Shakti

Humanity as a whole is on the precipice of a massive awakening to our Divine consciousness. Each of us is here to contribute to this process, whether we’re aware of our part or not. We’re each learning unique life lessons, completing individual and group karmic agreements / contracts, growing, evolving and becoming more of who we truly BE.

Even the people you may judge as “asleep,” “sleep walking,” “ignorant,” or whatever other labels you might be tempted to attach to people you perceive as not being on a “spiritual path,” are contributing to this process. Some are highlighting the darkness so we can continue to move toward the light, some are completing their “dark” life experiences to know who they are in contrast, and myriad other reasons. None of which is our business. Our business is focusing on ourselves. What am I doing, who am I becoming, where am I avoiding, hiding, neglecting, judging?

As many people awaken to the truth of who they are, they will experience varying levels of spiritual awakening. Some will awaken only a little – exactly perfect for their Soul’s plan for this lifetime. Others will experience a gradual awakening, which then becomes integrated into their consciousness / awareness, over a period of time. And still others will experience abrupt, life-altering awakening experiences.

“The process of awakening or enlightenment is nothing but to empty yourself from inside, and make you encounter with the real being, where you absolutely relax yourself and feel rejuvenated to experience life again.” – Roshan Sharma

In the East, Kundalini awakening is a well-known phenomenon. People who experience a Kundalini Awakening often have gurus and mentors surrounding them who are available for support, who understand, who can provide guidance. In the East, if someone has a Kundalini experience it’s considered a sign of advanced spiritual awakening. It’s also highly respected, because it’s not necessarily safe, enjoyable or easy to experience.

“Yoga is one of the primary ways that Kundalini can awaken, and the point of yoga practice is to awaken Kundalini. However, all traditions generally agree that it is dangerous to awaken Kundalini without the guidance of a Master. Kundalini can also awaken as a result of trauma, illness, a near-death experience, in a dream, through Shaktipat (being awakening by a Guru), through mis-use of drugs, because of past-life awakenings or by having sex with someone who has an awakened Kundalini." Source: https://theyogalunchbox.co.nz/what-is-a-kundalini-awakening-and-have-i-had-one/

Here in the West, these types of experiences are not well-understood, unless you happen to be a mystic, a practitioner of Kundalini yoga, a guru or yogi, have meditated, participate in a spiritual community, or have experienced an awakening yourself. In the West, if someone experiences a Kundalini awakening and doesn’t know what’s happening to them, or have someone around who knows what’s happening, the experience – while possibly blissful at times – can be very surreal, disorienting, painful, and quite possibly incredibly frightening. They may even be hospitalized for “psychotic” behavior.

I have experienced a Shakti Kundalini awakening and I share the following information because I hope to illuminate this little-understood phenomenon and provide information that might prove useful or beneficial. You or someone you know – perhaps a family member, friend, or client – may experience a Kundalini awakening and it’s helpful to have a roadmap of sorts to help yourself or the other person better understand and accept the experience, navigate it more smoothly, and come out the other side with an intact psyche.
 
What exactly is Kundalini?

Here are two links that describe what Kundalini energy is:
- http://www.kundaliniguide.com/what-is-kundalini/

- http://www.ramalila.org/BuddhistQuestions/Kundalini.html

What is a Kundalini awakening? What are the “symptoms?”
- https://ourlightbody.com/index.php/part-iii-human-metamorphosis/chapter-6-all-about-
kundalini/kundalini-awakening-symptoms

- https://theyogalunchbox.co.nz/kundalini-awakenings-symptoms-process-benefits-support-help/

-http://www.kundalini-gateway.org/ksigns.html

- http://kundalinicare.com/features-if-a-kundalini-rising/
 
Helpful Tips for Navigating a Kundalini awakening – your own or someone else’s

1. Acknowledge, validate and help to “normalize” the experience, so that the person undergoing a Kundalini awakening understands they’re not going crazy, hallucinating, losing their mind, or experiencing a psychotic split.

2. Talk about it (or listen). The person experiencing the awakening might need to feel listened to, heard, validated and “witnessed.” They might need to be really seen and held in sacred safe space through this process. .
   If you’re the one who is having the experience, it’s normal to seek validation, to want to be witnessed and “seen” during this experience. However, unless you share this with someone you know and trust, and who has a deep spiritual understanding, or has had an awakening experience themselves, you’re likely to be met with skepticism at best, or simply just no understanding at all, which can feel like invalidation or disbelief. Do yourself a favor. Don’t go sharing this experience with everyone and expect them to “get it.” Most won’t. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.

3. Don’t minimize the experience by saying any of the following:
   - You haven’t been doing yoga (or meditating) for 25 years (or however long). Heck, you’re not even very spiritual, so you can’t possibly be experiencing a Kundalini awakening

   Kundalini can be activated by a traumatic physical or emotional experience, by having sex with someone who has awakened their Kundalini energy, by divine grace, Shaktipat, or through intense spiritual practice such as yoga or meditation. It’s not reserved only for those who follow a spiritual path. It can happen to anyone, at any time in their life.
   
   - Your symptoms aren’t what “so and so” experienced, so this can’t be a Kundalini awakening.

   While there are common symptoms at the pre-awakening, partial awakening, and full awakening stages, each awakening is unique to the individual having the experience. Nobody has the insight or the right to determine the level of awakening that another person is experiencing based on their soul path and “symptoms.”

   - It’s all in your head.
   No. it’s not.

   - You can control it. Just act normal.
   Nope, can’t do it. In the West, we’re used to “controlling” everything from our spouses, our children, our financial investments, our pets, our house plants, our love handles, our health, and everything else in our lives. So, let me just say – with emphasis so I hope you’re paying attention – that this energy is both powerful and possesses conscious intelligence that far surpasses the tiny glimpse of “reality” you are aware of.

This energy is not something that can be controlled or managed through willpower, thoughts (thinking positive thoughts and mind over matter don’t work in this case), behavior modification, yoga poses, affirmations, herbs, breathwork, supplication or prayer.
 
Kundalini Energy is Intelligent
 
We’re so accustomed to thinking that if we have an ache or a pain that something is “wrong” that needs to be “fixed.” It can be very difficult to accept that there is nothing wrong with the various symptoms of a Kundalini awakening. They’re not a bad thing. And you shouldn’t try to adjust, fix or “heal” them. In fact, doing so may block the energy from moving in its natural pathways, which could significantly worsen the “symptoms” you’re trying to reduce, control, get rid of or manage. Once awakened, Shakti Kundalini energy knows what it needs to do to support the awakener in their process.
 
Kundalini energy may feel incredibly unfamiliar, and possibly (extremely) uncomfortable, as it moves through certain parts of the body. Pain, pricks, intense heat or cold, changes in vision, perception, balance, or hearing, uncontrollable twitches or spams, uncontrollable laughing or crying, nausea, ravenous (or zero) appetite, changes in sexual desire, loss of ego identification and body awareness – anything and everything is possible.
 
However, any “symptom” is not a signal that anything is wrong. It’s simply the energy moving through any blockages in whatever area feels strange, different, blissful or uncomfortable. It’s “making right,” “correcting,” “healing” and bringing into optimal health and well-being any imbalances as it moves through the physical and energetic bodies.

I wish I had more wisdom to share on this topic.

In January of 2018, I experienced a 9-day immersion into a “full” Shakti Kundalini Awakening. Despite having prepared myself with meditation, intuitive, energetic, and spiritual development practices for nearly 20 years, it was still an extremely challenging experience.

If you find yourself having a “spiritual crisis or emergency,” or know of someone who could use some guidance and support, find help from someone who has been through this experience and understands it. This is not something you want to try to navigate on your own. I'm so grateful I had the support of a friend who had gone through a Shakti Kundalini awakening, who helped guide me through a very disorienting experience, both on the front end by telling me what was happening, and on the back end afterward by listening and helping me integrate.
 
I invite you to contact me for support, guidance and a safe space to explore and experience your own expansion and awakening into greater ease, peace, authenticity, fulfillment, joy, health and well-being.
 
To your freedom and awakening,

Grace J. Willow

“Because many people are confused by Kundalini’s real nature, we must do more to define it accurately, starting with what it is not. For example, it isn’t devil worship or a supernatural cult. Neither is it a religion nor a sect. It’s a biological process. You can’t be converted to Kundalini any more than you can be converted to a heart attack or an orgasm; they just happen. That’s the nature of biological processes: They just happen.” - Source Unknown