What The Heck...

Is Kundalini?

Note to Reader. The opinions/experiences shared below offer a supremely simplified explanation for concepts that are beyond complex. They are not intended to offend scholars or disregard sacred scripts or in depth studies; they are simply a means of creating a way in for the lay person (such as I). My encouragement to all is to let go of mental argument and soften into embodied experience. In such a way we stand a chance, at least, to discover the wisdom we currently have access to within the cells of our body and revealed to us through felt sense. 

I was recently asked a question which in brief was “What the heck is Kundalini?” And after answering… “How does that differ to Eros?”  I don’t claim to be an expert in esoteric principles, but have touched upon micro-experiences (and some WOWzer experiences) that I believe have provided me with some decent enough clues.

In my experience, Kundalini is a vibrational energy that is emitted from the Earth and all Her creations, and from the Cosmos and all of Her bodies. It is said to reside in our bodies in its seed state until life-experiences and/or consciously chosen studies and practices, create an awakening or quickening. Then the "seed" becomes the "serpent".  Such an awakening is typically said to feel like liquid fire, or liquid light and can move one into profound states that are impossible to describe afterwards. However, my sense of it is, that Kundalini awakens in its own ways, in its own timing, and we don’t need to “push the river”. If anything (and this is central to the form of Kundalini Yoga I teach), any practises that bring awareness to Kundalini are best to be focused on strengthening the vessel, the nervous system in particular, so that the vessel can easily cope with Kundalini when it begins to move. Kundalini will take care of itself.

I love this passage about Kundalini, as it demonstrates the absolute saturation of the whole of existence with this force:

"The Kundalini creates the universe out of Her own being, and it is She Herself who becomes this universe. She becomes all the elements of the universe and enters into all the different forms that we see around us. She becomes the sun, the moon, the stars and fire to illuminate the cosmos which She creates. She becomes the prana, the vital force, to keep all creatures, including humans and birds, alive; it is She who, to quench our thirst, becomes water. To satisfy our hunger, She becomes food. Whatever we see or don't see, whatever exists, right from the earth to the sky is nothing but Kundalini. It is that supreme energy which moves and animates all creatures, from the elephant to the tiniest ant. She enters each and every creature and thing that She creates, yet never loses Her identity or Her immaculate purity." Swami Muktananda, Kundalini: The Secret of Life.

So What Of Eros?

Eros is, in my understanding, inseparable from Kundalini. On the esoteric level it is the Muse that creates the desire for Kundalini to come into manifest form. As a lived experience it is the state of arousal - not necessarily sexual but can include sexual sensation. To be aroused is to be turned onto life, to feel the heart expand in response to a sunset, to be moved to tears at the witnessing of suffering, to feel drawn into engagement with others, to receive the sensual gifts of the five senses and pour them into creating even more arousal/Eros.

When our heart opens through the power of Eros we then touch upon the energy form of Love. Love here being far removed from romantic notions and also removed from lust. Love in this form is most feared as it calls us towards unification or merger. For our ego-state, to lose its sense of identity and surrender into the unknown, to be entirely consumed by this heart fire feels like death. As our egos have not generally been tended to in healthy ways, they do not trust in the transient nature of the experience. It can also be excruciating for the personality to be met in the space of pure intimacy, to lay before another all of our raw vulnerability at the threshold, not yet trusting we won’t have the door slammed in our face. Yet Love demands this of us, if we are to live fully, we tremble before the threshold and surrender.

What of Sexual energy...

is that to be denied in favour of Eros/Love?

I believe sexual energy to be the third of what I’m choosing, for want of a better word, to call “lesser” vital forces. Sexual energy is creative energy. We need it for the continuation of our species, in the same way as all other creatures need it. We also need varying levels of it to bring into our world the multi-form expressions of creativity. Artistic endeavours, intellectual achievements, evolving perspectives and experiences, communication and language. Without sexual vibrancy all would collapse into dull stagnation.

"Eros is the transformative force of life, love is the unifying force and sexuality is the creative force, the expression of our physical nature. Love is the expression of a conscious will to evolve toward a unified being. Eros, sexuality and love present the possibility of unifying the masculine and feminine within us." John C. Pierrakos M.D.

The possibility could therefore be pondered upon, that Kundalini is the “Mother” power, or the ultimate force that is more than the sum of the "lesser" vibrations of Eros, Love and Sex. And of course, this could also be considered to be nothing more than head mash, something to entertain the intellect whilst the liquid light carries on just doing it’s thing!

The Ultimate Answer?

However we choose to answer the questions around Kundalini, Eros, Sexual Energy, Love; the only answers that have great value to the individual, are those that arise out of a lived experience. If we imagine ourselves as conduits for all of these forces, the more we turn our awareness to our felt senses, the more we may sense how each vibration feels to us. All of these forces will change shape/expression in response to the unique imprint created by whatever filters we have formed. Such filters include our beliefs, experiences, health-states, personality, behavioural patterns, mental flexibility/rigidity, identity and so on.

So only you can discern for yourself what any of these terms mean to you. Only you can feel within you your unique relationship to the forces of life. And only you can choose in which ways, and in which combination you desire to explore these forces.

A Micro-Practice:

Listen to the track below whilst indulging in some lovely Sufi Grinds, tuning into your Felt Sense, and contemplating all of the above.

The track is around 5min30sec So I recommend taking a few seconds to tune into your body, 2.5mins in one direction, 2.5mins in the opposite direction, then a few seconds to feel what is most alive in your experience. 

You could repeat a few times, or use longer tracks or silence to enjoy a longer practice. Just be sure to give the same amount of time to each direction.

Enjoy!

Carolyn Cowan gives a very detailed description of the Sufi Grind, I suggest listening to her to get the most out of this apparently simple movement. Once you have it down though, let go of all thoughts of correctness of form so you can receive the full experience. In other words, let go and let your body take your mind on a journey.