|
|
| to raise kundalini. I still don't understand what is the point of raising kundalini. It sounds very risky with all these warnings about kundalini syndrome. It seems like alot of effort for a sort of 'high' which seems unnecessary. One of my yoga instructors was lecturing about raising kundalini and I asked what the benefits were. She responded that this will lead you to be enlightened. But what does that mean and why is that so desirable? The most amazing people I've known in my lifetime probably haven't even heard of the word 'kundalini'. Still, there must be something great to it or why would people to this day put so much effort into raising it. |
|
| |
|
| trikotripod - 2006-06-07 12:11 AM
to raise kundalini. I still don't understand what is the point of raising kundalini. It sounds very risky with all these warnings about kundalini syndrome. It seems like alot of effort for a sort of 'high' which seems unnecessary. One of my yoga instructors was lecturing about raising kundalini and I asked what the benefits were. She responded that this will lead you to be enlightened. But what does that mean and why is that so desirable? The most amazing people I've known in my lifetime probably haven't even heard of the word 'kundalini'. Still, there must be something great to it or why would people to this day put so much effort into raising it.
===> Good question. As far the real answer in terms of your own teacher, you should ask the teacher him/her-self. Now, generalized answer: I know many persons who are very good in health and they are doing a great job in terms of their diet. They eat fresh, clean, and healthy food. They do NOT know the word Nutrition and they do not even know how the food is digested in the humans. But, they are doing fantastic. Similarly, there are many amazing persons who do not know the word Kumdalini, but they are amazing and/or enlightened, etc. However, compare the healthy person now learning about Nutrition process to someone who is in Spiritual practice to know Kundalini. Actually, the Kundalini is automatically risen when one in Spiritual. And, it reaches the Crown when one is totally enlightened. However, one can accelerate that process by doing Kundalini Yoga (NOT Kundalini Yoga Style, but a Yoga Practice with emphasis on Kundalini). This practice is good only if it is done in association with other things such as proper Yoga Practice, proper discipline, devotional practice, and most above all a guidance from a Really Experienced Teacher. Otherwise, just trying to raise Kundalini is like taking an Electric Shock without knowing the voltage!
Peace
|
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| trio - I would suggest that there is absolutely no point trying to raise one's kundalini until a) the body, mind and nervous system was thoroughly prepared with years of asana and pranayam b)you have expanded your knowledge and understanding of kundalini and why you would possibly want to do that work and c) you and your teacher (especially your teacher and assuming the teacher is truly knowledgable and a safe and suitable guide) decide you are ready. As Neel says, raising kundalini without the proper preparation is like plugging into a socket that has too high a voltage for you. Not good.
As far as the amazing people go, I personally don't think I have met any enlightened beings, although I have met some amazing people, too. But those who have met people that they feel are enlightened suggest to me that they are several steps beyond amazing - one of those things that you just have to experience to understand. |
|
| |
|
| Dear Tourist:
I agree with all your statements except that Kundalini Rising effort should be done after years of practice of asana and pranayama. This statement is used in some Yoga Circles who have almost no background in Kundalini or the one who have no interest in that field for some or the other reason. Years of practice is NOT needed for some. For example, there are those who are with Kundalini arisen but on the outset look very weak or frail. And, those who have not done any pranayama practice. But, they may have done such a practice in their previous life.
Of course, I am not discarding one doing asana and pranayama practice if they wish to do so.
Though I am not prepared to discuss, yes, I know personally those who had Kundalini risen (and, for information, they did NOT do years of asana and pranayama), but they had a Guru to guide throughout. And, they were very spiritual persons, who were smoothly detached from the material world. |
|
| |
|
Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| I agree, Neel. I should preface my comment with "for the average person" perhaps. And yes, with a true guru, they will know if you are ready and able to handle the process of raising the kundalini. Finding a true guru - priceless!  |
|
| |
|
| trikotripod - 2006-06-07 12:11 AM
to raise kundalini. I still don't understand what is the point of raising kundalini. It sounds very risky with all these warnings about kundalini syndrome.
Why not? What in life is really worth the doing? What in life is not without risks?
It seems like alot of effort for a sort of 'high' which seems unnecessary.
I don't like this use of the word high, which is probably the reason why yogis generally use the term bliss. First, a 'high' has connations of drug use, which this is not. I also think that there's a lot of puritanism in our society's distain for being happy. What's wrong with being happy? Second, it implies that the state is somehow better or removed from the world. This leads to a lot of ivory tower negation of the world which isn't healthy. Third, I don't think it's really a high any more than banging your head against a wall and then stopping is a 'high'. Maybe a better word would be relief. 
One of my yoga instructors was lecturing about raising kundalini and I asked what the benefits were. She responded that this will lead you to be enlightened. But what does that mean and why is that so desirable?
Don't know, I'm not there as far as I can tell. I do know I've got a lot of problems, and aggrivations with this world. Yoga seems to help, better than just about anything else I've tried or heard about. One of the purposes of yoga is the ARTIFICIALLY raise the Kundalini. It just happens naturally as a result of the asana, pranayama, and meditation. Isn't that desirable?
The most amazing people I've known in my lifetime probably haven't even heard of the word 'kundalini'. Still, there must be something great to it or why would people to this day put so much effort into raising it.
Just because you don't know the word doesn't mean that it's not something you're doing. MC Esher used to have tons of mathematicians come up to him and ask him about all these complex mathematical theorums his abstract works demostrated. He always gave them a blank look, because he knew NOTHING about math. Or to put it another way, he did not have the VOCABULARY that mathematicians use to communicate between themselves.
One of the problems that I see with a lot of westerners is that they've been taught that by learning a word, they know something. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you learn a word, that's all you know, the word. That enables you to communicate with other people about the concept, but doesn't give you a real understanding of something until you've experienced it for yourself.
As far as the amazing people go, I personally don't think I have met any enlightened beings, although I have met some amazing people, too. But those who have met people that they feel are enlightened suggest to me that they are several steps beyond amazing - one of those things that you just have to experience to understand.
Amazing is often in the eye of the beholder. I'm sure I pass enlightened beings on the road all the time, and I'm completely unaware of it.
Edited by GreenJello 2006-06-07 10:05 PM
|
|
| |
|
| Reading everyone's responses is an interesting little view into personalities. Every answer is absolutely perfect for the person stating it.
Personally, I agree with Tri. I won't be swimming with sharks or jumping out of planes, either. But, hey, if someone else does, good for them.
I am happy in the middle of the bell curve. It's warm and safe inside the 'curve. My deeper opinion about Kundalini and stuff like that is that people are bored with their lives and they add fairly harmless excitement with adrenaline enhancing activities. A kundalini yoga class has got to be 1000x better than having an affair.
I probably would take a Kund yoga class, just not in Las Vegas. Maybe someday in Alaska. In the winter.
Later, dudes! |
|
| |
|
| *Fifi* - 2006-06-08 1:33 AM
Reading everyone's responses is an interesting little view into personalities. Every answer is absolutely perfect for the person stating it.
Personally, I agree with Tri. I won't be swimming with sharks or jumping out of planes, either. But, hey, if someone else does, good for them.
I am happy in the middle of the bell curve. It's warm and safe inside the 'curve. My deeper opinion about Kundalini and stuff like that is that people are bored with their lives and they add fairly harmless excitement with adrenaline enhancing activities. A kundalini yoga class has got to be 1000x better than having an affair.
I probably would take a Kund yoga class, just not in Las Vegas. Maybe someday in Alaska. In the winter.
Later, dudes!
Hey fifi. Kundalini Yoga class is not synonymous with raising kundalini! And, Kundalini raising is not a a fairly harmless excitement. It is a fair excitement and it can be harmless and useful when done properly. |
|
| |
|
| *Fifi* - 2006-06-08 1:33 AM
Personally, I agree with Tri. I won't be swimming with sharks or jumping out of planes, either. But, hey, if someone else does, good for them.
You might not get a say in matters. Sometimes it just happens. (Sometimes it's car wreck)
|
|
| |
|
| why raise kundalini
enlightenment? and once this is done then what? you got what you got, good luck.
bliss? does there really have to be any effort to reach this point, if so i'd recommend you change some things in your life instead of thinking that some exercises are going to do this for you. You may need to evaluate the real estate between your ears and do some home improvements if you are not pleased and blissful with your time that you have.
super natural powers? please, you gotta be kidding me.
I don't know why one would want to go through all of the effort.
Why do climbers climb mountains?
if you wish to explore your inner universe, this is part of the landscape. Folks have 'been there' and you can learn from their journey.
good luck. |
|
| |
|
| I would like to make myself clearer. I'm not saying that raising Kundalini shouldn't be done just because it has some risk attached to it. I just really don't understand what the benefits are (and there do seem to be some negatives/risks). If you are a happy person with a healthy mind and body, then what would altering your energy really do for you? It seems like most people who have Kundalini symptoms experience tingling, buzzing in the ears, and sensations up the spine. That sounds more like a good system gone awry than some higher state. Sometimes I think that as spiritual beings we feel trapped inside the body. Raising Kundalini may give a sort of break from that feeling, but I still don't understand how that is very beneficial. Eventually you will have to return to a regular state if you want to continue to function in the world. Life is only so short and eventually we will be just energy anyway, so why play around with it now?
Edited by trikotripod 2006-06-08 1:15 PM
|
|
| |
|
| trikotripod - 2006-06-08 1:12 PM
Sometimes I think that as spiritual beings we feel trapped inside the body. Raising Kundalini may give a sort of break from that feeling, but I still don't understand how that is very beneficial. Eventually you will have to return to a regular state if you want to continue to function in the world. Life is only so short and eventually we will be just energy anyway, so why play around with it now?
i read you |
|
| |
|
| trikotripod - 2006-06-08 1:12 PM
I would like to make myself clearer. I'm not saying that raising Kundalini shouldn't be done just because it has some risk attached to it. I just really don't understand what the benefits are (and there do seem to be some negatives/risks). If you are a happy person with a healthy mind and body, then what would altering your energy really do for you?
Maybe nothing. OTOH, if you're a healthy, happy person, and you learned to read, wouldn't you be better off?
It seems like most people who have Kundalini symptoms experience tingling, buzzing in the ears, and sensations up the spine. That sounds more like a good system gone awry than some higher state.
Oh, supposedly that stuff is the system getting cleaned. It's a bit like pointing to the dirty water than the clean floor. Or maybe it's more along the lines of falling off your bike when you're learning to ride it.
Raising Kundalini may give a sort of break from that feeling, but I still don't understand how that is very beneficial.
Supposedly it will make you healthier, happier, and give you a deeper understanding of life and everything around you. As part of the transition the are often problems, just like when you're learning to date you go out with some real stinkers.
Eventually you will have to return to a regular state if you want to continue to function in the world.
Maybe. What's a "regular" state?
Have you ever heard of the term "institutionalized"? It's the state that prisoners often get into. Once they've been sent away for a fairly long term, maybe 10-15 years, they become very used to prison life. It's all they know, that's were all their friends are, all their needs are taken care off. It's become very comfortable to them, though to anybody who hasn't been in prison it's hell on earth.
When their term finally ends, they're forced back into normal society. Often times they can't deal, and ***** and moan about having to pay bills, keep a job, drive a car, date. All the stuff that most people take as a normal part of everyday life.
However, these guys are so determined to get back to "normal" life, they will often commit another crime so that they can get BACK into prison. Pretty nuts huh?
Frankly I think most people do pretty much the same things with their lives. They're some what miserable, but they figure "Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know". I think I'm doing fairly well with life, but I'd like to improve it. So if my Kundalini rises, great. If it doesn't I'll go collect baseball cards or something.
Edited by GreenJello 2006-06-08 2:30 PM
|
|
| |
|
| GreenJello - 2006-06-08 2:29 PM
Frankly I think most people do pretty much the same things with their lives. They're some what miserable, but they figure "Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know". I think I'm doing fairly well with life, but I'd like to improve it. So if my Kundalini rises, great. If it doesn't I'll go collect baseball cards or something.
i concur and hope that more people take the initiative to make their lives what they want it to be.
Why do so many people have the 'vacation' mentality?
...for only a few days of the year they go on vacation and that is supposed to make up for the rest of the year?
If your life is such that you need to take a vacation from it, there's something in your life worth changing.
Maybe some folks go through all the 'trouble' of raising the kundalini power to 'change' what it is in their life that they need a vacation from?
a paradigm shift is sometimes all that is necessary to appreciate the glorious blessings that we have--i mean think about this---
we're all so monetarily wealthy that we have computers and internet connectivity, that ain't bad.
i'd even venture a guess to say that we all have indoor plumbing and can be fairly secure in our belief that we won't die quickly from contaminated water.
i don't need a kundalini experience to be grateful, but if something pops i'll enjoy it.
|
|
| |
|
| trikotripod - 2006-06-08 1:12 PM
I would like to make myself clearer. I'm not saying that raising Kundalini shouldn't be done just because it has some risk attached to it. I just really don't understand what the benefits are (and there do seem to be some negatives/risks). If you are a happy person with a healthy mind and body, then what would altering your energy really do for you? It seems like most people who have Kundalini symptoms experience tingling, buzzing in the ears, and sensations up the spine. That sounds more like a good system gone awry than some higher state. Sometimes I think that as spiritual beings we feel trapped inside the body. Raising Kundalini may give a sort of break from that feeling, but I still don't understand how that is very beneficial. Eventually you will have to return to a regular state if you want to continue to function in the world. Life is only so short and eventually we will be just energy anyway, so why play around with it now?
===> Dear TKPT: You are talking about Kundalini Raising like there is something physical one has to raise up the spinal cord. And, on doing this one gets all the symptoms which you indicated.And, it does not have much to do with happiness, progress, spiritual growth, etc. I may be wrong in stating your impression. If my statement is correct, then (ONLY), your understanding of Kundalini is insufficient. But, to get correct understanding, you should want this understanding and should be prepared to put in efforts as I indicated in the earlier posts. But, I agree with you that one does not have to or possibly should not focus on the raising of Kundalini too much. |
|
| |
|
| SCThornley - 2006-06-08 4:27 PM
i concur and hope that more people take the initiative to make their lives what they want it to be.
Why do so many people have the 'vacation' mentality?
...for only a few days of the year they go on vacation and that is supposed to make up for the rest of the year?
If your life is such that you need to take a vacation from it, there's something in your life worth changing.
Maybe some folks go through all the 'trouble' of raising the kundalini power to 'change' what it is in their life that they need a vacation from?
a paradigm shift is sometimes all that is necessary to appreciate the glorious blessings that we have--i mean think about this---
we're all so monetarily wealthy that we have computers and internet connectivity, that ain't bad.
i'd even venture a guess to say that we all have indoor plumbing and can be fairly secure in our belief that we won't die quickly from contaminated water.
i don't need a kundalini experience to be grateful, but if something pops i'll enjoy it.
I know all too well what you mean by 'vacation mentality'. I grew up in a family with that basic mindset and my father still has it. I guess it should be no surprise that he also has depression. He claims he just has a genetically caused chemical imbalance which may or may not be true, but living your life in such a way that you 'need' a vacation can't be helping matters. A vacation should be something that is desired, not a point of focus to keep us afloat. Our happiness depends to a large degree on the decisions we make. If we make a prison for ourselves, then we have no choice but to be a prisoner. Likewise, if we choose to see our life like a prison, then we have no choice but to be a prisoner. |
|
| |
Why do all the effort..
