A New Development in My Meditation Practice
Today a new development took place in my meditation practice. Yesterday, while sitting in a temple, the strongest sensation seemed to be centered around Vishuddha Chakra. The feeling of breathing, pressure, and what I can only describe as a subtle suffocation point appeared predominantly in the throat region. Today, however, the center of activity felt different. The dominant sensation was around Ajna Chakra, especially around the rear side of Ajna.
Many people say that breath should never be forcibly withheld. I generally agree with this. However, practical life does not always allow unlimited time for meditation. Sometimes a person is surrounded by responsibilities, noise, family interactions, and worldly duties. In such situations, waiting indefinitely for the breath to calm down naturally may not always be possible. I noticed that certain subtle adjustments helped the process move toward breath suspension much more quickly.
During meditation, I simply placed attention on the spinal column while maintaining normal breathing. After some time, a knot-like sensation appeared around the rear Ajna region. It felt as though something had moved upward from the neck area toward Ajna Chakra. Whether this was Kundalini itself or simply the movement of awareness, I cannot say with certainty, but the experience was unmistakable.
The Connection Between Ajna Chakra and Anahata Chakra
An interesting observation emerged during the sitting. At times I felt a suffocation-like sensation near the left side of Anahata Chakra close to the heart. Surprisingly, this sensation seemed connected to the rear Ajna region. Whenever the pressure or blockage around the rear Ajna eased, the suffocation near the heart eased as well.
The effect was not limited to the front of the chest. Sometimes it seemed to radiate toward the rear Anahata region and sometimes toward the front. This created the impression that the subtle system operates more like an interconnected network than as isolated centers functioning independently. It felt like an intricate web of channels where activity in one location immediately influenced activity elsewhere.
This observation reinforced the feeling that the chakras may not always function as separate compartments. Instead, they often appear as parts of a living and interconnected energetic field.
Upward Gaze, Ekarnava Meditation, and Rapid Breath Suspension
One of the most striking aspects of today’s sitting was that the upward gaze toward Ajna Chakra seemed to work much more effectively than before. Ekarnava meditation was also functioning with unusual ease and depth.
By combining awareness of the spinal column with natural breathing, breath suspension appeared within approximately fifteen minutes despite being in a chaotic joint-family environment. This surprised me because such conditions are usually not considered ideal for deep meditation.
Rather than forcing the breath, it seemed as though concentration itself gradually reduced the need for breathing. The breath became subtler and subtler until suspension emerged naturally.
An interesting insight arose from this. It seemed that a small inhalation while awareness rested around Vishuddha Chakra pushed the energy or awareness upward toward Ajna Chakra. This observation repeated itself enough times that it began to appear as a consistent pattern.
Breath as an Upward and Downward Force
Another realization emerged from observing the breath carefully. It appeared that inhalation functioned as an upward push while exhalation functioned as a downward push.
When awareness rested on a chakra, inhalation seemed to encourage an upward movement toward higher centers. Exhalation appeared to have the opposite effect, encouraging a downward movement or settling process.
From direct observation, Kundalini appeared to shift according to the state of the breath. Sometimes the dominant sensation was at Vishuddha. At other times it was at Ajna. The position did not seem fixed. Instead, it seemed responsive to the rhythm and quality of breathing.
This led to a broader insight. Perhaps breath, thoughts, emotions, and subtle energetic sensations are not separate processes at all. Perhaps they are different expressions of the same underlying movement.
Why Breath, Emotions, and Thoughts Are Related
The relationship between breath, emotions, thoughts, and awareness became increasingly obvious.
A change in attention influenced breathing.
A change in breathing influenced subtle sensations.
As breathing became subtler, thoughts became weaker.
As thoughts weakened, a deeper calm emerged.
This observation supports the ancient yogic understanding that breath and mind are deeply connected. When emotions become disturbed, breathing changes. When breathing changes, mental activity changes. When breathing becomes calm, thoughts naturally begin losing momentum.
Instead of viewing thoughts, emotions, breath, and energy as separate departments of human experience, it may be more accurate to view them as parts of one interconnected process.
The Emergence of Void Awareness
Perhaps the most important part of the meditation occurred much later.
The breath suspension itself appeared within roughly fifteen minutes. However, the deeper experience emerged approximately thirty to forty minutes after the beginning of the session. The total sitting lasted around seventy to eighty minutes.
What emerged was not bliss, ecstasy, visions, revelations, or grand spiritual conclusions.
There was no sense of “I.”
There was no sense of “we.”
There was no sense of “that.”
There was simply a calm void-like feeling.
It was difficult to describe because there was almost nothing present to describe. There was only a quiet and spacious absence of ordinary mental activity.
This state felt very different from energetic movements, chakra sensations, breathing patterns, or meditative techniques. Those processes seemed to belong to an earlier phase of the session. The calm void felt like something beyond them.
Doubt and the Decision to End the Session
At a certain point, I chose to end the meditation voluntarily.
The reason was not discomfort but doubt. The void-like state seemed to deepen, and I became uncertain about remaining in it for longer.
To return to ordinary functioning, I deliberately began taking deeper breaths. After a few intentional breaths, spontaneous Kapalbhati-like breathing appeared.
Gradually, thoughts started returning.
However, they returned in a weakened form.
Thoughts were sparse.
Thoughts lacked their usual force.
The body felt somewhat weak.
There was mild pressure in the head.
The entire experience felt like a gradual re-entry into ordinary consciousness after spending time in a much quieter state.
The Challenge of Deep Meditation in a Busy World
One practical challenge became obvious through this experience.
It is difficult to sit for long periods in a busy worldly environment.
A householder does not live in a monastery. There are conversations, responsibilities, family members, duties, and endless interactions. Deep meditation naturally moves toward silence, stillness, and inwardness, whereas ordinary life constantly demands engagement.
This contrast creates a challenge.
Sometimes the meditation deepens just when practical life demands attention elsewhere.
Yet today’s experience demonstrated something important. Even within a noisy and busy environment, a deep meditative state can still emerge. External conditions may not be as decisive as they initially appear.
The Role of Speech and Conservation of Energy
Another insight became increasingly clear.
Talking appears to consume a significant amount of energy.
Not all speech is unnecessary, of course. Practical communication is part of life. However, excessive talking seems to scatter attention and dissipate inner stability.
Limiting unnecessary speech may be one of the simplest yogic disciplines available.
Animals provide an interesting contrast. They do not engage in endless conceptual discussions, arguments, explanations, and self-commentary. Whether this gives them a form of heightened sensitivity is difficult to say with certainty, but it does highlight how much energy human beings devote to continuous mental and verbal activity.
Perhaps silence conserves energy not because speech is bad, but because silence allows awareness to remain gathered rather than dispersed.
From Vishuddha to Ajna and Beyond
Looking back at the entire experience, a clear sequence emerges.
Yesterday, the dominant point of breathing-related tension appeared at Vishuddha Chakra.
Today, the dominant point shifted toward Ajna Chakra.
A small inhalation seemed to encourage upward movement.
Awareness gathered around the rear Ajna region.
The upward gaze became effortless.
Breath became subtle.
Natural suspension emerged.
Thoughts weakened.
The sense of ordinary identity faded into the background.
A calm void appeared.
Eventually, doubt arose and the session was voluntarily ended.
Whether these events are interpreted as Kundalini movement, energetic shifts, attentional changes, or meditative stages is less important than the direct experience itself.
What remains most significant is the discovery that breath, attention, emotions, thoughts, and subtle sensations appear deeply interconnected. As one becomes quiet, the others naturally follow. Beyond all these movements, there sometimes appears a simple and silent void that asks for nothing, explains nothing, and merely remains present in its own stillness.
Demystifying Kundalini 