Everything You Need To Know About Kundalini Awakening

Background Information and Origins:

It is interesting to note the ways in which certain events that we experience in this lifetime plant the seed so to speak for what we subject ourselves to and allow ourselves to be influenced by later on in life. Upon this observation or kind of recognition, I find it necessary to give a little background information on the events that lead up to my own kundalini awakening, as well as some need to know origins as to where the sentiment comes from.

Of all the occurrences in what I can call the story or narrative of my life, one such event stands out more than any other as a kind of launching point that had the most profound impact on the overall trajectory of this fragile thing that is my life. The happenstance in question was that of a trip made by me and one of my dearest friends to the orient. We spent six months in South Korea, a week of which was spent in Japan so that we could renew our passports.

During this epoch of our lives, we were subjected to and introduced to a great number of eastern philosophies, religious beliefs, practices, and things of the likes. It should be noted that my friend already very deeply engrossed by these ideologies. The days at our apartment where she would read the works of Osho, or of other spiritual leaders still play out vividly in my mind, and it is no surprise to me that she has gone off to manifest an entire career based off of her spirituality, which is one of her highest values, but that is neither here nor there, and is completely irrelevant and besides the point.

The emphasis, however, should be on the way that the empirical knowledge gained from the journey had an unprecedented effect on my sense of consciousness, and on the direction in which my life was going. One of the most obvious exemplifications of this that I can relay to my audience is found in my academic career that followed the trip. Prior, I had struggled in school, having been placed in special education in high school because of my condition that I have described at great length in various other articles.

Returning home, the eastern sentiments such as that if you change your thoughts, that you change your reality at large, and I really began to ruminate over this notion, and apply it into my life according. For instance, in the case of my schooling, I looked over the views and beliefs that had been instilled into me over the years as part of my social conditioning. It was clouded with the echoes of student counselors telling me that I would never succeed in a collegiate environment, and other thoughts of self-doubt, that I wasn't good in the realm of academics, and other thoughts that created for tremendous self-doubt. I almost laughed in challenging these thoughts and beliefs. It was no wonder I was doing so horribly in school. That was the belief that was playing over and over again in the background of my mind, and as such, it was the reality that I was creating for myself. There couldn't possibly be a way that I could do well, succeed, or thrive in this environment if it was not held within myself that I could.

And so, night after night, that is just one way that these conceptualizations created for monumental changes in my life. That semester I removed myself from DSPS, which was the college equivalent of special education, figuring that life would not give me any handouts, and that should also be the case with my educational career. It was not long thereafter that I graduated from the community college level with my A.A. in English. I graduated with honors, and I was one course away from an additional A.A. in Psychology, as well as one Physical Education course away from another A.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on Art and Science. I decided against the those in favor of simply focusing on my passion, and going to the University level to obtain my degree in English there.

I mention this because that trip was also the seed that ultimately led to my own kundalini awakening. As part of my visit to the orient, I took a love for Buddhism, Taoism, and other eastern philosophies, and ideologies surrounding spirituality from the eastern perspective. Although I would like to note that I do not consider myself a Buddhist, or a practitioner of any real religious, but otherwise consider myself to be a spiritualist. Nevertheless, in studying up on these differing beliefs, I came across the whole notion of the chakra system, and the role that these energy centers play in each of our lives. Note I will write another article in great length on the topic of chakras, as well as many on individual chakras in question, but for now, it is the main point that it is here within the concept of our chakra centers that we find the origins of where a kundalini awakening comes from.

At the same time, I find it worth mentioning that that period also acted as the primary catalyst that allowed for the kundalini awakening within myself. From that point on, I became engrossed in what living a spiritual life may look like. One that is congruent with my passions, my most true and authentic self, rooted in the present, with meditation and everything else that it could possibly entail, being so naive at the time as to realize the fact that spirituality was not something to be attained; that we simply already are, as that is our true nature. What can I say? The more I see the less I know. The only thing that I can be certain of, is that I know nothing.

I note this observation because my instance of kundalini awakening to place during a deep meditation one afternoon. There I was, in a deep meditative trance on my families living room couch, when all of a sudden, I underwent what I can only describe as a kind of sensory overload, which was immediately followed by a burst of energy that went up from around the pit of my stomach, up my spine, and up through my body, which in turn, sent me through a sort of convulsive fit. At the time in question, the thought was that I had experienced a seizure, for it is common on my mom's side of the family, but all tested proved that this was not the case, and doctor's were not quite sure what the hell it was that sent me into my frenzy. It is at this point that I would like to talk about the Kundalini Awakening insofar as what it is, especially in its relationship with the chakra system.

In order to discuss a kundalini awakening at length, a basic understanding of the chakra system is crucial. Accordingly, various easter paradigms state that there are seven main life energy centers found inherently within the body, and these they refer to as chakras. There is a wonderful episode of the last air bender that provides an excellent illustration of how these energy systems work. Those that deeply study this issue will make the stipulation that there are as many as twelve, and other ideologies posit that there are as many as 120-130, but for all intended purposes we will focus only on the seven main ones for now, and more specifically that of the one associated with a kundalini awakening.

At a glance chakras involve ones extra-physical dimension and bioenergy, and these include the root or sexochakra, the solar plexus or umbilicochakra, as well as that of the spleen chakra or splenochakra, the heart chakra or cardiochakra, the throat chakra or laryngochakra, the third eye or pineal gland chakra which is also referred to as the frontochakra, and the crown chakra or coronochakra, corona referencing the head or halo to the crown of one heads. Each of these energy centers that are depicted as spinning wheels have their own corresponding color; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet in the order previously given. They also include their own mantras, lotus flowers, animals, elements, symbols, and other identifiable markings. Going deeper down the rabbit hole of studying these energy symbols each one carries with it a demon or obstacle to accessing it. For instance, the root chakra obstacle or demon is that of fear, and to open it means confronting each one of our deepest individual fears. At a later point, I will do an in-depth description of each of the chakra centers. However, for all intended purposes, we are going to focus on the center of the solar plexus, the navel chakra, or the chakra of the lower abdomen, for it is here that the journey into a kundalini awakening begins.

Introduction to the Solar Plexus Chakra or Energy Center

Just as each and every single chakra has its corresponding mantra, symbol, color, or lotus flower, so too does each one carry with it its own Sanskrit name. Beginning with the root chakra and working up to the crown chakra these respective names are that of Muladhala, Svadhishthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddhi, Agya, Bindu, and Sahasrara, of course, being located at the base of the crown chakra. Each of these Sanskrit names have with them their own meaning. Muladhala is loosely translated into foundation or origin, and as the root chakra it is the place where the spiritual journey begins. The rough translation of Svadhishthana is the place or seat of the self, and is thus the initial point of awareness, and ultimately one's destiny. Remember that for later. Similarly, in Sanskrit, Manipura is the pearl place or palace. Just as we get unlimited, unconditional, or infinite sound from Anahata, the center of the heart chakra. Working up we have the purification of impurity as found in the Sanskrit word Vishuddhi. Agya on the other hand, located just above the brow can be defined as the place of wisdom. We can associate this with the pineal gland, the third eye, and intuition. From there we get quite simply point or drop from the word Bindu. Finally, Sahasrara the place of the crown chakra could be translated to mean one-thousand, as in the thousand leaf lotus flower, just as it could be taken to mean infinite, as in infinite wisdom and understanding. Of these, of course, it is that of Svadhishthana.

One of the most truly fascinating characteristics of the solar plexus chakra is the unprecedented significance that it carries with it for such a base chakra. What is even more interesting, is the fact that in present times, this sacred chakra has sunken even lower as a result of all the egotism, avarice, greed, capitalism, worldly concerns, and other base feelings that occur as part of our culture and society. It is difficult to navigate the inner self and world, when the focal point or emphasis is on external things, especially when many of the inquires about our fate, meaning, purpose, and self originates from this specific focal point. In fact, this energy center is a critical stage in human evolvement, but has sunken so low to the opposite side of the spectrum of the intended purpose of awareness to that of a place of unconsciousness, and this is highly recognizable in our current epoch of humankind that seems to be marked by either global or collective unconsciousness, which we are thankfully waking up to.

What happens within the specific energy center is almost paradoxically concerned with the demon or obstacle of the chakra which is that of shame. This is seen in the way that it causes us to look within our faults, mistakes, guilt, and all other things that make us feel weak, insecure, and vulnerable. But it is for this reason that the solar plexus chakra's main purpose is that of profound transformation. In overcoming these base feelings, and our more primitive drives, and through mastery of self, as in self-control, it, in turn, allows us to move into a higher realm of consciousness that would otherwise be unavailable to us, in failing to conquer these demons or obstacles if you will. It is to observe and love the dark parts of the psyche, the dark night of the soul, and to reframe it in such a way that allows for this process to take place. I wrote an article on Dark Night of the Soul, and the two, that is it and it's relationship with the Kundalini Awakening seem almost synonymous, or highly indicative of one another, as if they were interchangeable, in the way that the Kundalini Awakening can turn ones world upside down on its head, and bring great inner tribulation, but it is all for a higher purpose.

The reason for this happenstance largely has to do with the tremendous amount of pent up energy that is stored at this location. More often than not, this energy remains dormant in most of the people that you would pass on the street. Now, this process of transcendence of our base feelings that we refer to as Kundalini on the most basic level is that of our very life force. Tantra speaks to this in telling us that most of humankind's problem lies believe it or not in feelings, repressed and otherwise regarding sex, which is also our life force. We get taught at an early age not to touch lower parts of ourselves, and the consequence of this, naturally, is that we have instinctively taken this to the extreme of shallow breathing, which results in an inability to reach these vital life forces, our sense of flow, as my brother, the MMA fighter, would say. The consequence is that this life force, in the vast majority of us, remains coiled up in this locale, and for various related reasons has been referred to as a kind of coiled snake. Bearing all of that in mind, what is even more intriguing about these notions is that the energy provided in a Kundalini awakening is that of Divine Feminine energy, at least that is what the belief is, the idea being that it is this sort of equalizing effect of combined divine masculine and feminine energy.

“The word kundalini generally refers to that dimension of energy, which is yet to realize its potential. There is a huge volume of energy within you that is yet to find its potential. It is just there waiting because what you call as a human being is still in the making.”

On the most rudimentary level, what takes place in the event of a kundalini awakening is a taping into of the apex of all energy; the very source of all things as it were. When this monumental occurrence takes place, all that pent up coiled energy at the base of the spine surges, and shoots upward up the body through the spine, and essentially activates all the other energy centers or chakras, in a initiation process if you will. In tantra this is the activation of our very life force. Again, the highest good or purpose from this happenstance is that it ultimately serves to expand individual consciousness and awareness. When Buddha was asked what he was, this of course referring to his occupation, or the question of what we do in this life, he would simply say that I am awake, an awaken spiritual, awake to his true essence and nature, and it is this that the individual is awakening to in this process; that they are so much more than a human being, but an immortal spiritual presence, entity, or being.

It is said that the serpent is Shakti, a goddess that is legendary for having created all that is. One of two protagonists in a sort of “big bang” origin story, inspired by her longing to be one with Lord Shiva, the other protagonist.

How to Awaken Kundalini Energy

Throughout the ages, there have been a plethora of commonalities that ultimately lead to a Kundalini Awakening. That being said, it should be noted, first and foremost, that there is no real cookie-cutter, one size fits all process that fits for this event because it is a highly individualized process of expanded consciousness. Someone may practice for years what has worked, perhaps something like yoga, and it may never come about. Conversely, someone who had never had the intention of the experience may have one as a direct consequence of accumulated life experiences. On that point, it should be noted that such an activation should be carried on with caution. It may be a chaotic process for the individual if they are unprepared, have no guidance in the process, or have the slightest idea of what this journey entails; that was the case for me. Bearing that all in mind, listed below are some of the more common ways in which this event can be brought on by.

Just Breath: Throughout the contents of this webpage, the significance of focused and deep breathing can not be emphasized enough. Much of the time tremendous shifts in consciousness or spiritual awakenings take place through the most basic of means. For instance, spiritual leader Eckart Tolle reached a place of nirvana by being deeply rooted in the present moment; to become the infinite and formless now as it were. Similarly, many of the ascended masters, like Buddha, or Ram Dass, have attained enlightenment through deep breathing practices, and it is for this reason that in Hinduism and in Tantra, a great portion of these techniques are centered around deep breathing. Buddha spent six years focusing on this, and found enlightenment under a tree, as the story goes, as was the case with Ram Dass, but his practice took him twice as long as twelve years. Long story short, one of the easiest ways of activating this sacred energy, this hidden treasure is simply by focusing on your life force that is the breath. As the Buddha said, all of life can be measured in a single breath. All that we have is this present moment, so just breathe and let yourself exist.

Live Out Your Passions:

Of all the ways to awake the serpent energy that is Kundalini, this one is by far my favorite. What we see a lot in our society, is that people are living at a lower frequency than they are supposed to, as a result of working nine to five dead-end jobs that they hate, and being so attached to the worldly values such as sense of ego, status, reputation, monetary gain or pursuit, and a full gamut of other things that not only don't serve the self, but that drain us of our vital life force and energy. The painter doesn't paint because he doesn't have the time, for he's working sixty hours a week at the bank and his second job, neither of which he has any particular interest in, and we see this a lot. The dream doesn't pay the bills. The interesting thing however, is that we are naturally of a higher vibration. This is the state that we were in during our fragile youth. The things that we did, the things that we enjoyed and loved, were done solely for that, not because of some reward at the end. It is when you are engulfed in love, your passion, for the sake of your passion, and doing what truly makes you who you are, that thing that you'd be doing if you weren't at your retail or marketing job that is your most natural self, and it is also in doing that thing that you are also at your highest vibrational field and pull. That is one of the reasons that I am writing this for you my audience.

It sounds so cliche, but nothing can be further from the truth; follow your bliss. Often our hidden talents and gifts are hidden behind the veil of the things that we love to do. We take mystics, sages, geniuses, artists, and people who have accomplished great things in this life as these like rare superhuman like beings, but the truth is they are just following their passions. But what we see all too much in this society is that it gets kind of stuffed out or exhausted, because the gift isn't appreciated. We get told why don't you go to college, or apply for that door into the corporate world instead of following our bliss. Our families may reject are artistic abilities or what we are interested in, telling us that it isn't realistic, or that you'll never make a living doing that, and it gets repeated to the nth degree until we ourselves believe it, our beliefs making up our reality. But, the thing about pursuing your passions, is that simply participating in those interests, and in the things you love, just for the sake of doing them, immediately raises your frequency to the natural high vibrational state that you are supposed to be at, because when you are following your bliss, you are operated from a place of abundance, and from a love-based place, as opposed to a fear-based place, or from a sense of lacking this that and the other thing. And it doesn't have to be an extreme, even if it's for an hour a day that is enough to put you in that high vibrational state, the point being to increase the increments over time until that is just the state that you operate at. Like Albert Einstein once said, "To master a craft, requires all of your energy." Take the time out to invest all of your energy into your bliss and your passions. And, in the event that you are not sure what drives you, or what your passion might be, explore, and think back to when you were a kid. It is when we are in our youth that we are most connected with our spiritual self because we had only just departed from it. Were you happiest drawing pictures or playing with animals, or video games? Just explore and let it find you.

Reject Negativity, You Are What You Eat

This is one of, if not the most important methodologies not only in terms of a Kundalini, but in overall individual wellbeing, transformation, and carries over into almost all areas of one's life. True as it may be, at the same time, it is one of the most difficult to describe, because again, there is no one size fits all cookie-cutter approach that works for everyone. At the same time, it highlights a huge flaw in our healthcare, or more accurately sick care system, as well as the related paradigms that we've been taught such as nutritional models. The inherent problem in the last half-decade or so being demonstrated in the way that everything from medicine, to nutritional tables, and other modalities acting as if the same thing works for everyone. It has only been very recently that healthcare practitioners are starting to see that it is so much more individualized than that. I mention all of this because in my attempt to describe rejecting and removing perceived negativity in one's life, I will use a kind of dietary analogy to do so. At this point, I would like to mention that I, in my own spiritual journey, have mixed feelings and opinions on this topic which I will articulate here, and probably at some other point.

Returning to common idioms, almost everyone has heard the expression, you are what you eat. This is interesting because we say as much, but in the arena of one's diet, we generally restrict this to the things that we consume, and the foods that we eat. But diet is so much more than what we eat, and it can not be emphasized enough as to the extent in which this is related to removing toxins and negativity from one's life.

As I have stated numerous times, all life is energy. Nikola Tesla once noted that, "If you wish to understand the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration. Not only that but the energies that are all around us carry with them a vast amount of information. This is why there is a group of vegans that choose such a diet because it is their way of expressing that they are trying to be more universally conscious, because let's say the steak that you are having for dinner carries with it a kind of residual energy of how it was treated and the means in which it was slaughtered so that you could enjoy it, and it is their way of expressing that they are being considerate and conscious of all life forms. I myself struggle with this, although I have explored this avenue. The thought is that we should refrain from eating foods that come from an animal out of respect for that life form, but at the same time, there is the argument that in its own right, just about any plant has its own life force. An apple decays to the same extent that we do, if not faster. There is even an argument that the planet itself carries its own life force, as is observed in the way that it omits a huge electromagnetic pulse from its core just as we do, and in the way that it gives creation to life-bearing plants and animals. Later on, in this subcategory, I will explain more thoroughly how this correlates with removing perceived negativity.

In the same way, however, our diet also refers to everything that we take in via the conducts of the five senses; what we hear, is like food or music to our ears, just as what we see is energy and information or food for our eyes, and so on and so forth in this fashion. This too is a problem in our society. All around us we are bombarded by noise pollution from the sounds of emergency sirens or freight trains passing off in the night that makes us tense up and that puts us on edge. On a daily basis, through the microscopic lens of what we are able to see of the spectrum of light, we are subjected to some three-thousand advertisements a day that constantly reminds us, almost on a subliminal level, to perpetuate the cycle of consumption and capitalism. The world around us is crazy and chaotic, at least that is what we are taught when we return to our minute version of Plato's cave, with the images on the wall being replaced by news that spread fear and anger, which is carefully devised, and the intention behind the message. Those in charge don't want us being at our highest vibration, or to step into our power, and to realize that the real power is in the masses, and so they carefully devise ways to keep us in fear-based states of consciousness as opposed to one of love.

You already know the mold. The television is going to remind you of COVID. It's going to preach the same message of hate between the two sides of the same monster that is politics, teaching you to further divide and separate you from your neighbor, and go on about how horrible a job our elected leader is doing. In the same way, it's going to do the same thing that it's done for the last twenty-five or so years, and tell you that mental illness is the reason for shootings and bombings, but then ironically enough will do nothing at all about the apparent problem. That leader is a threat. Military personal are stationed here. Chaos and calamity. Now, watch this advertisement on iPhones and purchase it because you are nothing without it. It's exhausting, tiresome, the reason I got out of journalism, and your neighbor is going to give you a play by play of it in the morning. You can do without it. If skepticism arises, please tell me how it serves your highest self.

But this approach should be taken in almost all areas in your life, involving all the five senses, in the same way, that one would treat their diet. The things that you take in are like the input for your brain and its chemistry, leading to the output that you generate in this world. Start looking at the ways that you can consciously take hold of all that you eat, see, hear, smell, taste, think, and so on and so forth. Start looking at the movies or media that you watch. The songs that you listen to. Is it some Metal Screamo playlist of hate and anger. See if you kind find some rift that you like that is more positive. You are what you think about all day long. What are you thinking about? Is it helpful or conductive in terms of progressing yourself forward, or creating for happiness and wellbeing? If not change it. If you don't like the picture, change the camera. Change your thoughts and change your world at large. Look at the video games that you play in your spare time. Besides sports-based games, can you really think of a handful of games that aren't centered around some level of violence? Think about that. Seriously conduct an audit on yourself on every level. Who are the people that surround you? Do they promote you and who you want to be? Do they lift you up, or do they drag you down, and make you feel bad about yourself. You can trust your feelings. They are what are keeping you alive. If that's how it is, then change it. What about your place of occupation? What are the feelings that arise when you think about it? If it's the same, it's time to look for a new job. Of all the sensations in this dietary analogy, feeling is most important. Gravitate towards your joy and your bliss. Try and get to the point that you absolutely love where you live, the significant other in your life, your occupation, and every last aspect of your life. Life is way too short to be doing shit that you don't want to do or don't like to do, and not only that but doing something you don't want to do only creates for negative karma.

To play the devil's advocate, I have to stress this emphasis on feeling in terms of looking at one's diet and removing negativity from one's life based on my own spiritual journey. This stems from the thought that is found in Tantra that all things are sacred and that there is no good or bad, it's how you perceive it. Let's look at listening to heavy metal just as one exemplification. Maybe the message is as far from positive as you can get. But if for that individual, rocking out to it in the three hours that they have off is the closest they get to joy and bliss, and they absolutely love, and I mean love it, and that is the feeling created, how can you raise the argument that it is negative? That is the feeling it evoked in that person, and that feeling is beautiful. It's the same way with diet. It is a huge trend right now to eat plant-based diets or to be vegan, because the thought is that it promotes higher levels of consciousness, like its the one true way to enlightenment because that's what monks do. But let's look at that. One individual does that, under a kind of false pretentious of being super-spiritual, and absolutely hates the diet but goes against it. On one level, it's an unauthentic gesture, and not in unison with the true self, and the other is a more base level feeling. It's dense energy. Another person on the other hand may have a horrible diet complete with everything they love from cheesecake to Philly Cheesesteaks, but that makes them absolutely happy and on cloud nine. They are feeling love-based energy. That should be the focus in removing negativity; positioning oneself in a way that is true to who they are, and that has them operating from a love-based place. I'm sorry Karen, but being vegan doesn't automatically make you enlightened, Hitler was vegan for crying out loud,

On an aside, removing negativity can be difficult simply because we don't always know, like what the overall impact of some event may have on us. In all actuality, the spirit delights in those trials and tribulations that life bears, in all the challenges, obstacles, and strife that we ultimately face. It thrives in the storm, in the dark nights of the soul, in the chaos, and in the darkest moments of our lives. Suffering breeds enlightenment. In the crux of a traumatic upbringing, homelessness, the dark night of the soul, sickness, and all the hardships of life, the mind, and the egoic self may regard something as truly negative, and rightfully so. The brain will say to itself, "I cannot live with myself." But that is the recognition of ego, self, and awareness. That horrible event may have been painstakingly horrible, but, if it leads to say a spiritual awakening, was it truly negative. No, it served its purpose in leading you to become your highest self. Again, all things are sacred.

Love

This category isn't talking about romantic, intimate, platonic, or twin flame relationship types of love, although it could certainly entail that as well. What we're talking about here is again, operating from a high vibrational love based place; one of self-love, and learning to fall in love with the self over and over again on the deepest level possible; or as the goal in tantra is, to be able to love thy self at all times, and in all locations, and situations. We see this from various highly spiritual individuals, such as Jim Carrey, although people are mistakenly seeing his recent behavior as his going crazy when he is what certain groups called woke; awaken to his spiritual nature and essence. As he noted, fear is always going to be a factor, but it's all about moving from a fear-based place into one of love. And that is the message that should really hit home and sink in with all of these ways of tapping into a Kundalini Awakening.

Asides from some of the more obvious exemplifications, there are so many seemingly countless ways that one can move into a heart-centered life. Before I touch basis on these, I would like to take this time out to speak directly to one that often goes overlooked. As a part of cultural and societal conditioning, we are taught to condemn, ostracize, demonize, and otherwise marginalize various parts of ourselves, and in turn, we reject our true nature, oftentimes suppressing or repressing these parts to ourselves. Love, unconditional love that is, is accepting, as opposed to rejecting. More often than not, what we reject in others, is typically some aspect that we reject in ourselves, and have not consciously looked at, reflected upon, or dealt with. This is fascinating. We turn to the great Greek philosophers for so much of what we know today, still reading the classic works in the scholastic setting, but we have almost done away with their whole sentimentality that all parts of the psyche even the darker parts should be honored and embraced; that this too is sacred. At the same time, this touches basis with the whole point of the Kundalini Awakening which is that of mastery and transcendence over these aspects of our self, for a higher level of self-control over base level feelings, primitive impulses or instincts, and over those things that are within us that bring us shame and guilt.

In the same breath, however, the act, and the feelings and sensations associated with falling in love is something that can ultimately lead to a Kundalini Awakening, especially of the likes of what can transpire as a result of a twin flame relationship. A lot of the time, especially in the previously mentioned relationship, falling deeply and madly in love triggers the types of responses necessary of a Kundalini Awakening. Doing so often causes us to look at these problem areas in our lives through this deep sense of reflection and introspection. Just as falling in love involves acceptance, understanding, and a kind of selfless sacrifice in putting other individual's needs before our own. As we become love in this process, hoping to become the person or be the person that the other person needs us to be, this too can trigger this phenomenon. Just as we need to have love, unconditional love of thy self if we are to give that to another person in our life.

But there is so much more to operating from a love-based place. Is your current place of location just the same old home town that you have grown comfortable and familiar with, or is this someplace that you would absolutely love to live? Start looking into ways as to how you can make this happen. This is all sort of repeated from the previous point but live the life you love and love the life you live. Surround yourself in an armor of love, in all areas of your life, until you get to the point that every day you wake up saying, God, I love my life. Get to the point that you're no longer rolling out of bed, dreading the day ahead, but instead, hopping out in excitement with what lies in store for you.

Spiritual Endeavors and Pursuits:

A Kundalini Awakening is one of the most profoundly spiritual occurrences that can take place. It is quite literally the awakening to one's spiritual nature and essence. So, it should come as no surprise that one of the ways in which it can come about is by actively putting the intention out in the universe to take up spiritual practices. And the best part about this way is that there are so many different modalities in which this specific means to Kundalini Awakening can take place through.

Some of the more common approaches that can be made in this regard are the typical, almost stereotypical practices that one might think of when they think of the word spirituality. For instance, in one's curiosity about living a more spiritually based lifestyle, they might take up meditating once a day. It is interesting to note how rapidly meditation, especially that of transcendental meditation is becoming more and more commonplace in today's society. Or perhaps a kind of guided visual meditation. Meditation is so much more than the generalized idea of someone sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, repeating Om over and over again to themselves. It is another highly individualized process. For instance, walking around the beautiful city I live in or sitting out in nature, either the woods or by the beach is my own. Get creative and have fun with it. Creativity is intelligence having fun.

There are so many different venues and outlets that this subcategory falls under, that it almost seems impossible to list them all, and at the very least a book could very easily be written on the topic, which I am sure is the case. For starters, there is the whole world of both tantra and yoga that one could take up and practice. Plant the seed of intention, and start consuming, reading, and taking in as much spiritual information as you can. There are so many books on the topic it is ridiculous, and I will make sure to create for an article of the very best spiritual books out right now. I would recommend looking into Eckart Tolle's The Power of Now, or, A New Earth to start. Any of the books by Osho or Ram Dass would also suffice, not to mention A Course in Miracles. At the same time consider getting interested in any and all of the eastern philosophies; take the time to look into Buddhism, or read Lao Tzu's, Tao Te Ching, the foundation of Taoism. Look into the mystical arts in such mediums as the I-ching, and indulge in your interests. Start thinking about your chakra centers, and how you can unblock these power sources and overcome the obstacles associated with each other. There is no limit to what this area can create in your life. The world of spirituality knows no bounds.

Dream Works - Envisage/Believe It And Feel It As If It Already Was:

As a man thinketh in his heart so is he. Call it the law of attraction, or whatever you will, but this is consistently a common trend that we see in individuals who have accomplished great things or achieved a tremendous amount of success in their lifetimes, and it is the very same reason that Albert Einstein once commented that, "Imagination is far greater than any amount of knowledge." It is also the source behind his quote that the intuitive mind is a sacred gift, while the rational mind is a faithful servant, that society worships the slave and has forgotten the gift, for intuition leads for that kind of gut-feeling sense of wisdom where we just know, without really knowing or having ever studied on a given issue.

However, getting to the meat and vegetables of things as it were, visualization has a large part to do with manifesting the hearts deepest desire, as well as in the case of activating Kundalini Awakening. We see this a lot in the social elite, although it is arguable that this is leveraged in a way that is not so much spiritual. There are multiple similar stories of the like of Jim Carrey, who took time to write a check out to himself for some million-plus dollars that he believed he would receive, and the check that he was issued for his part in Dumb and Dumber was given to him on the very date that was on the check that he had previously sent to himself, at least within the same month and year, and many artist such as Denzel Washington has given discussions on the way that we attract what we think and feel all day long, that we attract that in which we are. In the same way, this correlates with meditation, as far as guided visualization is concerned, for it is not uncommon for athlete's of the caliber of Tom Brady to visualize themselves winning the big, game, visualizing themselves holding the super bowl trophy, and the feelings behind each and every single moment leading; hoisting that large heavy trophy above his head in a crowded arena, with tears of happiness beading down his face, with his teammates and family surrounding him. You can almost picture it now. I know I can.

In my personal journey and experience, I have come to the opinion that the reason for this is that visualization acts as a kind of bridge way to both faith and belief, serving to strengthen and fortify it. We receive the energy that we put out into the universe, and we hear too often, seeing is believing, I'll believe it when I see it. So, when we visualize all the things that we insatiably long for in our heart, whether it is winning the super bowl, receiving a check for a million dollars, to strengthen one's sense of spirituality, or whatever it may be, it is as if we are saying to the universe, see, I believe this, I have faith in the process, it may sound unrealistic, it may sound impossible, but still, I can see it in my mind's eye. It can happen. You are what you think about all day long; again, as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

While I can speak to the vast majority of these categories, the process of visualization is perhaps one of my favorites and one that I can personally testify for. This is something that I am constantly leveraging in my day to day life, and I can not emphasize enough the extent to which it has transformed many different aspects of my own life. I was really proficient in utilizing this in college. Before the semester started, I would sit in my room and meditate on what it would take to get all A's. I analyzed every last step. I knew that I would need to read all the course material, and any supplemental material if needed. That, and I would need to memorize volumes of information, so proficient notes had to be taken, and I would have to take them on my computer because I type at around one-hundred words per minute, so I would be making the most of my time, and taking more notes than if I were just writing them down on a ledger. I visualized getting A's on the homework, which would help me get A's on the quizzes, then the tests, and in turn the finals. Throughout the courses of each semester, I would write little A's on my notes, or percentage's above 90 percent and thought about how it would feel like to get a paperback with that score on it. When I handed material in, I would lightly scrawl a little A on it in the left-hand corner, or mark a value above ninety percent if the paper showed a grading scale on it before handing it in. Imagine my own astonishment on the occasions that the value I marked on the paper was the same that I actually received for the work. I myself hardly believed it. Still, nine times out of ten this process worked for me, and I got the A's that I wanted, and this is something that I incorporate in other areas of my life that are of great significance to me. And in the cases that it didn't, it was largely because I did not myself have enough belief or faith or confidence that I could do it or that it could be done. I saw the process, the vision was there, but there was that little area of doubt. This is the same in most things in life, you either believe you can or you can't and in either case, you're right, because the brain will find a way to show you that you were right. This is why doctors administer anesthetics before you are aware of it, so that there is no time for you to worry about the side effects or whether or not you will wake up or not.

Make sure to take the time out to create a visualization board. Set it up wherever you spend most of your time. On it, post pictures of the place you would like to live, your dream house or car. Go full out The Truman Show with it, and generate what an idea of what the girl or guy of your wildest fantasies looks like. Do this for whatever you feel would make you the most happiest in this lifetime. Take it a step further, and make for daily affirmations that are in a beautiful sense of synchronicity with the life you want to live. If you want all A's in college, tell yourself that you are smart, brilliant. You are an outside the box thinker and an A student. You are brimming full of truly original and innovative ideas. If it's a penthouse suite overlooking the Boston area, tell yourself that money is attracted to you. Tell yourself that you have abundance and that you are thriving in your life. As for spirituality and kundalini awakening, imagine a healing radiating energy emitting from you. Envisage all of your chakra centers being balanced, flowing, centered, and active. Try to envision what life as a fully conscious and aware being might look like for you. What does it look like to be awakened to your spiritual essence? What does the most real and unapologetically authentic version of yourself look like? Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else, is the greatest accomplishment. What does that version of yourself look like, and how do you get there?

Caution - Kundalini And The Path Less Traveled

While there is a multitude of blissful means that lead to a Kundalini Awakening, there are just as many that come from some of the deepest trials, tribulations, and suffering that life has to offer. The destination is bliss, but sometimes, getting there is the combined effect of so much pain, that the individual wakes up to it, and has this recognition, that that life is no longer for them, that it no longer serves or suites them, and sometimes the greatest hardships and tragedies have the same effect, leading to this very profound spiritual moments. For this reason, we will review the more painful ways that lead to this phenomenon.

Under this overarching umbrella of ways that a Kundalini Awakening may be initiated, we will but the heavily generalized label of any degree of pain and suffering. And more often then not, it is unfortunately through this means that we typically see it occur. A large part of our society is ego-based, and one of the direct ramifications of this is the result of what can be described as the pain body. Eckart Tolle uses this term loosely to describe how the egoic mind will attach itself to the narrative that takes place in the mind, the narrative being called, the story of my life, in which we personally identify will all the things that bring pain, and trauma to the forefront of the mind, as if that pain and trauma are who we are. The story of my life taking on many different titles such as, I have lived an abusive life, or I am an alcoholic because I came from a family of alcoholics, and so on and so forth, and we live out this life pattern, at least until we become aware and conscious of it, and that it is no more than that, just a faulty narrative that we tell ourselves every day.

So first, trauma is one of the main causes that ultimately trigger the Kundalini energy. I say one of the main causes because trauma itself can take up to as many as five different ways that this can occur. This is due to the fact that there are so many different types of trauma, whether it is physical, emotional, psychological, or even spiritual. I know that the last one can be hard to grasp. How can you go through spiritual trauma?

Trust me that too is possible. For instance, imagine if you would, an extremely strict and pious upbringing in the center of the bible belt, and members of their family conducting their own sorts of exorcisms on their children, or saying that they are demon-possessed, or that they need a priest because that child's behavior does not coincide with their notion of what a good Christian or a good God-fearing Catholic looks like. That is literally demonizing the spirit, and that is spiritual trauma. It is another conveying and belittling your spirit, essentially saying it's not good enough, it's not worthy of God's love, and just another way, a horrible way, of saying that the individual is not good enough in general. That there is something wrong with them.

Due to this fact, however, that there are so many different forms and versions of trauma, we are just going to throw a big all-covering blanket over this section, and say that all trauma, as well as all pain and suffering, can ultimately lead up to a Kundalini Awakening. This can include everything from, but certainly not limited to, physical trauma such as being beaten, or suffering a tremendous accident. In the same way, it could simply be that of being subjected to any level of abuse. Again, abuse takes on just as many forms as trauma itself, so we will just keep to this broad generalization. But that also includes being in abusive or toxic relationships. In the same way, this could include the likes of near-death experiences, as well as anything else that could generate for an out of body experience. This category also includes childbirth, in the way that it is both a monumentally painful, and yet, tremendously remarkable and blissful experience; those intensified feelings being exactly the sort of thing that can cause such an awakening. This can also include intense depression, the dark night of the soul, addictions, and just about every other sort of thing you can associate or ascribe to human suffering. These too, more often than not, awaken this sacred energy.

Stages of Kundalini Awakening:

Depending on the source that is being referenced, the number of stages that the individual will be subjected to vary, but generally speaking, there are three that are primarily accepted by experts in the field. Like the different names that are associated with each of the seven main chakras, each of these phases have alternative names, but for all intended purposes, we will stick with awakening for the first, followed by cleansing and third-eye transformation respectively.

Stage 1 - Awakening:

When people discuss Kundalini Awakenings, and their experiences, more likely than not, this is the stage they are referring to. Essentially, it is during this phase that the process of the dormant energy within the sacral chakra surges up the chakra, taking it's energy, and activating the other higher chakras if you will. It is during this process that the energy of the divine feminine manifests itself, waking the individual to their spiritual nature. In a way, they are seeing the world anew, without the veil of all the illusions that society builds around us, and in this sense, they awaken; awaken to who they truly are, and their actual core essence.

Although bliss, happiness, joy, and all of the feelings of peace that surpasses all understanding, contentment, and even nirvana are the end goal, more often than not, it is more often than it is through the most difficult of hardships, pain, and suffering, built up upon itself that creates for this in the individual. Even in rare exemplifications such as Ram Dass, The Buddha, or even Eckart Tolle, this is how the process came about. Buddha chose a life of multiple states of consciousness, and of some of the most profound suffering to become the enlightened one, a choice that he consciously decided on over a lifetime of riches and all worldly possessions. It was his strife that led to the first mantra of Buddhism, that all life is suffering, but it doesn't have to be. The same holds true for Eckart Tolle; he was plagued with extreme anxiety and suicidal depression, and through his pain, through his plight, he came to consciousness, presence, nirvana. This is true for almost every spiritual leader; we have learned volumes from their personal sacrifice and martyrdom.

It can be difficult moving from the first stage of the Kundalini Awakening to the phases that follow it because this task is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding journey's that an individual can endure. The energy that is sent in this process could be viewed as a type of purge, I remember that was something that I kept thinking of when I went through it, that I was going through this deep purge of things that no longer served me. This is often associated with extreme suffering as the individual prepares to go on this spiritual rollercoaster ride. The reason for this is that the energy that is created during this phase, allows for a flow of energy throughout the rest of the body, and as this happens, we begin to inspect those things that had our chakras blocked in the first place, things like trauma, illness, the shame and guilt we hold, our deepest most intimate fears, the beliefs we have that keep us trapped in our place and condition in life, our current emotions and feelings, and of course all of this can create for a rippling effect, as we closely observe the underlying issues. In modern Psychology, the entirety of this process could be viewed in terms of Carl Jung's, The Hero's Journey, or, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and the elixir of life, is that you emerge a totally transformed and refined individual; the individual that you were meant to be, at your highest vibrational level, capable of reaching your highest good. It is as these issues pop up, that the individual faces the most trying and exhausting period of this process, which is that of the cleansing, or purging stage.

Stage 2 - Cleansing:

Admittedly, this is the approximate stage I find myself at in this all-encompassing process. For the sake of oversimplifying things, lets us work with one chakra alone. Earlier I spoke about how each chakra holds with it, a kind of demon if you will. It is this demon or obstacle that creates for either excess or deficiency of energy at each of these locations. Because it is the easiest to discuss, I will describe this process through the lens of the root chakra, whose obstacle is fear.

For the moment, let's try and envisage three different red circular wheels. The first one will be a kind of baseline. It is as vibrant a red that you can think of, its Sanskrit symbol is visible. It radiates a vibrant red light, and the energy created is a smooth-flowing circular motion that you can almost get hypnotized by. This is what we want, but this usually isn't the case.

The way we respond and have dealt with fear will create for either excess or deficiencies in this energy center. The body is a temple, so let's view cleansing the root chakra as if we were cleaning a home. It is of the utmost significance to see to this area, as it serves as the foundation for the rest of the chakras, as well as our spiritual journey to be built off of, and in terms of development, most of root chakra development takes place between our infancy to the age of two years old.

Because it is more closely related to my own life path, let's look at cleansing or purging through the lens of a root chakra that is in a state of deficiency like mine was. Growing up, anxiety was almost common-place or second nature. It was hard growing up watching my mom who had crippling anxiety as the result of the very trying life that she had had, almost to the point of agoraphobia, or fear of damn near everything. She could hardly leave the home without getting all worked up. The result of that, was it instilled some of those feelings into me, creating for a kind of belief that the world was this kind of big scary place. My dad was always off at work, so much of my reality growing up, was this fear-based perspective of the world. You take that and compound onto it the way in which my first two years of life included two near-death experiences, moving from place to place, being separated from my primary caregivers, and the chaos of the first two years of this crucial developmental period, and my root chakra was about as deficient as they come.

In the midst of a Kundalini Awakening, the cleansing that is referred to is that of going through each of the obstacles and blockages of each of these chakra centers. For instance, in the case of the root chakra, this means tackling the dragon that is fear. What are your deepest most intimate fears? Can you see why tantra teaches us that each fear is rooted in fear of death, either physically, spiritually, or of the ego, that is, death of one's perceived identity. Buddha once had a student say what I fear most is death. Buddha told him death was natural, go meditate in a graveyard, then come back to me when this irrational fear is over. So, cleansing the root chakra would mean seriously tackling those things that we fear most in a healthy way. For me, that was literally fear of death, on all levels, fear of losing control, fear of not being in control, fear of heights, fear of failure, fear of losing my mind, fear of not being conscious, but gradually over time, I have faced perhaps 9/10 of those fears. But I say healthy in a way that creates for balance or homeostasis in the chakra. Somewhere in the middle of fearing everything, and overexaggerated fearless, which was a disposition I once tried. The balance of all chakras is the key. In the same way, it means working with the chakra in a way that correlates with it. Again, the root chakra was developed in the first two years of our lives, so one of the quickest means to work on it is through physical activity, but again to a healthy extreme. Don't fixate on exercise to an obsessive extent because in that back of your mind you are doing it for your anxiety. All life is about finding balance. In the same way, other little things like focusing on the color red or chanting the Sanskrit mantra Lam for the root chakra, as one would chant Om for their third eye or root chakra are other simple ways that one can build, develop, work on, and ultimately cleanse their root chakra.

It should be noted, however, that during this stage of a Kundalini awakening, that the primary emphasis is on cleansing the solar and sacral plexus or chakras. In cleansing these lower-level energies, it paves the way for the rest of the chakras to do so in unison. The second stage is oftentimes referred to as Ghata, which roughly translates into elimination.

The reason for this is that in working on the key issues related to these specific chakras, such as those regarding shame, guilt, and the likes, the effort is to quite literally eliminate these pressing concerns that may, in fact, be impeding on your spiritual journey. In so doing, cleansing these chakras of these primal hindrances elevates the individual, or transcends them past both emotional vulnerabilities and insecurities, which in turn, allows for greater flow, or a smoother flow, of energy between each of the chakra, so that this process can occur at higher levels. It should also be noted, that like in the first stage of Kundalini, which is sort of about letting go, and realizing that we are never really in control, the theme of the second phase, is to transcend or ascend about the self, in metal, emotional, spiritual, and physical contexts, which are the primary concern of the first three base chakras, and to move to a place of realizing the impact that we have on those around us, the as well as how our actions impact everything on a global and universal level; in short, we become more universally conscious or aware. In turn, constant diligent work on the chakras in these areas, and through the rigorous and sometimes exhaustive stage of cleansing paves the way for the final stage, which can be thought of as a second awakening, or transformation of the self.

Stage Three - Transformation:

While the previous stages were long and lengthy, the final stage is for the most part, relatively straightforward. Once the individual has completely gone through the first two stages of a Kundalini Awakening, this eventually leads to the opening of the third eye or pineal gland, which allows for a similar process to take place in the crown chakra. In a way, this final stage is likened to the conclusion of climbing a large mountain such as Everest. You've put in a lot of work and effort to accomplish this monumental task, but now you have the experience of one of the most majestic views you have ever seen.

Buddha once made a comment about how at elevated states of consciousness, you realize and see how beautifully perfect everything is, just the way it is. The third stage is kind of the final letting go, of all things, the final detachment if you would, and a stage of unfolding and letting things be. At the conclusion of the Kundalini Awakening, through the perilous journey of mind, body, spirit, and soul, the individual attains full and complete consciousness.

Signs of a Kundalini Awakening:

Listed below are the most common indicators that you've experienced a Kundalini Awakening:

Spiritual:

Blissful experiences of Oneness and seeing the divine in everything (can be a glimpse or last for months). This bliss can be accompanied with a sense of dissociation from the physical body.

The world can seem highly lucid, vivid and alive.

Out of body experiences.

Temporary physic experiences: for example seeing light forms, or hearing guidance or music seemingly out of nowhere.

Developing lasting extrasensory perception: Clairsentience (feeling or touching) Clairaudience (hearing or listening) Clairolfactus (smelling) Claircognizance (knowing).

Spontaneous past life regressions.

Grandiose feelings of being the chosen one or called to heal and save the world.

Constant insights and “downloads”.

Feeling that there is no veil between the spiritual realm and the physical realm.

Ability to absorb immense amount of spiritual material.

Energetic:

A sense of something moving inside you, like an electrical current or a bloodstream you can feel. At times it can feel like over flowing water, fire or wind.

Shaking of the entire body or an involuntary jerking of different parts of your body known as “Kriyas”. Kriyas can also manifest as the body going into spontaneous Yoga poses – even if you never practiced Yoga before.

Lack of energetic boundaries: a feeling that someone else’s energy can go through you or feeling overly empathetic.

Heat at the bottom of the spine, a sense of inner burning, can be felt in other parts of your body too.

Changes in your breathing.

Intense energy surges through the body and spine, or milder sensations of energy “working” in some area of the body, such as feeling tingling sensation in the brain.

Energetic intolerance : Inability to tolerate certain people, your energy body rejects them. feeling very uncomfortable or ill near a person without a logical reason.

Feeling fragmented or as if you have “no center”.

Psychological:

Anxiety, fear and terror: some people may experience panic attacks.

Experiencing constant shifts in mood regardless of external triggers.

Bliss and childlike joy.

Long periods of heart openings and increased love and compassion for all of life.

Overwhelm.

A feeling of extreme belonging, or a feeling of extreme alienation.

Collective pain: being empathetic to the point of feeling like you connect and feel the pain of the entire world.

Feeling Raw: feeling like a child emotionally, this occurs through spontaneous regressions into old emotional pain and the age when it was caused with little ability to separate into your adult self.

Depression or grief: periods of grief are normal while letting go of former paradigms.

Feeling empty, nihilistic even, that nothing has a meaning: Common after periods of extreme bliss and finding meaning in everything or after letting go of core beliefs.

Extreme sensitivity to content: having no ability to tolerate any form of violence, sarcasm, news nor graphic sex scenes on TV or the Internet, in books or conversation around you.

Dreams of snakes: The snake symbolize transformation, transmutation and death and rebirth. The snake is a known ancient symbol of Kundalini.

Vivid dreams and lucid dreams.

Physical:

Over stimulation: a lack of ability to tolerate light, sound, strong smells and large crowds. A feeling that everyday life and stimuli is too overwhelming and almost offensive to your nervous system.

unprovoked sexual stimulation and spontaneous orgasms.

Digestive issues: A need to constantly change diet, lack of appetite, too much appetite and strange cravings, food allergies or intolerances, nausea, IBS.

Temporary changes in eyesight and hearing.

Weight fluctuations: Loosing or gaining weight without changes to diet. The body’s metabolism maybe affected for a while and slow down.

Insomnia or the opposite, extreme tiredness or fatigue and a need to sleep all the time.

Feeling cold or hot: your body’s temperature maybe changing as well, you maybe feeling overly heated or colder than your usual body temperature.

Pressure or pain in random places in the body or the chakra centers, the pain can be there for a day or longer.

Headaches.

Skin conditions: Rashes and itching or needles all over.

It is not uncommon to experience autoimmune conditions (CFS/ME, thyroid issues and fibromyalgia) during Kudalini due to adrenal stress.

Kundalini can manifest as different strange symptoms in the body that are un-diagnosable by doctors and are usually temporary – for example heart palpitations, numbness of the limbs and many more.