Kundalini Meditation Stages | Awakening | Symptoms Or Side Effects

Updated On: 1-May-2022

The word "Kundalini" means coiled and "Shakti" means energy. Ancient sages described Kundalini with the serpent. Kundalini yoga is an authentic spiritual practice that has been practiced for 2000 years or more. In ancient India, sages used to practice Kundalini yoga to discover the divinity within themselves.

All the techniques are recorded in Sanskrit scriptures called Upanishads. 20 Upanishads are there for the practice of Kundalini yoga. The translations are there in different languages. But you need to take an authentic book because there can be the possibility of miss interpretation.

Kundalini used to be secret before. It needed some qualification before. This serpent energy can be woken upward from your base chakra to the top by certain yoga postures, breathing, and mantra. Once chakras are opened, the energy moves upward and will be in ecstasy. Kundalini merges with pure consciousness, as a result the person will be enlightened.

What is serpent energy?
Where did this teaching first originate?


Many kinds of yogic practices can gain you enlightenment:

  1. Karma yoga - [Selfless service] - "Karma" comes from Sanskrit "To do". If you perform any action willfully and awareness is involved, then it is karma. Like to know more, check out this link below
    What Is Karma Yoga ?
  2. Raja Yoga - [Meditation] - An eight stage yoga techniques leading to self-realization.
  3. Bhakati Yoga- [Devotion] - A spiritual path where a devotee surrenders themselves completely to the deity (example: Shiva, Krishna, Ganesha etc..)
  4. Hatha yoga - [Posture and breathing] - It's a branch of yoga where one is involved with mind, body, breathing technique.

Kundalini yoga can be taken as visiting a pilgrimage. Each chakra can be related to one destination. For example, Sahasrara chakra to the Himalayas, heart chakra to Ganga like that. You need to start from your base chakra to Sahasrara chakra in correct order, worshiping each destination. You can refer to the image of the chakra for more details.

The energy flows through the Nadis. Often people think that Nadis are the veins or the nervous system, but it's not. They are non-tangible. For example, you can weigh your heart, but not your mind because it's not tangible. Similar way "Prana" which flow through the nadi is also not tangible.

Major Nadis in our body are listed below:
  1. Sushumana - nadi runs through center
  2. Ida - nadi runs through left
  3. Pingula - nadi runs through right
There are a total, 72000 nadis in human body. Sushumana nadi links all 7 chakras. The chakra is represented by lotus.


  1. Mooladhara (Root chakra) - It is represented by 4 petals of lotus.
    Sound to activate the Root chakra - LAM

    Kundalini Yoga

    Yoga poses to open the Root chakra

    1. Chair Pose
    2. Thunderbolt Pose
    3. Garland Pose
    4. Mountain Pose
    5. Staff Pose
    6. Bridge Pose
    7. Warrior II Pose

  2. Svadhisthana Chakra (sacral) - It is represented by 6 petals of lotus.
    Sound to activate the Sacral chakra - VAM

    Kundalini Yoga

    Yoga poses to open the Sacral chakra

    1. Triangle Pose
    2. Forward Bend
    3. Goddess Pose
    4. Crescent Pose
    5. Bound Angle Pose
    6. Seated Forward Bend
    7. Reclined Thunderbolt

  3. Manipura Chakra (Solar plexis chakra) - It is represented by 10 petals of lotus.
    Sound to activate the Solar chakra - RAM

    Kundalini Yoga

    Yoga poses to open the Solar Plexis chakra

    1. Crescent Pose
    2. Knees-to-Chest
    3. Downward Dog
    4. Triangle Pose
    5. Bow Pose
    6. Boat Pose
    7. Plank Pose

  4. Anahata Chakra (Heart) - It is represented by 12 petals of lotus.
    Sound to activate the Heart chakra - YAM

    Kundalini Yoga

    Yoga poses to open the Heart chakra

    1. Standing Backbend
    2. Lord of The Dance
    3. Half Lord of The Fishes
    4. Cobra Pose
    5. Camel Pose
    6. Bow Pose
    7. Wheel Pose

  5. Vishuddha Chakra (Throat) - It is represented by 16 petals of lotus.
    Sound to activate the Throat chakra - HUM

    Kundalini Yoga

    Yoga poses to open the Throat chakra

    1. Shoulder Stand
    2. Lion Pose
    3. Bridge Pose
    4. Plow Pose
    5. Cat Pose
    6. Cow Pose
    7. Fish Pose

  6. Ajna Chakra (Brow) - It is represented by 2 petals of lotus. Ajna chakra mainly deals with Intuition, psychic ability. This chakra is located between the eyebrow. When you concentrate on this location, you will feel the sensation. This sensation can be felt easily with some amount of practice. Compared to other chakras, this is the easiest one to feel. The color of this chakra is Indigo.
    Sound to activate the Third eye chakra - AUM

    Kundalini Yoga

    Yoga poses to open the Third Eye chakra

    1. Thunderbolt Pose
    2. Forward Bend
    3. Downward Dog
    4. Lotus Pose
    5. Cow Face Pose
    6. Head-to-Knee Pose
    7. Extended Child's Pose

  7. Sahasrara Chakra (Crown) - It is represented by 1000 petals of lotus. Sahasrara chakra mainly deals with Consciousness, spirituality. This chakra is location just 1 inch above the head. When you try to concentrate on the top, you will feel a tingling sensation. The color of this chakra is Violet or purple.
    Sound to activate the Crown chakra - OM

    Kundalini Yoga

    Yoga poses to open the Crown chakra

    1. Headstand
    2. Tree Pose
    3. Lotus Pose
    4. Forearm Stand
    5. Backbend
    6. Rabbit Pose
    7. Corpse Pose

All the petals are faced upwards. Lotus is a symbol of purity.

Do chakra and nadis really exists in our body ?

Nadis are mentioned in all Upanishads, and the chakra is mentioned in 20 Upanishads. Nadi directs the flow of prana. Chakra serves different purpose. Many practitioners believe that chakra really exist in our body, and it really helps them to focus on that point well. The main purpose of the chakra is to focus on the point.

It doesn't matter if chakra really exist or not, but by focusing on that point and chanting the bija mantra, miracles can happen. Now the scientists have developed some machine to check the chakra is balanced or not in our body. I hope a day will come when science can explain these concepts and no one is skeptic about these subjects.

If Kundalini shakti is sleeping at the base of your chakra, then how to awaken it ?

The Upanishads says: Kundalini can be awakened by agitating it, like hitting the snake with a stick. To awaken Kundalini there are a variety of asanas (postures), pranayama, bhandas. If you are more into the religious teachings and all, you may be thinking of shakthipath. It's fascinating that nowhere in Upanishads shakthipath is described.

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Quote Of The Day
"Awakening of the kundalini is putting an end to attracting the wrong things in our lives. It begins by feeling and experiencing the completeness and fulfillment within us."
- Om Swami

Can Kundalini yoga get you to enlightenment?

No, Kundalini yoga is one of the step to reach enlightenment. Primary stuff is spiritual knowledge. Learning some spiritual information from internet or some source will not be helpful. Unless you really experience the truth yourselves, there is no use of any knowledge that you gain.

Simple alternative ways to activate Kundalini

  1. Create enough energy by celibacy
  2. Draw the energy upwards through Kundalini visualization by Pranayama
  3. Concentration on Ajna chakra (3rd eye chakra) and practicing Shambhavi and Brahmari
  4. Use of Kundalini chakra moola mantra

Benefits of activating Kundalini

  1. Increased sense of awareness
  2. Taking right decisions
  3. Calmness and peace
  4. Inspired
  5. Stress relief
  6. Increased compassion
  7. Increased brain function

Signs of Kundalini awakening

Experiencing a Kundalini awakening is something which I cannot tell you with my words. It's something different experience which each one need to experience. For example, the color of sky is blue. Can you explain the color to a blind person ? Certainly not. I guess you got my point.