Kundalini Yoga - Times Of India

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Kundalini Yoga

Times Of India

 

Techniques Of Kundalini Yoga

 

Breath, sound and meditation are the main resources of kundalini

yoga. For example, a school of Kundalini yoga is probably best

recognised for its frequent use of 'Breath of Fire' and the

mantra 'Sat Nam'. Breath of Fire is a breathing exercise where you

inhale and exhale rapidly through the nose without pausing, and pump

the navel point while using the abdomen as a bellows. Sat Nam

means 'truth is my identity' and, as a chant, is used to stop mind

chatter by creating a rhythm that produces higher consciousness.

 

The postures, or asana , of kundalini are mostly taken from hatha

yoga. The difference is that Hatha yoga postures are typically held

on in same position for some time, while kundalini postures primarily

use continuous movement -- breathing, chanting and flexing the spine -

to allow the kundalini, the life force, to circulate freely in the

body thus energising the subtle and invisible charkas in the astral

body.

 

Some techniques

 

Take your RIGHT hand and make a fist with your thumb out straight.

Put that thumb in your upper heart/heart chakra area. Now look at

your fingers they are going the way a healthy chakra would go. This

applies to all the chakras down the front of your body, 3rd eye /

throat / heart / solar / sacral and the root / base, however for your

root the thumb should be pointing up vertically into your body.

 

Kundalini Basics

 

Awaken your body's untapped energies with kundalini yoga.

 

Kundalini Yoga, the 'king' of yogas, draws from all yogic systems and

techniques.

 

Kundalini is the agent of self-transformation on the physical,

mental, emotional, psychic and spiritual levels.

 

Kundalini awakening is a process, which taps into the blueprint for

higher consciousness, which is latent within every human.

 

The Kundalini yoga is a must for all who practice or wish to learn

about this powerful and proven system for self-transformation and

personal development.

 

It is important not to confuse Kundalini awakening with

enlightenment.

 

Enlightenment rarely results from a single encounter with the

numinous. It is more as if the energetic awakening initiates an

expansion in consciousness, which sets the scene for a progression of

many experiences with transpersonal states of consciousness. The

intensity and duration of each of glimpse varies with our readiness

to contain and integrate them.

 

Thus the Kundalini awakening is not an end point in itself, but the

beginning of a transformation of consciousness, which expands our

capacity to Know the infinite.

 

Spiritual development often includes expanded perceptual abilities,

increased energy, creative expression and a dedication to being of

service for the greater good.

 

In practical terms, the transformation this brings to all those who

awaken the kundalini and make it circulate freely, is that they live

with more contentment or a gentler perspective, more involved and

committed in service to others, perhaps more energized and

expressive, and displaying unconditional love for all.

 

I hope you will benefit from this article and draw on your support as

required. We are all on the same voyage of self-discovery. It will be

nice and quicker to travel together.

 

Pitfalls Of Kundalini Yoga

 

We are treading sacred waters here. To plunge in recklessly is to

risk self-annihilation.

 

When Kundalini awakening happens to people who are not on a spiritual

path, the experience can leave them fragile and fragmented. As the

Kundalini process involves a redefinition and reintegration of self,

it adds extra pressure when people wish to suppress the

transformation and insist to lead their lives normally.

 

Of greatest benefit is a supportive framework, which can allow people

to make sense of the intricate connection between spirit and the

movement of physical energy in the body, rather than fearing they are

going insane. It is important to understand that Kundalini awakening

is a process that taps into the blueprint for higher consciousness,

which is latent within every human.

 

While the enormous changes associated with a spiritual awakening may

demand psychological and social adjustments, they are not in

themselves necessarily indicative of illness. Communication and

connection with others who can provide support and a meaningful

context for understanding the process reduces the isolation and

overwhelm and can help to minimise the disturbance. Someone who has

the personal qualities of creative adaptation to change and a

flexible mental framework is more likely to weather the changes with

grace and style than those who are rigid in their beliefs and world

view.

 

Essential precautions

 

When practising this system of yoga, please be careful about these

points:

•

• There may be heat developing in the body. You may wish to go slow

on the exercises a little for some days.

•

• There may be tingling sensations in the spinal column, palms of the

hands or soles of the feet. This is due to energy rising and freely

circulating leading to opening of sleeping charkas. You should not

bother too much as it will gradually subside.

•

• Negative thoughts and desire to express violent emotions. This is

part of the energy rising and cleansing process. Control and practise

the yamas and niyamas strictly.

 

Understanding Kundalini Yoga

 

Kundalini ' literally means, 'coiled one'. The Oriental (Eastern)

Spirituality defines 'Ananda' as Bliss; the letter 'A' symbolising

Shakti . Kundalini is the primordial ' Shakti' or cosmic energy that

lies coiled in the muladhara chakra (Base or Root Chakra)

corresponding to the base of spine, in your body.

 

The cosmic energy is your life force, which keeps your body alive,

and can be pictured as a coiled snake living at the base of the

spine.

 

When awakened, Kundalini begins to move upward within the sushumna,

the subtle central channel, piercing the chakras and initiating

various yogic processes, which bring about total purification and

rejuvenation of the entire being. When Kundalini enters the sahasrara

( the Crown Chakra) region, the spiritual center in the crown of the

head, the individual self merges in the universal Self and attains

the state of Self-realisation.

 

The goal of ' Kundalini Yoga ' is to en the life force by causing

energy to travel up through the spine, where it will stimulate

various chakras (emotional centers throughout the body). Kundalini

yoga can be profoundly emotional - it can allow you to see what's

really going on in your life; if helps you become more aware of

negative thought patterns and make the choice to change them.

 

Symptoms Of Kundalini Awakening

 

While the awakening Kundalini may be a dramatic experience, the

resultant shift in consciousness may be accompanied by years of

physical and psychological upheavals.

 

The process of Kundalini awakening can vary greatly from person to

person. Some have intense physical symptoms, while others experience

mainly emotional or psychological symptoms. It is as if the new

energy invites a spring-cleaning the entire system, with unresolved

physical or emotional conditions coming up for resolution and

release. The life transforming changes which accompany a Kundalini

awakening cover the entire physiological, emotional, mental and

spiritual spectrum.

 

Greenwell (1990) has noted seven categories of symptoms which have

been observed during Kundalini awakening.

 

Pranic movements or kriyas

Prana is the Hindu word for vital energy. Thus as intense energy

moves through the body and clears out physiological blocks; a person

may experience intense involuntary, jerking movements of the body,

including shaking, vibrations, spasm and contraction. As deeply held

armouring and blockages to the smooth flow of energy are released,

the person may re-access memories and emotions associated with past

trauma and injury.

 

Yogic Phenomen

Some people find themselves performing yogic postures or hand mudra

gestures, which they have never learned or could not do, in a normal

state of consciousness.

 

Similarly, they may produce Sanskrit words or sounds, or have an

awareness of inner music or sound, mantras or tones. Unusual

breathing patterns may appear with either very rapid or slow, shallow

breathing. Some people may not breathe at all for extended periods.

 

Physiological Symptoms

Kundalini awakening often generates unusual physiological activity as

intense movement of energy releases toxins in the body. Symptoms

include apparent heart problems, pains in head and spine,

gastrointestinal disturbances and nervous problems.

 

Internal sensations have been reported as sensations of burning, over

sensitivity to sensory input, hyperactivity or lethargy, great

variations in sexual desire and even spontaneous orgasm. Symptoms can

be erratic, coming and going without provocation, but are generally

unresponsive to medical treatment.

 

Psychological Upheaval

Spiritual awakening offers a direct challenge to the primacy of ego

consciousness and the myth of separation. It brings with it a

challenge to move beyond the unconscious responses ruled by drives

and instincts and remove ego consciousness from the center stage of

the psyche. It comes as no surprise that such a challenge produces a

period of confusion and unbalance. People find themselves beset by

inexplicable emotional states as they move to clear out unresolved

issues. The emotional roller coaster may swing from feelings of

anxiety, guilt and depression, through to compassion, love and joy,

with accompanying bouts of uncontrollable weeping.

 

Extra Sensory Experiences

As perception expands outside of consensus reality, people experience

atypical visual phenomena, including visions of lights, symbols,

entities, or review of past life experiences. Auditory input may

include hearing voices, music, inner sounds or mantras. Even the

olfactory system may be stimulated with perception of scents of

sandalwood, rose or incense. There may also be disruption of the

autonomous perceptive system, with losing a sense of self as a body,

or feeling bigger than the body, or out of the body, with the

resulting confusion and disorientation.

 

Psychic Phenomena

With the opening up of psychic abilities, a person may experience

precognition, telepathy, psycho kinesis, awareness of auras and

healing abilities.

 

Mystical States of Consciousness

A person may shift into altered states of consciousness where they

directly perceive the unity underlying the world of separation and

experience a deep peace and serenity with a profound knowing of

wisdom. In some cases, the state of emergency due to psychological

upheaval is so acute that it resembles a psychotic episode.

 

Many clinicians still regard phenomena associated with spiritual

emergence as indicative of pathology because the signs are so easily

confused with the indicators of psychosis, mania, depression,

schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder. Many people

undergoing spiritual emergency are misdiagnosed and treated with

suppressive medication, which further complicates their process.

 

Advantages Of Kundalini Yoga

 

By practising Kundalini yoga, and depending on the degree and quality

of practice, you will:

•

• Be able to make your spinal cord both flexible and erect leading to

freedom from many illnesses.

•

• Get firm will power and determination thereby accomplishing most of

your tasks with ease and dexterity.

•

• Can get psychic or paranormal experiences wherein you could be able

to read or communicate directly with other minds (telepathy), move

objects with your mind (teleporting), see colors around persons

(auras), see visions of the future (clairvoyance), etc, and

•

• Be able to realise your true nature and achieve unity with the

Eternal Spirit.

 

Kundalini Yoga

Times Of India

 

http://spirituality.indiatimes.com/articlelist/211482916.cms