What is Kundalini and how to awaken it?
Kundalini is the life force, which according to the yogis of Kundalini Yoga, is said to be lying dormant in the Muladhara chakra of every human being. It is often depicted with snakes - such as in the sign of doctors, or by a snake on the head of Shiva, etc.
It is the life force without which the movement of life is not possible. In most people it is active at a very low level - in the Muladhara Chakra. And it is because of it being in this chakra, that man runs after food, sex and money (artha).
Kundalini is the life force which has many dimensions, or rather we can say that this power has many layers. As its layers unfold, more powerful and subtle dimensions of power come to the fore.
Only humans can do this. Animals always work on the lowest dimension of Kundalini life force. But man can raise himself to higher dimensions. That is why this human life is a boon. But most of the people are unaware of it - what can be a bigger misfortune than this.
Through Kundalini yoga, this energy is brought up to the higher chakras, due to which there is a tremendous increase in consciousness, and the character of the person keeps on improving too. At its final stage, liberation or merger with the Supreme Consciousness is said to be inevitable.
According to the yogis who do Kundalini Yoga, the goal of human life is to awaken Kundalini. But it is not that easy, and there are also some risks involved in this process. In this article, we will throw light on these different aspects of Kundalini Yoga.
Table of Contents- Kundalini Awakening Methods
- How long does Kundalini Awakening takes?
- Advantages and disadvantages of Kundalini awakening
Kundalini Awakening Methods
By the way, there are many ways of Kundalini awakening. After all, Kundalini awakening is nothing but a journey of your consciousness and life-power from the materialistic, gross dimensions to the spiritual, subtle dimensions. So, this can happen in a number of ways, such as:
By Bhakti Yoga - the Kundalini of people who do worship (bhajan-kirtan) and chanting of mantras can also get awakened.
By Karma Yoga or Jnana Yoga - Kundalini can also get awakened in people who do their work with true mind and sincerity and are interested in discussions, articles and books related to God.
Kundalini can get awakened due to the austerity and good deeds done in the previous birth, or by the grace of a guru (teacher), or by the ‘shaktipat’ performed by him. That is, if the Kundalini of a person has been awakened somehow, then if he wants, he can also awaken the Kundalini of others.
But the best way to awaken Kundalini is considered to be Kundalini yoga. That’s why this school of thought and spiritual practice was created after all.
NoteIt is not a very good idea to get the kundalini awakened by getting ‘shaktipat’ from a guru. It should be allowed to happen naturally.
When nature feels that you are ready, she will do it herself. Kundalini power is very powerful, and you have to be capable of handling it - physically, mentally, spiritually, in every way. If you are not ready, and you awaken your Kundalini, then it can probably also do some harm.
Though, good gurus shower ‘shaktipat’ only on those who are prepared, but still, it will be better to avoid this.
Some people consider Kundalini Yoga as a ‘tantra-mantra’. This is not true at all. This is a unique yoga method created by the sages of India. But it should be done only under the supervision of a good guru, who has a good understanding of Kundalini science.
Even if you do it yourself, do it only after reading about it in depth, and very slowly. If anything goes wrong, stop it. In this article, we will make you aware of the basics of Kundalini Yoga.
NoteIn Bharat’s Sanatan Dharma, there are many ways to attain God.
Most people these days give more importance to Bhakti Yoga - whether it is in the form of idolatry, or in the form of Quran or Bible. In Bhakti yoga there is a blind belief in something. But the nature of every human being is different. Therefore, the sages of Bharat (India) suggested other yogas - hatha yoga, karma yoga, jnana yoga, kundalini yoga, etc.
Kundalini yoga is, in a way, the best scientific method of yoga, and I find it very attractive. I don’t understand Bhakti Yoga that much - how can people blindly believe in an idol or a book.
But I can understand that there are all kinds of people in the world, and everyone has the right to worship God as they wish.
Let us now learn about Kundalini Yoga.
Yogic Method of Kundalini Awakening
The yogic method of Kundalini awakening is called Kundilini Yoga.
Although there are many ways to do Kundalini yoga, but we will tell you a very beginner-friendly but effective method. Make sure to do it slowly, and gradually increase the time you devote to practicing it. In the beginning, 15-20 minutes will be enough. If you feel any problem, or if you sense that the flow of energy is getting beyond comfort levels, then reduce the time or stop doing it.
It is also necessary that it is not done to gain power, or to fulfil the material desires of the world. Its aim should be to attain liberation, to attain absolute spiritual-knowledge or just out of sheer curiosity, as scientists do in the laboratory.
Two processes are of great importance in Kundalini Yoga:
Nadi Shuddhi Processes
Nadi Shuddhi Process is any such activity that purifies your nadis. Here nadis do not mean nerves. Nadis are the subtle passages in the body through which our life-force flows. Because Kundalini awakening strengthens this life force, so before awakening Kundalini, it is necessary that your nadis are clean and open.
Nadi purification is done by doing asanas, and also by doing pranayama. I had done a lot of asanas in my childhood, but now I only do pranayama.
There are many pranayamas for the purification of the nadi, but the simplest is Anulom-Vilom. Start with this.
Kundalini Awakening Processes
There are many activities by which Kundalini is affected and gets eventually awakened. There are two main ones:
Tratak Kriya - Focus the eyes on a certain object (like a point, lamp or candle flame). Keep looking at it until your eyes water up or your eyes start hurting. When this happens, close the eyes and then open them when they get normal.
Tratak is also a part of ‘Shatkarma’. It is not only good for the eyes, but it also helps us gain control over the mind. And the main aim of yoga is to control the mind. This will make you meditative, which is our next step.Shambhavi Kriya - This is a method of meditation. First sit in knowledge posture, that is, join the first finger and thumb of the hands making a round shape, and keep the remaining three fingers straight. In this posture, place both the hands on the knees. Keeping the spine straight, raising the head a little, slowly close the eyes while looking at the eyebrows or the middle part between the eyes. Focus there and on your breath. Try not to think anything. You may chant Om, or whatever your favourite Deity/God is.
Apart from these, there are also many pranayamas, which may help in awakening the kundalini, such as Kapalbhati, Kumbhak etc.
In the start, don’t do too many things. Keep the process simple. When you start feeling some difference in your life-energy flow, then find a guru and start doing it under proper guidance.
NoteAccording to Sadhguru, there are 112 ways to do Kundalini Yoga. Through these we can influence the 112 energy chakras and 7 dimensions of life energy in the body.
Kundalini yoga is the most powerful yoga, and therefore possibly the riskiest one. Therefore, for this, a man of a very capable, patient and pure mind is needed, and a guru who can be trusted. This trust should not be a blind trust, but should be like the trust placed on one’s teacher in a science laboratory.
How long does Kundalini Awakening takes?
There is no time limit for Kundalini awakening. It can depend on a lot of things – what kind of a person you are (crafty, or simple), what has been your karma, how you are doing yoga, in the company of a skilled guru, or on your own, etc.
When I started doing it, I started feeling something different within 1-2 months. I used to feel kind of a chill in the head while meditating. Apart from this, there used to be a flow of energy in the hands and feet, a tingling between the two eyes, and while meditating I sometimes used to see a white light.
But while working in a job, it is very difficult to practice yoga on a continuous basis, and I discontinued the practice a few years back. But I have started it again after many years.
By the way, you should not talk much about your experiences of Kundalini awakening, because if you are successful in it then you may also get conceited, and your mind may be distracted to tell people how great a yogi you are. Such conceit is like poison in the practice of yoga. Yogi should never be arrogant. Nor be greedy for worldly accomplishments.
Yogi should also be patient. Therefore, the question that “how long will it take for Kundalini awakening” is itself a wrong question to ask. Enjoy the process, don’t desire the fruit, the end result. If we were born for this purpose, then this task probably won’t be easy. It will take time - 1 year, 10 years, or 30 years, no one can say.
According to some people, it also depends on whether you have practiced yoga in your previous lives or not. This is probably because we carry only our soul from one birth to another, and yoga affects both your soul and your mind. If you don’t believe in reincarnation, then you might find this a little odd to hear. But here our aim is just to let you know about the teachings of this school of philosophy and spiritual practice.
Advantages and disadvantages of Kundalini awakening
The benefits of Kundali Awakening (Kundali Jagran) are many - perhaps it is the ultimate aim of our life. So, what can be more beneficial than this? And it should not even be done for any benefit. Hence, it is meaningless to talk about it.
Yes, if it is done in the wrong way, in the wrong spirit and for the wrong purpose, then it can definitely cause some damages.
If the flow of the energy that is released due to Kundalini yoga is obstructed, then you may suffer. Suppose you have never done asanas or pranayama properly, and your nadis are not completely pure, and are blocked, then there will be obstacles in the flow of life-energy. All these problems have been collectively named as Kundalini Effect. I will publish a separate article about this.
In the same way if you are not prepared emotionally or mentally, you may also face problems. Our mind and behaviour also changes while doing Kundalini yoga. After some time, you may stop feeling the usual emotions of love for your family members, or getting attracted towards worldly pleasures. You can guess, if all this happens at the wrong stage of your life, when you are not ready for all this, then what will be its effect on your relationships, job, family etc.
By doing this yoga, you will become ascetic and sannyasi. Your mind will stop focusing on the extravagant things of the world. You will not be tempted to eat delicious food, opposite sex will lose its charm for you, nor will you drool to get any other material thing. Now only you can tell whether it will be good or bad thing for you, if this happens.
In the end, I would just like to say that Kundalini Yoga is for the winners, for the true great men. It is probably not for those who take refuge in God to forget the miseries of the world. It is for the scientists of Yoga, who love to search for God and the absolute Truth. Who do not get satisfaction by considering anyone as God and Messiah.
These are the people who will believe in God when they experience Him. Those who are not afraid of God, may not even worship Him, but definitely want to know Him. Those who want to know themselves. For those who seek, not for those who believe.