Awakening Kundalini
By Holly Semanoff
Kundalini energy is literally the latent female energy that lies coiled in the base of the spine. It is the power behind the workings of the autonomic nervous system which includes the heartbeat and the breath. It lies within the second vertebrae of the spine and is dormant in most people though it is starting to awaken more and more as the female energy of humanity is beginning to gainmomenteum. To awaken kundalini is to open the doorway to your soul, while in the physical existence. This is done by using specific breath, body movements, and mantras. When kundalini is awakened it moves through your chakra system, unlocking energetic knots, purging old negativity, emotions and inner blocks so that you can experience your higher nature. Kundalini is just one of the components of your subtle body and in order to understand kundalini you must also have an understanding of your subtle body.
The Subtle Body
Everything in the world is made up of energy, which can be defined as “information that vibrates.” The subtle body cannot be separated from the physical body anymore than color red can be pulled out of a strawberry and remain edible.
Scientific research has proven that everything energetic contains information or in other words data that tells the atom whether it should occupy a liver or the heart. Besides containing information energy also vibrates at its own unique speed. Subtle energy for instance operates on a different plane than physical energy.
Physical energy is electrical in nature and it travels slower than the speed of light. It also gives rise to gravity. Subtle energy is magnetic in nature and moves faster than the speed of light. It gives rise to what some call levitational force. This means that you can’t see it but can experience its seemingly paranormal effects on the physical level.
The fact is we know subtle energies exist because we can perceive their effects. The core evidence for subtle energies include:
- The use of various magnetic devices for perceiving electromagnetic energy
beyond the bounds of the body.
- The scientific discovery of L-fields, also called electrical field and T-fields, also called thought fields.
- The Universal light field, also called a “Zero- point Field,” which consist of photons or units of light that regulate all living things.
- The measurement of the meridians and chakra systems that operate at higher levels of electromagnetism than the rest of the body.
Why are we unable to see these fields? Human senses operate within a narrow range on the electromagnetic spectrum, which is the measurable band of energy that produces various types of light. Our eyes can only detect radiation, the term for noticeable energy emitted by substances, in the range of 380 to 780 nanometers. That is visible light and what we know is that subtle energy is faster than the speed light but just because we cannot see it does not mean it doesn’t exist. Subtle energy is much like sound waves. We cannot see the sound waves with our naked eye but we can perceive, hear, and feel its effects.
Subtle energies also operate by different rules than measurable physical energy. They work within the realm of quantum physics, which can stretch-and sometimes completely ignore-time and space, change form at will, and occupy many places at once. In the science of yoga it has been known that subtle energies actually create physical reality and research now is starting to prove it. If you can fix a so called problem in the subtle structures, the subtle system can then share this solution down through and into the physical body.
Subtle energy flows downward from the highest subtle energy, which can be called “the Divine,” to the lowest, which can be defined as body or physical. Each level provides a template for the level below. As the subtle energy enters the domain, it adapts-but also instructs. The laws differ on each of these levels because the energy gets denser. The energy from the least to most dense is as follows:
- The Divine
- Spirit
- Mind
- Body
The meridians and chakras operate like antennas that detect and send signals from the physical reality into the upper realities and vice versa. These subtle structures interact between all the levels of reality that exist from the physical all the way to the Divine and from the Divine all the way to the physical.
Prana: Life Force Energy
When we speak of prana we are referring to the vital energy of the universe. Nearly every culture has its own version. The chinese call it chi, the japanese call it ki, the christians refer to it as the holy ghost, and recent researchers call it bioenergy, biomagnetism, electro-chemical energy, electro-magnetic energy, subtle energy, or just plain energy. Since we are going to be working with the ancient scientific system of yoga throughout this book we will be referring to this subtle energy by its yoga given name found in the ancient Vedas, from which all yoga came from, as prana. In this workshop we will be working with prana and apana (a specific type of prana) to raise kundalini.
Prana literally means “breathing forth” the universal life force. It mainly flows through the body in the nadis, or nerve channels of the astral body. Prana fills the head, heart, lungs, and throat. This is the primary life breath and is present in the air moving in and out of our nasal passages. It governs inhalation. Our personal prana is our portion of the cosmic life force which manages our energetic processes, especially what we take in from food and water, our five senses, the breath, and ideas we absorb through our mind.
Apana is a specific type of prana, located in the colon. Apana governs downward impulses, including exhalation, urination, excretion, elimination, menstruation, birth, and sexual activities. Apana plays a vital role in the opening of the Brahma nadi and movement of the kundalini.
Kundalini is the powerful current of creative life energy residing in a subtle coiled passageway in the second vertebrae of the spine located near the base of the spine. In ordinary waking consciousness, Prana flows from the brain down the spine and out through this coiled kundalini passage. It enlivens the physical body, ties the astral and casual bodies, and the indwelling soul to the mortal form.
Through specific conscious breathing techniques and meditation the prana and apana can unite in the second vertebrae of the spine and Kundalini (dormant cosmic energy) is awakened. When the dormnt energy is awakenen it then begins to move up the spine in the shushumnanadi which correlates to the spinal cord in the physical body.
Nadis: Channels of Energy
The word nadi comes from the sanskirt root nad and means “movement.” The nadis are channels that transport various subtle energies throughout the body’s chakra system and physical system. The nadis interact specifically with the physical nervous system. They not only conduct prana throughout the body, but also convert it into different types of energy for organs, glands, and tissues. The nadis also play a vital role in the raising of Kundalini.
There are two specific types of nadis. The first type of nadis is subtle or immaterial and within this group there are two channels. The first channel is Manas, which channel the energy of the mind. The second channel is Chitta, which channels the feeling self.
The second type are gross or physicalnadis. They are material, visible channels of subtle energy. This set includes nerves, muscles, vessels of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, and the acupuncture meridians.
Both subtle and gross nadis carry prana. There are over 72,000 nadis but three key nadis: the shushumna or main nadi; the Ida that begins at the base of the spine on the left side of the body; and the pingala that begins at the base of the spine on the right side of the body. The major chakras are fed by the Shushumna, which runs inside the vertebral column from the base of the spine to the center of the brain.
The Ida and Pingalanadis cross like a double helix around each chakra and relate to the symphatic nervous trunks on the sides of the spinal cord. Together these three nadis interact to cleanse the physical body and to stimulate the rising of kundalini through the Shushumnanadi.
The Shushumnanadi is the central nadi that passes through the spinal column. It runs from the Muladhara, the first chakra at the base of the spine, all the way up the spinal column into the Sahasrara, the seventh chakra at the crown of the head. From there it splits into two streams. The anterior passes through the Ajna or brow chakra and the posterior stream enters the back of the head before they unite again in the Brahma Randhra, the seat of supreme consciousness that lies between the two hemispheres of the brain and the Sahasrara chakra.
Pranayama: The Science of Breath
Pranyama is the science of the breath. The root word of prana is pra, which means “to fill.’ Prana is therefore the energy that fills the entire universe. Prana is the life force present in all things.
While prana represents the infinite life force, ayama means to magnify or expand. Pranyama therefore indicates the practice of filling with breath, or life force. In practice, pranayama is a set of breathing exercises designed to bring more oxygen to the brain, activate the subtle energy system, and control the life energy in the body.
Breathing is both a neurological and a motor activity that supports all bodily systems. Oxygenation is critical for the health of the body and the mind. The exhalation part of the breath is critical for releasing waste and toxins.
Everyday we take between ten and sixteen breaths a minute; at rest between six and eight. Our breath moves in cycle between one nostril or the other. In this book we will be learning specific techniques of breath or in other words Pranyama. Each of this techniques will have a specific purpose in clearing and magnifying the connection between your body, mind, and spirit. The basic foundation will begin with Ujjaya breathing or victorious breath which we will cover in a little bit but before we go there it is important that we create an understanding of your subtle body.
Conscious Breathing
You will now learn how to take a full, deep diaphragmatic breath. Then we will begin the process of creating the conscious connection to the higher self.
All these lessons are meant to be done in a comfort zone. It is important to create an internal awareness, not only to embrace the awareness of the true self, but also to prevent injury to the body. Do these activities very gently, with conscious attention. The main way you can do these exercises wrong would be to try to hard or go unconscious. There are several symptoms that will let you know when you are performing them wrong. If you get dizzy, tense or uncomfortable in anyway immediately pause and rest, resuming the activity only when you can do it more gently. Balance between pushing yourself beyond what you believe are your limits and knowing when to back off and nurture yourself is key. Listen to your own greater knowing throughout this entire class and follow that guidance.
Always be sure to check with your health care professional before starting any new regimen. This is doubly important if you are in treatment for any breathing problems or any diseases, such as diabetes, in which breathing problems are secondary symptoms. If you are asthmatic or experience other repertory dysfunction, practice with cautious intention until you feel you are ready to dive in.
Also as you practice breathing you may notice your heart beat increasing on the in-breath and slowing down on the out-breath, which is entirely normal.
Cultivating Full Diaphragm Breathing
This lesson will show you how to get your breath farther down into your abdomen
and how to move your diaphragm through its full range of motion. When you truly grasp this concept, you can use it to eliminate undesirable energy and create connection to your higher self. From this space life is fully experienced with joy and clarity, living your life in the moment.
First it is important to realize the diaphragm is a muscle. It can be trained and strengthened like any other muscle. Visualize a wide, fan-shaped muscle that separates the chest cavity (thorax) and its contents from the abdominal cavity. This is the main muscle of inhalation. When viewed from below, the diaphragm would look like the sky from the earth- the underside of an arched dome. On an inhalation this dome becomes nearly flat, lowering the floor of the chest cavity. When descending the diaphragm presses on the liver, stomach, and other organs, it gently messages them, stimulates their action, and encourages normal function. Internal organs need exercise much the way external muscles need exercise. The diaphragm is nature’s principle instrument for this internal exercise. Its motion vibrates the important organs of digestion and elimination, messaging and kneading them at each inhale and exhale, forcing blood into the organs and then squeezing it out.
Part One
For this lesson full diaphragmic breath will be cultivating by breathing in through the nose and out through the nose. It is also important to realize that the sound of the breath will be the focus for the mind, breathing through any sensations you feel in the body.
Our lesson will be done in two parts: a lying-down phase and a sitting up phase. The reason for this is simple. Full diaphragm breathing is easiest to learn lying down, but it is most effective if you are seated with your spine straight. We will first hone the skill lying down and then learn how to practice it in a seated position.
Breathing feels a little different lying down then it does from sitting or standing. This is because when you are lying down you have to lift the weight of the abdomen with each in-breath but the weight of the abdomen will also make the out-breath easier. These are not factors when you are sitting or standing.
Instructions:
Begin by lying down on your back, eyes closes, and hands on your diaphragm, inhaling and exhaling out the nose. Now breathe into your lungs deeply in all four directions. As you continue to breathe and your breath gets deeper you may even feel the ribs below the clavicle raise and fall. Feel the diaphragm flatten out on the inhale pushing down and massages the internal organs and round on the exhale.
Now bringing your attention to the back of your neck, find length there. Continue to breathe bringing your conscious awareness to the main muscle of inhalation and exhalation, the diaphragm.
Part Two
How the Breath Works
The way you breathe has a direct effect on how you channel your prana and this is what we are going to work on next. To continually increase the vibration within you, it is important that you inhale and exhale through the nose. Breathing this way keeps all of your prana within you, without releasing it outside of yourself except on the rare occasion you exhale out the mouth, which we will talk about in a moment.
This kind of breathing is known as ujjayi breathing in Sanskirt, which translates to victorious breath. To support the mind in staying present, ujjayi breathing creates a unique hissing sound that is caused by a slight conscious constriction of the throat as the breath travels through the larynx and over the vocal cords. When we whisper the same action that softens the speech creates the sound in ujjayi breathing. As the throat passageway is narrowed, the velocity of the air traveling through it is increased. This is what generates the sound. Listening to this sound enables us to practice mindfulness because if the mind isn’t paying attention you can’t do ujjayi breathing and this is because ujjayi breathing doesn’t happen by itself. Bringing the mind under the control of the breath will eventually lead you to the control of the mind. Although ujjayi is done with the mouth closed it is easiest to learn at first with the mouth open so this is what we will be doing.
Instructions:
Now we will translate all that you have learned so far. Sit in an upright seated position. Keeping your spine straight is an important factor when in seated position. Make sure the lower spine is straight and the abdominal muscles are pulled in gently. The rib cage is slightly lifted and the upper vertebrae are stacked on top of the lower vertebrae. Shoulders relax down and are gently pressed back in a natural way. The cervical vertebrae of the neck are straightened, and the neck stretches gently upward. The chin is parallel with the floor, and slightly tucked in. The head is in line with the spine. Feel as though there is an imaginary string that is strung through the lower, middle, and upper spine, the neck, and the top of the head. Imagine that this string is being gently pulled upward, straightening your posture in a gentle natural way.