Raising kundalini is most often practiced through a type of spiritual yoga called kundalini yoga, but sometimes spontaneous awakenings can occur. It's said that enlightenment occurs when the kundalini energy travels from the base of the spine up to the crown chakra. Specific exercises can be learned to aid the flow of kundalini upward, and it's best to learn from an experienced master of the process. Kundalini energy is a powerful force that can create serious psychological problems if not learned and handled properly, according to YogaMax.
Kundalini Energy
The word "kundalini" comes from a Sanskrit word that means "coil." All humans have kundalini energy, but in most it lies dormant at the base of the spine, supposedly coiled like a snake. Although most people are not aware of kundalini, it's well known to spiritual seekers. Most yoga traditions believe that through awakening the kundalini energy, you can attain the spiritual goal of union with the divine. As the kundalini moves up the spine, it removes major blockages and opens all of the chakras on its way to the crown chakra at the top of the head. Even people who have spent years at dedicated yoga practices have not always been able to awaken kundalini, according to Padmacahaya.com.
Techniques for Awakening Kundalini
Kundalini can be awakened by physical means -- by practicing hatha yoga and advanced postures, energy locks and seals called mudras and bandhas, and breathing exercises called pranayama. It can also be awakened through intense concentration and meditation on specific sensory nerves and specific chakras. Through physical and mental celibacy, you can learn to absorb energy that would be used for procreation and direct it upward. Any spiritual practice that involves the experience of transcendent states of consciousness involves an awakening of this coiled energy, according to Shreevedic.com.
Bellows Breathing
Bhastrika, or bellows breathing, is the most powerful of breathing exercises for raising kundalini, according to Star Yoga. Bhastrika consists primarily of forced, rapid deep breathing. Air is forced in and out, but the emphasis is on the expulsion or explosion of air. A series of such expulsions in quick succession is called a round. Beginners should limit a round to about five explosions. An extended session can cause dizziness. You can breathe through your mouth or mouth and nose and can stand, but it's better to be seated to allow maximum relaxation of abdominal muscles and easy diaphragm breathing, says StarYoga.
Symptoms of Awakening Kundalini
Some of the common physical manifestations of kundalini awakening include tingling in the body and brain region. It's sometimes described as ants walking, tickling energy or energy flushes. Another symptom is heat or cold in the body, or running along various channels and chakra centers. You may experience fluttering or twitching of muscles, or pinching or burning in various regions of the body or brain. Not as common are sudden bursts of energy anywhere in the body, or engaging in spontaneous yoga asanas. Even more rare is a feeling of spontaneous bliss, which is intensely pleasurable.
