Kundalini yoga experience?

[Deleted member 28942]

Hi,

Two weeks ago I moved to a new city for the summer and I started at a new yoga studio. The first day, Sunday, I went to the yoga studio there was only one yoga class and it was Kundalini. I never believed in chakras and energies and stuff like that. Still, I didn't have anything else to do so I decided to kill some time with this yoga class.

During the Kundalini yoga class, I started noticing different emotions rising through my body and childhood memories coming back to my mind. I got curious and went next weekend again. This time the class was focusing on the throat chakra. While we were doing one mantra Ra Ma Da Sa, feelings of sadness and memories surfaced. Few tears rolled down my face. I have hard time experiencing sadness and crying.

I was really surprised by the power that Kundalini Yoga has to stir up old buried emotions. I am also somewhat scared by it. Does anyone have experience with this type of yoga?

 

[greenleaf]

I have not done Kundalini Yoga, but am in an excellent yoga class for trauma survivors right now; I'm finding it helpful to stay a bit more "present" in parts of my body. Also before that last year I have noticed tingling and difficult to describe sensations at times that did seem to related to where I understand some chakras to be; this has been while working on feeling deep muscles that had been without sensation and related things; massage has been very helpful for me.

Some people (is it Van der Kolk's collaborators Elizabeth Hopper, David Emerson etc. in the Boston, MA, USA area?) have hypothesized that ancient people trying to work through trauma may have developed various aspects of yoga, meditation, etc. to help themselves; dissociation and related issues would have been a huge problem in ancient times too.

I hope it is helpful for you, and would really be interested in hearing how this goes for you.

 

[Seasounds]

With a meditation style, which brought energy up my chakra's, and once at the third eye, I would say my mantra, I had a similar experience. It was quite unsettling, because I began meditating to relax; instead it opened memories-and released some of them. At other times, the memories just didn't flow out and release.When I was left with the trauma to work through, having no emotional processing skills, I became quite overwhelmed. I stopped the chakra meditation, to decrease/to try to slow down, the memory excavation process. Instead, I went to a Vipassanna, which didn't use the chakra's. It was a gentler slower process; the layers that needed healing revealed themselves in a slower fashion,as well.

I have done Hatha Yoga, not Kundalini Yoga. Here is a guess, and a question: the nice thing about Kundalini Yoga, it sounds like, is that ideally it opens an avenue for the trauma energy to purely release, without having to go through so much of the reliving of the trauma-to express it. I have had this kind of pure release with deep massage. For me, after spending time sorting through trauam memories that arose, that I needed to work through in therapy, it was an entire different skill to just let the memories move though.

All of this is to say, working with the chakra's cn be very potent and poignent. And I wish for you the support and skills to process what comes up. (My meditation teachers just said to keep doing meditation; but it made me worse. Just listed to your mind/body and do what helps you deal with the memories/releases in a kind and grounded way.

 

[Deleted member 28942]

Thanks @Saetva. Kundalini yoga seems to release the stored energy asociated with the trauma. Yesterday, I had another class on the heart chairs and I felt really good afterwards. I'll keep going with it. In addition, I also do therapy.

 

[zeropoint]

A few years ago, meditation brought on a Kundalini awakening for me. I wasn't even doing the yoga, and I didn't know there was a term for what I was experiencing until I'd been living with it for a couple weeks. I don't remember everything about it, but I know that I felt very sensitive, very open and compassionate, and also would get very tired much of the time. It also seemed that people were flirting with me much more than before I was dealing with this. I know I experienced more symptoms and I wish I could remember them or what caused them to eventually cease, But, yeah, there's something there for sure. Be gentle with yourself. Best of luck.

 

[m1-alpha]

In my view, Kundalini yoga is a spirtitual practice to be taken up only for a good and noble cause.
Unfortunately there is a lot of misuse of this ancient spiritual practice from long times knowingly or unknowingly.
There is no need to awaken one's own kundalini when the person is self sufficient to raise up his or her own life.Under controlled supervision and guidance for advanced medical complications this type of practice really works wonders to bring up a new ray of hope in life. Otherwise it leads to destruction of innocent lives too.
If you believe in karma theory and keep your life contented and limited then there is no need of these meditating techniques at all. Beware there are some people who just want to use these techniques for realize and awaken their spirits for satisfying their lust,greed anger and hatred.

 

[Sweet_E]

Under controlled supervision and guidance for advanced medical complications this type of practice really works wonders to bring up a new ray of hope in life. Otherwise it leads to destruction of innocent lives too.
.

Since most of us here have PTSD, which is a serious condition, how do you perceive Kundalini yoga applies to us? There is a kundalini class near me that I feel compelled to try. The class is very early in the morning so I may need to wait until my sleep improves. What kind of supervision and guidance do you mean? Would being in a class with an instructor suffice?

 

[DanielS]

I came across this old thread by accident,
but will add to it in case it helps.

I'm a Kundalini Yoga practitioner, and former sufferer of PTSD.

UniversalBeing, what you experienced is not uncommon at a Kundalini studio, particularly if someone is holding onto a lot, and particularly if they're new to Kundalini Yoga.

In one of my most memorable an intense classes, a 2.5 hour workshop, I broke into weeping at one point, and laughter at another: Emotional sneezes as the heart rid itself of old cruft.

I'd state that there is ABSOLUTELY value to a PTSD sufferer to do Kundalini yoga. Kundalini is *strong* medicine, and will most benefit those in greatest need of healing.

There are many paths out of PTSD, but Kundalini Yoga is certainly one worth checking out. If possible, I recommend a school dedicated to Kundalini Yoga, but these only exist in the bigger cities.

But in short, what you experienced is normal and beneficial,
and yes, Kundalini Yoga can help those with PTSD.

UniversalBeing, I see it's been a year since you posted - Did you continue with Kundalini Yoga, and do you have any updates to share?

 

[Deleted member 28942]

Hi @DanielS,
I did Kundalini Yoga while I was living in LA. I went to two different studios. One was smaller and had only one Kundalini Yoga class but I loved the instructor. The other one was the mecca of Kundalini - The Golden Bridge Yoga. I did not like the instructors. I found them to be spiritual snobs. Granted I attended only classes with the younger instructors.

The instructor matters a lot. The class I liked was great and helped me connect with a deeper sadness. I loved the Ra Ma Da Sa mantra.

I did not continue with the Kundalini Yoga because it is not available where I live.

 

[Betty111]

Hello,
I've had Kundalini awakening many years ago and am still undergoing most intense process of disintegration. Just because someone had an intense energetic experience doesn not mean they have Kundalini energy activation. Energy release or activation may be normal and common with yoga practise. Kundalini energy is not something you want to trigger. In my experience most Kundalini yoga teachers do not have ANY idea what Kundalini energy is. There are thousands of stories online of those who triggered Kundalini and were very quickly abandoned by their helpless teachers. This is because Kundalini process is a process of full destruction of your ego consciousness. Period. Many of us with full blown Kundalini suffer constantly with extreme reactions, pains, emotions and agony. You might have most intense migraines and volcanic eruptions inside your head for years like I had among many other symptoms. Google up Kundalini symptoms to see more. The more traumatised you are the worse it is. I am not writing to scare anyone. Just type Kundalini problems or emergency and you will see that it is a process which can drive people insane. Many stories online of those who eneded up in psychiatric hospitals. Just be careful and do your research before you engage.

 

[Hope4Now]

In my own experience, I would caution anyone--especially people who know they have experienced trauma--to proceed very carefully with mindfulness activities, with meditation, and with yoga. Around five years ago, it was suggested to me by my doctor that I do these things as a way to help manage my chronic pain. It wasn't long after I'd started that all hell began breaking loose in my system. I was told, when I sought help from a highly experienced yogi, that my kundalini had awakened before I was ready. It's called by some, "kundalini syndrome." Whether one goes with that name, or with the more psychologically oriented description of the breaking of dissociative barriers, doesn't matter much. The intensity and symptoms are fairly similar.

I finally went to a trauma therapist with whom I still work. I stopped all mindfulness/yoga/meditation for about a year or so until the symptoms settled a little. Now three years later, I am doing these things again in smaller doses.

Anyway--many people out there advocating these practices do not understand the effects they can have on people with trauma (especially early and dissociated trauma). This is not to say nobody should engage in the activities--just small doses and with support for intense things that may arise as a result of them.

 

[heyheyhey]

I agree with the above :). You should stick to a practice that is trauma based or very gentle and slow - like hatha, and take the practice itself very slowly as lots of things will come up. This form of yoga is known to be troublesome for some people and even dangerous. I practice meditation and yoga daily and find them very helpful, so wouldn't advise giving it up totally - I just did less when I was in a worse place and do more now I am pretty balanced.