“Kundalini” means ‘that which is coiled,’ and it can also be interpreted as ‘coiling like a snake’ or ‘coiled up.’ Kundalini is represented as a serpent coiled around the Root or Muladhara Chakra, the first of 7 chakras at the base of the spine.
Kundalini energy lies in the nervous system and is regenerated through each breath; it is a life force or prana. The main purpose of Kundalini awakening is to awaken one’s higher ability and the potential that each individual possesses within oneself. Kundalini symbolizes the divinity of feminism and can be deeply related to Shaktism in most aspects.
Everyone has a Kundalini, but it must be awakened and activated as it tends to stay inactive in the base of our spine, Root Chakra (Muladhara). If one’s Kundalini does not awaken, their energy stays coiled at the base of the spine. For those whose Kundalini is awakened, each chakra is activated, and they are ready to achieve enlightenment.
The Kundalini awakening process can be one of your life’s most traumatizing, confused, and equally dangerous phases. It is a deep purification process, and one experiences many changes during this phase. The awakening of Kundalini symbolizes the pinnacle of spiritual progress or the samadhi. Kundalini’s awakening process has to be done cautiously as it comes up with side effects when not done properly.
The awakening of Kundalini can be performed in different ways and methods. Many yoga systems focus majorly on awakening kundalini with the different meditation techniques, pranayama breathing, the practice of asana, and the chanting of mantras. Tantra schools of Hinduism and Shaktism highly influence Kundalini Yoga.
Kundalini Awakening Signs
Here are the ten signs and symptoms to know if your Kundalini is awakening:
1. You find yourself going through the process of emotional turmoil evaluating all the past experiences, mourning about things that you longer have, wishing for certain things to happen, and feeling sad about things that you had to go through in the first place.
2. The past has a huge impact when the Kundalini awakens. Meaning you analyze a lot about the incidents that happened in the past. You go through self-realization and try to analyze things you did in the past. You revisit your experiences and wish they had a different turn rather than what happened. This is a time to find peace within past thoughts and release them.
3. If your Kundalini is in the process of awakening, you may also experience some physical symptoms, for instance, waking up at random hours at night, sweating a lot, crying, or even sensing an intense rush of energy passing through your spine.
4. You get determined to make radical changes in your life, be it your diet or job choices, or choice of people you want to spend time with. You concentrate on fixing your life, and a sense of realizing what’s not working hits you.
5. Kundalini awakening is a phase of self-realization in a wider picture. You keep your happiness in the topmost priority and let go of your ego. You realize that your mind is the ultimate force of holding back from presence and happiness. Moreover, you try to take a grip on your happiness.
6. You strengthen your empathetic abilities meaning you tend to feel and think exactly what a certain person is experiencing at a certain period. This signifies that your third eye is opening and you become acquainted with your true nature, which is connectedness.
7. You feel strongly connected to nature and want to stay outside as often as possible. Looking at the sky, hills, and rivers excite you, and you try to invest most of the time outside.
8. You begin to question the existence of systems and structures that you see around. You begin to look at and analyze religion, tradition, and politics like never before, trying to identify the purpose they serve in human beings.
9. You get an urge to filter your life in all possible ways- broken relationships, old habits, you need to let them go to achieve peace.
10. You feel the need to serve others. You understand that we all are one and that devotion to others’ aid is the noblest and the most wonderful thing you can do.
Awakening kundalini needs proper guidance from the expert; if you are experiencing these symptoms without the help of a teacher, you should stop exploring yourself. Please find an expert and seek help.