What is Kunḍalinī

1. What are the subtle energy systems in the body?

The universe is sustained by God’s mere presence. According to the Path of Kunḍalinī, God’s energy that is used in the running (i.e., creation, sustenance and destruction) of the universe is Chaitanya (Divine Consciousness). With respect to a person, this Chaitanya is known as chetanaa and it is that part of God’s energy required for the functioning of a human being.

This chetanaa is of two types and, depending on its state of activity, it takes on two different names.

Active chetanaa – also known as prana-shakti or vital energy. The vital energy or prana-shakti sustains and gives energy to the physical body, mind, intellect and subtle ego. It is distributed through subtle channels known as nadis. These nadis are prevalent throughout the body and supply energy to the cells, nerves, arteries, lymph etc. Refer to the article – What are we comprised of?

Non-active chetanaa – which is known as the Kunḍalinī. This Kunḍalinī lies dormant in a person until activated as described in the methods below.

The diagram below shows the distribution of the total subtle energy for vital energy and the kundalini for spiritual growth.

How is the subtle energy of Kunḍalinī and Pranshakti used?

2. What is the Kunḍalinī used for?

The Kunḍalinī or non-active chetanaa is used primarily for spiritual growth. It is not used for, nor does it take part in, day-to-day bodily functioning.

3. How to activate the kundalini?

The Kunḍalinī is activated through spiritual practice or spiritual transfer of energy.

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3.1 Kunḍalinī activation through spiritual practice

This includes practices that come under generic spiritual paths to God such as Path of Action (Karmayoga), Path of Devotion, Path of Deliberate Rigour (Hathayoga) and Path of the Guru’s grace (Gurukrupaayoga). The practices in the Path of Hathayoga include celibacy, pranayam (breathing exercises) and yogic exercises and other spiritual practices.

Some people try to force the activation of the Kunḍalinī by efforts through the Path of Deliberate Rigour (Hathayoga). However this can lead to deleterious effects. Some can even become insane from it.

3.2 Transfer of energy or shaktipat

Shaktipat refers to the bestowal of spiritual energy on one person by another i.e. mainly a Guru/spiritually evolved person to His disciple. Shaktipat can be transmitted with a sacred word or mantra, or by a look, thought or touch - the last usually to the adnyaa ?aa chakra or brow chakra of the recipient. It is considered an act of grace from the Guru to a deserving disciple. This transfer of energy itself initiates the awakening of the Kunḍalinī.

After it is awakened, the rate at which the Kunḍalinī rises is dependent on the disciple’s continuous and ever increasing efforts in spiritual practice.

3.3 Recommended way to awaken and channelise the Kunḍalinī

Whatever the spiritual path, when there is spiritual growth the Kunḍalinī rises. SSRF recommends regular spiritual practice as per the six basic principles of spiritual practice to help activate the kundalini naturally. Here the unmanifest Guru Principle or the Teaching Principle of God itself activates the Kunḍalinī. As it is activated by the Guru’s grace then it automatically travels upwards and transforms the seeker spiritually.

On the other hand, if it is thrust upon a seeker as in shaktipat, i.e. when someone is suddenly given an excess of spiritual energy, while the experience is very engaging and can be almost addictive, only ever increasing amounts of spiritual practice both at a qualitative and quantitative level assure the continual grace of the Guru Principle that leads the Kunḍalinī on the right path and strengthens the seeker’s faith.

To better understand this let us take the help of an analogy.

Employing ones efforts in regular spiritual practice is like working hard and then amassing a fortune
Awakening the Kunḍalinī by the direct transfer of energy is like being born to a billionaire where the father provides the son with instant money.

Out of the two, having earned wealth (spiritual wealth) through hard earned means is always a more sustainable and a surer option for future growth.

3.4 Key aspects of the Kunḍalinī

Just as the heart is the principle centre (organ) of the circulatory system and the brain of the nervous system, similarly the subtle energy system has various centres (chakras), channels and ducts.

There are 72,000 subtle channels (nadi). Of these channels, the three main subtle channels are:

Sushumna nadi, that is, the central channel that extends from base of spine to the top of the head,
Pinglaa or the surya (sun) nadi, that is, the channel that runs to the right of the sushumna nadi, and the
Ida or the chandra (moon) nadi, that is, the channel that runs to the left of the sushumna nadi.

Kunḍalinī and Vital energy

The vital energy is transmitted in the body through the surya (sun) nadi and the chandra (moon) nadi and the other smaller nadis. The vital energy flow alternates between the surya (sun) nadi and the chandra (moon) nadi.

The Kunḍalinī is the spiritual energy and it generally lies dormant, coiled at the base of the sushumna nadi for an average person. Through spiritual practice it begins to rise from the base of the spine through the sushumna nadi right till the top of the head. While it does so, the Kunḍalinī activates each of the chakras along the way.

As the Kunḍalinī passes each chakra along the sushumna nadi, there is a thin subtle valve that it needs to push through at each chakra to make its onward journey upwards. As it keeps pushing through the wall there is sometimes an increase in the amount of spiritual energy from the sushumna nadi at that chakra. Having nowhere to go, it sometimes flows out through the surrounding subtle ducts and becomes converted into prana-shakti or vital energy. For that period of time, the concerned person may experience a heightened activity associated with that area. For example an increase in prana-shakti or vital energy around the sacral or swaadhisthaan chakra area can produce a heightened sexual drive.

As discussed earlier, the kundalini rises through spiritual practice regardless of path. However the frame of reference may change in terms of how that Path to God perceives it. For example when the kundalini passes the anaahat or heart chakra:

According to the Path of Devotion the seeker is said to have reached the manifest bhav state which is a state of manifest spiritual emotion.
However with respect to the Path of Knowledge a seeker begins to experience Chaitanya or Divine Consciousness.

According to a 1985 article by David T. Eastman in Yoga Journal, some of the more common signs and symptoms of an awakened kundalini include:

Involuntary jerks, tremors or shaking
Intense heat, especially as energy is experienced passing through the chakras
Spontaneous pranayama, asanas, mudras and bandhas
Visions or sounds at times associated with a particular chakra
Intense feelings of pleasure
Emotional purgings in which particular emotions become dominant for short periods of time.

Ref: Kunḍalinī, Wikipedia.org, Sep 2010 These are effects that are more seen in shaktipat as a means of awakening the kundalini. Seekers serious about spiritual growth must be aware that while these experiences seem very tangible and attractive, they are just preliminary outcomes and experiences due to the sudden transfer of spiritual energy, and do not in any way represent the end in itself of spiritual practice or alignment with the purpose of life.