Our mind is greatly influenced by the environment we live in. We have all had those days when we feel low when its cloudy or chilly, irritated when it was too hot. When everyone in a room is generally feeling under the weather, we tend to get dragged down as well. If these subtle energies influence our mind directly, then they sure must have direct impact on our body as well. After all, “sarvam dravyam panchabhautakam asmin arthe”.
Though energy is a subtle entity, it is not a single form or wavelength or frequency of vibration. It exists as a spectrum. That is why we tend to get along well with some people or feel more comfortable in some places more than others, as we resonate well with the energy of that person or place. Thus, physical vibrations may directly affect the body as well. This thought struck me at random while I was trying to recollect my experience at a trek I went on recently. I have been to other places, but something felt different about this trek. Maybe I wasn’t as observant in the other places I went to. But I’m happy that I was able to appreciate a difference this time and my body and mind are accepting new experiences. Though I have not been practicing Pranic Healing very regularly, I’m happy that I was receptive to the energies.
A sudden yearning to hike the mountains came into action when I randomly asked people if they would like to join me on a trek and formed a small group of four and left for the little expedition. Kumara Parvatha, nested in the Western Ghats in the hill town of Kukke Subramanya where the sacred shrine of Lord Kartikeya stands majestically, it is the second highest peak in Karnataka with picturesque views and diverse landscapes. This makes it a sheer joy for any nature lover to tread this formidable trail. We started the trek with some challenges which made us a little discouraged and had to modify our plans to suit the circumstances.
We started the trek around midday through the forest where the sun shone through the canopy of tall trees and patterned the ground with polka dots. The trial gradually became steeper and steeper. The path was dry and skiddy as it had been a long time since it last rained. It was studded with rocks, sometimes deep into the ground and sometimes lying free on the surface making it hard to land a steady step. After much anticipation we reached a small stream where we filled water, rested and continued the hike. At this point I noticed that my body was unusually reddened, without any rashes or irritation. From this point onwards, I don’t remember making many conversations or thinking anything particular. After about 7kms of ascending, we reached the campsite to rest for the day. We were so happy to finally rest after trekking on a hot day and were excited for the next day. The full moon with all its brilliance made the distant stars envious of its glow.
Even during my stay at the campsite, I couldn’t get myself to talk anything spontaneously. The only voice sounding in my head was some melodious song from my playlist without even having my earphones on. My mind was neither lost in the noise of the crowd nor in the loneliness of silence. The calmness prompted me to quietly sit down and write down my experiences for the day. In spite of wearing a cooling Sphatika maala and sitting in the moonlight of Pushya Purnima, my body seemed to be burning from the inside, but it wasn’t a fever. Concentration came easily and I was able to put my mind on to the paper aptly.
The next day we started quite early to ascend the peak and the initial one hour we had to trek in the dark, relying on torchlights or the luminous moon. Dawn slowly broke the darkness with the golden shimmer of sunshine. It looked like a war of the yin and yang in the sky. The trail got even steeper. The sunshine made the grasses glisten, and we walked in the treacherous rocky path amidst the golden grassland. What more could be a suitable example for bold and beautiful! Though the trial was steeper, never did I once have any difficulty breathing, nor did my muscles cramp (apart from a previous injury which suddenly flared up).
With short breaks in between, clicking pictures and snacking, we reached Shesha Parvatha and the peak was just a mountain away. The trek from Shesha Parvatha was inside a dense forest with the sunlight gleaming directly at us through the breaches in the canopy, giving us our daily dose of Vitamin D! The trail then suddenly changed to a vertical arrangement of stacked rocks, and then it led to a perilous monolithic climb. After hiking a little further from there, we reached the peak.
At the peak, I was devoid of thoughts, to an extent where even the thoughts I forced into my mind wouldn’t stay. Just silence. There was noise, excitement and joy all around. Some were extremely tired. But the wind casually blew away all these energies to a distance. What remained was just peace and thoughtlessness amongst all the chaos, like a Lotus Leaf untouched by water… “Padmapatram ivaambhasa…”. I enjoyed that silence because, not often does one spontaneously find it.
We had to leave from the peak soon after as we have to climb a distance of 14kms all the way down. My descent was also quiet. It was the same path we walked, but at different paces. Concentration seemed to exist naturally. The path was very skiddy with loose rocks and dry mud, but it seemed like my mind automatically calculated where to land my foot at every step. My eyes focussed on every rock on the path confidently and gave directions to my feet to move. It felt as though I was seeing ahead in time. Though the sun was well above our head, I didn’t feel the intense thirst, but the burning feeling inside remained.
We reached the campsite at around lunch time, had simple lunch, and left downwards. The descent was again quiet for me. Its only after I crossed the resting point close to the stream, that my mind started getting its thoughts back spontaneously. Its only then when thoughts about my life back home came back to me and I could continue a conversation with my friends. My Apana Vata was blocked for two whole days and never bothered to respond (although it never made me uncomfortable, which in itself is a big surprise), suddenly started responding at this point.
We reached back down and went to the river for a nice bath. I dipped myself in the river and asked the divine water to rid me of all the heat and unwanted energies, although I doubted having any at this point. The water was cool, and I felt like a forged sword being quenched.
We then left to the temple of Lord Kartikeya. After visiting the main temple, we went to a more ancient shrine which was located behind the main temple. This place was crowded, but not enough to make us suffocate. But for some reason I was not able to breathe comfortably, and the burning increased further, till it made me very uneasy. That is when I measured the energy of the place. Among the 5 Mahabhutas, the energy of Agni dominated its presence and then came Vayu. This explained the feeling.
During the trek I made two new friends after a long time. They offered me a ride back home as they were also travelling to the same place. We had fun all along the way, singing and chatting. It was wholesome!
The next day I took some time to contemplate my experiences and thought to myself, why not measure the energies of the mountain itself? As expected, the mountain also had Agni and Vayu energies predominantly. This explained why there were so less streams in the mountain and why my body was burning from within. I went a step further and tried to analyze Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Again, Pitta and Vata were prevalent. There are 5 types of Vata, Pitta and Kapha each. Though the 3 are different in the environment from what they are inside the body, they will have corresponding counterparts in the environment which influence their functions in the body. So I went a step further and tried analyzing the strength of each of the 5 types in the environment of the mountain.
Among the Pancha Vata, Apana was the least, this said why my previous injury on my right hip joint had to suddenly flaired up and Adho vata blocked for two whole days. Samana, Udana and Prana were moderately strong. This says why though I trekked in the hot sun, I didn’t lose my appetite much and didn’t have any breathing problems. Vyana was its highest….
Pitta was at an all-time high! Pachaka was moderate, supporting Samana in its function. Ranjaka was high; this along with Vyana might have caused my whole body to look red throughout. I noticed that all that sun exposure had not tanned me much, which can be inferred from Bhrajaka being moderately high! Sadhaka and Alochaka were very strong indicating intense visual acuity and clarity in perception which I also experienced throughout the trek!
Kapha though initially was low in strength overall, parts of it were strong. Tarpaka and Kledaka were kind of low, Bodhaka was moderately strong. Avalambaka and Shleshaka were strong. Shleshaka remained high and supported our joints during exertion. Avalambaka supported our marma sthana like Hrdaya and other places in the intense environment!
Coming to think of it, this was after all the place of Lord Kartikeya, the Warrior, the Valiant God of War! His energy pervades through every nook and cranny of the place. So, this is what Lord Kartikeya’s physical form mildly feels like! At my level of receptivity, I was able to maybe merely sniff the energy. But for a person who has developed their higher faculties enough, this would sure be a treat! I hope to get there soon!…
