When kundalini starts its upward journey, it needs a totally purified path. If there are any blockades in its way, kundalini could not ascend through the central canal of the spinal cord. We have already discussed in detail about these issues in our series on kundalini. When kundalini meditation is practiced, we should also know the ways and means of removing any blockades. In most of the cases there will be blockades and the practitioner may not know how to remove the blockades. Let us now try to understand how to remove these blockades. We have already seen that a physical body is formed out of three gunas viz. satwa, rajo and tamo gunas. These three gunas are associated with the five basic elements, akash (ether), vayu (air), agni (fire), water and earth. These three gunas in association with these elements produce three types of doshas. The doshas can be explained as liquid bodily substances such as blood, etc. When these doshas are present in the prescribed proportion in a body, the health of the body remains excellent. When there is an imbalance in these doshas, the health of the body is affected causing imbalance in the energy level of the body. This imbalance is the main reason for blockages in the path of kundalini. These blockades are also called energy blockades and chakra blockades. These blockades can be removed by pressing and massaging marma points associated with the blockade. These marma points are also called varma points. Dealing with marma points is called marma therapy and any kind of disease can be cured by proper marma therapy. But let us confine ourselves with those marma points that could cause blockades in the higher chakras. Marma points are those where important nerves, blood vessels, ligaments intertwine each other. Most of the marma points are placed where there are cavities or orifices. These positions of the marma points enable them to co-ordinate between the external cosmic energy and internal energy generated by prana and its modifications such as apana etc. If marma points are affected, the movement of the prana from one chakra to another is also affected causing blockades. Such blockades are removed mostly by pranayama and certain yogic postures. This is the reason for doing certain breathing and stretching exercise . First let us find out the methods of removing the blockades in the heart chakra area. There are two marma points in the back and these marmas are called ‘brihati’. These are placed in the back of the body in both the shoulder blades almost at the lower end of the scapula. Half of the marma point is located in the scapula itself and another half in the muscular area. Apply some oil for lubrication (you can add a few drops of eucalyptus oil) and massage for around five minutes around these two marma points in circular motion by applying moderate pressure. After completing this, go to the front side of the body where there is ‘hridaya’ marma in the centre of the sternum. After lubricating this area, massage this marma point by applying very light pressure. Higher pressure should not be applied as this will affect the heart. Treating these two marma points (brihati and hridaya) will remove all the blockades in the heart chakra. (To be concluded)