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Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

Activating the Kundalini
Each of us in our own way is charming, creative and alive. We are each born with the innate capacity to able to both master and accept our circumstances. If we use our gifts wisely we can accomplish much and achieve happiness. The human path is about learning to connect with our soul essence, tap our vital energy and discover our gifts so that we can successfully navigate our life.

The Kundalini is this dormant potential in each of use. The Kundalini is the internal fire that ignites our Soul. Raising the Kundalini is about activating our internal flame, unleashing our passion for life and taming our fiery emotions so that we can use our energy to live an exciting and fulfilling life.

The spirit of our soul is always available to us. Kundalini yoga was created to help us

•  Tap the magical powers of the Divine within
•  Cultivate our internal fire
•  Build our charismatic presence
•  Unleash our will to act and create
•  Transmute fear into prana and vitality
•  Enliven ourselves with the breath of life
•  Awaken our Kundalini - the power of your Soul

How do we tap the fire, the passion, the magnetic presence and the unlimited energy that the Kundalini represents?

The Awakening Process

The Kundalini is the boundless energy of our Soul. it lies dormant, ready and waiting to be awakened. The awakening process involves 3 complementary principles.

(1) Activation
(2) Allowing
(3) Alignment

(1) Activation is the conscious effort or the masculine aspect. Activation is associated with practicing a discipline involving techniques designed to shift energy. Activation involves some form of action or "doing."

(2) Allowing is the conscious acceptance of what is occurring. Allowing is the feminine aspect. Allowing involves simply being, doing nothing, but at the same time being very aware of what is happening.

(3) Alignment is the integration or the result of activation and allowing. The goal is two fold (1) to align our energy with universal energy, so that universal energy effortlessly flows through us and (2) to align our body, mind and emotions so our infinite potential is unleashed within us.

The practice of Kundalini yoga incorporates these 3 principles.

(1) Activation takes place with the practice of asanas or yoga exercises. When it is properly functioning, the release of the energy of the Kundalini is facilitated. The power of the exercises is enhanced with the breath and the internal recitation of mantras. The exercises strengthen the nervous system, stimulate the glands to secrete, loosen up the muscles and align the skeleton. The body is the temple of the Soul.

(2) Allowing happens when we relax, let go and stop trying to make something happen. We are programmed to try to control ourselves, the events in our lives and our environments. Yet perhaps 90% of what happens within ourselves and in our lives happens beyond our control. Ideally we would spend equal time simply being aware of what is happening and tuning into the reality of what IS. By simply allowing, we not only expand our awareness of what is transpiring within about outside ourselves, we release the resistance that prevents our energy from flowing and things from happening in our lives.

(3) Alignment has both and active and a passive component. The active component involves "applying the locks" or performing subtle internal movements in the chakras and along the spine. The passive component happens naturally when the blocks in the body have been released. The physical and energy bodies automatically align when the resistance to the natural state and flow is gone.

Energy Flow

Our goal is to access, activate and increase the energy flow in our bodies. There are several ways to do this. The practice of Kundalini yoga incorporates the following principle techniques.

•  Movement or exercise which opens channels in the body and causes the glands to secrete.
•  Receiving the energy contained in the breath
•  Allowing our innate energy to flow by releasing resistance and blocks
•  Opening ourselves to receive Divine energy by opening our chakras and our mind.
  

Locks or "Bhandas"

Locks or "Bhandas" create a posture that is maintained while the breath is held out or in. The slight movements in the muscles align the body so the energy in the spine can flow upward, not downward. Lock refers to the action performed by the locks before a dam, which prevent water, or in this case energy, from being released in a backward or downward direction. The term locks should not be interpreted as a forceful constriction. The idea is not to block the energy but to open up the spine so that the energy can flow easier and be released upward. A more gentle way to relate to the locks is to view them as ways to open up the flowers or the pedals of the lotuses along the spine.

When to Apply the Locks

Relaxing while holding a posture (after the exercise is completed), creates a dynamic space for movement of energy. In general, the locks are applied while holding the posture after completing a yoga exercise. This direction is not always specified. It assumed that the student will gently apply the appropriate locks to anchor in the internal effects of the asana.

ROOTLOCK OR MULBHAND
Rootlock or mulbhand closes the lower three chakras so that the energy cannot be lost or leaked out through the base of the spine. As a consequence the energy stays in the body and can flow up the spine. As with all the locks, rootlock is done either while holding the breath in or holding the breath out.

The complete rootlock is done by slightly contracting the muscles of the rectum or anal sphincter, and the sex organ and pulling the navel center in toward the spine. To identify and work with the muscles of each of the chakras, practice working with them separately.
When the mulbhand is applied while retaining the breath, the two major energy flows, prana and apana are united. This generates psychic heat which triggers the release of Kundalini energy.

DIAPHRAGM LOCK OR UDDIYANA BHANDA
Diaphragm lock works with the solar plexus and the heart chakra. It is actually easier to apply this lock while holding the breath out. The diaphragm muscles are pulled in and up. Start by sucking in the solar plexus, pull the muscles toward the spine and then pull them up. The chest will expand and the spine will straighten.

Diaphragm lock massages the heart muscle and causes the thymus to secrete. It is also used during chanting. Rhythmically applied, it enhances the effect of chanting.

NECK LOCK OR JALANDHARA BHANDA
The neck lock involves a very subtle movement. Move the chin down slightly and pull the head up. The chest will open up. You will move from a slumped posture and caved in chest to a straighter posture and open heart center. The shoulders should relax, drop and release downwards. The tongue and throat should relax.

Straightening the cervical vertebrae allows the free flow of prana to the brain and opens the connection between the head and the heart.

TONGUE AND EYE LOCK
Yogic texts stop with the neck lock. However, to complete the stimulation of the 6th and 7th chakras, what we will call the tongue and eye locks are also applied. The tip of the tongue presses gently to the roof of the mouth. The eyes look up as though looking out the top of the head. You may feel the pulse at the crown chakra (the soft spot on a baby's head.)

MAHABHANDA
Mahabhanda is the application of all the locks at once. When all the locks are applied, the nerves and glands are rejuvenated.

Bhanda Exercise

•  Sit on the heels with the knees spread wide apart, palms on the thighs
•  Apply rootlock and relax it
•  Apply diaphragm lock and relax it
•  Apply neck, tongue and eye locks and relax them
•  Pull the locks while holding out the exhale
•  Repeat in rhythmic alternation for 3-11 minutes
•  Stay very present to the energy movement along the spine
•  Notice how the slight movements and adjustment to your position effect the flow of energy
•  Apply the same concepts as above - ACTIVATE, ALLOW AND ALIGN
•  and, make sure to take the time and attention to really enjoy with is happening in your body!

This bhanda exercise is also an excellent preparation for tantric sex. It allows the sexual energy to move up the spine instead of being expelled.

See also our page about Bhandas or Locks

Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.