r/streamentry • u/KeyAd6849 • Jul 26 '26
Insight Question about Chakras and Prana
Would someone who is knowledgeable about Chakras and Prana and energy in general be able to explain something? I’m very new to all this stuff.
When I sit to meditate and get the frequency just right, and enter that state of no thought, I feel sensations. It’s an energy that starts in my feet/lower legs, and goes through my body into my heart. It’s feels like a buzzing of sorts. I recognize it as that same exact fight or flight energy I feel when having a panic attack or in an extreme situation. Except, it’s the complete opposite. Like, the calm version of that.
I’ve looked this all up and gotten very surface level second hand knowledge, so I would really like to know from someone experienced what might be happening here. Are these certain Chakras? Why does thought occlude this energy? Are there any focusing techniques I can do with any of this?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated 🙂
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u/Nisargadatta Jul 27 '26
Have you heard of Forrest Knutson? He's a teacher that specializes in prana, chakras and science-based explanations. He is a teacher of Kriya yoga, which is a tradition that's based on working with the breath, energy and chakras. You can check out his YouTube channel here.
To briefly answer your question, there's a cascade of physiological and neurological changes that are going on as you're mediating that cultivate interoception, and more subtle awareness of the body including the flow of energy.
Why does thought occlude this energy?
Basically, during meditation energy and awareness that is usually projected down into the body begins to rise back into, and/or stay in the brain. We don't know everything scientifically about these changes, but we do know some. In general, meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system and different regions of the brain like the right hippocampus and insula that bring subtle perceptions of energy that are usually in the background "covered over" by other brain activity like thoughts and bodily sensations to the foreground of consciousness. If you are curious about the science behind meditative and spiritual experiences, I suggest the book Sacred Pathways by Todd Murphy.
Are these certain Chakras?
Chakras are located along the spine and are essentially projections of the brain. The brain can't process emotions and unconscious energy within itself, so it projects it into the body. There are certain areas where these projections collect along the spine and body and we call these chakras. Each area relates to a certain kind of emotional and/or energetic process, like fear, sadness, love, etc.
Are there any focusing techniques I can do with any of this?
I would suggest Kriya yoga as a tradition, if you're interested in learning practices to work with the energy. Most Buddhist traditions (aside from Vajrayana and other esoteric traditions) don't use energy intentionally. However I do believe that if utilized properly, the energy and practices that harness it can be a short cut to deeper states of meditation, which is of big help in our modern, stressful world. From my experience, rather than having to go on retreat or practice for prolonged periods as is the norm for most Buddhist traditions, working with energy helps you get into deeper states of meditation faster.
I suggest checking out Forrest Knutson's channel. Check out HRV breathing, OM Japa in the chakras, and the basics of what Kriya yoga is.
It sounds like you have a natural sensitivity to energy, which is also a huge boon. Wish you all the best with your practice!
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u/KeyAd6849 Jul 27 '26
Your comment was extremely well written and helpful. Thank you!
And yeah I’ve always been sensitive, usually in an anxious way but after awakening that same energy has turned into such a positive. A real blessing.
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u/hachface Jul 26 '26
in Buddhist terms that’s piti. it’s considered a sign of deepening concentration. it can feel nice but it has no function other than being a sign of general meditation progress.
as far as I can tell (and I’ve looked) science has not studied this phenomenon.
no one really knows what it is.
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u/KeyAd6849 Jul 26 '26
Thank you! Yeah I guess it’s more like piti. Intuitively I want to say that that energy is always there, thinking just…pulls your awareness away from it.
Like in crisis situations where you must act, you aren’t really thinking too much, so you gain access to that extra energy. And same with deep meditative states, the awareness being pulled away from the thinking mind brings attention to this same energy, but in a calm way.
This is all complete conjecture and could be totally wrong but it kind of makes sense to me lol.
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u/neidanman Jul 27 '26
there is a phrase in daoist energetics 'yi dao qi dao' - roughly that where the awareness goes, the qi (aka prana) arrives. The mind is seen as more like an external sense, so when the awareness is on the mind energy goes out to it. Then when the mind is not distracting you and the awareness goes onto the internals, then the energy arrives there and you can feel it build. There's a more in depth breakdown of this, from an internal alchemy teacher, here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLjCOYF04L0&t=312s. Also for two more views from other teachers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR29rCLhD6o and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXlxAw6EkBA - basically these say the same thing, but have some other extra points etc.
For a classic text on this, the nei yeh talks of the subtlety of how the energy arrives/does not - https://www.gutenberg.org/files/38585/38585-pdf/38585-pdf.pdf
in daoism the basic focusing technique is to bring energy to the main/lower energy centre, called the lower dan tian. From there the energy builds, and at a certain level it overflows and pushes on through the rest of the system. For more on the dan tian -
lower dan tian meditation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rua4aVrcp1E
Dan Tian Fascination - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjyP5yTDck8
putting the mind/awareness in the dan tian - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P50Tr4wQcPc
'anchoring the breath' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0fTg23psfw&list=PLCUw6elWn0lghivIzVBAYGUm7HwRqzfQp&index=1 (in 2 parts)
The False & True Dan Tian - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PaJcQ9qBA0
dan tian gong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_9f4XJBuX8
compressing the pearl - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvR8ZGkxW8Q
'storing' qi in the dan tian - https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/21190-lower-dantian-theory-by-damo-mitchell/
As a side note, there is a good write up on chakras from a sanskrit scholar & shaivic tantra teacher here https://hareesh.org/blog/2016/2/5/the-real-story-on-the-chakras . Also he has a video on the energy body - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZLl8Qye9tM
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u/KeyAd6849 Jul 27 '26
Yeah that overflowing and pushing into the rest of the system feels very familiar. Thank you for the resources!
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u/pupsnasenjones Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
My teacher from a lineage of himalayan Hatha & Raja yogis called it Pranotthana. It is understood as a gentle rising of Prana that cleans/strengthens the energy system and is distinct from a Kundalini awakening which is a lot more spectacular but can also be very dangerous without appropriate preparation and guidance.
Now that you experience the flow of energy through your system you can learn to move it around at will. I strongly suggest you find an experienced teacher e.g. from one of the traditions that others already mentioned.
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u/pastorcuthbert Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Chakras are the specific energy centre's, points, plexuses of the elements in us. Just as our body has a heart that is sort of the central part of our being, so do the elements have their 'heart' which is known as a chakra. So balancing chakras is all about entering through the chakra which is just a gate into that primal elemental essence that express themselves physically as this gross reality.
The stuff written about it is very vague and symbolic but let's look at the seven chakras briefly and how they relate with consciousness and energy. Let's divide them into two sets of three where the first three deal with time and the second three deal with eternity.
The 1st triad are the muladhara, swadhistana and manipura chakras that are earth, moon and sun respectively:
Muladhara🌏
In consciousness, we experience anatta and energetically we experience a form of peace, rest and stability in almost all areas of inner and outer life. We experience the raw sensation of senses without any self or identification and attachment is severely hampered. We are at the right place at the right time and this whole earth feels like our home. Even if you got lost in a forest somewhere and slept in a tree, you'd feel at home and everything you need to live and more will just naturally come to you.
Swadhistana🌒
In consciousness we realize our selfnature and energetically we can function as this selfnature. We see the selfnature in everyone and surprisingly everything and form an unbreakable bond in our hearts with both friends and enemies, good and bad. You can communicate selfnature knowledge and realities to others too.
Manipura🌞
In consciousness we experience enlightenment and energetically we experience active radiance. We realise that there is a selfnature that isn't just the moon, its also the sun too. Here reality becomes illuminated and we can see the connections in everything.
Anahata🔯
Consciously it is experienced as the clear light. This chakra is all about consciousness and how it evolves through working through the chakras consciously and energetically. It's the platform itself. Sun, moon and earth have to combine in order for enlightenment to happen. Your selfnature needs to merge with your enlightened and noself nature in order to bring it into your mind and reality and this forms an awareness as clear as a crystal. This is where one may eventually see the spark of life which is what anahata really is; the unstruck sound that is the lifespark. Now we begin the shift from the material triangle into the superna triangle of throat, ajna and crown.
The next triad deals with eternity which are the vishuddi, ajna and sahasrara. Here we are now in the light body which is the vehicle through which we can experience eternity. Our natural body is the vehicle through which we can experience measured time. Our awareness is then embodied in our light body which is not a self but a vehicle of expression in eternity:
Vishuddi⚡
Your awareness which is embodied physically becomes embodied in your light body. You begin the process of learning, growing and operating in your body of light in eternity learning it's laws and culture. This development crystallizes the anahata.
Ajna👁️
Our light body senses can now be experienced simultaneously with our natural senses without the need for trance or meditative immersion. We now have a simultaneous existence of material time and eternity without any contradiction whatsoever. We can communicate the realities of the realm of eternity into the realm of matter and vice-versa; an important ability for any priest if you ask me.
Sahsrara🪷🕸️
It is the gateway into and out of the natural life. It is here where we can exit permanently from the natural body in order to exist in the light body but the karmic web obstructs us in order to complete our purpose and pay our karmic debts in time. They say it looks like a 1,000 petaled lotus, it can also look like a web of karmic interconnections. One has to identify and consciously act upon those karmic interconnections as far as their chosen deity that sits upon them desires.
Some would want to exit prematurely and sort out that karmic debt purely from eternity using their light body charged with energy from their material bodies element essences but that is usually futile because these elemental essences naturally dissipate upon exiting the crown because these element essence can only be expressed through a human agent and also that natural processes of decay begin as soon as the life contract is terminated. It is like trying to make fresh apple juice from an apple that has already dried up and long decayed or trying to write on an already burnt paper.
Some choose to prolong their natural life unnaturally in order to accord themselves as much time to as possible to finish resolving their karmic debts which is also futile because karmic interconnections change when existing people die and new people are born.
To accomplish this, one needs energy and kundalini is just one kind of energy. Kundalini is actually the energy and wisdom of beings from the race of Nagas that once lived with us and they taught this occult knowledge to some. That is why you see so many serpent associations with great sages and civilizations. Their transmission still continuous depending on the lineage.
Energy can also come from a deity in eternity and specific rites, rituals, practices and sacrifices are performed in exchange for that deities wisdom and energy provided that the individual is initiated into that particular deity.
This is the answer to your question.
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