Nadis🔗

Nadis means flow. There are subtle energy flows which you are not able to see as they are not part of the gross body. They distribute pranic energy to every cell throughout the body through a complex and dense network. Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Goraksha Samhita state that there are 72,000 nadis, whereas Shiva Samhita states there are 350,000 nadis in the body. It is mentioned that ten major nadis are important but three are the most significant and are the main channels. These three are: pingala, ida and sushumna. All three are located within the spinal cord.

Sushumna is the middle flow and arises from the location of muladhara at the perineum while ida and pingala arise from the left and right side of sushumna respectively. Sushumna represents the neutral flow, the spiritual flow. Ida flow represents the negative force, the flow of consciousness. Ida is also known as lunar flow (chandra), as it brings about introversion, receptivity, creativity; the feminine aspects. Pingala known represents the positive flow, the flow of vital energy. It is also known as the surya or solar flow. Its flow brings about vigor, extroversion. and expressiveness; the masculine aspects. Ida and pingala correspond to the effects of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems respectively.