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The Kundalini Guide

*The Kundalini Guide* by Bonnie Greenwell presents key insights from the Yoga tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.

Bonnie Greenwell · book · Entry

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Introduction: The Kundalini Guide

Eventually I came back into my senses, but for weeks following I was in a state of awareness that was untouched by the normal challenges of my family, studies and work, even though they continued as usual.  Walking down the street felt like floating, Waking in the morning felt

like entering a new adventure. Sitting to meditate felt like falling into a world of light and bliss.  At night my body would awake and shake itself, move into positions that stretched the spine, plunge my nervous system into a vibration of happiness, and occasionally produce an other-worldly dream.

They may be ripened by exposure to the energy fields of sacred spaces, but ultimately the Truth can only be discovered by those who are inward bound, for we hold within us the answer to our own questions.

One of the radical surprises in the spiritual process is the fact that it begins to impact the energy in our bodies.  We are seldom advised that participation in energy practices or meditation, or even intense devotion and prayer, subtly begins to change the energy flows and the chemistry within us.  These bio-energetic changes are an essential part of the preparation for a new sense of who we are, a new kind of consciousness.

but as we enter our deepest stillness we may discover an awakening of energy beyond our imagination.

All of us have contractions and limitations in our self-expression because of energetic patterns locked into our bodies from the very beginning of life, woven through us as we were conditioned to feel and think in specific ways, to defend ourselves when we felt threatened, and to adapt and fit into our families, cultures and societies. At a deeper level the DNA likely holds familial and cultural patterning and certain other inherent tendencies.  All of these experiences, as well as our capacity for sensation, intelligence, emotion and intuition, form an energy flow within us that is called the subtle body, or the energy body, in yoga science.

What left was the subtle energy field, the life force, the consciousness that is prior to your conditioned separate self.

But its true function is to shift a person’s consciousness, to awaken his or her true nature, and it does this through a process that brings a deconstruction of the old self and collapses the familiar identifications.  It may happen that health and longevity is improved but this is not a guarantee. Even people who are completely enlightened can experience physical pain and disease, and eventually pass away.  Each of us will have our own unique experience with this energy, just as we do in other aspects of our lives.

This is a journey to freedom, and along the way there can be many joys and unexpected gifts.  But it is perilous for the little “me”, the personality that thinks life is about acquiring more and more for itself.

AI Summary

The Kundalini Guide by Bonnie Greenwell presents key insights from the Yoga tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.

Core Themes:

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Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.

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