Sushumna is the central energy channel in yoga’s subtle body anatomy running from the base of the spine to the crown of the head through the core of the spinal column. In Sanskrit ‘su’ means good or auspicious and ‘shumna’ refers to happiness or welfare indicating the blissful states accessed when energy flows freely through this channel.
According to yoga’s subtle anatomy sushumna nadi is flanked by two complementary channels: ida (left lunar cooling feminine) and pingala (right solar warming masculine). When kundalini energy awakens it rises through sushumna creating progressive states of higher consciousness as it passes through each chakra. Traditional texts describe sushumna as dormant in most people becoming active only when prana is balanced between ida and pingala.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika and other classical texts emphasize practices designed specifically to purify and activate sushumna including specific pranayama techniques mudras bandhas and meditations. These practices aim to balance the opposing energies of ida and pingala creating the conditions for kundalini to enter and rise through the central channel.
Physiologically sushumna corresponds approximately to the spinal cord and central nervous system though yoga tradition emphasizes that the subtle channels exist in a dimension beyond physical anatomy. When energy flows freely through sushumna practitioners report experiences of deep meditation expanded awareness spiritual insight and ultimately samadhi or enlightened consciousness.
