Chakra meditation

We all know that matter is composed of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. In the same way, the human body is also composed of these five elements. The five elements align with, and operate from the five lower chakras, along with the ten indriyas and a seed mantra for each. Bhuta Shuddi is an ancient Chakra Meditation of Yoga and Tantra practice through which the five elements (bhutas) are balanced or purified (shuddhi). Bhuta refers to the past, and shuddhi refers to purifying that past, or the samskaras that operate in conjunction with the five elements. Bhuta shuddhi literally means 'cleansing or refining the physical elements', however, apart from this, its actual meaning should be considered as 'refining the underlying consciousness related to the elements'. The Chakra Meditation method (Bhuta Shuddhi) works directly with attention on the chakras, balancing the subtle forces of the five elements through the use of the bija (seed) mantras of the chakras.

 In systematic Chakra Meditation, you progressively move attention through the chakras, along with awareness of the nature of each chakra. Before doing the Chakra Meditation - Bhuta Shuddhi practice itself, it is useful to do some some stretches or hatha asanas (postures) followed by some form of physical relaxation exercise, such as a complete relaxation. This helps prepare the mind to be able to focus on the chakras.

•   Muladhara Chakra Meditation: Transition attention back to the first chakra, at the perineum, allowing the mantra Lam to come.

•  Svadhistana Chakra Meditation: Bring your attention to the second chakra, and allow the vibration of the mantra Vam to arise and repeat itself, remembering the element of water, with awareness of procreation and tasting coming or not coming. 

•   Manipura Chakra Meditation: Be aware of the third chakra, the navel center, and the vibration of Ram, along with the element of fire, with awareness of motion and seeing coming or not coming.

•   Anahata Chakra Meditation: Transition to the fourth chakra, the heart, as you allow the mantra Yam to arise, remembering the element of air. Awareness of holding and touching may or may not arise.

•   Visshuda Chakra Meditation: Bring your attention down to the fifth chakra, the throat, remembering Ham, as you enter into the realm of space, hearing, and speaking. Again, a few seconds or a minute is good.

•   Ajna Chakra Meditation: Briefly bring your attention back to the sixth chakra, allowing the vibration of OM to return, which starts the journey of attention back into the body and world. A few seconds, 30 seconds, or maybe a minute should be comfortable, though it may be longer if you wish.

•   Sahasrara Chakra Meditation: Allow attention to move to the crown chakra, which has no element (bhutas), no cognitive sense (jnanendriyas), no active means of expression (karmendriyas), as it is the doorway to pure consciousness itself. Experience how this is the source out of which mind emerges, after which emerge the five elements, the five cognitive senses, and the five means of expression. The “mantra” (in its subtler, silent form) is that silence (not mere quiet) out of which the rest have emerged. It is experienced as the silence after a single OM, merging into objectless, sense-less awareness. Allow attention to rest in that pure stillness, the emptiness that is not empty, which contains, and is, the pure potential for manifestion, which has not manifested.

Note: If you move upwards through the seven chakras, allowing 3-4 minutes for each chakra, and then downwards through the seven chakras, allowing about 30 seconds each (to bring you back to being grounded), the total Bhuta Shuddhi practice itself will be about 30 minutes. Then do your regular meditation practice, whatever that may be, such as bringing your attention deeply into the space between the breasts (anahata chakra) or the space between the eyebrows (ajna chakra), with or without mantra or your regular object of meditation.

Reference: swamij.com and yoga mag.net