Chapter 27 Kundalini and Heightened Sensitivities

The mechanism, known as kundalini, is the real cause of all genuine spiritual and psychic phenomena, the biological basis of evolution and development of personality, the secret origin of all esoteric and occult doctrines, the master key to the unsolved mystery of creation, the inexhaustible source of philosophy, art, and sciences, and the fountainhead of all religious faiths, past, present and future.
Gopi Krishna Kundalini—The Evolutionary Energy in Man

In my last posting, I introduced the concept called “brahmacharya” (walking in the creative force of God) which has to do with the preservation and cultivation of our creative life force, our kundalini energy.

With the rising of kundalini, I suddenly discovered a heightened awareness of all internal sensations. The flow of

Kundalini itself, on the most part, was very blissful, and left me with a strong desire to surrender to its currents, to do whatever was necessary to encourage its movement and to enhance its sensations. In a way, it was like a secret lover, seducing me to surrender to its touch, calling me into intimacy and wholeness. Because of this heightened awareness of sensation, many actions that before would be unnoticeable suddenly came alive and affective. Breathing in a certain way, hand formations called mudras, certain physical poses, sounds, vibrations, repeating of matras, aromas etc. were a few of the discoveries to be made as I progressed in my understanding of this transformation process.

I would like to briefly discuss some of these in brief detail.

During my retreat, the first signs that something extraordinary was happening was a radical change in breathing patterns. Kundalini has a way of leading you into those patterns that you need, at that moment, for its advancement. We only need to surrender to its call.

Yoga literature encourages the practice in breathing techniques that are useful to prepare the anatomy for the

rising of kundalini. One such technique is called “spinal breathing”. This breathing practice serves to open the passage way called the "sushumna svara" which is the most beneficial route for kundalini to travel in its journey from the root chakra to the crown. This breathing practice, along with meditation, would be considered preparatory work to ready the body for the initial engagement of the kundalini process. 

Since my kundalini rising began after an intense time of meditation, I can only assume that a lot of this preparatory work had either been done unconsciously before, or was accelerated by the flow of kundalini itself during its renovation and restoration process. 

Once kundalini is active and many of the blocks are cleared, we discover that we can direct energy flow by our intentions and visualization.  And breathing techniques certainly facilitate this process.

For example, one area that I currently find very
useful using the breath is for the enhancement of the inner fire. As you slowly inhale, visualize the flow of energy from your left and right nostril down through the left and right “savars” on either side of the spine (known as ida and pingala). Draw this energy with the breath down to the tip of the spine and perineum areas. Note the blissful sensation as

it rests there for a mini-second while holding the breath. Now what you do is move this energy up from the base through the sushumna svara, the central channel along the spine, to the crown allowing it to fan inner heat and fire that blissfully touches each of the chakras from the sacral to the crown. To do this, before exhaling, draw in the lower abdomen muscles, exhale slowly but forcefully while visualizing this energy entering the sushumna, tickling the sacral chakras, fanning the flame in the solar plexus chakra and moving it up the sushumna through the other chakras to the top of the head. By continuing this practice for a few breaths, kundalini energy is stimulated and moved in an upward motion to generate increasing levels of escasy.  This draws you into a still bliss consciousness, and frees you from all other forms of distractions.

Certain sounds whether said or heard will create vibrations

that will stimulate the chakras, and bring you into a deeper state of meditative silence and bliss consciousness. Gongs, bells, singing bowls and certain instruments etc. played or heard from a CD work very effectively. Also certain sounds that you pronounce by way of a mantra will create a similar effect. Each chakra from the root to the crown have their own sound. Say the sound, dragging it out with inhale or exhale and visualize the applicable chakra.

Root – lam

Sacral – vam
Solar Plexus – ram
Heart – yam
Throat – ham
Third eye – sham
Crown – shree…om

Different aromas also will stimulate the chakras when gently

inhaled. Patchouli for the root chakra, ylang ylang for the sacral chakra, and jasmine for third eye chakra are three.

Whenever I begin meditation, and use any of the practices or instruments to encourage and enhance the flow of kundalini energy, I bring to consciousness why I am doing this.  It's a discipline to renounce and move away from a way of life that is destructive for spiritual growth.  It's a discipline which leads to more effective service to others.  It's a discipline that leads to emptiness of self and union with the Divine.