Kundalini (Sanskrit: कुण्डलिनी kuṇḍalinī, 
pronunciation (help·info), “coiled one”), in the concept of Dharma refers to a form of primal energy (or shakti) said to be located at the base of the spine. Different spiritual traditions teach methods of awakening the kundalini for the purpose of reaching spiritual enlightenment and a range of supernormal powers.[1] Writer Joseph Campbell describes the concept of Kundalini as “the figure of a coiled female serpent—a serpent goddess not of “gross” but “subtle” substance—which is to be thought of as residing in a torpid, slumbering state in a subtle center, the first of the seven, near the base of the spine: the aim of the yoga then being to rouse this serpent, lift her head, and bring her up a subtle nerve or channel of the spine to the so-called “thousand-petaled lotus” (Sahasrara) at the crown of the head…She, rising from the lowest to the highest lotus center will pass through and wake the five between, and with each waking, the psychology and personality of the practitioner will be altogether and fundamentally transformed.”[2]
Kundalini awakening is said to arise from deep meditation, and consequently result in enlightenment and bliss.[3] However, as each individual is unique, Kundalini awakenings can happen through a variety of methods not limited to deep meditation. This awakening involves the Kundalini physically moving up the central channel to reach within the Sahasrara Chakra at the top of the head. Many systems of yoga focus on awakening Kundalini through meditation, pranayama breathing, the practice of asana and chanting of mantras.[3] In physical terms, the Kundalini experience is frequently reported to be a feeling of electric current running along the spine.[4][5][6]
Etymology
The word Kundalini derived from Tamil words Kundal (Kundi= Bowl = Rectum) + Inimai (Wellbeing, Happiness, Pleasure) > Kundalinimai > Kundalini which means Pleasure out of Bowl.[citation needed] The concept of Kundalini is mentioned in the Upanishads (9th century BCE – 3rd century BCE).[7][verification needed] The Sanskrit adjective kuṇḍalin means “circular, annular”. It is mentioned as a noun for “snake” (in the sense “coiled”, as in “forming ringlets”) in the 12th-century Rajataranginichronicle (I.2). Kuṇḍa (a noun meaning “bowl, water-pot” is found as the name of a Naga in Mahabharata 1.4828). The 8th-century Tantrasadbhava Tantra uses the term kundalī (“ring, bracelet; coil (of a rope)”).[8]:230[clarification needed]
The use of kuṇḍalī as a name for Goddess Durga (a form of Shakti) appears often in Tantrism and Shaktism from as early as the 11th century in the Śaradatilaka.[9] It was adopted as a technical term in Hatha yoga during the 15th century, and became widely used in the Yoga Upanishads by the 16th century. Eknath Easwaran has paraphrased the term as “the coiled power”, a force which ordinarily rests at the base of the spine, described as being “coiled there like a serpent”.[10] The phrase serpent power was coined by Sir John Woodroffe, who published his translation of two 16th-century treatises on laya yoga (Kundalini yoga) in 1919 under this title.[citation needed]
Descriptions
Numerous accounts describe the experience of Kundalini awakening. When awakened, Kundalini is said to rise up from the muladhara chakra, through the central nadi (called sushumna) inside or alongside the spine reaching the top of the head. The progress of Kundalini through the different chakras leads to different levels of awakening and a mystical experience, until Kundalini finally reaches the top of the head, Sahasrara or crown chakra, producing an extremely profound transformation of consciousness.[4]:5–6 Energy is said to accumulate in the muladhara, and the yogi seeks to send it up to the brain transforming it into ‘Ojas’, the highest form of energy.
Physical effects are believed to be a sign of Kundalini awakening by some,[11][unreliable source] but described as unwanted side effects pointing to a problem rather than progress by others.[12] The following are either common signs of an awakened Kundalini or symptoms of a problem associated with an awakening Kundalini (commonly referred to as Kundalini syndrome):
- Involuntary jerks, tremors, shaking, itching, tingling, and crawling sensations, especially in the arms and legs
- Energy rushes or feelings of electricity circulating the body
- Intense heat (sweating) or cold, especially as energy is experienced passing through the chakras
- Spontaneous pranayama, asanas, mudras and bandhas
- Visions or sounds at times associated with a particular chakra
- Diminished or conversely extreme sexual desire sometimes leading to a state of constant or whole-body orgasm
- Emotional upheavals or surfacing of unwanted and repressed feelings or thoughts with certain repressed emotions becoming dominant in the conscious mind for short or long periods of time.[13]
- Headache, migraine, or pressure inside the skull
- Increased blood pressure and irregular heartbeat
- Emotional numbness
- Antisocial tendencies
- Mood swings with periods of depression or mania
- Pains in different areas of the body, especially back and neck
- Sensitivity to light, sound, and touch
- Trance-like and altered states of consciousness
- Disrupted sleep pattern (periods of insomnia or oversleeping)
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Bliss, feelings of infinite love and universal connectivity, transcendent awareness
Reports about the Sahaja Yoga technique of Kundalini awakening state that the practice can result in a cool breeze felt on the fingertips as well as the fontanel bone area.[14][15] One study has measured a drop in temperature on the palms of the hands.[11]
In his article on Kundalini in the Yoga Journal, David Eastman narrates two personal experiences. One man said that he felt an activity at the base of his spine starting to flow, so he relaxed and allowed it to happen. A feeling of surging energy began traveling up his back. At each chakra, he felt an orgasmic electric feeling like every nerve trunk on his spine beginning to fire. A second man describes a similar experience but accompanied by a wave of euphoria and happiness softly permeating his being. He described the surging energy as being like electricity but hot, traveling from the base of his spine to the top of his head. He said the more he analyzed the experience, the less it occurred.[13]
In his book Building a Noble World, Shiv R. Jhawar describes his Kundalini awakening experience at Muktananda’s public program at Lake Point Tower in Chicago on September 16, 1974, as follows:
“Baba [Swami Muktananda] had just begun delivering his discourse with his opening statement: ‘Today’s subject is meditation. The crux of the question is: What do we meditate upon?’ Continuing his talk, Baba said: ‘Kundalini starts dancing when one repeats Om Namah Shivaya.’ Hearing this, I mentally repeated the mantra. I noticed that my breathing was getting heavier. Suddenly, I felt a great impact of a rising force within me. The intensity of this rising kundalini force was so tremendous that my body lifted up a little and fell flat into the aisle; my eyeglasses flew off. As I lay there with my eyes closed, I could see a continuous fountain of dazzling white lights erupting within me. In brilliance, these lights were brighter than the sun but possessed no heat at all. I was experiencing the thought-free state of “I am,” realizing that “I” have always been, and will continue to be, eternal. I was fully conscious and completely aware while I was experiencing the pure “I am,” a state of supreme bliss. Outwardly, at that precise moment, Baba delightfully shouted from his platform…mene kuch nahi kiya; kisiko shakti ne pakda (I didn’t do anything. The Energy has caught someone.)’ Baba noticed that the dramatic awakening of kundalini in me frightened some people in the audience. Therefore, he said, ‘Do not be frightened. Sometimes kundalini gets awakened in this way, depending upon a person’s type.’[16]
More at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini