Please help, kundalini is making me lose my mind.

[Assorted Vibrations]

There are a few posts on here about kundalini overloads from engaging in practices outside of AYP, or overloads in the head.  My issue, however, comes from twice daily spinal breathing over four years and is centered in the chest.  One morning it felt like my spinal nerve melted, and then when I rested I was racked with violent energy.  Long story short, my radiance from my chest is massively expanded and now I am constantly burning physically and on edge mentally.  I could deal with this, but another symptom is that life is just too emotionally intense for me.  Almost anything can overwhelm me emotionally, including simple shapes and colors.  It has also made my anxiety explode to the point where I have a hard time functioning.

This opening happened one year and three months ago.  Since then I have taken weeks off of all practice and now I only do light meditation (5 minutes of Zazen once a day.  Deep meditation is WAY too strong).

I am willing to do anything to calm this kundalini down, so here is my question: what can I do besides exercise, eat heavy, orgasm, and avoid spiritual thoughts?  Should I stop meditation completely? I am considering medication if nothing else works.

Thank you all so much for your help.

[AumNaturel]

Hi Assorted Vibrations,

are self-pacing and the grounding methods you mention having any effect? Have you had any symptoms of overloading prior to when it first began (1y 3months)? You mention taking a few weeks off of practice: have you been cutting back during that interval as well?

I am curious what your practices were, and for how long. You only mention one. Spinal breathing pranayama in AYP is never ever done on its own.

From the first introduction on pranayama, lesson 41 says "begin by doing this spinal breathing practice for five minutes before your regular meditations. We don't get up between pranayama and meditation" which is followed up immediately with lesson 43: "pranayama is not recommended as a stand-alone practice without meditation .. practicing pranayama alone without meditation can leave the practitioner vulnerable in some ways."

These are just the questions and observations I can think of. I would try keeping up self-pacing in the long term (months and even years) until everything becomes more manageable, though this is based on the advice others provide and not my own.

[Assorted Vibrations]

Hi AumNatural,

The grounding methods I mentioned all do help to some degree, and I try to be daily with all of them for the most part.  The issue is that overall I don't seem to be able to decrease the strength of the kundalini, I just get temporary relief.

After the opening I took a couple weeks off, and then I did again maybe a few months later when I realized that deep mediation was actually provoking kundalini.

My practice started with deep meditation twice a day and stayed that way (also adding spinal breathing a couple weeks in) until a few months after the big opening, when I realized it was contributing to my overload.  I had already cut meditation times down to 5 minutes twice a day but I decided to take another couple weeks off, and then just do the 5 minutes of Zazen once a day in the morning.

I guess one of my main inquiries is, would it be more calming to take another couple weeks (or maybe months) off, or should I continue short gentle meditation in the mornings?  I do want to self-pace, but at this point I am wondering if abstaining from all practice for awhile is the most prudent self-pacing.  

Thanks for your help.

[AumNaturel]

Perhaps those experienced with such symptoms can chime in.

In principle alone, if I were in such a situation based on how it sounds, I'd cut back either to something you are doing (zazen) or completely as a way of getting a handle on the causes and effects of the instability you are describing. Anything that makes for a hard time functioning in daily life is unsustainable in the long run, as much as the temptation and habits push us forward to not miss out on a good thing. Once you do get some pattern sorted out that helps balance these very rough times, you can very gradually build up again, but until then I also don't see any options other than cutting back.

All the best. Keep us posted.

[CarsonZi]

Hi Assorted Vibrations,

If I were you, I would quit practices all together for at least a couple of months to see how that affects the situation.  Personally, I hit a phase of overload so strong (at the beginning of 2012) that I had to take 8 months off (pretty sure that was how long I took off but I could be off +/- a month or so) of all practices and even after 8 months off I could only practice once a day, and with 5 min SBP, 15-20 min DM and 20 min rest as my routine.... and I can only do that on days that I work... on days I don't I cannot do any practices.   I'm still using this routine today.

Love,
Carson

[Assorted Vibrations]

Thanks both.  I have discontinued all practice since my original post and will be taking a couple months off and seeing how I respond.  I appreciate you both helping me out, and I hope your practices and lives are well.

[tonightsthenight]

quote:Originally posted by Assorted Vibrations

Thanks both.  I have discontinued all practice since my original post and will be taking a couple months off and seeing how I respond.  I appreciate you both helping me out, and I hope your practices and lives are well.

Hey Assorted,

Like Carson, I've had some bumpy times. Worst for me was a nearly continuous three year period of excruciating symptoms. Purification was fully automatic and at times i was incapacitated, but overall you just make it work.

Its not necessarily about AYP or not, its about the strength of the energy and the blockages in your nervous system. The blockage is going to get purified one way or another, but you should do everything you can to slow the process.

I'd suggest ceasing all practices. You should do all that grounding stuff, and see if you can make some changes in your life to reduce the anxiety. I didn't go the meds route, but doesn't mean its not good for you. Try kapha foods all the time. Eat lots of meat, lift weights, spend several hours outside, stay away from drugs including caffeine, have lots of sex, etc.

What is your disposition? I'm ultra vata, like almost not even here, maybe that's true for you?

[illkeepmysol]

use a black rock such as onyx or black tourmaline, they will pull negative energies from the heart area, drink spring water, burn sage.

[illkeepmysol]

kinda silly how u guys are trying to sway kunda from stopping,just let go and be adamant. there is no such thing as premature awakening, just give all practices up for a while, and kunda will stagnate, it did so to me. come back to it when you ready. you need to understand that awakening kundalini is a death of your ego. you feel pain cuz u are purifying. you are dying, so your spirit can live.

[illkeepmysol]

also, try the jalandhara bandha, it will balance the kundalini, if you have money to spare, purchase some parad.

[chicritter]

I know exactly what you mean Assorted about the violent energy and the emotional response to stimuli.  I don't do spinal breath only energy overload up the front and when the chi gets into the core of your brain where we have the gland that "flexes" that's when the thoughts and emotions are effected.

[BillinL.A.]

Illkeepmysol, or anyone else, what's parad[?]

If I can buy something to help me spiritually I wanna know about it.

quote:Originally posted by illkeepmysol

also, try the jalandhara bandha, it will balance the kundalini, if you have money to spare, purchase some parad.

[Esther]

Of all the methods I have tried to help myself during the really difficult times with kundalini, the cortices technique - as per the BodyTalk System - has been the single most helpful method.
If you go to http://www.bodytalksystem.com you can find a practitioner in your area or learn how to do the cortices technique for yourself online. However, in my experience you are best to have someone do cortices technique for you - to have that polarity.
Certain advanced practitioners are specifically trained to deal with Kundalini emergencies using BodyTalk. The cortices technique is particularly powerful because it 'unswitches' the brain among other thing (and as you probably know the brain 'switches' frequently during such times). But an advanced practitioner will be able to address overall symptoms effectively and certainly help stabilize things for you. It is not going to halt the process, of course, but it will support the body as it goes through the more stressful stages of kundalini.

[pkj]

Hello Illkeepmysol, Could you pls tell me hwat is Parad. I would like to look into it. Thanks PKJ

[BillinL.A.]

Really interesting Esther, I hadn't heard about anything like this before.

quote:Originally posted by Esther

Of all the methods I have tried to help myself during the really difficult times with kundalini, the cortices technique - as per the BodyTalk System - has been the single most helpful method.
If you go to http://www.bodytalksystem.com you can find a practitioner in your area or learn how to do the cortices technique for yourself online. However, in my experience you are best to have someone do cortices technique for you - to have that polarity.
Certain advanced practitioners are specifically trained to deal with Kundalini emergencies using BodyTalk. The cortices technique is particularly powerful because it 'unswitches' the brain among other thing (and as you probably know the brain 'switches' frequently during such times). But an advanced practitioner will be able to address overall symptoms effectively and certainly help stabilize things for you. It is not going to halt the process, of course, but it will support the body as it goes through the more stressful stages of kundalini.