Kundalini newbie

[Aeonem]

Hi,
About 6-7 months ago I started to experiment with meditation. This interest came naturally about 1 year after I decided to kick all anti-depressants arising from 5 years of depression & anxiety caused by my own ability to provide an answer for existensial questions.

For about one week I meditated with a guided meditation audio in which I visualized a bright white light entering & filling my body & eventually rising from the spine up through my head. The feeling I had was “orgasmic” & a profound sense of peace & love & unity towards with all of humanity. I continued with the same meditation for about 1 week & noticed that my emotions, both negative & positive was very much amplified & in extreme states of bliss I could sense a very profound bond even towards any random guy/woman on the street.
I started looking on the internet & with my amplified emotions I stumbled across alot of bad press & negative “theories” of what kundalini awakening is & what kundalini is (I had assumed it was kundalini after a bit of searching).
In this highly emotional state I became very fearful for having ruined something “precious” or messed with something that demands great respect.

Anyways, I felt & still feel great respect towards the spiritual & I also felt I had to let go of meditation for awhile if I was going to be able to keep my feet “on the ground” & be able to work & function.

From there I have taken it very easy & with as small steps I can & I have even gone through a Kundalini Yoga class which have made me feel alot more balanced & blissful.

Even though I havent felt the same kind of sensation or the very distinct feeling moving up my spine I sometimes feel sideeffects like pressure on my head & vibrations. I have noticed that this is very much connected with my physical & mental well-being which if in check would make any discomfort go away.

I wonder if anybody have any good tips on these things for a newbie? I understand I should try to circulate the energy? How much does what one eat effect spirituality?

Any & all help & tips are appreciated on my journey from my brutal awakening from atheism to agnostic to centred on the soul!

[sunyata_samsara]

Go for it!

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=sunyata samsara;78145]Go for it! :)[/QUOTE]

I am Today I am a very happy human being. It feels like I have awakened my soul, but I am sure I am not “enlightened” as I still get caught in the traps of daily, modern, materialistic life. I have successfully eradicated my urge for (unnessecary) material gains and feel joy in pleasing and giving to other, even if I dont know them.

But I have noticed that when I get caught up in any feelings of animosity towards other humans (which has always been normal for me throughout my life) for whatever reasons or lose hope for humanity (also frequently occuring throughout my life, specifically when watching the news); I get caught in a vicious cycle of negative-thought>negative emotions> negative reality & the end result of a week with these thoughts, worries & emotions combined with stress can make me feel different kinds of side-effects (sometimes found on various websites beneath “kundalinisyndrome” among other hideous side-effects I’ve luckily escaped) like pressure on the top of my head or location of the “third eye”, “bubbling” stomach, feeling of constant slow and deep vibration throughout my body.

All these things usually occur seconds before I fall into sleep. Since I have lived about 27 years as an agnostic/atheist these side-effects first came as a complete shock to me and I was certain I was about to go completely insane But when I do alot of yoga/meditation and try to occupy my mind and feelings with hope, positivity and love the side-effects dissapear. But other than this I wanted to join a community where some more experienced could share any knowledge on spiritual improvement (what to do, what to avoid) because I wonder about the praticalities of life and how much of a difference they can have on my work. For example: What can anyone tell me about Ayurveda? What is it and more importantely; is it helpful? Im naturally very sceptic about alot that to me seem commersialized but I have noticed a lighter, “purer” feeling when avoiding coffe, tobacco, alcohol and meat which have made me seriously thinking about maybe going vegetarian or at least cut back on meat and try eating as natural as possible. Or is it just a product?
What is “Chakra crystals” or “Chakra stones”? And are crystals only a religious item / idol or can they actually be of any spiritual use?

This is probably the biggest thing that has happened in my life since my birth and the actual feeling when immersing from those first very emotionally sensitive weeks was a sense of symbolical rebirth or a birth of some kind of soul. It has given existence meaning and my life a direction and now I have to try to find my path towards it, without getting stuck for too long in the in-betweens.

Any other useful yogicdisciplines, except kundalini that is very good for soul, mindfulness etc?

Finally, is it even possible to combine a “normal” life in a western society with complete spirituality? Or will I one day have to choose if I should stop my journey or to abandon all for complete dedication? Any experience because this is a conflict I have felt all the time as there seems to be something deeply rooted in the philosophy upon which modern society is built that is in absolute conflict with it…

My final goal of life is to be a light for for as many others as I can.
I’m sorry if my rambling is off-topic

[Aeonem]

Also, Is “Sadhana” important? If so, is it necessary to do sadhana strictly between 04:00 & 07:00 or could one shorten the length from say 04:00 to 05:30/06:00 or 05:00 to 06:30/07:00 or do the hours between 04>07:00 have some kind of special spiritual significance? Btw, I’m not a sikh but I like to combine what works from all traditions
Bless you

[fakeyogis]

As a beginner even 10 minutes sadhana will do, no problem. It is important to not overdo it so that you get tired of doing it. Those times is extra beneficial as the area you are in energy wise is very calm. But if you cant do it on those time even 9 in the morning would do. The most important is that you do it every day not which time you do it. But of course is it easier to relax when the surrounding is completely calm. Also shut your phone off so that you dont get disturbed.

[Aeonem]

Thanks,

Somedays I feel particularly “enlightened” to creation, blissful & loving to all. These days tears may fall down my face out of pure bliss when I meditate or listen to toucing see a touching photo etc.
Other days this feeling is gone & I sometimes walk a week without it. Sp it feels like this journey have “ups & downs”. Is this normal?

[fakeyogis]

For some yes up and downs are normal. Just try to be strong and do it even though your mind feels not to. Its like a struggle , mind and you and who will win.

Also there could be other causes for you do be like this like planets constellations etc. But this maybe is over course for you at the moment.

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=Xtensity;78338]A word of warning, be very careful when playing with kundalini energy.

I have a friend who did strictly kundalini meditations and his kundalini ended up rising before his body or mind was ready for it. He became psychotic as a result and has been locked up in a mental institution for the past year.

All of that could have been avoided if he practiced basic concentration meditation first. These ‘pre-mature’ kundalini risings, as I call them are essentially a result of direct chakra manipuation. Usually the kundalini rises on it’s own, when the body is ready for it, through concentration meditation.

Though when the process is sped up and the kundalini is ‘forced’ to rise, it can cause grave harm and danger to ones physical and mental health if will power and concentration is not well developed.

Kundalini yoga exercises and meditations are very powerful but please be very careful with them. The last thing you need is a pre-mature rising of the kundalini which can result in severe depression and psychosis if your concentration and mental focus is not strongly developed through concentration meditation - usually focusing on the breath.

Pre-mature kundalini risings are extremely painful as the body is not properly prepaired.

Your post demonstrates that you are making very rapid progress in playing with your energies. My advice is be sure to take time to develop your concentration through basic concentration meditation where you DON’T manipulate any energies… unless of course you want a pre-mature painful kundalini rising.

I know people who have had pre-mature kundalini risings and are still in pain 2-3 years after the fact. The energy from the rising has been so intense that no drugs of any kind have been able to soothe their pain. It also has been near impossible for them to train their concentration after the fact because there is so much energy bouncing around in their bodies that they can not adequately focus.

Think of it as…

You can build a bomb-shelter(stable concentration) in the midst of multiple nuclear bombs going off(ha, good luck) which is basically what it’s like trying to train concentration from nothing after your kundalini has prematurely risen. Or you can build your bomb-shelter(concentration) before the fact so you can handle all the energy when the bombs go off.

Be Careful… if your kundalini prematurely rises, and you can’t handle it… you’re going to badly screw up your life, social/family relations, financial credit, with potential for long-term psychological damage. Hospital & psych stays are EXPENSIVE.

Be careful… that’s all I can say. You wont like a pre-mature kundalini rising.

…and just so you know, I am not anti-kundalini or energy-fun like a lot of people who advocate this same warning message. I am fairly experienced with my energies, but I also spent a great deal of time cultivating concentration. Too many beginners underestimate the power of Kundalini energy. It can bring you great power, or great destruction.[/QUOTE]

Hi, Thanks for the warning, I wish I bothered to read about it when it first happened.
I already raised it prematurely & went through about 3 months of great stress, fear (for being on the road to insanity) & paranoia & many of the usual “kundalinisyndromes”. It was a rude awakening as I never believed in anything spiritual

I have now learned that when im in balance, the energy flow is in balance and vice verse. This is also the reason I started doing yoga, to be able to live with what I’ve done I also went through a couple of years of depression due to existensial questions one year before this experience. Thanks to this kundalini experience my life has gained meaning as it was probably exactly what I needed as “proof” that indeed, we humans are more then just blood, meat & desire

Now I dont do these guided meditation, I just do 1 yoga set a day, for 40 days, until I switch to the next part of the body. I also go to a kundalini-yoga-class so that I can learn from some more experienced. I try to not rush myself anymore and be content with what I have already tasted. Im slowly & properly gonna work my way through all the chakras

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=Xtensity;78338]A word of warning, be very careful when playing with kundalini energy.

I have a friend who did strictly kundalini meditations and his kundalini ended up rising before his body or mind was ready for it. He became psychotic as a result and has been locked up in a mental institution for the past year.

All of that could have been avoided if he practiced basic concentration meditation first. These ‘pre-mature’ kundalini risings, as I call them are essentially a result of direct chakra manipuation. Usually the kundalini rises on it’s own, when the body is ready for it, through concentration meditation.

Though when the process is sped up and the kundalini is ‘forced’ to rise, it can cause grave harm and danger to ones physical and mental health if will power and concentration is not well developed.

Kundalini yoga exercises and meditations are very powerful but please be very careful with them. The last thing you need is a pre-mature rising of the kundalini which can result in severe depression and psychosis if your concentration and mental focus is not strongly developed through concentration meditation - usually focusing on the breath.

Pre-mature kundalini risings are extremely painful as the body is not properly prepaired.

Your post demonstrates that you are making very rapid progress in playing with your energies. My advice is be sure to take time to develop your concentration through basic concentration meditation where you DON’T manipulate any energies… unless of course you want a pre-mature painful kundalini rising.

I know people who have had pre-mature kundalini risings and are still in pain 2-3 years after the fact. The energy from the rising has been so intense that no drugs of any kind have been able to soothe their pain. It also has been near impossible for them to train their concentration after the fact because there is so much energy bouncing around in their bodies that they can not adequately focus.

Think of it as…

You can build a bomb-shelter(stable concentration) in the midst of multiple nuclear bombs going off(ha, good luck) which is basically what it’s like trying to train concentration from nothing after your kundalini has prematurely risen. Or you can build your bomb-shelter(concentration) before the fact so you can handle all the energy when the bombs go off.

Be Careful… if your kundalini prematurely rises, and you can’t handle it… you’re going to badly screw up your life, social/family relations, financial credit, with potential for long-term psychological damage. Hospital & psych stays are EXPENSIVE.

Be careful… that’s all I can say. You wont like a pre-mature kundalini rising.

…and just so you know, I am not anti-kundalini or energy-fun like a lot of people who advocate this same warning message. I am fairly experienced with my energies, but I also spent a great deal of time cultivating concentration. Too many beginners underestimate the power of Kundalini energy. It can bring you great power, or great destruction.[/QUOTE]
Can one raise kundalini prematurely several times???
Should I do Kundalini Yoga?

I want to feel “secure” and not “afraid” and have done so during the last couple of months which have consisted of Yoga and different regular meditations).
Is the right way to go or should I slow down even more?
Even fear can arouse the energy again so its definitely still “alive”. Sometimes, if I feel I’m taking water over my head I do “grounding” activities: watching movies, having sex, taking a bear, eating fast food & try to get in the mindset where I again worry about materialism. The only downside is life feels better when I get into a mindset of a spiritual life.

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=Xtensity;78360]If you’ve managed to get through a surprise rising before, then I have confidence in your ability to handle future happenings. If what you say is true then you may just be one of those people who can handle their experiences well.

I don’t think future raising will be worse, in fact, the opposite. Now that the energy has gone through your body once, and you’ve become used to it, you’re more apt to handle it, it may be the opposite of painful the next time it happens.

Think of it as a drug. The first time is almost always the most intense.

Anyways, never fear. Fear is the enemy of faith… and if you don’t have faith in yourself, then your practices will suffer. Faith is a huge component of spiritual practice. You’ve come this far, don’t stop.

Instead of fearing. Acknowledge what the fear is about and focus on expanding your ability to deal with whatever the source of the fear is. If the fear is of uncontrollable energy, then focus on learning to control the energy and make it behave how you please.

I’ve learned with strong enough faith in spiritual practices, anything can be accomplished… anything…

If I didn’t make it a conscious effort to have faith in my practices early on, I would have given up long ago. But I kept going, and having faith, and I’ve advanced a great deal[/QUOTE]
The energy has felt particularly strong today and right now I can feel it flowing up my back and the hairs of the back of my head stands very easily at days like this However I havent felt it this strong in about one month but that might be because I had a great meditation yersterday & deep sleep this night.
By all descriptions I have read I have raised it already. It was a guided meditation that went through all chakras & where visualized white light or some sorts righ in the root chakra and after about 30 minutes I “opened” the chakra and and the guided meditation just said “let the chakra open and awaken the Kundalini”. At this moment I fealt an energy rapidly moving straight up from my root chakra up to my brain and when it hit the brain I felt an “orgasmic” sensation throughout all of my brain. I could “feel” my cells vibrating to in tune with somthing far higher then I ever experienced before.

If I would compare it to any drug it would be Morphine/Opiates, at least for the physical sensations. Mentally was more ecstatic but with a more natural feeling, except for when I was in paranoia / fear of psychosis (due to many websitewarnings)

I felt “reborn” after this but went through a couple of months with shaking hands at times, warm sensation in lower back etc. etc.

Since I started the yogaclass and started doing it at home to I havent felt any sideeffects only the blissful ones. I think this might have to do with the fact that I am strenghtening my nervous system (at least I’ve read so:) Sometimes I push it to far as Im eager to make as much progress as possible before I die and because I notice my family is telling me I have become a new much more loving, more enlightened person.

I would very much like to strenghten my meditation-techniques as i’m a complete newbie and want to be able to reach a deep state of meditation even in yoga-class. Ive noticed I have a harder time getting to that blissful, empty state when other people are around me. Anyways, it’s a jungle out there of tips, meditations etc. and I wonder if you or anyone know any really good (preferrably basic or simple) techniques to strengthen my concentration or ability to lock out thoughts etc?

[QUOTE=fakeyogis;78336]For some yes up and downs are normal. Just try to be strong and do it even though your mind feels not to. Its like a struggle , mind and you and who will win.

Also there could be other causes for you do be like this like planets constellations etc. But this maybe is over course for you at the moment.[/QUOTE]

I’d like to learn to comply with nature in anyway I can. Does it depend on when on the year one is born etc? In that case im a virgo. I havent got to really diggin down into this because its hard for me to “choose” ONE religion or system

[Aeonem]

Ok, Of course I cant be sure it was a “genuine” Kundalini awakening, I can only know that I have never felt anything like it. During the meditations that I did before the particular one I did feel “orgasmic” sensations but this one time it really felt as if I was suddenly plugged into a nuclear reactor; I was knocked out and could feel my brain and whole body in an very intense orgasmic feeling, almost numbning. I got scared of course so I immediately canceled the meditation and didnt do anything related to it for weeks.
Of course, the time before all of this happened I have went through a very scrutinizing period.
It was simply a “climax” in a years long process of existensial questions and soul searching which is too long to write about on a public board

*Burning in my spine. it was painful but not so painful that I decided to go to the hospital. This feeling continued for some weeks
*My body was definitely surging and shaking uncontrollably right afterwards.
*vibrated several weeks afterwards. As I play guitar I noticed my fingers were shaking several months afterward and it has only partly stopped in the last month. most noticeable when I lied in bed right before sleeping wehen I could feel my legs vibrating / shaking
*It felt like I recieved “electric shocks” through my body and that feeling has continued to this day, but has decline and does now only appear at night, before sleep approx 1-3 times a week
*super amplified emotions
*Extreme mental stress. Bordering to psychothic the first weeks. This included very strange dreams and even fears of becoming “possessed” or schizophrenic. This was a very confusing time for me som i’m sorry for not being more specific.
*My body is feeling alot lighter righ up until now, but at the time I felt featherlight.

I asked the most knowledgable person I know who’s into yoga right when it happened and I showed her the meditations routines I had done along with the particular one and it was she who first told med I probably had an “kundalini experience” and that I should either contact a pro or go to the psychiatrist and get bensodiazepines.

Anyways, the months after this happened has been about trying to control / preventing the side-effects for me.

Is it normal to have these kind of side effects for several months from meditating trough energy-manipulation?

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=Xtensity;78370]What you describe sounds like a type of Kundalini experience, but not the full blown that I know of.

The full blown experiences you can’t stop. Once you feel it starting up… there’s absolutely no stopping. They can leave you rocking back and forth uncontrollably .The energy rapes you so to speak. Sometimes people report not being able to sleep for many days-weeks after the experience, similar to strong stimulants. Psychosis like symptoms are common.

A fullblown kundalini experience cannot be counterbalanced by any type of drugs.

It might suck at first, depending on how powerful the experience is… but keep on meditating and you will go from hating the pain and that it happened to loving it, and reaping all of the benefits of it. Just don’t give up[/QUOTE]

I can not stop this either which I why I have began yoga and meditation classes. I have many strange side effects that I have never felt before during my 27 year life and as I said, I just want to learn how to live with it and I dont trust any psychiatrist. Wathever it is I cant stop it by myself and have to learn how to be able to live in society in this way. I went through a medical examination because I wanted to make sure theyre not physical diseases and they are not.
Note that I have tried the exact same guided meditation many times after this very first experience but I have never felt the same kind of rush or sensations

[LIFEAGLR]

peace to all.
Theres a great new site with
yoga for kids video s and a spirituality page.
a must see!!! at ayesyesyall dot com

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=Xtensity;78381]I had misinterpreted when you said

I took it as something you could stop. But now after what you describe, sure does sound like an awakening.

But one of the worst things you can do is stop meditating. Well, rather, you should after that point be meditating on increasing your concentration and will power.

Doing basic breath-concentration meditations will aid you in blocking out the pain and learning new skills to better utilize the energy in your body. If you don’t then the energy is likely to just cause you torment.

One of my Kundalini Teachers many years ago taught me that if you’re going to be serious about any major energy work that can cause drastic fluctuations in your body, then you should definitely make it a [B]priority[/B] to focus on building up your concentration abilities… If you neglect doing that the energy will cause you more pain than anything and you’ll be missing out on a huge number of the capabilities of having such great energy.[/QUOTE]
Do you know any good meditations that build up concentration?
How many days should I do the same Yoga-set before I switch to the next one? Ive heard 40 but thought it sounded alot?

The energy has stabilized itself within me but I still get some nasty side effects from time to time. Mostly when Im under stress for ca. 1 week or longer or if I suddenly lose the “spark” of motivation for love and spirituality I can get heavy pressure on my skull. I think I managed to control it pretty good so far but sometimes it feels as though then flow is boosting up when doing certain yoga postures

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=Xtensity;78396]The best meditation I can ever suggest is the most basic anapanasati, being mindful of the breath.

Breath deeply in a relaxed rythm into the lower abdomen(stomach region) and focus on the breath - also try to incorporate as many senses as you possibly can into focusing on the breath. Try to visualize the breath the location of the sound of the breath, while your eyes are closed; focus on the sensation the air creates in your nostril. Most importantly be sure to keep your attention fixed in one spot. Do not follow the breath, instead focus on a single spot which both the air from the inhale and exhale pass. These are all just techniques I’ve developed for focusing on the breath. You may only need one of them, most importantly, just focus on the breath.

This is a basic technique to get you into the concentration meditative state. The technique can take some work to get down but once you get the hang of it, you will find yourself entering into Samadhi easily.

The truth about energy meditations is, they can cause you to experience a lot of powerful energy very rapidly before the mind is even ready for them. This can be very dangerous though if done too extremely, as negative sideeffects can result.

When you cultivate your concentration, your energy begins to elevate and your concentration begins to refine becoming needle pointed. With this various siddhis will arise automatically in a much more controlled manner when the mind is ready due to such intense concentration states - unlike them arising too early due to energy exercises when the mind is not prepared.

Cultivating concentration before getting into energy yogic exercises has a number of benefits, the ones above that I have mentioned, along with the ability to be serene and happy all the time, to be focused, to have a heightened pain tolerance including resistance, extreme heat and cold, and this pain tolerance also applys to any sort of mental anguish and fatigue - there are hundreds of more benefits. I couldn’t possibly name them all.

If I were going to be someones teacher I would force them to cultivate a moderately strong pin-pointed concentration ability before trying any energy manipulation meditations to ensure they have nothing but positive experiences.

One of the best benefits of having a strengthened concentration ability is the mind is able to learn more quickly. So not only will you have little-to-no mental anguish during overloading energy meditations, but due to the concentration your learning speed will drastically rise and you will progress at a much much much faster rate than you would if you did those energy meditations without a strong sense of concentration.

Sorry for the long post. But if I were you I would take a few weeks off to focus on cultivating concentration before continuing any energy meditations if they are causing you any sort of discomfort. Your body and mind will thank you greatly.[/QUOTE]

Great advice, thank you

What can you tell me about the third eye? I sometimes get a strange electrical"buzzing" / tingling feeling right at the place where the third eye is supposed to be located. This has happened to me when I meditate in silence without any sounds at all & right when Im about to fall asleep, in that “in-between” stage between reality and dream. This buzzing and tingling feeling sometimes incorporates my whole brain and almost feels like energy is flowing into me through the top of my head and through the position of the third eye.

[Aeonem]

[QUOTE=Xtensity;78416]It is your Pineal Gland/Third Eye. Often used for visualization and associated with being the center of psychic abilities

When I meditate in silence, I very quickly begin to have tingling sensations starting around my forhead and soon spreading through my whole body as I enter Samadhi/Jhana#1.[/QUOTE]

Ok. Some people have warned me about experimenting too much with the third eye without personal guidance from a Guru or spiritual teacher as they say that a fully opened third eye would even open for vision into the spiritual world? What is the function of the Third Eye?

[Aeonem]

I have a hard time keeping myself in a state of unconditional love towards people and often find myself getting stuck in either preconceptions about peoples and therefor division or i find myself in a state of fear or stress, almost always related to time. I noticed that when this happens my spiritual progress stops and I sometimes have a hard time starting it up againt I only need a “trigger” of some kind to feel united with nature and before a beautiful text or touching video would do it…

Are there spiritual benefits for eating an vegetarian or even ayurvedic diet?

[fakeyogis]

Regarding astrology there are planets affecting you. Some periods life can go against you but it also means spiritual progress. Other can be very beneficial for materialistic views Its called maha dasha antar dasha search on google and see what you find. Its how planets affect you and for how many years etc. If you have any questions pm me and i can tell you where to get more info.

Regarding loving people, loving all is good if done by equanimity.