I have read and poured all over Genieve Lewis Paulson’s “Kundalini and Chakra Yoga” which to me was more or less a basic book and failed to produce any good results.The author works with the premise that “Chakra work is like working on taking care of the tyres of your car …but if there isnt any fuel (kundalini) : your wheels wont be taking you anywhere”.
So most of the practice focuses of direct* kundalini activation and arousal…for about year Ive delligently practiced all the exercizes given but dont think the amount of work put in is equaling the results yielded.
I now have the lucky opportunity of getting to order a book online.I want this to be a well informed decision and everything on amazon seems to have a lot of marketing-oriented hype.
I’m looking for smthg of a Kundalini Bible : clearly given exercizes ,postures or mantras - Nothing with hyperbole or theory : something from which one can build a very solid basic routine
something tried and tested that does yield results.
looking forward to suggestions
i think im going to opt for “Kundalini Tantra”
[QUOTE=xandaman;38533]I have read and poured all over Genieve Lewis Paulson’s “Kundalini and Chakra Yoga” which to me was more or less a basic book and failed to produce any good results.The author works with the premise that “Chakra work is like working on taking care of the tyres of your car …but if there isnt any fuel (kundalini) : your wheels wont be taking you anywhere”.
So most of the practice focuses of direct* kundalini activation and arousal…for about year Ive delligently practiced all the exercizes given but dont think the amount of work put in is equaling the results yielded.
I now have the lucky opportunity of getting to order a book online.I want this to be a well informed decision and everything on amazon seems to have a lot of marketing-oriented hype.
[B]I’m looking for smthg of a Kundalini Bible [/B]: clearly given exercizes ,postures or mantras - Nothing with hyperbole or theory : something from which one can build a very solid basic routine
something tried and tested that does yield results.
looking forward to suggestions[/QUOTE]
The two books that immediately spring to my mind are:
The Serpent Power – The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga - John Woodroffe/Arthur Avalon
and
The Secrets of Kundalini in Pachastavi - Pundit Gopi Krishna
The first book is more of a ‘Kundalini Bible’, but it also has been heavily translated and geared towards a ‘Western’ adaptation of the esoteric tradition.
The second book is more ‘down to earth’ (pardon the pun) and [I]all[/I] of Gopi Krishna’s books are worth looking into for relevance to the subject matter this was my starting off point.
If you are looking for more of a ‘handbook’ for the Yogic practices leading to the awakening of Shakti, may I suggest you study up on the branch of Yoga known as ‘Laya Yoga’ (the Yoga of Absorption).
There’s one thing I know for sure though. Kundalini will not rise if you [B]want[/B] it to happen. It should be more of a ‘desired effect’ rather than the goal of your spiritual practice.
Treat the Goddess with love and respect. You will be rewarded in due time.
I would recommend this book , and not the other one.I actually put that other book you mention in the first post in the bin,the first time i have actualy done that with any book i’ve owned.It just struck me as new-age mmmmm.It lacked authority for me, and a couple of the comments the author had in that book did not resonate with me.(for instance she talked about the need to protect yourself from bad influences; i 'm pretty sure she was talkiing about other people. It just did not sound right.other people drag you down bla bla bla. it sounded negative to me & unyogic, and any of the science appeared to me somewhat wishy-washy. i think it lacked science for me at least)
Also ‘Yoga & Kriya: A Systematic Course…’ by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
A bible.
All the Satyananda books in the BSY collection are veritable bibles.
Also 'Advanced Yoga Practices: Easy Lessons for ecstatic joyful living ’ by Yogani
deserves an honourable mention too , and would be a good place to start if you’re not used to self-directed practice,inner yoga and/or learning from a book.
The systems above are systematic and safe in their systematic gradual approach. Self-pacing principle is key to safety and gradual infoldment & awakening.This basically means you go at a purification pace your system can handle.And watch out for automatic movements,monitor them so the changes to the nervous system are absorbed gradually,incrementally.There’s probably i’ve heard never an ideal awakening but you can avoid setbacks and learn to ride it,navigate the path once armed with the tools and the knowledge, both equally useful and important especially if you wish to avoid potential big unforeseens or set-backs.
Practise, persistence, patience…
The long-haul…
A marathon, not a sprint!!
The AYP deep meditation will help you cultivate the inner witness state or inner guru which can be helpful for when esctatic conducvity or kundalni gets flowing although some systems may prescribe meditation porper until after kundalni is properly awoke.Indeed some may be more meditative in approach or pranayam-based or combine the two.With AYP you can Read the online lessons & then do the practices ,at your own pace.
You basically need pranayam & meditation although some people may do it with hatha yoga asan based practice alone. The latter is how i unwittingly done it although i did’nt really know what i was doing.But you contiinnue to live & learn.Many folk may not run into problems( i don’t know what the data is there) if they understand what they’re doing, the dynamics, but it is possible.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is often said to be a manual for awakening kundalini but i suspect many beginners may not really understand what this means.The word ‘kundalini’ often deserves de-mystifying because there is alot of lack of clarity on the subject ,perhaps even supersition you might say , based i suspect often on fear & ignorance .If you view yoga as a spiritual science with principles and techniques then you can go about it in a controlled more predictable fashion.Start of with the basics of everything and then build on that systematically ,incrementally.
As you gain a better understanding of the totality of yoga, that every action has a reaction, no matter how seemingly small then you’re working more deeply in the “spiritual” dimension, or on the level of supra-sensibile realities. The practices reveal that;they demonstrate quantum physics in action, and the body/the self is the experiment,the great or grand project.The micro-cosm is the macro-cosm,merely a reflection and one and the same,unified.This is tantra.
Some might suggest or say they awoke kundalini in a big way or fully-blown ,matured, by accident.They might use the word ‘spontaneous’. I’m inclined to be believe it does’nt really happen that way. You usually have to do a series of very specific things, i.e yoga practices, systematically over time (and then do nothing,empty your mind of thoughts etc,watch the silence,disengage from externality) at least for most people.Although you can get things going at the very least with intensive asana/hatha yoga as i discovered (although how controled it is i’m not sure, if you’re using powerful techniques like bandhas and all that ,the breath- i was using dynamic uddiyana bhandha,ujjayi and one-pointedness of mind & surrender all during asana viniyasa- i felt like a rocket about to take off!!-this is automatic yoga btw).It seems unlikely though to be spontaneous,though anything is possible i guess, unless you were really ripe to begin with.If you look at Gopi Kirshna, the classic documented case, he took years , and then more to get it right, eventually mature refine etc.I’ve got his ‘Evolutionary Energy of Man’ where he talks about Kashmir,his stay there, and meetings with other folk, i think there was one man in particular , & in an indian culture.If you’ve got the tools and the knowledge you should be alright. I think with Gopi, if i remember correctly now he was focusing on visual lights in the thrird-eye perhaps and for some reason the crown, his attention gravitated there so his work was very targeted.He was a long long time meditator so the time it takes will be much slower if i’'m not mistaken. But it sounds like he either was’nt that clued up at the time up on the dynamics and he kind of just sllipped-up, had an accident, in yoga terms.Just one of those things that can happen, though i’m not really sure how common it is.Many folk may well encounter little difficulty. I think the test is more the time & energy invested over the long-term.
[QUOTE=core789;39730]
You basically need pranayam & meditation although some people may do it with hatha yoga asan based practice alone. The latter is how i unwittingly done it although i did’nt really know what i was doing.[/QUOTE]
As was the case with me.
I just practiced a few asanas (mainly Surya Namaskar) for half an hour in the morning and evening, however, the remainder of my Sadhana comprised of dhyan and pranayam (rhythmic alternate nostril breathing).
I also practiced tratak (first on a candle flame, then on and between my own eyes in a mirror) for about an hour every day.
I was only focusing on opening the Ajna Chakra, but a lot more than that eventually occurred.
You are also correct about Gopi Krishna. His books are not really based on how to go about raising Kundalini, more than about what happens after that (as a result of his own experiences) and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika is the ultimate source of knowledge on all things relating to this.
The final piece of this ‘jigsaw’ though is Bhakti.
When one is fully prepared to give up raising Kundalini in order to drop the mind, lose the desire and open the heart and soul up to the infinite love and wisdom of the ‘higher self’ beautiful things start to happen.
When I first started on ‘the Path’ I received some advice that has always stuck with me.
“Don’t seek to force the petals of the lotus open, you will only destroy it. Nurture the bud and fertilise it…give it a lot of light and love…then the lotus will bloom of its own accord and the scent will be intoxicating”.
The word ‘kundalini’ often deserves de-mystifying because there is alot of lack of clarity on the subject
Somebody provided a very good clue:
Yogic practices leading to the awakening of Shakti
The operative word here is Shakti.
śakti शक्तिः 1 (a) Power, ability, capa- city, strength, energy, prowess; -4 The active power of a deity, regarded as his wife, female divinity; 8 The power inherent in a cause to produce its necessary effect. Apte
Full understanding requires knowledge of Samkhya philosophy and certain Hindu scriptures.
Dear Friend!
A sincere advice: Do not practice Kundalini Yoga or Tantra reading any books, yes books do offer knowledge and information but all that is second hand information and other’s experience. I will suggest you to have practical experience of the divine energy under someone’s proper guidance as it could be tricky to experiment it all alone. Inculcate qualities like love, compassion and forgiveness. All these qualities will lead you to a mental state where the benevolent energy is ready to shower her grace.
Enjoy!!![QUOTE=xandaman;38533]I have read and poured all over Genieve Lewis Paulson’s “Kundalini and Chakra Yoga” which to me was more or less a basic book and failed to produce any good results.The author works with the premise that “Chakra work is like working on taking care of the tyres of your car …but if there isnt any fuel (kundalini) : your wheels wont be taking you anywhere”.
So most of the practice focuses of direct* kundalini activation and arousal…for about year Ive delligently practiced all the exercizes given but dont think the amount of work put in is equaling the results yielded.
I now have the lucky opportunity of getting to order a book online.I want this to be a well informed decision and everything on amazon seems to have a lot of marketing-oriented hype.
I’m looking for smthg of a Kundalini Bible : clearly given exercizes ,postures or mantras - Nothing with hyperbole or theory : something from which one can build a very solid basic routine
something tried and tested that does yield results.
looking forward to suggestions[/QUOTE]
Kundalini yoga, the real kundalini yoga, cannot be practised without a master’s direct guidance. It can actually be dangerous.
Books are good to a point only; they give you an idea but the master’s guidance will give you the practice.
Back to classics: a good book is Kundalini Yoga by Swami Sivanananda:
[QUOTE=oak333;44536]Kundalini yoga, the real kundalini yoga, cannot be practised without a master’s direct guidance. It can actually be dangerous.[/QUOTE]
[B]Agree. [/B]
Kundalini teaching from Shri Jnaneshwar, 6-th century.
http://www.bvbpune.org/chap06.html
"O Arjuna, next the heat nererated by the posture wakes up [B]the serpent power known as Kundalini[/B] like a young serrpent bathed in red pigment (kumkuma) resting twisted round itself, this small serpent power, the kundalini, is asleep with mouth downwards in three and a half coils.[B] She is like a streak of lightening or a fold of flame, or a polished band of pure gold.[/B]
This kundalini sitting crowded at the naval centre wakes up, when she gets pushed [B]up by the annal contraction (mulabandh)[/B] (221-225). Now as though a star has fallen or the sun’s seat has broken loose or the seed of lustre, which has been planted, has produced a sprout, so this serpent power is seen to uncoil herself and stand up relaxing her body on the naval centre. She has been hungry for long, and by reason of her being woken up, she opens her mouth wide and forcefully raises it up. Arjuna, then she embraces the in-breath collected under the lotus of the heart, and begins to bite the upper and lower flesh (226-230).
[B]She easily swallows the flesh wherever she can find it[/B], and then she takes one or two mouthfuls of the heart’s flesh also. Then she searches for the soles of the feet and palms of hands, and piercing their upper parts she shakes up all the limbs and joints. Thereafter without leaving her place, she draws out the core of the finger-nails, and cleansing the skin, clings to the skeleton. She clean up the bones and scrapes the fibres of muscles, so tht the grwoth of the hair-roots of the body begin to wither. Then she quenches her thirst by lapping up the seven humours, and makes the body completely dried up all over (231-235).
Then she draws in forcibly the out-breath, flowing outwards from the nostrils to a distance of twelve fingers. She thereafter pulls up the in-breath and pulls down the out-breath, and when they meet, only the sheaths of nerve-centres remain. Both the breaths would have mingled at that time; but the Kundalini, being uneasy for a moment, asks them to keep away. O Arjuna, this serpent power eats up all the solid stuff in the body, and leaves nothing of the watery parts also. When she eats these solid and liquid parts of the body, she becomes satisfied and remains calm in the spinal cord (236-240).
I wouldn’t recommend a book without a proper guide. Really a Tantric Guru.
I know two people who have ended up in mental health institutions after attempting kundalini practices without proper guidance.
I hope this is taken in the right light. The kundalini entails a level of power and intelligence that far out weighs what our minds are capable of comprehending.
a sure bet is to prepare the field, when the conditions are right, the fruit will grow on its own. like a farmer tends the soil, a wise bet is to tend the body and the mind. let it take care of itself.
just a suggestion.
good hunting
kavon
[QUOTE=oak333;44536]Kundalini yoga, the real kundalini yoga, cannot be practised without a master’s direct guidance.[/QUOTE]
[B]This is false. [/B]
FORCING THINGS can be dangerous, but natural kundalini rising is a normal stage of progress. However, having experienced counsel around to talk to & reassure you when it’s naturally happening is incredibly valuable.
xandaman,
A recommendation: Before attempting to rise the Devi, purify your nadis through Nadi Shoddhana Pranayama. Otherwise, in my opinion you run serious risk to fail in your enterprise.
As I have learned from Arthur Avalon’s books, prana converges in Sushumna Nadi when Kundalini wakes up. Cosmologically speaking, all shaktis (powers) in universe were issued from the Maha Kundali (cosmic K). In Kundalini Yoga, we revert that process in the microcosm we are. Our pranas are drawn back to Her and She climbs Sushumna Nadi. For that to happen, nadis should be cleared out.
And of course, prepare your physical body for the event through an asana sadhana.
Kundalini Tantra is not a bad choice, but it requires a Hatha Yoga background. You’re expected be proficient in some asanas, and experienced in pranayama as some breathing techniques in KT are really tough.
This is my advice, do Hatha Yoga first.
Good luck!
Hi to everyone interested in yoga, kundalini energy and meditation. I recently experienced a kundalini awakening and have written about it on my blog if you’re interested: clareactman22.blogspot
A few months ago, I attended a class in Tasmania called ‘Open heart meditation’. We were instructed not to focus on the mind and instead, told to focus on the heart chakra and accept any passing thoughts, rather than actively try to stop them.
During the meditation, I became aware of a strong, delicate white energy coiling up through my whole body which felt so powerful, I intuitively thought, there is something inside all of us that remains alive after death. I no longer felt like a physical being; I felt connected, made of energy and instinctively thought that there is something higher at work here.
[QUOTE=ClareActman;46670]Hi to everyone interested in yoga, kundalini energy and meditation. I recently experienced a kundalini awakening and have written about it on my blog if you’re interested: clareactman22.blogspot[/QUOTE]
Clare, I couldn’t find anything about your Awakening on your blog…could you please post more details about it?
I’d love to hear every single minute aspect of it that you can recall.
Are there any practice developing a control of emotions?