Sushumna Nadi Activation – Spinal Energy Channel Healing Guide

What Is the Sushumna Nadi?

The Sushumna Nadi is the central and most vital energy channel (nadi) in the subtle body according to yogic anatomy. The word “Sushumna” is derived from Sanskrit and is often translated as “very gracious” or “most joyful.” It represents the pathway through which the highest spiritual energy — Kundalini Shakti — ascends from the Muladhara (root) chakra at the base of the spine to the Sahasrara (crown) chakra at the top of the head.

Unlike the physical nervous system, the Sushumna Nadi belongs to the subtle or pranic body. It corresponds roughly to the spinal cord in physical anatomy but operates on an energetic level that governs consciousness, healing, and spiritual evolution. When the Sushumna Nadi is activated and energy flows freely through it, a practitioner experiences profound states of meditation, inner silence, and spiritual bliss.

Among the 72,000 nadis described in yogic literature, the Sushumna Nadi holds the supreme position. It is the axis around which the entire subtle energy system revolves. The ultimate objective of nadi purification practices — known as Nadi Shodhana — is to clear the Sushumna and all associated channels of obstructions in order to achieve perfect relaxation, deep healing, freedom from toxic thought patterns, and the awakening of perfect creativity.

Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala – The Three Principal Nadis

Of the 72,000 nadis, three are considered principal channels that form the foundation of the entire pranic architecture:

• Ida Nadi: Located on the left side of the body, the Ida Nadi is associated with lunar energy, cooling qualities, the parasympathetic nervous system, intuition, and the feminine principle. It terminates at the left nostril.
• Sushumna Nadi: Located in the centre of the body, running along the spinal column, the Sushumna Nadi is the channel of spiritual awakening, balance, and transcendence. It is the pathway for Kundalini energy and is active when both Ida and Pingala are balanced.
• Pingala Nadi: Located on the right side of the body, the Pingala Nadi is associated with solar energy, heating qualities, the sympathetic nervous system, analytical thinking, and the masculine principle. It terminates at the right nostril.

All three of these nadis run from the base of the spine to the head. The Ida and Pingala crisscross at each chakra point along the spine, while the Sushumna runs straight through the centre. When the energies of Ida and Pingala are harmonized and balanced, the prana naturally enters the Sushumna Nadi, leading to states of deep meditation and heightened awareness.

The ultimate objective of yogic practice is to clear these nadis of obstructions in order to achieve perfect relaxation, healing, freedom from toxic thoughts, and perfect creativity. When all three nadis function harmoniously, the practitioner experiences a state of equilibrium that transcends ordinary consciousness.

Scriptural References to the Nadis

The concept of nadis and their role in spiritual practice is deeply rooted in ancient Indian scriptures and yogic texts. Different traditions describe varying numbers of nadis, reflecting the vast and intricate nature of the subtle energy system:

• The Shiva Samhita states that 350,000 nadis emerge from the centre of the navel. This text presents one of the most expansive descriptions of the nadi system, emphasizing the navel as a major energy distribution centre.
• The Katha Upanishad (6.16) mentions 101 channels radiating from the heart. This Upanishadic reference highlights the heart as another critical hub of subtle energy distribution, with one of these 101 channels — the Sushumna — leading upward to immortality.
• Traditional yoga texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Goraksha Samhita mention 72,000 nadis. This number has become the most widely accepted figure in yogic tradition and forms the basis for comprehensive nadi healing systems.

These varying accounts reflect different levels of subtle perception and different frameworks for understanding the human energy body. What all traditions agree upon is the central importance of the Sushumna Nadi as the primary channel for spiritual evolution and healing.

Rediscovery of the 72,000 Nadis and 114 Chakras

During a period of deep meditation in the Himalayan foothills around the year 2005, His Holiness Sri Guru Amit Ray rediscovered the complete framework of all 72,000 nadis. This was not merely an intellectual exercise or a reinterpretation of ancient texts — it was a direct experiential revelation that emerged from prolonged spiritual fasting, intense contemplation, and profound meditative absorption in the Himalayan environment.

Many of these nadis are associated with the Cosmic Energy Meditation, a practice that works with the subtle energy channels to promote healing at the deepest levels of body, mind, and spirit.

The origin of the 114 chakras can also be traced back to Sri Amit Ray’s long introspective contemplation in the Himalayas. As Sri Amit Ray was engaged in prolonged spiritual fasting and deep meditation in 2005, he had a vision of the 114 chakras and their relations with the 72,000 nadis. This comprehensive mapping of the chakra-nadi system provides practitioners with an extraordinarily detailed understanding of how subtle energy flows through the body and how specific energy centres can be activated for healing and spiritual growth.

This rediscovery represents a significant contribution to the field of yogic science, offering modern practitioners a complete and systematic approach to nadi healing and chakra activation that goes far beyond the simplified models commonly taught.

Sushumna Nadi and Deep Meditation

The relationship between the Sushumna Nadi and deep meditation is one of mutual reinforcement. During deep meditation, when the air no longer flows through the nose in the ordinary alternating pattern between left and right nostrils, the Prana or the Life-force moves through the Sushumna energy channel. At this point, the mind gradually merges with the Life-force and begins to move together with it.

This merging of mind and prana within the Sushumna represents one of the most profound states achievable in meditation. The ordinary fluctuations of thought cease, the sense of separation between the observer and the observed dissolves, and the practitioner enters a state of unified awareness. In this state, healing occurs spontaneously at every level — physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

The activation of the Sushumna Nadi during meditation is often accompanied by distinctive experiences: a feeling of energy rising along the spine, sensations of warmth or tingling at various chakra points, spontaneous states of joy without external cause, and a profound sense of inner stillness that remains even after the meditation session ends.

Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya

In 2005, Sri Guru Amit Ray discovered a special type of yoga kriya known as the Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya for activating the Sushumna Nadi. Here, “Mayur Sanchalan” means opening the feathers (nadis) like a peacock. This is a comprehensive set of exercises and meditation practices specifically designed to activate the Sushumna Nadi along with many other subtle energy channels in the body.

The Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya is not a single technique but rather an integrated system of practices that work synergistically. It combines specific physical movements, breathing techniques, visualization practices, and meditative absorption to systematically open and purify the subtle energy channels. The kriya works on multiple levels simultaneously — clearing physical blockages in the spine and nervous system while also dissolving energetic obstructions in the nadis.

What makes this kriya distinctive is its holistic approach. Rather than focusing solely on the Sushumna Nadi in isolation, it activates the entire network of 72,000 nadis, creating a comprehensive energetic awakening that supports sustained spiritual growth and deep healing.

The Peacock Metaphor – Spreading the Feathers of 72,000 Nadis

When the peacock fully spreads out its tail feathers, a complete semicircle is created behind it — a breathtaking display of beauty, energy, and vitality. In a similar manner, the Ray Sushumna Nadi Mayur Sanchalan Kriya has the ability to motivate all 72,000 nadis to spread their wings.

This peacock metaphor is profoundly meaningful on multiple levels. Just as each individual feather in the peacock’s display contributes to the overall magnificence of the whole, each of the 72,000 nadis plays a specific role in the total energy architecture of the human subtle body. When even a few nadis are blocked, the display is incomplete and the energy flow is compromised. But when all nadis are purified and activated, the result is a complete and radiant expression of life energy.

The purification of the 72,000 nadis has the potential to motivate them to fan their feathers in the same way that a male peacock uses its tail feathers to communicate with other peacocks through vibrational means. This vibrational communication is analogous to the way activated nadis resonate with cosmic energy frequencies, enabling the practitioner to receive and transmit subtle healing energies.

Prana Vayu, Cranial Nerves, and Sushumna Nadi

As the Sushumna Nadi becomes increasingly activated through the practice of Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya and related meditation practices, the Prana Vayu (breathing) becomes incredibly subtle as the Life-force grows more and more refined. The practitioner may notice that the breath becomes almost imperceptible — so fine and gentle that it barely registers at the nostrils. This subtlety of breath is both a sign and a cause of deepening meditation.

There are 12 cranial nerve pairs in the human body. Each nerve pair splits to serve the two sides of the brain and body. These cranial nerves are connected to the Sushumna Nadi at subtle energetic levels. The cranial nerves govern critical functions including sight, hearing, taste, smell, facial sensation, eye movement, and the regulation of internal organs through the vagus nerve. When the Sushumna Nadi is activated, the functioning of these cranial nerves is enhanced and harmonized, leading to improved sensory perception, better regulation of autonomic functions, and a deeper sense of embodied awareness.

The relationship between the cranial nerves and the Sushumna Nadi illustrates how yogic energy practices have tangible effects on the physical nervous system, bridging the gap between subtle energy anatomy and modern neuroscience.

Third-Eye Chakra Activation and Sushumna Nadi

The Third-eye Chakra (Ajna Chakra) activation and the Sushumna Nadi activation are deeply co-related. The Ajna Chakra, located at the space between the eyebrows, is the command centre of the subtle body and the seat of intuitive wisdom. When prana flows freely through the Sushumna Nadi, it naturally activates the Ajna Chakra, and conversely, practices that stimulate the Third-eye Chakra can facilitate the opening of the Sushumna.

As the Sushumna Nadi activation deepens and the Ajna Chakra opens, the mind then becomes much more subtle, merging with intelligence. The ordinary thinking mind — with its constant chatter, worries, and repetitive patterns — gives way to a higher faculty of direct knowing. This is not intellectual analysis but an intuitive apprehension of truth that arises spontaneously from a purified and activated energy system.

As this process continues, blessings begin in the space of the crown chakra (Sahasrara). The practitioner experiences a cascade of grace — a feeling of being connected to something infinitely larger than the individual self. This is the ultimate fruit of Sushumna Nadi activation: the realization of one’s essential nature as pure consciousness.

Basic Breathing Practice for Sushumna Nadi Activation

The following is a foundational breathing practice for Sushumna Nadi activation that can be performed by practitioners at any level:

1. Preparation: Sit in a comfortable meditative posture with the spine erect. Close your eyes gently and take a few normal breaths to settle the mind and body.
2. Inhalation visualization: When inhaling, visualize air travelling inward from the nostrils to the space in between your eyebrows (the Ajna Chakra). Feel the breath as a stream of luminous energy ascending along the central channel of the spine.
3. Exhalation visualization: When you exhale, visualize the breath returning from the Ajna Chakra to the nostrils’ rims. Feel the energy gently descending, purifying the central channel as it flows back down.
4. Continuous practice: While your mind and body relax, try breathing back and forth along this central stream. Maintain a gentle, steady rhythm without forcing the breath. Let the visualization become more and more vivid with each cycle.
5. Deepening: As the practice deepens, you may notice the breath becoming finer and more subtle. Allow this natural refinement to occur. The gap between breaths may also lengthen naturally — do not force this but welcome it when it arises.

This basic breathing practice serves as a preparatory technique that gradually opens the Sushumna Nadi. For the complete and comprehensive activation, the Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya — with its full set of exercises, advanced breathing techniques, and guided meditation components — provides a more thorough and systematic approach.

Benefits of Sushumna Nadi Activation

The activation and healing of the Sushumna Nadi produces a wide range of benefits that span the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of human experience:

• Deep physical relaxation: The release of energetic blockages in the Sushumna promotes profound muscular and nervous system relaxation, reducing chronic tension and pain.
• Emotional healing: Stored emotional traumas and suppressed feelings that are held as energetic blockages in the nadis are gradually released and resolved.
• Mental clarity: Freedom from toxic and repetitive thought patterns allows for clear, focused, and creative thinking.
• Enhanced intuition: The activation of the Ajna Chakra through Sushumna flow sharpens intuitive perception and inner knowing.
• Improved physical health: The harmonization of pranic flow through the nadis supports the body’s natural healing mechanisms and strengthens the immune system.
• Spiritual awakening: The ascent of Kundalini energy through the purified Sushumna leads to progressively deeper states of spiritual realization.
• Perfect creativity: When the energy channels are clear and balanced, creative energy flows freely, enabling inspired and authentic self-expression.
• Inner joy and peace: The natural state of bliss that arises from an activated Sushumna replaces anxiety, restlessness, and dissatisfaction with abiding happiness.

Sushumna Nadi and Cosmic Energy Meditation

The Sushumna Nadi serves as the primary conduit for Cosmic Energy Meditation — a practice that connects the individual energy system with the vast cosmic energy field. When the Sushumna is open and activated, the practitioner becomes a clear channel for universal healing energy to flow through the body, mind, and consciousness.

Many of the 72,000 nadis are associated with this cosmic energy flow, and the Sushumna Nadi acts as the central axis around which all other energy channels organize themselves. Through dedicated practice of the Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya and Cosmic Energy Meditation, practitioners can access increasingly refined levels of cosmic healing energy, facilitating transformation at the deepest levels of their being.

The Joy of Sushumna – When Vital Energy Flows

The Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya, besides opening the Sushumna Nadi, purifies a plethora of other energy channels throughout the subtle body. This comprehensive purification creates a cascading effect of healing and awakening that touches every aspect of the practitioner’s life.

Joy is what Sushumna brings. As Sushumna’s vital energy flows, it fills the body with joy and happiness. This is not the fleeting happiness that depends on external circumstances, achievements, or possessions. It is an unconditional, spontaneous joy that arises from the very core of one’s being — a joy that remains steady regardless of what is happening in the outer world.

This intrinsic joy is, in fact, the natural state of human consciousness when it is free from the obstructions and distortions caused by blocked energy channels. The Sushumna Nadi activation through the Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya simply removes the obstacles that prevent this natural joy from being experienced. In this sense, the practice does not create something new but rather reveals what has always been present at the deepest level of our being.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Sushumna Nadi activation and healing represents the highest aspiration of yogic energy work. As the central spinal energy channel among the 72,000 nadis, the Sushumna holds the key to deep meditation, comprehensive healing, freedom from toxic thought patterns, and the awakening of boundless creativity and joy.

The rediscovery of the complete 72,000 nadi framework and the 114 chakras by Sri Guru Amit Ray, along with the development of the Ray Mayur Sanchalan Kriya, has provided modern practitioners with a systematic and comprehensive approach to Sushumna Nadi activation. Through dedicated practice — beginning with basic breathing visualization and progressing through the complete kriya system — practitioners can gradually open and purify the central energy channel, experiencing progressively deeper states of healing, awareness, and spiritual fulfillment.

Joy is what Sushumna brings. When its vital energy flows freely, it fills the body, mind, and spirit with an unconditional happiness that is the natural birthright of every human being.