The hare runs and falls asleep.
With every step, the tortoise gains strength.

The shushumna is the Buddha’s middle path between all extremes, between the myriad traps of ego. The shushumna is the razor’s edge; the subtle, inner path of the Awareness.

When the ego forcefully raises the kundalini by deep breathing or extreme yogic techniques based on effort rather than awareness, then the kundalini will temporarily rise—causing various ecstatic, delusional, or painful experiences. Then the kundalini ascends the path of the ida or pingala, the left- or right-handed paths. These energetic pathways correspond to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. The ecstatic high achieved by these means ultimately lead to delusion and suffering.

When the kundalini ascends the shushumna, spiritual progress is certain and steady. Awareness ascends with emotional maturity. This is the path of the tortoise. The hare begins the race in a sprint, but falls asleep along the Way. People seeking powers or ecstatic visions are missing the Point—silent Awareness. Slow and steady wins the race. It will seem as if the Universe is standing still—waiting for you—while you move purposefully to its Center by acting and speaking in a way that is in harmony with this sacred Way. The quieter your mind, the more you will identify with Silence and sense the kundalini gracefully up and down the shushumna.

Reality Checks

Below are two reality checks to help you determine whether energy is flowing through the shushumna, or through the ida or pingala.

1. This “falling hand” exercise is a difficult technique to describe without a visual demonstration, so do not get discouraged if you cannot grasp it. Wait for the video demonstration.

Stand up. Bring one hand directly in front of your body. Let your wrist go limp and move your hand up and down, following the line of your spine. Relax your jaw more than ever before. Close your eyes and consciously relax. Allow your head to be moved by the magnetic influence of your hand. The more consciously relaxed you are, the more powerful becomes the hand’s magnetic influence.

Feel as if you are a puppet. As your hand moves up, your head follows the hand up—as if there is a string from your hand to your head. Occasionally, let your hand fall down. See that your whole body slumps slightly forward. When you pick up your hand back up over your head, your whole body straightens up.

The key reality check is when your hand passes by your forehead. Do you feel a wave of bliss? Do you feel like moaning with pleasure as chakras open and endorphins are released?

When you let your hand fall, does the hand drop as if it were dead weight—very quickly? Or is the ego in control—and a relatively slow or jerky downward movement?

Whenever you want to open the shushumna, practice this “falling hand” exercise. It can also be practiced while sitting in any symmetrical sitting position. It reflects how balanced your mind is, and how open the shushumna is. If there is any egoic tension in your mind, the hand cannot fall swiftly, and neither can you instantly relax and let the kundalini fly up the shushumna.

2. Put your finger underneath your nose and exhale loudly. If more air is coming out of one nostril than the other, then the shushumna is not open. Balance your breath by alternate nostril breathing (described in the CDs), or by any of a hundred different yogic techniques described in this course. Eventually, your will becomes the key to keep open the rainbow bridge (the shushumna).