...Several days after the activation of Manipura, the Manipura chakra, which was slightly protruding and causing a sensation, seems to have found a balance by integrating with the other upper and lower chakras. There are still some hard areas in the nose, so it seems that Manipura has not fully awakened yet, but that will be something to work on in the future.

In any case, I feel that my grounding has been strengthened through this experience.

Thinking back, some yoga traditions teach that "awakening Ajna first prevents disciples from being overwhelmed when they open the lower chakras." I wonder if this "Ajna" refers to this area of the nose, rather than the true Ajna, which is located deeper and is difficult to open. It seems that there is not much emphasis on awakening Ajna first. Instead, the area of the nose is where the ida and pingala energy channels, which are important in yoga, converge. Therefore, I think it is important to open this area of the nose. And while opening this area does not necessarily mean that Ajna has opened, it is generally interpreted as a certain degree of Ajna opening.

By the way, the nose is related to not only Manipura but also the Muladhara (root chakra), and "smell" is related to it. When Muladhara opens, one becomes more sensitive to smells. The nose probably has a strong connection to each chakra through the ida and pingala channels.

...My next task is to loosen the areas that are still stiff in the forehead and above, focusing on the forehead itself, as well as the area above it, the space between the eyebrows, and the front part of the crown of the head.

Forehead
Front part of the crown

I have been gradually loosening these areas for quite some time, so they have loosened to some extent, but there is still some stiffness remaining. This time, as Manipura opened one step further, the energy entering the forehead and crown has also increased accordingly. The time it takes to resolve the stiffness and become loose seems to be shorter than before.

...The sensation of Manipura is becoming more integrated with the chakras above and below it as days pass. Previously, I felt uncomfortable and closed Manipura, but this time, it seems to be stable even after several days.

...A few days later, there was another change. This was 5 days after the activation of Manipura. Originally, the ida and pingala channels were converging at the nose, activating the energy in the head. Now, the ida and pingala channels are becoming a little thicker, and the amount of energy flowing into the head is increasing, causing the areas of the head that I thought had already loosened to make sounds again, and another stage of loosening is beginning. This time, a strong energy is approaching the area around the crown chakra (Sahasrara), and while Sahasrara is somewhat open and energy is flowing through it, this strong energy is not yet able to pass through. Now, the task is not just to loosen the forehead and the front of the crown, but to further loosen all parts of the head in this new energy stage. Even if the location is the same as before, the amount of energy entering is different. This new energy is dense and full, but there still seem to be gaps in it, so I think it will probably take several more cycles. However, the cycles are becoming faster, so I will continue to meditate.

According to the collected works of Hikoyama Hiroshi, volume 5 (P 458), Manipura primarily draws in energy, while Anahata primarily releases energy. It is said that when Manipura is unstable, one may feel uncomfortable in crowds. In my case, I used to be very uncomfortable in crowds a long time ago, but recently it hasn't been as much of a problem, and even before the recent activation of Manipura, it wasn't a major issue. However, since this recent event, my grounding has become stronger, and I feel like I can handle crowds even more easily.

In yoga, it is often said that Manipura is the place where the upper and lower energies are balanced. Prana, as solar energy, descends from above, and Apana, as lunar energy, rises from below, and they combine in Manipura.

It is also said that Manipura is closely related to a person's emotions. Furthermore, it is said that one may be able to understand the voices or appeals of plants and animals. It is also said to be connected to simple telepathy or the ability to read minds. I think this ability, especially for Japanese people, particularly women, is an innate ability, such as the ability to read the atmosphere or communicate telepathically. It is also the ability to listen carefully to others, and in order to be able to do that properly, it is necessary to open not only Manipura but also Ajna, which is consistent with my experience.

... Especially women, I think they tend to have a strong Manipura from the beginning. Therefore, when women become irritated or agitated, their Manipura is activated. Men who are strongly told off by women (especially men) may feel a sense of oppression, a muddy or heavy feeling in the lower body, and those who are listening (especially men) may feel tired. Moreover, women are often unaware of the strength of their own Manipura, so from their perspective, they only think they are "sad." When spiritual women point this out, they may say something like, "I don't feel sadness through such a low chakra. The fact that you feel it is 100% your problem. I am not at all to blame." However, the person saying this is often unaware of their own aura, and they are often unaware that they (especially women) have a strong aura in the lower body, especially Manipura. In addition to being unaware, their ego may distort their perception to protect themselves, and they may blame the other person. This often happens with Manipura. At the level of Manipura, one cannot calmly judge things. While women often have a strong Manipura, especially spiritual people tend to think that "the upper chakras are superior." Therefore, if someone tells a woman, "You have a strong Manipura," she may say, "That's not true. I am not that spiritually low." It seems that women are often unaware of the strength of their own Manipura, or if it is strong, they may reject it and look down on the other person (especially men). I think that even if it is true that women tend to have a strong Manipura, it is better not to say so, especially to spiritual women, as it may cause resentment.

However, I feel that this tendency towards spiritual awareness can disrupt the balance. The Manipura chakra is often considered to be a relatively lower chakra, but in reality, it is a point where the upper and lower chakras balance, and it is closely related to grounding. It is a place where yin and yang intersect. Ideally, a strong Manipura chakra should mean that a person is full of vitality, but for some reason, a misunderstanding seems to arise where the upper chakras are considered superior, leading to an imbalance.

Especially in the early years of life, it seems that either the upper chakras or the lower chakras are activated. Souls that have come from the heavens have their upper chakras activated from the beginning, and their lower chakras are not very active. On the other hand, souls that have come from the earth have their lower chakras activated, and their upper chakras are not very active. Souls that have come from the heavens may seem superior at first glance, but they may be weak in vitality. On the other hand, souls that have come from the earth have vitality, but they may not understand spiritual things. When the Manipura chakra is activated, it is relatively balanced in either case, but people are often unaware of it.

Indeed, even if the upper chakras govern intuition and spirituality, the Manipura chakra is important from the perspective of vitality. However, the Manipura chakra has a certain "human," "earthy," and "muddy" feel to it, so it tends to be avoided by spiritual people, which I have experienced myself. I used to avoid people with a strong Manipura chakra. I felt something unpleasant about people with a strong Manipura chakra. Especially in women, if I started to feel a little irritated, the Manipura chakra would activate, and I would feel a sense of oppression in my lower body, so I would avoid them or cut off the relationship. As mentioned above, when I told this to spiritual people, they would become even more hysterical and accuse me, saying, "I am not a person with such a low chakra. It's your problem," and attack others by putting their own strong Manipura chakra on a pedestal.

In terms of yoga, this is still largely due to the unconscious aspects of the Manipura chakra. Another lower chakra is the Swadhisthana, which is basically an unconscious chakra. The Swadhisthana chakra is difficult for a person to control. When the Ajna chakra starts to move, it can consciously control the unconscious aspects of other chakras, such as the Swadhisthana chakra, but until then, there are many unconscious aspects. In the Manipura chakra, people become more aware than with the Swadhisthana chakra, but even then, there are still many unconscious aspects. Therefore, in terms of yoga theory, people with a strong Manipura chakra who are hysterical (people whose Ajna chakra is not yet very active) have a large unconscious or unconscious aspect. Even if the Ajna chakra is moving somewhat, there are people who are oblivious to their own strong Manipura chakra, so I think it is often difficult for them to feel their own aura. Even if a person thinks their Ajna (third eye) is active, it is often only slightly active. Therefore, it is understandable that there are many people with unconscious aspects.

そして、マニプラの場合、基本的にアストラル領域を扱うことになります。そういう意味では、どうやら私の場合は、まだアストラルのサマーディが主であったように思います。アストラルの下層では感情の高まりやゾーンという形で現れ、アストラルの上層では平穏になるものの、そのくらいが基本的な状態のように思います。一時的にプルシャやカーラナのサマーディあるいは神霊の流入があったとはいえ、それはあくまでも流入なわけです。実のところ、全ての人に最初からそれなりに高次の意図というものは備わっているわけで、プルシャ等が入ってきたからといって自覚がもっと伴わないと、本当の成長とは言えないと思います。それが、今回のマニプラの件で、基本に立ち返るべきであると思い直させられました。

多少は瞑想やスピリチュアルが成長したかのような気になっておりましたが、自分などまだまだ途中で、客観的に見て初心者とは言いませんけど、主観的には感覚的にまだまだ初心者だなあと思う時もあります。自分の立ち位置を思い返されました。

...その数日後、イダとピンガラから流入する頭のエネルギーが安定してきています。両頬の表面を通って鼻の上あたりで合流するエネルギーが頭の各所に充満し、更なるエネルギー密度と共に頭の各所を緩めています。これはヨーガ的にはプラーナヤーマという呼吸法とも関連していて、呼吸法は割と一般のヨガでは見過ごされがちで、体を動かす運動あるいはポーズにばかり目を取られがちですけど、呼吸や鼻はイダとピンガラと密接に結びついているため、ここを開かないと次の段階へと進めないわけです。

記録を見ると、最初にメモしたのは2021年11月の頃で、この時はまだ数日間ほど現れただけだったように思います。今から思えば、これこそが重要で、その感覚がせっかく出てきたのでありますから、そのルートをもっと通してきちんと確実に通るようなものにすればよかったわけです。同様に、今から思えば、このルートが出てきた場合には体のエネルギーもより活性化して充実したものになり、体調面でも整っていたと思うのです。

スピリチュアルをしてもヨーガ等をしない場合、あるいは呼吸法もしっかりとしない場合は、この部分が開かないと思います。そうなると、次のレベルにも達することができないわけです。開くためにはそれなりの修行が必要、という、当たり前のお話に落ち着くわけです。

修行せずともキラキラ・スピリチュアルによってなんとなくその気にさせられる、ということの罪悪があって、修行せずとも宇宙に繋がるだとか銀河だとか、言葉の上で上達したかのような錯覚に陥ってしまう点にあると思います。最近よく耳にする「それって地球のことでしょう。こちらの教えは宇宙と銀河だから」とかいう地に足のついていないお話は、結局自分の内ではなく外側に何かを求めているというお話であり、答えは内側にあるのにもかかわらず、宇宙だとか銀河だとか外側から与えられることを由としてしまっているわけで、そうなると、内側に無頓着になり、ヨーガでいうこれらイダとピンガラなどの基礎をないがしろにしてしまいがちなわけで、体のエネルギー状態というのは意識の状態とも密接に関わってきますので、イダとピンガラが通っていないということは、分離の意識状態なわけです。ヒーリングやイニシエーションと称して一時的にオーラを与えられると、意識の分離をしたまま、あたかも上達したかのような気にさせられてしまう、ということが認知に悪影響を与え、スピリチュアルが成長したかのような錯覚を与え、エゴを肥大化させてしまうのです。これがキラキラ・スピリチュアルと地に足のついた教えの違いなのではないかと思います。

Indeed, there are cases where receiving energy through healing and similar practices can facilitate the passage of Ida and Pingala, potentially leading to awakening. However, this is often an inefficient approach (such as sessions costing 10,000 yen per hour), and it is generally faster to practice meditation or yoga oneself. While having some experience of feeling energy can be beneficial, it seems unlikely to achieve awakening solely through sessions with others. Furthermore, some cults promote such unrealistic claims, and some of these cults repeat sessions with subjects who are not actually awakening, prolonging the sessions and extracting money. Traditional yoga is a much faster and more cost-effective alternative.

Yoga is about balancing the upper and lower aspects, and neglecting yoga means prioritizing one over the other. "Kira-kira" spirituality often emphasizes the upper aspect, focusing on the galaxy and universe, and mistakenly dismissing yoga as being about the Earth and people. People are often taught that they are grounded, but in reality, this is something that becomes clear with life experience. It is common for what is said and what is actually practiced to be different. Even if something is presented as "grounded teachings," the reality may be different.

In cults, people may feel connected to the upper realms (or attempt to connect, but often fail), and they may feel as if they have connected with the universe, which can lead to an unconscious state. Therefore, "kira-kira" spirituality often involves techniques that manipulate the unconscious mind to influence reality. However, such techniques are rarely effective, and often people are simply imagining it. They are often in a state of being unable to consciously perceive higher realms, or only perceiving them vaguely, which is an imaginative cognition. They live in their imagination, avoid proper teachings by saying "that's too slow," and misinterpret temporary activation of the aura as a sign of rapid change, even though the aura will eventually return to normal. They stubbornly adhere to their own methods, and avoid grounded teachings, dismissing them as "inferior." The methods of connecting to the "universe" or "higher realms" are somewhat similar to external Qigong. Instead of connecting from within, they connect to the outside (which is often just imagination), and this can create a feeling of becoming someone. However, "becoming" someone implies a separation, and there is no integration. If the goal is to be one with the divine, the concept of "becoming" should disappear entirely. However, they remain in a state of separation, connected to the universe based on the relationship between self and other. While this level of connection may be acceptable initially, they often mistakenly believe that it is the ultimate goal. This is a characteristic of "kira-kira" spirituality that emphasizes the "universe" and "galaxy" while lacking a grounded foundation.

Furthermore, there are schools and cults that insist that the unconscious world is "evil." This is because they have not yet been able to break through their own limitations. In reality, their practice is insufficient, but they are strong-willed and refuse to acknowledge it, and they consider themselves to be the best. There are cult-like spiritual groups that put themselves on a pedestal, look down on mainstream people, and mistakenly believe that they are growing.

To place the universe and galaxy above consciousness, it is necessary to maintain a balance between the upper and lower aspects. However, some of these "glittering" spiritual groups and cults lack this balance, and their stories are often fantasies that are not connected to reality. Nevertheless, they exist as energy, so they perform rituals and manipulate some kind of energy that they don't understand, and they feel like they are growing. This is the reality of these "glittering" spiritual groups and cults. Therefore, they provide energy temporarily through short, expensive seminars, making people feel like they are growing, and for a short time, they experience a wonderful and vibrant state. However, chakras do not open in such a short period, so they eventually return to their original state. And people who have learned that they can obtain "aura" by paying money will often pay a large amount of money and repeatedly receive healing, until their wallets are empty. There is no solution to this. It has long been said that it is not good to rely on healing, because it can erode spirituality and create a dependency. This may be suitable for cults.

On the other hand, mainstream schools practice diligently. They open chakras and nadis (energy channels) such as ida and pingala, and they take in energy themselves to become energetic.

I think that people who live normal lives and are successful are more spiritual than those who are involved in spirituality, and this difference may be the underlying reason. Successful people in society generally have activated manipura and other chakras, and they maintain a balance between the upper and lower aspects. They are full of vitality and attractive. Compared to people who are involved in "glittering" spiritual groups and cults, who perform rituals or receive healing and have altered auras that are unpleasant, ordinary and successful people have more attractive auras. This may be because the grounding of the aura is either something they have cultivated themselves or something they have received from others, and the harmony between them is different.

These things have been reconfirmed and newly recognized regarding Manipur this time.

... When I walk around town, I feel the emotions and the "Showa-era" sensibilities of the people more strongly than before. It feels like the world is, in a way, like the world of Enka music (although it's a slightly different feeling than before). It's not exactly "deeply Enka," but I feel that way more than before. ... I think I'll travel to various places in Japan again. I might feel something different from before.

... As mentioned above, when I meditate, various parts of my head become more energetically active. However, I also feel that the relaxation in the back of my head is accelerating. The forehead and the area above it, which were originally the main focus, are still the main focus, but in addition to that, I feel that the back of my head is becoming a focus. Specifically, the area slightly below the center of the back of my head. It seems that this area is gradually becoming less rigid, just like the forehead. Both the forehead and the back of my head have already been worked on several times, and they are already somewhat relaxed, but at this stage, the forehead, the front of the crown, and the lower part of the back of the head are areas where I need to focus on channeling energy to further relax them.

... A little later, the relaxation in the forehead, from the frontal lobe to the crown, progressed further. It's not yet completely permeated with energy, but it's similar to the feeling of drawing water into a field that was previously dry, and the field is absorbing the water. It's difficult for the energy to pass through, and it's like intentionally trying to get the water to reach every corner, and by specifically moving the energy in that way, I'm at the stage of "immersing" the dry areas of the forehead with energy, like water. This is the same area that I worked on before, but it was much more rigid then, so it was even more difficult to get the energy through, even just a little. Now, the field or farmland is somewhat cultivated, so the energy (like water) is easier to pass through than before. However, I still need to work to get it through.

When energy passes through, the area becomes like several rocks, and energy flows around those rocks. Then, it feels a little lighter, like pumice floating in water, and there is some movement around those rocks. The rigidity of each rock remains, but to some extent, they are divided, and each one can move. I repeat this process.

When stones are stuck together, I sometimes add a slight movement with my breath to separate them. It feels like the muscles are stretching and becoming easier to move. And at that point on the head, the tightness is relieved.

Each part of the head becomes looser, and movement emerges. Then, previously unextended parts of the head will experience tightness, so I relieve that tightness as needed. In areas that are already somewhat loose, even if some tightness appears, it is usually relieved quickly. However, the forehead area still has a lot of stiffness, so it takes longer.

Similarly, there is still some stiffness remaining in the top of the head and the back of the head, so I think it will be a challenge for the future.

Although the act of loosening through meditation itself remains the same, the nasal passage opens, activating ida and pingala, and most importantly, manipura chakra becomes more active, increasing energy. This increases the energy flowing through the head, and I think the speed of loosening has accelerated.

...After a few days, what used to be the point where ida and pingala merged just above the nose is gradually shifting upwards. Sometimes it feels like they are merging a little higher up the nose, and then eventually, they seem to be merging on the forehead, and sometimes even a little above the forehead.

After feeling that the merging point is changing, it feels like the area above the nose, the forehead, and the area just above the forehead are all becoming activated, and rather than being a single merging point, it feels like all of those areas are becoming merging points.

As a sensation, I think the area above the nose was originally a slightly narrow energy channel (nadi in yoga). So, because it was narrow, some of the channels were detouring through the forehead and above the forehead. With the area above the nose becoming more open, it feels like those detours have unified and started moving together. However, I still feel that the area above the nose is narrow like a pipe, so I still feel the need to make it wider. Even so, compared to when it was blocked, it feels like a lot more energy is flowing through it.

And, I think that the base of the nose is the fundamental merging point of ida and pingala, and is closely related to manipura chakra.

...A few more days. I am focusing on loosening the forehead and surrounding areas, as well as the lower part of the back of the head. And, the upper part of the back of the head is also starting to loosen slightly, and soon, the loosening is progressing towards the center of the top of the head. Then, areas that I thought were already loose enough, such as the sides of the nose and the area from the nose to the cheeks, started to feel tight again, so I stretched them again. Also, a feeling of tightness appeared in the area slightly below and slightly behind the center of the head (not quite the back of the head), so I am relieving that as well. As each area loosens and stretches, tightness appears in other areas, so I am repeating the process of relieving that tightness. However, the area around the head is the main area where stiffness is being relieved.

... Again, a few days later. This time, the focus areas are mainly the upper part of the back of the head and the posterior part of the top of the head. Previously, this area sometimes became a focus area, but it was mixed with other areas. This time, however, only this area has become the focus area, which is the difference. When relieving the tension, I proceed with movements involving other areas, but I feel a sense of release from the area (upper part of the back of the head and posterior part of the top of the head) to the center of the head.

... And again, the lower part of the back of the head, the upper part of the back of the head, and again, the frontal lobe, forehead, etc., have become focus areas. It seems that this rotation of the areas around the head will continue for a while.

... I can clearly feel the pulse throbbing in various parts of the head, especially the peripheral areas. Previously, I often felt the throbbing in each area, but recently, it has been happening simultaneously in multiple areas, such as from the lower part of the back of the head to the upper part, the front and back of the top of the head, and the area around the forehead. Along with the movement of the pulse, I also feel the tightness of the skull. While feeling the movement of the pulse, I relieve the tension in each focus area with my breath.