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Nadis
In addition to the pranas or vayus, a network of nadis or subtle channels mark the pathways traced by the flow of prana throughout the prana-maya-kosa. (The nadis should not be confused with the network of arteries, veins and nerve  s that belong to the anna-maya-kosa or physical body). Some texts place the number of nadis at 72,000, others at 200,000, 300,000 or 350,000, others again hold that they are countless.
The nadis are said to emanate from the kanda (literally ‘bulb’) which different texts place in areas of the subtle body that correspond either to somewhere around the navel, in the lower abdomen, or at or adjacent to the muladhara cakra. According to the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika (3.113), the kanda is like a soft, white rolled cloth ‘four angulas [the width of one finger] across’, while Brahmananda describes it as ‘egg-shaped and enveloped in a membrane (tvag, ‘skin’)’ (Jyotsna: 3.113).
It is generally agreed that there are three principal nadis, referred to as susumna, ida and pingala, the most important of which is susumna (literally, ‘very gracious and kind’) due to its role as the conduit of an awakened kundalini. According to the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika (3.4), susumna is also known as sunyapadavi (‘place of the void’), brahmarandhra (‘hollow of, or entrance to, Brahman’), mahapatha (‘the great path’), smasana (‘the crematorium or burning ground’), sambhavi (‘the consort (or power) of Sambhu (Siva)’), and madhyamarga (‘the central path’). Some texts also state that susumuna-nadi is only the outer layer of the passage through the kundalini rises, within which is citrini-nadi (‘shining channel’), and within that the Brahma-nadi.
Susumna-nadi is said to rise along the vertical axis of the torso coincident with the spinal column. In some representations ida- and pingala-nadis are portrayed, respectively, to the left and right of susumna-nadi all the way from muladhara-cakra at the perineum to ajna-cakra in the centre of the brow. Other representations portray ida and pingala as strands that intertwine like a double helix around the central column of susumna, intersecting at each of the six major cakras.
Susumna-nadi is also believed to contain three obstructions called granthis (literally ‘knots’) which must be ‘pierced’ by the kundalini as it ascends. Most of the relevant texts claim that the granthis coincide with the points where susumna is crossed by ida and pingala: Brahma-granthi (‘knot of Brahma)’ at muladhara-cakra, Visnu-granthi (‘knot of Visnu’) at anahata-cakra, and Rudra-granthi (‘knot of Rudra (Siva)’) at ajna-cakra, though other texts locate them at anahata-, visudhhi- and ajna-cakras respectively.
The movement of prana though the nadis (except susumna) is said to follow the rhythm of recognisable ‘tides’, the knowledge of which is the subject of Svara-Yoga (svara meaning ‘sound’, in this context the sound of the breath). This knowledge helps to determine the best times of the day for particular Hatha practices. For instance the Siva-Svarodaya includes details on when the flow of prana can be expected to be predominant in either the ida- or pingala-nadis; when predominant in ida-nadi less strenuous practice is recommended, while predominance in pingala-nadi is conducive to more demanding practices.
Cakras
Alongside the nadis, the other major structural feature of the prana-maya-kosa is the cakra system. And as with the nad  is, the number of cakras is not unanimously specified, however most accounts mention seven major cakras and place them where the three principal nadis intersect.
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Muladhara-cakra (from mula = ‘root or source’ + adhara = ‘to support’) is the root cakra, and is commonly said to be located at the base of the spine in an area corresponding to the centre of the perineum. According to some texts it is where the kundalini lies dormant. It is associated with the sense of smell and the lower limbs in the body, and is said to regulate the body’s excretory functions.
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Svadhisthana-cakra (from sva = ‘self, or own’ + adhisthana = ‘basis, abode or ground’) means ‘one’s own abode’, and is said to be located at the root of the genitals, though some texts describe its location as the end of the spine, two finger-widths above muladhara-cakra. It is associated with the sense of taste, the hands, and fertility.
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Manipura-cakra (from mani = ‘jewel’ and pura = ‘city or fortress’) is also referred to as manipuraka-cakra (from puraka = ‘filling up’, ‘completing’ or ‘flooding’) which in both cases can be taken to mean ‘jewel-filled’. It is commonly located at the level of the navel, and so is also called nabhi-padma or the ‘navel lotus’. It is associated with the sense of sight and digestion.
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Anahata-cakra (‘unstruck’) refers to the sacred sound (sabda or nada) that is ‘heard’ when this cakra is enlivened by an ascending kundalini. It is said to reside in the region of the heart’, and is associated with the sense of touch and the functions carried out by the heart, lungs and diaphragm.
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Visuddhi-cakra (‘purity’) is also referred to as visuddha which is the masculine form of the same term, and is said to be located at the ‘base of the throat’ (kantha-mule). It is associated with the sense of hearing, the mouth and skin, and speech.
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Ajna-cakra (‘command’ or ‘order’) is also known as the guru-cakra because it is the subtle organ through which direct communication from the guru is believed to be made possible. When enlivened, ajna-cakra is also said to become an organ of clairvoyance which is why it is popularly called the ‘third eye’. It is located in the centre of the brow, just above the bridge of the nose, an area also referred to as the ‘eye of Siva’. It is associated with antahkarana (the ‘inner instrument’ or ‘mind’) which includes the manas: that aspect of the mind concerned with coordinating sensory impressions (indriyas), as well as the sense of individuality (ahamkara).
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Sahasrara (‘thousand-petaled’) is strictly speaking not part of the cakra system as it is the enlivening of this cakra that leads to the transcendence of body-based consciousness. It is located above the crown of the head, and is thought to be the seat of ‘higher’ awareness. It is also referred to as brahma-randra (‘the hole of Brahman’), the subtle aperture through which liberated individuals are said to leave the body, and as such is the gateway to the Absolute (Brahman).
Whereas the cakras represent particular loci of self-identity, or rungs as it were on a ladder leading to Self-realisation, sahasrara represents the pinnacle of yogic attainment and the transcendence of the other centres.
Kundalini
| As the serpent (Sesnaga) upholds the earth and its mountains and woods, so kundalini is the support of all the yoga practices.
Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika: 3.1 |
The term kundalini is most often translated as ‘she who is coiled’, which is related to literal meanings such as ‘serpent’, ‘coiled’, ‘winding’, and ‘spiralled’, all of which have some reference to the traditional image of kundalini as a dormant serpent coiled three and a half times at the base of the spine. A number of texts, including the Gheranda-Samhita (3.9), place the seat of kundalini in muladhara-cakra, while others such as the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika (3.107) specify an area above the kanda which this text situates in the lower abdomen.
There are a number of interpretations of the relationship between prana and kundalini. Some hold that it is prana that ascends when kundalini uncoils and clears the opening to the sumumna-nadi, while others presume that it is something qualitatively distinct from prana that both uncoils and ascends when kundalini is awakened. These differences aside, whatever it is that ascends sumumna-nadi is said to enliven the cakras, pierce the granthis, and initiate the complete purification and revivification of the human being. When brahma-granthi is pierced instinctive drives such as those associated with survival, sensuality, sexuality and procreation are said to be transcended. With the piercing of visnu-granthi comes a greater harmonisation of the individual with the cosmos at large, while the piercing of rudra-granthi brings with it the transcendence of the limitations of ego- or I-based consciousness (ahamkara).
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