The central channel is a mechanism within the human subtle body. Truth be told, a central channel is found within all bodies on the planet: animal, plant, mountains, and rivers. In a human being, the chakras or energy centers are aligned along it. The same is so for other beings and their subtle bodies. The fact that the central channel is found in all expressions on Earth signals its importance.
In a meditation practice, the central channel serves as an instrument of verticality, or giving the practitioner the experience of height. In The Practice of Living Awareness, we’ve been engaging the central channel since Step 2: Tip of the Nose (but did not announce that!).
- With Tip of the Nose, we began a relation to the subtle through the experience of the vastness of the breath and its source – the world – in relation to our self. Tip of the Nose ignited the ajna center, the chakra at the center of the brow. Ajna is related to perspective, altitude, bigger or wider views, and the capacity for detachment. Being an upper chakra, ajna brings verticality and elicits the same from the central channel.
- Getting above our emotions or a situation, gaining detachment, able to widen one’s view and depersonalize through perspective cultivate integrity within one. Integrity brings truth, honesty, authenticity, and leadership. Integrity is not afraid to engage what needs to be done or needs to be changed. We can hear the use of the ajna center in these wider and clearer asanas of life. Integrity and its related personal expressions also are demonstrations of the central channel.
The central channel is as important to being human as is one’s heart and the ajna center. We engage it specifically this week in Step 12: the Central Channel.
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