Kundalini is the energy at the base of the spine that pulls us outward and downward. Before we can achieve freedom in God, this energy must be awakened and united at the highest center in the brain.
This means, first and foremost, putting out energy with will power. Paramhansa Yogananda said, “The greater the will, the greater the flow of energy.”
People who are far from saintly but have a great deal of energy sometimes make very quick spiritual progress, while others, with every good intention, don’t seem to change very much over the years. The problem, usually, is lack of will power. To raise the Kundalini, we need to do everything with intensity.
What Weakens Our Willpower?
Often our will power is weak because we want conflicting things. We’ve committed our energy to things we don’t consciously remember but remain in the subconscious mind.
People under hypnosis (which I don’t recommend because of its debilitating effect on the will power) have sometimes relived a past trauma and gone into paroxysms of grief. Some deep-seated negative experience had not yet been released. There are many such things in the subconscious that add up to a huge commitment of potential energy.
The death wish is another kind of conflicting energy. All of us have both a life wish and a death wish. It’s not that everyone wants to commit suicide, but this same consciousness can express itself subtly in unwillingness, in the use of drugs or alcohol, in too much sleep—in the many ways we seek to escape reality by becoming less aware.
This is why Yogananda used to say that “fillers” were the worst thing—turning on the TV or leafing through a magazine when you have a spare moment. They dull our concentration and awareness.
Anything that affirms our ego or moves us toward lessened awareness strengthens Kundalini’s grip on us. We need at all times to express more and more conscious living.
The Fear of Loving and High Energy
We see the death wish also in the fear of loving. One person was perfectly honest about it. He said “I’m afraid to love people because then they’ll love me and I’ll have to do more and more things for them.”
But once you do it, you realize there’s no strain in it. The more energy you put out, the more you draw, and as you feel more energy, you feel joy. The happiest people are invariable people of high energy.
When you have lots of energy, you feel that nothing can stand in your way, not sleep or fatigue or anything. A very high-energy yogi I met in Kashmir once asked me what time I got up in the morning and I said, “Four o’clock.” He said, “Ugh! That’s for householders! You should get up at one o’clock.”
Fear of Spiritual Progress
Fear of spiritual progress is another aspect of the death wish. On one level or another we all fear that perfection.
I once went through a time of being desperately afraid of peace. I longed for it with one side of my mind, but I was scared to death of it with the other. The ego thinks: “What if I go to bed at night and suddenly all I’m seeing is light and I can’t get to sleep?” The ego doesn’t like it, but the soul loves it.
We need to have enough faith to at least put one foot in front of the other and not worry about what cosmic consciousness will feel like. We need to think, well, since a little bit of meditation has made me happier, a little bit more will probably make me still happier —and let the future take care of itself.
The Danger of Raising Kundalini by Force
Some books say that it’s dangerous to raise the Kundalini and advise you not to do it. Well, you won’t find God until you raise it. The danger comes from techniques that force the Kundalini to rise.
I remember one disciple of Yogananda’s who was doing a certain Kundalini–raising technique for long periods every day. One day he felt this tremendous heat, like a red-hot poker, rising up his spine. It was frightening and very painful. He did everything he could to relieve the pain, including getting under a cold shower.
When Yogananda saw him, he scolded him. He said, “I told you not to do those exercises because they can be very damaging. If you generate an energy that you’re not ready for, it can burn up your nervous system.”
Raising the Kundalini by generating energy from the base of the spine, even when not dangerous, isn’t effective in the long run. There may be an immediate benefit. It may even give you a certain powers, but you’ll eventually fall from that.
Raise the Kundalini by Positive Thoughts
To raise the Kundalini you need to generate the magnetism in the upper part of your spine, and especially at the Christ center between the eyebrows, to draw that energy upwards. This happens automatically when you live a joyful life, a loving life, when you are completely positive, always saying “yes” to life.
Daily Practice
A wonderful daily practice would be to support other people’s wish to grow spiritually by finding good things to think and say about them, even if they have faults. Mentally pray for a person if you’re in his company. If you see a person looking sad, mentally send him a prayer.
Don’t be concerned about their reaction. Give supportive and loving thoughts for your own sake. Be in that central core of love rather than on its periphery in the world of reactions. Make your service, your meditation, and your entire life a self-offering up to God and Guru.
Become Aware of the Energy in Your Spine
What will especially help in raising the Kundalini is to become more aware of the flows of energy in the spine. Every thought we have brings a corresponding movement of energy in the spine—a rising energy with the positive thought and a sinking energy with the negative one.
For example, when you see something beautiful and think, “I like that,” there will be an upward movement of energy in the spine. When you see something ugly and think, “I don’t like that,” there will be a downward flow of energy.
Often, it’s difficult to turn our thoughts in a positive direction, so another way to change your reaction is to change the flow of your energy. Drawing the energy up to the spiritual eye will cause your thoughts to flow in a positive direction.
In my book The Path, I tell of an instance when I was able to pull out of a sudden and violent negative mood by changing the flow of my energy. Since I couldn’t reason or affirm my way out of this mood, I went to my meditation “cave,” and there plunged my mind deeply at the Christ center between the eyebrows. Five minutes was all it took. By the end of that time my mood was so positive that I no longer needed to affirm anything.
The link between the body and mind is energy. Controlling the energy and directing it upward changes your mental focus. When you raise your energy upward, that very energy clarifies the mind and brings understanding.
Kriya Yoga is such a very high science because it enables you to gradually gain control over this inner flow of energy. One of the ultimate goals of KriyaYoga is to awaken the Kundalini and draw it upward.
Feel the Movement of the Kundalini
As you learn to bring your energy into the spine and offer it upward to the Christ center, you will automatically begin to feel an upward movement of energy from the base of the spine.
You may feel spurts of energy going up. You may feel a rotating current. You may feel a surge of energy and joy. This is the Kundalini awakening. The more deliberately and consciously you live in the spine, the more that energy rises.
As that happens, you will find that Kundalini is not a” thing,” a phenomenon. It’s your consciousness. You are transmuting your lower self into your true Self, which is an expression of God.
Excerpted from The Art and Science of Raja Yoga (Crystal Clarity Publishers) and the Treasures Along the Path 1984 talk, “How to Awaken Kundalini.”
12 Comments
I subscribed years ago and was getting Yogananda’s Kriya yoga exerices and readings mailed to me. I would really like to get back into his teachings and also awaking my Kundalini again.
I highly appreciate this
Energization exercises will increase flow of
spiritual energy. That is my next step.
I’m not making much progress trying
to do this on my own. Any suggestions?
Nice and informative reading,
can actually directly feel the tingling sensation in the root-chakra and a force moving upward
taking your info 2 heart
many thanks
Periodically send kriya 🧘♀️ yoga and kundalini awakening process.thanks regards Dhrao
Thanks, Dhrao! If you haven’t received emails yet please let us know. Joy to you!
Beautiful information, many thanks and much Love and Light to you all…🙏❤️🕯
Can you please help me please understand what shakitpat really is and how i can receive it from a well trained guru please and thank you so very much thanks
Hi, Johnathon. Shaktipat is is seen as the grace of a master or God actively awakening the Kundalini of another. Ananda approaches this more as a matter of making active preparation through techniques and attitude to be ready for Kundalini awakening. Yes, the guru for Ananda, Paramhansa Yogananda, can be said to eventually instantaneously awaken the devotee, though this cannot be forced because of dangers of that. See this page of tips for awakening the Kundalini for more ideas. Use your heart to explore here and elsewhere to find a true guru who will lead you to greater light. Consider the Ananda Course in Meditation to learn more about our path and whether you feel attuned to Yoganandaji’s teachings. I hope this helps. Blessings on your search!
I want to awaken my kundalini so I want a spiritual master to follow, I’m from ghana
To find a guru, focus on your spiritual growth and openness to learning.
Seek Inspiration: Engage in sincere study, meditation, and prayer. This will help purify your soul and attract the right guidance.
Explore Different Paths: Visit various spiritual groups and read books from different teachers. See which resonates with you.
Trust Your Intuition: Be open to the lessons that come your way, but also use your common sense to discern if a teacher is genuine.
Stay Committed: Once you find a path or teacher that feels right, commit to it fully and avoid switching between different teachings.
Explore these answers to similar questions:
How Do I Find a Guru? (guidance on finding a guru)
Where Can I Find My Guru? (advice on spiritual paths)
Consider taking the first online Kriya Yoga course through Ananda India. It will help you establish a meditation practice and decide whether Paramhansa Yogananda is your guru.
Blessings on your spiritual journey!
Dear John,
To find a guru, focus on your spiritual growth and openness to learning.
Seek Inspiration: Engage in sincere study, meditation, and prayer. This will help purify your soul and attract the right guidance.
Explore Different Paths: Visit various spiritual groups and read books from different teachers. See which resonates with you.
Trust Your Intuition: Be open to the lessons that come your way, but also use your common sense to discern if a teacher is genuine.
Stay Committed: Once you find a path or teacher that feels right, commit to it fully and avoid switching between different teachings.
Explore these answers to similar questions:
How Do I Find a Guru? (guidance on finding a guru)
Where Can I Find My Guru? (advice on spiritual paths)
Consider taking the first online Kriya Yoga course through Ananda India. It will help you establish a meditation practice and decide whether Paramhansa Yogananda is your guru.
Blessings on your spiritual journey!