With all the discussions around kundalini shakti and Kundalini awakening, it’s important to understand that every process or ritual requires a certain level of preparation.
We all know that the kundalini awakening experience is unique to each individual. It awakens a sense of purpose, deepens our spiritual path, and ultimately leads to enlightenment.
To facilitate the rise of such powerful energy from dormancy, we must ensure that we are thoroughly prepared, inside and out.
In this article, we’ve listed some factors that may help you prepare for your Kundalini awakening journey. But before that, let’s address a few common questions that might come to mind.
Why is the preparation needed before kundalini awakening?
It’s no secret that awakening the Kundalini can lead to a significant shift in your energetic plane. This process may bring challenges, such as physical discomfort, emotional instability, or mental health issues.
While Kundalini awakening can result in profound spiritual growth and positive transformation, the journey varies greatly from person to person.
Some individuals may experience blissful feelings of love and interconnectedness, while others may encounter more challenging symptoms like sleep disturbances, identity shifts, or even depression. The intensity and nature of these experiences depend on various factors, including an individual’s spiritual development, personal history, and the flow of Kundalini energy through their body.
To face such changes, you need to be mentally strong to endure the awakening phase. You need to be able to control your mind and body when the awakening happens.
In summary, taking proper preparations into consideration is an important step for Kundalini awakening because:
- It ensures a safe, positive, and transformative experience
- It maximizes the benefits of the journey
- Ensures personal readiness, both mentally and emotionally
- It establishes a support system for guidance and practice
- It lets us make necessary lifestyle changes for self-care and stress reduction
Advanced practices like Kundalini awakening should not be used as a starting point. Instead, you should first train and strengthen your body before progressing to your mind and eventually exploring the inner layers. It is essential to progressively prepare on the physical, mental, and emotional levels before beginning the techniques that activate Kundalini.
Kundalini will awaken safely only if you are diligent, patient and make the necessary preparations.
What happens if kundalini awakens without preparation?
There are chances that due to an unintentional trigger, your kundalini has awakened before you could fully prepare yourself.
If Kundalini awakening happens before proper preparation, individuals may experience the negative symptoms of awakening in the form of Kundalini syndrome.
Individuals may experience the following consequences:
- Physical Discomfort: Kundalini awakening can cause physical sensations, such as headaches, muscle tension, or dizziness, which can be uncomfortable or even painful if not properly prepared.
- Emotional Instability: Kundalini awakening can also bring about intense emotions, such as anxiety, fear, or depression, which can be challenging to manage without proper preparation.
- Mental Health Issues: In some cases, Kundalini awakening can lead to mental health issues, such as paranoia, delusions, or even psychosis, especially if the individual is not properly prepared.
- Interference with Daily Life: The effects of Kundalini awakening can also impact daily life, such as sleep disturbances, changes in identity, or social isolation, which can be difficult to manage without proper preparation.
- Incomplete Awakening: Without proper preparation, individuals may not fully experience the benefits of Kundalini awakening and may not achieve the intended spiritual growth and realization of one’s full potential.
What to do in case of unexpected kundalini awakening?
If Kundalini awakening occurs before proper preparation, without notice, it’s important to take the following steps:
- Seek guidance: Consult with a trusted kundalini teacher or practitioner who has experience with Kundalini awakening and can provide guidance and support.
- Take care of physical needs: Pay attention to physical symptoms and address any discomfort or pain through self-care or medical attention if necessary. Stay away from any form of drug or chemical intake as it may worsen the kundalini syndrome.
- Practice self-care: Engage in activities that promote mental and emotional well-being, such as meditation, yoga, or therapy.
- Build a support system: Surround yourself with positive and supportive individuals who can provide comfort and encouragement.
- Seek medical attention: If you experience any severe physical, emotional, or mental health issues, seek medical attention from a mental health professional.
- Be patient and kind to yourself: Kundalini awakening can be a complex and challenging process, so it’s important to be patient and kind to yourself as you navigate this journey.
In summary, if Kundalini awakening occurs before proper preparation, it’s important to seek guidance and support from an expert teacher, take care of physical and mental needs, and be patient and kind to yourself as you navigate this transformative process.
How to prepare for kundalini awakening?
Before you begin your preparation, you need to determine whether your Kundalini has already awakened. Practices lose their true value if you realize that your Kundalini has entered the transitional phase.
The timing for the practices listed below is when there is no awakening, when the Kundalini is in the root or sacral chakra, or when it is in a state between these two conditions.
Here are the tips to prepare yourself for Kundalini Awakening
1. Follow a sattvic diet
Consume wholesome, easily digestible vegetarian foods in moderation. If possible, drink plenty of water in the days leading up to the process.
For a Kundalini yogi, a boiled food diet is ideal. Crushed wheat, barley, lentils, and dal are all beneficial nutrients, especially when consumed in liquid form.
Also read: Yogic Diet: What You Should Eat According to Yoga
Increasing your intake of carbs, such as those found in foods like rice, wheat, maize, barley, potatoes, etc., is a smart idea because they keep your body’s internal temperature stable and don’t need much effort to digest.
Protein intake should be reduced to a minimum and foods high in fat and grease should be prevented. This will relieve any stress on the liver, which is overworked when the mind experiences stress.
The majority of the techniques, particularly pranayama and those involving uddiyana bandha, will be challenging to perform correctly if you eat too much. You ought to exercise judgment while selecting the meals you consume.
This isn’t to mean that people who eat meat and other animal products can’t raise their kundalini, of course. But there are times when we might not be able to digest raw foods, and there might be days when the body won’t even take water. Take an easy-to-assimilate diet and only consume what you need to thrive at the time when your kundalini is in the awakening phase.
2. Cure yourself of any illness
The fundamental prerequisite for practising kundalini yoga is good health.
You should hold off starting kundalini yoga practices if you currently have any severe mental or emotional issues. Since the kundalini practices are so potent, they could make your situation worse if you don’t have a level of mental stability.
You should act accordingly to treat your physical sickness by using any appropriate methods if you suffer from one. Start with different forms of yoga to create harmony in your life and mind before beginning kundalini yoga.
3. Start performing yoga regularly
You must have practised various yoga practices, particularly hatha yoga, karma and raja yoga, pranayama, and shatkarma for at least a few years before beginning the kundalini practices.
More importantly, start by cleansing and unblocking the Sushumna Nadi because if this central Nadi is blocked, how will the kundalini energy move?
Also read: 13 Energizing Kundalini Yoga Poses
While Surya Namaskara, Nadi Shodhana, and Surya Bheda pranayama will aid in purifying the Ida and Pingala Nadi, the shatkarmas and pranayama will purify and awaken the Sushumna.
Some specific asanas are crucial for cleansing the Nadis and causing a gentle awakening in the chakras. Start by using hatha yoga purification practices to cleanse the elements (tattvas).
Do asanas first, then pranayama. You can subsequently practice bandhas and mudras before starting kriya yoga. While hatha yoga, pranayama, and shatkarmas will give you physical and mental fitness and cleanse your energetic plane, karma and raja yoga will benefit you on a more spiritual level.
The importance of karma yoga needs to be understood here. It is a crucial component of spiritual life. While kundalini does not directly awaken as a result of karma yoga, it also cannot ascend without it.
Your progress will inevitably be slowed down if you do not follow the path of karma yoga, regardless of whether you engage in austerity or mantra practice, engage in pranayama, receive shaktipat, or are even born with awakened kundalini.
One should read The Bhagwad Gita as it is the perfect reference to understand philosophical and yogic explanations of karma yoga.
4. Select a place and time for your practice
Aim to practice in the same location each day.
Cleanliness, quietness, and good ventilation are essential for your practice space. It should be dry, not too hot, and not too chilly. Practice on a mat or blanket rather than bare ground. Wrap yourself in a blanket or sheet if necessary.
In the long run, this will create an environment that will benefit your kundalini sadhana.
Additionally, try to practice kundalini yoga early in the morning, during the Brahma Muhurta—the first two hours before dawn. There are considerably fewer interruptions, both internal and external, compared to any other time of the day because spiritual energy is at its peak during this time. If you can’t practice during Brahma Muhurta, pick another time when your stomach isn’t full.
5. Cultivate discipline
Having discipline is perhaps one of the most important preparatory steps for kundalini awakening. Any of the above practices will not come to fruition until you practice them regularly and devotedly.
One of the hardest things for a human to master is mental concentration. In yoga, it is essential to establish discipline from the beginning so that you can maintain it once Kundalini awakens.
If the seeker does not keep the necessary discipline before the awakening, s/he is likely to fall into various psychological ruts.
Due to this, following the path of kundalini awakening requires you to follow multiple do’s and don’ts, which can only be fulfilled if you live a disciplined life from early on.
This is also one of the reasons the role of the kundalini master or guru is also emphasized.
Any type of yoga is possible without a guru, however, kundalini cannot be practised. If you have a guru, he or she can assist you to get ready for kundalini awakening, can offer counsel when you need it, and can support you get through the awakening.
A guru is also important to help you connect to your inner strength as connection with your inner self is what kundalini yoga is all about.
If you have a guru, you are really privileged since they are an important part of spirituality. Finding a guru can be challenging, though. If you don’t have a guru, you can develop an image of one in your mind, try to sense his instructions, and carry on practising consistently.
6. Prepare mentally and build awareness
One must reach a state of clarity of mind or purity of consciousness before attempting to awaken their kundalini. This can only be achieved if you learn to surrender your mind and stop paying attention to every fleeting thought. You should just let your thoughts arise and watch them pass by without any judgments. Only when you perform your practice in this manner will you achieve one-pointedness.
Is it necessary to live in an ashram?
In an ashram, residents live simply, with minimal food, few comforts or luxuries, and plenty of work. They are free from attachments, prejudice, and hatred. There are no social demands or expectations, no fashion or entertainment, and no pointless chatter. Interference among residents is minimal.
In this environment, people respect your privacy and understand if you experience emotional difficulties, feel emotionally numb, struggle to sleep, do not wish to eat, or simply desire to sit in silence.
Thus, Kundalini can awaken more quickly if you live in an ashram, where you are permitted to experience whatever arises, even if you go through a mental breakdown.
Additionally, you can prepare effectively while staying in the ashram.
To balance the body’s acids, wind, and mucus, you should engage in physical cleansing practices, known as shatkarmas, in the ashram. The ashram diet emphasizes simplicity and purity, resulting in a cleansing effect on both the body and the mind.
If you have a disposition that leans toward being a bhakta, you can devote your time to kirtan, bhajan, or prayer. If you are intellectually curious, you can study books, avoid small talk, practice Hatha yoga, and occasionally fast. If you are an energetic person, you can invest your efforts in Karma yoga.
Now that we have understood a few basic things, let us see the rules to follow to properly prepare for the kundalini awakening.
Conclusion
Undergoing the experience of Kundalini awakening is a challenging task. It requires utmost devotion, discipline, resilience, and patience. Following a regimen under the guidance of a Kundalini guru is the best way to prepare yourself for the intense journey of Kundalini awakening.