If you feel you are in a spiritual awakening process, or
possibly in a spiritual emergence or crisis, you may feel you have enough to
worry about with the physical challenges that arise, or psychic shifts that are
throwing you into unfamiliar territory.
But what is really important to understand in this awakening process is
that it is your subtle energy field that is erupting and unraveling and
producing all the changes.
One way to
frame this experience and gain some insight is to use the model common to
yogis, that maps chakras (energy vortices) and nadis (flows of energy) and
various other knots and points and brain centers that get involved in the
transformative and evolutionary changes you are experiencing. In this essay I will focus on the role of
chakras in transformation and spiritual awakening.
Various
esoteric systems see chakras in different colors, with varied symbols, and
ascribe various characteristics and talents to each. I believe the yogic
science of Kundalini Tantra is the most
useful model to understand the many phenomena that arise in a spiritual
awakening process. So here, in a very truncated and simplified way, are the
points I find most helpful in seeing what kundalini activity is up to in any
given body.
The most
significant chakras are said to be in the center of the spine but there are
probably 50 chakras throughout the body and these are points where your
consciousness and energy intersect, like little wheels of energy holding your
invisible energy field together.
THE FOUNDATIONAL CHAKRA
At the
base of the spine is the foundational chakra, muladhara, which holds you into a
sense of having a body, of being a separate person, a connection and agreeement
that spirit is making with existence.
Three qualities are rooted here -- the tendency to lethargy (tamas),
activity (rajas)or harmonious balance (sattva).
We each have a mix of these.
Sometimes you can see them clearly in the temperament of a new-born
infant. Here also our spirit becomes identified with the limitation of time and
space, and we know we are part of the earth.
Our life force is rooted here and active, because we feel we are alive
and pranic energy is moving throughout our body. Kundalini is said to be the residual energy
that is stored here, holding us in stasis, unless or until it is jolted into
awakening and winding upward through our bodies.
Although
kundalini arises from this point this does not mean the chakra has awakened and
transformed at the time of awakening. I
don't believe this happens until the rest of the transformation is done and the
system is ready to embody the spiritual sense of spacious presence that a full
awakening offers. Then there may be a profound letting go into living a life of
internal freedom. It feels like the ground breaks underneath you and you are
standing in space.
THE SEXUAL AND PROCREATIVE CENTER
The second
chakra, swadhisthana, is related to the sexual organs -- the drive to
procreate, or the desire for pleasure originates here. This chakra is active but in many people it
is out of balance, causing obsessions with sex or the opposite dynamic -- fear,
frigidity, condemnation of the body or of life.
This area is believed to be the seat of all desires, and the storehouse
of the collective unconscious, holding all the darker energies in the deep
subconscious. Because of this a person
might become obsessed with terror or demonic images, and move through a sexual
or fear crisis as kundalini moves into and amplifies this chakra. For this reason many spiritual traditions
emphasize opening or awakening chakras in the upper body first, but eventually
the issues related to this area will need to be addressed. When this deep
unconscious material is cleared out a person is said to be free from lust,
anger and greed, to feel integrated, calm and fearless, and able to have a
strong will and dedication to their spiritual life.
THE SEAT OF POWER
The 3rd
chakra, Manipura, located at or slightly below the naval, is where our sense of
a personal identity lives. It is the power center, concerned with survival and
accumulation. The quality of energy here
has a great impact on our digestion, the
fire and energy that moves through all our organs, and our general
psychological and physical health. When
out of balance a person may be arrogant and demanding, feel driven and be
overbearing. At the opposite extreme
they may feel weak, ineffectual, depressed, energy deficient and helpless.
We have
both upper and downward flowing pranic energy flows in our bodies that
circulate in the 3rd chakra center andkundalini yogis believe that for good
health and spiritual growth these energies need to be rerouted to move in tandem upward through
the body, so some yogic practices are designed to accomplish this. Most
westerners have not had a life practice of gradually preparing to manage these
energies so are subjected to random problems when the 3rd chakra awaken.
Some
people in a spiritual awakening or spiritual crisis report chronic fatigue,
listlessness, and even being bedridden for a long period. This indicates that energy has either burned
out or become depleted in this area. In
my observation some of the things that might trigger this depletion are working
with intense energy, breathing or meditation practices that concentrate all
energy in the upper chakras; paying
little attention to the basic physical needs of the body either because ofa
belief it is unimportant or because of being too busy; or psychological issues that led to one of the two extremes
identified above -- living with great forcefulness in the world, or feeling
great inadequacy in the world.
It takes time
and self-valuing to repair any damage in Manapura and yogis say a sincere
spiritual commitment can also help to stabilize here. When this chakra functions well the body will
be healthy and probably long-lived. When
this chakra is fully awakened by kundalini the sense of a separate identity is
seen as illusory, and there is a profound change in how the will, spiritual
intuition, and intention is experienced. This is a major turning point in a
spiritual awakening, and after manapura is awakened the kundalini is said to no
longer fall into the lower chakras.
Sometimes benevelent psychic powers may arise when the chakra is
awakened. One also begins to see beauty in the world and envision new
possibilities in their life. Biases, and
prejudices fall away. It is an important time to learn to listen to the deeper
intuition and become aligned with your authentic sense of expression in the
world. Old dysfunctional relationships
tend to fall away. Occasionally much of a person's previous life falls away.
AWAKENING THE HEART
The 4th
chakra, Anahata, is in the center of the chest in the spine, parallel to the
heart. If we could move through life
with no disappointments and no loss or grief, then our heart chakra might stay
open and loving in the world, but every pain or contraction creates armoring,
protectiveness and defensiveness. The
heart chakra is associated with our creativity, our love of life, appreciation
of nature and other people, compassion and empathy. To the extent these are available our heart
chakra is balanced and open. When
kundalini does its transformation here we may find that life flows smoothly,
what we need appears, and we are
emotionally balanced. For many people an
initial spiritual awakening is at the level of the heart, triggered by a
profound love of another person or relationship with a guru. Sometimes being in the presence of a realized
person will spontaneously open and activate the heart chakra, orparadoxically,
an experience of deep griefwill open us.
During the
opening of this chakra you may hear voices or sounds from other realms, hear
buzzing or humming sounds and the music of a flute, and feel great sensitivity
to the feelings of others. You may temporarily have clairvoyant or
psychokinetic experiences, or even a capacity to heal. You may become detached from worldly things,
and find old pleasures meaningless. As
the energy is working waves of old grief might arise to be released. You can feel unusual sensations in the heart,
or have a sudden rising of unconditional love or compassion. It can be like an emotional roller coaster
for a while, but as the work here settles out there is a deep peace and
internal happiness. It is important to
think positively, some yogis report, because you are likely to manifest what
you think as this chakra transforms itself. Some people begin to feel that all
that exists in the world is love.
AWAKENING TO THE OPPOSITES
The 5th
chakra, Vishuddhi, is in the cervical plexus behind the throat, and impacts
throat, ears and hearing. Shuddhi means
to purify, but the work here goes beyond clearing because when the chakra
transforms it brings one to terms with the opposites and allows consciousness
to understand and accept both the light and dark aspects of life. This brings the mind harmony, inner peace,
compassion and a wise perspective. One begins to realize that all the
challenging experiences of life are here to teach us. If there are psychic intrusions the person
can handle them with discrimination and not become distracted or
overwhelmed. Greater creativity, and
insight into spiritual teachings, bliss and a long life are other reported
benefits of awakening this chakra, as well as the occasional ability to read
another person's thoughts.
When
vishuddhi is out of balance or blocked the thyroid can be damaged, and ears
throat and hearing may be challenged. It
can be difficult to express thoughts and feelings. Sometimes there are random
movements or periodic shaking of the neck and head. If for some reason the
person has become attracted to psychic powers yogis say their energy can become
stuck, and it also is blocked when one has learned to suppress their feelings
and self-expression.
This
chakra is emphasized in yogas that use sound i,e, shabd and nada yoga, and can
be opened through mantras, music, and chanting, especially if the person is
very devotional. It is believed that people with remarkable speaking skills, or
beautiful singing voices were born with vishuddhi open and active.
AJNA: THE 3RD EYE
Ajna means
to know or follow and this chakra, located between and slightly above the
eyebrows, is considered the command center of the entire subtle body
system. It has been associated with the
pineal gland, which evidently begins to shut down when children are 9 or
10.
There are
many esoteric and meditation practices that emphasize putting attention on this
3rd eye, with the belief that this will purify the mind and prepare one to
awaken their entire energy system with fewer problems. A series of spiritual
events have been attributed to this chakra, especially flashes of great light,
falling into light or bliss, visions, profound stillness, and psychic
revelations. It is at this transformational opening one glimpses the unreality
of the personal identity, and may feel detached from the senses. As energy moves upward from here, thesubtle
body may rise or sink into states of samadhi, and you may feel merged with the
universe, or lose all consciousness of separation from the cosmos.
However,
the opening of Ajna does not mean the end of the energy process. It generally sends energy back down through
the lower chakras to further clear deep-seated conditions and toxins and to
strengthen the system. If you have done
no preparatory work, and have chakras that have not yet opened fully, the
entire kundalini process may activate and bring out personal and collective
unconscious material. This is one of the
reasons that spiritual traditions have emphasized the need for a guru or guide
to help you through this process.
A THOUSAND PETALS IN SAHASRARA
Sahasrara
chakra is likened to a thousand-petal lotus, and is located either at the top
of the head or above it, depending on what tradition you follow. Tantra sees this as symbolizing unlimited
possibilitiesand the full realization of Truth -- a vast knowledge of nothing
and everything, or merging with the wholeness of all. The samadhi experience here is an ego death,
a movement forever out of the mundane and limited human awareness. Perspectives
of life and one's role in it are profoundly altered. Some esoteric systems say there are numerous
spiritual chakras beyond the crown which allow one to enter other dimensional
experiences and relationship, but these are beyond the scope of my interest and
expertise.
As energy
and conscious move into the brain there is still another level of clearing that
is triggered, along with the opening of latent brain centers. So some people report itching, crawling,
burning, vibrating and other sensations in the head as energy penetrates the
upper body. A few say it is like having
someone drilling in their head. This can
be a mild experience or a very intense one, and to move through it requires
great detachmentand trust in the radiant and blissful potential of this
process.
Some
spiritual traditionsdo not see completion in the blessing of a samadhi state,
but encourage instead an embodiment --
bringing Truth back into the body -- and
learning to live from the perspective absorbed in those moments. There are practices that bring energies back
through the physical and subtle bodies, promoting a final clearing of deep
unconscious material, and grounding a person into the willingness to live with
the whole of life -- to be ordinary and be of service.
There are other factors in the subtle
energy system -- knots that hold attachments, small chakras that have essential
roles to play, shifts in how the senses work, psychic openings, etc. The major nadis, sushumna in the center of
the spine, ida, the cooling mental energy and pingala , the heating prana
energy, produce their own phenomena as they awaken and criss-cross from the
tailbone and into the face. So this is a
partial and limited description of the complexities of our energy fields, which
are clearly molecular structures holding the substance of our lives.
As a
non-dual teacher it is tempting to say -- just shift consciousness and wake up
to the pure unbound presence that you are and you will be free. I know there is a place within each of us
that is already free, still and completely at peace. The direct approach to awakening emphasizes
the possibility of slipping into this Truth NOW, as it is always here NOW.
But the
fact is that most spiritual seekers, and many who accidentally stumble onto
this path of transformation and realization without having sought it, fall into
this evolutionary and chaotic awakening process eventually, and their entire
body/mind/spirit is engaged. We live in
a culture that does not see this as transformation, and typically believes any
behavior and experiences outside of a limited norm are evidence of
illness. So we must go clear back to
very ancient teachings to find a model that validates the many phenomena of
evolutionary change that we experience.
There is a
great blessing and a profoundly peaceful and joyful outcome available in this
process. Perhaps in a few persons,
realization of Truth and relaxation into living in the moment is gentle
and sudden and complete. But from what I
have seen over many years it is more common to move sporadically through the
wild and unpredictable phenomena of our energy centers awakening, balancing and
transforming themselves. It is unique to
each of us, just as puberty has its unique challenges. It is the answer to our longing to be free.
