According to yogic principles, everyone has kundalini energy -- a manifestation of the female energy -- nestled at the base of their spine. The goal of raising kundalini is to help it rise up the spine, passing through all of the chakras along the way, until it joins with shiva -- the male energy -- at the top of the head to produce enlightenment. Enlightenment requires purity of soul and clarity of mind. Some methods of awakening your kundalini are quite difficult and reserved for those who make this a lifelong pursuit, but simpler ways can be used to stir the energy as well.
Breath Work
Yogic breathing, or pranayama, is used to raise the kundalini by drawing in energy to feed the body and free chakra blockages, clearing the path for the kundalini rising. Sit cross-legged or lie in Corpse pose, and take long, deep breaths. Fill your lungs completely until your chest is expanded as far as it will go. Hold the breath for a moment, then press upward with your diaphragm to squeeze the air out. Breathe in this manner until it feels natural, then move on to Fire Breath. Fill your lungs with air again, but push the air back out forcefully as soon as your lungs are full. Continue in this manner, gradually increasing your pace, until you are maintaining a comfortable bellows-like rhythm.
Meditation
The theory behind kundalini meditation is that it helps clear your mind of thoughts that might block the kundalini from rising, and helps you achieve clearer thought and a more concentrated focus. This kind of meditation is separate from chanting or visualization, in that it involves only allowing peace and stillness to descend upon you. Intruding thoughts should be allowed to drift by without being consciously pushed out. Eventually, you will come to a state of perfect stillness, and your kundalini energy will begin to stir.
Chanting
Many chants can help raise your kundalini, but they are all based on the premise that not only do you lose yourself in the rhythmic sound, but if the chant is said correctly, the vibration produced by the words works to clear blocked chakras and allow the kundalini to rise. Certain chants are split into parts, with the first part used to calm the mind, the second part used to clear blockages, and the third part used to create belly heat to encourage the kundalini to raise up the spine. The caveat is that just saying the words is not enough -- you must master the inflection, tone and formation of the sounds in each chant to achieve the vibration necessary to produce the desired effect.
Visualization
Visualization is frequently confused with mediation, but the difference is simple. Meditation involves clearing the mind completely, while visualization involves creating a specific picture in your mind. Far from being clear, your mind becomes so intensely focused on creating this "movie" of the kundalini rising through the chakras like a wispy white flame, that external stimuli get shut out completely. You must concentrate on making the picture so real, omitting no detail, that it becomes almost real enough to touch. By doing this, you are manipulating not only the energy within your body, but showing your kundalini what you want and how to achieve it, and that the way is clear.
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