and our misidentifications.
Causes of problems with the Agnya chakra: lack of forgiveness,

adulterous eyes, arguing and debating
Treatments: Place a lighted candle before the photograph of Shri Mataji,

“Unless one then meditate with the eyes open, looking at the photograph for 5-10
is born of minutes. Then close your eyes and continue to meditate. Say, “I forgive
everyone.” Put your eyes towards the sky, earth, nature or on children.
the Spirit he
cannot enter
into the
kingdom The narrow passage
of God.” “Today we are going to understand the center of Agnya, Agnya
Jesus Christ – chakra, which is placed on the crossing of the optic chiasma. The
John, 3:3
nerves that supply the eyes go backwards in the opposite direction
and, wherever they cross, this subtle center is situated. It has a
continuous connection with the other centers through the medulla
oblongata. This center has got two petals and this subtle center on
one side acts through the eyes and at the back of the head where you
have some protrusion. This is the physical side of this center. Now
the people who talk of the third eye—this is the third eye. So that
we have two eyes with which we see and there is a third eye which is
a subtler eye through which we can see.
“If you see this eye that means you are away from it. For
example, if you can see your eyes that means you are seeing your
reflection, not the reality. If you see anything that means you are
looking at it. So those people who say they see an eye, for example
people who take LSD and all such things, they start seeing another
eye. They just see this eye and they think their third eye has opened.
Actually you are very much away from the eye, that is why you can
see it. You go to a supraconscious level on the right side and on the
left side to the subconscious level, you can see the eye. But in Sahaja
Yoga you have to see through that eye. Like a window, you can look
at the window, but if you see through the window you cannot look
at the window. So this illusion that people have that ‘we can see
third eye and that is why our Kundalini is awakened’, they are sadly
mistaken.
“This is a very narrow passage, through which attention cannot
pass normally, it is an impossible thing. It is a narrow passage, where
the ego and superego fit on to each other and cross each other. And
there is no gap in between for the Kundalini to pass through. So
this third eye is to be penetrated through, or we have to enter into
the third eye, through Kundalini awakening. But it is such a closed
passage which is the door to the limbic area, which is the kingdom
of God, that anybody who tries to push their attention through this
closed door, either goes to the left or to the right. And this is the
beginning of the trouble of the people when they don’t understand
that whatever is unknown is not God, is not divine. So, when they
move on the right side, they go to the supraconscious area. And they
start seeing hallucinations.” Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Delhi, 1983
“Now on this center (Agnya chakra) when we come, as I told

you, your thinking is controlled by you. You can control. If you
want, you can think or you don’t think.
“But in that silence you feel your peace, if there’s too much of
crowds, too much of problems suddenly you become the witness.
You start seeing everything, seeing the problem—what it is. Unless
and until you can see the problem you cannot solve it. Because
you are in the problem you just get upset, but if you are out of the
problem you can see it and that’s what happens to you when you
become thoughtlessly aware.
“What happens, as I told you, there is Christ. Christ is
awakened and he sucks in these two institutions which you see there
[see the head of the chakra chart], the yellow and the blue. One is
our conditioning, and one is our ego. So both these are sucked in
like that. These are sucked in because it is said that He died for our
sins. Didn’t He? He suffered for us. Are we going to suffer more
than Him? We don’t have to suffer, only awaken Him at Agnya and
you are alright. This is the process, it opens out… alright? That’s
why it is said, ‘You must forgive.’ That’s what He said, ‘You have to
forgive.’ And when you forgive, you can ask for forgiveness.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Porchester Hall, London, Aug. 1, 1989
35
7. Sahasrara chakra
Physical manifestation: Limbic area of brain
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: One thousand
Qualities: Joy, thoughtless awareness,
union with the divine, collective
consciousness
“Do not go to the garden of flowers! O friend! Go not there; in

your body is the garden of flowers. Take your seat on the thousand
petals of the lotus, and there gaze on the Infinite Beauty.” Kabir
“Give up your identification with the ego which is harmful and

causes misery and meditate upon the Self which is the Absolute Bliss
and the source of liberation.” Shri Adi Shankaracharya – “Vivekachudamani”
Our complete subtle instrument is integrated in the Sahasrara
chakra. Each chakra has its seat here. As our attention and our
Kundalini rise to the Sahasrara chakra we enter a new dimension of
consciousness. We go beyond the relative to the absolute. We rise
above the three channels of the subtle system—beyond the past,
present and future and into a timeless state and experience the inner
joy and peace of the Spirit. Losing our ego and conditionings, we
enjoy the bliss of the divine. This is a heavenly place far beyond our
imagination.
When the Kundalini reaches the Sahasrara, the thousand petals
of this chakra begin to open and enlightenment begins to manifest.
We may experience a pulsation at the fontanelle bone, followed by a
subtle flow of cool vibrations. The Kundalini unites our individual
consciousness to the universal consciousness. Our individual Atma,
our soul, is connected to the Paramatma, the Supreme Spirit. We
are suddenly tuned in to the universal wavelength of vibrations, to
the subtle joy that is present in nature. These vibrations pervade the
universe but before Realization we are unaware of them.
The opening of this chakra is known as second birth. Our
human birth can be likened to the hatching of an egg and Self
Realization to the breaking of the egg and the emergence of the bird.
This is why an egg is given at Easter, to symbolize the second birth.

Sahasrara is the most beautiful part of your being
“Sahasrara is the most beautiful part of your being. It is a big lotus
with a thousand petals of different colors appearing like inflated
flames. It is like a flower pouring its color and fragrance around.
“Sahasrara is your awareness. When it is enlightened you get
into the techniques of the Divine. The Divine looks after all the
universal happenings. Every minutest particle is controlled by
the Divine. When your Sahasrara opens out, and your Kundalini
touches the fontanelle bone, a sort of igniting force is ready in
your Sahasrara. As soon as the fontanelle bone area opens up in the
brahmarandra, the grace of the Spirit ignites that igniting force and
your nadis get enlightened. That’s how you get your enlightenment.
So many things happen because of your seven centers being in the
Sahasrara.
“The rationality that is separated from the heart becomes one
with the heart. It becomes one with your attention. Wherever your
attention goes you act in a collective way. All the activities of your
attention are blessed. Your attention itself is effective. Your attention
is very important, your desires are even more important, because it
is such an integrated thing, your desires and your attention become
one. Whatever is good for the Spirit you desire.
“It is only the Sahasrara which has to grow, not the Spirit. The
more sensitive the Sahasrara is, the more it receives the qualities of
the Spirit. Actually, the peace is felt in the Sahasrara. The bliss is also
felt in the Sahasrara, because that is the brain, and the brain is the
epitome of the central nervous system, or consciousness itself.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Le Raincy, France, May 5, 1982
“Today is a very great day, I must say, to celebrate Sahasrara —

the Puja of Sahasrara. It’s a very unique thing that has happened
that your Sahasraras were opened out. There were some very few
people in this whole world—there were some Sufis, there were some
saints, some other people also in China I know, but very few. Very
few got their Sahasrara opened. So whatever they said or was written
was never understood by the people. They actually tortured them,
they crucified them and did all kinds of horrible things because they
couldn’t bear somebody getting this Realization.
“So it’s a very great day because collectively this Sahasrara has
been opened. Every one of you have got it. Also all over the world
37
you have many people who have got their Sahasraras open. Of
course we need many more for them to understand what is this
great event of such a collective opening of Sahasrara. Some have
grown very much after getting their Realization, very much. They
have understood Sahaja Yoga very well and they have developed
their depth and their consciousness—is really a great awareness of
oneness with the divine.
“To be one with the divine is the greatest blessing for human
beings. So far, they were human beings at a lower level of existence.
They had all the problems of that level—is that of jealousies, hatred.
All kinds of problems that are today, of fighting, of troubling others,
destroying others and not loving others. All these problems existed
because their Sahasrara was not opened. So our main problem is to
open the Sahasrara of the people all over the world, which is very
simple, which you can all do it, and it will work better if you do it
collectively. If you are collective, you can work it out very well. Like
that in Sahaja Yoga so many people have come whose Sahasrara was
completely opened and they felt their depth. Firstly you must feel
your depth. If you don’t feel your depth, and you are not one with
your personality which is so deep, then you cannot enjoy the Self
Realization.
“So against all this one has to understand that watch yourself:
‘Am I egoistical?’ Ego is very limited. It makes you limited and you
don’t see the purpose of your life. Why have you become a realized
soul? You don’t understand, you just are involved in your own
affairs, in your family, in your children, in your… something like
that. Very low. But if you have an ego-less temperament then you
are very effective—the whole power works.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Italy, May 5, 2002

“Then you start feeling the cool breeze in your hand. You can
feel it all over. Some people who in the beginning felt the cool
breeze could not believe it, so they closed doors, everything, and
then they sat down to see. Still they were feeling it. But it works,
works in the sense that you get empowered. You become peaceful,
you become the witness. You become empowered that you can give
realization to others. You can raise their Kundalini like this and you
can establish that connection. You can do it and this is what is your
right to have it, this is what will give you meaning. Otherwise, so
X
far, whatever we have been doing is very frustrating.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – London, Aug. 1, 1989
“ First of all you should understand yourself. If you don’t understand yourself,
how can you understand other people? You cannot. So first this Sahasrara
should be opened out fully. Fully means complete oneness with the divine.
That is not difficult. Only you have to meditate a little bit and then it will work
out. It has worked out in many people. I am very happy to see and meet such
people in Sahaja Yoga, who have achieved such a lot of collectivity and also
the awareness of a realized soul.
Ego is the greatest hurdle for your ascent. You see that ego is at a place where
you have to just cross to go to Sahasrara, and to break Sahasrara is very easy
otherwise. But if there is ego, you are already lost in that ego.”
39
Chakra cleansing techniques
T
here are many techniques for clearing any catches that we “If the doors
might feel in our subtle system. No two people are alike of perception
but most of us need to clear both the left and right sides were cleansed
regularly. It is important to feel the vibrations on our hands clearly
everything
so that we know which chakras to work on.
would appear
to man as it is:
Interpreting the state of our Infinite.”
chakras and nadis
William Blake
If you feel a cool breeze equally on the fingers and palms of both
hands, this is a sign that your subtle system is in balance. If you feel
heat or heaviness on any finger or on either hand, you need to use
some clearing techniques to improve the chakras or nadis. If you
cannot feel clearly on your hands, see if you can feel the chakras
inside the body.
We describe a part of the subtle system that is tingling or feels
hot to be catching. For example, if the left Vishuddhi is catching (left
index finger is hot or tingling), work on the left Vishuddhi. If the
right Vishuddhi is catching (right index finger is hot or tingling),
work on the right Vishuddhi. If both index fingers are hot or
tingling then work on the center Vishuddhi. See the Chakra Chart
on page 18 to interpret which chakras are catching.
If the right hand feels warmer or heavier than the left, the right
side is catching. Follow the section on clearing the right side. If the
left hand feels warmer or heavier, the left side is catching. Follow the
section on clearing the left side. Also see page 43, “Balancing the left
and right sides.”
Footsoaking
Shri Mataji has recommended that anyone serious about progressing
in Sahaja Yoga should footsoak every night. The salt water used for
soaking the feet is particularly good for cleansing the Swadishthana,
Nabhi and Void.
41
How to do footsoaking
Get a bowl, and keep it exclusively for footsoaking. A plastic bowl
will do. Fill it with enough lukewarm water to cover the ankles and
add a handful of salt. Keep a jug of water and a towel beside you.
Meditate with your feet in the water. After meditating, rinse your
feet with the fresh water in the jug and dry your feet on the towel.
Pour the water from the bowl into the toilet and rinse the bowl with
fresh water.
“For Sahaja Yogis, it is extremely necessary to have footsoaking
treatment, at least for five minutes, before going to bed. However
highly evolved you may be, and you may not be getting caught, but
it does not matter. You must do footsoaking for at least five minutes.
It is a very good habit. All Sahaja Yogis should light a lamp before
the photograph, apply sindur, dip their feet in salted water and sit
in this fashion opening out both palms towards the photograph. If
you do this, more than half of your problems would be solved auto-
matically. However busy you may be, it is not difficult to spare five
minutes. All should sit like this before retiring. That will stop more
than half of your catching.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Mumbai, India, May 27, 1976
Those with excessive

heat in the right side
and liver can footsoak
with cold water.
42 Chakra Cleansing techniques

Balancing the left and right sides
Our goal in Sahaja Yoga is to be in the center, neither “left-sided” nor
“right-sided.” By following the simple techniques described below,
we can bring the left side and right side into balance and reduce the
pressure of the superego and the ego. The more we are in the center,
the more easily the Kundalini will rise to the Sahasrara.
Strengthening the left side

Manifestations of a damaged or overactive left side:
Lethargy, low self-esteem, guilt, living in the past, laziness, unreasonable fear
Raise the right side and lower the left side. Use this technique when
your left hand feels hotter or heavier than the right. This technique
strengthens the left side.
Keep the right hand palm upwards towards the photograph.
Raise the right side and lower the left side by using the right hand
to describe an arc from the right hip, up to the top of the head, then
down to the left hip as shown. Now bring your hand back to the right
hip across your stomach.
Do this motion seven times or until you feel the temperature of
vibrations on both hands to be equal.
43
Clearing the left side using the earth element

While meditating, place the right hand on the ground (or towards
the ground if you are on a chair) and the left hand palm upwards to
the photograph of Shri Mataji. It is preferable, but not essential, to
place a candle in front of you so that the flame is just in front of the
fingers of the left hand. Continue for several minutes or until you
feel the left hand become cool.
Clearing the left side using

the fire element
The Three Candle Treatment Light
three candles and, preferably, sit on the
floor cross legged. The candles should be
big enough to give a good sized flame as
this will work better. Place each candle
in a suitable candle holder.
A note about safety: Make sure
the candles are secure and won’t fall
over. Place candles about 6 inches away
from you. When not using the candles,
extinguish them. Never leave them
burning unattended.
a. Place one candle in front of you so
that while holding the left hand palm
upwards, the flame is just in front of the
fingers of the left hand. Then place the second candle just behind
you on the left side. Make sure the candle is far enough from your
body to avoid setting fire to your clothes.
b. The third candle should preferably be shorter than the other two
and is held in the right hand. First, move the candle up and down
the left side of your body for a few minutes, at a suitable distance
so that you do not burn your hair or clothes.
c. Next work on each chakra of the left side by rotating the candle
7 times clockwise (top to the left), in front of the chakra (see
diagram on the next page). Start with the Mooladhara and
Swadishthana and finish with the superego on the right side of

the head. Pay particular attention to any chakras that you feel are
catching. Before finishing, move the candle up and down the left
side of the body once again.
Clearing the left side — dietary advice

Another way to improve the left side is to eat more protein and
fewer carbohydrates.
Strengthening the right side

Manifestations of a damaged or overactive right side:
Materialism, futuristic planning, aggressiveness, insomnia, impatience, hot
temper, talking excessively, thinking excessively
Raise the left side and lower the right side. Use this technique
when your right hand feels hotter or heavier than the left hand.
This technique strengthens the right side.
Keep the left hand palm upwards towards the photograph.
Raise the left side and lower the right side by using the right hand
45
to describe an arc from the left hip, up to the top of the head, then
down to the right hip as shown. Now bring your hand back to the
left hip across your stomach.
Do this motion seven times or until you feel the temperature of
vibrations on both hands to be equal.
“Even now if you find that ego is still there, then you have to
raise your left side to push it back to the right hand side with your
[right] hand, one hand towards the photograph. Push the left side
higher and right side lower, so the ego and superego get the balance.
Do it seven times. Try to feel how you are feeling inside.”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – London, Nov 18th 1979
Clearing the right side using ice on the liver

Symptoms of an overheated liver are a hot temper and irritability.
Hold an ice pack on the liver (right Swadishthana and right
Nabhi — the upper and lower abdomen on the right side) while
meditating. Doing this regularly will significantly reduce the
excessive heat in the liver and make it easier to enter thoughtless
awareness.

Clearing the right side using
the ether element
While meditating, hold the left hand in
the air with the fingers pointing upward,
towards the sky (ether element), with the
palm of the hand facing behind you. Keep
the right hand palm upwards towards
the photograph of Shri Mataji to receive
vibrations. (See diagram to the right.)
Clearing the right side using

the water element
Footsoaking is very beneficial to the right
side, particularly with colder water.
Clearing the right side —

dietary advice
Another way to improve the right side is
to eat less eggs, cheese, red meat, fish and
fried food and to eat more vegetables and
carbohydrates such as cane sugar, pasta
and rice. Cut down on caffeine (coffee,
tea, chocolate and caffeinated soft drinks).
Clearing the right side —

left hand on the liver
The right Swadishthana and right Nabhi
look after our liver. Meditate with the left
hand on the right Swadishthana for five
minutes then put the left hand on the
right Nabhi. (See diagram to the right.)
47
Techniques for clearing any chakra
1. Give a bandhan to a chakra

If you need to, refer to the subtle system diagram on page 18 to find
out which chakras are related to the fingers you are feeling. You can
easily clear any chakra by giving a bandhan to the chakra. This is
done by rotating the hand clockwise (top to the left) seven times in
front of the chakra, or until the chakra feels cool. Use the right hand
when working on the chakras of the left and center channels and the
left hand when working on chakras of the right side. Keep the other
hand palm upwards towards Shri Mataji’s photo to receive vibrations.
2. Place your hand on a chakra

Similarly you can simply place the palm of the hand on any chakra
that is catching. Use the right hand for chakras of the left channel
or center channel and the left hand for the right channel. In each
case keep the other hand palm upwards. Do this until you feel that
chakra become cooler. You can ask Shri Mataji to clear a blockage in
a chakra. For example, to clear the heart, place your hand on your
heart and say, “Shri Mataji, please cleanse my heart.”
How do I meditate at home?

X
48
Taking it further
Meditate twice every day
It is vital, for those who want to enjoy the peace and joy of their
own Spirit, to establish their Self Realization by cleansing the
chakras and allowing more strands of the Kundalini to rise to
the Sahasrara. With this in mind, Shri Mataji has recommended
practicing Sahaja Yoga meditation at home on a twice daily basis—a
meditation in the morning and a footsoaking meditation in the
evening. These sessions can be as short as ten minutes or as long as
one hour or even more if you like. You will probably find that, as
you progress, you will enjoy it more and thus set aside more time
for this blissful experience. If, at any other time of the day, you
feel under stress or depressed, you will find it beneficial to raise
the Kundalini and give yourself a bandhan and, if possible, to be
thoughtless for a minute or two.
The purpose of Sahaja Yoga is not to sit in meditation all day but
to meditate at least twice every day, so that we gradually experience
deeper meditations and progressively improve the condition of the
chakras. A profound and peaceful morning meditation will enable
us to stay meditative and peaceful throughout the working day.
Shri Mataji’s lectures on audio and video

Shri Mataji has given thousands of talks about the Kundalini and
the subtle system, with simple and practical advice on how to
improve the chakras and experience the inner joy and peace of the
Spirit every moment of our lives—not just while sitting down to
meditate. Equally importantly, listening to Shri Mataji’s lectures
is a very quick way to get into a deep state of meditation. These
lectures are very helpful for establishing thoughtless awareness
effortlessly and improving the quality of our daily lives. Shri Mataji
recommends listening to as many as possible. Please contact your
local meeting coordinator, or look on the sahajayoga.org website, for
more details.
50 Taking it further
Meditation with affirmations
The following chart shows some affirmations for each chakra. The
affirmations don’t need to be said out loud but can be said silently
inside. If you need to, refer to the subtle system diagram on page 18
to find out which chakras are related to the fingers you are feeling.
LEFT CHANNEL CENTER CHANNEL RIGHT CHANNEL

Shri Mataji, Shri Mataji, thank you Shri Mataji, verily you are
I am fortunate to be in the for giving me my Self the Holy Spirit. You are the
attention of the Holy Spirit. Realization. (Teacher—i.e., your profession)
of all the (teachers).
LEFT CENTER RIGHT

Shri Mataji, by your grace: Shri Mataji, please make me: Shri Mataji, verily:
6. AGNYA
Please forgive me. A forgiving person. I forgive everyone and I
forgive myself. Please keep me
in your attention.
5. VISHUDDHI
I am not guilty. As I am the A collective person. You are the sweetness and
Spirit, how can I be guilty? The pure witness. wisdom of my words and deeds.
4. HEART
I am the Spirit. A fearless and You are the responsibility in
Please forgive me for any compassionate person. me. You are the boundaries
mistakes against my Spirit. of good conduct and the
benevolence of a good father.
3a. VOID
I am my own guru. My own guru. You are my guru.
3. NABHI
I am satisfied. A satisfied person. You are the royal dignity in
I am peace. me. You solve my money and
I am a generous person. family worries and take care
of my well-being.
2. SWADISHTHANA
I am the pure knowledge A creative person. I do nothing. You are the doer
of the Divine which acts. and you are the enjoyer.
1. MOOLADHARA
I am the powerful Innocent and wise. You are the destroyer of
innocence of a child. negativity.
51
Share the experience

If you have felt the benefit of Sahaja Yoga, even after only a week or
two of practice, try to give Realization to your friends or family. It’s
a very joyful experience to share Sahaja Yoga with others.
You can use the technique illustrated below to give your friends
Self Realization. Have them place the right hand on the chakras of
the left side as shown and keep the left hand, palm upwards, towards
Shri Mataji’s photograph. Have them sit comfortably on a chair or
on the floor. Throughout the exercise the eyes should be kept closed.
The affirmations can be repeated silently inside.
Place right hand on Place right hand on Place right hand Place right hand where
lower abdomen upper abdomen on heart neck meets shoulder
“Mother, please “Mother, I am “Mother, I am “Mother, I am
give me the pure my own Guru.” the Spirit.” not guilty at all.”
knowledge.” (10 times) (12 times) (16 times)
(6 times)
For the last
affirmation
(Sahasrara
chakra), push
down firmly
with the palm of
your right hand.
Stretch the palm
by pushing your
Place right hand Place right hand on fingers back as Place right hand on
across forehead; back of head; far as possible. top of head;
bend head forward bend head backward Rotate the scalp bend head forward
7 times clockwise
“Mother, I “Mother, if I have while repeating “Mother, please
forgive everyone.” made any mistakes the affirmation. give me my
(2 times) please forgive me.” Self Realization.”
(2 times) (7 times)
Be collective
“Sahaja Yoga only works in collectivity”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Jan 14, 1983
“It is important that you should go to the centers [Sahaja Yoga

meetings], master it, become a fully fledged Sahaja Yogi, and give
Self Realization to others. You’re duty bound, you have to do it!”
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – Holland Park, London, 2001
After a few weeks or months of regularly attending an intro-

ductory Sahaja Yoga meeting, and practicing twice daily meditation
at home, it is important to make a conscious effort to attend more
advanced collective gatherings of experienced Yogis. Sahaja Yoga
meetings are always free, and no money is ever taken for giving Self
Realization.
You may already have noticed that collective meditation brings
us the best meditation experiences with the least effort. This
collective meditation, combined with collective interaction with
Sahaja Yogis, is essential for the deepening of the experience of
Self Realization and the acceleration of the inner growth towards a
harmonious, peaceful and blissful life.
Don’t get mixed up

Please don’t make the mistake of thinking that, by mixing Sahaja
Yoga with any other kind of knowledge or techniques that we feel
like, we can make progress in Sahaja Yoga. Many have tried this
approach and failed. If we take the wrong turning we will waste
many years, damage our chakras and ultimately become unhappy
and frustrated. We have listed many books from different prophets
and saints of varied cultural backgrounds that have good vibrations,
but as Christ has warned, “Beware of false prophets which are like
wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
Further Reading
For those who want to read more about Sahaja Yoga, and spirituality
in general, there are a few excellent books and ancient scriptures that
should enable you to see the link between the essences of all religions,
and to have some meaningful insights into the nature of the Self and
the Divine. Internet users can find some links to historical spiritual
53
texts (such as the Bhagavad Gita and Guru Granth Sahib) on our
website, www.sahajayoga.org
Some of the books below are only available on certain websites,
in which case the site address is given.
Books written by HH Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

• “Meta Modern Era” – available at www.sahajayoga.org
Books written by Sahaja Yogis

• “The Advent” by Gregoire de Kalbermatten
ISBN: 1-932406-00-X – available at www.daisyamerica.com
• “The Third Advent” by Gregoire de Kalbermatten
ISBN:1-932406-07-7 – available at www.daisyamerica.com
• “The Koran Enlightened” by Flore Descieux
– available at www.sahajayoga.asso.fr
• “A Seeker’s Journey, searching for clues to life’s meaning” by
Greg Turek ISBN: 0646244523 Knowledge of Reality Publishing, available at
www.sol.com.au/kor
A selection of other spiritual books

• “Vivekachudamani” by Shri Adi Shankaracharya –
ISBN: 0902479288
• “The Gospel of the Essenes” – ISBN: 0852071353
• “The Bhagavad Gita” of Shri Krishna translated by Juan Mascaro
ISBN: 0140449183
• “The Dhammapada” of Buddha translated by Juan Mascaro
ISBN: 0140442847
• “Guru Granth Sahib” – poems of Guru Nanak, Kabir, Namadeva
Various audio/video tapes are available on our website at:

http://www.sahajayoga.org/store/audio.asp
http://www.sahajayoga.org/store/music.asp
X
You can cut out this photograph, or use the cover photograph, to use for meditation.
✁ ✁
Copyright © 2006 Vishwa Nirmala Dharma
www.sahajayoga.org

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Sahaja Yoga

First U.S. edition (revised) published 2006

Copyright © 2006 Vishwa Nirmala Dharma

About Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi 5

How do I meditate at home? 13

The Subtle System 19

Chakra cleansing techniques 41

Experience of the Cool Breeze

2 What is Sahaja Yoga

Collective Supra Conscious

Jagruti the waking state of consciousness S

The ﬁrst three states of awareness are commonly experienced1 in

not deﬂected. If there were ripples it would have been a different

In the state of thoughtless awareness we think neither of the

4 What is Sahaja Yoga

Shri Mataji’s early life

Shri Mataji’s Sahaja Yoga work

absolutely individual journey within. It’s an absolutely individual

“In that individual pursuit, whatever you ﬁnd, you want to

Preparing for meditation

Raise your Kundalini

Raising the Kundalini

14 How do I meditate at home?

Give yourself a bandhan

Giving yourself a bandhan

16 How do I meditate at home?

PINGALA NADI IDA NADI

The Kundalini is a subtle, feminine energy that resides in the

experience of meditation becomes more profound and blissful. The

Establish the Spirit

The Three Channels

Right side (Pingala nadi)

20 The Subtle System

The Seven Chakras

“A person who is ﬁlled with Virtue is like a newborn child.”

“The devotees of the Lord dwell forever in peace. With a

“The True Person is detached and humble and to the world

Situated below the sacrum bone, the awakened Mooladhara

22 The Subtle System

Causes of problems with the Mooladhara chakra: Promiscuity, sexual

Treatments: Sitting on the earth, spending time in nature (such as

The Swadishthana chakra moves like a satellite around the

Causes of problems with the right Swadishthana chakra: Excessive

Treatments: Cold foot-soak, ice-pack on liver (right Swadishthana and

Causes of problems with the left Swadishthana chakra: False knowledge,

The power for our creative action

“Especially in England I have seen, also in the west I would

3. Nabhi (Manipura) chakra

When enlightened by the Kundalini, the Nabhi chakra gives

Causes of problems with the right Nabhi chakra: Excessive thinking

Treatment: Cold foot-soak, ice-pack on liver (right Swadisthan and

Causes of problems with the Left Nabhi chakra: Excessive worrying,

Treatment: Work on the chakra with a candle ﬂame (page 44)

The aesthetics of matter

“Overnight I have seen people have given up drugs, alcoholism,

3a. The Void

The Void is the part of the subtle system that is created by

4. Heart (Anahata) chakra

“One should identify oneself with the Atma (Spirit), the