Dance of Kundalini-1: Kundalini vs Time

These 2 reports on kundalini, particularly based on your own direct experiences, are a testament to your dedication and curiosity.  You approach this with the discipline of a research scientist.  Well done!

I'm happy you got some help from some old posts of mine.  That was a shocker to me because I never really understand kundalini and often felt intimidated by requirements of the practice.  Thus, such a contrast in attitude and discipline that makes such a difference in results and insights gained. And it also highlights the helpfulness of sharing. 

I like your statement: Prana leads the way.  The movement of energies and the variety of associated sensations is critical.  From my current Buddhist perspective, I would just note that while watching and tracking prana, one is anchored in the present moment.  That is essential in keeping the mind from proliferating on the past and speculating on the future. If we do that consistently, that is when we shift into higher dimensions and states of consciousness.  Prana leads the way but we have to be fully attentive to it.

And in your case, psychic sensitivity to assistance from the astral and being able to connect to and confidently take help from teachers and yogis in subtle dimensions seems to be really significant. 

I wish you great luck as you embark on your second year of practice. There is more to do!  Thanks for sharing your journey thus far.  

Thanks, Marcia for your wishes.

"Prana leads the way" is borrowed from Michael's books, not mine. But I am a testament to it too. 

Your question on why raise Kundalini when prana itself can clean the system? is a powerful one and you opened the door for the distinction. Michael's answer was "yes, the prana can clean but not all grades of pollutants, higher grade pollutant needs high grade energy like kundalini". These and other psychic events and your leg kundalini events, when base chakra slips down to your feet one day, were all testament to your deep practice, these gave confidence thru the journey.

And I am also still learning on this Kundalini subject, I still annoy Michael with very basic or distinction-type questions on it. 

Patanjali advises against the doubt energy and Michael's answers are like the fire to clean this doubt energy within our psyche. Also, I like the tennis match like volleying the Q & As between you guys. It sets fire to many of the doubt energy in my psyche and also questions I could not even frame properly or dare to ask or does not even arise to ask in the first place?

Your posts from 2010-2013 were used as learning in 2021-2022, a decade later. Especially, stomach down lock from one of your notes made a big difference. Who thought a decade later, someone might find your notes very useful. 

Also, your post on the arrow in the chest region, the poetry of Buddha was so fresh and one of my favorites... The grace of God and gurus, I got to see it.

Interesting!  I was quite the upstart and I'm glad my challenges helped someone. 

I like the Buddha's poetry too.  Some things we just read or hear and take it in and it provides a sort of transmission.  Grace in action. 

I like to think that my kundalini yoga practice prepared me for the Buddhist path. I couldn't integrate the purpose of kundalini movements and rises or understand where it was leading spiritually or even practically. It still doesn't make sense to me so its interesting to read the experiences of others such as yourself. 

Stage 1. Core-self (atma) vs intellect + Kundalini

After Kundalini yoga, when Kundalini is disabled or suspended temporarily,

Stage 2. Core-self vs intellect

This is where the real battle begins...

After buddhi or Kriya yoga, core-self hiding in naad absorption and chit akash opens for few seconds, minutes or hours, you are lucky.

Stage 3. Core-self triumphs.

Once you are back to this mundane existence, all problems comes back into full force. 

So, every day we start from this stage 1 to stage 3, shortly go back to stage 3 to stage 1.