The 3 Kundalini Awakening Stages You Will Go Through
When I began learning about kundalini energy, my Mentor started by explaining the various kundalini awakening stages. He wanted me to understand that it’s not going to happen overnight so that I was prepared for the long spiritual journey. If you are in the same spot right now, then I will do my best to impart all that I have learned from my Mentor and my experiences as well.
Before I begin, here’s a word of caution — various gurus classify kundalini awakening stages differently, but the differences are minor. I choose to classify the kundalini awakening process into three different stages — ‘Arambha’ or commencement of introspection, ‘Ghata’ or the cleansing stage, and the third-eye awakening stage.
Out of the three stages, the third-eye awakening stage requires the highest amount of practice and dedication. Once you are through with it, things begin to happen on their own, without you having to do much. If you are wondering what each of these kundalini awakening stages means, or what you go through when you experience them, then I completely understand your curiosity. So, I decided to share everything that I have figured out about kundalini awakening stages.
Before we elaborately discuss each of these three kundalini awakening stages, it is important to understand the difference between ‘Chakras’ or the energy wheels and ‘Granthis’ or the nodes. This is the key to understanding the three kundalini awakening stages.
What are Chakras and Chakra Blockages?
Chakras are the energy hubs within the body, and can be broadly classified into seven — root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakra. Each of these chakras is envisioned as a fast spinning wheel that emanates a particular color. So, you would have to meditate upon each of them and envisage them with the corresponding color.
The root chakra is denoted by red color, sacral by orange, solar plexus by yellow, heart chakra is represented by green, the throat chakra is denoted by blue, and finally, the crown chakra is symbolized by violet. Each of these chakras regulate a certain characteristic, and for its progress and development, it is essential to clear blockages from that particular chakra.
By clearing these blockages, you not only enable the free flow of energy but also solve many of your physiological and psychological problems. Every blocked chakra causes certain mental or physical problems, which are discussed below.
Root Chakra Blockage
Blockage of the root chakra can cause constipation, anemia, issues connected to legs and the skeletal system, eating disorders. So, if you are experiencing any of these health issues, then it’s quite obvious that you would have to work harder on your root chakra. As a matter of fact, this chakra is the root of all creation and fosters the Individual’s ability to survive.
Sacral Chakra Blockage
The sacral chakra is indicative of pleasure and the most common blockage is guilt. Unless you cleanse this chakra, you may experience difficulties in procreation, lack of sexual pleasure, addictions, and more.
Solar Plexus Chakra
The solar plexus chakra symbolizes an Individual’s willpower and its blockage may cause a lack of self-esteem. Also, it is possible that you experience conditions such as hypertension, digestive issues, and skin conditions due to a blocked solar plexus chakra.
Heart Chakra
As the name implies, the heart chakra represents love and compassion. When the heart chakra is blocked, the individual begins to feel despondent, hopeless and abandoned. Also, one may feel lonely and may find it hard to trust others. All of this has a direct impact on the individual’s personal relationship with others.
Throat Chakra
An individual’s righteousness and truthfulness are symbolized by the throat chakra, which could be marred due to habitual lies and bluffing. Blockage in this chakra could make the individual feel victimized and may also cause communication issues.
Third Eye Chakra
This chakra represents knowledge, which can be blocked due to worldly illusions. This may cause daydreaming, inability to concentrate, sleep irregularities, hearing problems, sinus, and migraines.
Crown Chakra
Finally, we come to the crown chakra, which helps establish a direct connection with the cosmic energy. Any blockage in this chakra may show up in the form of hypersensitivity to external elements, close-mindedness, learning problems, and the inability to forgive and let go.
What are Granthis or knots?
There are three ‘Granthis’, also referred to as ‘knots’ or ‘nodes’, which are present in the human body. Depending on their location, the practitioner would be required to untie them chronologically, in order to facilitate the free movement of energies. The untying process takes place throughout the different kundalini awakening stages.
The first ‘Granthi’ or knot is the Brahma knot, which is located between the root and the sacral chakras. You need to untie this one in order to transmit the kundalini energy from the root chakra to the sacral chakra. The second knot is the Vishnu knot, which lies between the Solar Plexus and the Heart Chakras, and finally, the Rudra Granthi or knot which is present between the heart and the third-eye chakras.
Now that you know about ‘Chakras’ and ‘Granthis’, let us move further and discuss each of the three kundalini awakening stages.
Kundali Awakening Stage 1 – Arambha or the Beginning
During this kundalini awakening stage, you lay the cornerstone for the awakening process, by releasing the energy that lies dormant at the base of your spine. In this stage, you cleanse the root chakra and untie the Brahma Granthi or the ‘root knot’, which is a node located between the root chakra and the sacral chakra.
The root knot must not be confused with the root chakra, as the two are entirely different. While ‘Chakras’ are energy wheels, ‘Granthis’ are knots or nodes that need to be fixed for the kundalini to flow freely. This is only possible by performing the corresponding ‘kriyas’ or exercises, meditation and chants for each of the chakras.
Although some folks choose to use crystals and gems to help them through the process, those are optional. Your main focus should be on the yogic exercises and chants, which cause your body’s energy to vibrate at a certain frequency. Once you have managed to cross this kundalini awakening stage, then its time to move to the next stage, which requires a lot of your time and dedication.
Kundalini Awakening Stage 2 – Ghata or the Cleansing Stage
The word ‘Ghata’ literally means elimination and that’s exactly what you need to do in this kundalini awakening stage. You need to eliminate everything that’s hindering the free flow of the kundalini energy through the Sushumna Nadi. The word ‘Nadi’ refers to the channels within the body, through which the energy flows.
These channels or pathways must not be confused with nerves. In a human body, there are about 72,000 Nadis or channels, out of which three are fundamental — Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The Sushumna Nadi is the central channel, through which the kundalini energy passes. This Nadi extends from the base of the spine and goes straight up to the crown chakra. You can imagine these channels to be somewhat like pipes or tubes that carry energy to the various parts of the body.
From this central pathway, there are two others that extend on the left and the right side — these are the Ida and Pingala Nadis. Finally, the three Nadis or pathways entwine at the third-eye chakra, which happens during the final stage. This is a rare occurrence because, by this time, most people lose patience and give up kundalini yoga.
In this kundalini awakening stage, you cleanse the sacral and the solar plexus chakras. With this, you eliminate emotional weaknesses and instability, which may hinder your spiritual progress. During this phase, you regain your composure and unlock your inner creativity. Once you do that, you approach the second knot, which is the Vishnu Grantha or the Vishnu knot.
Untying the Vishnu Knot
In the ‘Ghata’ or the elimination stage, one needs to untie the Vishnu Grantha or the Vishnu knot, which is situated between the heart chakra and the throat chakra. This knot is indicative of ego and power, which you must let go for the sake of spiritual progress. So, you need to let go of the attachment you may have towards your wealth and social status.
None of your worldly achievements can have any influence on your mindset anymore because you are in the process of merging yourself into the universe’s energies. So, as the fire of your kundalini energy rises up and unties the Vishnu knot, you begin to let go of your ego and power. This kundalini awakening stage helps you inculcate noble traits such as humility and modesty. By embracing these qualities and holding on to them, you can accelerate your overall spiritual progress.
Kundalini Awakening Stage 3 – The Third-eye awakening
The third-eye kundalini awakening stage is of great significance and requires the practitioner’s absolute focus. At this point, the practitioner is just one step away from attaining full consciousness. In this phase, there are a couple of things that you must do. Firstly, you must untie the third and final knot, which is the Rudra knot. This can be done by raising the kundalini energy through kundalini yoga exercises, meditation, and chants.
Untying the Rudra knot
The Rudra knot lies between the heart chakra and the third-eye chakra and is the final knot that you must untie. This knot is responsible for the feeling of duality, which hinders spiritual progress. So, the challenge here is to feel and become one with the universe and its creations. Easy as it may sound, it is the most difficult kundalini awakening stage for any practitioner to cross. Once you do this, the cosmic energy flows to the third-eye chakra and you sense a tingling feeling between your eyebrows.
Once the Rudra knot is untied, the kundalini energy rises to the third-eye chakra from all the three fundamental Nadis or energy channels — Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The second most important task is to conquer the feeling of duality and to feel one with the universe and its creations. You must do this before moving the kundalini to the crown chakra because doing that connects you to the universe.
This is when you enter a deep meditative state and may also experience heightened Extra Sensory Powers. At this point, the brain functions somewhere between the Alpha and the low beta frequencies. As the kundalini energy moves up from there into the Crown chakra, the brain functions at higher frequencies.
Finally, when the kundalini energy radiates into the universe, the brain functions at the theta frequency. This gradual transition helps you manage your kundalini energy in a more efficient manner, which is not the case when there is a spontaneous kundalini awakening. As a result, spontaneous kundalini awakening causes the body to jerk and shake.
Conclusion
Most traditional kundalini yoga teachers would agree with the chronology of the above-mentioned kundalini awakening stages. Nevertheless, some yoga teachers help speed up the kundalini awakening process by using fast-track techniques. This could be through touch or gaze — while some magnetize their hand and then touch the disciple’s root chakra, there are others who manage to raise the disciple’s kundalini energy through the mere gaze. Although these techniques help speed up the process, I have my own reservations against them.
In my opinion, such fast-track methods could cause complications. You first need to prepare your body to regulate active kundalini energy and then activate it. This process does require some serious time and effort. So, I personally recommend that you go through the systematic and methodical process of practicing kundalini yoga. This method may be slow and time-consuming, but the gradual transition through the various kundalini awakening stages makes it a pleasurable.
Thanks a lot for sharing these helpful information.
You are very welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful!
Really helpful explains a lot I have been going through but would like to know more and how long it takes for each stage and ways to support the process
Thanks for the feedback! I will make sure to include that in the next update of this post.
Hey, thanks so much for the information, question, today i started swaying side to side during my meditation, could this be the start of a kundalini awakening? Can you exoerience it in a different way? And does it hapoen on its own as ling as youre meditating daily?
Thank you. My kundalini energy has been flowing for almost two years and my third eye is very active. What practices should I do in order for the kundalini energy to move out into the universe?
Wow, i needed to see this soooo badly.
Back in 2012 I had been meditating very consistently and didn’t understand what kundalini was but knew of the chakras and one day after meditating outside i took a bath and meditated underwater. I start meditating on duality and after awhile I felt my kundalini shoot towards the base of my neck, when it did the most involuntary magnificent laugh erupted from me and i felt within myself I had to let go and not be afraid of death. I was at so much peace that i didn’t care, however, i had a little brother pass away from drowning and my ego started focusing on that, wanting to find some way of gaining control of this totally new supernatural experience, and i am ashamed to say that i let it get the best of me and i came back from mediation and got out of the tub.
it’s been 8 years since then.. still that was the most magnificent sensation i have ever felt. I have been trying to get back to that place of crossing over, and I felt like i messed up my only chance to connect with the all.
I never knew about the 3 knots, and when I go back and process what happened i believe my kundalini didn’t go past the Rudra knot. Cause i felt the surge stop right around the top of my neck.
This post has been really eye opening cause i really didn’t know how to navigate these waters and have felt such a deep desire to have another opportunity at connecting with the Universe.
don’t want to go another 8 years operating at a lower frequency not fully conscious of everything happening around and within me.
I’ve been trying to find help but no on in my circle of friends believes or had an experience similar to where they can guide me or offer any advice.
if you have any I would love to hear.
Did it take you multiple attempts at rising your Kundalini or did it happen after you did all the inner work?
I just want to know that there is still a possibility to cross over.
You have no idea what you are talking about. You are simply copying what you read in books.Unless you experience the Kundalini Fire and see and make love to the Mother Goddess inside of you, and She in turn blesses you with the fountain of nectar, you have NOT raised the Kundalini energy. Check out Swami Purnananda’s Sat Chakra Nirupana within the translation of Sir John Woodroffe’s The Serpent Power.
Tough but fair. Thanks for sharing that resource with us.
Hello, can you please contact me urgently? You just shocked me, I don’t remember experiencing the fire but I did clearly experiencing making love to the mother goddess and she did blessed me with the fountain of nectar. I never heard all this, but did experienced this extraordinary experience that goes beyond my understanding, can you please help me understand why it happened to me and why since that… I still feel suffering, since I experienced this approx 3 years ago, I want to experience that divine love again but don’t know how and why….
What negative energy you have, completely unnecessary style of communication. Whether you are right or wrong, you do a disservice to others on this journey by your uncaring approach. Please dial up your nice side and share your thoughts in a way that is helpful.
thank you, this is really helpful as I am on my own unexpected kundalini awakening journey.
Glad to be of some help, Lynne. I’m thinking of starting a Facebook Group for people going through this.
Please do….
I had a Kundalini awakening 20 years Would be great to have an actual meetup group else FB would be better than nothing
What is the name of the Facebook group you have started? I would love some help navigating this journey
Hi Lynne,
You are certainly not alone there. With the current Global Ascension, kundalini awakenings are happening to the masses. It’s sooo exciting! Happy Global Ascension! Sending you Infinite Love and Rainbow Light 💖 🌈 XXX
Harry, Thank you for sharing in your voice, it is very helpful. As someone who experienced a spontaneous kundalini during meditation just over a year ago, I can say it happened very much as you described. I had been doing a bit of shadow work, meditation, chakra music, and cannabis, which had the effect of clearing my chakras without me realizing where it was taking me.
One morning I had an inner voice tell me to go to the driving range and on the way was guided to pick up a heavy indica at the local dispensary, followed by a meditation in the woods, with some instrumental music. (It may sound strange to some but I do my “yoga” at the driving range by effectively combining body awareness, balance, and mindfulness).
Stung the meditation I felt three successive popping sensations followed by a magnificent light above my crown chakra and began receiving downloads. As someone who isn’t particularly spiritual, I had no idea what had happened but spent the next few days in complete joy and Oneness and it has changed my life forever. I’ve spent the last year deep in books, videos and classes trying to learn more so that I can be of service to others.
Frank, appreciate the resource but I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you not to be so dismissive of others who may find Kundalini through different means. I, for one, have experienced it and have not made love to anyone other than my wife for the past 25 years.
Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you’re awakening experience was joyful.
I have used cannabis for 20 years now. I recently stopped but that’s another story. I am an advocate of cannabis and I think it has many good recreational, medical, and spiritual uses.
However, spiritual use can get tricky for people, especially if combined with deliberate kundalini awakening practices. I have heard of so many people who have had “kundalini syndrome”
or suffered other negative effects when combining drugs with kundalini awakening. I just wanted to put that out there for anyone who may read this in the future. I’m glad your awakening didn’t
end up that way though.
What part of the post did you find dismissive? I don’t know what you’re referring to with the making love comment but I am super curious.
Sat Nam!
Thank you,
What is the difference between kundalini Awakening and Connecting to the Universe? Please clarify.
Please explain how to connect to the universe.
To me, it is the same. Check out this video if you want to learn more about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSLq04QI9UY
I watched it last night and I thought it was pretty amazing!
Hi Harry. I feel this is all beyond my station. How do I determine what my current status happens to be. I’m thinking, we all can’t be completey blocked up from birth, we must have carried something forward from our past lives. If my miss understanding is true (ie you have carried some spiritual progress with you from you past life), then in the short life that we have can we not identify what that level is and move forward from there as appose to starting from the activating the Root Chakra
Hello,
I just read this article and am looking for some guidance about the Kundalini Awakening. I do not know if this is what I am experiencing; however, A healer shared that my symptoms are directly related. Short version, when I meditate, my body begins heating up from the bottom of my feet and travels up through my body, causing intense heat in my spine and fire in my hands. I also experience my hands and arms raising from the bed all on their own. I then experience tremors throughout my body, and feelings of intense energy jolting through me.
When it passes, and my meditation is complete, I become thirsty and if I get up too quickly, my balance feels off and I am dizzy and I feel like I am tipping over.
I am not sure where to find the correct answers and have read that all experiences are different. At this point, I am just lost and not sure where to turn for answers.
Hello, I enjoyed reading your article, it was interesting, I’d not heard about the knots before. My kundalini started rising 23 years ago. It was out of the blue, I’d never meditated and wasn’t particularly interested in spirituality. It feels like it’s in my head now but it hasn’t gone through my crown yet. To be honest it has been very difficult, and lonely, I have nobody to advise me, and have had much depression and anxiety. I’ve done a lot of work on myself to try to help with the pain (mental/emotional) but nothing really works. Any advice gratefully accepted. Sending love 💕
Hi, just read this article and wondered if you might be able to give some words of advice. I’ll spare all the details and get straight to the point. After having a pretty tumultuous K activation over 10 years ago I have had great difficulties trying to navigate the path. In the past 5 years I have had zero to very little libido, total erectile dysfunction. I have seen many doctors but no one can diagnose me with any ailments. Viagra and Other meds don’t even work. I have come to the conclusion that the energy might be stuck in my sacral Chakra. So you have any thoughts on that? If so, how can I get the energy moving and cleanse this chakra? Feed back would be much appreciated.
Best
Adrian
Some good advice here but honestly I had done none of these things and had a spontaneous kundalini awakening from root upwards 5 years ago. I had a lot of suffering so developed empathy early on for others. I learned the art of forgiveness and releasing trauma from my energetic body. Lived a life of service pursuing nothing of this world in the way of academic recognition, status or wealth. Married mother of 3, not celibate twice weekly although disciplined in conserving my sacred energy. I had intuitively cleansed my body, adopted an alkaline diet, was doing my own version of meditation (no chanting), grounding in Mother Earth and connecting to my soul above all which I believe kundalini has everything to do with. I was also connecting to my soul/higher self so in alignment with my personal truth. I know I have a blockage and I know why so working through that at the moment. As having come from a Western Christian background, I had no context for which I experienced. However after reading our sacred texts aka the Bible, I see now it was encoded in scripture. I also know some of the Bible was taken from previous texts. Kundalini awakening occurs in all traditions East/West and even for some who are not religious at all.
Wow! This was sooo helpful! Thank you for taking the time to do it right!