kundalini freaky?

i have been getting really into kundalini yoga. my friend who has practiced all sorts of yoga and is now a yoga teacher recently warned me about the negative side of kundalini. i'm not sure i get the full scope of it, but she told me that sometimes it's so intense for people (energy wise i guess) that they get really freaked out by their kundalini. anyone heard negative things about kundalini?

 

Well I think it's most dangerous if you're not aware, which is why kundalini yoga is the yoga of awareness. As long as you are aware, you're not going to get freaked out about it. I think it's unfortunate that people always rush to warn others about kundalini. Power has its good side and its challenging side, but it is still your power, your energy. You shouldn't fear what's already yours.

 

i just had no idea that kundalini could be so powerful. i was attracted to it because it seemed quirky and a bit occult, what with all the chanting, breathing, and even dancing we do...it seems/ed pretty innocent and releasing to me. sometimes i feel a teensy bit icky afterward, and they say that it's due to an extreme release of toxins - i drink lotsa water, then i'm fine.

 

It's beneficial to have a firm understanding of unconditioned awareness as the prop for kundalini or one can get caught up in the effulgence of the experience and lose sight of the base, the path, and the goal, as unconditioned awareness.

 

this is interesting.. ive not heard of this kind of yoga before? .... any of you have any good links to websites that would demonstrate some of the form?

 

I think Yogi Bhajan is the one who teaches this.

 

I would not concern yourself too much as to what kind of meditation you are doing. It has a way of its own. Just do it and expect the most incredible and beautiful experiences of your eternal being. Many blessings of Light on your inward journey to the Self.

 

ah ok...

oh, I was just wondering what kind of yoga it was... thats all..

 

My Aunt changed her name to Kundalini, we affectionately refer to her as Kinda Loonie!

 

If your kundalini rises up the wrong tube then there is trouble.

When in deep meditation make sure you legs are crossed so the energy
won't flow down, this is also bad, you should do so serious research on
this subject. Good luck.

 

It can kill you if you do it wrong.

 

There is a set of phenomena that is known to be associated with kundalini practice called (by some) the physiokundalini syndrome; see John White's Kundalini: Evolution and Enlightenment; the wikipedia page for kundalini mentions this syndrome briefly.


.

 

I've practiced Shri Mataji's realization of the self - I was taught by a friend of the family. She and a friend of hers also taught me how to cleanse my chakras - with candles and Shri Mataji's picture in front of me.
All sorts of yoga exercises can do harm if done wrong - so I've heard. Nothing bad happened to me (I think because I did it all correctly).
Also the bandan helps to keep evil away from you, it acts as a sort of protection.

 

from my understanding kundalini will rise by itself if your concentration during mediation is correct.

from my own experience of meditating simply of the breath it rises by it's self with no conscious effort involved. my assumption is that this is maybe the safer approach than any brute force method. and it's probably why buddhist monks rarely suffer from any kundalini issues.

like someone else stated, proceed with care, it once rised too strongly with me and I had an out of body experience which was scary and unpleasant.

 

I don't understand any of this. what's kundalini yoga?

 

The main problem with Kundalini as with alot of different types of eastern practices is that most of the western teachers don't have a clue what they are on about, with Hatha, Vipassana, Tai-Chi etc etc this doesnt matter because it won't cause any harm but with Kundalini it can be very dangerous if you don't have the right instruction.

For Tamee http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini

 

Agreed, it's harmful to be a dilettante and fuck around with ones energies on a poseurish basis. One needs some serious committment and direction when engaging in the path of Kundalini. At the very beginning one needs initiation. Why, some say, considering the self created rising of many people? Because the mere fact of being on a shared path with a source of wisdom for what will arise may be the difference between evolution and refinement of perception and insanity. At the very outset one must have the wisdom to surrender all experiences and to not get caught up in divisions of dualities that arise. Also, people must not be diverted from the path by the increasing seductiveness of the world, because as the senses refine so do things get more alluring. Then also, later on the path as one has developed, often people start dualizing phenomenon such that they start thinking that there is some coherent evil as separate from their own inner purity. This is a gross error on the path, and is one corrected by viable kundalini systems. Ootherwise you have rank and ordinary dualists, close to insanity, following a nondual path of one universal Mother Goddess.

Finally, it may be said that following Kundalini practice of any sort belongs to Shakta or Divine Mother worship schools alone and that even the Shivitte systems of yoga such as Patanjali's do in fact rely on the Goddess when it comes to Kundalini. To not do so is to diversify the universal source of enlightement and create separations in the mind which then creates obstacles.

There are many categories of kundalini practice from simple devotion which is the most safe, to various kriyas and tantras which entail vows and very pure lifestyles, depending upon the system.

The system non-pareil of kundalini is Sri Vidya, relying upon the sattva or purity of Goddess Shree, or Mahalakshmi. AKA Lalita, Tripura Shodashi, etc.... There is no second system which can at once develop awareness through kundalini while allowing one to engage the world and its blessed qualities.

As a Sri Vidya tantric one engages in mantramarga or the way of mantras for specifically controlling development and in this way one has constant guidance from The Mother.

Come back and read this again in ten years (as if) and find that what I said was the ultimate essence of what you must look for.

Kundalini support groups and such are pathless meandering waystops with no goal or sense of direction and are ripe spots for getting waylaid by miserable and self made gurus who are out to exploit you. Do not join such groups and follow their hodgepodge of teachings.

Follow the real Swamis, Avadutis, Yogis, tantrics, Naths, Dzogpachenpos, Vajrayanists, and so on - those who have lineages. This last point is very important. Check the lineage of your teachers and it they have none then keep searching. Self made gurus are shit and will kill you and fuck your corpse. There are millions of stories and they are worse than hard dope dealers for ruining your life.

 

Nah, that's just the Aghoris!

 

Not since their sect broke into factions. Now they will war over it first. But since you bring it up, I would never recommend Aghora to a newcomer to tantra. Chose Aghora at your own risk. Yep, what you said actually. But then, you would have expected that!

 

I thought there were just two types, normal Aghori and Aghori Nath. When I was in India I encountered alot of Naths, but only two Aghoris, one from Keena Rams ashram in Varanasi & the other one I presume was Aghori I just saw him marchin down the road in a black lungi, black turban round what seemed like an asbolutely massive amount dreadlocks underneath and a big massive axe. No bag, no chappels, just this axe, looked like something you'd see He-Man with. He was one scary looking sadhu.