Kundalini

When I was 16 years old, I became fascinated with dreams and their meanings. This was well before the invention of Google, so I did what I was taught to do when looking for information, I went to the library. I recall walking into the library as if it were for the first time. I had been there many times throughout my life, of course, but this time was different. This time was not for a school assignment, not for some story book, this time I was here because I wanted information, I wanted knowledge. It was the first time I remember being in awe of the rows and rows of books filled with so much information. The search engine was a large wooden cabinet called a card catalog. Looking through the tiny drawers filled with square papers that contained the magical alpha-numeric code that would lead me to the information I sought. I discovered the cypher and followed my map to the treasure that awaited. I secured my prize; a book by Jeremy Taylor called “Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill”, and brought it home to discover its contents. What a wealth of information I had found! Mr. Taylor challenged my understanding of dreams and their significance on my life. I was enthralled by the stories and intrigued by the information. I devoured the book and was hungry for more. Looking in the back of the book, I discovered exactly what I wanted, a treasure within a treasure, a secret map hidden in the back pages; a bibliography! This is where I unearthed my next great find; Carl Jung.

Carl Jung opened my mind to new worlds that I never knew existed. Worlds that had before been considered off limits, dangerous, even sacrilegious! The thrill of adventure had been awakened! I continued my journey into the depths of mysteries of eastern thought, pagan beliefs, and the secrets of the mind. What is this esoteric information? Who was this Buddha? And, the new question that lead me to my experience; what was this yoga? Back to the treasury I went.

My local library was beginning to reveal its limits. The section devoted to the new subject matter I had become enraptured with was quite lacking. Luckily, I was able to procure one more treasure; a book about yoga by Swami Vishnudevananda. My adventure began to take on a new dimension as I began to put to practice the teachings of the legendary yogi. Doing my best to mimic the positions in the book, struggling through the profound depths of his teaching, putting to the test the claims of the author, experimenting with breathing techniques, and attempting to quiet the mind and look within, I forged my way into a new realm of experience. I was particularly interested in the subject of the kundalini, the dormant power residing within my very being. This energy is said to be awakened by the practice of yoga and meditation.

My practice became regular. Every day I performed my rituals; sun salutation, asanas or postures, breathing exercises, meditating, and studying. While I struggled with the practice of tying my legs in a pretzel in order to meditate, I found deep satisfaction in my new love affair; savasana (the yoga pose where you lie flat on your back). Ah, to lie in complete relaxation! In this position I could watch my breath move as if I were merely an observer, I began to see how I had control over my body in ways I never knew possible. Slowing my breathing I found I could calm the mind, reducing my thoughts to ripples in calm waters. I could control the rate of my heartbeat, slowing it down or speeding it up at will. Watching my body I began to feel the sensation of weightlessness as I began moving about the air looking down, my body at rest. Little did I know that this was just the beginning, the small steps that led to my most powerful experience.

It was just another day of practicing my yoga. I began my sun salutation. Standing straight with my palms together I centered my body, my back straight, breathing in I lifted my arms to the second position. As I raised my arms up, I felt this motion flowing through me like a wave. There was a sound of rushing wind as I felt myself propelled upward at amazing speed. I was no longer in my bedroom! What I saw before me was unbelievable! It was as if I were standing before a great white sun. The white light so brilliant, yet not blinding. It encompassed my entire field of vision. I was blown away! I was in complete awe, I could feel the gaze of this sun on me, looking directly at me, welcoming me, knowing me, loving me! How long I was there, I do not know. Next thing I knew I was back in my room, standing in the same position as if nothing had happened. But, everything was translucent. It was as if I could see the very atoms that made up the walls of my room, the furniture, the floor, my hands, my arms, my body! I looked around with unbelief at the world around me glowing and moving, electric, dynamic! I felt my heart shaking uncontrollably, my body vibrating with intensity! I fell to my knees, my head to the floor, and knew that I had stood in the divine presence of God!

How often do we go about our daily business, the mundane day to day tasks of living? A collection of ordinary moments, wake up, eat breakfast, go to work or school, lunch, work, home, dinner, back to bed. Ordinary lives, a regular job, 3 square meals. I would like to say from that moment on I had some great magical powers, that I lived a life unequaled, that I had become something of legend performing miracles, healing people of disease, walking on water, leaping tall buildings in a single bound, but no. I went to school the next day. Yes, I was excited. I told a few people of my experience. However, it wore off. Slowly my life once again became that ordinary moment followed by the next ordinary moment. It is funny how we can experience the miraculous, yet how fleeting it is. I am reminded of the miracles of Jesus, how he fed thousands with a couple tuna sandwiches. Yet so many people just followed him hoping for the next free lunch. Look at your own life and think of the times something happened you cannot explain. Something that defied laws of physics, that accident you nearly escaped you know not how, that moment time seemed to stop for whatever reason, the time the money came through from an unexpected source at just the right time, the call from a friend out of the blue with the information you desperately needed, just when you were about to give up all hope there arrived a savior, a path, a way out or a way in. Yet we continue our drudgery, collecting mundane moments. I had no idea what had actually happened to me. It has taken me years to even gain a small understanding of this event. There were years of my life that I didn't even practice yoga or meditation. I would reflect on it occasionally, telling a few trusted souls. Then there were times when I would attempt to revive the experience, looking deep within I would come very close sometimes. What did happen was a seed was planted, a seed that I covered with the dirt of ordinary existence. I have come to learn, I have come to know. The ordinary moments are the fertile soil that feed the seed of the extraordinary life that lives within us all. As the seed sprouts and grows we can begin to see that these ordinary moments are not ordinary after all. Look deep within and see the extraordinary life that you are living at this very moment. I no longer try to replicate this miracle in my life, I no longer need to. It resides in my memory and is a signpost reminding me of the miraculous life I am living. I have gained so much more and had more profound experiences in my life that show me the true nature of what happened that day. I see now the reality of God, my connection to Divinity, and the interconnectedness of all life. I can say that I now live an ordinary life in an extraordinary way, and I am blessed beyond measure.