Nadis & Kundalini — rivers of prana, the coiled power
Beneath the physical body, the yogic texts map a subtle body woven of energy-channels called nadis through which prana, the life-force, flows. At its base sleeps Kundalini — the coiled shakti whose awakening and ascent through the central channel to the crown is the secret aim of hatha and laya yoga. This is an educational map of that inner landscape, drawn from the classical sources.
The nadi system — 72,000 channels
The texts say the subtle body is threaded by 72,000 nadis — energy-channels radiating from a hub near the navel (the kanda) and carrying prana to every part of the being. They are not the nerves or blood vessels of anatomy but subtle conduits perceived in deep practice. Of these thousands, three are supreme — and of the three, one is the goal of all the rest.
Ida — the lunar channelleft · cooling · chandra
Ida flows on the left, beginning at the left of the Muladhara and ending at the left nostril. It is called the lunar (chandra) nadi — cooling, calming, nourishing, and associated with the parasympathetic, mental and feminine pole of experience. When the breath flows freely through the left nostril, the mind tends toward rest and reflection.
Pingala — the solar channelright · heating · surya
Pingala flows on the right, mirroring Ida from the right of the Muladhara to the right nostril. It is the solar (surya) nadi — heating, activating, energising, and associated with the sympathetic, vital and masculine pole. When the right nostril dominates, the body is primed for outward action, digestion and effort.
Sushumna — the central channelcentre · sattva · the royal road
Sushumna is the central channel that runs up the core of the spine from the Muladhara at the base to the Sahasrara at the crown. Ordinarily it stays closed; the whole aim of hatha and laya yoga is to balance Ida and Pingala so that prana withdraws from them and enters Sushumna. Only when prana rises through this central road can Kundalini ascend and the chakras be pierced.
Ida and Pingala do not run straight: they cross from side to side, winding around Sushumna and meeting it at the chakras — an image later echoed in the twin serpents of the caduceus. Where the three meet at the brow is the mukta-triveni, the “triple braid” that recalls the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the hidden Sarasvati.
Prana & the five vayus
Prana is the life-force that the nadis carry; the breath is its most tangible vehicle, which is why working with the breath works on prana directly. Within the body prana differentiates into five functional currents, the pancha vayus(“five winds”). Uniting the rising prana with the falling apana at the navel fire is, in the hatha texts, the very act that wakes the sleeping serpent.
Pranaseat: chest / heart
The inward-moving forward breath governing intake — inhalation, the heart and the reception of food, air and impressions.
Apanaseat: pelvis / lower abdomen
The downward and outward breath governing elimination, exhalation, excretion and birth. Its union with prana is central to rousing Kundalini.
Samanaseat: navel
The equalising breath at the navel that kindles the digestive fire (agni) and assimilates what prana brings in.
Udanaseat: throat / head
The upward-moving breath of the throat and head — speech, upward circulation, effort, and the upward exit at death.
Vyanaseat: whole body
The pervading breath that circulates through the entire body, distributing energy and coordinating the other four vayus.
Kundalini — the coiled power and her ascent
The Sat-Chakra-Nirupana and the hatha classics describe an inner journey: the dormant Shakti at the base awakens, opens the central channel, and rises through it to meet Shiva at the crown.
The coiled shakti at the Muladhara
Kundalini is described as the divine power (shakti) lying dormant at the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine, coiled three and a half times around the svayambhu-linga like a sleeping serpent, her mouth closing the entrance to Sushumna. She is the individual share of the great cosmic Shakti, asleep until awakened.
The awakening
Through purification, asana, the union of prana and apana, bandhas (the three locks), pranayama, mantra and the grace of the guru, the dormant energy is roused. The texts compare it to a serpent struck with a stick — she straightens, lifts her head, and opens the door of Sushumna that she herself had closed.
The ascent through the chakras
Once Sushumna is open, Kundalini rises through it, piercing each chakra in turn — Muladhara, Svadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha and Ajna. Each piercing (the texts speak of "knots", granthis, that must be untied) brings a change in consciousness as the energy moves from the grossest centre toward the subtlest.
Union at the Sahasrara
Reaching the thousand-petalled Sahasrara at the crown, Shakti is reunited with Shiva, pure consciousness. This union of Shakti with Shiva — the ascending power with the still witness — is described as the goal of the practice: samadhi, the dissolution of separateness, the experience the tradition calls liberation.
Nadi-shodhana — balancing Ida & Pingala
The practice that prepares this whole process is nadi-shodhana(“channel purification”), better known as alternate-nostril breathing. By breathing in through one nostril and out through the other in turn — Ida, then Pingala — the practitioner gradually purifies the channels and brings the lunar and solar flows into balance. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (chapter 2) holds that only when the nadis are cleansed in this way does prana grow steady enough to enter Sushumna. Practised gently, it is calming and clarifying; it is best learnt unhurried, on a light stomach, and under guidance.
Educational overview. Sources: Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Svatmarama), Shiva Samhita, Gheranda Samhita, and the Sat-Chakra-Nirupana(Purnananda; the basis of Arthur Avalon's The Serpent Power).
Important caveat. Serious Kundalini work is not a do-it-yourself exercise. The classical texts insist it be undertaken only with a body and nerves prepared by hatha yoga and under a qualified, living guru; an unprepared or forced awakening is traditionally said to be disturbing and even dangerous. This page is for understanding the map, not a manual for the territory. Seek a competent teacher before attempting any advanced practice, and consult a doctor if you have a medical condition.