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.

Kundalini Awakening in Meditation

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.

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724 replies
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  1. Jules
    Jules says:

    Hello. I was wondering if someone can provide insight into strange twitches that have been occurring with my left temple as well as pain in my shoulder (between my shoulder and heart) areas during meditation. Does this indicate overactivity of the chakras or some blockage? should I focus on these areas or ignore them during meditation? Thank you.

    Reply
  2. RAGHUNATH
    RAGHUNATH says:

    Dear Sir
    How this process is performed ?
    Can you plz guide, and can this be done by reading the information or a Guru is required
    Regards
    Raghunath

    Reply
  3. Brad
    Brad says:

    Hello, I am super new to meditation and I’m quite confused on what is happening when I do try and meditate. I’m very anxious for someone with more knowledge than me to inform me about what is occurring when I meditate. After a couple minutes of deep breathing and concentration, my body starts vigorously shaking and what feels to be a lot of energy starts flowing up my back and stops into my neck. When it stops my head starts bobbing extremely hard and I often lose focus because of this. I have been really worried lately that something bad is going to happen if I let it all happen naturally and I don’t know how to embrace this situation. Anyone with any sort of input is welcome to provide me with some information here. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. Sajeevan
    Sajeevan says:

    Dear Master,

    My name is Sajeevan working with an oil & Gas MNC as a Lead QA/QC Engineer in Mangalore, Karnataka. I would like to know what is happened to my friend. He is my childhood friend. He is always discussing his personal matter also. After hearing his matter I got confused .but he is not interested to discuss this matter to any body. It’s his nature.. he is having a Rudraksha pattern (he have 1 mukhi to 14 mukhi Rudraksha and Ganasha also in his neck from his childhood.

    I briefly written some of the known incident happened in his life. He don’t that I wrote a letter to you. Please give me a solution to him what is really happened to him.

    When he was sleeping, he feels that his soul is gone out of his body & went to some other places, one night he feels his spirit gone out of his head on the way he has seen so many black lady images with long teeth & golden crown. Along the way he saw a well & he saw a Human shadow, he asks him what the power of Lord Devi is. He replies Energy in the wood. Other day he went to other place & asks the people where am I? They replied this is Swastika Logum & lot of time he spends there. One man says to him there is river Ganga you go & take bath. He feels to go back he says Om Shakthi then he returns back.

    During he was sleeping his wife saw a white light passing through from his face.

    Even Electrical & Electronic device are disturbing, Powers are also disturbing in his presence & flashes that one on some time without any air circulation windows & Doors are automatically opened & closed.

    One day he saw so many street dogs are eating some thing in the road, when the dogs realise his presence (more than 10 nos) all are afraid and run away a distance and they cannot come back.

    Other day, he saw those dogs & he calls the dog by showing his hand all the dogs are come closer & touches his hand.

    One day he was standing on the road along with people, one beggar looks like a mad comes closer to him & touches him asking money for meals after getting it he wishes him & runs away.

    One day he was sitting on the table with his colleague, a glass of water is kept on that table, it automatically moves to a certain distance.

    When he was sleeping he feels that some thing is happened to his body, he feels that some super power is developing to his body.

    One day he was sitting inside his office, He heard a sound, than a unknown small insect is comes out of his ear & flies away.

    During sleeping he was always getting an erotic dream.

    One day he was sleeping, he felt that he was 1feet above from the bed & some times feels he is going automatically up from his bed near to the shilling fan, then he afraid, sometime he is seeing the magical environment. One day he feels totally heavy current in his body then he touches his face, all the parts in the faces are comes out.

    Sometimes he is hearing his name by calling somebody. Uneven sounds are also heard by him. Group of peoples talking, & other voices etc.,

    One day when he was sleeping, he felt that his half of body is burned.

    During a function, every body is sitting in a hall than one girl 9 years old (Unconscious girl, even he takes his food only by liquid). That girl looks his face & comes closer to him & catches his hands & kissed his hands. She picks up my friends hand & moves closer to his mouth.

    He feels Extra sense in eyes, nose, tongue, ears & Skin.

    If any human beings, animals, birds, etc., feels any harm, he is also getting pain.

    Some type of videos, pictures & animals, he gets some electrical feelings in his body.

    Her body gets pain in different parts, (Ex : neck , Forearm, legs Etc.,)

    Some times unconscious mind, crying without reasons, sometimes looks Sad without reason, Facing lot of problem but his mind feels always cool, high BP like (210), but he is not having angry.

    When he look in the floor, rock, wood, & any other hard materials seeing in liquid form.

    One day night he feels powerful light between the eye bow that time he afraid to close his eyes. On that time, he saw the stars on the sky from his room.

    When he sits in the vehicle, he feels the vehicle is moving, 3to 4 times he feels black/white smoke comes into his body from atmosphere.

    I introducing him, he is my childhood friend. He has a good personality & good behaviour. He is a pure vegetarian and cool person and always social with all other people, helpful mentality, whenever some body asks any questions he immediately replies the answer.

    from childhood onwards, he always worship mantras., Durga 32 names is his favourite chatting mantra. One day I was speak to his mother, she says that, when she was 3 month pregnant, some yogis saw her that in your stomach one male baby is going to born & he have gods power is with him. (He was born on 5th June 1975 Wednesday night 12.45, in Assam Tezpur district.).some aged Yogis tell his parents give Roti prepare from Smasan fire.

    Waiting for your reply. Please reply me as soon as possible.

    Sincerely ,

    Sajeevan

    Reply
  5. Aviela
    Aviela says:

    In respone to Christine #530 and 531.

    It’s nice to hear that you can look back at your experience with gratitude. I tend to view this type of encounter as a power play of
    some sort…ego driven game to a certain extent….even if it’s without malice or intent to harm…
    Your own unconscious intuition picked up something that was going on in him…that he may not be 100% of….he may not realize the extent of what he is transmitting (his own unconscious) during his visits….and possibly at other times when he is not even doing anything consciously. It may be a mixture.
    This is whole new territory for many people….and not to get too Sci-fi about it, but we really have no idea what it’s really about.
    be well,
    aviela@att.net

    Reply
  6. Steve C
    Steve C says:

    During silent mind meditation practice, a yoga class where I am in the zone or sometimes random times of quiet, I feel a connection from inside to some other energy. About half the time, there is some specific insight or wisdom that comes to me, almost like a download ( I have called it a “you have spiritual mail” moment. Interestingly, it more often than not doesn’t involve a message to benefit me and often is not a full insight but only relates to my involvement. 20 out of 20 when following the insight subsequently, something good happens. During these periods, lose all sense of time. Often notice subsequent lower back pain or headache (occasionally a “Harry potter headache” right in middle of forehead). Occasionally recall glimpses of feeling “all knowing” but don’t actually consciously recall what that means. Don’t really know if this is consistent or inconsistent with others’ experience or if this connection to something (central human consciousness or divine or something else that seems energetic but capable of downloading insight) is part of kundalini, but will read comments. Thanks to all who share them.

    Reply
  7. joga
    joga says:

    I have felt most of the things what others have experienced but I have been able to control it so far and used it to my advantage when I am training and working as I have so much energy I do not seem to get tired, when I am resting my body my body feels like its on fire and recharging I just let it take its course and enjoy it also it has helped to heal old injuries the other thing I feel I seem to know what the other person is thinking and what they are going to say I will leave it there for now

    Reply
  8. Christine M
    Christine M says:

    Hello Aviela,
    The man I dated and spoke of in first post did not want a “relationship”and to me he seemed very self aborbed when we were together.
    .honestly my head felt foggy a lot during that time.
    At one point I thought perhaps this was a sort of control he had over me which I have definatly heard of those things….and some not so good. I searched the internet too. I came across all kinds of things like sexual sorcery ect… Some resonated some did not..altimatly I believe it is an awakening that I am expereancing because of the oneness with the presance that sometimes happens..Grateful to hear from you too.

    Reply
  9. Christine M
    Christine M says:

    Hello, I am taking a few deep breathes of releif right now because I have just come across “K” s posts of her expereances. About 6 months ago I started dating a man that I was instantly magnatized to..He lived 5 hours away so only saw eachother twice a month. On the very first date he let me know that when he misses someone he would “visit” them..Well that is exactly what happened.I can say that it was a very special, beautiful time. I also expereanced being touched and caressed inside while we were right next to eachother so I know it was he who was transmitting the energies.Once I asked him about this gift his response was that my polar receptors were finly tuned…
    I had such beautiful feelings that I started loving him.( This is pretty intense stuff for me.) But there came a point when he started telling me things like, I want to live my life without relationships…even though you and I have one..I was confeused by that at the time, so I held on loosely. It seemed that he was having very deep intense emotions about it inside. All along the “visits” continued…I thought what a beautiful gift anyway.. Finually, he called me and told me gently but clearly that we were not going to “ride that horse to the highest mountain together.”
    I knew on a higher level that I was in the middle of heavy inner work. We parted BUT each night and day those energies kept onslotting me. Waking me ect…non stop.
    First Heat in my body,rushing sounds from my head downwards like intense powerful energy. A almost heartbeat thudding in my lower body..Also, there are the “notes” and “tunes” that corespond with my sex center.
    He was (is) a musician and I did ask him about how he would “tune me up” His response was~ that is some of it….
    These things would go off almost every 3 to 4 hours during the day and then around 3;00am It would be a visit with a very personal feeling to it. I was getting so very tired, my hair even started thinning.I have always tried to look at my life through spiritual eyes. Love is something that I want to share with another so much, but I see now that it is first what I must share with myself and with the Divine. I say “WOW” to this expereance as well “K”. I do know that he was~is a person who can transmit these energies to others through the sexual expereance. I think one has to be very aware of ones own attachments and thier own work to handle the very intense feelings that come along with it…It has only been a few months ago.Its easier to have no contact with him. I do know that he also had his own inner work to do throughout this time. I am grateful for this because on some level I feel it will also be my own unique gift. Please feel free to email me as well.

    Reply
  10. GFganesh
    GFganesh says:

    Most of the above posts describing kundalini indicate alot of fear in response to kundalini energy. The fear of fear is many times stronger than fear itself. That what I hear in the descriptions above. I have been living with activated Kundalini for nearly 20 years. Yes, heat in meridian channels and twitching muscles are common. And sometimes not pleasant episodes of night awakeness but never interpreted like I read in the descriptions above. I am grateful for the activation and resulting enhanced intuition, expansive energy presence and natural transmissions to other people.
    Peace, prosperity and Joy to All

    Reply
  11. Traci
    Traci says:

    I had an experience last night that I’m not sure what it was. For hours I’ve been searching the web to figure out what happened and I found this website. Last night I was dreaming and suddenly woke up. When I woke up I heard a voice say Traci is up?? What happened after that was amazing and scary at the same time. All the sudden an intense wave of bright light energy surged through my body for what felt like a couple of minutes. While this was happening my body felt paralazed and I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. As this was happening I heard loud rouring noises like a wind storm and it also sounded like a room full of people talking, I mean a lot of people talking as if all the voices were one. When it was all over I couldn’t determine if I was theatened by what had happened or if it was peaceful. I do know that for hours after I was very shook up. Could someone please shed light onto what is happening to me???

    Reply
  12. Rohan
    Rohan says:

    I also feels something boosting/flowing or bouncing upside in my spinal.This feeling starts from middle of spine to upside.Sometimes I feels some flow is incoming from fingers and toes.Sometimes I feel very tired and weak while sometime full of energy.Please explain me.

    Reply
  13. Rohan
    Rohan says:

    I mostly practices meditation before sleep at night lying on my bed.
    I keeps meditating in different parts and chakras.Lastly I stops at aagya (third-eye chakra).I gots dissolved in it and I can see the bright white light in closed eyes.But everything is dark on opening the eyes.Sometimes I cannot tolerate the brightness.So I keeps concentrating into cron chakra….Many a times I feels that i had left my body …. In the beginning I used to feel very horrible.Now i had learned to how to return again to body…Can any one please tell me something about this?If this symptom is good then how can I progress further? Please guide me about this.

    Reply
  14. dadibattini narayana
    dadibattini narayana says:

    I started listening a beautiful veena (I am dam sure that this is not from this world) at 3.30 am. I used to see saints worshipping Lord which I was amazed to see them.

    I saw a divine light coming from ether and enveloping my forehead. Plants which are growing and were asking me permission to grow.

    Some times I used to stay in the body of Miss Universe who is contesting and used to reach my body after live telecast.

    Reply
  15. Aviela
    Aviela says:

    to k,
    it sounds like you have a beautiful connection…I guess there’s not a way to know if he’s even conscious of the extent of it…..
    I sometimes think many psychic things happen between people without any conscious intention….
    Though my experience is not as beautiful & loving as yours…we are not together because he didn’t want to be in a romantic relationship with me and is now with someone else, but I too was very aware when he was thinking of me and I had some visions which I will never be sure were from him or that came from my own unconscious… I have decided not to keep in contact with him because even though there was a connection he was not sensitive to my feelings….and he certainly was only aware of a connection when he wanted one……but that is another story :)) Like I said,
    I would be more than happy to communicate with you more…..please feel free to write me at aviela@att.net. I have been reading alot about Kundalini & synchronicity as well as psychology and spirituality/religion…I feel that we are all evolving/changing as humans and that we will find that experiences such as these will increase as time goes by.
    all the best to you…..it must be so wonderful to have warm & kind feelings toward someone that has been such a special part of your life. love & light….aviela :)

    Reply
  16. k
    k says:

    Aviela-I forgot to respond to your first email. I too get the sensation in my head. It usually comes in on the right side directly behind my temple. It’s just a sensation and somehow I know it belongs to my friend. Sort of like I can read his signature. It’s really indiscribable. Often I get this when I am doing something very quitely. Like yoga or driving in the car. I do find that I am more receptive when I am outside. When i get this feeling an email will usually follow. One time I was sitting at my computer concentrating on somethng and a vision flashed infront of me of my friend kissing me. It happened in an instant but it seemed so real and 3 dimensional. Please let me know if this sounds familiar.

    Thanks! Kim

    Reply
  17. k
    k says:

    Aviela and Karen-
    Thank you for your responses. It too has been very hard for me to be so in love with someone and not be able to show them or share my feelings. It has given me great pain (but also great joy when I don’t let it get the best of me). I feel like this is what the bible means when they speak of such struggles in life that will bring you closer to god. Through this whole experience I believe I have awoken to something extrodinary that I never intended to seek out. That being said, I still metally go back and forth as to what is really happening to me. I have asked my friend about the situation and have gotten no response. It is hard to verbalize it and not make this person think I have lost my mind. But I do believe he is also feeling these things. The thing is that I know he is a very spiritual person. I believe I have taped into his enery stream (and possibly he into mine) and a transfer has taken place. Everyday I also wonder if I am imaging it or that the feelings are only coming from me. I have several clues to tell me otherwise. One is that when the night time evnts would occur I would be awoken out of a deep sleep to the sensations and hear my friend speaking to me. As if I was being caressed awake. The other clue was that during a month of my friends most important religious holiday the feelings were completely absent. Sometimes I will be in the middle of a project where I am very focused and these intense vibrations will shoot through me. They start in the root chakra and go all the way to the top of my head. Sometimes my chest gets a warm sensation that fills me with love and joy. Also for about 2 months I swore I could feel my friends heart beat right next to mine. I knew when he was excersising and praying and at rest. It’s all so crazy. I have started to so mindful meditation wihich helps you practice being in the now. It has really helped me over come my emations for the situation I find myself in and things have calmed down. But I still can’t get over the revelation I have come to know through all of this.. It’s amazing. During these meditaions I have instantly seen my third eye. I now dream of things that tell me how to solve problems. I have asked my third eye questions and recieved answers that inevitably and eventually come true. All I can say is wow.

    Reply
  18. Aviela
    Aviela says:

    Hi again,
    In regards to K – I was also thinking that your being so open spiritually and in your heart is making you a “receiver” of energies…..it may also be possible that your strong feelings are “making love” with the other person…and that it’s happening inside of you at such a very deep level that it seems like he is participating….I’m not saying that you are imaging it but that it is coming from you and so you are creating it on some level.. This love may be transforming your consciousness to such a degree that you feel like you will levitate. Yes, please share more.

    My situation was so painful that I have had to detach from the feelings and find ways to ground myself as I would always feel that I was falling from a great height…..or I would suddenly find myself feeling really happy on some deep level and forget about the reality of the situation.
    best wishes :)

    Reply
  19. Karen Koontz
    Karen Koontz says:

    Hi! This is for “K”. Yes, it sounds almost WAY too familiar but I don’t know if the other party has or did feel it at the time. Sometimes I think it’s just “me”. Sad but true. Also, the levitation part sounds like YES, what fun that must be!!! Let me know if you or anyone else actually “does” it! Bye for now and good luck! Sincerely, Karen.

    Reply

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