Kundalini
Kundalini. Most of us have heard this word but really aren’t sure what it is or what it means. I’ve found that it is a very misunderstood concept, process and energy. In the broadest sense of the word, all yoga is about kundalini. But like many other very big topics of this kind, there is a lot of misinformation and unfortunately a lot of people who really do not know what they are talking about. Another topic that falls into the same category is chakras. So many have never had one direct experience of either but still somehow feel qualified to post or talk about it based on what someone else has said about it. I was that person 20 years ago until I began to have personal experiences in my sadhana or spiritual practices and with gurus with the energy, force and awareness of both the chakras and kundalini. I’m going to separate the two today but they are intimately intertwined and both must be understood to activate these energies for your enlightenment.
In its most general sense, kundalini represents the coming consciousness of mankind. It is the name of a sleeping or dormant potential force within the human organism that is located at the base of the spinal column. The location is slightly different between males and females.
To awaken this potential it’s best to prepare yourself using yogic techniques. The recommendation is that you practice, asanas, pranayama, kriya yoga and meditation. By doing this you are better able to direct the flow of prana from the base of the spine to the brain. As this force ascends, it passes through each chakra or vortex which is associated with a different and silent or dormant area of the brain. So we could say that kundalini is the awakening of the silent areas of the brain. Only 1/10 of our brain is active and responsible for whatever we think and do. The reason the other 9 parts are sleeping is because of a lack of energy. Hmm. What to do? Of course yoga has the answers as well as a systematic approach to reach the goal.
The word kundalini refers to the power or shakti when its in its dormant state. When it is manifesting it is given other names like Durga or Devi. In Christianity, the path of initiates or stairway to heaven, both used in the Bible, refers to this same force as it begins to ascend.
Whatever happens in spiritual life is related to the awakening of kundalini. And the goal of every form of spiritual life is the same though many different words are used such as samadhi, nirvana and moksha.
In terms of modern psychology, kundalini can be called the unconscious. There are many people who have awakened their kundalini including saints, poets, artists, writers and more. Kundalini is a creative energy or the energy of self expression. Awakening this force, or making the unconscious conscious, is the prime purpose of human incarnation. When kundalini wakes up, your mind changes and your priorities and attachments change as well. Think of it this way. When you were a child you loved to play with toys but why don’t you love them now? Because your mind has changed as well as your attachments. Kundalini awakening is a metamorphosis, even potentially a restructuring of the entire physical body. Definitely the entire physical body will undergo changes as kundalini awakens and researchers are finally taking steps to better understand this.
Another way kundalini can be described is as a connecting link between the lowest unconscious seat of power and the highest center of illumination within an individual. IDK about you but I get very excited just considering this. And that has been the fuel and inspiration for much of what I have chosen to experience so far.
A crucial aspect to kundalini awakening is sushumna awakening though we don’t hear too much about this. One can not happen without the other. The awakening of sushumna, to the central channel, provides a means of communication between the higher and lower dimensions of consciousness.
One last thought is that through the process of kundalini, man can master the spiritual dimension. Clearly, man has mastered the material dimension and discovered the mysteries of nature. Kundalini is a process through which higher knowledge can gradually be revealed to us. The more I understand about it, the more committed I am to the process. I hope this shed some light on a huge topic about which there is much confusion.