kundalini awakening

Kundalini awakening is neither dangerous nor uncommon. The underlying philosophy that informs our
thinking on the kundalini is that we hide our power in the one place we would never think of looking for it,
in our body. Then when the time is right, and not before, this power awakens and starts us on the journey
to the meta-physical, to a place beyond the body. It is synonymous with the first three chakras, see red
and orange and yellow which are known as the kundalini chakras, and, as you know, pertain to the
physical, life in the body. Kundalini is inseparable from sexual energy.

So what exactly is a Kundalini awakening? Well, that’s what we’re going to discuss here.

The kundalini is our core energy. It is said to lie at the base of our being, the very bottom of the spine, or
the first chakra, and remains dormant until you experience a kundalini awakening. Its ‘awakening’ is
another way of describing what we might call higher consciousness, or Christ consciousness. The most
common way to experience the kundalini is a tingling feeling at the bottom of the spine, which gradually
rises up until it enters the head (but this is not the only way). An apt and oft-used metaphor for the
kundalini is the serpent, coiled at the bottom of the spine, remaining asleep until the soul wishes to
advance.

For many people a kundalini awakening happens spontaneously. However, it usually triggers huge
change and growth in their life. Maybe this has happened to you. If so, and you’re confused, don’t panic.
Hopefully, this article will make sense of what the kundalini is about. Also don’t worry if you’ve never
experienced such an awakening, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. Spiritual awakening will
always differ from person to person.
Opening the kundalini

The term ‘opening’ the kundalini is where someone sets about deliberately or consciously to awaken this
dormant power, or sleeping serpent. It refers to work you would do to try and bring this about. In ancient
yogic practices it was often associated with an ascetic life and severe discipline, but not so any more. Let
me explain, at one time spiritual and esoteric practices were shrouded in the greatest secrecy. Great
yogis clothed themselves in the garb of mystic and proclaimed certain practices so difficult that they took
years of ascetic living to attain. Maybe they genuinely believed this, or maybe they wanted to make
themselves look important. We now know this is not true. Ordinary people can have a kundalini
awakening. You don’t have to meditate on the top of a mountain for 40 years in order to attain
enlightenment. I knew a guy once who became enlightened (and had a kundalini awakening) in a pub
(seriously! I mean that!)

There is nothing arcane or mysterious about accessing the kundalini. It is done by breathing. Very simple.

There are various breathing techniques to assist the process which we will discuss here.

Circular abdominal breathing

This is probably the most common way. Sit with the spine straight and breathe deeply into the belly. And
as you do picture the breath going all the way down to the pit of your stomach, then turning around and
coming back up along your spine. Exhale slowly as you picture it coming up the spine. Don’t get into
contortions while doing this. It takes quite a bit of practice, so be patient. The theory is that by pulling the
breath up the spine you help raise the kundalini. Some people breathe into each of the chakras in turn, if
you do breathe into all seven (one cycle). You can do as many rounds as you like, just complete a ‘cycle’.
Deep abdominal breathing is beneficial on many different levels even if you’re not doing kundalini work.

Conscious connected breath

I have discussed this form of breathwork here and it’s specifically associated with rebirthing. Now I know
I’m biased, because this is my favorite type of breathing, a master of kundalini would probably not
recommend this technique first, but I’ve had kundalini experiences with this form of breathing too. Just
remember this is upper chest breathing, you do not breathe into the stomach.

Alternate nostril breathing

This technique is very simple. Place the right thumb on the right nostril, closing it, and breathe in through
the left nostril. Then move your index finger over onto the left nostril, closing it, release the right thumb,
and exhale through the right nostril. Do this for five times, slow even breaths, then switch over, and with
your left thumb on the left nostril, breathe through your right exhaling through the left.

Ananda Mandala
Another form of nasal breathing similar to the above is called Ananda Mandala. Here you breathe deeply
and rapidly through the nose. The pace quickens, then stops and starts again. I love this technique as it is
like a mini rebirth.

Breath of fire (or Dragon’s breath)

This is another variation of the previous two. Again, it’s rapid breathing through the nose. But whereas
Ananda Mandala inhales deeply, the breath of fire is shallow. It’s almost a kind of very rapid sniffing. The
movement comes from the middle chest, and must never go down into the abdominal. As you continue
gradually quicken the breath.

Any meditation can be a means of opening the kundalini. I’ve experienced kundalini rising many times
while in the meditative state. That is why it is important to keep the spine erect during meditation. It
doesn’t mean you have to be in the lotus position or be uncomfortable. I sit on a chair. I also ensure that
I’m warm and well wrapped up or with heating on, because during meditation the body temperature
drops. Many yogis talk of experiencing an elongation of the spine after a kundalini awakening. It’s
interesting that some who do Pilates speak of a similar phenomenon, perhaps the breathing required to
build the “girdle of steel” spoken of in Pilates awakens kundalini too.

sex and the kundalini

In some strands of tantric yoga sex is used to open the kundalini and achieve states of divine bliss.
Indeed, a kundalini awakening is often a form of sexual awakening. The symptoms of a kundalini
awakening (see below) are not dissimilar to the first time we experience sexual awakening (hot flushes,
etc.) The sexual energy is also located in the same area (preservation in the first chakra, emotional in the
second). Using sex to open the kundalini involves building up sexual energy, then delaying orgasm until
you’ve reached a critical moment. The result is to experience a transcendence that destroys the ego.

This happens in normal sexual intimacy to a lesser degree. There is a time during sexual intercourse
when we appear to experience a loss of self, at some point my partner and I become one, it’s like there is
no separation between us, we are no longer two bodies, but one. However, this will usually last only the
briefest spell. Immediately after orgasm there is the split second of awareness, what the French call, la
petite mort, and then you begin to notice the self or ego start to build up again.

(It’s a bit like waking up in the morning, as you wake, the ‘reality of you and your world’ slowly builds up
until you’re ‘there’ again. If you can remember, watch yourself as you awaken each morning, and watch
as ‘you’ become ‘you’. It’s fascinating.)

The difference in tantric kundalini is that they do it consciously. Here sexual union is pressed into the
service of awakening to higher states of consciousness. Awakening replaces pleasure as the primary
reason for intercourse. The movement is from one to the plural back to one. It goes from me to us, (or
extended me), which is normal sexual intimacy, then from this us, back into a one, only now it’s no longer
the one of the single individual, but rather a oneness or union with God.

Some choose celibacy as a tool to open the kundalini. By refraining from any form of sexual activity,
including masturbation, they allow the sexual energy to build up in the body until it reaches a critical
mass, then channel this energy into raising the kundalini up the spine via the breath. This is fine so long
as you’re clear about why you are doing it, and not using ‘spiritual work’ as a means of suppressing
sexual feelings. If you do choose this method it’s better to have temporary periods of celibacy in order to
work on the kundalini. Too much bogus spirituality demands abstinence.

final notes on kundalini awakening

If you’ve started doing energy or spiritual work, you will, I’m sure, have noticed lots of little changes going
on in your body, often very subtle things. Perhaps you’ve changed your taste for certain foods, or found
that you don’t want to do the things you used to anymore, like when I spontaneously stopped smoking.

As I said, some people have a spontaneous awakening of the kundalini, and apparently these are not
uncommon. I’m sure if the person doesn’t know what’s going on it can be quite frightening. Physical
symptoms vary from spasms, muscles twitching, tingly feelings, racing heart beat, increased energy
followed by depletion of same, a feeling of pressure on the head, numbness, confusion, temporarily
forgetting one’s name, inability to concentrate, heightened states of awareness, feelings of bliss, psychic
abilities, hot and cold flushes, lower back pain, and intensified or diminished sexual desire. But this is very
general. Nothing is prescriptive. In fact you may not experience any of them (and if you’re concerned
have your GP check you out!)

Another characteristic is feeling intense love for others and a deep sense of connectedness to all things. I
had that experience a few times. I remember sitting in the armchair one night almost till dawn with this
intense feeling of connectedness to everything. The only way I can describe it is that it felt like there was
no place where I ended and where the furniture began. It was one of the most beautiful states I've ever
been in.

Kundalini awakening is basically to do with the lower chakras and a new spiritual awakening. It is nothing
mysterious or new aged. If you have had a kundalini awakening I would love to hear about it, hit me on
contact us And do not be alarmed. Quite simply it is another form of ascension.