Kundalini Tantra: 1

Product Information

This energy is believed to be coiled like a snake (hence the Kundalini Snake symbol) and can be released and directed through the body and chakras via the above-mentioned spiritual exercises, helping guide practitioners toward a spiritual awakening. Exploring the deep interconnection between Kundalini and Tantric traditions, our favorite part of this masterpiece is how clearly it explains the chakra system and the role of Kundalini energy in spiritual awakening.

The Sanskrit word Tantra translates to loom, warp, or weave, referring to a specific instructional text, often presented as a dialogue between a god and goddess. These tantric texts explain the rituals and practices used to invoke the energy of the Tantric deities. Unlike classes like CrossFit, there’s no ruling body governing who can call their offerings “tantra.” As the kundalini awakens, you naturally become aware of your true nature, the nature of God, and the purpose of your existence. It is an accelerated path to God-Realization, and can create many extraordinary experiences and realizations. – Steven Sadleir ( Looking For God) While kundalini awakening usually comes further down the road after someone has experienced a spiritual awakening, it doesn’t always. As mentioned previously, kundalini can arise suddenly in response to psychedelic drug experiences, sexual encounters, or even traumatic situations. Deslippe, Philip Roland (14 March 2013). "From Maharaj to Mahan Tantric: The Construction of Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga". Sikh Formations. 8 (3) – via escholarship.org.

Philosophy

Kundalini yoga is a crucial method to follow when trying to awaken Kundalini. This is because the kriyas and meditations are designed to increase body awareness and facilitate a careful purification of the entire system. This prepares the body, mind, and nervous system to handle the intense energy of rising Kundalini. Kundalini is the term for "a spiritual energy or life force located at the base of the spine", conceptualized as a coiled-up serpent. The practice of Kundalini yoga is supposed to arouse the sleeping Kundalini Shakti from its coiled base through the 6 chakras, and penetrate the 7th chakra, or crown. Let your breath settle and take a few minutes to rest in this sensation before opening your eyes and finishing the meditation.

Covering topics such as the chakras, energy centers, and practical exercises, Kundalini Yoga for the West walks us through the effect of Kundalini on each level of our consciousness. We immediately run into a problem here: there hasn’t been any major scholarly study of this topic. This is because the Sanskrit scholars who’ve looked into it, and are qualified to write about it, have realized that the topic is enormous, challenging to master and difficult to write about in a variety of ways. One of the challenges is that the word kuṇḍalinī has undergone a number of semantic shifts, meaning that it has changed its meaning over time and in different contexts. To parse all the ways in which this key term was used in the various stages of the Tantric traditions would be an enormous and difficult study. There is actually only one book on Kuṇḍalinī written by a Sanskrit scholar; a book originally written in French by Lilian Silburn in 1983. Silburn was unfortunately not a great Sanskritist, and though her book cites some very important primary sources, she simply didn’t understand those sources as well as one might have wished. Her book fascinates but also obfuscates. But it was still a valiant attempt, and there’s been no further attempt in the scholarly world in the 40 years since. And there simply cannot be an authoritative book on Kuṇḍalinī not written by a Sanskritist, because the vast majority of sources on the topic have never been translated (many of them still exist only in manuscript form, meaning they have not even been published in Sanskrit, let alone in translation). In the absence of authoritative work on the topic, there’s a huge amount of speculation. In modern spiritual culture, ‘Kundalini’ is a buzzword that is pressed into service by different people to serve their particular spiritual, and sometimes even financial, agendas. As this happens, it’s not unusual to see changes in your relationships. You’ll probably find some become stronger while others break down. In addition, many people also find that when Kundalini awakens, they discover and connect to their life purpose. While a kundalini awakening is a psychophysical experience, it differs from a psychotic break. This is because a kundalini awakening may appear spontaneously or out of the blue. However, it results from prolonged engagement in Kundalini yoga meditation, breathwork, or other tantric practices.Lightly place your hand on your right foot as you shift your focus there. Feel the sensations of the foot as you visualize it full of golden light. As you exhale, imagine the golden energy expanding to the corners of all five toes. Changes in body temperature such as intense feelings of hot and cold, particularly along the spine or in the chakra energy centers The common misconception is that Tantra is about uninhibited intimacy. However, the term tantra is about how to use all your energies to make things happen, including intimate energy. One key difference between Tantra and other types of yoga is that Tantra teaches you to achieve liberation via the physical body rather than transcending it. Thus this type of yoga is about connecting deeply to yourself. Sovatsky (1998) adapts a developmental and evolutionary perspective in his interpretation of Kundalini Yoga. That is, he interprets Kundalini Yoga as a catalyst for psycho-spiritual growth and bodily maturation. According to this interpretation of yoga, the body bows itself into greater maturation [...], none of which should be considered mere stretching exercises. [28] Controversy [ edit ]

An awakening is when the dormant kundalini energy rises from the base of the spine all the way up to the seventh chakra, Sahasrara. Many people who have experienced a kundalini awakening describe it as a remarkably powerful spiritual experience. Kundalini yoga ( kuṇḍalinī-yoga) derives from kundalini, defined in tantra as energy that lies within the body, frequently at the navel or the base of the spine. In normative tantric systems, kundalini is considered to be dormant until it is activated (as by the practice of yoga) and channeled upward through the central channel in a process of spiritual perfection. Other schools, such as Kashmir Shaivism, teach that there are multiple kundalini energies in different parts of the body which are active and do not require awakening. Kundalini is believed by adherents to be power associated with the divine feminine, Shakti. [1] [2] [3] [4] Kundalini yoga as a school of yoga is influenced by Shaktism and Tantra schools of Hinduism. [5] It derives its name through a focus on awakening kundalini energy through regular practice of mantra, tantra, yantra, yoga, laya, haṭha, meditation, or even spontaneously ( sahaja). [6] [7] History [ edit ] Drawing of the subtle body in an Indic manuscript showing the energy centres ( chakras), the main subtle channels ( nadis), and the coiled serpent energy at the base of the spine ( kundalini). The serpent is shown again on the left of the drawing. Name [ edit ] Try slow guided breathing using an app like Calm or InsightTimer. (Be mindful of how your body responds. At the first sign of discomfort stop immediately.) Cultivate love: Feeling love is important, but Rebelle notes giving love ultimately helps us cultivate more of it. To do so, try loving-kindness meditation.

Turner, Robert P.; Lukoff, David; Barnhouse, Ruth Tiffany; Lu, Francis G. (1995). "Religious or Spiritual Problem. A Culturally Sensitive Diagnostic Category in the DSM-IV". Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 183 (7): 435–444. doi: 10.1097/00005053-199507000-00003. PMID 7623015.