Ida and Pingala

[hritpadma]

Why are ida and pingala sometimes depicted as crossing sushumna like a caduceus and sometimes going directly from muladhara to ajna without crossing sushumna?

Can it be one way then change to the other?

[Vimala]

Imho, there are two different approaches to Ida, Pingala and Sushumna.

In the traditions that advocates the need to work on Ida and Pingala before activating sushumna, they're drawn like a caduceus.
In the traditions that work directly on sushumna, they are straight.

[hritpadma]

I'm not clear about the nadi connections in the lower abdomen
(muladhara).

During pranayama, you determine which nadi ida or pingala by closing the associated nostril. Is it possible to determine which nadi by will+visualization only?

Is there a similar "switch" you can use to determine the front body channel (arohan) vs the spinal channel (awarohan = ida + pingala + sushumna))?

[Charliedog]

quote: During pranayama, you determine which nadi ida or pingala by closing the associated nostril. Is it possible to determine which nadi by will+visualization only?

Yes it is, in the beginning of your practices you need closing of the nostrils, but my experience is, that it happens spontaneously at this moment, just by bringing my attention.

Imo the sushumna opens by grace, like deep meditation, you can not force it. It will happen, when you practice and have a strong desire.

When it is open, the practice feels different, more on a energetic level and less physical, sushumna also has 3 nadi's inside, a left, a right and a central. Kundalini rising is in the central inside sushumna.
That's my view under the hood, like yogani said.
It's all intrepetation and different traditions have sometimes different approaches to the same subject.

Edit....this is not AYP, but ancient tantra tradition....