Part 5: The Different Types of Kundalini Awakenings and Activations
The Kundalini awakening process is often depicted with the general theme of a spiritual force rising from the Root chakra straight up along the spinal column, known as the Sushumna nadi, reaching the Crown, bringing about Self-Realization.
However, that type of experience is one of many different types of Kundalini risings and it’s rather rare.
Know that the process is not as simple as the Kundalini force rising up from the Root to the Crown and that's it. It’s more complex than that. But if you ask me, it’s not completely necessary that we understand all of the intricate details and variances of the process in order to go through it. I personally don’t understand many aspects of the journey myself. It’s not required.
Some of us may be more inclined to explore the nuances of the path, from biological points of view, psychological points of view, through the scope of traditional teachings, through in depth understanding of the nadis, which are energetic channels, and so on.
That’s great and it’s necessary that we continue to uncover more and more about the Kundalini process as a collective. However, not everyone needs to be committed to acquiring all the knowledge about the process.
Some of us don’t need to know anything at all about this process. We’ll be just fine as long as we maintain the qualities of surrender, trust, respect, and are open to feeling and experiencing whatever the Kundalini needs to show us.
So with that said, there are different routes that the Kundalini can take and there are different hurdles that need to be traversed in order for it to continue the journey. We need to support our process in various different ways that may be unique to each of us.
In addition to the Kundalini rising from the Root, there are also awakenings that seem to begin from the feet upward, as if the Kundalini is initially stimulated by Mother Earth. Of course, Mother Earth is synonymous with the Divine Mother Kundalini Shakti.
Conversely, some experience the Divine pouring down into their system from the Crown chakra. They call these top-down awakenings.
These different types of awakenings contribute to the various different experiences that people have while undergoing the Kundalini process. This is part of the reason for why people may have similar experiences in general, but the specifics can vary greatly.
For example, a person that undergoes a top-down awakening may have access to higher states of non-dual meditative consciousness, known as Samadhi, very early on in their journey when compared to a person that experiences a Root to Crown awakening.
There is a distinction between a Kundalini awakening and a Kundalini activation.
If we can use the metaphor of a person sleeping at night, a Kundalini activation would be like getting up, seeing the time on the clock, and then immediately going back to sleep.
Whereas a Kundalini awakening would be like getting up and out of bed and starting one’s day.
Prior to having our Kundalini awakened, we can experience many Kundalini activations throughout our spiritual journey.
Most commonly, we can experience a stirring or activation of the Kundalini in the Root chakra, to various degrees, subtle or intense, as a result of spiritual practices, meditation, Yoga, chanting, prayer, contemplation, sexual experiences, drug use, trauma, or being in the presence of someone with a very powerful and radiant Shakti presence.
These experiences can sometimes, in certain instances, activate our Kundalini, causing it to be stimulated.
While the Kundalini is activated, one can experience certain mystical phenomena, deep peace, restlessness, intense emotions, spontaneous movements, deep meditations, and the like.
And then, shortly after, maybe within the same hour, or within the same week or two, the Kundalini goes back into dormancy and the spiritual phenomena that was experienced during that time can cease. In these cases, the Kundalini didn’t get a chance to fully awaken.
Often in these instances, the Kundalini wasn’t able to fully awaken and stay awake, due to lack of preparation by the aspirant. This isn’t necessarily a problem. The awakening happens when we’re ready. We become ready by engaging sincerely in our spiritual practices so that the Kundalini can rise without much resistance.
Sometimes, people have a Kundalini activation, which they may mistake to be a full awakening. It’s important to be mindful of this pitfall and to seek proper guidance from those that are further ahead on the path. This is key to ensure that we travel smoothly on our journeys. It’s also key to avoid having our spiritual experiences, which are meant to chip away at our egos, serve to prop them up instead.
Kundalini awakening differs from Kundalini activation in that an awakening, or rising, involves the Kundalini exiting its state of dormancy into an ongoing and permanently awakened state within which it can carry out the transformational process and bring about Self-Realization.
In an ideal situation, the awakening happens once the system has been adequately prepared through spiritual practices so that the Kundalini can rise and carry out the process without much strain on the individual.
However, that isn’t always the case. The same situations that can bring about a temporary Kundalini activation can also result in full awakenings too. It all depends on the individual, their spiritual journey, and their destiny.
Once the Kundalini is fully awakened, the process does not cease. From that point forward, a person’s life will be centered around their Kundalini and the transformational journey.
In the next section, we’ll take a deeper look into the topic of shaktipat; how it’s given and how it’s received.
Contact me with any questions about your Kundalini awakening process.
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