With gratitude to Faddic for the above painting entitled, Soul Dancing. For purchase enquiries, email sarah@oncloudzen.com
The Dark Side of Kundalini
While I’ve already blogged about how awakening kundalini can induce feelings of euphoria, what I haven’t mentioned is that this shakti life force energy moves up your chakras, it can also awaken painful past memories and test your resolve in trying to overcome any internal struggles. This is part of the spiritual healing process.
In a nutshell, as this powerful subtle energy travels up your spine towards your crown chakra, it actually stirs things up emotionally, and in some cases, you face your deepest, darkest fears. This can manifest itself emotionally and/or physically. Hence, why there are many reports on the web about so-called negative side-effects of Kundalini activation. In extreme cases, people have reported being on the border of madness with hallucinations, paranoid delusions. Not dissimilar to the effects of taking a mind-altering substance.
However, if you have a guru you can trust to guide you through the process, it is a far less alienating experience. According to the American mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell, who has experienced a kundalini awakening, if you are unguided, then, “the difference – to put it sharply – is equivalent simply to that between a diver who can swim and one who cannot…If you are following, stage by stage, the instructions of a master, you enter the waters and find you can swim, whereas someone unprepared, unguided feels like they have fallen and is drowning.
So, what exactly happens when the shakti serpent energy is aroused? Initially (after receiving some kundalini shaktipat transmissions from Dr Pradeep Ullal), I was walking around on a natural high, as if I had zero worries in the world. These feelings of bliss were quite overwhelming (in a good way). It felt surreal, but a feeling of ‘oneness’ with nature and other people suddenly kicked in and during my meditations, I
Experienced glimpses of the ‘no thoughts stillness’ mind. Overall, I felt like the Universe was protecting me.
However, we are governed by the laws of ying and yang, and for growth to happen, there is usually some discomfort. And sure enough, a couple of weeks ago, I did go through what felt like a tormenting cleansing process.
Old fears from my past resurfaced, in a magnified fashion, sending me headlong into emotional turmoil. Although, this time, I was very aware that I was battling these past behaviour patterns again. I soon realized that surrendering to the process was the best option. I also tried to follow the advice of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who suggests you should simply befriend your fear and say something like, ‘Hello Fear, you’re back again!’ Then you stay with your emotions until they pass.
According to experts in this field, as the energy is slowly working its way up the spine, from the root chakra towards the crown chakra, there is automatically an unblocking of certain conditioned patterns of behaviour along the way. To some, these layers are known as the ego while scientists in the field say this is a neuro-detoxification component. Any traumatic physical or emotional manifestation that occurs is actually the body’s way of releasing old patterns. And this has to occur if there is to be any growth or in-depth cleansing.
So as this neural repression is unraveling, your pain-body (as Eckhart Tolle calls it) is triggered which means painful emotions can resurface. This in itself is actually beneficial since during this internal cleansing process, unhelpful beliefs and subliminal programmes slowly dissolve out of a person.
For an aware soul, this is seen as a great relief as you are shedding negative baggage that is still holding you back in life. According to Dr Pradeep Ullal, Kundalini transmissions help to peels away the layers of the ego (that in defence tries to strengthen itself by putting up resistance) so that you can come closer to your true self and your divine connection with the universe.
However, to the uninitiated, it can be likened to walking through hell, as emotional experiences attempt to escape from the body. Gurus warn that the biggest mistake someone can make during a kundalini awakening is to identify themselves with these chaotic patterns coming up for release.
According to Kundalini Shaktipat guru, Dr Pradeep Ullal, there are several techniques which can ease such physical/emotional traumatic symptoms:
1. It is important to try and remain a witness throughout the process and to detach from your reactions and simply try to rise above the struggle during these releasing episodes. Sometimes you will just need to be present with your pain and let it disappear on its own. Afterwards you feel quite cleansed.
2. Doing cleansing kriyas, chanting mantras and meditating, being in silence will help you to release these old patterns, past memories and ancestral beliefs stored in the DNA and cellular unconscious mind.
3. A powerful mantra which you can repeat to yourself is Om Thiru Neela Kantam (pronounced: TEE-ru NEE-la KAN-tum). This karma-busting mantra comes from the Sanskrit meaning ‘blue throat’ and helps cleanse and purify the toxins via your vishuddha (or throat) chakra.
4. Eating clean, fresh food (vegetarian) is also recommended. Raw food helps you to purify and cleanse your system.
5. Try to be grateful for challenging times, as these are what help to shape and heal us so we can grow. Without any struggle or pain, there is no spiritual growth.
So far, for me, kundalini energy has been tremendously healing; and at times it is dynamic, blissful, volatile and unpredictable. Seeking the help of a true yogi to guide you through the process is key. Have you been through a kundalini rising experience? If so, I’d love to hear from you!
Love,
