Time and Tantra: A Study in Spiritualized Movement

An important and fascinating aspect of Tantric Yoga is the force of time and its divisions. We don't often think of how time relates us to the deeper cycles of the universe, when in fact it is an amazing way to come into a more profound harmony with the cosmos. Tantra is a seeking of unity between the inner and the outer, between the personal and the universal. Many of our sadhanas create personal harmony but don't directly bridge the gap between 'i' and 'thou'. One way to effect a greater integration is to investigate and interact with 'kala' or 'time'.

The clock time that is so commonly used around the world is not an arbitrary concoction (as opposed to the modern Julian calendar, which is arbitrary). Clock time is directly based on the movements of the sun, moon and earth. Rarely, however, do we wonder what time is really based upon, nor do we wonder how this time takes its manifestation within us. If we investigate our personal interaction with time cycles we seek a Tantric understanding of the universe, which is by definition holistic and integrated. The essence of Tantra is the balance of opposites, both within and without. To understand and connect with the sun and moon is to understand balance on a larger scale. This knowledge can help on the quest to understand the inner balance between our personal sun and mooon.

Does the human body have its own time cycles? It is dependent upon larger forces or does it have rhythms of its own? Which parts of us are affected by the sun's cycles or the moon's? Do the other planets guide our lives as well? These are questions which are not easily answered, but very important to ask. We can look into a few examples to spark your investigation...

Lunar Cycles

Certain cycles are obvious to us and are taken for granted as truth, but rarely does one look deeper. A woman's menstrual cycle is one simple example of our dependence on the planets and their influence on us. It is commonly acknowledged that the moon's cycles are the basic framework for the rhythms of menstruation; with a woman who is 'in tune', both ovulation and menstruation occur on or near the full and dark moons. In the Tantric view, ovulation (and the potential for pregnancy) is best had on the full moon when the energy is bright and positive. A child conceived during this time of the month is generally considered to be at an advantage, as it has the power of the full moon supporting it.

Menstruation is ultimately an expression of the black moon, which is an energy of death and renewal, and rebirth. The womb cleanses itself and prepares for a fresh cycle of growth, fertility and (if no pregnancy occurs) the shedding of the old cycle. The monthly course then begins again, just as the moon follows its monthly rhythms. Thus, if a woman is an expression of the moon (and the moon an expression of her), ideally she would echo the natural power of the moon in its phases. Ovulation would occur on the full moon and menstruation on the dark moon. This is not to say, however, that a woman is unhealthy or out of tune if she is not in this cycle; but to be synchronized with the larger forces of the lunar energy is to be more fully a part of the whole, and this unity is the goal of Tantric Sadhana.

Solar Cycles

The solar year has a similar pattern to the lunar month. There is a 'rebirth' as the sun emerges from the winter solstice. As you may know, the shortest day of the year is known as the winter solstice. From this day forward the sun is born anew and ascends in energy as the days grow longer. This cycle echoes the rebirth of the moon after its dark phase and the movement towards full moon, as the sun moves towards the summer solstice. The peak of energy in the yearly cycle is the longest day of the year, or summer solstice after which the sun descends towards its symbolic 'death' again. Plants follow the cycles of the sun, commonly flowering in spring as the sun gains in strength and brightness, gradually reaching the maximum intensity of growth near the summer solstice and then producing the 'fruits' of their labors in autumn and dying or going dormant as the sun wanes. See how this is, in essence, the same cycle as a woman's fertility.

If you investigate cycles of mythology across the world, you will find that even the cycles of the Gods and Goddesses follow these patterns of birth, fructification and degeneration. Festivals, holy days and celebrations largely echo the patterns set by the sun's changes throughout the year. When mythology is reduced to its deep origins, one can see that the solar cycles have laid the framework for human rhythms throughout time. We are bound to the sun and the moon, whether we know it or not. Tantric life is to seek harmony and understanding with the greater forces which control our destinies. Building a relationship with myth cycles is a wonderful way to understand the larger forces which influence all life on earth.

Personal Cycles and the Universe

One can investigate the patterns of time and rhythm in the universe, but pure facts can easily become abstracted from personal experience. Once one understands the basics of the cycles of time, the next step is to apply it to one's own life. How do the sun and moon affect us on a day-to-day level? In fact, every aspect of our lives, thoughts and breaths fall under the influence of larger forces. When we know where the intersections lie, between the greater outer and the lesser inner, we can find the links and parallel lines. Remember the basic Tantric Motto 'As above, so below' or 'what is inside is outside and what is outside is inside'. All things that exist have some energetic resonance within ourselves. It is the chakras which contain all of the possible energies of creation. There is nothing that is truly separate from ourselves.

Thus we can begin the investigation and discover the forces within that we know so well as outside. We can discover what part of us is a manifestation of the sun, and what part is the moon; other planets also have their influences, but this takes a deeper investigation into Vedic astrology. Look at Robert Svoboda's book Light on Life for more information about the planets. (See Reading list Page). Fortunately, Hatha Yoga concerns itself mainly with the influence of Sun and Moon within us. Because the unity of opposites is quintessentially tantric, the Sun and Moon are ideal energies to work with in Tantric Yoga. How do these seemingly opposite forces work together to create a whole being? This is a question which requires an enduring investigation into the nature of everything... are you ready?

The Personal Universe

Our main connections to the Sun (Surya) and Moon (Chandra) are through the main energy channels in the body. These channels are called 'nadis', and these nadis carry the subtle energy (prana) all over the body. Of course, there are major nadis and minor ones but the most important are called the solar and lunar nadis. In yoga parlance they are termed 'Ida Nadi', the lunar channel and 'Pingala Nadi', the solar channel. They criss cross like DNA helix,on their way up the spine from the root chakra in the perineum up to the third eye in the forehead. The most influential prana in our systems flows through these 'rivers', first in one channel and then in the other. The rhythms and timings of the energy in the nadis has a fascinating connection with the real cycles of the sun and moon. Truly, nothing exist independently in this universe. All things have an interdependence which can never be isolated or individuated without destruction of the whole.

If we want to harmonize our personal lives with the larger energies of the cosmos, we must work with those parts of ourselves which most closely relate the cosmic forces. Yoga asanas and postures prepare us for this deeper connection but do not act so directly upon our solar or lunar bodies. Each posture has elements of the solar and lunar within it, and much depends upon how the posture is performed by the yogini. In general, very active, strong postures can be considered solar and relaxing postures are lunar. Any action or practice can be considered solar that deals with a more profound effort or an increase in heat in the body. Any action, posture or even thought can be termed 'lunar' when it is quieting, introspective, emotional or softening. You can begin to see how even the smallest expressions of life have certain qualities that affiliate them with larger forces. Tantric Sadhana is the exploration of energy in its many forms and qualities and the gradual harmonization of the personal limited with the impersonal unlimited.

The Perfect Balance

There is a third channel, even more important than the solar or the lunar, called Susumna Nadi. This central channel does not wind and curve like Ida and Pingala Nadis but strikes a direct line from the root 'mula' to the crown 'sahasrara'. This could be said to be the most 'spiritual' current of energy in the body; when one has more profound experiences in life, it is generally this central channel which is activated during the experience. Usually the central channel only activates when the solar and lunar forces within the individual are in perfect balance. It is the seeking of this perfect balance which the Tantric Sadhaka pursues. All of the preliminary efforts of Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama are, in the Tantric view, simply efforts to come into harmony with the internal forces of Sun and Moon. Once the planets are balanced within (i.e. the energetics of the Nadis are balanced), the central channel is activated and the practitioner is at the crossroads of their destiny. Much of this theory is covered by books on chakras and Hatha yoga, so see the book list if you want to explore more.

It is said by pundits on the subject of Kundalini that any expressions of art, literature, music or other forms of genius are due to the entry of energy into the central channel. Those who have lives of great merit or accomplishment in any field is due to the flow of deep prana into Susumna Nadi. Those who continually create works of great genius have a near constant flow of energy in the central channel. Those of us who are a bit more mortal have only a trickle of energy in Susumana, and then only every so often. More commonly the prana, whether weak of strong, is predominant in left or right channels and rarely dwells for long in the middle.

If one investigates the more profound exercises of Hatha Yoga and the reasons behind their performance one will see, behind it all, the effort to create balance within. This balance is sought first in general, common life through such things as good thoughts, the speaking of truth, cleanliness, non-violence, etc. These are the tenets of good behavior called Yama and Niyama and they form the foundations of balance upon which the deeper yogas will be built. In the classical interpretation of this 8 Limbed path, a diversion from these basic principles will lead to a loss of that which has been gained through the sadhana, sometimes resulting in an irreversible downfall. Certain 'left hand' sadhanas in Tantra, Aghora or any 'crazy school' would not necessarily agree with the above, but this view in itself is dangerous and only for the brave or the foolish.

Solar and Lunar in Everyday Life

To understand the nature of the solar and the lunar in our lives and our actions is a step towards comprehension of a greater vastness. Give what you know about the sun and moon, can you find elements of heat and action around you? Can you find aspects of cooling and calming, of water and earth? Remember that all things are a lunar solar combination, because even in the most pure examples of sun or moon, there is always the opposite contained within it. As the Taoists say 'extreme yin leads to yang, and extreme yang leads to yin'. The universe is a whole and does not take well to hard categories; the moment one sets a hard and fast rule about the nature of the creation, that rule gets shattered without mercy. Modern science attempts to categorize and classify, it seeks to make laws which define the workings of the whole. Eventually, a new view of the situation is forwarded and the old 'law' turns out to be an artificial construct after all. Thus it is best to retain an open view as to what is or is not; all of our methods are simply ways for us to approach a deeper understanding of things, not a truth in itself. That which is brittle is eventually shattered!

Remember, as we work with the increasing intensities of the solar and lunar within us, we risk imbalance. Without a doubt, as deeper connections are forged with these intense forces, we can tip the balance at times. This is an important lesson in Tantra: what is it to be in balance and what is it to be out of balance? By playing with the internal forces we learn about the power and influence of these elements within us. The work can lean in a direction for a time, for the sake of investigation and experimentation. Only by playing with these things ourselves can we really know.

The wise yogi-ni does not go too far in one direction, however. If we go to extremes, which we must do to grow in yoga, we must also come back to the center eventually. Look at the example of asanas: we do a deep backbend or twist. We go to an extreme of physical shape, to the edge of our comfort and ability. What would happen if you stayed there for an extended time? Destruction more than likely. After the pose has peaked and begun to wane, we come out and go to a neutral position. This neutral position gives the advantage of perspective: we come back to center so we can see where we have been and gauge the effects of the work just done.

Without this neutralizing work during the practice we risk losing perspective and connection. Constant forward practice without a bit of introspection robs us of the critical opportunity to observe ourselves and our practice. Without this work of self-study (part of 'kriya yoga' called 'svadhayaya') we will never really know how to progress. We cannot guide our inner work without moments of neutrality and quiet, we are like a meteor hurling towards the sun, to be burn in a fiery crash. Lack of balanced practice can lead to injury, death or worse (according to the Pradipika). To me, this is the danger of yoga with set-series of postures. The practice demands that certain postures are performed in certain ways, without question. It is this lack of options which i object to, because it can so easily lead to imbalance. Set series are actually only ideal for a very small section of the population, most others will be brought out of balance after long practice in this mode.

This is not to say that set-series yoga cannot be done well and in balance; but it is much harder to guide and refine when your choices are limited. It is harder to use the tools and techniques of yoga to retain the tantric balance when the tools are taken from us. Yoga is a highly powerful system that can create or destroy in equal measures, depending on how you approach it. It may, in fact, be easier to bring yourself out of balance in yoga than to bring yourself into it. There is no substitute for intelligent, careful pcractice and guidance from your teacher(s)! In this way, one can practice yoga for your entire lifetime, safely and happily on the path of transformation. With good tapas, every year that goes by on the path of yoga is a better year. Age brings wisdom and good yoga brings happiness and contentment, and one can live life fulfilled and rich in spirit up to the very end.