Naabhi Shodha - Introduction

This blog is dedicated to the ancient science of navel reverence to keep the positive cosmic energy flowing in and to balance the elements in life.
This article is an introduction to the concept.

What is Naabhi Shodha?
Naabhi means Navel (Bellybutton). Shodha means reverence in broad strokes.
There is no direct translation to the word Shodha in this context.It also mean "discovery", "research", "exploration", "showering love", "giving attention".
So all of the following constitute Naabhi Shodha:
1) Being intensely aware of the navel and its existence in the epicentre of our body.
2) Revering and respecting the navel for its hidden powers.
3) Studying one's navel by means of 4 senses (vision, touch, smell and taste).
4) Giving deliberate attention to one's navel by means of showering love and affection to it.

What is the relevance?
Navel is the centre of human body - both spiritually and physically. More details about it being the physical center is discussed in a later article.
Spritually speaking, the navel is the portal to cosmic energy. We constantly tap in to the universe for pure potential energy - both positive and negative. The navel is where we got our life from. Most people think that it is just a scar left from the severing-off of the umbilical cord. But the navel stays for life, and it does have a deep functional value - in fact far more functional value than what we have imagined.

Functions:
- Helps maintains balance of the mind and the cosmic energy.
- Acts as an antenna to receive the cosmic energy.
- Is an indicator of the general state of body and soul.
- For women, it plays a significant role in procreation.
Naabhi Shodha is sort of more relevant to women, as it is very closely linked with fertility, pregnancy and feminity.

Fertility
As the navel is the source of "Praana" or "Life Energy", it is also the source of creation or manifestation. A woman's navel is a great indicator of her fertility and also a stimulation point to improve fertility. For instance, a deep large navel indicates high fertility generally. A navel set very high (closer to the chest) indicates that the woman's womb nourishes the foetus very well. A navel set very low (closer to the gentials) indicates that the woman's womb may be a little hostile to the foetus.

Pregnancy
As I said earlier, the navel is an antenna for cosmic energy. In ancient India, women were encouraged to wear clothes that revealed the navel. The idea was to allow the woman to tap in to as much energy as possible. When pregnant, the woman would bare it further more.
It is known that the navel generally turns into an outie for most women. While the logical explanation is just that the skin stretches, it again has a functional aspect.An outie navel means that the antenna is raised, It is now more sensitive to pick up cosmic energy. The baby is directly fed the cosmic energy or information received by the outie. In fact pregnant women were advised to flaunt their navel to the world. And if they picked up a negative vibe, like being in the company of evil people, they had to cup their outie, to save the baby from receiving negative vibes.
The outie was also revered or "tended to" by the husband so that the baby's growth is good and the baby is happy and content in there.

Summary
The navel has sort of lost its importance in the modern days. It gets into some limelight when it is pierced or deliberately exposed or when it is part of foreplay. There are many people who have a navel fetish. They are people who have somehow figured out about the portal (navel) to eternal joy and peace, but dont know how to tap it in the right way and keep it in balance.
As a kundalini yoga and meditation practioner, I hope to help people attain joy and peace through Naabhi Shodha.