A Holistic Guide to Kundalini Awakening

What if you are sitting on a huge pot of gold without realizing it? This is the way of Kundalini, the dormant spiritual energy you aren’t aware of. And you can access it through a process called a Kundalini awakening.

There are many other names given to this powerful energy—Shakti, serpent power, divine Mother, inner goddess, prana. In essence, all of them represent the ultimate Source you can plug into to live a life beyond your wildest dreams.

If you’re looking to unlock this power, here’s what you need to know about this deeply transformative process:

• What Is a Kundalini Awakening?
• 8 Symptoms of a Kundalini Awakening
• Kundalini Awakening Stages
• How to Have a Kundalini Awakening
• Frequently Asked Questions

The beauty is that Kundalini awakening is a process of becoming conscious of a treasure within you. And it’s only waiting for you to discover it and make something fantastic out of it. 

What Is a Kundalini Awakening?

A Kundalini awakening is a spiritual process that involves the activation of dormant energy that lies at the base of the spine. The ancient yogis saw this energy coiling up like a serpent, so they gave it a name: “Kundalini,” the coiled serpent traveling through the central channel.

Sadghuru, a venerated yogi and trainer of Mindvalley’s A Yogi’s Guide to Joy Quest, sees Kundalini as a dimension of energy that has yet to realize its potential. “There is a huge volume of energy within you. It is just there waiting, because what you call a human being is still in the making,” he adds.

Once awakened, this power bank of energy activates each of the seven chakras, and this is a profound and deeply transformative spiritual experience in itself. 

Anodea Judith, the world’s leading chakra expert and trainer of Mindvalley’s Chakra Healing Quest, sees it as a gradual process of accessing higher states of consciousness and unlocking your fullest potential.

On top of that, it can be a tool for healing your emotional and physical blockages, deepening your connection to yourself and others, and attaining self-actualization.

Kundalini awakening vs. spiritual awakening

A Kundalini awakening and a spiritual awakening both imply an expansion of consciousness and a deepening of spiritual awareness, but they still differ:

• Kundalini awakening is a specific type of spiritual awakening that involves the activation of the Kundalini energy, often described as “shaking up.” According to the yogic tradition, this energy is the source of all life force energy in the body. 

• Spiritual awakening, on the other hand, is a broader term related to spiritual growth and evolution. It can involve a shift in consciousness, an expansion of awareness, and coming to a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life. 

In short, spiritual awakening isn’t limited to the activation of specific energies or reaching certain levels of consciousness. It encompasses a wider range of transcendental experiences and inner transformations, including self-transcendence and ego death. 

8 Symptoms of a Kundalini Awakening

During Kundalini awakening, you may experience a range of physical, emotional, and spiritual symptoms, such as:

1. Intense heat or energy in the body, especially in the spine,
2. Tingling or vibrating sensations, similar to a full-body orgasm, as it’s the awakening of the sexual energy,
3. Emotional peaks and valleys,
4. Increased sensitivity to light and sound,
5. Spontaneous postures or gestures,
6. Heightened intuition and psychic abilities,
7. A feeling of bliss and resounding love, and
8. A profound sense of oneness with the Universe.

Also, some of the rare signs of Kundalini awakening may include physical changes in your body and organs, psychic experiences, and changes in consciousness. 

Kundalini Awakening Stages

This spiritual process occurs in three stages, each building upon the previous one and leading to a higher state of consciousness. Let’s look at each stage separately.

1. Awakening

During this initial stage, Kundalini energy begins to move along the spine, activating all energy centers. It’s often accompanied by a range of physical and emotional symptoms, such as tingling sensations, heat or energy in the body, emotional ups and downs, and increased sensitivity to light and sound.

To support this process and facilitate the Kundalini energy awakening, it’s important to stick to your regular spiritual practices. Also, seeking the guidance of a spiritual teacher or energy healer is always a good idea.

2. Ascension

When the Kundalini energy reaches the crown chakra, you enter the ascension stage. This stage is characterized by various spiritual and mystical experiences. 

You can get utterly esoteric insights and experience numerous synchronicities; your intuition can be extraordinarily on point; you can even tap into psychic abilities. But above all, you have a profound sense of oneness with the divine.    

During the ascension stage, it’s important to stay open and non-judgmental towards these experiences. Grounding is one of the most beneficial practices during this stage, as it keeps your spirit in the physical body.

3. Integration

The integration stage is the final stage of the Kundalini awakening process and one of the most crucial. This is when you learn to integrate the new level of consciousness into your daily life.  

During the integration stage, you still undergo many physical, emotional, and spiritual changes, and it’s paramount to have a solid spiritual practice to support the process. 

Juan Pablo Barahona (better known as JuanPa), spiritual teacher and trainer of Mindvalley’s Ultra Presence Quest, uses a special Quantum Flow practice that teaches you to purify your Kundalini force. It’s a sequence of movements that ground you, activate your pelvic floor and your core, open your heart, wake up your pineal gland, and connect you to cosmic energy.

Essentially, to integrate your Kundalini, it’s crucial to focus on all your chakras to keep this energy flowing.

How to Have a Kundalini Awakening

There isn’t a single method for bringing about Kundalini awakening, but there are various practices that can help you activate this energy. These techniques include:

1. Heal your chakras

According to Anodea, the purpose of chakra healing is to clear the seven chakras so that, when Kundalini arises, it can freely travel along the energy centers. 

Chakra healing is a combination of spiritual practices and mental exercises that help you clear, cleanse, and heal each chakra from the physical, psychological, and spiritual perspectives. While it doesn’t aim at awakening the Kundalini energy specifically, it creates a solid foundation for your holistic growth and transformation. 

Learn more: How to Identify the Symptoms of Blocked Chakras

2. Practice Kundalini activation meditation

Meditation is a powerful spiritual practice in itself, and you can use it to activate your Kundalini.  Usually, it combines grounding and breathing techniques to support the energy flow. 

Also, chakra mantra meditation can facilitate this process, as it helps clear blocked chakras and free the pathway for Kundalini energy.

3. Do Kundalini yoga

Kundalini yoga is a style of yoga that incorporates physical postures, breathing techniques, and chanting to activate your Kundalini energy. Think of it as an all-in-one practice that facilitates this process. 

Although it may sound like the go-to yoga style for a Kundalini awakening, it can be dangerous if you aren’t ready for it.

Sadhguru explains that Kundalini yoga is, in essence, the most dangerous form of yoga because it’s also the most potent. And what’s the most potent is always the most dangerous if improperly handled. He says, “Without the necessary preparation, without constant, expert guidance and observation, no one should ever attempt it.”

Above all, yoga is an ancient work-in practice that harmonizes your body, mind, and soul, bringing you benefits beyond Kundalini awakening. In fact, when you approach it scientifically with a proper method, it’s yoga. So doing any type of yoga is going to be beneficial for your overall well-being and spiritual awakening.

Learn more: Want a Powerful Energy Boost? Try This Simple Morning Yoga Routine

4. Try pranayama breathing

There are many pranayama techniques you can use to facilitate this process. One of them is “Kapalabhati,” also known as the breath of fire. It involves forceful exhalations through the nose while contracting the abdominal muscles.

Psalm Isadora, tantra and yoga teacher and trainer of Mindvalley’s Tantra Touch, developed a pranayama technique, based on the traditional yogic breath of fire. She called it “arousal breath,” as it’s designed to access your feminine sexual energy and increase arousal. 

According to Psalm, this technique can also help you awaken your Kundalini, cultivate a deeper connection with your partner, and enhance sexual pleasure. 

5. Balance your nervous system

JuanPa explains that energy is constantly flowing up and down your spine. And for it to flow optimally, you need to balance your masculine and feminine energy, which is your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. 

In other words, you can biohack your nervous system to feel more relaxed and at peace with yourself and your unique journey. And the most optimal way of balancing it is through breathing techniques such as box breathing or the 4-7-8 breathing method.

Learn more: 8 Breathing Techniques for Sleep From SOMA Breath® CEO

Frequently Asked Questions

Nowadays, yoga is often taught by people who know little about it. Similarly, a Kundalini awakening is talked about in ways that can be misleading and even harmful. 

Let’s answer the most frequently asked questions about it from a classic yogic perspective:

Is Kundalini awakening dangerous?

It can be dangerous if handled improperly. According to Sadhguru, you need to prepare your body, mind, and emotions for it, because if you pump energy into a system that is not ready for that kind of voltage, it will fail. 

It means that without the necessary guidance and assistance, you can lose your mental balance and physical capabilities. So it’s crucial to seek guidance from an experienced teacher and practice with care.

What happens after a Kundalini awakening?

You will experience spiritual insights and shifts in consciousness during your ascension period. Your perception expands as well as your understanding of yourself and the nature of reality. 

In the integration stage, you will learn to live in a heightened state of awareness and consciousness. 

What does a Kundalini awakening feel like?

First of all, it’s a unique and personal experience, so it can manifest in a plethora of ways. However, most people report the following experiences:

• Intense energy. Intense physical sensations like tingling, heat, or electricity running up the spine and through the body are one of the most common.
• Emotional release. You may experience intense emotions and feelings like joy, love, and connection, as well as fear, anxiety, or depression. This emotional release is a precursor to deep healing and transformation.
• Increased awareness. It can feel like being more attuned to your environment and people around you, being more sensitive to the natural world, or being deeply connected to your own inner wisdom and truth.

• Altered states of consciousness. During a Kundalini awakening, you may have visions, mystical experiences, synchronicities, or a transcendental sense of unity with all there is.

These happenings are not necessarily unique to a Kundalini awakening and can also be present in other transcendental experiences.

Awaken Your Life Force Energy From Within

When it comes to Kundalini awakening, the question isn’t about whether it’s good or bad; it’s about whether you are ready for it or not. As Sadhguru puts it, “Even if the greatest thing comes into your life, when you aren’t ready for it, it’s not good for you.”

For this energy to come into existence, it is necessary to become aware of it and do something about it. 

If you want to expand your habitual perception of yourself, life, and the nature of reality, Mindvalley is the right place to be. There’s a range of transformational Quests available to help you awaken the powerful dormant life force from within, such as:

• A Yogi’s Guide to Joy with Sadhguru, 
• Tantra Touch with Psalm Isadora, 
• Chakra Healing with Anodea Judith,  
• Ultra Presence with Juan Pablo Barahona, and
• So much more.

You will discover tools and techniques to help you clear, heal, supercharge your energy centers, and biohack your nervous system to prepare you for awakening. 

The best part is that you can sample a class of these Quests by unlocking your free access.

Welcome in.