Kundalini Overload: Grounding/Front Channel Block

[Scott]

A problem I have with that advice, Jim, is that perhaps some kinds of soap are better than others.  They will leave your skin feeling better, than Ivory Soap mild.

In other words - perhaps it's good to go under the hood and fix the problems you have after a long time of practice.  Perhaps it's not the cosmic barber knicking our scalps, but it's the razor he's using...maybe it is time to tweak things, if things aren't going well.

They weren't for me, so something obviously had to change.  Old yogic methods which were apparently tried and true had pretty horrible side effects for me, which weren't from the kundalini itself.  Letting go wasn't any use at that point...the snowball effect of accumulated practice had already occurred and there was an upward avalanche getting stuck in my head and making me unbalanced and ungrounded.

Yes, bringing the energy down is all about surrendering...but that doesn't mean you can ground and bring energy down when you're simultaneously doing upward-moving-third-eye practices, no matter how much you surrender.

So if someone IS having the problems like you described in your first post here, then it IS good to read this stuff and try new things in order to alleviate those problems.  I am of the opinion that it does take a change in technique.

[scottfitzgerald]

Jim-

I didn't hate your reply.  Your almost parental concern is wonderful at times as I truly grok the pain you have been through, continue to go through, and understand your warnings are grounded in the conflagration.

You are correct in that I am inquisitive and am curious about everything in the world--I was always the kid who read ahead in the text book to be ahead of the curve.  I understand this practice is not like that, and getting ahead of the curve may not really be possible and attempting to do that can be dangerous and counter productive.

Maybe my half a dozen posts don't equate in your mind to much experience, and in the grand scheme of things, it certainly doesn't.  I don't walk on water, couldn't write a book on spirituality unless it were mostly fiction, and if I touch someone it's to give them a backrub not shaktipat, however I am growing and changing. That's not a statement of pride or defiance--it's the truth.  You make it very clear, and Yogani makes it very clear that one of the most important aspects of this entire journey is to be able to continue the journey, and the way to ensure that is to NOT GO TOO RAPIDLY. Ego is what whispers, "Drive Faster...you can handle it."

I just started driving, so maybe I don't need to read about car accidents just yet--you are probably right.  

I just started driving, so I shouldn't be thinking about testing the limits of the vehicle I am in.

I can look at the Porsche, though.  And I have, and my conclusion is that I am not going to be driving in one anytime soon, so the best thing to do is get used to the vehicle I have right now, learn to accept and love the driver's side door that doesn't open, the windshield wipers that leave streaks, the broken air-conditioner and bald tires--it keeps me moving forward.  At the right speed, and without a sense of pride.

Spiritual puberty is a painful place--I get that.  In the afterglow of inner-lovemaking it's easy to say, "Oh, yeah, I'll slow down."

Silently our ego whispers, "You can slow down tomorrow."

I appreciate your concern--it feels like love.  I hope I have that feeling right.

Big love-

Scott

[Jim and His Karma]

Scott (i.e. JUST "Scott"): we don't disagree (we never seem to actually disagree...we just LOOK like we're disagreeing!). If you gotta open the hood, you gotta do what you gotta do....and that's why I posted. For people with that specific problem. NOT, though, for people trying to pull their own puppet strings (if that metaphor works for you)....i.e. "figure it all out" just out of mind thirst. I would never suggest anyone immerse in this stuff if they didn't HAVE to. That's my point. Make sense? BTW, forgive the digression, but PLEASE be safe...I'm lucky enough not to know anyone hurt over there, and I'd like to keep that perfect record....

ScottFitzgerald: "Parental concern"...ouch! If you met me in person, you'd immediately grok that's not my sort of vibe at all.

What I'm doing, here and in all my other postings, is trying to scatter some personal breadcrumbs. I've been helped a lot by little iotas of insight I've gathered here and there over the years, but there've been gaps where a message hasn't penetrated to me, cuz it wasn't available in the sort of voice that speaks to me, and I've had to grow my own insight. So I throw stuff out there that'd have helped me if I'd seen it. If it helps, great. If it doesn't help you personally, bear in mind that for every poster there are a whole lot of lurkers (I think people forget that). I feel like that's the best good that can be done on an online forum...if my particular way of stating stuff doesn't help the person I'm nominally talking to, maybe someone in the peanut gallery will get a mild "aha!" out of it. I myself treasure "aha!" moments, so even if 1% of my postings offer that to some single person, I'm really really glad!

So, yes, it's love, but it's in no way personal. If it fits your situation, great. I'm not leaping to conclusions about you...I'm just trying to share. I'm telling you what I wish people told me, and saying it in the same way that would've worked for me. But nothing works for everybody. And I'm certainly not "judging" you in any way. Who's got time for that?

[scottfitzgerald]

I got you J and HK...we can all hear the notes we all play, and some are more personal.

Very thankful you continue to post.  

To me love is the Scott Peck definition, vaguely--doing things (posts) that are to the benefit of the love objects spiritual growth. That has never been in question.  Your concern for ALL who come after is admirable and grokked.

Big love

Scott

[Jim and His Karma]

Y'know, I was wondering if I should read Scott Peck. At your recco, I will.

[weaver]

Hi Scott,

I would be cautious writing my email openly on a web page, the spam engines love to pick them up. At least writing it like scottfitz65 at yahoo dot com or similar that is not read as an email by a machine. Also email can be sent here to anyone by clicking on the icon above the post "Email Poster".

[Jim and His Karma]

Note, Scott, that you can edit that out of your post by hitting the little icon with the pencil (apologies if that's a "duh" for you).

[Amaargi]

Hi TI,

quote:Originally posted by Tibetan_Ice

[Hi Amaargi
  Did you know that you have reflexology pressure points in the center of your big toes that correspond to the pineal and pituitary glands? Sound to me like your crown and brow chakras are open. How do your thumbs feel?

*********
  Have you tried the MicroCosmic Orbit?
  In that document there are instructions to connect the feet to the earth and then draw up energy from the earth to add to your rotation of the fire which is probably not what you want to do.

The MC Orbit contains a method to store the excess energy back to your lower tan tien. It is performed at the end of the orbit.  I'm thinking that this is an alternate to grounding; instead of sending excess energy to the earth, store it instead for future use.
*********
    Keep in mind that you can also close chakras by moving your hands over them counterclockwise. You can also close a chakra by tensing the corresponding body area.
******
  You can also buy a chunk of black tourmaline or smokey quartz and hold it for a while to ground yourself. Keep it in your pocket during the day and rinse it off for 2 minutes under running water every day. That will help ground you.


  But mostly, I think the MicroCosmic Orbit would help establish the correct direction of flow for the energies. I suggest trying it a few times to see if it helps.

TI

My thumbs feel sore and feel like they stick out unaturally, though they don't look unatural...just how they feel to me.  I presume this relates to the crown and brow chakras which are open.

I have managed to keep the crown closed up, but not completly closed - enough not to cause me too many problems.  

The brow point I allow to happen naturally as Yogani recommends.  I can't deeply meditate but often sit with a rested mind and when this happens I find my eyes drift up this way without me realising it.  I often see flashes of light when this happens so I just relax and let it flow.  I always feel reassured and safe when this happens and I also notice things in the world around me now are looking more fuller, more 'substance' to it..colours are beautiful and brighter - I presume this is a natual part of the process.

I did try the MC Orbit a couple of years ago but only did it twice.  I didn't notice any results but this is most probably because I didn't do it long enough.  I decided to stop because:
1)  I don't want to do anything that involves moving energy up the legs when I'm trying to calm them down.
2) I didn't want to do anything involving the crown chakra as it has caused me a lot of problems.
3) I don't want to mix two different practices and prefer to stay with AYP as it has helped me the most.

Storing energy in the chakra may help - it's confusing for me all these different methods and I think it's best to stay with one teaching - I'll read the article through and consider it - mainly I'm worried as I have an excess of energy and trying to store it may make it worse.  Sending excess to the earth by gardening, bathing, swimming etc has helped me more.

It's interesting what you say about closing chakras - because I intuitivly started moving my hands over the chakras in an anti-clockwise movement and felt them closing.  I have also tensed and pushed inwards sometimes when I need to think clearly and this helped also.

Closing the chakras have worked....but only for a short time and then they're off again *sigh*

I've always kept a note on what fires them off and avoid repeating it yet like many with kundalini it's a very individual thing.  Just yesterday a lay in the back garden in nature which has always brought me peace....this time it heated me up again.  I think it's just one big cosmic joke...lol..

 What I do now is to rest and ground the best way I can and hopefully allow the energies to settle into their own natural pattern.  My intuition tells me the body has it's own wisdom, especially in self healing, so I'm just going to try 'allowing' and see what happens.

Thanks very much for your advice, especially the black tourmaline and smokey quartz...very helpful.

kindest regards
Amaargi
(thanks Shanti about the editing *s*)
 

[Amaargi]

Hi Jim,

quote:Originally posted by Jim and His Karma


You're trying to intentionally do lots of specific things. I'd suggest that this approach can lead to the problems you've described. Spiritual work is about letting go, and letting a greater intelligence do its work on you. The less we actually "do", the better. And you're doing a ton. I get the impression from your posting that so many mental concepts and energetic actions may have gotten you into trouble...and you're hoping yet more concepts and actions will solve the problems.

In any case, I wish you the very best!

You appeared to misunderstand, what I described to you was what I did many years ago which caused my problems.  I don't 'do' anything now except grounding and resting.  I did dilate my throat and push the energy down as you described and thats what I wrote and thanked you for...good advice:)

On one hand I agree there is a greater intelligence overall and 'allowing' is important in spirituality.  I also follow Yogani's advice that with an unruly kundalini, Shakti can shoot through the nervous system looking for Shiva and wreaks havoc in the process - this has been what has happened to me.

So...though I 'allow' on the most part, I also ground, balance my life and also do what I can to safely bring Shiva and Shakti together in a balanced way.

From time to time I ask advice from you, or others to understand the process - mainly because I don't know of others who have experienced what I have.  There is more that has happened to me but it would take many pages to write it all down...my path has been very eclectic...heh...


Thanks for your advice ....

kindest regards
Amaargi

[Shanti]

quote:Originally posted by Amaargi


If you have trouble understanding who said what let me know and I'll edit them and repost.

Hi Amaargi, you can edit your own post. Just click on the paper/pencil icon on top of your post and cut and paste your reply part of the post after the (/quote).

[Jim and His Karma]

Amaargi, thanks for clarifying. Your posting didn't explain physical problems you were experiencing, just a series of very complex maneuvers you seem to be trying to execute. Maybe I'd understand better if I understood what led you to work on those complex maneuvers. it sounds from your original posting like you're trying to do a lot more than just ground, but maybe I'm missing it.

[Amaargi]

Hi Jim,

quote:Originally posted by Jim and His Karma

Amaargi, thanks for clarifying. Your posting didn't explain physical problems you were experiencing, just a series of very complex maneuvers you seem to be trying to execute. Maybe I'd understand better if I understood what led you to work on those complex maneuvers. it sounds from your original posting like you're trying to do a lot more than just ground, but maybe I'm missing it.

Sorry if it sounded complex - I was trying to describe years of meditation and visualisation techniques I've used in a couple of paragraphs.

I've basically done what most western 'new agers' do when starting and that is meditate on the chakras on the front of the body, use sound therapy on the chakras, visualise the white light coming down in to the crown then down into the earth, earth energy coming up through the feet, spinning the chakras to open them breathing the positive light in and then breathing the negative out etc etc...

I meditated, visualised and used affirmations sometimes for hours on end, day after day over many years - this resulted in the opening of the chakras, particularly the crown and eventually the kundalini.  The kundalini didn't shoot up my spine but more like the sexual energy just exploded in me and I felt the heat burning me up...I thought I was going to die.

The information I needed at that time wasn't available, I only stumbled across the word 'kundalini' on the web one day, realised it was similar to what I was experiencing and did a search - before Google was invented heh...

Nothing came up except one page channelled by an Ascended Master  - so this shows you how long ago it was

Gradually information and people started to surface, but I found they were mainly Western healers who didn't really understand what to do and I found they just made my situation worse.  

Any Hindu or Tantric person I found didn't believe me as they view kundalini as a special sacred event that wouldn't happen to a common westerner like me....

Anyway...trying to keep this post short - It was finding Yogani and his information that finally I could make sense of it all.  Before this I was 'just going with the flow' as many other kundalini sites recommended but I found this became dangerous and also made my health worse. I've found grounding and breathing techniques can help manage it better than going with the flow - 'allowing' helps also at times - its a fine balancing act.

A symptom I have that no one else mentions - or maybe others haven't recognised it, is that when a blockage is cleared it not only clears through my conscious mind so that I re-experience fears, emotional pain etc, it also manifests in my reality which is very disrupting to my life.

Example:  A fear of the landlord surfaced and within 2 weeks I was evicted.  A belief in lack of money and 'life is hard' cleared and circumstances arose where my bank account was emptied and I lost my job.

This is why people who meditate and affirm positive events for themselves believe they can attract prosperity, new cars, loving relationships etc don't realise that negative thought patterns will also manifest as well.  And what many don't realise that buried deep deep in the subconscious is many negative thought patterns instilled from childhood, religious teachings, broken relationships etc.

So I'm sure you understand why now I do nothing except grounding and light mindedness or meditation when I can. The mayhem and stress caused by kundalini clearing is what has caused the bad health mainly.

I've found focusing in the moment is very good to stop my energies scattering everywhere.

When I get everything stable I can sit and 'do' a few minutes of spinal breathing with the I Am mantra, and then deeply meditate after that.

This has brought me the most peace, happiness and relaxation that I have had for a long time - and it doesn't attract the manifestations as much that happen when I work on the front of the body - which I don't do any more.

I may be mistaken, but your recommendation that the front channel should be cleared before starting on the kundalini up the spine may lead to problems such as I've had.  Having experienced it both ways I would only recommend AYP method.  Blockages will clear in the spinal breathing and also clear from the deep subconscious with deep meditation - so there is no need to worry about what is blocked on front meridians etc.

I may be wrong, I haven't studied as you and Yogani have, all I know is what I've exprienced and how it has affected my clearing and life.

I don't post often as I find it's better to keep away from spiritual issues and immerse myself in third dimensional life It's just sometimes I'll read the posts and will come across information that I find may be beneficial - so your post on dilating the throat and sending energy down the throat was timely as I had been expriencing the symptoms you describe, lower jaw pain, thyroid dysfunction, night sweats etc.

It was because of your knowledge of sending the energy down that I thought you may have further information on channels in the legs and chakras in the feet - problems I have most of all in keeping the energy settled and I think it may be a common problem some kundalini people experience as 'restless leg syndrome' tho this could be a vitamin deficiency as well.

I hope this hasn't sounded too complex...heh...it maybe my style of writing that is making it sound complicated - I mainly try to keep everything in the KISS method but sometimes kundalini can really fog the mind...

BTW if I don't reply for awhile it's because I needed to withdraw from the forum - if I stay here too long discussing spiritual matters and kundalini it just fires everythng up...I'll catch up again when I feel stable.

Amaargi

[yogani]

quote:Originally posted by Amaargi

 Example:  A fear of the landlord surfaced and within 2 weeks I was evicted.  A belief in lack of money and 'life is hard' cleared and circumstances arose where my bank account was emptied and I lost my job.

This is why people who meditate and affirm positive events for themselves believe they can attract prosperity, new cars, loving relationships etc don't realise that negative thought patterns will also manifest as well.  And what many don't realise that buried deep deep in the subconscious is many negative thought patterns instilled from childhood, religious teachings, broken relationships etc.

Hi Amaargi:

Good to see you again.

You might consider adding a light routine of samyama right after deep meditation, as this gradually moves the cause and effect of our desires and fears beyond the karmic mechanisms in the subconscious mind. The effect will shift to be coming from within our inner silence instead. Then those negative subconscious backlashes will become much less. It will not happen overnight, but it will happen gradually as we practice samyama as part of our balanced daily routine.

By "light routine" I mean one repetition of the sutras in lesson 150. If that goes well after a few months, then you might consider going to two repetitions. Later on, you may also consider adding cosmic samyama (from the AYP Samyama book) while lying down for rest after core samyama practice. Between these two samyama routines, negative subconscious mechanisms can be neutralized in an accelerated fashion, and we will no longer be subject to negative backlashes from our own thoughts. More than that -- we find ourselves becoming an ever-expanding channel of divine love and positive influence radiating from inner silence wherever we go. Abiding inner silence is the prerequisite for all this, so daily deep meditation continues to be the core practice.

And, of course, if there is any difficulty with samyama or any other practice, we self-pace accordingly. Any changes in our practice routine we do in baby steps, allowing plenty of time for the effects to become known before adding anything else new.

Wishing you all the best!

The guru is in you.

[Amaargi]

Hi Yogani,

quote:Originally posted by yogani
Hi Amaargi:

Good to see you again.

You might consider adding a light routine of samyama right after deep meditation, as this gradually moves the cause and effect of our desires and fears beyond the karmic mechanisms in the subconscious mind. The effect will shift to be coming from within our inner silence instead. Then those negative subconscious backlashes will become much less. It will not happen overnight, but it will happen gradually as we practice samyama as part of our balanced daily routine.

By "light routine" I mean one repetition of the sutras in lesson 150.

I don't know if it's karma, destiny, my blinkers or just my dumbness that stops me from seeing the obvious

I re-read lesson 150 as you suggested and had one of those gobsmacked moments when I realised the answer was there in front of me all the time.  I have also bought your AYP book and have read it through so many times and yet didn't see the information about manifesting from our deepest subconscious....duh!

I've realised I have started my own Samyama in a form when I said I sit with a light mind - I sit focusing on peace, joy, abundance, health etc with the feelings that are associated with it.  Now with your information I can refine it and put it into practice correctly.

I tend to write a bit with the smilies and some lightheartedness but this has become a serious issue for me.  In the last 18 months I have been 'moved on' from residence to residence six times.  This included a stint in hospital totally run down and various times on family and friends sofa's and temporarily in a spare bedroom when I could.

As for money and hardship...well...I'm not going to even bother describing that one.

It really has shown me the workings of a what I call the 'mechanical Universe' it's very automatic and precise - we just need to get it working in our favour - thats the secret

Thanks again for heading me in the right direction....

"when the student is ready......."  

Namaste

Amaargi

[Jim and His Karma]

Well, after a series of opening experiences over the past year that made me feel I'd finally grounded, but which merely improved rather than eliminated my symptoms, I can finally definitively say that I'm fully GROUNDED.

It's hard with any yogic opening to say whether you've opened "all the way".  There's "open" and there's "really open"! A thoroughly blocked pipe might seem quite dramatically open if you make a mere pinhole in the gunk. It's all relative!

Finally, it feels like there's a clear, open pipe going down from ajna to mulha to match the previously cleared upward channel (and, as with the upward direction, there's often a feeling of no distance at all...that ajna IS mulha). Up and down pranayama are precisely balanced. My abdomen and digestive system feel truly a part of my body for the first time ever...like I "own" them. I no longer feel my attention directed to my back and spine, as if that's where all the divine stuff's going on.

And.......my rather gristly kundalini rash/eczema has vanished. Packed up and went home. I can pretty much bathe in full-out kundalini waves during samyama without ill effect. And I look a little different. And I'm experiencing very different reactions from people (see here: http://www.aypsite.com/plus-forum/index.php?topic=3483 ). And I'm starting to lose the 15 pounds which no amount of diet and exercise could reduce.

I have to confess that it's not been entirely pleasant. The areas in which we're closed are closed because we are, with all our might, recoiling against opening. As with all our stress, it's all self-inflicted, however we may feel a victim of circumstance! You've heard the phrase "rubbed the wrong way"? Well, this is definitely that. I closed down in these places because, for whatever reason, I didn't WANT consciousness there. So it's a little jarring to have the shades raised and light suddenly pouring in (like an over-exuberant friend boisterously trying to get me out of bed when I'm still really sleepy!). Plus, there's danger of a whiplash effec. I must open myself even to my own innate aversion, because if I recoil from my body's recoiling, I'll have created new blocks! But it's not torture...not painful, just a little creepy (again, "rubbed the wrong way" is the phrase that comes to mind). There are definitely some temporary purification symptoms, but it's a small price to pay.

Again, here's what worked (to review the advice I've given in this thread): deconstricting the throat, taking chinese herbs (months of them), lower abdomen ("Dan-Tian") breathing (not as a serious/formal "practice", but just something I would do sporadically throughout the day) plus lots of engagement with the world plus physical exercise. None of that's real "spiritual". Hey, that's why we call it GROUNDING![)]

Also: when I got good and natural at lower abdomen breathing, I switched to Huiyin Breathing (mulha/root breathing) which completed the circuit. For very good info on that one, see the "Taking Dan-Tian Breathing a Step Further" chapter in this PDF: http://www.wishus.org/newsletter/072006.pdf . If I feel energy pooling in the head - or anywhere else, I do a couple lower abdomen or huiyin breaths, and it all flows luxuriously. Great tool to have handy.

A few times yesterday, I did a really profound exhalation and felt all the power of the universe gracefully flow down the front of my body, cleanly and smoothly to mulha. My reaction was "What the HELL was that?" because it was so unfamiliar...sort of like noticing that you're reaching for an object with a limb you didn't know you had! I'd felt that sort of power moving up my spine for years. Such was my block that I couldn't even imagine such flow happening down the front. I'm not sure I even HAD a front (sort of how, a few years ago upon kundalini opening, I'd have said that I previously didn't have a back).