Ida, Pingala and Sushumna

The main Spinal Nadis (channels) are Ida and Pingala originating on the left and the right of the spine, and Sushumna in the midline. Ida is considered to represent the lunar current, more internalised aspects of a person, and Pingala represents the solar current, the more externalised aspects.  

Sushumna in a sense represents balance, but more than that, it represents the path of Awareness, which is outside of duality.  Ida and Pingala are said to represent that duality, but Swamiji actually prefers the word ‘polarities’ rather than duality, as you can’t have one aspect of a polarity without the other in the same way that you can’t have a magnet with only one pole, such a thing cannot exist. The two opposite poles are part of a whole.

He goes on to look at some of the polarities present in a human being, such as male/female, which figure strongly in Swadisthana chakra of course. Then In terms of control systems, we have the Sympathetic (Pingala) and Parasympathetic (Ida) nervous systems, left/right brain etc..

But of course if we think of polarities, usually there is a mix, for example both male and female have hormones present in the other sex, it’s just that they will be more prevalent in one. So this is characterised in Hatha Yoga by Ida and Pingala crossing over at each chakra so they intertwine each other as it were. This is clearly shown in the Caduceus symbol or the staff of Aesculapius, the Greek God of healing, also the Yin-Yang symbol of Daoism.

Swamiji then discusses the dualities of inner/outer, male/female, activity/passivity and indeed there are many examples that are given.

The practice of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama is a way of using the breath to approach a balance of Ida and Pingala, working with the energetic aspect of the body. We are energetic beings and indeed the subject of Hatha Yoga works with physical and energetic. Actually ‘Ha’ means sun and ‘Tha’ means moon. Further, the Sushumna is considered to be the channel through which the Kundalini energy rises (although this can be the subject of strong ‘energetic’ practices which should not be done unless there is balance in general in one’s life).