Question

Can an injury in my backbone affect the sushumna stream as it rises through the chakras?

Answers

Stephen Parker (Stoma), Lalita Arya (Ammaji) and Swami Prashant Bharati answered this question.

Stephen Parker (Stoma)

The sushumna stream is not a physical structure and so a physical problem with the spine should not be an impediment. There is one person in my acquaintance who lived her whole life with scoliosis, an S-shaped deformity of the spine. She set about a determined practice of pranayama and was able to cure the scoliosis by working with the flow of prana along the spine. Any warps in the sushumna are the result of emotions in the mind distorting the flow along this nadi.

Lalita Arya (Ammaji)

While the physical and the subtle are related, a meditator needs to understand that what sometimes seem like physicalities (like some people think of the chakras as having some physical placements), they are not physical manifestations.

Swami Prashant Bharati

From my experience – No, it doesn’t affect. Also i have observed with some people having deformity by birth or hunch back – by (only) Guru’s Grace, the Energy does / can move.

Editor’s Note

If you have any questions about your spiritual practice, you may write to the AHYMSIN Spiritual Committee at adhyatmasamiti@gmail.com.