Salaat: the Kundalini Yoga of Islam

The Salaat Postures (Asanas)

The body movements called salaat postures are abbreviated forms of the yogic sun salute.

The purpose of the postures is to loosen the spine so that salaat energy can travel up the spine. The movements also serve to bring increased blood flow to the brain which helps to raise consciousness to higher levels and nourish glands in the brain.
 

Ruku

Ruku opens the Door of Life. In ruku one bends forward and places one's hands on the knees. That stretches the spine and opens the Door of Life. When the Muslim rises back up the salaat force flows down the front (water) channel.

The Ming Men (Door of Life) or kidney center is located on the spine between the kidneys. It protrudes when you bend forward. It's located between Lumbar 2 (L-2) and Lumbar 3 (L-3).

An open Ming Men causes one to feel gentleness and generosity. A closed or blocked Ming Men makes one fear being taken advantage of.

Raku helps to open Ming Men. The corresponding yogic Sun Salute posture is the Forward Bend. the yogi bends all the way forward and places her hands on the floor.

In ruku the Muslim bends forward and places his hands on his knees. Simultaneously, his chin is pressed against the upper chest. That opens the "God Mouth" in the back of the head and activates the cranial pump.

The cranial pump is a muscular pump that sucks kundalini up the spine into the head.

Ruku also brings blood to the brain and therefore has some of the benefits of the headstand.

Qiyaam (standing pose) is similar to the yogic Sun Salute Mountain Pose.

In the Mountain Pose the hands are placed together. The hand placement is actually a bandha, i.e., a means of restraining and controlling the flow of energy. The hands' prayer makes energy flow in a closed look in the belt channel.

In the Islamic Qiyaam, the hands are placed over the navel, right hand over left. That forms a mudra or seal, i.e., a way of focusing energy at a particular point. That mudra "warms the stove" or the cauldron which is the lower Tan Tien which stores the body's ching chi.

Takbir: Every change in salaat position begins with a "takbir," i.e., the Muslim raises her hands to her ears and says: "Allahu akbar" before moving to the next posture. For example, before moving from Qiyaam (standing) to ruku' (bowing), the Muslim performs a takbir by saying "Allahu akbar" (translated: "Allah is greater.")

The takbir is a shortened version of the yogic Back Bend. In the Back Bend, the yogi inhales, stretches her arms up over her head, arching her back, keeping her legs and buttocks firm and feet planted firmly on the ground.

In both the Sun Salute and solar salaat the movements are coordinated with the breath.

In the takbir and Back Bend an inhalation is first made. This draws prana (ruh/life force) into the body. The stretch squeezes our the dead, depleted prana so that new, rejuvenating ruh can enter. Lifting the arms increases the lungs' capacity. Air is the pranic force that sparks or ignites kundalini.

In recent years Muslims have even further shortened and abbreviated the salaat postures by sometimes not even raising their hands to their ears when they say "Allahu akbar." Instead, they just say their takbir and then go to the next posture. This indicates how, over thousands of years, the Sun Salutation was shortened and altered to become the Islamic Salaat postures with which we're currently familiar.

Qada'

Modern Muslims have also changed the qada' pose. It is almost funny that the most "fundamentalist" of Muslims are ready to literally kill someone they consider "an innovator" yet they make absurd innovations all the time or acquiesce to the innovation made by some sheikh or another. Today, Muslims have abandoned qada' (sitting pose) for an elongated jalsa pose.

In qada' the base of the spine is connected to the Earth. This is an ancient grounding technique which sends excess energy down into the earth. If the initiate ('abd/slave) is depleted, however, Earth energy is drawn into the body through the coccyx or muladhara chakra.

Sick energy can be sent out through either the feet or the coccyx (depending upon which is in contact with the Earth).

When sick energy is sent into the earth it is naturally transformed into healing energy. For this reason, the Egyptian deity-archetype for Earth, Geb, is also the god of healing and kundalini.

Yoga teaches that eight spears are in the lowest chakra. Taoism teaches that each of the eight holes in the coccyx corresponds to one of the eight fundamental forces. The Quran teaches that "eight bear the throne."

Qada' is the Islamic version of the yogic sitting lotus poses such as siddhasana.

Akashic Periods

At Sunrise and about every six hours thereafter is an akashic period or period in which the energy force flows in an optimum manner.

The Salaat times are the same as the Akashic Periods.

The Akashic periods favor the raising of the salaat force and salaat raised is naturally modified according to the nature of the akashic period.

Salaat has been enjoined on the
Mu'mineen at fixed times.

-- Quran 4:103

Robert Bruce refers to these akashic periods as the Astral Pulse and Astral Wind. The Astral Pulse is the expansion or energy current away from the physical plane. The Astral Wind draws from the outermost realms ("blessed precincts" and location of "the farthest Mosque") to the physical plane.

The Quran says that the wind was made subservient to Solomon and that its morning journey was a month and that its evening journey was a month.

I don't know about physically, but the Astral Wind can transport a person out of body into the future. I never rode the Wind a month into the future, but I did go 40 minutes ahead of time and observed things happen which 40 minutes later occurred exactly as they had in the out-of-body witnessing. So I'd guess that if you can go 40 minutes into the future there's no reason why you can't go a month, year or century into the future or past.

Where possible I like to write about stuff I've experienced more than just theory. I've made a few out-of-body trips into the past. Usually, on such trips, I feel compelled to prevent some tragedy (such as assassination).

It is in qada' that the actual salaat raising occurs. This is accomplished by dhikr (mantra) chanting until the salaat force awakens.

As this may take hours, the Quran says to raise the salaat from sunrise to noon or from noon to 'Asr, etc.

The dhkring slows the breath rate down to internalize consciousness to facilitate the initiate's slipping into trance. Furthermore, if the dhikring is done audibly, the physical sounds cause a vibration to occur which affects the molecular body (the Egyptian khaibit or "animal spirit") and the chakras in a way that stimulates them. This can be used to transform the person's personality or, in magical operations, to attract or banish things.

Let's say that you are a shy, unassuming person. But an issue that requires you to show leadership, to take charge and to give direction to others. This might not be in accord with your natural makeup, but the universe seems to be calling things into your life that aren't in accord with your usual mode of operations.

Chanting the heka "Aung Hring" would stimulate the heart chakra and gradually (and sometimes suddenly) cause a change in your demeanor, personality and way of conducting yourself that would be in accord with the leadership you have to assume. There would be subtle hormonal and pulse changes all of which would manifest in a definite change in your personality, such that people would think you're an entirely different person.

If the chanting were to be done for magical purposes, then the effect of the vibratory sound on the khaibit would be such that it would become sort of like a spiritual magnet to attract solar things to you or to banish them from you. Whether it would operate to attract or banish depends upon the color you use and the time of Moon's cycle in which you do your dhikring.

Each of Allah's 99 Names is intended to be used for such a purpose. A person in need of peace would dhikr "As-Salaam." A person in need of mercy would chant "Ar-Raheem," etc.

Dhikring subhanallah 33 (or seven) time, al-hamdulillah 33 (or seven) times and Allahu akbar 34 (or eight) times is code. The actual number of dhikrs necessary depends upon the person. Each person has a different amount of time needed to get into a trance state and to power up the kundalini force.

The seven times is code that the dhikrs will eventually affect the chakras. The eight times symbolizes the eight fundamental forces and the fact that some systems focus upon eight chakras, not seven.

As Surah 18 of the Quran says, "Some say there were seven, the 8th of them their dog." These "seven sleepers" were throwing stones with al-Ghayb" (i.e., practicing with the occult). The Quran says "We turned them around," which symbolizes the spiraling, revolving nature of the chakras.

33+33+34 = 100 or the "thousand petalled lotus" at the crown of the head. In Taoism the crown is called the Bai Hui or "One Hundred Meetings." So we can see that the "100 attributes" of Allah find their esoteric correspondence at the crown chakra. By gematria 3+3+3+3+3+4 = 19 ("over it are nineteen") and 1+9=10 (Ausar's mystic number) and 1+0=1 ("Allah is One").

It is fascinating to see that all spiritual systems agree, support and reinforce one another despite the efforts of their misguided adherents to promote disunity and social strife.

Taslim

Upon completion of prayer -- mistakenly called salaat -- the Muslim "taslims out." What that means is that the Muslim turns his face to the right and, while moving it in a small circle, says, "As-Salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah" and then does the same to the left.

Most Muslims will say that they are "greeting the angels" which supposedly stand on everyone's left and right.

As with most things religious, they're not actually wrong, but their understanding is quite juvenile and on a Sunday School level. This will not suffice in the modern world with its modern, high-tech problems (such as subliminal seduction and technological tampering with the food supply).

Tasliming to the left and right while moving the head in little circles is a very nice symbol for the functioning of the Pingala and Ida nadis (chi meridians) which crisscross on the left and right sides of the brain and move in a winding, serpent like manner.

Sajdah

In sajdah (prostration) the initiate's brain is flooded with blood, nourishing the thalamus, hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands.

This facilitates mind development, higher consciousness and altered states of consciousness.

Sakinah

Salaat/kundalini force that's refined to its highest expression is called Sakinah.

"He it is who sent down Sakinah into the hearts of the unconditioned ones [i.e., mu'minin]" (Quran 48:4).

I've translated mu'minin "unconditioned ones" for want of an even better English translation.

Mu'min comes from the verb "amana." The prayer ending "amin" comes from it.

Nearly all translators translate it and its family of words into "believer, faithful, trustworthy," etc.

The true origin of the word is the Kamitic Amun, Amen or Amon. Amen represents the unconditioned state of consciousness. Literally, Amen means "hidden." Hidden beneath man's complex of conditionings, reflexes, emotions and appetites lies an unconditioned being which is man's true Self (his atman or Ba).

A mu'min is one who has realized that Imperishable One as her true Self. Such a one therefore becomes trustworthy and faithful.

In a different mode, the mu'min has unshakeable inner peace, a peace that cannot be upset by obstacles or setbacks. This type of peaceful one is called a Muslim (one who has attained Hetep/Salaam).

There are three main types of chi or energy. In Taoism they're called ching (sexual) chi, mental chi and shen (spiritual) chi.

In Egyptian philosophy they are called the Ka, Ab and Ba respectively. The Quranic terms are nafs al-ammaarah, nafs al-luwaama and nafs al-mutma'innah.

Shen chi is called shechinah in Hebrew, Sakinah in Arabic, shakti in Sanskrit and Shekem in Kamitic (ancient Egyptian).

Since a man doesn't usually get access to shen/Sakinah until his 50's (and a woman until post-menopause) a shaykh (literally, "old man") is the Arabic term for a Sakinah master.

We cannot water until the shepherds take away (their sheep) from the water;
and our father is a Great Shaykh.

-- Quran 28:23

In Islam, Jethro (Moses' father-in-law) is known Shu'aib. He is here identified as a great shaykh, a holy man of awesome power and august wisdom. Moses meets the Shaykh's daughter at a well where she's trying to water her sheep. This is a literary device used in both Bible and Quran to show that the soon-to-come union between the hero and the woman is a predestined matter.

In these "meetings at the wells" the damsel is usually in some kind of distress or having trouble controlling her flock or being somehow harassed by unruly men at the well. The hero comes in and "saves the day" by controlling the flock, intimidating the men, giving the sheep well-water and then escorting the damsel home where he is brought into the family.

The well and its life-giving water represents the female yoni or vagina and uterus (and its fluidic secretions as well as the life-granting amniotic fluid). The often unruly sheep or shepherds signifies, symbolically, cooling these hot urges by satisfying her sexually.

Sheep represents sex urges in scripture because the male sheep (ram) is the symbol of Aries and Mars, ruler of Aries, is the principle planetary significator of sexual desire and expression.

The Egyptian icon for Amen represented a ram on a sacrificial alter. This was later shortened to just the offering tray or alter. This, of course, represented that the initiate who achieved Amen had sacrificed his or her sexual drive by sublimating it so that it propelled her to peace and enlightenment (nirvana or Samadhi).

Before Moses has the right to marry a daughter of Shu (Shu'aib) he has to be initiated, serve as an apprentice to the Great Shaykh for eight years (i.e., achieve seership/prophethood at the second Tree of Life sphere) or, if Moses chooses the full development, he would serve 10 years of apprenticeship (i.e., initiation to the highest sphere, sphere zero and attain Amen).

O my father, employ him. surely the best of those you can employ
is the Qawiyy of Amen.

-- Quran 28:26

Salaat force refined to the highest levels transmutes into Sakinah. Such a one experiences a deep, profound tranquility.

Wudu

The purpose of wudu is to cool those places which tend to overheat when kundalini heat (salaat) awakens.

O you who are (striving to attain) Amen, when you raise up for salaat,
wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads
and your feet up to the ankles.

-- Quran 5:6

Please note that the Quran makes no mention of wiping any body part three times, washing the ears, nor snorting water up the nose (although that helps cleanse and activate the two nadis), or rinsing out the mouth. Those are all Hadith innovations which violate the Quran and are therefore unlawful.

Head, hands, feet and face all are cooled by washing them with water before salaat is elevated up the spine.

Wudu comes from voodoo, i.e., the spiritual science of the African Vodon people whose baptism was a long, ceremonial ritual bath. Islamic wudu is greatly shortened, almost symbolic, form of the sacred Voodoo bath.

When water cannot be found, the Muslim does ablution with earth. This is called tayammam.

And if you... cannot find water, take clean earth and wipe your face
and hands therewith.

-- Quran 5:6

The pure earth symbolizes the importance of grounding the kundalini energy.