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The central channel is very subtle. In it flows the lung that is the energetic aspect of the non-dual awareness, rigpa. When the nature of reality is described in terms of two inseparable aspects—form and emptiness, bliss and emptiness, or awareness and emptiness—it is the central channel that represents the experience of the inseparability of the two aspects of the apparent duality.
In the yogic practices of the subtle winds and channels, the intention is to open the major chakras and bring the lung from the side channels into the central channel. Doing this coincides with the mind releasing dualistic misperceptions and abiding in the non-dual awareness of rigpa. This is why, in the retrieval of the elements, the recovered energies are poured into the central channel. When the lung abides in the central channel, the practitioner can abide in the nature of mind. The lung and the mind always move together; there is no mind without lung.
Five-fold Body Posture
Sitting in the lotus position
Place your hand in equipoise gesture
Keep you body straight
Keep the tongue touching the upper place
The eyes looking down the tip of the nose.
First connect with the stillness, silence, and spaciousness. Rest within those for as long as you can. Then visualize the three channels within your body. The right white channel. The left red channel. And the blue central channel.
These three channels symbolize the three Enlightened Bodies, and the three root negative emotions. The white channel is the base of the subtle winds and subtle rigpa. Through the right white channel all the enlightened qualities, manifestations, and blessings arise. The left red channel is the base of the gross level ordinary mind and gross level winds. Through the red channel all the samsaric qualities and activities arise. The central channel is the path of rigpa and the path of the natural state of mind. Through the central channel is beyond the beyond of samsara and nirvana called the Kuntuzangpo channel.
1: Cleansing the Right White Channel
Press your right ring finger with your thumb. Then close your right nostril with your right ring finger. Breathe slowly and deeply through the left nostril. As you breathe in, feel the breath go down the left channel to the junction of the three channels. Then change your nostril, closing your left nostril with the right ring finger. Hold the breath for a moment, then exhale slowly through the right nostril.
When you exhale imagine a white mist exiting your nostril which contains your anger, any emotionality associated with anger, as well as any lung disease (diseases of the wind which are diseases associated with body fluids), karmic traces and defilements collected from past lifetimes. All five of these exit the body as white mist expelled from the nostril. Repeat this three times. After the third time, feel the increased openness of clearing the right white channel.
2: Cleansing the Left Red Channel
Press your left ring finger with your thumb. Then close your left nostril with your left ring finger. Breathe slowly and deeply through the right nostril. As you breathe in, feel the breath go down the right channel to the junction of the three channels. Then change your nostril, closing your right nostril with the left ring finger. Hold the breath for a moment, then exhale normally (medium intensity) through the left nostril.
When you exhale imagine a red mist exiting your nostril which contains your desire and attachment, any emotionality associated with desire and attachment, as well as any bile disease, karmic traces and defilements collected from future lifetimes. All five of these exit the body as red mist expelled from the nostril. Repeat this three times. After the third time, feel the increased openness of clearing the left red channel.
3: Cleansing the Central Blue Channel
Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils. As you breathe in, feel the breath go down both side channels to the junction of the three channels and up the central channel. Hold the breath for a moment, then exhale powerfully. As you exhale, feel the breath go up the central channel and out the crown of the head.
When you exhale imagine a blue mist exiting the crown of the head which contains your ignorance and confusion, any emotionality associated with ignorance and confusion, as well as any phlegm disease, karmic traces and defilements collected from present lifetimes, and negative forces of naga demons. All five of these exit the body as blue mist expelled from the crown of the head. Repeat this three times. After the third time, feel the increased openness of clearing the central blue channel.
After clearing all three channels (nine times total) rest for a few moments allowing the space of the resting wind in the wisdom wind to abide.
Benefits
Doing these nine breathes before any meditation is helpful. They can also be used as a way to gently settle the body and mind before you go to bed, and when you wake up. It also is a good practice for the circulation of the blood and winds. It’s beneficial if you have high blood pressure. It is also good for relieving stress of body or mind. It helps to balance the subtle energies and give strength to the life-force energy.
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