Shushumna Nadi & Thought Flow

Ananga Sivyer writes: According to Ayurvedic energy anatomy, the subtle channels of the body number 72,000 in total and they are called nadis which means streams. The most important channel is the Shushumna nadi, which runs through the spinal cord in the physical body and up into the skull between the hemispheres of the brain. This is the channel to which we pass our questions, thoughts, worries, memories and doubts in the Thought Flow Technique.

The 7 chakras are seated along this channel and Sushumna Nadi is considered to be the governor of the chakras and energy system in general.

This channel is further intimately connected with the Chitta Nadi, chitta means consciousness and the Chitta channel provides the energy flow of the mental field and deeper consciousness. It is the channel that flows between the heart and the head and is the checking system for the relationship between our internal and external thoughts and impressions.

So it could be said that handing thoughts over to the Shushumna channel is a highly efficient way of rapidly and easily handing them over to our energy system as a whole for further in-depth processing, which will ultimately lead not to a change of mind, but a true "change of heart" which stays and cannot be broken or hindered by external circumstances or further thoughts.

I'm particularly interested in the direct energetic connection of this channel to the nervous system (something I might add to the Meridian Journey) and the behavioural ramifications of an energy system free from conscious ifs, buts, maybes, confusions and frustrations etc etc being left to do what it is designed to do given half a chance.

According to the Traditional Chinese system of Medicine this channel is called the Governor Vessel (or Du Mai) - the Modern Energy Tapping point for this channel is the one on the upper lip. It is regarded as the channel which greatly influences and, in turn, reflects our own self concept.

Ananga Sivyer

Ayurvedic Energy Researcher & Author