One Year of Kundalini Meditation in Spirituality

I practiced Kundalini meditation for all of 2021 and I am writing this post to share what I encountered on this path.

Timeframe: Jan-Dec 2021

Method: I followed the ‘elaborate method’ described in Swamiji’s Kundalini Meditation virtual retreat. I also followed the advice given in Swamiji’s book on Kundalini. In addition, I further incorporated practices from two other sources as and when the need arose

Practice: I spent 2 months on each chakra from the Muladhara(Root) to the Ajna(Third Eye). I wanted to cycle through all the chakras once to get a feel for them and to see what the practice would bring forth. My daily practice including the warm up took around 70-90 minutes. I missed many days due to laziness or circumstance or both. Overall, I spent around 300 days in 2021 with the daily practice. Further I used to alternate frequently between early morning/midnight sessions as per convenience.

Diet: I followed the diet suggested for the chakras very inconsistently.

Sequence: I spent 2 months on each chakra at the end of which I would move on to the next chakra. 2 months * 6 chakras= 12 months of 2021

Why this post now?:
Truth be told, I have not meditated at all since 2022 began. I am unable to move forward with my new practice. I feel this might be because I have not ‘closed the loop’ so to speak with my earlier practice. This is my attempt to do just that. Also, if this post is useful for even one reader, then my efforts would have been worthwhile.

My experiences with each of the six chakras are given below :

Muladhara (Root chakra):
This practice produced immense anger in me initially. As time went on, the anger disappeared and was replaced by a feeling of deep strength. I felt really strong physically and mentally. I felt high levels of energy throughout the day. There were some strong sensations at the Muladhara which motivated me to continue on with my practice.
Swadishthana( Sacral Chakra):
This practice truly stunned me in the impact it had. Lust fell away and was replaced by total creativity. I say total creativity because that’s exactly what it was. Creativity permeated all aspects of my daily living. My thoughts were more creative, my words were more creative. Even my actions and reactions became imbued with creativity. I was truly at my creative best.
Manipuraka(Navel Chakra):
This practice fixed a lot of physical issues for me. I had always faced issues with digestion and metabolism and this practice fixed it for me almost permanently. I used to feel high levels of body heat during the practice. I also had heightened intuition, increased mindfulness, fewer anxieties and a higher appetite.
Anahata( Heart Chakra):
I understood why this chakra is given so much importance. It transformed me irrevocably. I felt a level of gratitude and compassion that I had never experienced before. Bhakti rose in my heart and so did a feeling of motherliness. I would look at my parents and feel like they are my children. A feeling of motherly love started enveloping my daily life. I realized the sanctity of Life and the countless blessings the Universe has given me. This chakra made me realize what Gratitude really felt like. I realized that Life is an ever unfolding miracle.
Visuddhi (Throat Chakra):
The practice brought about a great detachment in me. I found it much more easier to let go. My levels of introspection, self-understanding and contemplation also increased. The more I contemplated, the more detached I became from the vagaries of life. I had practiced contemplation earlier but somehow the quality of contemplation was never as good as it was during this period. I had also struggled with issues of Phlegm all my life and this practice seemed to alleviate the problem for me.
Ajna (Third Eye Chakra):
I remember reading that the Ajna is the most excellent of all chakras. And I understood why. The practice made me realize that I literally live in my head. I am always rotating between the concepts I have in my head. As I live in this world, a big part of it is living through my conceptual understanding of it. I was a pessimistic person until this practice. Somehow, as my practice progressed, I realized the utter uselessness of negative thinking. My thoughts became more positive and hopeful and I also noticed heightened levels of stillness during my meditation and in my daily living. Now I wonder why I have spent the last decades of my life embroiled in negative thinking when it has done absolutely nothing beneficial for me. I understood myself at the level of my subconscious motivations and this led to a greater self acceptance and to a greater surrender