The secrets of sun gazing
The Sun is the supreme body in our solar system. It encloses just about 98% of the sum solar system mass. Its interior could hold over 1.3 million Earths. The Sun’s photosphere reaches the temperature of 6,000°C (11,000°F), it is so amazing and powerful that no wonder why many traditions around the world used it as the principal symbol of their religions.
More or less every civilization use solar symbolism. Several of history’s most important cultures such as the Egyptians, Aztecs, Mayans, American Indians, Incas, East Indians, and Taoists, Christians, developed solar religions. All of them had widespread and sophisticated urban empires with a deep rooted philosophy and dogma, in these cultures the sun appears as the supreme ruler of both the superior and the inferior realms. The sun was always the giver of light and life. It was directly connected to enlightenment or illumination; it was the foundation of wisdom. In Christians and Jews associated angels like Metatron, and Raphael with the sun. Autonomy, authority, righteousness, and intelligence are some of the characteristics that any of these influential spiritual groups believe the sun had, and it is within this framework that sophisticated solar principles are found.
In Egypt the sun was the god Ra who created all living beings with his tears. In egyptian mythology, Ra has a voyage over the heavenly realms and fights during the night against the god of darkness “Apepi”. The sun god has a fundamental position in the Sumerian and Acadian belief systems. In India Surya is glorified in the Vedas as an omnipresent, omnipotent, all-pervading god. In the beginning he was Narayana “he who is in the heart of all beings” as the Upanishads describe. He expels darkness, evil dreams and diseases. The dynasty of sun kings is typically peaceful, in contrast to the pugnacious moon kings. During modern Roman history, sun worship gained substance and in due course led to what has been called “solar monotheism.” Most of the gods of that era had solar qualities, and even both Christ and Mithra obtained the traits of solar deities.
The feast of Sol Invictus on December 25, in due course was taken over by the Christians as the birthday of Christ or Christmas. The monarch in Peruvian tribes was as in Egypt an incarnation of the sun god, Inti. In Japan the sun was a feminine figure, her name was, Amaterasu, who was considered to be the absolute sovereign of the planet. The Japanese flag has as a central symbol of the sun. While doing the Sun Dance the American Indians do not eat or sleep, they gaze at the sun while dancing. For the aztecs the sun was represented by two gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca. Many of these ethnic groups left behind writings, hieroglyphics and paintings depicting solar gazing.
Sun Gazing
The sun holds fantastic powers for those who desire them. Light is the essential nutrient of all life, we just have to learn how to metabolize and comprehend this brightness and in due course it can help us evolve and free us from the chains of the EGO. Mankind will not remain on Earth forever, but in its quest for light and space will at first timidly penetrate beyond the confines of the atmosphere, and later will conquer for itself all the space near the Sun. – Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky The Thirteen Stages of Sun yoga as Uma Sankar exposes it are:
1. Conquer all material desires (sexuality, anger, greed, narrow-mindedness, ego & jealousy, shame, hatred and fear) 2. Develop Divine Energy 3. Atma Darshan – Discovery of Atma (or soul) 4. Samadhi – Enlightenment 5. Conquer hunger 6. Conquer thirst 7. Conquer diseases 8. Paramahansa – Adjusting the mind to all situations 9. Having no enemies – all enemies will be friends (including animals) 10. Longevity (this happens when the body’s vibration becomes the same as the environments) 11. The body’s vibration and earth’s vibration will be equal 12. The body’s vibration and sun’s vibration will be equal 13. The body’s vibration and the vibration of the Universe (Supreme Soul) will be equal.
I was reading about Hira Ratan Manek a famous sun gazer, he says that extensive studies have been conducted on him while fasting and doing sun gazing, and amazing ground breaking scientific discoveries have being realized. He is a normal 63 year old house holder who worked most of his life as a mechanical engineer and a businessman. He has done long fasts, the longest where done for 211 days from June 19th, 1995 to Jan 15th, 1996, and another for 411 days starting on January 1st, 2000 monitored by many doctors. A standard and in a good shape Pineal gland in humans measures 6 x 8 mm. Mr. Hira Ratan Manek C.T. Scan & MRI Scan, showed that his gland was 8 x 11 mm.
Surya Tatraka Technique
The technique described here is not to entice anyone to sun gaze, but just to help people that have been misleaded and deceived by a false teacher, or his own driven obsessive compulsive ego. After all the sun or your own conscious awareness, which in this case is the same or equal to the sun, will empower you to take the right decision and make you very sensitive and intuitive, and eventually you will know what to do, and you won’t need any guidelines any longer.
- This practice is not for everyone, it should not be done without the guidance of a competent teacher. Special attention should be paid to any side effects and should be shared with the teacher.
- Your bare feet should be planted firmly on the ground, on soil, sand, concrete, rock, or even metal that is grounded, any surface that transmits electricity and serves as a ground will suffice, the first two options are the best, if you are seated cross-legged on the floor, place your hand’s palms down, with open fingers, stretched on the ground.
- Concentrate on the center of your brain.
- This technique takes in consideration, the colors of the sun, as it sets and rises.
- Begin when the sun is of a reddish color, or close to the horizon, here you can gaze from 1 to 2 minutes, if it is comfortable and advance every day 30 seconds, or less if that is what is required.
- When the sun is of a deep orange color, here you can advance 25 seconds a day.
- When it becomes clear orange, advance per day only 20 seconds.
- When dark yellow, proceed to only add 15 seconds a day.
- When light yellow continue advancing only 10 seconds a day.
- When the sun is higher and beyond the half an hour of the rising point, add only 5 seconds a day till you reach an hour.
- This way of advancing into the hour is not for everybody, you have to be very cautious, some people would reach 20 minutes and that would be just enough and for others even 2 hours won’t be sufficient. It all depends on how you feel. If you are cut off from these feelings here is where the teacher comes, to help or to feel for you, nevertheless if the teacher is not intuitive, he might guide you incorrectly and this could be dangerous.
- Stay in an hour for as long your teacher tells you, it usually takes a year or more, depending on how awakened your pineal gland is, but for others it may take 2 month or they may awaken their pineal gland completely and truly at 15 or 20 minutes.
- At the en of each session, blink fast for another minute while you are gazing.
- Close your eyes and place your palms on them for a few minutes until all afterimages, if any, have disappeared.
- You may experience a strong sun image in yellow, for up to an hour if you overlook the suggested palming of your eyes.
- You may feel an insignificant out of focus sensation for up to an hour.
- While covering your eyes after the image disappears completely, do an infinite sign with your eyes, this is up to the right and down the right from here up to the left and down to the left, repeat this sequence until you feel tired.
- After this do Udiana-Bandha and Nauli several times, concentrating your attention in the center of the brain, and try to make the energy ascend to this place.
Side effects
If you feel burning sensations during the whole day, keep sun gazing without advancing and in the lower colors. If you experience a dark or yellow spot in the center of your vision for more than an hour, or if straight lines become wavy then you’ve got solar retinopathy. Here stop for a month and continue, if it happens again never go beyond the half an hour after sun rise or before sun set, and if it happens again stop altogether, that means that sun gazing is not for you, and do not worry, there are many other powerful yoga practices that you can choose and practice. I repeat again, these instructions are not to entice anyone to practice, but just to help people already practicing, so they can compare their practice with this one and be extremely cautious, sensitive and intuitive. Some people are particularly at risk for UV damage to their eyes. These include: – People who have had cataract surgery. This surgery causes lose of the lens protective absorption of ultraviolet and evidently offers significant macula exposure. Most interlobular lens implants inserted during cataract surgery absorb ultraviolet light, but the effect and longevity of the block material is not known. – People with Xeroderma Pigmentos have cells that cannot repair ultraviolet damage and should avoid ultraviolet exposure.
– People with Retinitis Pigmentosa may be susceptible to ultraviolet damage and should take extra precautions to protect their eyes. – People with psoriasis or vitiligo treated with Psoralen therapy are particularly sensitive to ultraviolet as part of therapy and should avoid sun exposure and take extra precautions to protect their eyes. – Certain jobs require extra eye precautions. These jobs include mountaineers, sailors, skiers, fisherman and lifeguards. People who work in areas concentrated with UV should wear protective glasses (i.e. people who work in electronics, computers, graphic arts and welders) – People who use tanning beds should protect their eyes when in the booth.
Tri Bandha
While doing Nauli and Uddiana-bandha do also Mula Bandha (perineum contraction) Mula Bandha Mula is root, and the root that we are talking about here is the root of the spine, the pelvic floor or even more accurately, the core of the pelvic floor, the perineum. The perineum is the muscle located in the central point between the coccyx and the genitals. By contracting the pubococcygeus muscle, which begins at the pubic bone and ends at the coccyx, we make a vigorous seal that locks and redirects prana into the higher centers of the body and it stops the body from leaking out precious power. Mula Bandha is said to move prana into the central channel, called sushumna, which is the center of the spine.
Jalandhara Bandha
Bring your chin towards your chest and try to press it against it. The gastric fire, which is located in the region of Nabhi (navel), consumes the nectar which Sahasrara (crown chakra) exudes. This Bandha prevents this nectar to fall and be consumed by the navel. This bandha also prevents the prana to reach the head in a violent manner and compresses therefore the prana in the spine making it build outstanding power. It also drives the prana from Ida and Pingala nadi’s to the center of the spine Sushumna.
Uddiyana-Bandha
The Sanskrit word “Uddiyana” comes from the root ‘ut’ and ‘di’ which means to “fly up.” When this Bandha is skillfully mastered, the Prana ascends through Sushumna Nadi.
Technique
Empty the lungs completely. Now contract and draw up the abdomen and bring the navel towards the spine, by producing a vacuumed action, try to inhale but without letting air in, so that the abdomen rests alongside the back of the body, high up in the thoracic cavity, you can try also to block your nostrils and mouth and take an inhalation and you will see how your abdomen concaves by itself. This bandha practiced at the end of Kumbhaka and beginning of the Rechaka. When you practice this Bandha, the diaphragm, the muscular segment between the thoracic cavity and abdomen, is raised up and the abdominal muscles are pinched backwards. If you bend forwards and place your hand on your quadriceps or knees, you can effortlessly perform this exercise. Uddiyana Bandha is the first stage of Nauli Kriya. You should master Uddiyana Bandha if you want to practice Nauli Kriya.
Nauli Kriya
This is usually done in a standing position while Uddiyana Bandha can be practiced while sitting or standing. This exercise helps the practitioner with Brahmacharya. It makes him healthy, vigorous and confers vitality to the entire system. When combined with Nauli Kriya, it is a powerful gastro-intestinal stimulant. It battles constipation, weak peristalsis and many other disorders of the digestive system.
Madhyama Nauli
While standing, keep your feet approximately 12 inches apart. Bend forward, and with your hands on your thighs, perform Uddiyana Bandha.
Now free the center of the abdomen by contracting the muscles on the left and right side of the abdomen, and by tilting the coccyx up towards the navel. You will find all your abdominal muscles protruding in the center in a vertical line.
Vama Nauli
After having mastered Madhyama Nauli, Vama Nauli will be an easy variation. Contract the right side of the abdomen and allow the left side to remain relaxed and without contractions. Bend and twist a little to the right side. Only have the muscles on the right side contracted.
Dakshina Nauli
Dakshina Nauli is the balancer for Vama Nauli. Contract the muscles on the left side and allow the right side to remain relaxed. Slightly bend and twist towards the left side. Only have the muscles on the left side contracted.
Nauli Kriya
While Uddiyana Bandha can be practiced while sitting or standing, Nauli Kriya is usually done only in a standing position. Nauli Kriya helps practitioners with Brahmacharya. It makes them healthy, vigorous and confers vitality to the entire system. A powerful gastro-intestinal stimulant, Nauli Kriya eradicates chronic constipation, dyspepsia and all other diseases of the gastro-intestinal system, and stimulates peristalsis. The liver and pancreas are toned, and the kidneys and other organs in the abdominal region will be strengthened, and start functioning correctly. The most important effect is energetic. This practice will eventually awaken the Kundalini, and make it rise up through the center of the spine to the brain.
To perform Nauli Kriya, start by doing Uddiyana Bandha. Then, separate the center, as in Madhyama Nauli, and then contract the muscles on the right side, as in Vama Nauli, and then contract the left side, as in Dakshina Nauli, letting your abdominal muscles move in a circular motion. Do this several times from right to left, and then do it in the reverse way, from left to right.
Beginners may feel a slight pain in the abdomen in the first two or three attempts, but as long as the pain is not intense it should not be a matter for concern.
After a week of short daily periods of practice the discomfort should fade away. In case of intense pain, of course, or of discomfort which continues for a longer period, drop the practice, and consult a doctor and a professional yoga teacher before resuming the practice of Nauli Kriya.