

When the Vajrayana practitioner creates a visualization of a yidam, she is establishing a conscious thought like a cup that can carry certain contents just like words carry meaning. The Buddhist notions of consciousness and natural mind are two different phenomena. We can even confuse consciousness for mind and frequently do. Complicating matters, in the Vajrayana world, consciousness itself is a construct that arises out of mind.

When we concentrate the subtle mind and breath in our energy centers this purifies and releases the karmic winds and ultimately awakens our primordial wisdom.

The mind that rides the breath (prana) is our subtle mind. Inner heat melts the obscuration within our central channel. The physical exercises combined with breath control and meditation concentrate the mind on flaming the inner heat (tummo). The results of this yogic practice are loosening of the knots in our chakras. This ancient practice uses specific bodily exercises combined with breath and concentration to open the energy centers or chakras.
