# Kundalini & The Void Answer Key, Class Ten: Kundalini & The Void **1) Explain what it means to "put your mind into the middle of the feminine power," also giving the Sanskrit for "feminine power," its root, and related English words.** The "feminine power" mentioned here is shakti, which is a reference in this context to the inner winds or prana once it has entered the central channel.  This now becomes a high source of power for us, enabling our transformation into, typically, the angelic body of an enlightened being in a feminine form. The Sanskrit word shakti comes from the root √shak zkœ, meaning to be able or have the power to do something.  This is related to the English words that have come from the Indo-European root √gweih, meaning to live, or to have the power of life.  Examples would be quick, survive, and vitamin. To "put our mind into the middle" of this power is again a reference to the practice of "working at a crucial point": if we direct our mind into the middle of the central channel, especially inside a place which is also the center of a chakra, then because of the fact that our thoughts and winds move in tandem the feminine power (the winds within the central channel) will also be directed to this same crucial point. **2) What then would it mean to "put the feminine power into the middle of the mind"?** This is a reference to the fact that a point in the middle of the heart chakra known as the "indestructible drop" is the locus for our mind: the place, in particular, from which the mind sends out its projections, and the place to which the mind withdraws during dissolution. In order to concentrate the mind at this point then we can purposely try to concentrate the winds there, for example by any kind of physical practice (such as a capsule) which brings the life-wind (prana vayu) down, and the downward-running wind (apana vayu) up. We would then have the winds and mind in a position to easily perceive ultimate reality. **3) What does it mean when the Master says that "the mind will hold the light of the mind," if we can place our mind into the middle of the feminine power, and this power within the middle of the mind?** The "light" of the mind here refers to what we call the "clear light" of the mind, meaning the emptiness of the mind.  If we are able to concentrate both our thoughts and our inner winds within the central channel, and particularly at the heart, then we will go into the direct perception of the emptiness of the mind. We should note here once again though that the heart chakra is a very sensitive area at which to work, and that these practices at this location should only be performed under the guidance of a qualified teacher. **4) What does it mean when Master Svatmarama says that we should "make everything the sky itself, and have no thoughts at all"?  Give the Sanskrit and Tibetan words for "sky" here, and comment upon their meaning here as a metaphor.** This again is a reference to the direct perception of emptiness.  During this time the mind is working—we do have thought or perception—but we cannot be aware (at least, until we become enlightened) of any object within normal reality while our mind is communing with this ultimate reality.   The "sky" here is, as usual, emptiness itself.  The Sanskrit here is kha o, which can refer to any aperture or open space itself.  This is also true of the Tibetan word, which also pronounced kha (spelled 1"8k, and can refer as well to the opening of the mouth.  We see a pattern then in multiple languages of the world where a ka sound can mean mouth or an opening such as space itself. **5) Summarize in 11 brief steps what we have learned so far during the last two courses about the fourth chapter of _Light on the Yoga of Sun and Moon._ ** (1) The Master begins the fourth chapter by saying that he will introduce us to the "higher stages of deep meditation," a way that we can "slay death itself" through "a path of pleasure." (2) He then gives us 16 different synonyms for raja yoga (royal yoga), making it clear in the process that this is really just another word for emptiness and the direct perception of the ultimate truth. (3) Next the Master describes the state of "samadhi," or this same direct perception. (4) He then re-emphasizes the need for a spiritual teacher's guidance in royal yoga, just as much as in the hatha yoga we have been studying. (5) The Master then states that all the physical practices we've been studying up to this point are for the purpose of awakening _shakti, _or the ”feminine power."  He describes the benefits of this awakening, including the fact that we can destroy our past negative karmic seeds, and overcome death itself. (6) He reiterates that we must move the winds into the central channel, in order to perceive emptiness directly—due to the connection between our thoughts and our winds. (7) The Master then begins to describe the process of dissolution, as a means of reaching the direct perception of ultimate reality. (8) He then moves on to the Seal of the Bringer of Peace, or the _shambhavi mudra, _as a means of focusing both the thoughts and winds into the central channel. (9) He describes next how this seal can lead to the Seal of the Woman of the Sky, or _khechari mudra, _a state where the winds of the side channels are now collected into the central channel. (10) He describes how bringing the winds into the central channel brings on a state of ecstasy which can assist us in seeing emptiness and rising up out of this empty state in the form of a divine being, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. (11) He mentions also the practice of yogic sleep, and how it can help us to see emptiness. **6) We've discussed some different behavioral fixes for a wind disorder, or _lung.  _What are some karmic fixes that we can also apply to get to the bottom of the problem?** To get an insight into the karmic fixes for a lung disorder, we have to look again at the corresponding karmic causes.  We said that the general karmic theme of a lung disorder would be actions towards others which contribute towards their developing lung.  A karmic fix for lung then would be to contribute to the opposite in others. For one thing, we can undertake to lessen the burden or stress that others feel, silently and anonymously looking for ways that we can slip in and take responsibility upon ourselves, take the load upon ourselves.  The more we do this, of course, the easier it becomes, and the less stress we actually feel ourselves. Whenever we have a chance, we can try to create a healthy, calming atmosphere for those around us.  This is particularly important in situations that we are thrown into which are stressful and demanding.  By responding with grace and calm around others, we automatically create karmic seeds to avoid lung ourselves in the future. Again, as teachers, we have to be doubly aware of actions we take in directing people in their practice for example of pranayama and asana, trying to assure that these are not done in such as way that they would trigger lung in our student.  Rather we watch our students carefully and try very purposefully and thoughtfully to create an atmosphere in their practice where it is having the effect of calming and centering them. The Yoga Studies Institute Course VI: Hatha Yoga Pradipika II Pranayama: Breath and the End of Breath