What is Kundalini and How Can You Awaken It? The Essential Role of a Spiritual Guru

As a teacher of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, Traditional Kundalini Yoga, and Hatha, with a practice spanning over ten years, I’ve had the privilege of exploring the depths of this profound spiritual practice. I’ve guided countless seekers on their journeys, helping them understand the intricate layers of Kundalini energy.

My experience has shown me that the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment is very much alive in our modern world, and many are turning to ancient wisdom for answers. One such ancient concept that continues to fascinate is Kundalini. This mystic energy presents not just a path to spiritual enlightenment but a series of questions: What exactly is Kundalini, and how do you awaken it? And what role does a spiritual Guru play in this transformative journey? Let’s dive a little deeper.

Understanding Kundalini: The Sleeping Serpent

Kundalini is often described as a “sleeping snake,” coiled, waiting for the opportune moment to awaken and ascend. This cosmic, dormant energy is the “Creative Intelligent Life Force of God” and is innate in every human being. While it remains latent and untapped in many, it resides at the Muladhara, Root Chakra, at the base of the spine — a point between the sex organs and rectum — in the form of a coiled serpent, according to Yoga Shastra. This energy represents the essence of the Primordial Power that gave rise to the Universe, making each human a microcosm of the Universe itself. However, generational ignorance means that many people live and die without awakening to this profound reality.

In rare cases, some individuals experience a natural awakening of Kundalini at some point in their lives. When awakened, this energy traverses upwards through your spine, passing through various energy centers known as chakras to unite with divine consciousness. This energy opens up their infinite potential and transforms them into extraordinary artists, lawyers, speakers, entrepreneurs, writers, athletes, and so much more. Whether they are aware of it or not, this Kundalini energy elevates their abilities and activates their minds.

Individual vs. Universal Kundalini Shakti

Kundalini Shakti exists in two primary forms:

• Individual Kundalini Shakti: Unique to each person, this divine energy, when awakened, courses through the spiritual pathway in your spine, called the Sushumana Nadi, activating the chakras in its wake.
• Universal Kundalini Shakti: This cosmic force is the bedrock of universal creation and evolution. It’s the same creative energy that brings new forms of life, materials, and even sub-atomic particles into existence.

Why Awaken Kundalini?

Awakening your Kundalini signifies tapping into your utmost spiritual potential. It begins the process of “involution,” a transformative journey back to the divine. This spiritual unfolding is often accompanied by ‘Siddhis’ or miraculous powers and in-depth knowledge.

Awakening your Kundalini energy with intention is entirely possible, and yoga offers various pathways for this through specialized types of Pranayama, Bandhas, and Kriyas. However, the most effective method is usually through the guidance of a spiritually enlightened Guru or Master and is then cultivated through regular practice.

The Role of the Spiritual Guru

The Essence of a Guru

The Guru in Kundalini awakening is not just a learned individual but a spiritual powerhouse, one who has walked the path and attained self-realization. The Guru serves as a “searchlight,” guiding the student through the often confusing labyrinth of spiritual journeying. The mere presence of the Guru can serve as a catalyst for spiritual enlightenment.

It’s Dangerous because it Works

Kundalini Yoga is one of the most potent forms of yoga, so it’s essential to approach it with the right preparation and guidance. Diving in without proper training or supervision could be risky, especially since this form of yoga is designed to awaken potent energies within you. That’s why it’s crucial to have expert guidance and consistent oversight when embarking on this journey. It’s natural to aspire to advanced levels, but starting with the basics is vital to ensure a safe and effective practice. Consider it a progressive path where each step prepares you for the next, rather than jumping straight to the end goal.

Shaktipat: Power and Responsibility

Some Gurus possess the power to initiate Kundalini awakening through a divine touch, gaze, or even a mantra. This process is known as Shaktipat. However, this should be approached with extreme caution. Awakening Kundalini before the body and mind are prepared can lead to complications that may be beyond medical understanding.

Guru-Student Relationship

The Guru-student relationship transcends physicality. This connection is a meeting of souls, unbounded by the physical nature of the Guru or student. The Guru’s wisdom and guidance are instrumental in creating the proper psychological and environmental conditions for the Kundalini awakening.

Different Kundalini Yoga Traditions

Kundalini Yoga is not a one-size-fits-all practice. Various traditions and schools offer different approaches:

1. Traditional Kundalini Yoga: Focuses on the classic yogic postures, breathing techniques, and mantras to prepare for Kundalini awakening.
2. Kriya Yoga: Incorporates meditation techniques to accelerate spiritual growth and enable Kundalini awakening.
3. Sahaja Yoga: Advocates for spontaneous Kundalini awakening, emphasizing on the individual’s own capacity for self-realization.
4. Kundalini Tantra: An esoteric approach that integrates rituals and symbolic practices alongside traditional yogic practices.
5. Aquarian Kundalini Yoga: A householder’s approach to Kundalini Yoga, focusing on living a fulfilling life alongside the pursuit of spiritual awakening.

How to Awaken Kundalini?

1. Yogic Practices: Incorporating regular yoga and meditation routines, often prescribed by your Guru, can prepare your body and mind for Kundalini awakening.
2. Spiritual Devotion: An intense devotion to a higher power or divine consciousness can facilitate the awakening process.
3. Guidance from a Guru: Working with a qualified Guru can help ensure a safe and fulfilling Kundalini awakening experience.
4. Patience and Discipline: It’s a long, sometimes arduous journey, requiring discipline and commitment to lifestyle changes.

Benefits of Awakening Kundalini

From a physical perspective, the awakening of Kundalini enhances the functionality of the body’s endocrine glands, effectively regulating hormonal secretions. This can help manage and prevent endocrine, metabolic, and reproductive disorders. It revitalizes the nervous system, facilitating a harmonious flow of impulses. Brain cells become more energized, cardiac health improves, vision sharpens, and digestive issues often resolve.

On the mental and emotional levels, Kundalini Yoga helps control stress, anxiety, and depression, thereby reducing the likelihood of psychosomatic disorders. It assists in managing negative emotional states — like selfishness, anger, lust, greed, miserliness, and jealousy — while fostering positive traits such as emotional stability, strong willpower, focus, and enthusiasm. Additionally, it cultivates virtues like honesty, moral integrity, and ethical behavior, leading to a mind ripe for true love, compassion, and dedication.

Intellectually, the practice amplifies creativity, enhances clarity of thought, and boosts your ability to make decisions. It fosters logical and lateral thinking, leadership abilities, reasoning skills, and various other cognitive functions. This coordinated enhancement between thought and action ultimately improves your learning abilities and overall intellectual capabilities.

It makes you Horny, and Sex is better

“To feel horny is not a sin or wrong, but if one knows how to invoke the meditative mind, which raises the energy up, one can become totally creative. Horniness on the physical plane can manifest as sexual intercourse; on a subtler plane it can manifest as creativity. It is the same energy, used differently in different body centers”. — Yogi Bhajan

Kundalini energy is closely linked with our primal life force, which governs our spiritual connection and bodily sensations, including sexuality. When we connect with the Divine, we undergo profound inner pleasure, which then elevates to our heart, transforming into boundless love for all beings. These ecstatic orgasmic experiences that occur during Kundalini awakening differ substantially from what we’ve known in our previously unaware state. These internal orgasms aren’t dependent on sexual activity or touch; they’re spiritual, deep, intense, and serene, originating from Divine love.

By practicing Kundalini Yoga you might potentially enhance your sexual experience in these ways:

Physical Benefits

1. Increased Stamina: Kundalini Yoga often involves dynamic and physically demanding postures that improve muscle strength and endurance. This could translate to greater stamina and physical performance during sexual activity.
2. Enhanced Flexibility: The practice includes asanas (postures) that improve flexibility, potentially making sex more enjoyable by allowing for greater ease and range of movement.
3. Improved Blood Flow: Kundalini practices enhance blood circulation, which is crucial for sexual function in both men and women. Better blood flow can lead to heightened sensitivity and pleasure.
4. Hormonal Balance: As mentioned earlier, the awakening of the Kundalini can balance the endocrine system, which in turn regulates hormones responsible for sexual arousal and pleasure.

Mental and Emotional Benefits

1. Reduced Anxiety and Stress: One of the key benefits of Kundalini Yoga is its ability to relieve stress and anxiety, which can often be inhibitors of sexual pleasure and performance.
2. Emotional Connectivity: Kundalini aims to balance and open the chakras, the energy centers in the body. The heart chakra, in particular, is associated with love and emotional bonding, which may deepen the emotional connection between sexual partners.
3. Greater Presence and Awareness: Kundalini Yoga teaches mindfulness and being present in the moment — skills that can make you more attentive and attuned to both your needs and your partner’s during sex.

Spiritual Benefits

1. Energy Movement: The fundamental idea of Kundalini is to move energy upwards across various chakras. This rising energy can be harnessed to elevate sexual experience into a form of spiritual communion between partners.
2. Enhanced Sensory Perception: Kundalini Yoga can awaken higher states of awareness, which might amplify all sensory experiences, including touch, sound, and smell, making the sexual experience richer and more fulfilling.

Living in a state of continuous inner bliss might initially feel unusual or even disconcerting as you navigate day-to-day life in such a heightened state. Cultural norms may lead us to confine this potent force to the privacy of intimate settings, and the deep spiritual sensations might initially be unsettling. To fully embrace this state, we must balance complete surrender with mental discipline. It is crucial to maintain this balance, particularly when dealing with powerful sexual energy, t to avoid unconscious acts derived from desire, lust, and greed. To experience deep joy, we must completely let go while retaining control over our thoughts and actions. This heightened state of openness in our outer world can be daunting. However, there’s no need for concern when you are under the guidance and support of a master teacher.

It’s the ride of a lifetime.

The journey to awaken Kundalini is a profound commitment, a lifelong voyage towards spiritual enlightenment. The role of a spiritual Guru on this journey is invaluable, serving both as a guide and a guardian. As you venture on this spiritual quest, it’s important to remember that awakening your Kundalini is not a shortcut but a passage to eternal wisdom and inner peace. Are you ready to take the first step? Let’s connect.