Pranotthana or Kundalini?

[SonOfTheGods]

AboveSky posted about this topic, here:

 

http://thetaobums.com/topic/30770-full-lotus-several-decades-kundalini/?p=459293

 

I researched it, and thought it would be an interesting solo thread.

 

Pranotthana or Kundalini? Swami Santaram Saraswati
Director Satyananda Ashram, Spain

Recently a large number of books and magazines have been published concerning investigations into the reality of kundalini. Unfortunately, much of what has been written shows only a very preliminary and partial knowledge of the actual awakening process. In many texts, the pranotthana or release of pranic force within the body has been confused with the actual awakening of kundalini. Pranotthana is the first thing that happens as the individual evolves, and it is this release of energy which triggers off the actual awakening of kundalini. Without pranotthana the kundalini is not awakened.

There are two ways in which pranotthana can take place. The first is by regular practice of asanas, pranayama, concentration and meditation techniques. Through these practices, the prana is gradually released in the body, starting the preliminary process of purification of organs, glands, nervous system, brain and nadis. The complete purification comes only with the kundalini awakening and rising to the brain.

The second way in which pranotthana occurs is by shaktipat, the awakening of energy effected by a guru. Shaktipat does not directly awaken kundalini, it only releases the prana of the disciple. However, it is this prana in movement that awakens the kundalini. The time it takes to do so depends on the mental and physical impurities of the disciple as well as on his attitude towards the guru who gave him shaktipat and towards this new process working in him.

Whether pranotthana occurs by individual efforts or by the activation of one's prana by a guru, the fact is that this is not kundalini awakening as many people are saying. The confusion perhaps came about because the process which pranotthana affects on the body and mind of the individual is somewhat similar in the beginning to that of kundalini awakening. Some books state that this energy - kundalini - awoke and rose up to the brain, either straight away or after a few times, in many individuals. Nevertheless, these people carried on with their normal lives, apart from an improvement in health and mental clarity. This shows that it was not the kundalini energy that rose to the brain, but the pranic force released by pranotthana. This force follows the same pathways as does kundalini energy. It starts in mooladhara and ascends the spine, purifying the chakras, partially but not completely, until it reaches the brain. This pranic force thus makes it easier for the kundalini purificatory process which will come about at a later time.

As the pranic force purifies, it creates automatic body movements, spontaneous asanas, pranayamas, visions of lights, etc. as it encounters inner physiological and psychological blockages. Once pranotthana has finished its initial work of purification, it normally stabilises itself for a time, before it starts dealing with the kundalini energy,. After a time, kundalini awakens. With the kundalini awakening, spontaneous movements, mudras, bandhas, pranayamas, generation of a lot of heat, psychic visions, etc. start occurring. But these are of a more intense and deeper nature than those caused by pranotthana. It is now that spontaneous natural meditation occurs and not before. It is now that real purification takes place, and the state of consciousness of the individual radically changes. A higher state of awareness automatically dawns on the individual, and his behaviour, relations with his environment, understanding of things, etc. changes completely. He definitely seems to be a different personality. Powerful changes occur in every field of his physiology and psychology. Automatically, the man starts becoming more subtle and spiritual, or on the other hand, starts behaving like a neurotic. If he still has many blockages - not having purified himself by the practice of asanas, pranayamas, mudras, bandhas, concentration, karma yoga, etc. - the awakening can cause temporary insanity. Such people may spend some time in the mental hospital. These extreme cases occur when inexperienced individuals try to awaken their kundalini energy through unscientific methods, without any preparation. However, when properly initiated and guided by an experienced guru, kundalini awakening is a spiritual rebirth for the aspirant.

However, everything does not end here. Awakening of kundalini in itself is not a difficult thing, what is important is the ascending of the energy through the sushumna passage, and this is not easy, truly it isn't. The awakening can be effected by any guru or by your own efforts in yoga, but what then? The ascent through sushumna is clogged with samskaras, physical and psychic impurities. These great barriers are the obstacles which the kundalini energy itself will have to pull down and burn. This process will affect the aspirant in many ways causing great physical transformation, psychic visions, e.s.p. experiences, strange illnesses, unconsciousness, etc. all this depending on the impurities he has on the different levels of his being. But these are only transitory things, which go away as they came, leaving a purified awareness.

Truly this is the energy of evolution, without which a man will remain ordinary, his latent faculties dormant. Once you have put your foot on this path, you will never want to go back.

 

http://www.yogamag.net/archives/1979/cmar79/prano.shtml

Edited July 31, 2013 by SonOfTheGods

[AboveSky]

I do not think most members here are familiar with pranotthana, or have ever even heard of it before. I am limited by my time to come use the internet, but I plan on making a detailed description and possible a blog about this topic if I have enough time. I see many posts here and other laces on the internet where people are mistaking these two all too often. I will help clear things up, just give me a little time.

 

Have a great week SOTG!

[SonOfTheGods]

I do not think most members here are familiar with pranotthana, or have ever even heard of it before. I am limited by my time to come use the internet, but I plan on making a detailed description and possible a blog about this topic if I have enough time. I see many posts here and other laces on the internet where people are mistaking these two all too often. I will help clear things up, just give me a little time.

 

Have a great week SOTG!

I am looking forward to this, and thank you.

[Uroboros]

Thank you for the interesting article, SonOfTheGods!

 

I have felt for awhile that most of what people think is a Kundalini awakening/ movement is not the real deal...mostly because of what happens during and after.

 

This article explains what many are experiencing and I have observed.

 

I enjoyed the read.

 

Peace

[Sahaj Nath]

Pranotthana. hmm...

 

in terms of my own personal experience, i think this concept of pranotthana can be applied to what most people experience during a Reiki attunement. it certainly fits what i experienced in the '90s via attunement to the first two levels of reiki. for some people who are ripe, and for those who find reiki teachers who are unusually strong, the final attunement, the master attunement, CAN trigger a full-on Kundalini awakening. but most often the process initiated is still this pranotthana.

 

nonetheless i think this helps me to dileniate between reiki and shaktipat.

 

had i known about kundalini back in the '90s, i would have sworn that my Master attunement awakened my kundalini. i would have been wrong, but the experience at the time was more profound than anything else i knew. when my kundalini was actually triggered, it hurt, scared me, and left me bed-ridden for a week. though the trigger was from a qigong master, my experience was NOTHING like the smoothe unfolding as guided by a true guru.

 

what troubles me about the article is that a number of times it talks about the kundalini 'awakening and rising to the brain,' as if both happen at the same time. they don't. yet the author insists on glossing over this point and muddies the waters in doing so.

 

also, i think it should also be acknowledged that not all shaktipat initiations are created equal. shaktipat has become so commonplace here now that its pollution and dilution is inevitable. i received shaktipat every week for a year from a man named Swami ********, and not once did it live up to my experience of reiki back in the '90s. yet, i received shaktipat from Mark Griffin, and it completely transformed my spiritual life after the very first initiation. so it needs to be stated that not all suposed shaktipat gurus are bringing the real juice.

 

i really like that the article mentions that the attitude of the student towards the guru has a significant effect on the transmission. i wish it had developed that point further to shed light on the power of devotion in the guru-disciple relationship, and the fact that approaching a guru with the attitude of a critic or a tourist will most often limit and obstruct the transmission process.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Hundun

[Mandrake]

Hundun, nice to see you around again!


M
 

Pranotthana. hmm...
 
in terms of my own personal experience, i think this concept of pranotthana can be applied to what most people experience during a Reiki attunement. it certainly fits what i experienced in the '90s via attunement to the first two levels of reiki. for some people who are ripe, and for those who find reiki teachers who are unusually strong, the final attunement, the master attunement, CAN trigger a full-on Kundalini awakening. but most often the process initiated is still this pranotthana.
 
nonetheless i think this helps me to dileniate between reiki and shaktipat.
 
had i known about kundalini back in the '90s, i would have sworn that my Master attunement awakened my kundalini. i would have been wrong, but the experience at the time was more profound than anything else i knew. when my kundalini was actually triggered, it hurt, scared me, and left me bed-ridden for a week. though the trigger was from a qigong master, my experience was NOTHING like the smoothe unfolding as guided by a true guru.
 
what troubles me about the article is that a number of times it talks about the kundalini 'awakening and rising to the brain,' as if both happen at the same time. they don't. yet the author insists on glossing over this point and muddies the waters in doing so.
 
also, i think it should also be acknowledged that not all shaktipat initiations are created equal. shaktipat has become so commonplace here now that its pollution and dilution is inevitable. i received shaktipat every week for a year from a man named Swami ********, and not once did it live up to my experience of reiki back in the '90s. yet, i received shaktipat from Mark Griffin, and it completely transformed my spiritual life after the very first initiation. so it needs to be stated that not all suposed shaktipat gurus are bringing the real juice.
 
i really like that the article mentions that the attitude of the student towards the guru has a significant effect on the transmission. i wish it had developed that point further to shed light on the power of devotion in the guru-disciple relationship, and the fact that approaching a guru with the attitude of a critic or a tourist will most often limit and obstruct the transmission process.

[SonOfTheGods]

Thank you for the interesting article, SonOfTheGods!

 

I have felt for awhile that most of what people think is a Kundalini awakening/ movement is not the real deal...mostly because of what happens during and after.

 

This article explains what many are experiencing and I have observed. 

 

I enjoyed the read. 

 

Peace

 

This was only posted, as a separate thread, because I thought it was important. Too many people think their Kundalini awoke, when it might be something else.

Depending on individual circumstances, that could either be a good, or bad, thing.

 

Pranotthana. hmm...

 

in terms of my own personal experience, i think this concept of pranotthana can be applied to what most people experience during a Reiki attunement. it certainly fits what i experienced in the '90s via attunement to the first two levels of reiki. for some people who are ripe, and for those who find reiki teachers who are unusually strong, the final attunement, the master attunement, CAN trigger a full-on Kundalini awakening. but most often the process initiated is still this pranotthana.

 

nonetheless i think this helps me to dileniate between reiki and shaktipat.

 

had i known about kundalini back in the '90s, i would have sworn that my Master attunement awakened my kundalini. i would have been wrong, but the experience at the time was more profound than anything else i knew. when my kundalini was actually triggered, it hurt, scared me, and left me bed-ridden for a week. though the trigger was from a qigong master, my experience was NOTHING like the smoothe unfolding as guided by a true guru.

 

what troubles me about the article is that a number of times it talks about the kundalini 'awakening and rising to the brain,' as if both happen at the same time. they don't. yet the author insists on glossing over this point and muddies the waters in doing so.

 

also, i think it should also be acknowledged that not all shaktipat initiations are created equal. shaktipat has become so commonplace here now that its pollution and dilution is inevitable. i received shaktipat every week for a year from a man named Swami ********, and not once did it live up to my experience of reiki back in the '90s. yet, i received shaktipat from Mark Griffin, and it completely transformed my spiritual life after the very first initiation. so it needs to be stated that not all suposed shaktipat gurus are bringing the real juice.

 

i really like that the article mentions that the attitude of the student towards the guru has a significant effect on the transmission. i wish it had developed that point further to shed light on the power of devotion in the guru-disciple relationship, and the fact that approaching a guru with the attitude of a critic or a tourist will most often limit and obstruct the transmission process.

[SonOfTheGods]

I do not think most members here are familiar with pranotthana, or have ever even heard of it before. I am limited by my time to come use the internet, but I plan on making a detailed description and possible a blog about this topic if I have enough time. I see many posts here and other laces on the internet where people are mistaking these two all too often. I will help clear things up, just give me a little time.

 

Have a great week SOTG!

never came back?

[RongzomFan]

Here is the thing.

 

Kundalini is from the tantric traditions.

 

Technically speaking, a Swami is not an authority.

[RongzomFan]

I don't think Swamis are an authority on anything, except bullshit.

[h.uriahr]

Interesting concept