Kundalini…the great mysterious word and concept. It beckons images of massive celestial expanse, of energy rushing up the spine like a serpent opening up the chakras one by one, of being out of control to a force that is having its way with us initiating a vast array of symptomologies, conditions, and inner chaos as it opens us up…sounds fun, doesn’t it?!

I have to admit that I have always been on the fringe of working with kundalini mainly because of the wide swath of information and potential for losing it during the movement of the energy (in the early days of experimenting with substances I recall the impact of psychedelics that took me, or so it seemed, wherever they wanted to go for a time much longer than I wanted to experience…the main reason I stopped that exploration over 40 years ago). So, it has really been until I started to explore kundalini here that I have found some new insight and have spawned new curiosity and a desire to explore it more.

Again, the work of one of my favorite authors and vibrational mentors, Cyndi Dale, has provided the updated version to the dusty Eastern texts of yore that always carried so many cautionary warnings. In her book, Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life, she offers new insight that resonates well with the direction of this course. In fact, many of the topics thus far from clearing to breathwork to chakra and meridians and energy bodies fall under her experiential exploration of kundalini. And, as this is really only an introduction to the process, I will provide enough information to assist you in deciding whether you want to go in that direction yourself.

Kundalini can be defined as the life energy in your body that, when fully activated, can lead you to living in the expansive state. In other words, you reclaim your original design and live in accordance with your personal human divine template. Even as I write this I have the growing sense that the work we are doing is finding a gentler, more controlled means to participate and manifest our own expanded energetic state, or activate the kundalini. If that is the case, then the work is even more important and profound.

Traditionally, the feminine energy, the yin, rises from the earth herself to lie gathering power and frequency in the root chakra. At some point, often triggered by the impact of significant life experience, the energy rises up with the intention of uniting with the masculine yang force located at the crown chakra. On its way it visits each chakra while traveling up specific energetic tube pathways to clear and realign and activate the greater capacities of that chakra. When the union takes place one then lives in the Divine Expanded State and is, essentially, in mastery of the Earthly Dimension, a spiritual being living as human in the physical.

A lot can happen as this force serpentines its way towards the union. The force clears and cleanses and forces out the energetic debris that has been held in the chakra to initiate the accessibility of the expanded capacities/gifts of the original design. Temporary conditions arise and are played out. We are opened up to experience the emotions, the energy, the Celestial tools in profound ways. In short, our life and the experience of that life is significantly altered…like becoming a super being in alignment with the now moment.

I submit that the flow and direction of this course is a more conscious, slower paced, more easily integrated means to reach the same union that the seemingly independent kundalini force makes manifest. It follows that as we grow higher in vibration we become capable of regulating the deeper natural design processes that before seemed random. Perhaps this is a way to walk hand in hand with our own ascension, fully participating, understanding, and orchestrating each step of that glorious journey…while all the while maintaining the connection with our life as it currently appears….a full conscious integration that gives us the experience of both simultaneously.

The kundalini first rises through energy channels along our spine. These energy channels are called the nadis, and as the kundalini climbs through them, it activates the seven chakras, energy centers also positioned along our spine, our center axis, and connecting our spiritual and physical selves.

Along its way upward, the kundalini must pass through three special locks, or granthis, as they are called in Sanskrit. The granthis are analogous to locks on a canal or riverway. Embedded ded in each are life lessons. (Darn those life lessons! We know all about them.) Our kundalini cannot continue upward until we unlock these granthis with the right "secret code," revealing that we have learned the lessons. These life lessons often parallel our old issues, which are held within our chakras and appear in the form of blocks. At times, the rising of our divine light can be challenging. As our chakric blocks are triggered, we must feel feelings, face beliefs, and even deal with physical problems that we've been ignoring. In this endeavor, however, kundalini is our ally. To cast a light into the darkness is to dispel the dark. How can we not come out brighter, happier, and purified?

By opening blocked nadis, owning the lessons of our granthi, and unblocking and nourishing our chakras, the kundalini activation vation process uncovers and heals all our hidden issues-physical, cal, mental, emotional, spiritual, and psychological. It also opens our own intuitive gifts and encourages us to express more of who we really are in our everyday lives. So when the kundalini finally ly reaches the top of our spine and the top of our head, entering the topmost in-body chakra, the crown chakra, we are ready for enlightenment. Enlightenment is known as samadhi in Sanskrit. In the crown, or seventh, chakra, the feminine kundalini is united with her masculine equivalent, which has been dwelling in this sacred spot for our entire lives. Our full physical and spiritual selves begin to merge. In samadhi, all aspects of our true being, now fully activated by the kundalini, can achieve a state of union with the Divine and empower us to become our real selves.

 In most traditions, the blended energy of the masculine and feminine, our united physical and divine selves, now shifts down to reside in the sixth chakra, also known as the third eye. We now see reality through eyes of light, and through practice actions, we transform reality into light. We have now become a participant in a divine marriage, the merging of not only our feminine and masculine selves but also our physical and spiritual essence.
Cyndi Dale. Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life (Kindle Locations 92-94). Kindle Edition.

Yes, our process may be a new means to escort the kundalini union. You can also purposefully assist in facilitating the swifter movement of that energy to achieve the state more quickly. The union has resulted in the following and more:

 • A dynamic desire to improve one's health
 • The embrace of sexual energy and its sacred power
 • The cultivation of self-control
 • The transformation of temptations into joyous actions
 • The healing of old issues
 • An invitation to integrity
 • A summons to spiritual purpose
 • Dazzling confidence
 • Heightened awareness and love of bodily needs, from relational to sexual to dietary
 • Bolstered psychic gifts
Cyndi Dale. Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life (Kindle Locations 127-129). Kindle Edition.

Kundalini activation is a journey through four non sequential steps that can be simultaneous: purification (preparation of the body for the gliding upward of the kundalini), awakening (the actual kundalini arousal), rising (passing of the kundalini through the nadis, chakras and granthis), integration (living in the Light).

Here are some signs of kundalini moving (from Cyndi’s book):

• Tingling, itching, crawling, stinging in the body or brain, sometimes described as ants walking
• Heat or cold, pinches or burning, flushes in the skin or inside the body
• Energy running between the nadis and chakras
• Muscles twitching
• Sense of electricity charging your system; you begin to blow out lights, clocks, or electrical objects; objects knock over when you are around
• Alterations in eating or sleeping
• Times of extreme hyperactivity or fatigue
• Intensified or diminished sexual desires
• Racing heartbeat, pains in chest (you must check these out with a medical doctor)
• Numbness or pain in limbs (same as above)
• Emotional outbursts, rapid mood shifts
• Hearing inner melodies, sounds, beautiful music, or noises like ringing in ears
• Mental confusion, difficulty concentrating
• Altered states of consciousness and mystical experiences, including out-of-body projection, extrasensory perception (ESP), past-life memories, increased psychic visions, channeling, body sensitivity, a sense of altruism, healing powers, contacts with spiritual guides or ghosts
• Increased creativity; new talents or interests
• Deeper understanding of spiritual truths
• Pressure in sixth chakra; some describe this as a band, others as an internal pressure
• Seeing flashing white lights
• Sudden short-lived bursts of energy
• Spontaneous urges to perform asanas, or yoga movements
• Overwhelming feelings of love and desire for a partner (I believe the lust that some report as overtaking them, whether or not drug- or alcohol-induced, is not kundalini but rather a symptom of issues that must be worked through; see "When the Snake Is Too Sexual" later in this chapter)
• Pain in lower back or wherever kundalini feels a little stuck
• Vibration, often in the inner ears
• Spontaneous bliss and unity; awareness of the Divine
• Receiving the Holy Spirit, as Jesus's disciples did at Pentecost; as described in the Bible, receiving the Holy Spirit can result in speaking in tongues, healing abilities, experiences of the Divine, knowing of truths, revelations, visioning, speaking the "Word of God"
• Arms and legs move like a baby
Cyndi Dale. Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life (Kindle Locations 645-650). Kindle Edition.

There may be challenges along the way, ignited by the movement of the high frequency force. Here are some signs that movement is in process in the chakras:

First chakra: Intense physical sensations or pain; burning in the coccyx; pain in the very low back; intense skin sensitivity or inflammations, or alternating patches of cold and hot; electrical pulses through spine or along skin; rectal, adrenal, vaginal, bladder, or similar conditions; struggle with finances, poverty mentality, or critical conditions, including alcohol or hard drugs; gambling, shopping, sexual, or other thrill-seeking addictions or compulsions; sudden craving for sexual orgasms or complete shutdown of sexual desires; intense memory recall of abuse; hyperawareness of others' physical conditions to the point of sensing or being afflicted with their illnesses or physical issues.

Second chakra: A release of long-stored feelings or a heightened awareness of current feelings; spurt of creative urges or sudden block of the same; waves of various feelings, sensations, or food cravings, especially for carbohydrates; desire to touch and be touched; oversensitivity of others' feelings to the level of feeling their feelings for them; problems with womb, testes or ovaries, hormones, or intestines.

Third chakra: Anxiety attacks; awareness of inner fears; low self-esteem or self-confidence issues; mental chatter; hyperawareness of information and data because of sensing others' inner mental life instead of one's own; problems at work or following a structure; digestive issues; caffeine, soda pop, coffee, and beer addictions.

Fourth chakra: Love and relationship issues; healing crises; challenges with heart, lungs, breasts, or shoulders; oversensitivity to others' relationship needs; codependency; nightmares or scary dreams; struggle with sugar, wine, or other sweet substances.

Fifth chakra: Communication challenges, such as difficulties with expressing the self or healing others; hyperclairaudience, such as intense channeling, transmediumship, or the hearing of spirits and voices; problems with throat, neck, jaws, ears, and teeth.

Sixth chakra: Visual issues, including hallucinations, psychic visions, spots or blurs in eyes or in the inner mind; flashes of the future for yourself or others or, conversely, difficulties planning or foreseeing the future; challenges with eyes, hormones, and balance.

Seventh chakra: A sense of the Divine or fears regarding the Divine; intense spiritual or religious experiences; desire to perform higher service; activation of miraculous abilities; intense reactions to others' lies and negativity; an overwhelming attraction to truth, integrity, and the light; unbounded optimism and cheer; sleep issues; flashes of light in the head; activation of anxiety or depression or bouts of both; awareness of spirits, good and bad.
Cyndi Dale. Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life (Kindle Locations 665-672). Kindle Edition.  

Here are some tools used by Cyndi in her work with clients that may be of use if you find your self in a kundalini experience:

What do I tell my clients who need help with their kundalini symptoms? toms? First, I often refer them to therapists, psychiatrists, or medical cal doctors who understand the idea of a spiritual emergence. If the practitioner believes it would also be beneficial for the client to work with me, I draw on the following tools to provide assistance:

Regressions to remember and reframe childhood problems: Many of our issues lie in our childhood. We must rescue our "inner children" if we are to mature into the adults we deserve to be.   

Regressions to past lives in order to sift through the deeper spiritual issues: I believe that past lives often establish the ground for our current life experiences. I don't encourage past-life therapy as a way of life, however. We shouldn't retrieve the past to retreat within in it, but only to look for themes to resolve the present.
 
Use of healing to connect with the Divine: This usually involves searching in the past for reasons clients perceive a disconnect between themselves and the Divine. Most often the issue is abandonment or guilt, the sense the Divine left you in danger or won't forgive you an error. The healing for both misperceptions is the acceptance of unconditional love and grace.

Release of energies that are not our own: I believe that up to 80 percent of our problems are caused by absorbing others' issues, including illnesses, emotions, beliefs, spiritual ideas, and even experiences. A simple way to release others' energy is to ask the Divine to take it to the rightful owner's higher self. This higher self can determine a safe or appropriate way for the energy owner (dead or alive) to work out his or her issues. It's important to then ask the Divine to fill in the remaining hole within ourselves and return us to wholeness.

Setting of energetic boundaries: Our auric field acts as an energetic boundary, determining the type of psychic data we let in, process, or disseminate. Abuse, trauma, and wounds create holes in our boundaries. After pinpointing the cause of the wounds, we must also energetically seal the energy boundaries. The Divine will do this upon request.

Elimination of energetic bindings, curses, or entity attachments: Yes, I believe in curses and all things that go bump in the middle of the night. I've seen individuals heal almost overnight upon releasing these energetic entrapments. Ask the Divine to help or seek assistance for this work.

Integration of soul fragments or aspects of the self: Trauma splinters our soul, and parts of it can lie repressed within the self, in other dimensions or planes, or even inside other people or beings. Work with a professional to help you track, heal, and place these parts of yourself back into yourself.

Activation of intuitive and spiritual gifts: We all have intuitive gifts. Each chakra carries its own gift; in fact, as explained in chapter 2, kundalini often awakens these gifts, and it's important to define and cultivate them.

Connection to spiritual guidance and protection: We all have spiritual guides. I usually help clients ask the Divine for a gatekeeper, a God-appointed guardian that shares intuitive messages and screens energetic callers.

Projection to possible future, in order to establish a new path: There are myriad potential futures. Clients love asking the Divine to show them the best possible ones so they can create a desirable life.

Making of healthy lifestyle choices: Part II of this book includes information about proper dietary, exercise, and other lifestyle changes for health and well-being. We are physical beings and deserve to take care of these beautiful bodies. Self-care alleviates many kundalini-based concerns.

Embracing of limits: We have limits. We really have to sleep, eat well, and exercise. We can't work all the time, even if we wanted to. Most kundalini-based practices help us perceive and accept the limitations that keep us healthy and whole.
Cyndi Dale. Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life (Kindle Locations 793-801). Kindle Edition.

You can certainly find many perspectives on the working of the kundalini energy force. The more traditional resources have a certain structure about them that can be very useful. They also address the dangers of working with such higher frequency energies. These are different, more high vibration times. You and are are starting at a higher frequency here and can likely handle more than the neophytes of long ago. Having said that, it is very useful and encouraged to find support from one who has traveled the path before. Though kundalini  activation and the subsequent journey is highly personal, there are a number of common elements that can be shared. Since it involves the physical , emotional, and mental bodies, please monitor your symptoms with focus. Be sure to run your symptoms by a qualified health care practitioner to insure that there is not a treatable physical condition going on that masquerades as kundalini.

I am intrigued by the parallels of the kundalini union process and our own unfolding Living As If Course. Both promise a different experience that is in alignment with the Divine potential and the actual Celestial design of you and me. Coincidence…perhaps. I think more that it is the spiraling unfolding guidance that moves with our awakenings. Higher frequency information and tools that are able to be revealed because so many have done their work and are expanding. If reawakening and remembering give us back our design then a blast from the Cosmos in the form of the kundalini may not be necessary anymore. We may be able to walk the path on our own because we have such an expanded degree of awareness and capacity.

We have laid a foundation here. If you are intrigued then get a copy of Cyndi Dale’s book, Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life,  and get going. Here are some other resources as well:

Kundalini and the Chakras, Genevieve Lewis Paulson
The Kundalini Yoga Experience, Guru Dharam Khalsa
Intro to Kundalini Yoga, Bella Singh
Asanas, Mudras, and Bandhas, Yogani

Perhaps, if you are called to do this, you can secure the support of one of your fellow travelers. Be conscious, be clear, be careful, be celestial…