The first signs of the awakening of the kundalini. Kundalini Energy: The Secret Power Within You

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 105-111

What is Kundalini?

Kundalini literally means - "Coiled into a spiral, like a sleeping snake, the power located in a secluded place."

The Kundalini energy is in a latent, dormant or latent state. It can be the power of consciousness, the power of love, sexual energy or the power of knowledge.

The Kundalini energy underlies the birth and development of man. The same energy underlies the creation of the Universe.

Kundalini is not the property of Yoga or Tantra. The power of Kundalini is present in every person. The ancient yogis and tantrikas knew the nature of this force, its power and unusual possibilities. They developed special techniques and techniques leading to its awakening.

Kundalini is the feminine aspect divine power. This is not a physical energy that needs to be forcibly awakened, but the energy of the Holy Spirit that needs to be worshipped. Many teachers believe that trying to manipulate the Kundalini by force is dangerous. This speaks of a disdainful attitude towards the deity. When yogis talk about the "awakening" of Kundalini, they mean the preparation of their consciousness, physical and energy body for this unique experience for each person. For a trained seeker, Kundalini gives a powerful impetus to the development and transformation of personality. If the Kundalini energy wakes up in an unprepared person, then this can lead to dramatic consequences.

Kundalini and Spiritual Illumination

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, the founder of the Bihar School of Yoga, claims that any phenomena of spiritual life, no matter how you call them - samadhi, nirvana or illumination are associated with the manifestation of Kundalini. He writes that the experience of Kundalini is the pinnacle of human evolution.

Many teachers believe that the energy of the Holy Spirit in Christianity and the energy of Kundalini are one and the same.

The Kundalini experience is truly a transcendental experience beyond time and space. Those who have not experienced Kundalini cannot fully understand the scope and power of this experience. The power of Kundalini transforms a person's life, it also affects the culture as a whole.

Although the term "Kundalini" is purely yogic, a similar phenomenon under different names is mentioned in all religions of the world and is an indicator of divinity. Serious researchers believe that the awakened Kundalini lies at the heart of the mystical experience of Christ and many other spiritual teachers of mankind.

Kundalini can awaken not only occult abilities, but also suddenly reveal talents in a person in the field of music, poetry or politics.

The awakened Kundalini ennobles the whole nature of man. The result of the awakening of the Kundalini can be a transformation of the personality. One can become a poet, another can see God. The quality of our perception changes, the quality of our consciousness changes, priorities and attachments can change. The action of karma is neutralized - results wrong actions in past lives, there is a process of purification in the body, the process of rejuvenation begins.

The awakened Kundalini often makes it possible for a person to manifest unusual or paranormal abilities. This is an intuitive comprehension of the truth and clairvoyance, gravity control, and the ability to manifest other actions, the mechanism of which cannot be explained using the ideas of the modern scientific paradigm. In addition, wisdom, inner peace, confidence, strength appear. Fear disappears. A person begins to show his best qualities. There is more tolerance of compassion, love. Spiritual consciousness awakens.

Kundalini and Three Tasks on the Path of Spiritual Development

“Until the Force goes along the middle path and is not established on it, until absolute power is gained over that Force that controls the seed, until the natural state of mind becomes continuous merging with the One, in deep contemplation, until then any talk of knowledge and wisdom is nothing more than empty nonsense". (4-113)

This means that for a person there are three main tasks that he must solve on the path of his spiritual development. First- awakening and rising of Kundalini. Second- gaining absolute control over sexual energy. And third- changing one's nature, the nature of perception and thinking, controlling the activity of consciousness through the practice of concentration and meditation until a state of harmony comes, awareness of oneself as a divine essence, awareness of the unity of everything.

A person works on all three tasks at the same time all his life. And if “the awakening and rise of the Kundalini” is in the first place, this does not mean that you need to start with this. As a rule, the Kundalini wakes up in seekers as a result of hard work on the second and third points.

Kundalini is an object of desire

Kundalini is the object of desire for many yogis. But there is a paradox. One who really wants to awaken the Kundalini does not often succeed. Kundalini awakens in those who are preparing for its arrival without hope of success, who follow the path of spiritual development, absorbed in the process itself without striving for a result.

Perhaps, fearing that the awakened power will be used for other purposes, wise people have deeply hidden information about it in symbols. And the symbols were placed in energy centers, which, in general, are not in the physical body. They are in the subtle, energetic.

Kundalini, chakras and the human energy body

In the teachings of Tantra Yoga, it is believed that in addition to the well-known physical body, there are several more interpenetrating bodies. Energetic, emotional, mental, ethereal, astral, and causal. The closest to the physical body in terms of its manifestations and the possibility of its detection is the energy body. And this is not a fairy tale. Those who have ever seen a person's aura, or at least photographs of living objects using the Kirlian method, have seen manifestations of the energy body in the form of a luminous field. The energy body permeates all the structures of the physical body and goes beyond it. The modern technique of photography is such that diagnostics have now begun to be carried out by the nature of the aura or energy body. That is, the nature of the energy body is used to judge the physical and mental health of a person.

The reality is that the energy body not only exists, but also affects the vital activity of the physical. And if we do not fully know the nature of the energy body, then we cannot ignore its role in our life. The manifestations of the energy body affect physiological functions. Yoga teaches how to manage and change the state of the energy body. It's not particularly difficult. Everyone can learn.

Modern science and technology is now just approaching the energy body. In Yoga, work with it, as with a real given, goes on for millennia.

The Tantra Yoga tradition speaks of the presence of seven energy centers or chakras in our energy body. This is where the energy comes into play. actively. By activating the work of the chakras, we can influence not only the energy, but also physical body.

The word "chakra" in Sanskrit means "circle", which indicates that the energy in these centers moves in a circle or forms a circle or ball. Energy centers are located approximately in the region of the spine of our physical body (Fig. 4. 1). Each chakra has its own vibrational, sound and color characteristics and symbolism.

In the tantric tradition, chakras are not only correlated with the work of the energy and physical body, but also associated with the energy of the elements of the universe. So Muladhara, Svadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata and Vishuddha chakras correspond respectively to Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.

Energy in the physical body flows through special channels. In Sanskrit, these channels are called "nadis".

Yoga claims that there are 72,000 nadis in the human body. For you and me, in connection with the manifestation of Kundalini, you need to have an idea of ​​the three main ones: Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. The main energy channel, Sushumna-nadi, runs along the spinal column from Muladhara to Sahasrara, as if in its core. Two auxiliary channels - Ida and Pingala also come out of Muladhara and meet in Sahasrara, but they pass near the spine. Ida and Pingala are two intricately meandering lines penetrating all energy centers. Planar representation of Ida and Pingala gives two sinusoids. In fact, Ida and Pingala do not pass in a plane, but in space.

Where does Kundalini sleep?

Those who practice Yoga are familiar with the characteristics of the chakras and their purpose. We will not dwell on this in detail. Let us dwell only on the characteristics of the chakras, where Kundalini is supposedly located. These are Muladhara and Svadhisthana.

Most Yogis theoretically know that Kundalini resides in Muladhara. Muladhara is the root lower chakra. The Sanskrit word "mula" means "root". "Adhara" means "support" or "base".

Muladhara

Muladhara is responsible for how firmly a person stands on the ground. This is where our main life force resides. Without the energy of Muladhara, human life and procreation are impossible. The chakra is graphically represented as a square in a circle with four red lotus petals around the periphery. The yellow square symbolizes the earth element. In the center of the square is a triangle pointing down. It is a symbol of the feminine aspect of the deity. In the triangle there is an image of the dormant Kundalini Shakti in the form of a snake coiled around the Lingam in three and a half turns.

The symbolism of three and a half turns means the following: three turns are a symbol of the three gunas or qualities of the soul - tamas, rajas and satva. At the same time, it is a symbol of the past, present and future and a symbol of the three states of consciousness - wakefulness, sleep and dreamless sleep. Half a turn means a state of transcendence, where there is no wakefulness, no sleep, no dreamless sleep, no gunas.

The Lingam is a symbol of the creative sexual energy that underlies the development of the individual and the creation of the Universe. The snake represents wisdom. By the way, the image of a snake is found in many ancient mystical cultures. Hidden, for the time being dormant powerful mystical power, also known as different names. Kundalini can be depicted in various forms, but the very essence of Kundalini, that is, Shakti or Force, is formless and limitless. When this force fills a form, it takes that form. Naturally, when Kundalini rises along the middle canal of the spine, along the Sushumna, then it takes the form of an elongated ellipsoid, lightning bolt or snake.

In men, Muladhara is located at the lower point of the perineum, in the region of the base of the Lingam or the prostate gland. In women - at the level of the ovaries, on the back wall of the cervix. The energy of the chakra is red in color and is associated with the reproductive function of the physical body.

“The awakening of Muladhara means not so much an increase in sexual desire, but rather the awakening of the energy of attraction to spiritual life. The energy of the awakened Muladhara opens other chakras and ignites the fire of superconsciousness. Those who meditate on Muladhara develop vitality, get rid of diseases, become hardy and decisive.

In the sleeping Muladhara are not only the sacred Kundalini Shakti, but also the entire burden of our karma, passion and vice. The awakening of Muladhara releases the Kundalini and burns away the traces of aggravating karma. Without the energy of Muladhara, any of our activities would be impossible. Our whole life, our actions, words, thoughts are the transformed sexual energy, the energy of Muladhara. When Kundalini awakens and manifests itself in the heart center, it turns into love. If this energy cannot be transformed, if it is suppressed and “freezes” in Maladhara, then a guilt and inferiority complex arises, neuroses develop, and sometimes schizophrenia develops, aggressiveness and cruelty develop, people’s lives are crippled,” writes Swami Satyananda Saraswati in the book “Kundalini -Tantra".

Svadhisthana

Svadhisthana chakra is located directly above Muladhara. Svadhisthana in Sanskrit means "own dwelling, place of residence." On this basis, some believe that perhaps once the seat of Kundalini was Svadhisthana. They even talk about why Kundalini descended from Svadhisthana to Muladhara for permanent residence. This happened, allegedly, due to the degradation of people in our iron, soulless age of Kali Yuga. In fact, Muladhara and Svadhisthana are so close to each other that at the energy level they certainly mutually penetrate each other. Moreover, both chakras are related to the energy of reproduction of the genus.

When Kundalini wakes up, for some it happens in the lower abdomen, for others in the perineum. That is, it happens where the reproductive organs are located. No one has ever located the site of the Kundalini explosion to the nearest centimeter. And in the traditional description of the location of the energy centers, Svadhisthana is only two centimeters above Muladhara. It is impossible to give the exact dimensions of these centers. We can only talk about the displacement of their epicenters relative to each other.

Svadhisthana chakra is responsible for the reproductive and excretory functions. Excretory functions include not so much what comes out of Bladder and intestines. This refers to the orgasmic discharge, both men and women. Therefore, it has a second name - "Sexual Center". Svadhisthana is associated with the energy of the Water element.

The main pictorial symbol of the chakra is an orange-red circle with six lotus petals. In the center of the circle is a graphic image of her mantra-VAM. Goddess figurines are sometimes placed inside the mantra symbol and sometimes above it. Svadhisthana is the energetic center of the unconscious life of a person. Here is the whole sphere of the instinctive and the depths of the unconscious.

It is sometimes said that the passage of Kundalini through Svadhisthana is like the passage of a person through purgatory. Some even believe that Satan and the Hindu Mara are those forces or energies that sit in Swadhisthana. But not everyone who has had the experience of Kundalini describes the difficulties of its passage through Svadhisthana. Many people don't have this problem at all. This problem is for those who know it, who constantly think about it. Who cares. Where as often the barrier to the ascent of Kundalini sits in the head, in our consciousness, and not in Svadhisthana. Very often, Kundalini wakes up and unfolds its coils so quickly that a person does not even have time to track how the energy passes through Svadhisthana and all other chakras.

The awakened Kundalini can oust all the negative unconsciousness from Svadhisthana. It can be dominance, fear, anger, jealousy, unbridled sexual desire, lethargy and drowsiness.

sexual energy

Sexual energy is not only in Svadhisthana. It is present everywhere, in the whole body. At the highest level it manifests itself as Samadhi, on the emotional level as love, on the level of the physical body as sexual pleasure.

At the same time, sexual energy, not transformed into higher forms, can serve as a source of ignorance, aggression and violence.

In some ancient sources, Kundalini is not tied to any particular place in the body at all. If we analyze the self-reports of recognized authorities - masters of Yoga and the rise of Kundalini in people who are completely unfamiliar with the yogic concept, then Kundalini can be placed with equal success both in the base of the spine and in the big toe of the right foot or brain. Figure 5.6, taken from Ajit Mukherjee and Madhu Khun's The Way of Tantra (ed. Geographic Society, 1977, New York), a diagram of the energy flow and energy centers of the human etheric body is given. It clearly depicts energy channels that extend into the big toes. The Ida and Pingala channels leave Muladhara here as well. But they go both up to the Sahasrara and down to the big toes. If you take the modern diagram of acupuncture points on the soles of the feet, you will see that the tips of the thumbs represent the brain, more specifically the center of extrasensory perception and unusual psychic abilities. That is, this is the center of "siddhis", which are manifested as a result of the rise of Kundalini.

Big Toe Guru

In India, they say that the holy river Ganges begins with the big toe of God. Therefore, the feet of the guru, in particular the big toes, are the object of worship and reverence. In our seminars, there were cases when students who were completely unfamiliar with this concept, in an altered state of consciousness as a result of Kundalini awakening, showed a reverent attitude towards the teacher's big toes.

Different schools and directions of Yoga use different tricks and techniques in order to awaken the dormant and so mysterious and powerful force.

Kundalini Awakening Methods

Description of the awakening and rise of the Kundalini by the adepts of Yoga and ordinary people is significantly different. The most typical, so-called "classical path" of Kundalini is from the base of the spine up to the head along the central energy channel, Sushumna. Awakening begins, as a rule, with warming up the base of the spine. Then a piercing heat or warmth rises up the spine and spreads throughout the body. When Kundalini reaches the level of the heart, it begins to pulsate rapidly. If Kundalini reaches the head, there may be a sensation of light flowing from the third eye or from the top of the head.

Sometimes the awakening of the Kundalini begins with the twitching of the toes. Then the trembling rises up the legs and covers the whole body. Sometimes Kundalini creeps up the spine slowly and carefully. Sometimes it can instantly move from one energy center to another. There are cases when the Kundalini instantly reaches the center of the head.

For some people, the Kundalini urge is accompanied by erotic pleasure, which sometimes confuses some yoga masters. Sometimes Kundalini rises with piercing pain in the spine or energy centers. The rise of Kundalini may be accompanied by involuntary, spontaneous body movements, fixation of unusual postures or yoga postures. Breathing often changes. A person can see light and hear sound. Visualization may appear - vision of images or fragments of a real physical body, visions at a great distance. Sensitivity to odors may be exacerbated.

In the Bihar School of Yoga, there are 10 main options or methods for awakening the Kundalini:

1. Awakening by birth. If parents are distinguished by high spiritual development, then this contributes to the awakening of the Kundalini in their child.

2. Regular practice of mantras. It takes a lot of time and patience. It is necessary to have a guru who will give you the necessary mantra. Such a guru himself should be with the awakened Kundalini, know Tantra and Yoga.

3. Tapasya. This is the cleansing of the mind and emotions from inferiority complexes. This is a psycho-emotional process that eradicates bad habits and strengthens the will. This is the path for strong-spirited ascetics-ascetics.

4. Awakening with power plants. In the ancient Vedic texts of India, there is a mention of soma, a creeping plant that was collected on special days of the moon. Juice was prepared from it in a special way. The reception of this juice caused states of clairvoyance, divination and revelation. The method is kept in deep secrecy. The use of various drugs has nothing to do with it.

5. Raja Yoga. The method of perfecting the mind by concentrating it, meditating and merging with the Absolute. Practicing Raja Yoga without first practicing Hatha Yoga sometimes leads to depression. Requires a lot of patience, time, discipline and perseverance. For most modern people, it is very difficult.

6. Pranayama. If a student is sufficiently prepared, practices intensive pranayama in a quiet and calm environment, eating only to maintain life, one day Kundalini will explode in him like lightning and rapidly fly up to the Sahasrara ... However, for those who are not physically, emotionally, mentally prepared in advance and intellectually, the burst of energy can be tragic. Although Pranayama is an elite method. It is very complex and not everyone can handle it.

7. Kriya Yoga. This is the simplest, softest and most affordable method for a modern person, because it does not create tension conflict situation. However, the Kundalini, awakened by such a method, can again close her eyes and fall into a slumber. This is reflected in the behavior of those who practice Kriya Yoga. They sometimes pay too much attention to everyday things, then they eat a lot, then they completely refuse food, then they sleep all day, otherwise they have insomnia.

8. Tantric initiation. Those who strive to curb their senses, control passions and understand the essence of the two principles of Shiva and Shakti are ready for such an initiation. The Guru helps awaken the Kundalini. The student may not even notice how he spontaneously forced the path of ascent to superconsciousness.

9. Shaktipat This method is carried out personally by the Teacher. An initiated student can instantly enter an altered state of consciousness. He can perform asanas without prior training, all mantras and all scriptures are open to him. The right to shaktipat (initiation, or transmission of Power) does not depend on social status or behavior. Someone can live 50 years in renunciation, severe practice and austerity and not get shaktipat. And someone can live ordinary life and receives the blessing of the Teacher at the first meeting. It depends on that point in the development of consciousness, which gives the Teacher the right to endow you with the Force. This point is seen by the Teacher. It is not an indicator of intellectual, emotional or religious development and has nothing to do with lifestyle, nutrition or thinking.

10. Self-denial. This is a paradoxical method of awakening the Kundalini without the desire for awakening at all. “I'm not going anywhere. Nature does everything by itself. I accept whatever comes to me." And if you really believe in this, then 20,000 years will flash by in an instant and the Kundalini will really wake up.

Swami Satyaanda Saraswati belongs to the Tantric tradition and naturally favors the Tantric method of awakening the Kundalini. He writes that the non-tantric tradition suffers from a significant drawback: if the mind wants something, then it is also an obstacle to it.

The tantric tradition itself provides for the total dissolution of the ego, therefore it is both more successful and safer.

I would not single out self-denial as an independent way of awakening the Kundalini. It is rather a necessary condition for her awakening. If a person is in a state of self-denial, but does not practice asanas, pranayama, meditation or other techniques, then it will really be necessary to wait 20,000 years until the Kundalini wakes up. Of course, the help of a master who has his own experience of Kundalini is important. The master can initiate the awakening of the Kundalini sometimes only by his presence.

Experience Kundalini Swami Saraswati

Swami Satyananda Saraswati describes his Kundalini experience as follows:

“Once I was sitting on the banks of the Ganges, thinking about earthly things, when I suddenly felt that my mind was falling somewhere into an abyss, the earth seemed to evaporate, and the sky expanded and receded. At that moment, a certain force pierced the lower part of my torso, and I was blinded by a powerful beam of light, experiencing a sharp sense of pleasure that lasted for quite some time.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati writes that practitioners of Kundalini Yoga sometimes get headaches. But a headache, as a rule, occurs when the Kundalini awakens in the chaste. People who lead normal sex lives don't have it.

The experience of awakening and rising the Kundalini is always unique. It is as diverse and the same as people are different and the same.

Ramakrishna's experience of Kundalini

Here is how the rise of the Kundalini is described in the words of Ramakrishna:

“In the state of Samadhi, a person feels the Spiritual Flow, similar to the movement of an ant, fish, monkey, bird or snake.

Sometimes the flow of energy rises up the spinal column, just like an ant crawls. Sometimes in samadhi the soul bathes in joy, like a fish in an ocean of divine ecstasy. Sometimes, when I lie on my side, I feel the Spiritual Current pushing me like a monkey happily playing with me. I purposely remain calm. The stream, like a monkey, suddenly reaches the Sahasrara with one leap. That's why you see me bouncing. Sometimes the Spiritual Stream moves from one center to another, like a bird fluttering from branch to branch. The place where it stops is on fire... Sometimes the Spiritual Current rises like a snake. It zigzags and finally, when it reaches the head, I fall into Samadhi."

Gopi Krishna's Kundalini Experience

Gopi Krishna's experience looks somewhat different.

“I distinctly felt an incomparable bliss in every nerve of mine, running from the tips of my toes through my sacrum up my back. In the spine, it concentrated and intensified, rising up with a feeling of even greater pleasure. Then a feeling of incomparable delight and pleasure spilled over in my head, penetrating into every cell, every nerve. Finding no suitable comparison, I call it "nectar"...

The feeling of bliss disappeared when I fixed my attention on him. It went up and up until it was ignored. Then, with the roar of a waterfall, a stream of light from the spinal column filled the brain. My physical body began to sway. I was engulfed in a halo of light and felt one with the world and overflowing with happiness.”

Gopi Krishna is a world famous teacher from Kashmir, a pioneer of the scientific study of Kundalini. In his younger years he was not particularly devout, although he meditated regularly for many years. When he was 34 years old, he had his first experience of Kundalini awakening. This radically changed his life. He saw his body as a luminous, luminous being. Six years later he had another Kundalini rise which brought him into a state of Samadhi.

At the same time, Gopi Krishna notes that sometimes the rise of Kundalini in him was accompanied by a feeling of horror, weakness and indifference to people. Bitterness appeared in the mouth, the throat burned, and the whole body was as if pierced by countless pins. In this case, he felt that the Kundalini was not working properly. When the activity of Kundalini stabilized, it was time for spiritual development, extraordinary clarity of thought, creativity and tranquility. At this stage Kundalini brought Gopi Krishna to various mystical experiences and spiritual knowledge. He felt an extraordinary expansion of the body, he felt so high that he saw the world as if from a great height. At the same time, he could see the entire surrounding space in all directions.

One of the many books of Gopi Krishna "Kundalini. Evolutionary Energy in Man” was translated into Russian and published by the Starklight publishing house in 2004.

The experience of our students

Our experience shows that awakened Kundalini in one person can play the role of a detonator for awakening in another. This happens quite often in seminars. Sometimes it is transmitted through touch, and sometimes at a distance. More details about the necessary conditions and techniques for awakening the Kundalini in our school will be described in the book "Spontaneous Yoga - Kundalini Dance", which is now being prepared for publication. One of my students described a very unusual case of Kundalini awakening and spontaneous dance in this way.

“I want to tell you about an amazing and wonderful event. I am a psychologist, 7 months ago I touched the art and knowledge of Yoga.

…When I was reading your book “The Spontaneous Tantric Dance of Yoga with a Partner”, I had pressure in the coccyx area, which quickly began to build up. Then I saw a beam that was trying to pass through Svadhisthana. As soon as he succeeded, he turned into a hot heavy column, rising up the spine. I was completely embraced by a luminous stream, so dense and viscous that all movements of my body stopped. It seemed to me that even my breath had disappeared. Finally, the body relaxed and merged with this luminous river. Light and weightless, it rushed along with her. In the region of the head, the stream bifurcated. One part went up, somewhere to infinity. The other rushed back down along the stomach. This movement continued for six hours. My body was flying. It did various asanas. Some were familiar, but others I did for the first time. I didn't feel tired. There was no fear. Everything inside was quiet and calm. I don’t know why, but I really trusted the Force that led me and knew that nothing would happen to me.

Ignatova Natalia, Moscow.

Here are two interesting cases of Kundalini manifestation among our students.

“I read about Kundalini but never thought it could happen to me. When we all stood in a circle and worked with energy, I began to gently rock. The legs moved forward. I resisted, restrained myself, shy of people. And suddenly some force like a wave pushed me and carried me. A supernatural energy appeared in the body, a feeling of lightness and flight. This Power made me spin like a ballerina. I swam in the water like a fish and then flew up into the sky like a bird. I felt good and at ease. It was something divine. My soul was bathed in a sea of ​​joy. Around the head and in front of the eyes appeared bright shining beams of red, yellow, orange and purple. It was as if my eyes were opened to the Spirit World!”

Zalya Gorbunova, Bashkortostan, Agidel

During this wonderful experience, she rolled on the floor, arched back, twisted and twisted as if she didn't have a spine at all.

“Something exploded inside my pelvis like a bomb. A blow of wild and enormous force straightened my spine. The top of the head has split into many parts, preventing the movement of this frenzied cherry-raspberry flow. At the same time, the same powerful stream-pipe rushed into the hip area. It twisted in a spiral, tightening, pushing out and pulling out everything soft that was in the pelvic area and inside me.

Masharova Galina, Moscow

This happened to Galina at the very first lesson, on the first day of the seminar.

Most of the workshop participants, as usual, were new people. I didn't think about helping to awaken the Kundalini in the first class. The only thing that was done was the ritual of opening the flow of the Higher Power. Even during the warm-up, it seemed to me that one student became ill. I walked over to her and sat her on the bench. Her eyes were filled with surprise. And she told me that she thinks that she "wants to go to the toilet."

The continuation of the story was in 6 days. We were already finishing a three-hour session of our beloved Yoga with a partner. All students were lying in Savasana. Only this was no ordinary Savasana. Each pair lay so that the soles of the feet were in contact. Additionally, with their hands, students touched the hands or feet of a couple nearby. It turned out a kind of grid of bodies. After relaxation, the task was to direct the energy in a circle. From Muladhara, through the right leg, to the partner's Muladhara. Galina was paired with her cousin.

Here is what she wrote in the same letter about her experience:

« My soul hovered in a golden space, the body was motionless and experienced incredible bliss, flowing from Svadhisthana. This picture was replaced by a state of blissful release of energy from the perineum in the form of a ball that changes volume. With completely motionless legs, without the slightest change in posture, my pelvis physically opened up, the bones of the perineum painlessly moved apart. This, changing in shape, soft, hot, in a white halo, golden "essence" moved straight to the partner. With surprise and joy, I felt a deep peace of mind. My consciousness for a long time and with difficulty processed sensations into words, but since then the feeling of bliss has been preserved.

It is absolutely amazing that her partner "delivered"! She saw a baby in a cradle, floating towards her through the air from a friend. That's what Kundalini can do!

In the classic description of the rise of the Kundalini, famous masters note the inconveniences and problems associated with the awakening of the Kundalini. These include an increase in body temperature, heaviness in the head, piercing pain and sexual desire.

In Taoist Yoga, the manifestation of Kundalini is described in much the same way, only without heaviness in the head and sexual desire. And it is emphasized that a necessary condition for working with the vital energy Qi is the preliminary purification of consciousness and calming the mind.

Taoist Yoga masters who are experienced in raising the Kundalini feel heat rising up their backs to the top of their heads. The energy then descends down the face, through the throat into the belly. That is, Kundalini passes along the path of the Microcosmic orbit. During the rise of the Kundalini, Taoists note that the body begins to wriggle involuntarily. Sometimes spontaneous performance of asanas begins.

For Natalia Ignatova, who is not familiar with Taoist techniques, the return of Kundalini after the ascent was through the front channel of the Microcosmic Orbit.

Many of our students who have had Kundalini experience also experienced sexual experiences, but none of them considered this to be an inconvenience. They knew that this was a manifestation of the Higher Power and accepted what came with joy and delight.

“It happened after a Tantra seminar. I returned home, and the state of joy did not leave me. I wanted to sing and dance. When I woke up the next morning, I felt that something was about to happen today. It was a little scary and alarming, but at the same time I had a willingness to accept. In the middle of the day, I felt a slight vibration and swaying of the body. I remembered what happened to the other participants of the seminar when the dormant energy wakes up and went to my room. A powerful current, like a big ocean wave, covered me. A strong vibration began in the whole body. I was shaking like a rag doll. I realized that the Kundalini was waking up and prepared to accept whatever was coming. I was even ready to die. Breathing became noisy and intermittent, heart beat furiously. Then I felt a blazing fire in Muladhara. This heat gradually filled the whole body. I was afraid and at the same time accepted it. A state of powerful excitement filled me. I controlled myself. I have never had such a state of deep ecstasy, joy, bliss with any partner. I can not find words to express all the depth of feelings and sensations that gripped me. Orgasm followed one after another. And the next one is much stronger and deeper than the previous one. I didn't hold back. Yes, even if she wanted to hold back, she would hardly be able to do it. I completely surrendered to this force and lost consciousness from the wave that covered me, happiness and delight.

And after it was all over, and I came to my senses, there was another world in front of me. From childhood, familiar trees suddenly became new and unusually beautiful. They began to talk to me as if they were alive. I was surprised that I had not noticed before how wonderful people around! And my voice changed. I myself have become softer, calmer and more feminine. I do not want to say that all this happened at once and suddenly. However, step by step, changes took place at work and at home. Apparently, this unique experience of universal joy led to a life insight.”

Natasha, Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk.

My Experience of Kundalini Awakening and Spontaneous Dance

I attended a yoga teacher training course at the Kripalu Yoga Center. Now I don't remember exactly when it happened. On the main course in 1991 or on the advanced two years later. We worked in small groups. We practiced the technique of teaching Kripalu yoga. I conscientiously played the role of a student. At first, I tried to hold out longer in the asana by an effort of will, and then “let go” of the effort. When performing the grasshopper pose, when it was necessary to raise straight legs as much as possible up, relying on the stomach and palms of the hands, I did not even have time to give myself the command: “Let go!”. Perhaps I put in too much effort trying to keep my raised legs at a decent height from the floor. Suddenly, the legs became unusually light, and they themselves began to fly up. The pelvis followed. The whole body became unusually plastic and light. I surrendered to the fully awakened power. With ease and unusual plasticity for me, my body began to perform asanas one after another. I didn't care about which element of which asana I would perform in the next moment. Time stopped. I watched with surprise, delight and joy as my body performed the asanas one by one without any effort on my part. The end of one posture was the beginning of another.

It was the first Spontaneous Yoga Dance in my life!

During the first spontaneous dance with a partner as a result of the awakening of Kundalini, in September 1994 in the Crimea, I felt unusually powerful and literally living flows of Muladhara energy. I felt the level of this energy. Felt energy and my partner. And all this in the process of joint dance, joint performance of asanas, together with surprise and delight. These were powerful and beautiful erotic experiences. We performed a cascade of asanas and unusual new stretches and movements. And my feelings were such that we are in deep penetration and unity with each other. Several times I felt delighted at that "point of no return" that the energy was about to burst out of my body. At that time, I had no experience of practicing Taoist Yoga, I knew nothing about the Microcosmic Orbit, but I had the skills to work with the internal energy body in asanas. I intuitively, with one breath, threw up energy from the bottom of my stomach to the heart center and gave it to my partner with an exhalation. The movement of energy was felt literally as a living stream. It wasn't just an overflowing sense of bliss. It was a feeling of real moving energy, real flows, albeit with somewhat blurry edges.

It was this event that prompted me to study the techniques of controlling and managing sexual energy and using its potential for spiritual development and progress along the path.

“There were no familiar sexual sensations. There are new, previously unfamiliar. And it was more beautiful than the usual sexual contact.

Even at home, after the seminar, there was a feeling of overflowing energy...

I think that's exactly what women need."

In the description of the manifestation of Kundalini, the vast majority pass through the stage of enjoyment. For many, the level of this pleasure is much higher than what has ever been experienced in life. For lack of analogues, it is compared with the familiar sexual. This is because the enjoyment experienced by normal men and women in their sexual encounter is the highest and most meaningful in life.

Experience Kundalini with Swami Muktananda

Here is what the Siddha yoga master Swami Muktananda writes about Kundalini.

“Sometimes in a seeker who is infinitely devoted to the Guru, the Kundalini awakens in all its splendor. The seeker experiences joy and ecstatic vibrations in the most unexpected ways. You can watch how various parts of his body begin to move or twist. He can jump, shake, slap his face, spin, run in circles, roll on the floor, take various yoga postures, dance, sing, cry or scream. He can roar like a lion or make other animal sounds. He can chant "Om" or other mantras loudly. All these kriyas come spontaneously during meditation. What a wonderful adventure!”

Why does the awakened Kundalini bring a person closer to God, to a perfect being? It turns out that “Kundalini breaks through energy channels, cleanses our body, like a powerful stream of water cleansed the “Augean stables”. Or, just as a summer rain with a thunderstorm purifies the air of all impurities, so Kundalini purifies the physical and emotional body of a person. Under the influence of this force, our body begins to move. There is a cleansing and release of energy channels. Kundalini takes out rubbish, removes blocks and impurities that interfere with the normal course of energy. Normal, natural energy flows are restored, the whole body is healed and cleansed. Spontaneous movements of the body under the influence of Kundalini in Sanskrit are called "Kriyavati".

Internal enemies

The result of the manifestation of Kundalini, writes Swami Mktananda, can be a cleansing of our "inner enemies". Internal enemies impede our development, our realization in God.”

What are these internal enemies? According to Swami Muktananda, internal enemies include:

“Anger, jealousy, greed, pride, aggression, gluttony, anxiety and fear. In the practice of Sidha Yoga, there are cases when such feelings are exacerbated under the influence of Kundalini. If we unconsciously give in to these feelings, they enslave us. If a person realizes this, then they are ready to leave him forever. When this happens, you need to track these states, and not follow their lead, do not identify with them. For example, you caught yourself feeling a wild outburst of anger or irritation somewhere in your stomach. It is there that they often appear, and then rise up and fill the entire body. Stop for a moment, be aware of it, track it. Don't allow yourself to identify with them. It is possible and necessary to track the state of anger or aggressiveness, but you cannot act evil or aggressively. There is another kind of Kriya which is carried out by Kundalini. This is Varnamaya Kriya. Under the action of Varnamaya Kriya, the throat center or Vishuddha is awakened. Inner vibrations can turn into spontaneous mantras, the sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet, or even speech in an unfamiliar language.

Holy Spirit and Kundalini

Swami Muktananda, like Gopi Krishna, believe that Kundalini in the teachings of Yoga and the Holy Spirit in Christianity are one and the same. There are cases from the Bible when, as a result of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles spoke the language of the people to whom they preached. Yogananda described a similar experience on a ship during his first voyage to America. It was necessary to give a lecture on Yoga to the passengers of the ship. Yogananda did not speak enough English to give lectures. He was silent in front of the assembled audience for more than half an hour. Listeners have already begun to discuss such a piquant situation vividly. Suddenly, Yogananda spoke fluent English. He himself then attributed this to the help of his teachers. And Gopi Krishna, as a result of the manifestation of Kundalini, began to write poetry in all languages ​​of the world.

No matter how the Higher Power manifests itself, everything should be accepted with joy, without desire and attachment, with a calm mind. One must be ready for the manifestation of Kundalini, but not wait for it.

Here are some sublime prayer words addressed to Kundalini by Swami Muktananda:

“O great goal of Yoga! O most beautiful and radiant! O beloved of God Shiva and one with him! I bow before you in complete humility and hide in you. Illuminate me with the radiance of your glory so that I can know myself by merging with you! You can everything! Through your blessing, a person becomes blessed and can realize his divine essence!”

Gopi Krishna wrote in his book that "The famous Gayatri Mantra, which every Brahmin must recite after the morning bath, is nothing more than an appeal to Kundalini with a request to grant a way out of the ordinary."

Teacher Experience

For my teacher, Leonid Popov, the rise of Kundalini took place, as he says, in a state of controlled yogic sleep.

Following the instructions of his Teacher, Leonid got up at three o'clock in the morning, performed a series of asanas and pranayamas, and assumed the position of Shavasana. In Savasana, he fell into a controlled sleep, concentrating on the rocky bottom of a clear river. In this state, breathing slowed down so much that spontaneous Kevali kumbhaka (holding the breath with a barely noticeable exhalation) occurred along with involuntary Uddiyana (drawing in the abdomen). On holding the breath after exhalation, the rise of Kundalini began. The rise of Kundalini to the pineal gland sometimes took place on one breath hold. Often the rise was accompanied by a sharp change in the rhythm and mode of heart contractions. It seemed to Leonid that due to two or three powerful heartbeats, all the blood from the legs and the lower part of the abdominal cavity was pumped upwards.

Kundalini "woke up" at the base of the spine, above the anus, under the arch of the coccyx. It was perceived as a luminous hot ellipsoid with constantly moving energy inside. Light, heat and energy in the ellipsoid were in constant motion. Several layers of light around the longitudinal axis of the ellipsoid were clearly perceived. And these layers of light and energy rotated at different speeds relative to each other. The farther from the central axis, the greater the rotation speed. Simultaneously with the rotation about the longitudinal axis, this hot ellipsoid was stretched to a cigar of a similar kind and rose up the Sushumna inside the spine.

At the very beginning of the rise of Kundalini at the level of Svadhisthana, a feeling arose similar to erotic pleasure. As the Kundalini rose to Manipura and above, it transformed into a growing feeling of all-consuming rapture and ecstasy, which no longer has analogues for comparison.

The luminous ellipsoid went around the pineal gland, and Kundalini, with irritation and regret, began to descend down the same path. Kundalini's irritation, according to Leonid, was caused by the fact that Shiva, hiding in the pineal gland, did not come out to meet her.

The rise of Kundalini caused Leonid to leave his energy double from his physical body. At the same time, Leonid felt that if there was a meeting between Kundalini and Shiva, then she would have no reason to go back. In this case, we would not have had the opportunity to talk to each other. That is, he felt that in this case the death of the physical body should have occurred.

Leonid noted that during the descent of the Kundalini, it was necessary to keep attention in Ajna. If this is not done, then there could be involuntary ejaculation without erection during the passage of Kundalini through Svadhisthana. This caused a feeling of devastation and a sharp outflow of energy.

Other cases when there was a feeling of heat in the spine, tingling, trembling in the body, etc., Leonid refers only to the manifestation of Kundalini, or its partial awakening. Leonid perceived the feeling of a state of bliss, delight and ecstasy as a trap. During his most intense spiritual quest and work with the Kundalini, Leonid led the strict life of a monk.

The magic of Kundalini and its secret

The Kundalini experience is a universal phenomenon and does not belong exclusively to the Yoga tradition. Common to all cultures and traditions is that the knowledge of Kundalini has always and everywhere been a great secret. They used to be passed down directly from master to apprentice.

I don't feel like a violator. I made no promise to anyone not to pass these secrets from hand to hand, individually. When the Force was transferred to me, no such conditions were set. On the contrary, they said that it would change my view of Yoga and the way it was taught. I can't keep it inside me. The Force compels and creates the conditions for the transfer of knowledge and energy to those who come to me. So it's time to change traditions. Yoga itself came to the West contrary to tradition. The secret Kriya, the preparation for Tantra, has come to us in defiance of tradition. And if Yogananda did not directly mention this, then Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati directly speaks about this in his book “Kriya Yoga. Systematic Course of Ancient Tantric Yoga and Kriya. More and more Yoga teachers are doing as the Force guides them.

Mysteries connected with the awakening of the Kundalini ancient egypt, Greece and Rome. Kundalini is known in the tradition of Christian Gnostics and Neoplatonists, in Kabbalah and among Christian ascetics.

There are many cases when energy manifests itself unexpectedly, in completely unprepared people. Quite often it happens in adolescents during puberty. And then the plaster crumbles from the ceiling, the furniture falls, the curtains on the windows ignite spontaneously, and the parents are horrified.

Kundalini and women's secrets

Quite often, Kundalini makes itself felt in women during a change in hormones. People who are completely unfamiliar with Yoga and the concept of Kundalini may not sleep at night, feel heat, energy flows, vibrations. Waves of pleasure that have not been experienced before can penetrate the body. Instead of using this situation for knowledge and spiritual growth, the person goes to the doctor. The doctor does not know what it is, but treats, says that it is "hormonal" and prescribes chemotherapy.

Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening

The symptoms of a spontaneous Kundalini rise are about the same as in the classical version, only unprepared people have more anxiety and less joy, bliss, happiness, cosmic harmony and delight. Sometimes a person who is completely unfamiliar with Yoga spontaneously begins to perform rather complex asanas or mudras. Spontaneous or automatic movements may be accompanied by crying, laughing or high-pitched screams. It even sometimes seems to others that a not quite pure force has infused a person.

In other cases of manifestation of Kundalini, a person not only experiences heat inside his body. Energy sometimes goes outside and causes instantaneous movement or spontaneous combustion of objects. These phenomena are known as "poltergeists".

Controlled Kundalini helps Tibetan yogis to dry wet sheets on their naked bodies in forty-degree frost, and Filipino healers to perform operations without a knife. Lighting a fire at will is part of their training.

In self-reports and in interviews with "victims" of Kundalini, unusually increased sensitivity, an ecstatic feeling of pleasure, similar or higher than sexual, expansion of the body or exit from it, unusual breathing are noted.

As a rule, the repeated rises of the Kundalini are more gentle, as if on a beaten track. A person experiences joy, receives knowledge, wisdom or unusual abilities, if he bows before this power, treats it as a manifestation of a deity.

Here is an example of a repeated manifestation of Kundalini in our student:

“It was like a lightning explosion, and you are alone with the raging elements. I spun like a whirlwind in these wild, incomprehensible and at the same time familiar sensations. The raging energy seemed to be about to tear you apart.

And the second time was already all on another. Harmony, grace, beauty and purity have renewed this element. I even felt that I could control nature itself, nature within myself. A new exit was like taking off into something new, unknown, which both attracts and holds. I then plunged into some depths of peace and dissolution, then ascended upward in a wave. You are like a small droplet ready to be torn off by a breath of wind. In those moments, it didn't matter to me whether you were swirled by a whirlwind or whether you again plunged into quiet, silent depths. There was a certainty that at any moment I could leave this state. I was already in control."

Lyuba Vyatkina, Arkhangelsk.

When the Kundalini rises, there is always an inner witness. It is possible to observe the activity of Kundalini, sometimes correct the movement of energy. It is difficult to stop the process if it happens the first or second time.

The intensity and time of manifestation of Kundalini can be very different. From tickling to piercing pain or heat. From a few seconds to several weeks.

Prepared seekers and masters more often than others can feel a feeling of all-consuming ecstasy, love, bliss, happiness, joy, cosmic harmony, inner peace.

Spontaneous rise in unprepared people along with positive emotions can cause feelings of fear, anxiety, embarrassment, depression.

The manifestation of Kundalini is often accompanied by ecstatic erotic or deeper enjoyment. In women, this can cause an enthusiastic, deep and prolonged orgasm.

Kundalini causes spontaneous body movements, spontaneous dance, spontaneous asanas or stretches. The nature of cardiac activity and respiration can change dramatically. All this may be accompanied by involuntary sounds, screaming, crying or laughing. The person may feel a sense of dissolution, expansion, or disappearance of the body. There is an inner vision, a feeling of light inside and outside.

More and more people appear with the ability to awaken the Kundalini "from birth", as Swami Satyananda Saraswati writes. This is the case when the Kundalini awakens in a person without any prior preparation. As a rule, a person does not even suspect what kind of luck it is. If this happens to you, then you can be considered lucky. Do not under any circumstances resist this power. This is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Channel the awakened energy into yoga asanas, stretches, or allow your body to spontaneously dance or move. Keep track of what's happening right now. Remember to thank your Higher Power after your experience. Try to find people with similar experience. If you have never practiced yoga, then it's time to start. Never meditated - start. If you have never thought about your life, about your purpose and what you need to do - it's time.

If your Kundalini symptoms differ from what you have found here, don't be discouraged. Yours may be somewhat different. Please note that almost all of the examples of Kundalini manifestations given are different. If you are already on the path of spiritual development and Kundalini has awakened in your body, then do not fall into euphoria. This is the norm. This is not the pinnacle of achievement. This is only the beginning of real spiritual development. Remember again the lines from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika:

“Until the Force goes along the middle path and is not established on it…..”

Kundalini is the basic, main energy in the human body, causing mental and spiritual phenomena. What phenomena it will cause depends on how open the heart is, how much the ego has been dissolved, how much a person is ready to surrender to God or serve people.

So, waking up, Kundalini behaves differently. Subjectively, a person can feel the beginning of the manifestation of energy in various places of the body. The manifestation of Kundalini can be perceived as heat, sharp pain, spreading heat or vibration, tingling. In some cases, this is a directed movement along energy channels, in others, it spreads and fills the entire body. The place of awakening, the direction and nature of the movement of energy depend on the patterns of thinking of a person, his level of awareness, the possibility of volitional control and control of the movement of the internal energy body.

For masters of Yoga, in the classical version, the manifestation of Kundalini begins, as a rule, at the base of the spinal column, rises up the Sushumna to the epiphysis or Sahasrara chakra. The Kundalini then descends down the same path. There are many cases where energy descends through the anterior channel and activates the heart center. The masters of Taoist Yoga have Kundalini on the path of the Microcosmic Orbit.

Spontaneous rise of Kundalini in unprepared people can start at the base of the spine, in the lower abdomen, from the toes or head. The direction and nature of movement through the body can be very diverse.

The ending. Beginning in #21/2012

Then Rada told me that my kundalini is in the “rising” phase, which means that now she will not back down and will begin to ruthlessly clean out all my energy channels one by one. Hearing this, I asked:
- Will my unpleasant states associated with kundalini breathing become a permanent phenomenon for me?
- No, what are you, - she smiled, - as your consciousness is purified, unpleasant states will be replaced by feelings of all-consuming ecstasy, inner peace, love, happiness, bliss, joy, cosmic harmony, etc. All these divine experiences will not immediately replace unpleasant states - both will alternate with each other. This process will take years. But there is no need to rush here. Raising and releasing the kundalini energy has nothing to do with a career in society, and the steps here cannot be calculated. It happens that under the influence of kundalini such negative feelings as pride, anger, greed, jealousy, aggression, gluttony, anxiety, fear, unbridled sexual desire and the desire to rule become aggravated. Many cases are known of how these negative feelings captured and enslaved, it would seem, spiritually aspiring people, but what about people - monks, Teachers! And it happens that the kundalini wakes up and unfolds its rings so quickly that a person does not even have time to track how her energy passes through all energy centers. After some time, such people find that they have become the owners of several types of siddhis (superpowers). Awakening and raising the kundalini energy is a great spiritual experiment of a lifetime. Kundalini reveals in a person all the good and bad that he only has. And if a person does not succumb to fear when he sees what he really is, then gradually all his negative qualities will begin to transform into pure energy. And all the positive qualities and talents will be multiplied and developed in him to infinity ...
Two years earlier than the rest of Radin's students, I started the process of raising the kundalini, and in this sense I was alone. While the whole group of tantric magicians was engaged in the morning set of exercises and techniques, I was in a separate room and did what I could do in such states from the exercises. At these moments, to my own surprise, I began to do things that were not in the complex of our exercises.
Once, on one of these days, while performing gomukhasana (cow pose in Hatha yoga), I froze motionless for 15-20 minutes, completely dissolving in the ecstatic state that engulfed me. Interestingly, on this day, only a little later, Master Rada came into my room and, as if by chance, said the following:
- When the sacred serpent kundalini awakens in the body of an initiate and breathes into his channels, his activities change, while becoming highly individualized. Kundalini becomes a Teacher for the practitioner, she begins to guide him through life, giving tips and teaching him to look at himself and the world around him in a new way.
With her wise speeches, she supported me in a very timely manner, convincing me to trust myself, my body and the information that began to come to me.
Then everything was even more interesting. I did very harmonious and smooth passes with my hands and feet, unknown to me, most of all reminiscent of Chinese tai chi. Asanas from Hatha yoga themselves lined up in my head, and I had no choice but to do them, my body “squeaked” - it wanted to do them so much. After such improvisations and impromptu, I experienced lightness and soaring, the inconvenience from the kundalin energy surging through my channels receded for a while.
A few years later, my kundalini began a new cycle of cleansing. At one of those moments, her fiery energy began to be released in too large portions, and I felt how she began to devour my body. I could not allow this and, realizing that the kundalini thus bestows on me different types energy, including physical, I went to the gym to give a load on the muscles and "ground".

If any of the readers had the opportunity to observe the state in which I wrote my first book, then from what he saw he would certainly burst out laughing. Completely regardless of the season, whether it be summer or winter, I could suddenly be thrown into a fever and just as sharply, and after a fairly short period of time, I began to shiver from the cold so much that I had to put on a hat or hood! I was really tired and lost concentration from the fact that 20-30 times a day I changed “duty suits” - shorts with a T-shirt and warm pants with a shirt. Now I already understood that these are manifestations of kundalini, and to be more precise, the breath of kundalini, first into the solar channel (pingala), causing heat; then to the lunar (ida), causing coldness. But just a few years ago, I looked at my Master with incomprehension, suspicion and even condemnation, when in the hot summer she could wear a windbreaker or in the cold winter, being in one T-shirt, she ventilated the house for a long time, while I, wrapped in two blankets, shaking from the cold. Here it should be emphasized that the described attacks of heat in winter are in no way connected with the system of hardening or winter swimming. In addition to heat and cold, my body, especially my legs and arms, could “break and twist”, and my stomach and chest could inflate so that it could be seen by others.
In general, soon our magician friends and students common with Rada, who came to our house, were no longer surprised that I could be dressed at the same time: a cap, a scarf and a wide weightlifting belt. I pulled the cap tightly over my head, it alleviated the uncomfortable feeling of “open top”; the scarf helped to cope with the gnawing feeling in the neck; the weightlifting belt pulled the stomach, preventing it from bloating.
For 10 years of such “games of kundalini” with my body and consciousness, I, perhaps, experienced more than half of its existing manifestations. For greater clarity and understanding of what is stated below, I will list the most common phenomena and manifestations associated with awakened and rising kundalini energy. This list has been compiled on the basis of the experience of many reputable practitioners and Masters of various spiritual schools and trends, I have only slightly supplemented and edited it.

Signs of manifestation of Kundalini (phenomena and experiences)
1. Feeling of a special "spiritual heat" that covers the whole body. It is perceived very individually, that is, it can be a pleasure that envelops the whole body, or it can be very annoying, causing significant inconvenience. Also, to this point, you can add cooling of individual zones in the body, backache and sharp bouts of pain, tickling, vibration, fever, heaviness in the head. There are changes in the nature of cardiac activity and respiration.
2. The emergence of parapsychological abilities, such as clairvoyance, levitation, teleportation, materialization, lucid dreams, healing, etc. After a few of my examples, you can continue the list yourself. In each case comes something different.
3. Feeling the unity of everything with everything. A state of expansion of consciousness that is difficult to convey in the language of words, when you feel like a part of a single stream and from this you literally drown in the ocean of pleasure.
4. Suddenly rolling lethargy and drowsiness, replaced by a stormy, barely restrained influx of energy.
5. Very unusual, atypical behavior: shuddering, convulsions, jumping up, spontaneous dialogues in other language with someone invisible, involuntary screams, laughter, crying, overflowing joy and a dance uncontrollable by the mind.
6. Vision of light in oneself, a halo of light around oneself and other people, objects and phenomena of nature, absorption by light, dissolution in light.
7. Sharpening of intuition. Seeing fragments of your past lives. The realization that you are being guided by a Higher Power. The constant feeling of Her next to you and everywhere.
8. Sudden mood swings. From absolute delight to extreme depression, up to suicidal impulses. Rolls of fear, almost unbearable sadness and anxiety.
9. Vision on the inner screen of certain symbols, figures, letters. For example, the appearance in meditation or dreams of the image of a snake, a thousand-petalled lotus, etc. All this may indicate the activity of the kundalini.
10. Sharpening of all five sense organs.
11. Jumps and changes in the hormonal background and the plan of sexuality.
Speaking about changes in the hormonal background, we can cite as an example a woman who has been obese since childhood due to hormonal disorders. She also suffers from an inferiority complex and considers herself useless. From this, one day she decides to embark on a spiritual path in order to eventually find herself. After a very short time, her kundalini suddenly awakens, which primarily works in her physical body, which is why the hormonal background of a woman completely returns to normal. In a year she loses all excess weight, and a year later her figure becomes chiseled. None of her friends recognize her. She literally exudes vibes of sexuality, and compliments, invitations to dates and proposals for marriage are pouring in her address from many men.
In the case of this woman, the kundalini energy on the energy plane burns out the generic karma associated with fullness (fullness was clearly visible in all women in her family), and on the physical plane it completely clears the corresponding channels in the body, thereby forcing the hormonal background to completely improve.
Considering the jumps and changes in terms of sexuality, we can say that this process affects everyone in its own way - from a complete loss of interest in sex to a sudden explosion of frantic sexual activity. Sometimes, with the awakening of the kundalini, such a hail of erotic pleasure falls on the body that it plunges even yoga masters into confusion! The manifestation of the sacred snake is often accompanied by ecstatic, erotic and deeper enjoyment. In women, this can cause an ecstatic, deep and long orgasm that can last from several hours to several days!
12. Experience of universal love. Penetration into the essence of things, and a deeper, to the state of insight, feeling of spiritual texts.

Drawing parallels between my states and the above manifestations of kundalini, I can say that from point 1 I most often experienced alternating states of heat, cold, vibration and activation of the heart. Occasionally, attacks of pain manifested themselves. The same was observed with my Master and the rest of our group of magicians and just initiates. Rada was distinguished from us by other conditions, these were backaches, heaviness in the head and tickling. The vibrations in her body reached such an intensity that the students sitting nearby could feel them on themselves in the form of invisible waves massaging the body. Sometimes, during joint Hatha yoga classes, one could see how Radu was thrown up from under the bottom by an invisible wave of energy.
Regarding point 2, I can say that each of the disciples and initiates, depending on the talent, began to receive something of their own. For some, a strong activation of conscious exits into a dream began, for others a healing gift was opened, others began to feel thoughts at a distance, and others simply found themselves and their place in life.
On point 3, I will describe only my experience, otherwise my story can stretch over many pages. Recently, the state of unity of everything with everything began to embrace me more and more often. And it doesn’t matter if I’m in meditation, whether I’m running around the city in search of some trinkets, the incomparable feeling of being part of a single stream captures me, bringing down waves of ecstasy on my head and dissolving me in universal tenderness.
Paragraph 4 accurately describes the states that have become frequent for me and the members of our tantric group. Rada explains their phenomenon by the fact that the body in its development lags behind consciousness. And it lags behind for the simple reason that consciousness consists of a more refined energy, and the process of transformation in it is faster. It is more difficult and longer for the body to adapt to new energies, hence short-term lethargy and drowsiness come from.
From point 5, I experienced only overflowing joy and dance. This, I must say, is a unique experience that remains in the heart for a long time and nourishes it. I saw shuddering, jumping, talking in other language, screaming, laughing and crying from other tantriks during our meetings.
The phenomena from paragraph 6 were experienced only by our Master - Rada. This happened to her not only in solitude and meditation, but also in front of a group of students. At such moments, her eyes would close slightly, the words would become drawn out, and a glow would appear around her body.
All the phenomena described in paragraph 7, I experienced on myself and described them well in my book "The Chosen One of the Spirit of Tantra."
From point 8, sadness and anxiety overtook me.
But according to point 9, in the vision of symbols, figures, letters and images, I can single out only four people from ours - this is our Master and three dreamers. They see it all the time and write about it.
Regarding point 10, I can say with confidence that after the awakening of the kundalini, everyone, without exception, feels an aggravation of all five senses. How kundalini energy life-giving force cleanses, renews and nourishes all internal organs and systems, after which the practitioner sees and feels the world around him brighter, deeper and richer than an ordinary person.
Paragraph 11 talks about jumps and changes in the hormonal background and the plan of sexuality. In our joint tantric practice with Rada of working with kundalini, I repeatedly experienced both jumps and changes in the sexuality plane. As stated in this paragraph, for some time I felt a complete lack of interest in sex, then I watched a surge of frantic sexual activity. I must say that these were not always pleasant and convenient moments. There was still nothing when my kundalini worked in the upper centers, which made me feel self-sufficient and impartial, but when the kundalini energy passed through the lower centers, it was as if I turned into a preoccupied teenager, and this already delivered obvious discomfort. And it also happened that the kundalini energy penetrated both the lower and the upper triad of chakras at the same time. Sometimes it happened right in the city. For a fraction of a second, a state that combined a slight intoxicating spiritual ecstasy and a powerful burst of sexual activity seized me, and I could be jealous of completely unfamiliar girls walking down the street with their boyfriends! To be honest, I began to be afraid of such states, because they pretty much unsettled me with their spontaneity. After such manifestations, I began to understand those dedicated monks, ascetics who left the world for a long time. I began to understand what was guiding them: upon the awakening of the kundalini, they began to suffer from similar effects when the channels were “purged” with kundalini energy. Later, I calmed down - bursts of my sexual energy began to be redirected to creativity.
Regarding point 12, I can say that the experience of universal love, insight into the essence of things and a deep feeling of spiritual texts have now become my most frequent states. My attention has become clear and sharp like a blade, and wherever I put it, it draws experience and extracts information.

Dangers and failures
Side case. Some of my esoteric friends once told me about a friend who awakened his kundalini through the practice of Hatha yoga. When he had already begun to raise it through the chakras, his siddhis began to awaken. So one day he began to levitate. Often in meditation, he hung under the ceiling, and people from the village ran to look at this miracle. But, as it turned out later, the body of this person was not fully prepared for raising the kundalini through the chakras. He had a strong release of energy dirt, and some channels in the body could not completely get rid of this dirt and turned out to be clogged. This resulted in partial paralysis. It took two years for full recovery and recovery. Now this person is trying very gently and smoothly to handle this mysterious mystical power.
case from our group. A few years ago, a young guy came to us in order to receive initiation from Rada as a close student. After looking at him and talking, Rada agreed, but on the condition that he would adhere to her instructions. This guy was given specific instructions to discipline his mind and body. True Master always sees what qualities the student must first cultivate in himself, so that in the future, after the awakening of the kundalini, there will be no big problems with the body and perception. This guy had the strength, and talent, and the desire to practice, and, having received initiation from Rada, he followed her instructions for only about a year, and then abandoned everything. No, he did not leave the group, he liked it with us. He came to our tantric holidays, continued to communicate with Rada, but all this was already on an intellectual level. The guy turned out to be more of a theorist than a practitioner. He had not so much a weak as a subtle psyche and a very strong sense of self-importance, because of which, without appropriate discipline, he would not have withstood the onslaught of kundalini. Rada, I and other advanced students spoke to him, warned him, but he was sure that he would be bypassed. But, as it turned out later, it did not go away. And when the kundalini awakened in this guy and breathed into his channels, one of the filters responsible for blocking astral dirt was torn off in his mind. As a result, due to his laziness and negligence, for several years he was in nightmarish states that constantly suppressed him and did not allow him to concentrate. Now, of course, it is easier for him. He gradually, not without the help of the Master, gets out and regrets the lost time.
An unprepared person can easily confuse all of the above states with some kind of disease. To prevent this from happening, people with whom this happens should not rush to conclusions, but should, on the contrary, observe, track and learn to understand what is really happening to them. But also to mystify the usual headache and renal colic, attributing to them the passage of kundalini energy through the chakras, I also do not recommend it. Never forget that medicine was sent to us by highly developed civilizations in the hope that it will give us a new chance to change ourselves.

And in conclusion, I will summarize:
Kundalini always gives a powerful impetus to the transformation of personality. It ennobles the whole nature of a person and changes our perception, contributes to the neutralization of the action of karma. Thanks to it, the process of purification in the body takes place and rejuvenation comes.
Attempts to manipulate the kundalini by forceful methods are dangerous and speak of an inert, materialistic mindset.
Before the awakening of the kundalini and its subsequent rise, one should try to prepare the body as much as possible and clear the mind (primarily from the ego). One must be ready for the manifestation of kundalini, but not wait for it.
Don't let any sources knock you down, as the nature and direction of movement of the kundalini energy in your body can be very diverse. With my Master, for example, the kundalini began to rise from the tips of the big toes.
If the manifestations of your kundalini will be different from those that I have described here, do not be puzzled. In your case, it may happen a little differently. If you are already on the path of spiritual development and the kundalini has awakened in your body, then there is no reason to turn up your nose. After all, this is actually the norm, and only the beginning of a real spiritual ascent.
Before I sat down to write this article, I set myself four tasks. The first is to broaden as far as possible the reader's outlook on the energy of kundalini; the second is to debunk some of the prevailing myths and stereotypes about her; the third - to convey the real state of affairs today regarding the forces of kundalini in each of us; and fourth, to make my story about kundalini a hint and encouragement for all those with whom such things happen all the time, but they do not know what to do with it and how to interpret it.
I think I did it, but in the end it's up to you. I wish everyone a soft awakening of the kundalini, its smooth rise and release!

Alexander Neptunov
Simferopol
e-mail: [email protected]
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Kundalini awakening

Sometimes the Spiritual Stream rises up the spine like a crawling ant. Sometimes, in samadhi, the soul swims carelessly like a fish in the ocean of divine ecstasy. Sometimes, when I lie down on my side, I feel that the Spiritual Stream is pushing me like a monkey and playing with me cheerfully. I remain motionless. Then the Flow suddenly, like a monkey, with one jump reaches the Sahasrara (parietal center). That's why you see me jump up and down. Again, sometimes the Spiritual Current rises like a bird jumping from branch to branch. The place where he rests burns like fire…. Sometimes the Spiritual Stream crawls up like a snake. Moving in a zigzag way, it finally reaches the head, and I sink into samadhi. The spiritual consciousness of a person is not awakened until his Kundalini wakes up.

Ramakrishna, Indian saint

Descriptions of this type of spiritual crisis can be found in ancient Indian literature. Its manifestations are attributed to the activation or awakening of a certain form of subtle energy called Serpent Power or Kundalini. According to the teachings of yoga, Kundalini (literally, "rolled up") is the energy that creates and maintains the cosmos. In the human body, it resides in an unmanifested state at the base of the spine. It has the ability to purify and heal the mind and body, promote spiritual unfoldment, and lift a person to a higher level. high level consciousness.

The sleeping Kundalini was traditionally represented as a serpent coiled three and a half times around the lingam, the phallic symbol of male generative power. Situations that can lead to the awakening of the Kundalini include intense meditation, the intervention of an advanced spiritual teacher - a guru - and some of the specific activities and exercises of Kundalini Yoga. Sometimes decisive role the birth of a child or passionate sexual intercourse can play. In some cases, people experience spontaneous Kundalini awakening; this can happen quite unexpectedly during Everyday life for no apparent reason.

The activated Kundalini assumes its fiery form, or Shakti, and moves up the spine, passing through the channels of the subtle body, the non-physical field of energy that yogis claim permeates and surrounds the physical body. By removing the effects of past traumas, this flow opens seven spiritual centers called chakras, which are located in the subtle body along the axis corresponding to the spine. In addition to the various difficult experiences that accompany this purification process, people experiencing Kundalini awakenings often describe ecstatic states that are associated with reaching higher states of consciousness. Among them, it should be noted samadhi, or union with the divine, which occurs when the process reaches the seventh chakra at the top of the head (Sahasrara). Although yogis find this process highly desirable and beneficial, it is not without its dangers. Ideally, people going through an intense process of Kundalini awakening need the guidance of an experienced spiritual teacher.

The energy of Shakti, moving through the body, brings into consciousness a number of previously unrecognized elements: memories of psychological and physical traumas and experiences during the birth process, as well as various archetypal images. When this happens, people with this form of spiritual crisis experience a rich spectrum of emotional and bodily manifestations called kriya. They experience intense sensations of energy and warmth moving up the spine, and violent tremors, spasms, and twisting movements often take over their bodies. Their psyche can suddenly be overwhelmed by waves of strong emotions - anxiety, anger, sadness, or joy and ecstatic delight. An overwhelming fear of death, loss of control, and impending madness also often accompanies extreme forms of Kundalini awakening.

People involved in this process may find it difficult to control their behavior; during powerful surges of Kundalini energy, they often make various involuntary sounds, and their bodies move in strange and unexpected ways. The most common manifestations of this kind include unreasonable and unnatural laughter or crying, speaking in unfamiliar languages, singing previously unknown songs and spiritual hymns, performing yoga postures and gestures, and imitating various animal sounds and movements.

The perceptual changes during Kundalini awakening can be very rich and varied. People involved in this process often describe vivid visions of beautiful geometric shapes, sparkling light of supernatural beauty, complex scenes associated with the images of gods, demons and saints. They hear internal sounds - from the simple buzzing, humming and chirping of crickets to celestial music and a chorus of human voices. Sometimes they can smell exquisite incense (some mention the indescribably sweet aroma of divine nectar). Intense sexual arousal and orgasmic sensations are particularly common, and can be both ecstatic and painful. This deep connection between Kundalini and sexual energy is at the heart of the yogic practice called Tantra, in which ritual sexual union is used as a means of inducing spiritual experiences.

Careful study of the manifestations of Kundalini confirms the fact that this process, although it can be very stressful and frustrating at times, is essentially healing. Over the years, we have repeatedly observed that experiences of this type are accompanied by a sharp relief or even complete disappearance. a wide range both emotional and physical problems, including depression, various forms of phobias, migraines and asthma. However, in the process of awakening the Kundalini, various old symptoms may temporarily intensify and those that were previously latent become apparent. In some cases, they may mimic various psychiatric and medical problems and may even lead to misdiagnosis.

Although the idea of ​​Kundalini has received its most subtle and elaborate expression in Indian treatises, there are important parallels to it in many religions and cultures around the world. One of the most interesting examples is the trance dances of the African Bushmen of the Kung tribe from the Kalahari Desert. They regularly hold rituals that last all night, during which women sit on the ground and beat drums, and men move around in rhythmic, monotonous movements. One by one, participants enter a profoundly altered state of consciousness associated with the release of powerful emotions - anxiety, fear, and anger. Often they are not able to maintain an upright position, and violent trembling overcomes them. After these dramatic experiences, they usually enter a state of ecstatic bliss. According to Bushman tradition, this dance releases a cosmic healing force hidden at the base of the spine called ntum, or simply "magic medicine." This power can then be transferred from one person to another through direct physical contact.

Ideas similar to the concept of Kundalini and the chakra system exist among the Indian tribes of North America. Among the gopi Indians, the invisible centers of psychic energy are very similar to chakras. Joseph Campbell also often noted similar parallel elements in the Navajo sand paintings. Ideas related to the teachings of Kundalini and the chakras can be found in Tibetan Buddhism, Taoist yoga, Korean Zen, and Sufism.

However, the phenomenon of Kundalini activation is found not only in the cultures of the East. In the Christian tradition, similar manifestations are described during the practice of the "Jesus Prayer" in Hesychasm. Moreover, unmistakable signs of Kundalini awakening have recently been observed in thousands of modern Westerners. Gopi Krishna, a world-famous spiritual teacher from Kashmir, who himself experienced a deep and dramatic Kundalini crisis, tried for many years to draw the attention of the Western world to the existence of this phenomenon and its importance.

The credit for bringing the concept of Kundalini to the attention of Western professional psychotherapeutic circles belongs to the Californian psychiatrist and ophthalmologist Lee Sannella. In his pioneering work "The Kundalini Awakening Experience: Psychosis or Transcendence" he described from the perspective of Western medicine the form that Kundalini awakening takes in our culture. Sannella paid special attention to the medical significance of Kundalini syndrome and noted that it can resemble many psychiatric and even general medical problems, including psychosis, hysteria, visual disturbances, heart attacks, gastrointestinal disorders, urinary tract infections, epilepsy, and even multiple sclerosis. . For this reason, Sannella believes that in this type of spiritual crisis, a medical examination by a knowledgeable and experienced clinician is especially important.