The Spiritual Roller Coaster: Kundalini and Other Side Effects

This is Chapter 9 of the Kornfield book.

The sections in this chapter are:

(1)  Atitudes Toward Altered States–Certain spiritual paths insist that we need to attain profoundly altered states of consciousness in order to discovery a “transcendent” vision of life, to open beyond our body and mind and realize the divine taste of liberation. [Other schools]’s teachings say that liberation and transcendence must be discovered here and now, for if not here in the present, where else can it be found?  Instead of seeking to transcend, the perspective of the “immanent” school teaches reality, enlightenment, or the divine must shine through every moment or it is not genuine. (p. 120)

(2)  Some Common Altered States–When we begin a spiritual practice, we struggle with the pains of our body and the armoring we have forged for it over the years, we face emotional storms, and we encounter a procession of five common hinderances.  But as we continue spiritual practice, and become more familiar and compassionate with our deepest difficulties, even the most ingrained pattens of holding and fear will gradually lose their power over us.  We develop a spirit of calm and steadiness, whatever our means of practice. (p. 122)

(a)  Raptures–rapture is a broad term used to cover the many kinds of chills, movements, lights, floating, vibrations, delight, and more that open with deep concentration, as well as the enormous pleasure they can bring to meditation.  (p. 122)…Deep concentration can lead to all kinds of visions and visionary experiences.  Floods of memories, images of past lives, scenes of foreign lands, pictures of heavens and hells, the energies of all the great archetypes, can open before our eyes.  (p. 125)…(this has happened to me:  “…we can experience a release of the strongest kinds of emotions, from sorrow and despair to delight and ecstasy.  Meditation may feel like an emotional roller coaster as we allow ourselves to be plunged into unconscious emotions.” p. 126)

(b)  Chakras–This section describes the chakras and the openings of the energy body and the experience as our inner energy tries to move and free itself in the body

(3)  Skillful Means of Working with the Energetic and Emotional Openings–we need a teacher who has personally encountered and understood these dimensions of the psyche

(a)  All Experiences are Side Effects–In the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha often reminded students that the purpose of his teaching was not the accumulation of special good deeds and good karma or rapture or insight or bliss, but only the sure heart’s release–a true liberation of our being in every realm.  This freedom and awakening, and this alone, is the purpose of any genuine spiritual path. (p. 129)

(b)  Finding the Brake—very cool and interesting section!  The most important thing, however, is:  it is necessary to find a guide, someone who has touched their own madness, grief, and loss of boundaries, who can gradually and fearlessly direct us back to the ground of our own true nature.  (p. 132)

(c)  Awareness of the Dance–the practitioner’s primary responsibility is to open to the experience with a full awareness, observing and sensing it as a part of the dance of our human life. (p. 133)

(4)  Meditation:  Reflecting on Your Attitude Toward Altered States

Personal Reflection on Jivamutki Yoga

This is an article on the three most impacting quotes from the Gannon/ Life book. And my personal take away and experiences

Reflection on Gannon/Life Book:

This is my big take-away from the book: that I had everything to do with where I am now; that I must set aside “I know,” so that I can be taught; and that the vibrations of yoga allow me to transform through cat-cow-cobra-dog.

I had everything to do with where I am now.  Sometimes it’s tempting to take credit as my individual effort for everything I do and say.  However, if not for efforts of those who have gone before me or for the graces of the Divine, I would not have the actions or words I have.

In physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  So too, in my life, do my actions have effects.  For example, if I have a bad day at work through no fault of my won and go home with a negative attitude, the result, if I choose to maintain the negative attitude, is that I will say hurtful things to those around me.   My friends and family around me will remember these hurtful words and it will have a negative impact on my future.

On the other hand, if, instead, after by bad day at work, I let it go—I lift it up to God—I say “good day, bad day, I don’t know”—I say “ah, so”—I ask that “God’s will be done,” I go home with a positive, or at least tolerant, attitude, the result, if I choose to embrace the positive attitude, is that I will be loving and gentle with those around me.  At the very least, I will have the clarity to think “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” and I will withhold negative comments to those around me.  Again, my friends and family will remember this version of me and give me that benefit in the future.

The quote from Gannon/ Life that inspired this thought is:

Each soul is working out what it must on its road back to the Source.  When you accept that you will never know the real story behind someone else’s karma, you can stop envying or pitying others.  You can start paying attention to your own karma, your own actions.  You are the agent for your fate.  You had everything to do with where you are now.  What you did before matters.  What you are doing now matters.  What you are thinking now matters.  *  The yogi accepts a pleasant turn of events with equanimity, knowing that pleasure and pain never last forever.  Yogis accept difficulties as opportunities to work out bad karma.  It is wise to give thanks for everything that happens, knowing that the present situation can change in an instant. (page 45)

I must strive to set aside “I know” so that I may be taught.  There’s something special to be about a student-teacher relationship.  Sometimes the parties don’t even know they’re in that kind of relationship.

I want to take a second to evaluate the rare moments when I may fill the role of teacher:  around my siblings, around the youth group students I volunteer with, around non-lawyers, and when tutoring on high school subjects.  This said, all the “students” have something to teach me:  my siblings all have gone on different life paths than me and have fantastic stories to share; the youth group students have such enlightened insights I can’t help but learn from; non-lawyers often see and seek clarity and simplicity in the round-about, difficult, complicated explanations I given them; and my high school tutoring students challenge me to be a committed person.

Now that I’ve identified when I may be the teacher, I must acknowledge, accept, embrace that I am usually the student.  With Evan, I am always learning form his kindness and generosity to be more patient with people and given them the benefit of the doubt.  With lawyers, I am always learning how to do my job better—learning to review briefs and letters more thoroughly; learning to put up with more difficult personalities; and learning to stay strong in adversity.

I’m always learning.  I don’t know, and I can embrace my “I don’t know.”

The quote from Gannon/ Life that inspired this thought is:

When you come before any teacher, set aside “I know,” so that you can be taught. (page 70)

Now we come to cat-cow-cobra-dog.  This is how I like my asana practice.  When I go to the guy by myself, after cardio and weights, I clear my mind for the day with my asana practice:  mountain, breath in, arms to sky on inhale, arms arched back on exhale, dive into a forward fold, inhale, exhale, adjust legs and knees, inhale, exhale, step feet back to plank, inhale, exhale, inhale, push down on exhale, cobra on inhale, down dog on exhale, hold for inhale, exhale, adjust legs, inhale, exhale, adjust shoulders, inhale, exhale, step legs up to arms, inhale forward bend, exhale, inhale, roll up to mountain. Repeat.  When in next down dog, drop knees and inhale, exhale, look at sky and arch back on inhale in cat, release all air and look through legs as spine is rounded in cow, repeat.  This is so basic and I’m so in love with these movements and how they make me feel, that cat-cow-cobra-dog struck me intensely.

The quote from Gannon/ Life that inspired this thought is:

Each asana is a unique vibrational expression of an aspect of manifestation.  In each vinyasa krama, you experience the flowing river of life as you become cat-cow-ocbra-dog.  When we place ourselves in an asana, we express both the vibrational essence of its Sanskrit name and the vibrational essence of the life form that the asana embodies. (page 155)