www.premayoga.co.uk January 2020 Rosemary Bennett

The Alchemical Science of Yoga

“Alchemy is the occult science of matter and its transformations. Commonly misunderstood as a futile effort to tum led into gold, as a precursor of modern chemistry, or as a primitive form of psychology, alchemy is actually a complex, wide-reaching, and subtle assemblage of disciplines, united by a common theoretical structure but extending into nearly every imaginable field of human experience.

Image 1: The Alchemical Table of Symbols The basic concept of alchemy is the idea of transmutation. In alchemical thought, every material thing comes into being out of a common substance or combination of substances. This common basis follows patterns laid down by nature but cannot always complete its natural course. Thus, for example, all metals start out as a fusion of two principles, usually called ‘sulphur’ and ‘mercury’ (but not identical to the minerals now called by the same names). Given the right proportions of these principles, moderate heat beneath the earth, and enough time, the result of the combination is gold.”1 Kaya Siddhi: perfection of the body Matsyendrasana By becoming a fish Matsyendra was able to dive into the primordial waters and hear the dialogue between Shiva and Parvati, which are the source of the teachings of yoga. He was then able to transmit the teachings. The story is symbolic, the waters are diving into introspection, it is through deep introspection that one perceives the teachings, it is when we are in the depth of ourselves that the teachings are revealed. Image 2: Image of Matsyendrasana

Most schools of Post-Classical Yoga and Vendanta accept the doctrine of the pancha kosha ‘five bodies’ (in Sanskrit, kosha means ‘sheath’ or ‘casing’), which was first introduced in the ancient Taittiriya Uanishad (2:7). The names of all the bodies contain the word maya. In this context, maya means ‘made by’ or ‘composed of’. Image 3: The Koshas

www.premayoga.co.uk January 2020 Rosemary Bennett

Kundalini means the coiled one, what this refers to is how it appears within the body, it is the power of our own consciousness. Image 4: Kundalini

The Nadis Some of the important terms are: nadi or energy channel. Out of all the nadis within the body there are three that are most important these three are called sushumna (the central channel), ida (on the left side) of the spine and pingala (on the right side) of the spine. Image 5: Main Nadis

Granthis Within the subtle body there are three knots or granthis. The first is at the root of the spine, this is the awakening of kundalini the untying of the knot that gives the yogi experience of the inner world. The second at the level of the heart, an opening of the heart not only the purification of emotions, but the true meaning of love, love understood as unification, an understanding of our oneness of the world. A significant experience happens when this knot opens up, what it means to be here, to be alive. The third step takes place in the third knot at the eyebrows, here develops a vision of oneness, what this represents is the perception of oneness, not the under-standing but the experience, the world shifts.

Image 6: Granthis References

1. https://stravaganzastravaganza.blogspot.com/2018/01/what-is-alchemy.html [accessed 16.1.20]

Images 1. https://stravaganzastravaganza.blogspot.com/2018/01/what-is-alchemy.htmlIma 2. https://vinyasayogaacademy.com/blog/ardha-matsyendrasana-for-healthy-liver/ [accessed

16.1.20] 3. https://balanceyogalounge.com/blog [accessed 16.1.20] 4. https://www.google.com/search?q=kundalini&sxsrf=ACYBGNSxJxZW-70-

Ra5ir0dyucFuJ3hcwA:1579968651845&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiPiv_xkZ_nAhVMTBUIHcrLDqQQ_AUoAnoECA8QBA&biw=1366&bih=564#imgrc=D7isE-ohKOFgaM: [accessed 16.1.20]

5. https://kamakhyabhaktlalbaba.wordpress.com/2017/07/15/what-is-the-role-of-granthisin-our-body/ [accessed 16.1.20]

6. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/vegetarianslive/granthis/ [accessed 16.1.20]