APANA VISUALIZATION

Grounding your apana

Apana, the cleansing form of your five subtle energies, has its headquarters at the base of your spine. In your body, you experience the energy of apana as the downward pull of gravity that physically connects you to the earth and keeps you feeling emotionally grounded. Your apana is based within your muladhara chakra, which is the energetic foundation of your chakra system (see page 25). The role of this chakra is to keep you firmly rooted by releasing energy downward while at the same time energizing you by drawing positive energy up from the earth. Your expelling apana breath also has to work in balance – both with your inward-flowing prana breath (which brings energy into your body; see pages 4041) and with your upward-moving udana breath (which allows you to express yourself; see pages 13031). If your apana fails to strike this balance or even starts to move in the wrong direction, you may feel ungrounded, insecure and fearful, or even “clogged up” and emotionally weighted down. The breath-visualization exercise opposite counters this by encouraging you to engage with the upward flow of your apana from the base of your spine while feeling its grounding energy, which keeps you rooted physically and emotionally.

SPRING CLEANING

When you see it as an expression of apana energy, spring cleaning – or a major clearout at any time of year – takes on a dynamic dimension. As you clean, dust and throw away, appreciate the energetic connection between you and the objects in your home or workplace. A cluttered environment and an excess of possessions that you no longer need or love drain your time and energy by distracting you from what is really important in life. As you get rid of these unnecessary objects, feel your healthy apana energy grounding you and helping to sever an over-attachment to material things.

APANA BREATHING EXERCISE

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This exercise ensures that your prana and apana energies are balanced and flowing harmoniously, in order to maintain good health and keep you feeling emotionally grounded. It is best, although not essential, to practise barefoot, preferably on a beach or a lawn.

1  Stand with your feet apart, but parallel. Gently seal your lips and close your eyes if you wish. Imagine your body is as firm and grounded as a mountain.

2  Inhale deeply through your nose and imagine drawing the in-breath down to the base of your spine, and then let it drop into your feet.

3  Retain your breath, visualizing your energy continuing to move downward and rooting you deeply into the earth.

4  Exhale through your nose, imagining your breath as a mist lifting from the ground. Watch your mental and emotional toxins drifting away with the mist. Focus on how firmly grounded your feet are as your cleansing breath moves upward through your body. Repeat up to 5 times and then relax.