Kundalini Tantra is Sri Swami Satyananda Saraswati's seminal work (a piece of work or research that is highly original, influential, and significant in its field. It often lays the groundwork for future developments, ideas, or research. Seminal works can change how people think about a subject, inspire new theories, or lead to important advancements) on kundalini, chakras and kriya yoga. Defining and explaining kundalini, this book provides a detailed account of kundalini awakening, including the signs and effects of such experiences and ways to both elicit and manage them.

The book contains a comprehensive description of each chakra and the significance of the chakras in tantric and yogic practice. Techniques are given to balance each centre for greater harmony in mind, body and spirit, and in preparation for the rising of kundalini shakti. The 20 kriyas and their preparatory practices are fully explained.

Fundamental to Reality
Saraswati realized that matter is not fundamental - there is an underlying substrate beyond what human perception can grasp. Matter has many manifestations - the material world, thoughts, the body, memories, feelings, and experience. To reach this inner substrate, the human mind must be transcended. Mind can be expanded and his experience doesn't have to be limited to material objects.

Man
Man is many things - the body, emotions, mind, experience, desires, etc. Yoga aims to aggregate these towards a whole and unified Man. That is why there are many types of yoga - Hatha, Bhakti, Jnana, Karma, Raja, etc. Kundalini Yoga is part of the Tantric tradition.

Objective experience not the ultimate
Normally, the mind experiences time, space and objects. But the mind can go beyond these experiences. It can go beyond definitions and boundaries. Beyond normal experience is what others label as heaven, nirvana, moksha, liberation - but they really don't fully grasp what they are. Ask 10 monks what enlightenment is and you get 10 different answers. Others think those meant reaching the destination. No. The work continues. It's only a next-level transition. From kindergarten to grade 1...and so on and so forth.

Kundalini
Ascended people from ancient times have already realized that there is a powerful energy within the body that lies dormant - the kundalini. This force resides at the base of the spinal cord. When awakened, it is likened to an explosion. People who have exploded this have been called rishis, saddhus, siddhas and saints. This energy is inherent in all of man. It is part of human existence to realize this energy and live to his full potential (otherwise, what's the point of having this if it only occupies space?). Awakening the kundalini is possible with yoga and tantra.

Proceed slowly, sensibly and systematically
Kundalini awakening is methodical and should not be rushed (so, no drugs or psychedelics). Deal with the body first, not the mind. With the body and the nervous system, work on prana, nadis and chakras. When these are in place, the mind can easily be controlled.

This book explains the crucial role the body and the nervous system play in awakening kundalini. It will explain yogic and tantric ways for this awakening. It will present a blueprint for the system and the process.

Уе Man, Tame the Kundalini
At ages 6 and 10, Saraswati had a spiritual experience. He was taken to his father's guru and advised to be a muni (someone who practices deep meditation and embodies self-restraint, often seeking spiritual enlightenment and wisdom. They are typically seen as wise individuals who have attained a high level of knowledge and inner peace through their spiritual practices). At 15, he began his Kundalini Yoga practice and began to understand why the Hindu deities were symbolized in odd ways - Genesha riding on a mouse, Shiva with snakes on his neck, deities with multiple arms and heads, etc. Another spiritual experience came to him by way of symbolic premonition while in meditation. Within himself, he saw the earth and its natural features crack open. A few days later, WWII broke out. His vision was prophetic. At 17, he asked questions nobody could answer, "What's the difference between experience and perception?" It was then he knew he had to leave his home and seek answers from the corners of the world. His father gave him 90 rupees and that began his ascentic quest.

He met a swami and stayed with him for 9 months. He learned a lot but knew the swami was not his guru. He wandered into Rishikesh and met Sivananda. He stayed in the ashram and became a monastic but his questions about existence continued to puzzle and perplex him.

The awakening of my kundalini 10
One day along the Ganga, Saraswati spontaneously felt going deeper and deeper into his body. He felt an explosion of energy at the base of his spine. He began to vibrate and see lights. He was overwhelmed by pure bliss. It kept amplifying until he lost sense of himself. It happened 3 times. He was just left dazed, feeling blank for days after the experience - couldn't move or think or do anything. The feeling of bliss lingered like a living thing taking residency inside him. This was the awakening of his kundalini. After the week, he gained normalcy and began his deeper study into Kundalini yoga and tantra.

When Kundalini awakens, your hidden potential is also awakened. You can become a poet, a musician, a painter or any kind of artist. You can influence the hearts and minds of people by becoming a president, prime minister, a general or a business tycoon. Your horizon simply expands beyond your previous cognition.

Kundalini is not myth, legend or hypothesis. When it is awakened, scientific instruments can provide empirical data to its output. The electrical signals coming out of your body goes through the roof (when Wim Hof demonstrated his siddhi capabilities to a group of researchers, scientists and doctors, the instruments went through the roof. They saw readings that were deemed impossible to access by human consciousness).

Kundalini
Kundalini resides at the Muladhara chakra - between the genitals and anus for males, and at the tip of the uterus in females. The chakra is a physical gland that you can actually take out and press (this is the first time I heard of a chakra being a physical part of the human anatomy). Kundalini must be activated first otherwise it's inert. Yoga and meditation are proven methods to awaken this. When it does, it goes thru the central nadi, the Sushumna, passing along the other chakras and into the Sahasrara chakra (Sarawati calls it the brain). Where it passes along, all dormant energies are awakened. The chakras also have dormant energies within them. Although Kundalini begins its ascent at Muladhara, to some of us, Kundalini may already be at Svadisthana or Anahata - depending on where we are in our yogic practice. An awakened Kundalini at the Muladhara is very different from an awakened Kundalini at the Sahasrara, the highest point of chakra ascension. At Muladhara, when you are blind, you cannot see, cannot hear if you are deaf. But when Sahasrara is reached, all human perception is transcended - the blind man can see, the deaf can hear and knowledge is there for the taking without reading books.

How man discovered kundalini
Since the dawn of time, man noticed that everybody had different abilities. Some are great artists, great storytellers, great hunters while others just occupy space. Others make accurate predictions, others see the future through their dreams and others see auras. This defied the natural world. They realized that others had no gift whatsoever, others are partially gifted and others are simply a cut above from everyone else. They began to call this 'something' some deity names and it evolved to the name prana shakti. In tantra, they called it kundalini.

What the various names for kundalini mean
In Sanskrit, it meant 'coil', thus the analogy for a coiled serpent. In other languages, it meant 'a deep place'. 'Kundalini' is the name when the energy is still dormant. But when awakened, it is called many names depending on the tradition - Kali, Saraswati, Devi, Durga, Lakshmi. Even in Christianity, they have a phrase, 'Stairway to Heaven' refering to the ascent of Kundalini along the Sushumna. When Kundalini reaches Sahasrara, this union is called by many names by different religions - moksha, samadhi, nirvana, kaivalya, union and liberation. Whatever you call it, it is still a kundalini awakening.

Kundalini, Kali and Durga
When Kundalini awakens and you don't know how to handle it, you call it Kali (female deity, naked, black with 108 skulls in a mala. When Kali gets angry, even the gods stand quiet). But when you can control it and use it for lofty goals, you call it Durga (beautiful goddess with 8 hands riding on a tiger). (People who have not done their Yama and Niyama have no moral foundation. If their Kundalini awakens, Kali emerges and they commit the most horrific crimes - Napoleon, Genghis Khan, George Bush Sr and W.)

Symbolic representation of kundalini
In tantra, Kundalini is considered primal power. In Hinduism, it is symbolized by Kali. In shaivism, kundalini is symbolized by a shivalingam. The powerful symbolism of Kundalini is a coiled serpent - there is no real serpent. The serpent has been used as a symbol in many cultures. It means these cultures from ancient past have long realized this power within. But prana really has no form - so again, the serpent is just a symbol.

When Kundalini opens, it goes through Sushumna and passes along the major chakras. It eventually reaches the Sahasrara chakra and the magic begins - nada sounds, Amrita flow, psychic siddhis manifest, perception goes beyond human limit, etc. People see kundalini sometimes as a snake with burning eyes (sure, there is no actual snake so I would see this as pre-conditioning. If you read a book talking about a snake, then in all likelihood, you'll see a snake. Same thing. Many cultures talk about the 7 rishis. But Hindus depict the Rishis looking like them. Other cultures paint the rishis looking like them).

Who can awaken kundalini?
Anyone can awaken their kundalini - not just yogis. Artists, musicians, poets, politicians, warriors, etc. When it opens up, you simply become a superior version of your old self by orders of magnitude. Kundalini is the same kundalini anywhere with anyone - but it is expressed uniquely per individual and per chakra. Some are gross manifestations while others are refined. Einstein generated genius with his kundalini. Porfirio Rubirosa's kundalini was such that no woman could refuse him. Kundalini awakening is the prime purpose for human existence. Every human experience is simply a means to achieve this.

A process of metamorphosis 14
When kundalini awakens, a metamorphosis happens - not just in newly acquired powers but in the way you think, your priorities, your perceptions, your attachments, and even your physique. At the cellular level, the cells and the brain are recharged with high voltage prana and rejuvenation begins. The voice changes, the smell of the body becomes pleasant, your presence is illuminated. Your evolution goes at a much faster pace. At full expression of Kundalini, man becomes a minor version of divinity.

Causal Body
Kundalini does not belong in the physical body, nor the mind, not even in the astral body. It belongs to the causal body - the most subtle of the 3 bodies (physical, astral and causal). Here, time and space do not exist.

Chakras
Chakras are energy centers seen as vortex by the gifted. They have their own optimum speed. Man has many chakras but in the practice of tantra and yoga, you only need to work on a few - not all. They reside on the interior walls of the spinal column. They serve as hubs to the nadis that branch off them. Chakras are like bus terminals where all the buses converge to and from different parts of the city.

1. Muladhara chakra - from the feet to Muladhara is the last phase of man's animalistic instinct and the beginning of his awareness as a sentient being. Above the Muladhara is the start of his ascension into a super being.
2. Svadhisthana chakra - at the tip of the spine
3. Manipura chakra - by the navel, in charge of digestion, absorption and assimilation
4. Anahata - at the heart, controls the heart, lungs and diaphram
5. Vishuddhi chakra - at the base of the throat, controls the voice and thyroid
6. Ajna chakra - controls the psychic centers, located at the mid-brain above the spinal cord (most books will say it's located between the eyebrows)
7. Bindu chakra - back of the head where the man bun is made. This is the source of Amrita
8. Sahasrara chakra - highest chakra associated with samadhi and the pituitary gland

Nadis
Nadis is where the vital force (prana) and mental force (manas) pass through - it's an energy pathway, similar to how the nerves pass along electric currents around the body. There are 72,000 nadis converging into 10 major nadis. But of the 10, the 3 most important are Ida i(mental force), Pingala (vital force) and Sushumna (spiritual force). All three of them begin at the Muladhara chakra. The Sushumna goes straight up along the spinal cord to the Sahasrara. Ida and Pingal crossover at the chakra junctions until all three meet again at the Ajna chakra. Ida and Pingala function alternately in the body - not at the same time. This is why when the left nostril is closed, the right is open. They take turns. If they are made to function simultaneously, then the left and right brain gets correlated and functions in synchronicity. There are actually 3 nadis within Sushumna. Sushumna, Vajrini, Chitrini and Brahma being at the innermost. Kundalini passes through Brahma nadi. For Muladhara to push up Kundalini, it needs prana-generated power thru Pranayama.

Awakening the Brain
Rising of Kundalini to the Sahasrara is correlated to the brain. The brain has 10 parts and only one part is active. The 9 are inactive (is this why it's said that we only use 10% of our brain?). In the 10%, both Ida (consciousness) and Pingala (life) are active. Of the 90%, only Pingala is active to sustain the involuntary life function. If a man is alive but cannot think, then he as Pingala nadi active but not Ida. There is Prana shakti but no Manas shakti. So, how do we awaken the dormant parts of the brain? Awaken the Kundalini. This can be done through long and persistent practice of Pranayama.

Lighting up the brain
Different parts of the brain are correlated to specific chakras. You can control the brain by controlling the chakras. The manifestations of the brain are 6-fold. One is about psychic powers, others for artistic energies. There is no telling which manifestation emerges.

Total and partial awakening
A genius is one who has partial awakening of the brain in any of the six manifestations. A genius can be a child prodigy, an Einstein, an Elon, inventors, prophets, etc. But when there is a total awakening of the brain (manas shakti), you become a God-minime, an incarnation of divinity.

Chakras have their own dormant energy
Every chakra has its dormant energy and this energy can be awakened, activating the inherent quality of the chakra within a person. An Anahata awakening means the yogi feels joy. With Manipura, he becomes assertive with a powerful presence.

Kundalini - energy or nerve messages?
Ask 10 yoga master what Kundalini is and you get 10 different but similar answers. Truth is, a Kundalini experience is subjective and personal.

Chitta feeds on information supplied by the Indriyas (perception senses). This is how we experience reality and its illusions. If we stop feeding it sensory information, we unleash it to become its true self without its 'fix'. Pranayama helps in regulating the flow of sensory perception and thus enhances the autonomy of the Chitta.

Unlocking the storehouse of cosmic consciousness
Everyone is unanimous that Kundalini unlocks human consciousness so we can have cosmic experience beyond the confines of human boundaries. When this cosmic consciousness is activated, you experience the powers of siddhis or artistic virtuosity or genius. Man's intellect gave him powers over the material world - splitting the atom, smashing particles and AI. But with Kundalini yoga, we become masters of the spiritual dimension.

1. By birth - some are born with awakened kundalini, perhaps from parami from previous lives. They grow up without the need to adjust because that was normal to them from day one. Their gifts become evident. The behave far beyond their years and quickly realize what they need to do in life. They are not attached to society or to their parents. To them parents are just biological means for existence. Those with partial awakening are called prodigies. Those who are fully awakened are called avatars or son of God.
   
   While a yogi is born into this world carrying his karma from previous lives, Saraswati claims that the parent's spiritual evolution also influences the offspring - in the same way genetics are passed on. If the parent's consciousness is evolved (diet and exercise are not enough), the genes are also altered - and these genes influence the offspring.
   
   People should marry not just over physical attraction or even pro-creation. They should be aware to marry to produce a genius (in today's Zeitgeist, this is a loaded statement. But I agree. It's only common sense and human nature to produce an offspring that is as perfect as you can make it. Thus, aside from working on yourself to evolve your genes, you should also be selective with your partner. Is your partner a good genetic material for an offspring?).
2. Mantra - when mantra is chanted, you become steadfast in your spiritual resolve. But you need to have a Sadhana first. You cannot just chant with no spiritual practice. Ideally, you are given the mantra by a guru. Chanting a mantra is like creating a ripple inside your mind. Regular and consistent chanting creates ripples and interference patterns in your mind that permeates into your psyche and being. YOu can chant loudly, in whisper mode or silently. You can chant in coordination with the breath, bandha, mudra and asana - Siddhasana, Ujjayi inbreath, Maha Bandha Mudra, and OM on the exhale. You can also chant the bija mantras of the chakras - LAM for Muladhara chakra.
3. Tapasya - austerities purify. The body is physically tasked, the mind is reinforced and emotions are put to the test. Bad habits persist no matter what you do. Suppress it and it grows more intense. Ignore it and it shows up in dreams. Leave it to ferment and you get sick. Use will power and nothing happens.This bad habit, a product of Samskara and Vasana, must be stopped at the root level. Tapas can help as it strengthens the body and mind. When sense pleasures dominate, when there is no struggle but only pleasure, consciousness and energy regress and become weak. This is followed by a domino-effect and the whole system becomes weak. With tapas, you commit to do something very difficult and stick by it no matter what. e.g. on an icebath, you can commit to 15 minutes and don't come out even though your whole body feels being electrocuted. The mind will give you all excuses to come out early but you don't. Old calcified samskaras and vasanas come to the surface to break your resolve, but again, you stay strong until you prevail. When you bypass the old habit of the mind, a new benchmark is set - the old paradigm no longer holds. Your mind is very strong now and so is your body. The old bad habit cannot survive in this new paradigm. Tapas purify. Siddhis can come out from this practice (tapas has always been a part of my practice. It can be applied to day-to-day life. Between using an escalator or elevator, I use the stairs. On a cold day, instead of taking hot showers, I take cold showers. In every instance, I endure the difficulty without reacting to it. This fortifies my body but moreso my mind. When the mind gives up, everything else follows. But when the mind is strong, very few things in life can hurt you. However, I cannot say I do the kind of tapas difficult enough to generate siddhis.).

   Extreme tapas to generate siddhi:

   1. Holotropic breathing for hours - this produces the effects of LSD and leads to altered states of consciousness
   2. Long kumbhakas - when I did a 5-min breath-hold, I began to feel tremors but I got scared and didn't continue the practice. I still do kumbhakas but nowhere near 5 minutes
   3. Long fasts -
   4. Urdhva Bahu Sadhana - standing on one leg or raising one arm for years. The limb becomes permanently stuck at some point and atrophize. Many saddhus do this. You see them during Khumba Mela
   
   Urdhva Bahu Sadhana

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   5. Japa Tapas - chanting a mantra for years (according to Sadhguru, the mantra OM has cured terminally ill people. But he didn't say for how long they chanted)<
   6. Long Meditation - 12 hours daily by Swami Sivananda
   7. Cremation-Ground Tapas - long meditation before a corpse in a cremation ground. Aghoris do this. So did Matsyendranath and Goraknath
   8. Trataka (Unblinking Gazing) for Hours or Days - I practice trataka almost daily for up to an hour but most often, no tears are shed. My eyes have become accustomed to it. But I do trataka primarily as vision therapy and not so much for Kundalini awakening
   9. Silence for Years (Mauna Tapas) - renowned yogis have practiced this for years until revelation showed up
   10. Fire Tapas (Panchagni Sadhana) - Sitting in the middle of four sacred fires under the hot sun to burn karma and activate inner energy
   11. Long Periods of Solitude in Caves or Forests - Isolation from society, fasting, and deep meditation in caves for years is one of the highest tapas
   △ From the looks of it, the only thing I can hope to do is Holotropic breathing with prolonged breath-holds. The others are too extreme or too long.
4. Aushadhi: awakening through herbs - no, this is not about drugs or marijuana. This is the fastest way to awaken kundalini and very few know about this. This is volatile and can lead to schizophrenia so a guru as strongly recommended. In the kaya kalpa tradition, there are references to a substance called soma. Soma was a juice extracted from a creeper which was picked on special days of the dark lunar fortnight. It was placed in an earthen pitcher and buried underground until the full moon. Then it was removed and the juice was extracted and taken. This induced visions, experiences and an awakening of higher consciousness (from my reading in Kaya Kalpa, soma is already a mystery since no one knows if this is an herb or a mixture of several herbs processed into a paste. It didn't talk about Kundalini awakening but reversing the aging process. It is said that in India, there are still a few families who know this and how the secret on how to prepare this - but it remains a highly coveted secret). Many parts of the world have their version of this. In South America, the Ayahuasca is used by the Shamans for altered states of consciousness.
5. Raja yoga - through concentration and meditation, personal consciousness merges with the supraconsciousness. The union with the absolute takes place. The nature of the mind is to remain active at all times, thus quieting this mind is extremely hard. That is why the Nath yogis developed Hatha Yoga as a precursor to Raja Yoga - to strengthen and purify the body (asana) and lungs (pranayama) for the more formidable challenge of quieting and controling the mind. Raja Yoga is a slow transformation of consciousness (unlike Soma which is immediate but highly volatile).
6. Pranayama - kundalini awakening through pranayama is a rapid ascension of kundalini from Muladhara to Sahasrara. The energy expansion is like an explosion. But pranayama alone will not do it. It needs kumbhaka, mudra and bandha to generate heat enough to awaken Kundalini. Pranayama comes with other effects - it will activate subtle energy centers in the brain, altering brain waves, it can lower down respiration, lower down your temperature. It is important to practice shat kriya first to mitigate this. The energetic surge is strong and few can handle this. The yogi will break at the weakest link. The yogi must be ready for this.
7. Kriya yoga - for the modern man, this might be the practical way since you don't have to confront the mind. With Kriya Yoga, kundalini doesn't wake up with force. This is a leisurely way of awakening. If Pranayama is like jolting an asleep person to wake up, Kriya Yoga is like waking up, dozing back, waking, remaning in bed feeling unrushed, and maybe dozing back again until he feels it's time to wake up.
8. Tantric initiation - this approach is highly secret and only eligible to a select few who have reached certain levels of conscious awakening. A guru is essential and this is a very quick way to awaken kundalini. In this process, you are not even aware you are already transforming.
9. Shaktipat - this is performed by a guru. The effect is instant. You get a glimpse of enlightenment but only temporary. Without prior practice, you will know how to do pranayama, asana, kumbhaka and mudra. Mantras are revealed to you. Visible changes are seen in your body - skin becomes supple, eyes glow and body smells a different way.
10. Self-surrender - by giving up your obsession for kundalini awakening and surrending to the bigger forces at play, awakening may happen. When you give up control and take faith in powers at play looking after your well-being, magical things happen.

Toughened and Battle-Ready
You can do any kind of yoga without a guru. But with Kundalini yoga, you need a guru and you need to be fully prepared - kundalini awakening through tantra is explosive. This is volatile. You have to have mastered asana, pranayama and done your Yama and Niyama. You body, mind and emotions should already be battle-ready. Your body should be crazy strong because of your tapas, and your mind can observe pain and suffering without reacting to it. Your system should be able to withstand being plugged into an electrical outlet and you can observe sensation without losing the balance of your mind. Then you are ready of Kundalini awakening using tantra. When awakening happens, your relationship with your guru changes - from deferential to one of love. You are now reaching equal footing. At some point, the relationship will balance out. If you have no guru, visualize him (my universe is now my guru. I give it gratitude for every abundance and every stride with my yoga. It used to be the author of whatever book I was reading, but most of the time, I don't feel a connection. But with my universe, my umbilical cord to it remains bound).

The time factor
Preparation is not only for this lifetime. You have been preparing for this all your previous lives. Kundalini awakening is a long and arduous process. whatever awareness you achieve in this life is carried over to the next life to continue spiritual evolution. YOu are a continuing work in process. At some point, kundalini awakening happens. But if you really want Kundalini awakening in this lifetime, alot 12 years of intensive practice - so it's still not overnight.

Where to begin
Feel yourself and develop awareness. It is possible Kundalini is already awake...you just don't know it. See if you can connect with your previous life (somehow, I know with certainty that I was already a yogi in a previous life. When I began the practice, I learned everything with considerable ease unlike most who struggled with it. I felt like fitting an old glove I used to wear. But given the years I had been practicing, I also know that my Kundalini has not awakened yet).

Before Kundalini is awakened, sushumna should already be purified. If blocked, kundalini cannot pass through and my go via Ida or Pingala - this is a problem.

Awakening before preparation
If awakening happens and you are not yet prepared, do the following. Shift your diet to light or even fast. Stay quiet in solitude and remain composed. After 5 days, the sensations subside and normal life resumes.

Proceed to an ashram
An ashram has like-minded people and maybe even a guru. There is support there and they understand what you're going thru. If you stay with family, they'll force you to eat, take you to a doctor, and just invade your space.

What to practise in the ashram
In the ashram, do the shat kriyas and take light satvic meals. Practice yoga, read uplifting books and don't talk too much. Stay in Padmasana or Siddhasana. No need to do meditation when Kundalini has risen - you can't meditate anyway. YOu cannot control what happens to your mind - if you get depressed or high or excited, just deal with it. Some actions happen by themselves spontaneously - doing asana, engaging bandhas, pranayama, etc. Go with the flow.

The role of karma yoga
Integrate Karma yoga in your practice. Without Karma yoga, no matter how you approach your yoga, the growth will be stunted. Karma yoga will not cause kundalini awakening. But without Karma yoga, awakening and ascension will be on a hand brake.

The need of discipline
Be disciplined right from the outset. When kundalini awakens, your discipline will come in handy. Without it, you'll be all over the place and you cannot function in your job, with family or in your business.

Specific recommendations
When kundalini happens during birth, pranayama, shaktipat or tantric initiation, there is nothing else you can do. Things will happen as it should. However, if not any of the above, you should abstain from sex, eat light food, don't talk too much, isolate yourself. You will develop certain powers. Going 'out there' to exercise them on people is dangerous. People may hurt you, envy you or despise you. You'll never know. So don't let anyone know. It's for your safety. What they don't know cannot be used against you. Also, can you trust yourself with those powers? Can you be certain not to use them against those who harmed you in the past?

Awakening by mantra and the need for seclusion
As a general rule when kundalini awakens, isolate yourself. If with other people, you are bombarded by many thought waves of anger, love, aggitation, sadness, etc. You don't need that. You need to be in a quiet place to process what's happening.