Walking the Path of Inner Illumination

A Full Moon Journey Through the Shat Chakras

The Full Moon has always held a special place in the yogic tradition. Far more than a beautiful celestial event, Purnima is regarded as a time when the mind becomes especially receptive to higher awareness. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, our individual consciousness reflects the infinite light of the Divine. When the mind becomes calm and pure, that inner radiance shines effortlessly.

In his inspiring Purnima meditation, Guruji Rishiputra Balayogi Dr. Anandaji reminded participants that Yoga is not about escaping the world but about becoming fully present to life. Echoing Maharishi Patanjali's timeless definition, Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodhah, he explained that meditation is not something we "do"; rather, we create the right conditions through breath, posture, mantra, and awareness, allowing meditation to unfold naturally.

A central theme of the discourse was the journey through the Shat Chakras, the six principal psychic centres along the spinal column. Guruji clarified that various traditions describe different numbers of chakras, yet all are simply different perspectives on the same universal truth. In the Gitananda Yoga tradition, the six individual (Pinda) chakras mirror the six cosmic (Anda) chakras, reminding us that Yoga is ultimately the reunion of the individual with the universal.

The meditation journey began at Muladhara, where dormant Kundalini represents our untapped spiritual potential. Guruji demystified Kundalini, explaining that it is not a mysterious force to be violently awakened but our highest potential that gently unfolds through sincere practice, awareness, breath, and mantra. Like a sleeping child awakened with love, Kundalini blossoms naturally through disciplined yogic living.

Each chakra was presented not merely as an energetic centre but as an opportunity to awaken a noble human quality. Muladhara cultivates stability, Swadhisthana creativity, Manipura purposeful action, Anahata unconditional compassion, Vishuddha purity in thought and speech, Ajna discrimination (Viveka), and finally Sahasrara represents transcendental consciousness beyond individuality. The associated Gayatri mantras do not invoke distant deities but awaken these divine qualities already latent within every practitioner. As Guruji beautifully explained, every mantra first invokes and then evokes the corresponding inner transformation.

An especially profound insight was the reminder that every breath is already chanting the eternal mantra Soham—"So" during inhalation and "Ham" during exhalation. This spontaneous mantra, known as Ajapa Japa, requires no effort to create; our task is simply to become aware of what has always been occurring. Mindfulness, therefore, is nothing more than illuminating the ever-present reality of breath and consciousness.

The practical meditation concluded with Shat Chakra Pranayama, performed in three progressive stages. The first stage develops awareness of the breath ascending and descending through the six chakras. The second stage adds conscious recognition of each chakra's qualities, while the final stage transcends technique altogether, allowing breath, mantra, and awareness to merge into one seamless flow. In this state, the practitioner experiences the symbolic merging of the individual Pinda into the cosmic Anda, moving from gross awareness to subtle consciousness and ultimately rediscovering the Universal Self.

The meditation concluded with a beautiful reminder that enlightenment is not about acquiring something new but remembering what has always been within us. Every Full Moon becomes an invitation to journey inward—from restlessness to peace, from fragmentation to wholeness, and from the limited self to infinite consciousness. As every breath whispers Soham—"I am That", we are gently reminded that the light we seek has never been outside us; it has always been shining quietly within.

You can read the complete guided meditation & the full session referenced in the document available at https://www.academia.edu/172610305/Shadchakra_Dhyanam