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Kundalini Awakening Symptoms
Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening
Real Life Experiences & Descriptions of Kundalini Rising
Are you going through a kundalini awakening episode or experience? Let’s find out…
Kundalini awakening symptoms are truly a very intriguing subject. Really there is no correct answer to the question, "What are the symptoms of Kundalini Rising?", as thankfully, each of us is absolutely unique and thus, on a unique trajectory on the path to Kundalini Awakening. That said, there are some common kundalini experiences that are often reported, which I would like to share with you in this article.
Although we can draw up endless lists of symptoms from third party accounts, I would like to instead make this series about kundalini symptoms that you or I have actually experienced. In this article, I will give a recent account from one of my students about what she experienced shortly after class, and then I will add my own kundalini experiences and observations as well.
In the comments section, I encourage you to add any kundalini awakening experiences or symptoms you have felt, so others can better understand what they might be going through. Here is the recent email I received from my student, Aida:
Aida’s Experience of Kundalini Awakening:
I am a student of the "Gentle Kundalini Class". I just finished taking a series of exercise specifically for the spine.
As I left the class I felt energized as I usually feel after each class, but this time it was a little different, I was feeling extra aware of my surrounding. Like a light turned on. My back was so straight. It lasted all day.If I could go to class every morning I would go. It makes my day start right in every way. And there are times when I am not feeling like going to class and I push myself to go and do not regret it.Thank you for being my teacher.Aida D.
For those interested, here is a link to the Spinal Warmup Kundalini Yoga Kriya we did in class that day. Thank you Aida, for sharing your personal experiences with us.
This particular experience of kundalini is very interesting and significant. This is because it is the common experience of advanced meditation and of kundalini yoga. In the article, Powerful Kundalini Yoga Battles Profound Zen Meditation, I described my own such experience with kundalini awakening, but not from doing kundalini yoga, but instead from doing Silent Mind Meditation!
Aida’s experience points at the two things that all yoga and meditation boils down to. Energy and Awareness.
My favorite description of Kundalini Yoga is, "The Yoga of Awareness," and as you see from her account, she felt more aware, as the energy of kundalini had risen up her spine. In meditation, it is the same. The demand for intense awareness, in order to comprehend the thought process via direct perception, leads to energy (kundalini) rising up and elongating the spine. Awareness then follows.
Jiddu Krishnamurti describes this experience of kundlaini energy flowing up the spine as "The rush of water filling up and thus causing a pipe to stand erect."
When we insist that the spine be straight during meditation, it is simply to facilitate this awakening and thus, to assist in being more aware. I have experienced kundalini rising and puling up with such force, during meditation, that it sometimes make me feel as if I am going to be launched right off the ground or as if it’s going to pull my head off and up into the sky.
Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening:
I am going to describe some of the physical symptoms my students or I have felt due to kundalini awakening. I know there are many emotional and mental symptoms as well, and you are welcome to share those with us in the comments section below. I am grouping the experiences into 3 categories, common, uncommon and rare, according to what I have observed.
Common Kundalini Awakening Symptoms:
- Tingling in the body and brain region. Also sometimes described as ants walking, tickling energy or flushes of energy. The brain being flushed with energy is quite pleasant :-).
- Heat or cold in the system, or running along various channels and chakra centers.
- Fluttering or twitching of muscles.
- Pinching or burning in various regions of the body or brain.
Uncommon Kundalini Awakening Symptoms:
- Pressure in the Third Eye Region (Ajna Chakra). This is pressure, tingling or other sensation in the center of the forehead. Can go on for years (14 years and counting so far for me). Caution: If the pressure, due to certain practices, intensifies to uncomfortable levels you feel are "immense", you should cease that practice and consult a competent kundalini yoga teacher.
- Sudden bursts of energy anywhere in the body. These are almost always short lived, from a few seconds to a few minutes.
- Spontaneous yoga asans or kundalini yoga movements. They may come on spontaneously, or they may take over, as if on auto-pilot when one is practicing Kundalini Yoga Kriyas or Exercises (For an example see article: Explosive Kundalini Rising in Class Today).
- Kundalini Shakti rising up and elongating the spine.
- Incredible feeling of love and desire for your partner (not ordinary lust, alcohol induced or otherwise :-). Usually comes upon you spontaneously, deep in the night. Sex feels like it’s the first such experience and the intense feelings of attraction emanate from somewhere beyond yourself.
- Unfortunately, pain in the lower back, back of the neck and headaches.
Rare Kundalini Awakening Symptoms:
- Experience of divine light within. Very intense light, usually pure white and incredibly beautiful. I call it the Radiation of the Lord.
- Tremendous vibratory energy (sometimes feels like it’s coming from the inner ears). Very blissful, but can intensify to the point where it would completely overwhelm your consciousness if you let it.
- Spontaneous bliss, intensely pleasurable.
- This one is a bit scary. Complete paralysis of the body. Complete immobility and rigidity takes place. As with the all consuming vibratory energy, it requires some courage to allow.
- This one is exceedingly rare. I have experienced it only once in my life, and have only ever read about it being experienced by one other - the master of awareness, G. I. Gurdjieff. The arms and legs churn like that of a baby. It happens naturally and cannot be simulated. It is also intensely pleasurable and quite a remarkable experience.
There are of course a wide range of transcendental experiences, some of which you will find described in the category Spiritual Enlightenment Experiences. Above, I have provide those that are more commonly associated with kundalini awakening, although many would argue, including Swami Vivekananda, that all enlightenment experiences have to do with kundalini entering the brain region in some capacity.
So if you have experienced some kundalini symptoms as well, please do share them with us below. I think it will benefit others identify if what they are going through is actually symptoms of the ever mysterious kundalini awakening.
Article Series - Kundalini Yoga Information and Guidance
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on January 4th, 2008 at 11:36 am
There’s always something interesting and perspective changing to find here. I really liked reading about Aida’s personal experience. It sounds simple but reading it tells me there’s more to it than just a good back and a good day. I’m looking forward to reading more about personal experiences. In a way, they reflect and confirm my own.
on January 4th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Thank you for your comments and participation.
Kundalini awakening can cause a lot of confusion for people who are not familiar with this phenomenon and I think finding others to share their experiences with can be very helpful.
Glad you are enjoying the website.
Best,
Anmol
on January 7th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
hi Anmol,
Most of the time when I do my yoga in the evening I experience a very strong vibration through my ears; something very similiar to what you described in the above rare symptoms. I always wonder what it is, but then I tell myself it is me just paying attention to my breath an awareness.
Thank You so much for sharing this on your site.
Falguni
on January 8th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Yes, this sounds a lot like the kundalini experience I was describing. Glad you are enjoying the webiste :-).
Best,
Anmol
on January 8th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Good article. Very interesting. Well done. I liked the Krishnamurti piece at the end, too.
I may have a question for you about kundalini, but later, as I’m out of time right now.
Thanks. :-)
on January 9th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
[…] Anmol Mehta is a Yoga Teacher & Zen Expert. His extensive site, Free Kundalini Yoga Exercises & Videos, offers the popular Free Online Guided Meditation Techniques E-Book. Also learn about kundalini awakening by reading, Kundalini Awakening Symptoms. […]
on January 9th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback. Glad you enjoyed the article.
Cheers,
Anmol
on January 10th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Hi Anmol! Thanks for posting this! It is very interesting.
Some of the symptoms I have had in my experience are hot “electric” tickles which are born in the base of my spine and make their way through my spine while touching my organs, and finally they reach my face and brain. Also, I sometimes feel short or little spasms in the muscles near the base of my spine. While sleeping I have felt the same tickles. This sensation of “hot tickles” may vary from pleasurable to overwhelming. They become overwhelming when I am under Sun exposure or very angry and irritated, so I guess this might be an imbalance.
I also want to share a more special experience, which can actually may sound a little strange. The first day I felt the hot tickles I kind of saw the face of Jesus Christ. The image was not very clear but I knew deep in my heart it was him. The image was not as a painting with colors, shades, and forms, but only as a sketch, and I could see it everywhere: in the ground, in the trees, in the water, and even when I closed my eyes as an after image. This was very special and blissful, but I never talk about that because people might think I’m insane. In fact I was never scared of that, not even worried.
Finally I have a doubt Anmol. I have read in several places that kundalini awakenings may produce depression and schizophrenia, and I’m sometimes worried about this. I would like to know how to prevent this. I know that practicing kundalini yoga is a way to keep balanced, but is it the only way?
And for example what steps should anyone take if he or she thinks his/her kundalini caused depression?
on January 12th, 2008 at 8:13 am
First off thanks for sharing your personal experiences and kundalini symptoms with us. Does sound like you had a very remarkable encounter there. I will add visions to the list above, as I had heard of this before but not met anyone who had such an experience… until now of course :-).
With regard to your concerns..
It is not at all uncommon that regardless of which spiritual practice one takes up, that one goes through a period of cleansing. This is due to the suffering in us from that past that the practice is purging. In general, depending on the level of difficulty one had in childhood, the intensity of this “cleansing” varies. These periods can be prolonged or they can come and go, until the process has run it’s course.
What is worth avoiding, is to have all the junk come up too fast (or not being able to handle the release) and that is a danger with a powerful science like Kundalini Yoga. So the best protection against that are the following 2…
1. The practice should concentrate more on preparing the body, than actually awakening the chakras. So that as and when the cleansing and energy being to move, the body is capable of handing that.
2. Not to over do it. Pranayama, Kundalini Yoga, Meditation should all be practiced without excessive strain. Also, before doing advanced practices to start slowly and build up the body, mind and emotions first.
If in the event imbalances come in, it is important to address them first, even if it means to stop the practice for some time. Diet, rest and other means can help with this.
Hope this helps. It is a very good question you have asked, and I think I will put together an article regarding it, as I am sure this is on many practitioner’s minds.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
on January 18th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Kundalini awakening is a delicate matter…because this awakening practices requires spiritual and emotional maturity, or else the practitioner can suffer negative side effects. Mantra meditation is much safer in today’s current age, for achieving self-realization. This is the collective conclusion of many realized masters from the Himalayas and Far East. Namaste.
on January 18th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Welcome back, nice to have you stop by. Thank you for sharing with us the views of the Himalayan masters. Mantra meditation is certainly a very potent technique for activating the chakras and awakening kundalini.
The following meditation uses the AUM mantra for such purposes for those interested.
AUM Mantra Meditation for Third Eye Activation
I do agree it should be used intelligently, as with any techniques dealing with kundalini.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
on January 23rd, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Thank you sir for such useful information.
I am pursuing a management course at IIT Roorkee right now. I am facing a big trouble because of some changes in my body since last two years.
This all happened while i planned to prepare for my mba entrance in a big way, i stayed at our farmhouse in the shivalic region at morni hills for my preparation, hardly ever i have involved in any other activity than studying or meditating, as i m very fond of nature and questions regarding death and birth has always excited me, it was complete solitaire there i hardly care for hunger and took food only once a day, then one night something mysterious happened at the inner part of space between buttocks and testies, it was like some bubbles bursting there continuously for 10-15 minutes at an hours interval. initially i thought some serious disease caught me because of my miserable lifestyle but soon i started seeing flashes of light as in summers i slept under the sky in the night time a star kind of sharp light i used to see in the sky and it at once disappears like a flash.i was very afraid as i have already heard a lot of ghosty stories in the hills, but after sometimes i got admission to iit roorkee, and here i got a chance to go to Baba Ramdev Kanakhal Asharam in connection with my cuisines Lungs T.B illness, from there i bought a book on yoga and i read abt, chakras and kundalin for the first time, and i could guess that my yogi kind of lifestyle lead to my kundalini awakening. but slowly situation has become more complicated as i started feeling intense pressure in the center of my forehead most of the time in the day, mostly at the times when i try to concentrate in the class to hear lectures, i score miserably in the class as i can not listen anything attentively. even i see those light stars flashing on my laptop screen many times.also some of my body muscles start vibrating very fast in thighs,legs shoulders,and there are vibrations at places that i first time feel that here too is a muscle like near your nipples.
this pressure in forehead and these flashing lights and vibrating muscles are sometimes very irritating and depressing, sometime pressure in forehead center is so much that as if some nerves are going to burst and blood will come out.
i just want to ask how long it will continue , till date i see it just as a disease nothing else, sometimes i feel like consulting a psychiatrist but i read at many places that doctors neither can understand it nor cure it.
i am sure that all this will end only with my body frm here.
it is long time now ever since i felt myself as such as i used to be three years back - COMPLETE NORMALCY.
on January 28th, 2008 at 1:00 am
I am sorry to hear of the challenging time you are facing. Your symptoms certainly do indicate a kundalini awakening. I suggest that you visit a good Ayurvedic doctor or a competent Kundalini Teacher if possible, as some long term care may be needed to settle the system down.
A Vata pacifying lifestyle and diet (including more grounding) could help in this matter, but due to the severity of your case it would be prudent to get a thorough analysis done.
The following suggestion may seem unusual, but it might help. In addition to your studies, if there is another passion that you enjoy very much I suggest embracing it for some time. This will help you take your mind off the symptoms you are undergoing, allowing you to better cope with them as they recede more into the background.
I, of course, do not feel you should engage in more meditation or kundalini exercises till the situation is more under control, unless a competent teacher suggests techniques to counter and settle the current situation.
If possible, ignore the pressure in the forehead as much as possible and see if this helps it subside. This area is activated and “feeds” on attention, so starving it of attention should help the pressure there dimish.
Keep me informed of you situation and progress and I will try to help further.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
on January 28th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Thank you so much Anmol for your attention.
It seems you have good experience to reduce this pressure.You are 100% right in saying that attention feeds this pressure as while i play or chat with friends it doesn’t disturb me but as soon as i pay serious attention to something or try to concentrate in the class, my head immediately get filled with something (like air), it becomes so heavy and pressure starts building inside.
and then it settles at point in the third eye region.
Anmol, have you too faced all this, wat is the end of it. I can say for the sure from the suggestions you gave me that you have faced this before.Sometimes i feel it is all psychological, nothing to take with spirituality, is it so?
i am trying to avoid it since last six months but it doesnt go.shud i really go to some psychologist or it will be ok.I will try to consult Baba Ramdev at his kankhal asharam , it is very close to my place.
did you find some other such case before, somewhere.if yes how is it now?
In the process of writing this message i have seen three times bright star like flashes of lights with intense pressure in forehead center, all this is really disturbing, if it happens to a normal man he is sure to feel frightened.
on January 31st, 2008 at 2:20 am
Yes I have experienced such events, especially the pressure in the Third Eye region and forehead. It is with me almost always, but I can modulate it’s intensity based on where my attention is placed.
This pressure can grow to immense proportions (feels like a balloon being expanded with air to the point of explosion). In the process of the expansion it displaces the mind. This manifestation of the pressure can be brought about though meditation, but I do not feel it is particularly beneficial or healthy, and I don’t recommend it.
In any event, I do think you should visit Baba Ramdev. There is no harm in that, worst case he will convince you to do pranayama :-D.
The physical body has difficulty handling “cosmic energies”. It is simply so. The process can tax the body in a very real way and it is not always fanciful or romantic. See if you can detach yourself from the process and not allow it to bother you as much. I know it is hard, but it could help you cope better.
It might help to reflect on the fact that some (not all I know) of these symptoms are more troubling to the mind than they are to your life. So see if you can not let them play on your mind so much.
You may wish to read the following book. The only reason I hesitate is that such books from enlightened masters carry great vibrations and when I read them, it increases my “spiritual symptoms”. That being said, the book will give you a glimpse into the process and it’s possible affect on the body.
Krishnamurti’s Notebook (by J. Krishnamurti).
The following article also mentions the problems “enlightenment” can cause to the body…
J Krishnamurti Ponder His Enlightenment
Let me know your progress and if there is anything more I can help with.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
on January 31st, 2008 at 2:21 am
Hey Arun,
I completely sympathize, as I am close to going crazy myself–its not because of all the weird manifestations, but as Ramakrishna puts it, alternatively feeling like “an ant, a fish, a monkey, a bird, or a serpant” every day something odd, its more because of the lack of understanding and clear information and nobody to complain to who wont think I am insane. Your experience indicates the kundalini energy (jing being full and transforming to chi) that is cleaning your nadi. Theres many thousand nadi, so lots of cleaning. If you dont meditate much, the process will be slower, and yet the energy will be there– because it is awakened kundalini energy after all, not just a sugar high. So in my humble opinion, you should do more meditation, because the energy is relentless. (i differ from Arun’s opinion in this point, with all respect. i am not a teacher or guru, so its just my opinion) Some of the posters here so-called kundilini reports above are just wind energy experiences, not yet kundalini. What you are experiencing, the pressure and light, is due to “friction”, unblocked channels. Sometimes the friction can be in the form of pressure, pain, light, bliss, etc. I read it takes maybe 10 months to clean your body into a rajastic one. Its worth it!!! Look younger, feel lighter, little chance of getting a major illness like cancer after this–plus have a body where you can now START real spiritual progress.
My own experience is more like alien abduction and being worked on by dentists and surgeons. Sometimes I get mouthfuls of slime, all sorts of feelings of tubes and wires, panels being installed; at the moment of typing there are pin pricks and knives around the crown of my head and some kind of chi-liquid flowing from near my gums to a hole at the bottom of my mouth, my 3rd eye has lots of pressure and ears move when i think of it, and my skull seems to move in sections while my brain boils. I had to come home and sit alone instead of doing normal activities. My rationale is that I want it to finish as fast as possible, so I want to give it the time it needs to complete the process.
You are correct that this has little to do with spirituality, its all about physiology, the nervous system changing, the body evolving. It is every human’s birthright, but so few people know about it.
I used to shake alot too, like I had been plugged into a wall socket of energy. This went away after some main nadi, or chi-channels opened, and the energy had somewhere to circlulate.
5 minutes in my body, a normal man would be screaming down the street!!
good luck to you and happy cultivating.
(the Zen people say to just ignore it all, this is the best advice I have gotten so far)
on February 1st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Thank you Anmol and my friend Garry for your invaluable suggestions.
Garry you may be absolutely right in your saying that it is a process of nadi clearing, but for how long, it is two years now.I am doing every possible thing now so that i dont feed attention to this third eye, as i know well if i kept paying attention to it a big trouble is waiting for me. i will be compeletely lost and will go far away from this present world.Even my one hour attention to it destroy my full day and then it becomes difficult for me to stay away from it for the full day.
I am really confused now, as i can remember that i have
put a lot of hard work doing meditation for all the day (in the initial days of awakening) and now i have to run away frm this.this is not the outcome i ever desired rather i always wanted to get an answer to questions of death and birth, i wanted to experience all the answers rather than listening frm someone. can this path (kundalini or whatever i am going thru) will lead me to answers.It many times heart me when i delibrately run away frm so called meditation and i adopt the ways to kill solitair and serenity of my mind.
My only question right now is ” what is the next stage after this third eye pressure” and how long it will continue?
Anmol has referred me a good book i will definitely read it and try to look for answers. I have just read Autobiography of a Yogi by Shri Yogananda. It is really an amazing book and best book i ever read.
on February 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 am
Hi Arun,
Upon further reflection, I think the particular symptom of your third eye chakra area acting up all the time is due to trapped chi. When you concentrate as in school, the chi or pranic energy of your body tends to rise to your head, and therefore comes the feeling of pressure as it goes around this area. I had a similar problem around my ear. (but man, thats a long time for you!) The chakra is not fully open, and also many lesser nadi have not yet cleared, and therefore the trapped chi has nowhere to go. So I think the best option is to continue clearing your lesser nadi through pranayama, single mindedness meditation, emptyness meditation, etc. (not forcing energy kind of meditations) Eventually the nadi or chi channel will clear and the feeling of pressure will go away, but it will take some time since the third eye chakra is relatively a later stage place the kundalini energy. reaches. I hope the people who wish for early third eye chakra partial opening to be warned by your example, doesnt sound like fun, and its completely useless until you have purified all your nadi! My teacher says absolutely one must not have sex and ejaculate, nor masturbation (if you do a Tantra or Taoist practice, do not ejaculate), because this will have the effect of reducing the chi energy so the kundalini process will not be able to complete because the jing or bindu needs a certain time to mature.
Lately my kundalini experience has been very electric! It feels like the energy is trying to push my face off, like one of those gravity rides at an amusement park. My face feels empty and often its like my nose is getting bitten off. Must be good for the skin! Also this morning my mouth was forced to make a circle shape like someone put in a large ring, and i meditated like that for an hour. Very strange feelings, not regular feelings, difficult to describe using regular words. Im going to holiday for a month and sit in a room meditating, hopefully things get less weird.
Good luck,
Garry
on February 2nd, 2008 at 10:03 am
Thanx once again Garry for you attention.
Thats very nice that you have been doing all your meditation under the guidance of a spiritual master but i never consulted any guru. yes i used to ejaculate during this period becaus e i never knew that it can create problem. but are you sure that this all has happened because of immature opening of third eye.
Can you pls. consult your guru for me and ask him how long it will take to clear these blockages. Also along with the pressure in my third eye region, other muscles in my body (mostly one at a time )start doing unusual moments like vibrations, anywhere in legs,shoulders or neck, cheeks and at many places. I guess that also is the Chi effect as you mentioned earlier.
I can understand your situation too wat you feel in your body (in years and head). but wat is the outcome of all that. did you ask it from your teacher. how will all this effect your life.
Garry tell me more abt. you, do you have a yahoo, gmail or orkut id so that i can have an online chat with you.Pls. reply me as there are very few people who can understand us :-( rest all are ready to laugh on our situation or grade us with a psycho degree.are you in touch with some more such persons if yes tell me abt. them, i am happy to find someone who could understand my situation, thanx once again Garry for your attention.
on February 4th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I want to share something, which now I believe may be some kind of Kundalini awakening? I had a paranormal experience 5 yrs ago. It was very scary. I thought I had schizophrenia. I have experienced other people answering to what I was thinking. Even I saw personalized messages in newspapers and radio!! No normal person would believe what I have experienced. Even I, myself would like to believe that it was a mental illness; it is much easier to believe that way, especially because I’m a doctor.
Since then I have changed a lot and the changing is still continuing.
My question is: “is it possible to have the awakening without any effort?” Because I never tried or wanted that. I even never heard of Kundalini. Only thing which I think might have contributed to was resigning from my job (from World Health Organization) and sitting at home and reading Bhagawat Gita. Though I don’t know whether I did that consciously. It was very unlike me.
The issue which is troubling me now is that I’m getting temped to join some ashram, which I don’t want to do. But at the same time, doing the routine job looks very unproductive to me. I want to involve myself more in some spiritual activities. Can you please suggest some solution?. Thank you,
Malini
on February 4th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Yes it’s absolutely possible to have such kundalini awakening w/o any conscious effort. There are many reported “non-spiritual” scenarios where spontaneous kundalini awakening has occurred.
There tend to occur during intense times and activities (emotional, mental or physical), but not always.
Certainly, leisure time as you had after quitting is another phase when such spiritual awakenings occur for sure, especially if you are in nature or are reading enlightened material (Bhagawat Gita would qualify :-).
The temptation to join an Ashram, to me is an invitation from within to move deeper on your spiritual journey. I do not feel it’s necessary though to take such step (leave everyday life and join an Ashram that is).
I do strongly suggest starting a regular spiritual practice, which includes meditation and perhaps yoga as well. A good article outlines what your day should incorporate for spiritual growth can be found here…
10 Things To Do Everyday
For starting a meditation and yoga program I suggest taking the following course. It has been beneficial to many.
Introduction to Meditation & Yoga Course
If you are highly motivated and interested in an intense spiritual effort, you may wish to try the following 9 day challenge.
Comprehensive 9 Day Spiritual Test
The above are good starting points. Please let me know your progress and any other issues you might run into.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
on February 4th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Last week, I was very weak and ill, and called this Indian man who claimed he could unblock chakras. Over the phone for one hour, he recited various mantras non-stop, during which time I was in a deep, relaxed meditation state. At one time, it took all I had to control this urge to burst out laughing because of the tickling in my lower back was soooo intense. I tried so hard not to laugh. I didn’t want to insult the man who was so diligently chanting by causing him to think I was laughing at him, but this tickle was too intense to bottle up. Also, ringing in my ears, which has continued (it’s been 5 days). The last symptom was a pressure in the very top center of my forehead, right up against my hairline (he called it the 5th eye, but didn’t explain what that was about). I would like to understand better what is going on, and if I should try to develop this further, how to do that, and whether I should wait until I find a good teacher? Thanks for your help.
on February 4th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Yes this is consistent with Mantra therapy and energy healing. The sounds create certain energy centers from activating and opening up. The pressure in the forehead relates to the Third Eye region (Ajna Chakra). Tingling in the lower back is the activation of Kundalini Energy.
To begin, please first concentrate on getting healthy and then work on getting very fit, before opening the chakras using Mantra Yoga (Naad Yoga or Bij Mantras).
This is to prevent issues with the greater flow of energy that takes place when chakras open up and the body is not ready.
You may like to start with the free online kundalini yoga and meditation classes we offer here on Mastery of Meditation. If so, please start with Course #101. Links are below…
Free Online Meditation & Kundalini Yoga Classes
Introduction to Meditation & Kundalini Yoga
Please let me know if you have any questions, or run into any issues.
All Good Wishes,
Anmol
on February 5th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Malini i would like to say something in your case.
you are absolutely right while saying that Kundalini awakening is a spontaneous phenomenon. In my case too it started itself and when it starts abruptly it brings lots of confusion and frustration, I am still searching for the answer whether i should help raising my Kundalini energy or should try to pacify it. Mind deviates a lot and it becomes very difficult to concentrate.
If you find a good suggestion from a spiritual master pls. pass it on to this site so that we can get help from that
on February 5th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Hey Arun: Not even buddha can feel what is going on in your body, only you know. The time depends upon your karma, how many chi-channels you have already unblocked, how diligently you meditate, and having sex will completely delay your efforts. What I do know is that the Taoists say it takes 3 months of sustained effort to get to a level where your body will transform (your skin will get soft, face take on a glow, increase longevity) and you will know this stage has completed because you will experience a state of internal breathing where your outside breath will nearly stop. This is not the full process of kundalini awakening yet, but its perhaps good enough for a goal. Heres my email: gglight@gmail.com. We can make a kundalini support group because some of this phenomena gets really freaky sometimes.
Malini: Kundalini is not a fancy word for any kind of mystical or psychic experience, it is specifically a physiological process of energy that is released and cleans your body, ending with the entry into the Shushumna channel, the main channel along your spine. Your’s is a kind of sponatenous awakening, which is now past. You have the predisposition for this, even though you squandered your experience, you can gain quick progress just by following Anmol’s great advice and just practice! meditate!
Hima: if it were possible to make spiritual progress laying in bed listening to someone on the phone, I would have been enlightened long ago. Chakras dont open that easily, so him promising this means he is not being honest. You did have some kind of “pranic energy” experience however (the ringing in your ears is caused by lots of pranic energy rising to your head). Meditations suggested on this site are worth much more and less confusing than relying on some phone-guru.
on February 7th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Thanks Arun and Garry.
It is a great relief to know that my experience was not a mental illness. Though I still need to convince myself. For past 5 years I have had been searching for an answer. I think more publicity is required regarding the possible experiences of kundalini awakening, so that people (like me) don’t suffer thinking all nonsense.
Anmol very rightly says that the true Guru is within us and the guidance comes from within. Many simple thing I have done/ doing during the past 5 years which have helped me to a great extent in overcoming the stress. It may help people therefore I’m writing some of those.
1. Firstly I started singing!! It was amazingly stress relieving.
2. I started doing more manual work (household). Now I do all household work myself
3. Aerobics, yoga and exercises gives a feeling of wellbeing and calmness.
4. Diet consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables has very good effect on mental health too. I have experimented on it.
5. Consciously practicing feeling of love and good wishes towards others (even if when I have arguements/ disagree with them)helps me a lot. Though it is quite difficult at times.
6.I have realised living alone builds up stress. We are social animals after all.
7. Reducing job related stress: Now I think it is essential that we take up work only as much as we can do. We have to learn to say “NO”
8. Developing interests and hobbies is really great. After all we should live a complete life!!
I have really benefited by practicing these.
One thing I really don’t know how to do is Meditation. Hope I’ll start doing soon.
Thank you all again and Best wishes
Malini
on February 12th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights. Do start your meditation, there is no substitute for it :-).
Best,
Anmol
on February 13th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Hi Malini
you have actually adopted a very effective way to reduce tension.Somebody rightly said that empty mind is devils workshop. best thing is to keep yourself busy.keep your mind busy.Human being is provided with Intellect and ability to think beyond the sense gratification.Just use your mind to search for answers to most crucial questions in life, Who I Am, where shall i go from here. what is beyond what we see here. just get close to nature as much as possible.I assure you that you will get lot of realization after closely monitoring the natural phenomenon
around.Just see that no one in the world except human being can grow a single grain, still even a single insect is fed by Almighty somehow, Dogs and Ants doesnt grow anything still they get belly full of food. All these birds get there share from somewhere.
This whole system is continuously monitored by someone. One is sure to get his Humble pie.Just try to see the world from this angle.This is Meditation. Once you will start observing things this way, you will become very Calm and quite and will forget abt. all stress.
I am not claiming to be a saint but this is hoe i look at the things and really helps me to be more calm and quite.
I have taken garry’s gmail id and added him, i wud like to have your gmail id so that we can chat on matters of kundalini, as it can be shared with very few persons who understands it.
hope to get your reply
on February 18th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Hi Arun,
I think it’s a good idea to share about kundalini awakening. My email id is karmalini@rediffmail.com
However, I don’t chat …no time for chating too. But we can exchange views thru emails.
Thanks
Hi Garry,
How are you planning to have this kundalini support group? If you have one, please add my email id.
Thanks
Malini
on February 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Hi,
I am not sure what’s happening to me. I think I began to awaken my kundalini last year when I made a big break with my toxic past (I left addictions, emotional abusers, etc. behind me). Since then, I began doing some yoga exercises, praying, meditating, etc. But my lower back is causing me problems, sometimes I can’t walk or get up. Also, sometimes, I begin to feel as if I can see through the veils of time and space, into a reality that is usually hidden from me. And as soon as this starts to happen, and I begin to have visions of people and moments in some other life, everything turns white and I feel completely sick to my stomach, as if I will faint. Instead of ‘blacking out’, I ‘white out’, and I have to lay down and spend about 30 minutes recovering. After that, I feel simply strange -as if my life is new and fresh and different than it was before. It almost feels like I’m ‘re-setting’ my hard drive, if you know what I mean. But the feeling of freshness and lightness goes away after a while, and I return to my normal state. The normal state is much improved since I turned my back on my old unhealthy life, and started doing all I can to make things right for myself, but I have to wonder if I’m not cracking up somehow…. The experience has been a strange one. These ‘white-out’ episodes come without any warning, and they leave me completely confused about things.
Thank you for any help you can offer.
-Confused
on February 22nd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
“Unfortunately, pain in the lower back, back of the neck and headaches.”
I’ve had pain in the neck since I started practicing the 101 class.
I wonder if it’s related. I have no idea how to tell if it’s because of some kind of imbalance or cos of progress…
on February 22nd, 2008 at 11:50 pm
The pain in the neck usually is of the following nature…
1. It is towards the back of the neck.
2. Can be a pinching or burning sensation.
3. There can be swelling in the back on the neck (like a lump).
4. The back of the neck can become sensitive, almost painful to the touch.
If it’s along those lines in some way, it could imply kundalini doing her thing.
If the discomfort is caused by a particular exercise, then though we need to move forward carefully.
Best,
Anmol
on February 22nd, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Your experiences are certainly unusual. If I had to guess, I would say that the past is being purged, thus the cleansing you feel afterwards. Unfortunately, in us there is much that requires purging :-). Such purging is a part of the process and it is accompanied by the sickness or nausea in the stomach directly afterwards.
Issues related to the lower back are very consistent with kundalini.
I am happy to hear though that your normal state is much improved as a result of the changes you have made.
I suggest that if your lifestyle allows it (or on weekends), try to remain a little alert during the night as you sleep. Such purging generally happens then, but is below our threshold of awareness. Being aware during this time can give you greater clarity and insight into the process you are undergoing.
Let me know how it goes.
Best,
Anmol
on February 23rd, 2008 at 6:42 am
Hi Anmol,
Thank you. It’s a relief to be able to talk about this with someone - I usually keep it t myself, because the few people I told about it want to help, but don’t know how.
I had the suspicion that with each of these episodes that I was gaining insight somehow into another dimension, another life or something like that, but these visions I have are never particularly happy ones, and they never make much sense, and they’re never even about people I know –although I do recognize myself in some of them and feel the settings are familiar, but in these visions I’m not like who I am in this life. It’s really very strange and this idea that I’m purging things makes a kind of sense.
I’d never thought of it like that before, and now that I think about it, it does feel like an analogy for vomiting up something that makes sick and then feeling much relieved aftewards. And just as I read what you wrote, I had another one of these episodes. They don’t happen too often, maybe only once a month or once every few weeks, but they are fairly distressing.
Anyway, thank you for trying to help. If you happen to come across something I could read about this, or anyone else who’s gone through it, could you please let me know?
Thank you again,
Confused
on February 24th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Hi Confused
it sounds very interesting that you are able to dig in to some previous life or to distant future. its a rare case. did u experience some other symptoms of kundalini as well. how did it started, it must not have started all of a sudden. can u pls. tell a score of events that have lead to this situation.
Arun
on February 25th, 2008 at 3:13 am
Just a couple tips for those experiencing the more severe symptoms. I personally have had my whole body shake for a half hour a couple of times, fantastically erotic energy rising up in bubbles, several occassions of full streams of energy up the spine, loads and loads of fears coming up and being released, lots of pressure and bliss that is fairly distracing to me at work, terrible panic and fear of death, and some digestive troubles, just to name a few symptoms. A couple things that have helped immensely have been the Sedona method, Emotional Freedom Vial, tapping, and spinal breathing. The Sedona Method and the Emotional Freedom Vial both help release fears that the Goddess is loosening within. They have made many of my symptoms relax. And using a few Mantras like the Adi Shakti Mantra have helped me experience Kundalini energy on up my spine and filling my head that feels inteligent and warm and very peaceful that seems to take away all of the symptoms for a few days including the pressure in the forehead. For the digestive troubles ground Chia Seeds have helped a lot. They assist the body in removing toxins so the liver stresses less.
Let the process happen and don’t fear it or pray for it to stop. The times it has been on full force in a peaceful way are worth it. We are being reshaped by the Divine maybe? Hope those couple tips help.
on February 25th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Great contribution, thanks so much for sharing your insight and personal kundalini awakening experience. Am sure many will find your guidance helpful and reassuring.
Best,
Anmol
on February 25th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
With kundalini awakening, my first advice is to get healthy and fit. This allows the body to be able to deal with any increase in energy flow that takes place, or handle better any biochemical changes occurring at a cellular level as well.
I recommend starting a yoga practice, which does not directly look to open the chakra centers further, but instead helps to build your systems to achieve the results I indicated above. You may like to use some of the yoga sets on the website and you can find more details on that here…
Free Online Kundalini Yoga Kiryas (Don’t do the Kundalini Awakening Set though, till you feel more balanced).
For more devoted practice, you may wish to try the online courses, but don’t overdo them initially.
Free Online Yoga & Meditation Classes.
Let me know your progress.
Best,
Anmol
on February 25th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Hi Arun,
Thanks for asking, becuase I do want to talk about these things with people who might be able to understand. I’m not sure if my experiences are all from kundalini rising, or if the kundanlini rising is just part of a larger spiritual experience.
Here’s the basic sequence:
1. I had a childhood without real parents - they were never really there for me when I needed them, and they didn’t care enough about me in general. It was uncomfortable at best.
2. I grew up, and of course decided to go my own way and became fairly isolated from family and a normal life.
3. I went and followed my dreams, got the Ph.D and saw the world. Things were going okay, but I was lonely and I had faith in nothing and no one.
4. I had some difficult times hit me after that, and got addicted to Xanax, a toxic love affair, and realllllly lost my way for while.
5.At that point I went ‘home’, and instead of reconnecting with my family (they’re still emotionally unavailable) I ended up getting a gift from a stranger (a man who owned hotel where I stayed). He gave me a book about the Mother Goddess. He was from India, and tried to tell me about her and I really didn’t get it, but I kept the book, and read bits and pieces of it.
6. Around this time I started to search for an understanding of the world interms of buddhism and quantum physics. This is when I started having the white outs. I’d feel that I was getting insight into a parallel life of mine, or memories, or something, and just beginning to see how things in the universe work, and then I’d get sick to my stomach and white out.
7. I kept reading about the Mother and decided that she was my hope in this life for comfort and safety, and I began to have some faith again.
8. I decided to push out all of the toxic things that had built up in my life. One day I just decided enough was enough. I left my lover (who was abusive), I stopped taking the Xanax, and I decided to only do what was right for me from now on. That included yoga.
9. The day after I made this choice, a feeling of complete peace came to me. I felt the world was exactly as it should be, I saw how all the good things I ever did in this life had brought good things to me. I saw how all of the pain I had felt in my life had brought me to this new clean, healthy place. I was able to forgive everyone who had ever been bad to me, and to forigive myself. I had real peace for that day.
10. Then I was doing yoga one morning, and afterwards I sat down and called my father (who I hadn’t spoken to in over 10 years). After we talked and tried to set some things right between us, and I got off the phone, I couldn’t get up. I had a terrible pain in my lower back for the first time in my life. So I just sat there and meditated, did some breathing and eventually I was able to stand.
11. At that very point (and I’m sorry if this sounds disgusting), I felt what I think is the kundalini move in my lower back, it felt like it was coming from some ancient place inside of me, some place I never knew was there (but it was right at the tip of my lower spine). And it felt like a kind of spiraling outward and I had to use the restroom. I can tell you that everything in my intestinal system was completely cleared out almost immediately (again, I’m sorry if this sounds gross). But it was a real purging. In the next few days I kept reading the internet to see if I could learn something about this strange experience, and that’s when I found out about kundalini rising (this was never mentioned in the book I read on the mother goddess).
12. After that, my life has been changing in such strange ways. The lights of my former life have gone out (my best friend died, I don’t speak with the love of my life anymore, I dropped many old limiting beliefs), but I am finding new lights and new faith all the time. Things I need seem to come to me without me having to look for them. And I feel a protection that I never felt before.
13. Finally, the white outs keep coming, the pain in my lower back is there off and on and I had a dream that meant something to me. I was swimming in a dark lake in the mountains, and a young woman swam up next to me. We began to chat as we swam, and I looked over at her to see that she was a lovely young woman with fair skin, dark hair, but she had the deepest sadness in her face and her eyes. At that point I realized that she was me. Then I noticed we were near a dangerous waterfall, and I warned her to be careful. She looked at me with a look of infinite sadness and she let her self go over the edge. She was naked, and as she fell, she tucked her knees and head into her chest, and disappeared into the mist below. In that dream, I feel like I saw my sad self die, and that I will never be as sad as I was during these last years ever again.
And that’s my story. And I don’t know if it’s all about kundalini or if just part of it is. I am still left confused by the white outs, but I do feel better most of the time, much stronger, much happier, much more protected and loved than I ever used to. I think it’s the mother goddess who came to me, at last. I hope she’ll never leave me, I can live with the back pain as long as so many good things keep developing in my life, it’s worth it.
Sorry for the long answer, I just felt like getting my story ‘out there’. And thank you again for asking.
-Confused
on February 25th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Hi Anmol,
Thank you for that advice. I feel attracted to Hatha yoga these days (that’s not the same as kundalini is it?). It’s funny because yesterday I decided that the main thing I need to do is keep resting well and exercising well to improve my energy balance and strength. So your advice is quite timely.
I’ll avoid that kundalini awakening yoga for a while, because I think you’re probably right about finding more strength and stability first, and I’ll give the kiryas you recommended a trial as well.
I actually feel excited about the new possibilities that your website is opening up for me. Thank you.
Confused
on February 26th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Hatha yoga postures make up some of kundalini yoga as well. You will find purely hatha yoga postures illustrated here:
Free Online Hatha Yoga Poses Galleries
I think you are on the right track. Glad you are finding the website useful.
Best,
Anmol
on February 26th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Hi Confused,
Thanx for sharing your experiences with us.I can assure you that there are many common threads among the lives of both of us. I too faced the similar kind of circumstances as u mentioned.
After i lost all the confidence in relatives n friends because of some bitter experiences, i was provided a very spiritual book from one of my acquaintance this helped me to clear my concepts abt. life and death and from then onward i started looking at world frm a different perspective. and as happened to you i too felt something happening in my lower back. since then i keep on feeling different kind of changes in my body, only a person like u can understand me as i can gauge the real situation u must be in now.
hey its nice to share some thoughts with you. my gmail id is arunmomia@gmail.com. if possible pls. provide me your gmail id as well so that we can share some more experiences thru live chat.
Thanx a lot once again for your cordial reply
Arun
on February 27th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Arun Momia,
Please tell–what book was that ?
PSM
on February 27th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Hi PSM
Person from whom i got that book is an ISKCON(International Society for Krishna Consciousness) member. He provided me a book written by Founder Sh A.C.Prabhupada Swamiji. Name of the book is ‘The Science of Self-Realization’. Its a good book that gives deep insides in to the facts abt. life and death and purpose of coming here as human beings. one thing i would like to tell u is that Everybody is not fortunate enough to read such books, as once a person get in touch with these books he starts his last journey to endless cycle of births and deaths and sure to get salvation in this birth or next.
Prabhupadas teachings has been accepted by milloin of people all over the world and i am sure you will find answers to your all quarries in this book.
Arun Momia
on February 28th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Thank you Arun Momia for sharing that title. I just ordered it and am looking forward to reading it.
PSM
on February 29th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Hi PSM
I appreciate your curiosity for spiritual matters.I hope you will be blessed by Sh. Prabhupada swamiji’s teachings.Read this book with full belief in Swamiji’s teachings, you will surely get the desired outcome.
Pls. let me know how do you feel after reading that book.you can contact me at arunmomia@gmail.com
Arun
on March 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 am
[…] Anmol Mehta presents Kundalini Awakening Symptoms posted at Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga. […]
on March 3rd, 2008 at 2:12 am
wow…differ