Thursday, June 29, 2017
What Is Kundalini?
The most frequently asked question about Kundalini is "What is Kundalini?" This is a complex question and frankly I am not sure anyone knows the exact answer. But here are some possibilities.
Kundalini is the electromagnetic/psychospiritual system of the body. This, like the other bodily systems (chemical, biological, nervous, et al) runs below the threshold of conscious awareness, until some event or practice triggers its awareness in the conscious mind. It is in fact the electric grid for the body, reaching from the base of the spine up to the crown of the head, and includes as well many minor connections into all parts of the
body. When it is aroused, it opens the system into many new frequencies, and these can produce bliss or pain, depending on how many blocks it encounters and how well the frequencies are received and integrated into the overall structure.
Kundalini is thus the life force itself. It exists in every sentient being, including animals and possibly even plants. It is acknowledged in virtually all societies and cultures, and is known by different names (chi in Asia, Num! in Africa, shakti in India, and so forth.)
In yogic philosophy, it is described as a snake resting at the base of the spine. Once it is awakened, it then rises up the spine through various "chakras" (wheels, nerve plexuses) These centers include two in the lower abdomen, the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the "third eye", and the crown. As the energies rise up through these various locations, they open in rapture, if all is in balance. The crown then feels "a thousand lotus petals unfolding in ecstatic pulsation." For some, this state is called "Enlightenment."
For many, the awakened Kundalini creates bliss sometimes described as "God moving through your body." Indeed, the experience does seem like a divine connection with unknowable Source As a form of devotion, it is a deeply sacred event, one in which the practitioner feels that at last she knows her true being, her identity as a tiny particle in the vast ocean of Cosmic Reality.
Sometimes, however, the result is less than pleasant. The awakening in one who is not prepared (because of unresolved issues, whether psychological, emotional, physical, or other) can result in difficult and sometimes painful results. For this reason, Kundalini was held as a closely held secret in early times and imparted only to those who had prepared themselves carefully by rigorous practices.
Although Kundalini was virtually unknown in the West a generation or two ago, it now is reported in various guises in great numbers, as part of the spiritual awakening now going on world wide.
