Shakti Chalani Kriya is the 11th Kriya in this series of 20 Tantric Kriyas.
Shakti means “energy” and Chalani means “to churn”. This kriya facilitates the rotation of Shakti, the feminine or Kundalini Energy within us. Shakti Chalani is a name given for yogic practices that “churn” or rotate the Shakti. Sometimes the practice of alternate nostril breathing is given this name, as it rotates the prana riding on the breath while it alternates from one nostril to the other. Nauli, the practice of churning the rectus abdominus muscle to help cleanse the intestinal tract, has also been referred to as a “Shakti Chalani.”
In this instance, Shakti Chalani is the rotation of the energy through the arohan and awarohan psychic passageways with a new visualization added.
So let's begin.
- Sit in siddhasana, or any comfortable seated position. Sitting in any crossed legged position, or in a chair with ankles crossed, creates a “closed circuit” of energy. Be sure to sit upright and tall with an erect spine.
- Close the eyes, with the inner gaze to the Ajña chakra between the brows and deep in the middle of the head. Keep your hands on your knees, or optionally put them in Shanmukhi Mudra on the face as described in Naumukhi Kriya (this can help you go inward for the visualization).
- Lower the chin to be in the direction of the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine. Repeat “muladhara” mentally three times.
- Inhale, using ujjayi and amritpan khechari mudra (curling the tongue back to touch the soft palate), moving the consciousness up the arohan (frontal passage) from muladhara chakra through each chakra to vishuddhi chakra at the throat, raising your head through the process where it is neutral at the throat chakra.
- At vishuddhi, raise the head slightly as your consciousness moves to bindu.
- Retain the breath at the bindu and visualize a green serpent with its tail in its mouth, filling the arohan and awarohan passageways and to form a figure 8. The serpent has its tail in its mouth at the bindu, forming a closed ciruit in the passageways.
- Observe the serpent image and see if you can visualize it flowing through the figure 8 passage.
- Exhale with ujjayi, descending down the awarohan (back passage) from bindu to muladhara chakra. Your head movement follows the chakras, bringing your attention to each of them as you pass by.
- Repeat “muladhara” mentally three times.
Repeat this process five times. Take time to observe the effects the kriya has on you.
You can read about this Kriya on page 154 in Letters from the Yoga Masters. I have recorded this Kriya for you here on the SOYA youtube site to make it easier for you to practice.
Marion Mugs McConnell is the author of Letters from the Yoga Masters: Teachings Revealed through Correspondence from Paramhhansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda, and Others, published by North Atlantic Books copyright © 2016 ISBN 978-1-62317-035-6. This is an excerpt of the book, and reprinted by permission of North Atlantic Books. All photos are used with permission.
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