Part 18: Kundalini, Meditation and Samadhi - Savikalpa, Nirvikalpa, Sahaja
Samadhi is a sanskrit term referring to a state of meditation. It can be translated to something like - absorption in consciousness. Samadhi is what we begin to access at the more advanced stages of the spiritual process.
There are various levels of samadhi, and today we’re going to unpack them.
Of course, this stuff is very difficult to speak about at all to begin with, because it’s very nuanced, subtle, and referring to states in which the mind can sometimes fall away in the first place.
What I’m speaking about here is truly beyond words, and words are limiting and clunky at times. The words I’m using may not be consistent with the words others have used. I apologize. I’m doing my best to explain somethings that are truly inexplicable.
So these ideas and the topic of samadhi is rarely spoken about. This is for a few reasons.
Firstly, way back, many people could not read or write. These teachings were shared orally. The Yoga Sutras were very short verses that were meant to be expanded upon orally between a teacher and students. So that’s why there isn’t much writing about these topics today.
Secondly, we’re talking about the advanced stages of the spiritual awakening, Self-realization process. Very few people attain these states to begin with, and then very few of those people go on to share about it.
Samadhi is sometimes shared as the end goal of the Yoga process. It’s Patanjali’s eighth and final limb - samadhi.
Now the way samadhi is described in Yoga studios in the west is a bit off. It’s often shared as this really lofty, mystical, mysterious goal. It’s talked about as if its something that will take many, many lifetimes to attain. And then those teachers go on to simply focus on perfecting downward dog pose.
In reality, there are different levels of samadhi and with proper meditation practice, if you’re not completely traumatized and your nervous system isn’t completely jacked up, you can begin to attain samadhi in like a year of meditation practice, or less.
Personally, I first entered into the first level of samadhi, called savikalpa samadhi, on the 6th day of meditating at a 10-day vipassana retreat, about 10 years ago. Prior to that, I couldn’t sit in meditation for more than 5 minutes. Yes, I have been working at this for lifetimes, but if you’re reading this, you likely have been too. You can access these states soon with dedicated practice.
Samadhi involves the entire system, chakra to chakra, the full nervous system. It is a meditative state that is not limited to just the head. Sometimes people think meditation is something that occurs only within your mind or head, but that’s not true. It is a full body process, and the full body must be considered.
Of course, we know that Kundalini Shakti awakening is a full body unfolding. Once Kundalini begins to move through our system, it can begin to direct and lead us into meditation.
Spontaneously, without effort, we can enter into meditation. It will be somewhat easy and feel as if it is happening automatically. You can think of it as that you are no longer meditating, you are being meditated by the Divine within.
Equally so, it can also draw you out of meditation and back into the world. Once this begins happening, you no longer need to be as rigid and disciplined about your practice.
Eventually, Kundalini Shakti will lead us to the final stage of Samadhi, which is called Sahaja samadhi. But before we can get there, we have to understand a bit about the earlier stages. So I’ve put together some diagrams to help me to explain a bit. You can review them yourself, but please note that I talk at length about them in the video or audio version of this section.
Click the image to see the full diagram in detail.
Ego Consciousness
Identified with the ego/mind/body 99% of the time
Occasional experiences of transcendence/detachment, during extreme sports, sex, etc.
Believes oneself to be the body and the mind
Little to no access to awareness, mindfulness, witnessing
Strong sense of separation between oneself and the world
Comes after the ego begins to be formed, sometime in early childhood
Active Mindfulness Practice
Effortful practice throughout the day, during walking, working, talking, etc.
Practicing witnessing, being aware, observing
Intermittent spaciousness and awareness
Drifting in and out of ego consciousness
The nervous system begins to be trained to allow consciousness/Shakti to flow through it
Requires ongoing effort
Without effort, return back to ego consciousness
Beginner’s Stillness Meditation
Effortful practice, sitting still, practicing breath awareness, Vipassana, Zazen, body scanning, etc.
Practicing witnessing, being aware, observing
Longer and longer periods of awareness/consciousness
Intermittent spaciousness and awareness
Drifting in and out of ego consciousness
Requires ongoing effort
Without effort, return back to ego consciousness
Savikalpa Samadhi
Effortful practice is required, sitting still
The nervous system becomes saturated in awareness/consciousness/Shakti
A deep state of relaxation, the nervous system is absorbed in the consciousness
Temporary state
Sensory awareness persists, hearing, feeling, smelling, etc.
The frequency of thoughts may decrease, but the thought stream can continue
Awareness/spaciousness around ego/sense of self/mind
The nervous system/chakras/emotional imprints are burned up/healed at a high degree
Requires ongoing effort
Without effort, return back to ego consciousness, with more spaciousness afterwards temporarily
Nirvikalpa Samadhi
Comes after savikalpa samadhi
Requires effort to enter
Temporary state
The nervous system fully saturated in consciousness/Shakti
Sensory awareness ceases, as does the sense of ego, body, world, etc.
The thought stream ceases, complete and utter stillness, like deep sleep, but not exactly
There is no mind here, not even to recognize "I am in nirvikalpa samadhi"
The nervous system/chakras/emotional imprints are burned up/healed at a high degree
You can be naturally 'kicked' out when the body is finished the meditation session
Difficult to immediately return back to waking life, due to extreme relaxation
Return back to ego consciousness once finished, with more spaciousness though
Sahaja Samadhi
Natural, spontaneous samadhi
Does not require effort
Nervous system is able to hold Shakti/Consciousness consistently due to most impurities/samskaras/vasanas being healed
Contains ALL experiences, including having thoughts, being identified with the ego, emotions, feelings, and even the lower-level samadhis
This means once sahaja samadhi is attained, you still have access to the full range of human experience
This state persists without effort, it is the natural state, hence being all-encompassing
Be mindful not to become attached to the intellectual understanding of sahaja samadhi
It is experienced within the body, and the nervous system, once the Kundalini Shakti process reaches relative completion
Not the same as mahasamadhi, which is attained after sahaja samadhi, at death
And then of course, we have mahasamdhi, which occurs for one who has attained sahaja samadhi, once they drop the body and die. For a full overview and more commentary about these stages, check out the video or audio podcast in which I share some more insight.
Contact me with any questions about your Kundalini awakening process.
Find out more about meeting with me one-on-one here.