KUNDALINI: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND SELECTED REFERENCES
Version 2.01, June 2002
Copyright Kurt Keutzer, 2002 (keutzer@eecs.berkeley.edu)
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This FAQ gives a background on the phenomenon of kundalini and
is assumed material before reading the other related articles:
Siddha Mahayoga FAQ
Kundalini Yogas FAQ
The Siddha Mahayoga Tradition of Swami Shivom Tirth
I bow to the vibrant source of my innermost bliss.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- What is kundalini?
- What is the difference between prana and kundalini? What is the
difference between qi (or chi) and kundalini?
- If kundalini is universal why do some kundalini yogins seem to
have more kundalini-energy than others ?
- What does kundalini have to do with spiritual enlightenment?
What is the goal of kundalini yoga?
- Does everyone agree that kundalini awakening is necessary for
enlightenment?
- How can I tell if I'm having a kundalini awakening? Does a
kundalini awakening have to be uncomfortable?
- Can I just use kundalini yoga simply to improve my health?
- Is there any scientific basis for kundalini and the chakras? Do I
really have to believe that all these cakras physically exist?
- Is Chinese qi gong a kind of kundalini yoga?
- What about Tibetan Buddhism - has kundalini been known in Tibet?
- Are there any other traditions that show awareness of kundalini?
- So how do I awaken kundalini?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using effort to
awaken kundalini?
- What are the signs of an awakened kundalini?
- Are these methods of awakening kundalini dangerous? What about
Gopi Krishna's books?
- But even if kundalini is dangerous, isn't it a faster way to
enlightenment?
- There have been many scandals among kundalini yoga teachers -
particularly sexual scandals. Is there a correlation between sexual scandals and
kundalini yoga practice?
- If my kundalini is awakened will I need to change my lifestyle?
Do I need to be celibate?
- Where can I learn more?
What is kundalini?
``Kundalini'' literally means coiling, like a snake. In the classical
literature of hatha yoga kundalini is described as a coiled serpent at the base
of the spine. The image of coiling, like a spring, conveys the sense of untapped
potential energy. Perhaps more meaningfully kundalini can be described as a
great reservoir of creative energy at the base of the spine. It's not useful to
sit with our consciousness fixed in our head and think of kundalini as a foreign
force running up and down our spine. Unfortunately the serpent image may serve
to accentuate this alien nature of the image. It's more useful to think of
kundalini energy as the very foundation of our consciousness so that when
kundalini moves through our bodies our consciousness necessarily changes with
it.
The concept of kundalini can also be examined from a strictly psychological
perspective. From this perspective kundalini can be thought of as a rich source
of psychic or libidinous energy in our unconscious.
In the classical literature of Kashmir Shaivism kundalini is described in
three different manifestations. The first of these is as the universal energy or
para-kundalini. The second of these is as the energizing function of the
body-mind complex or prana-kundalini. The third of these is as
consciousness or shakti-kundalini which simultaneously subsumes and
intermediates between these two. Ultimately these three forms are the same but
understanding these three different forms will help to understand the
different manifestations of kundalini.
Return to table of contents
What is the difference between prana and kundalini? What is the difference
between qi (or chi) and kundalini?
First let us try to relate to concepts from the same tradition - prana and
kundalini. Prana has been translated as the ``vital breath'' and ``bio-energetic
motility''; it is associated with maintaining the functioning of the mind and
body. Kundalini, in its form as prana-kundalini, is identical to prana ;
however, Kundalini also has a manifestations as consciousness and a as a
unifying cosmic energy. One could ascribe these same aspects to prana as well so
past a certain point these become distinctions without differences.
From the subjective standpoint of an individual actually experiencing the
awakening of kundalini I have found three completely different opinions:
The first opinion is that a pranic awakening is only a prelude to a full
kundalini awakening. Tibetan yogins that I have encountered consider the
activation of prana (Tibetan: rlung) as merely a prerequisite for the activation
of kundalini (Tibetan: gTummo). What's attractive about this viewpoint is that
it explains the difference between the experience of simply having pleasant
sensations in the spine and the much more powerful experience of having a
``freight-train''-like full kundalini experience.
The second opinion, espoused by Swami Shivom Tirth for example, is that prana
and kundalini are absolutely equivalent and that it is not meaningful in any way
to describe a difference between kundalini rising and prana rising. When posed
with question as to how to distinguish between pleasant sensations that show
some pranic-activity in the spine and the much more powerful experience Swami
Shivom Tirth said that the difference is not in the nature of the activity but
in the consciousness that observes it. If the consciousness that experiences the
pranic activity is seated within the spine (or more correctly, the central
channel, known as the sushumna), then the experience is felt much more
powerfully.
The third opinion, espoused by the modern hatha yogin, Desikaran, is that pranic
awakening is the true experience to be aimed for and kundalini is actually an
obstruction. Desikaran sees the kundalini as a block in the central channel and
thus the kundalini must be ``killed'' to make way for the prana. This is the
most unusual view of the three.
The Chinese concept of qi (or chi) can be safely identified with the Indian
concept of prana.
If all this seems confusing - don't worry, you're in good company. My
conclusion is that these are all different terminologies for dealing with a
common set of experiences. Any one of these viewpoints is adequate for
describing the full range of experiences. What is probably more relevant is to
distinguish two different experiences which are often confused. In one an
individual experiences some pleasant energizing electric energy running along
the spine. This experience itself brings about a wide range of experiences and
results in vitality and sensitivity. Another very distinct experience is the
experience of kundalini entering the sushumna and rising up the spine. As soon
as kundalini enters the sushumna this experience will completely overwhelm
ordinary waking consciousness. From the moment that kundalini enters the
sushumna there will no longer be a distinction between the subjective
consciousness which experiences and the object of experience. This experience
much more profoundly transfigures consciousness.
Return to table of contents
If kundalini is universal, why do some kundalini yogins seem to have more
kundalini-energy than others ??
It's an intriguing question. If an individual's kundalini is viewed as simply
a personal reservoir of a cosmic energy then why would one person appear to have
more of a reservoir of kundalini energy than another? Nevertheless, this does
appear to be the case. This is probably another advantage of the viewpoint that
prana (or qi) is the same as kundalini. Some Chinese texts distinguish between
``innate qi'' or ``pre-natal qi'' that one is born with and ``cultivated qi''
that can be developed. Clearly some people simply have more ``innate qi.'' This
manifests as a stronger more resilient body and greater general vitality.
Through training those that have relatively weak ``innate qi'' may surpass
those who have strong ``innate qi'' but do not train. There are many stories in
the Chinese literature of Qi Gong about people who took up Qi Gong in order to
improve their poor health became powerful martial artists or great qi gong
masters. Of course those that have strong ``innate qi'' and also train their qi
may develop the strongest qi of all.
Return to table of contents
What does kundalini have to do with spiritual enlightenment? What is the
goal of kundalini yoga?
First we need a few concepts: In yogic anatomy the sushumna is the central
channel and conduit for the kundalini energy that runs along our spine and up to
the crown of our head. Along this channel are placed additional channel networks
called cakras. These cakras are associated with major aspects of our anatomy -
for example our throat, heart, solar plexus, and in turn these aspects of our
anatomy are related to aspects of our human nature. According to the literature
of kundalini yoga our experience of these centers is limited due to knots which
restrict the flow of energy into these centers. Three knots are particuarly
important. The knot of Brahma which restricts the center at the base of
the spine. The knot of Vishnu which restricts the heart center and the
knot of Rudra which restricts the center between the eyebrows. These
knots form an important framework in yogic thinking and the stages toward
enlightenment are articulated in terms of breaking through these knots in the
yogic classic the Hatha Yoga Pradipika as well as in some of the yoga
upanishads. Specifically, four stages of progress are described:
arambha,
ghata,
parichaya and
nishpatti.
Arambha is associated with breaking the knot of Brahma and the
awakening of kundalini. Ghata is associated with breaking the knot of
Vishnu and and with internal absorption. Parichaya the absorption
deepens and in nishpatti the knot of Rudra is pierced and the
kundalini may ascend to the center at the crown of the head. In this state
transcendence is integrated and, according to the yogic literature, the yogi has
nothing more to attain.
Putting these elaborate physiological descriptions aside, the goal of
kundalini yoga is the same as the goal of any legitimate spiritual practice: To
be liberated from the limited bounds of the self-centered and alienated ego. In
kundalini yoga this is associated with internal manifestations of the kundalini
but the external manifestations should be similar to any other legitimate
spiritual practice.
Return to table of contents
So does everyone agree that kundalini awakening is necessary for
enlightenment?
The view that kundalini awakening is necessary for enlightenment is held in
the diverse literature of Kashmir Shaivism and in other Hindu Tantric
literature. It is found in the literature of the Hatha Yogis and the Nath
Sampradaya. You will find similar views in many Buddhist Tantric works. In
addition this view is held by recent spiritual figures such as Shri Ramakrishna,
Swami Sivananda, Paramahamsa Yogananda and Swami Vivekananda and of course by
contemporary kundalini yogins themselves.
Nevertheless there are some dissenters from this view. These include Sri
Chinmoy, Da Free John and Gurdjieff. Dissent can take a number of different
forms. For Gurjieff kundalini is associated only with a binding force that leads
us to be more attached to the world. Such a view of kundalini is not entirely
inaccurate but only reflects the functioning of kundalini in the lower energy
centers. For Sri Chinmoy kundalini is an amplifying function that may make an
individual more powerful but not more enlightened. From my perspective this also
only addresses the impact of kundalini while it operates in the lower energy
centers.
Da Free John (born Franklin Jones, a. k. a. Da Love Ananda) has a much more
fundamental criticism of kundalini. As far as I understand his position, for him
enlightenment cannot be the result of an experience; it is a cognitive
transformation. Kundalini may evoke a wide variety of experiences but these are
not in and of themselves enlightening. This is an interesting perspective but it
seems to assume that the raising of kundalini is an experience in which an
ego-consciousness experiences a separate object known as kundalini. Again, this
view is consistent with the experience of kundalini in the lower energy centers
in which the ego is detached from the movement of kundalini and kundalini
experiences are precieved as separate from oneself. However, I would argue that
as kundalini rises the ego-consciousness becomes infused in a more fundamental
consciousness of cit-shakti-kundalini and this experience does in fact
produce a fundamental cognitive change.
Finally, there are many other spiritual practices, such as Zen, Vipassana
meditation that consider kundalini irrelevant. Some practitioners or even
teachers of these paths, such as Jiyu Kennet, may have kundalini experiences but
generally kundalini is not a pivotal part of these paths.
Return to table of contents
Can I use kundalini yoga simply to improve my health?
Yoga exercises which were traditionally used to purify the body in
preparation for awakening the kundalini can also be used simply to improve the
health. To practice techniques aimed at actively awakening kundalini with the
goal of simply improving your health seems to be a misuse of these powerful
techniques.
There are those that teach kundalini yoga principally emphasizing its
benefits on health without much discussion of the spiritual benefits. This is
how hatha yoga has been taught in the west for some time. The affect of this
approach depends on the attitude of the student. There is certainly nothing
wrong with trying to improve your health but there is a tension between
awakening an energy that will ultimately burn up the ego and trying to shape
that energy to simply fulfill an ego-oriented motive.
Return to table of contents
How can I tell if I'm having a real kundalini awakening? Does a
kundalini awakening have to be uncomfortable?
Many people, and even published authors on kundalini, associate kundalini
awakening with symptoms such as a mild sense of a trickle of energy up the
spine. This does indicate some energetic movement, but not, in my opinion, a
true kundalini awakening. Nearly ever person I know with what I call a ``true
awakening'' has responded to phrases like ``the freight train'' inside or ``the
volcano erupting'' inside. More fundamentally, in a mild energetic movement the
ego stays intact (in a healthy individual) and enjoys the pleasant sensations
much like any other physical sensation.
In a ``true awakening'' the force of kundalini eclipses the ego altogether
and the individual is is almost certain to feel disoriented for some time. There
will almost certainly be periods of pronounced psychological discomfort and
social alienation. Works from the literature of Tibetan Buddhism indicate two
distinct periods of spiritual emergency. The first is at the beginning of true
kundalini awakening in which one feels an acute anxiety and sense of alienation
from the world. The second is after the process has considerably advanced and
one feels an acute fear of one's own internal groundlessness. Even in the most
difficult periods these challenging experiences are balanced by periods of deep
bliss and profound awareness. Moreover, in time any negative experiences give
way to deep realization.
Return to table of contents
Is there any scientific basis for kundalini and the chakras? Do I really have
to believe that all these cakras physically exist?
Research on kundalini is especially spotty. There is no compelling work to
show that the system represents insights into actual human anatomy. But it's
important to understand that kundalini and its network of channels and chakras is
simply how yogins have chosen to explain their experience and that yogins from
many cultures have arrived at similar, though not identical, concepts. The true
physical mechanisms underlying these experiences may be very different from
those described. Izaak Benthov has proposed a model to explain kundalini in
terms of micro- motion in the brain. In this model experiences are associated
with parts of the body, such as the heart, because the part of the brain
associated with that part of the body is stimulated by micro-vibrations. His
model is treated in ``The Kundalini Experience'' by Sannella referenced below.
From a practical perspective the key thing is our subjective experience and that
the roadmap of these subjective experiences has been mapped out.
Return to table of contents
Is Chinese qi gong a kind of kundalini yoga?
If there is any contemporary teaching that is even more diverse in approach
than kundalini yoga it must be qi gong. As a result it is hard to compare
kundalini yoga to qi gong. From my limited exposure to qi gong it is clear there
are many qi gong practices that are identical to kundalini yoga practices. What
is also clear is that may qi gong practitioners have reported experiences that
are identical to those of kundalini yogins. In so far as each of these practices
aims at eliminating blocks to the qi/prana energy then they share a common
ground.
Return to table of contents
What about Tibetan Buddhism - has kundalini been known in Tibet?
Kundalini yoga in the Natha Sampradaya and Vajrayana in Tibetan Buddhism both
take their origin from the Mahasiddhas who were active in India from the 8th
century to the 12th century. Kundalini yoga practices formed the core of the
teachings of a number of these Mahasiddhas and are strongly represented in both
Tibetan Buddhist practices and contemporary kundalini yoga practices. Kundalini
yoga was spoken of as ``Candali yoga'' by these Mahasiddhas and became known as
gTummo rnal 'byor in Tibet. Candali yoga was a key practice of the famous
Tibetan yogin Milarepa. The role of kundalini yoga in Tibetan Buddhism is
discussed in more detail in the Kundalini Yogas FAQ.
Return to table of contents
Are there any other traditions that show awareness of kundalini?
If you believe that kundalini is at the basis of spiritual progress then
every valid spiritual tradition must have some awareness of kundalini.
Christianity (especially Quakerism and Pentecostalism), Sufism, Qabalistic
mysticism, alchemy and magic all have literature which demonstrates some
awareness of the kundalini process but these traditions are not, to this
author's awareness, so open in their exposition of the techniques and so it is
hard to judge the depth of understanding latent in these traditions.
Nevertheless, the imagery is so unmistakable in these traditions that each must
have, at least at one time, been conversant with the movement of kundalini.
Return to table of contents
So how do I awaken kundalini?
Indirectly kundalini can be awakened by devotion, by selfless service, or by
intellectual enquiry. In these paths the blocks to the awakening of kundalini
are slowly removed. Occasionally, individuals on these paths will experience a
sudden awakening of kundalini but generally because the blocks are slowly and
gently removed kundalini-like experiences evolve slowly in these paths.
Broadly speaking there are two radically different direct approaches to
awakening kundalini. One approach requires initiation by a guru and relies upon
a technique called shaktipat, or ``descent of shakti.'' It is variously called:
Siddha Mahayoga, Kundalini Mahayoga or Sahaja Yoga (Spontaneous Yoga). These
approaches are treated in the Siddha Mahayoga FAQ. The other approach uses intentional yogic techniques .
The styles using intentional techniques include Mantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Laya
Yoga or Kriya Yoga. These approaches are treated in the
Kundalini Yogas FAQ .
Fundamentally the approach of Siddha Mahayoga and the Kundalini Yogas are
different. In Siddha Mahayoga the guru awakens the kundalini and after that the
core of the practice is the inactive and non-willful surrender to kundalini. In
Kundalini Yogas the will is used to awaken the kundalini and to guide its
progress. Clearly these are different approaches. Nevertheless, elements of the
each approach occur in the practices of the other. Siddha Mahayogins may use
asanas, pranayamas and other hatha yoga practices. On the other hand gurus in
Kundalini Yoga may give infusions of shakti to their students to help them at
particular points in their practice.
Return to table of contents
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using effort, in kundalini
yogas, as opposed to the grace of the guru, in siddha mahayoga, to awaken
kundalini?
Since every practitioner brings his own unique inclinations and obstacles to
the practice of yoga it is very hard to generalize on this point. In terms of
actually awakening kundalini gurus of Siddha Mahayoga claim that the kundalini
is more easily and reliably awakened by the grace of the guru than by individual
effort. In my limited experience I would agree. with this assertion. While not
every long-term student of either practice necessarily shows signs of kundalini
awakening it is amazing how many people have had instant awakenings of kundalini
through initiation from siddha gurus.
In terms of encountering difficulties along the path the siddha gurus would
also claim that fewer problems due to kundalini awakening, such as mental
imbalance, are encountered by students of Siddha Mahayoga. Here I think the
results are mixed. It seems to me that the guidance of the teacher in either
Siddha Mahayoga or Kundalini Yoga is more a determining factor than which style
of kundalini practice is employed.
Generally speaking each style of practice has its strengths and weakness. The
strength of Siddha Mahayoga is the ease with which it awakens the kundalini. The
weakness is that because the kundalini is so easily awakened by the guru
students of Siddha Mahayoga often have completely undisciplined personal
meditation practices. Time is spent instead to trying to recreate some of their
initial experiences by following the guru around hoping for his or her grace
Some people spend 20 or more years in this manner without ever developing an
inner core of practice or experience.
The strength of the family of Kundalini Yogas is that the progress is at
least apparently more under the control of the student of the yoga. These
students seem more likely to have disciplined personal practices and more of an
understanding of how the practice relates to their own experience. Unfortunately
for some students this leads to a fairly egotistical approach to their practice
and ultimately the kundalini energy is used to bolster the ego rather than to
merge the ego in bliss.
Return to table of contents
What are the signs of an awakened kundalini?
Briefly, according to classical literature the signs of an awakened kundalini
can be grouped into: mental signs, vocal signs and physical signs. Mental signs
can include visions that range from ecstatically blissful to terrifyingly
frightful. Vocal signs can include spontaneous vocal expressions that range from
singing or reciting mantras to make various animals sounds such as growling or
chirping. Physical signs include trembling, shaking and spontaneously performing
hatha yoga postures and pranayamas.
From a more subjective perspective the more pleasant experiences associated
with a kundalini awakening may include: waves of bliss, periods of elation,
glimpses of transcendental consciousness. The less pleasant experiences
associated with a kundalini awakening may include: trembling, sharp aches in
areas associated with the chakras, periods of irrational anxiety, sudden flashes
of heat.
Return to table of contents
Are these methods of awakening kundalini dangerous? What about Gopi
Krishna's books?
There are two different kinds of danger involved in kundalini: the inherent
danger in an awakened kundalini and the danger associated with some forceful
methods of awakening.
As for the inherent danger in awakening kundalini: If we take the
psychological perspective and view kundalini as the power latent in our
unconscious then it is easy to understand that an awakening of this force is
going to bring a greater amount of unconscious material into our consciousness.
Unconscious material remains unconscious precisely because it is uncomfortable
to the conscious mind. Therefore, even in the best of circumstances the joy
associated with the awakening of kundalini is likely to be attended with a
certain amount of anxiety as kundalini wrests control from the ego and
unconscious contents spill over into consciousness.
A number of different factors can ameliorate this situation. First and
foremost the presence of a teacher in whom one has confidence can make a great
difference. The real demonstration of the skill of a kundalini yoga teacher is
more in their ability to successfully guide the student on the path of kundalini
than in their ability to awaken the kundalini. A supportive environment of
fellow practitioners who have undergone the same awakening can provide comfort
and confidence. Finally, a strong and resilient mind capable of coping with this
sudden burst of unconscious material will see the student through any
difficulties
If an individual is lacking one or more of these factors then problems can
arise. In particular, individuals with a predisposition to mental illness may be
susceptible to particularly challenging kundalini experiences. There are many
documented cases of kundalini pushing people into psychotic episodes. Some
individuals have been subsequently helped by healers or teachers while others,
despite a lifetime of searching, remain tormented. The most famous case is an
individual named Gopi Krishna who awakened his kundalini by doing unguided
meditation on his crown chakra. His life after awakening was both blessed by
ecstatic bliss and tormented by physical and mental discomfort. Eventually his
experience stabilized. He wrote down his experiences in a recently re-released
autobiography entitled ``Living with Kundalini.'' Gopi Krishna's autobiography
appears to be an honest representation of his experiences but it is only one
extreme data point in the panorama of experience on kundalini yoga. So for some
there appears to be an inherent danger in awakening the kundalini but for the
majority of people kundalini the initial awakening may be disruptive but the
rewards soon outweigh the cost.
Some forceful methods of awakening kundalini may pose additional dangers.
Without proper guidance practices involving extensive concentration or breath
retention can cause mental imbalance or physical discomfort. On the other hand,
techniques which work more on the flow of breath and gently moving attention
seem to rarely cause problems. These techniques work more to purify the system
preparing it for a kundalini awakening rather than focusing on awakening the
kundalini directly.
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But even if kundalini is dangerous, isn't it a faster way to
enlightenment?
First of all it may be useful to observe that there is no technique currently
known on earth that appears to be rapidly catapulting large number of
individuals toward enlightenment. Because kundalini yogas deal so directly with
a powerful enlightening force it seems natural that they would be ``faster'',
but there appears to be a lot of tortoise and hare phenomena at work with newbie
kundalini yogins. Many people begin kundalini yogas, have strong initial
experiences and then become frightened. Many who preserve through this initial
phase become distracted by the energy and focus on temporal and phenomenal
applications of the energy.
There have been many scandals among kundalini yoga teachers - particularly
sexual scandals. Is there a correlation between sexual scandals and kundalini
yoga practice?
There have been scandals regarding the teachers of many paths, both spiritual
and non-spiritual ; however, it is probably fair to say that kundalini yogins
have had more than their share. Since the first publication of these
frequently-asked-questions in 1994 more than one well-known kundalini yoga
teacher has been implicated in having clandestine affairs with students and has
been asked to step down from his position as spiritual leader as a result.
An advanced kundalini yogin is typically a powerful charismatic individual
who has the ability to directly influence the minds of others. Westerners often
mistake this power as a sign of enlightenment and allow such teachers liberties
as a result.
In addition it is quite common for kundalini yoga to temporarily accentuate
the sex drive. This period requires extra discipline. Finally, kundalini yoga is
closely associated with tantrism and sex is often used in conjunction with
tantric practice. Where sex is used there is of course the opportunity for
misuse or abuse.
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If my kundalini is awakened will I need to change my lifestyle?
It's hard to have your cake and eat it too. If you awaken kundalini in order
to change and enrich your life it's reasonable to expect you may need to change
your lifestyle as a result. The recommendations of both classical literature and
experience is that sleep and diet will need to be moderated otherwise severe
discomfort may arise. Furthermore without moderating sexual activity and
physical work it will be hard to experience much success with kundalini. The
extent that these elements of your life need to change depends on the nature of
the individual. While genuine mental imbalances arising from kundalini are rare
nearly every kundalini yogin will find periods when one needs to be especially
sensitive to needs for sleep, quiet and diet.
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Where can I learn more?
Here are some references for further reading. They may not be the easiest
books to find but they are currently in print and are very good in their
categories. Note that by definition no reputable book on kundalini will tell you
how to awaken your kundalini. Either by effort or by shaktipat initiation,
practicing kundalini yoga requires the instruction of an experienced teacher.
Some introductory practices for cleansing the channels can be learned from
books.
Good introductory survey:
White, John (Editor) (1990). Kundalini - Evolution and Enlightenment. New
York: Paragon House.
Classical Works:
Svatmarama (1985). The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Swami Muktibodhananda
Saraswati, Trans.). (First ed.). Munger, Bihar: Bihar School of Yoga.
Silburn, L. (1988). Kundalini - Energy of the Depths (Jacques Gontier,
Trans.). Albany, NY: State University of New York.
Contemporary Kundalini Yogins:
Chetanananda, S. (1991). Dynamic Stillness. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Rudra
Press.
Muktananda, Swami (1989b). From the Finite to the Infinite (First ed.).
Volumes I &II, South Fallsburg, NY: Siddha Yoga Dham of America Foundation.
Tirtha, Swami Vishnu (1980b). Devatma Shakti (Fifth ed.). Rishikesh: Yoga
Shri Peeth Trust.
On-line materials:
There are a host of related materials now published on the Web. Since they move
around the simplest thing is to simply perform an altavista search (Altavista
Search Engine) on the word``kundalini.''
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Kundalini Awakening: Some characteristic Symptoms of Awakened
Kundalini
By Swami Vishnu Tirth ji Maharaj
An excerpt
from Devatma
Shakti (Kundalini):
Divine Power by
Swami
Vishnu
Tirtha. This book can be ordered from
Spiritual Book Service.
Some characteristic Symptoms of Awakened
Kundalini
Some characteristic symptoms of the awakened
kundalini are here given below from
Mahayoga Vij‹na, a
treatise on the
subject in Hindi by
Shri
Yog‹nandji Mah‹r‹ja, the authorÕs revered
guru. They are illustrative and by no means
exhaustive:-
-
When throbbing of mooladhar begins, the whole
body shakes, involuntary kumbhak (filling in of the
lungs with
air) starts beyond
control,
breath is forcibly exhaled out, without
volition
deep inhaling and exhaling of
breath starts and the
body gets uncontrollable, know then that
Kundalini has awakened. You then should give up your assertion and
sit witnessing what happens.
-
When Your
body begins trembling,
hair stands on
roots, you laugh or begin to weep without your wishing, your
tongue begins to utter deformed sounds, you are filled with
fear or see frightening
visions, semen passes out, think that the
Kundalini Shakti has become active.
-
When your posture becomes fixed, uddiyan, jalendhar, and
moolbandhas come involuntarily, your
tongue reverts
back or rises up towards the soft palate and the whole
body becomes so active that you are unable to
sit still, your hands and
legs stretch out forcibly, you ought to know that the
Divine
power of the
goddess Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When your posture becomes fixed and sight is attracted toward the middle
point of
eyebrows, the eyeballs begin to revolve, you get automatic
kewal-kumbhak, cessation of
breath comes with no
effort for inhaling or exhaling and
the mind becomes vacant,
void of all outward
knowledge, understand that Mah‹m‹y‹ the first born
Shakti, the
goddess Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When you feel currents of Pr‹na rising up your
cerebrum within you, automatic repetition of
Aum starts and the
mind experiences
waves after
waves of blissful beatitude, think the
Universal
Mother Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When
different kinds of N‹d become audible, in your spinal column you
experience vibrations,
feeling of bodily
existence for the time
being is lost, in other words you feel as if there is no
body, everything looks vacant, your eyelids become closed and open not in
spite of your efforts, electric-like currents seem flowing up and down the
nerves and you have convulsions, know that Mah‹m‹y‹
Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When with the closing of eyelids your
body falls to the ground, or begins to rotate
like a grinding
stone and
breath comes not out, the
body squatted on floor crosslegged begins to jump from place to place like
a
frog, or moves from place to place, or lies down like one
dead, hands may not be lifted even if so desired, you feel contraction of
nerves, you feel as if your life is passing away, the
body undergoes convulsions like a
dying
fish, know that Yogamaya
Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When your
mind gets influenced spiritually as if some
spirit has taken
possession of your
body and under that influence different
postures of
yoga are involuntarily performed, without the least
pain or
fatigue and you feel increasingly buoyant, and simultaneously strange sort
of
breathing exercises start, think that the
Divine power of
Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When no sooner you have
sat with
eyes closed than in an instant the
body begins to show
activity of throwing out
limbs forcibly, deformed sounds are loudly uttered,
your
speech begins to utter sounds like those of animals,
birds and
frogs or of a
lion or like those of jackals,
dogs, tigers,
fear inspiring and not pleasing to hear, understand that the Great
Goddess Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When you feel vibrations of
prana at different stations inside your
body and feel its flow wherever you fix your attention and nerves begin to
show easy jerks like jerks of
electricity as if passing through them, know that the
Goddess Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When all day and
night you feel within your
body some
activity of
prana and whenever you concentrate your
mind, your
body at once begins to shake or begins tossing
and your
mind remains filled
with joy and
bliss at all times, even when at
call of
nature, even during
sleep you feel currents of pr‹na rising up in your sahasr‹r
and even in
dreams you experience Her
presence, know that the
joy-inspiring
Kundalini has come into
action.
-
As soon as you
sit for
prayers your
body begins to shake and in
ecstasy of
joy you begin to
sing hymns in tones of
music charming to hear and whose composition
and
poetry come out involuntarily, your hands
giving a rhythmical clapping, and you pronounce languages you know not,
but the
sound ecstasizes your
mind, know that the
Goddess of speech,
Saraswati, has awakened into
action.
-
When you feel intoxicated without taking any
drug, while
walking your steps
fall majestically or like one
drunk and you are unable to do any other
work and you like to remain
mute and dislike speaking to or
hearing others and you feel like one
drunk of
Divinity, know that your
Atma
Shakti
Kundalini, the power of
Self, has come into
action.
-
While
walking, when your
mind is filled with an impulse to walk faster and your
feet begin to move a
running, you feel your
body
light like
air and do not feel fatigued even having walked long enough, you feel
buoyant and joyful, you are not unhappy even in
dreams, you can keep the balance of your
mind undisturbed in all ups and downs, and you acquire an
inexhaustible
energy for
work, know that the
Brahma
Shakti
Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When you are in
meditation you see
visions
divine and
fall in a dreamy
state of mind, have
divine smells, see
divine figures, feel
divine tastes, hear divine sounds and experience
divine
touch and
receive
instructions from
Gods, then understand that the
divine power of
Kundalini has come into
action.
-
When you are in
meditation,
future unfolds its secrets to you or the
hidden meaning of
scriptures,
Vedas and Ved‹nta shine in your understanding, all
doubts vanish, you acquire an
insight into the abstruse meaning of the works on
spiritual
science even at their first glance, you acquire strange powers of oratory
and feel not the
need of approaching even
Brahma, the
creator himself, for
knowledge and you acquire
self-confidence,
understand then that
Kundalini the bestower of
siddhis (occult
powers) has come into
action.
-
When seated for
meditation your sight becomes fixed on the mid of
eyebrows, your
tongue rises up for
Khechari,
breath stops altogether and
mind plunges into the
ocean of
bliss,
shambhavi mudr‹ operates and you experience the
pleasure of
savikalpa sam‹dhi, know that subtle
power of
Kundalini is in
action.
-
When at
morning and
evening hours punctually and automatically your
body becomes charged with such of the
divine influences, and
body,
mind and pr‹na become overpowered by Her, know that the Goddess
Kundalini is rightly functioning.
Courtesy to
http://www.cit-sakti.com