Shiva is represented as Ardhanarishvara, his left side representing female energy, and the right representing Shiva in his male aspect. This, Babaji had said, is a symbol of the perfect yogi, who balances male and female characteristics in himself, brought about by the conjoining of the ida and pingala energies on both sides of the spine, thereby opening the central channel called the shushumna in the cerebrospinal system. The enlightened yogi was one whose central channel was open, so that the great creative energy, Shakti, could without obstruction dance up towards the supreme presence,
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