As she rose in me, what became obvious was that my senses were heightened. Swami Muktananda sheds some light in his book "Kundalini - The Secret of Life" published by Siddha Yoga Publication, 1994. He writes that when the chakras of the sense organs are purified, the physical senses become sharpened and refined.
"On her journey to the Sahasrara, Kundalini passes through all the sense organs, purifying them and investing them with new powers. As Kundalini rises to the ocular center, she purifies the eyes. As the Kundalini purifies the sense of touch, one begins to feel thrilled with love through every pore and hair of the body. One becomes immersed in the joy of touch. When kundalini reaches the center of smell, it purifies that, and one comes into direct contact with the essence of smell. When the Shakti moves to the auditory center, she purifies this, too. When a shower of nectar is released and begins to fall, dropping onto the root of the tongue, the taste buds become extremely refined. Even the simplest food is relished."
I saw all this take place, and it was indeed truly thrilling.
Swami Muktananda writes further,
"The basis of all disease and pain is the impurities that block the flow of Prana in the Nadis. These blockages are caused by imbalances and disorders in the three bodily humors - wind, bile, and phlegm. She (Kundalini) penetrates all 720 million Nadis, consumes all the old, decaying fluids, then releases vital energy into them all. The Nadis become filled with Prana. It is only after the body has been purified that the Shakti can work with full force."
Indeed, she cleared and cleansed my internals, and spat these poisons, having me vomit them till this day.
Swami Kripananda, who wrote the introduction for Swami Muktananda's "Kundalini - The Secret of Life", says,
This knowledge (of the Kundalini) was so well hidden, in fact, that when Swami Muktananda received Kundalini awakening from his own master Bhagawan Nityananda and began experiencing its effects, he had no idea what was happening to him. He wrote his first great work the spiritual autobiography "Play of Consciousness" to prevent his own students from running into the same confusion and to help them understand the process unfolding within them.
The easiest and best method (of awakening, activating, and setting into operation the Kundalini) is through Shaktipat from the guru, when the guru directly transmits his own divine Shakti to the disciple. It is the secret initiation of the greatest sages and has been passed on from guru to disciple from the beginning of time.
When both Tavayogi and I were puzzled as to why Agathiyar asked me to get initiated again after Tavayogi had us read out Agathiyar's mantra from a piece of paper that was circulated to my wife and me, along with six others, during the first initiation much earlier, going over to meet him, now in private, Tavayogi just touched my shoulders and sent me away this time around. I guess I had received Shaktipat, going by what Swami Muktananda wrote.
I guess that is the reason Tavayogi told me that he was amazed to see me receive it all easily, as they had to work hard towards it. Agathiyar too told me that he had made it pretty much easy and there was no way to simplify it, saying that they too went through the hard way. What did I do to receive their blessings and grace, I wonder? I guess Supramnia Swami, in gifting me and leaving me the merits of his 40 years of Tavam and austerities, had a part in it too, in making it easier for me to attain all these goodies that otherwise are hard to come by. I am grateful to them.
Just as M. P. Pandit refering to Aurobindo, wrote, "It is more in the natural way of evolution to let things develop in this manner rather than having a systematized procedure," there is no systematic procedure or standard operating procedure in that sense. Just as Tavayogi often gives this same analogy of preparing the field for the Siddhas to plant the seed in us, we learn from the documentary "Inner Worlds Outer Worlds" that "It is analogous to growing a flower. All we can do as good gardeners is prepare the soil and proper conditions and let nature take its course."
That is the reason the guru comes to help us prepare the ground so that he can sow his seed later. Similarly, after coming intomy life, Tavayogi had me carry out Puja, singing the praise of the Siddhas as in Sariyai, that had them turn to look at us and win their grace. Teaching us the rituals, as in Kriyai, he helped us bring the Siddhas down to walk among us. Giving us certain Asanas and Pranayama techniques, Tavayogi brought us to Yogam.
Swami Kripananda writes,
It is not enough for the guru to awaken Kundalini. The guru also controls and regulates the process, helping to remove all the blocks and obstacles in the disciple's path until the disciple attains the ultimate realization of the self. Being one with the inner energy, the guru can accomplish this on a subtle level from within.
These techniques that Tavayogi gave triggered the opening of the Muladhara with the Prana that came in abundance within as a result of these practices, knocking on its door. Later, having the Siddhas with us just as a doctor on call, on Monday, the 22nd, and Tuesday, the 23rd episodes, in 2022, just as Swami Kripananda says, Agathiyar broke the dam and released the pent up enery that stagnated and ponded to travel further, reaching out to the other chakras and eventually pooling in the Sahasrara, bringing on the blossoming and flowering of the 1000-petaled lotus.
Lately, the swirling sensation that was felt slightly below the navel in 2022, and was felt in the Sahasrara within a couple of days, is felt in the seat at the Muladhara. I guess the Kundalini or Shakti, after having journeyed to the higher regions of the chakra, returned to its home in the Muladhara, safe and sound, having accomplished its task of clearing the way and the path for her other half, Siva, to come down within the body as Prapanjam and Sivam. I guess this is the reason why what was felt as a strong impulse of energy in the crown is now felt throughout the body. I wonder if this is what Agathiyar meant, henceforth, asking me to know the Soul or JeevAtma and Sivam, after ending the search, and coming to and being on this path, taking on the practices, methods, and tools, as in Yoga and Kriyai, and having let go of them too, and eventually let go of him too to merge and become one with him, and knowing him.
When I asked him if there was any further practice to be done after Kundalini began to travel further in me, Agathiyar replied that there was none and that she would do her work. I stopped everything. I do nothing these days except go for my daily walk and blog.
Swami Muktananda says the same.
When Kundalini awakening takes place through grace it will rise of its own accord and become established where it should be established. Kundalini will take care of herself... when the Kundalini is awakened by the grace of the guru the grace itself will guide it in the correct manner. There is absolutely no danger in such a case. After the awakening of Kundalini, meditation comes spontaneously. There is no need to center the mind because the Kundalini herself grabs hold of the mind and centers it in whatever place she considers suitable.
After Monday, the 22nd, and Tuesday, the 23rd episodes, in 2022, Agathiyar asked that I write about these experiences so that readers would know what to expect walking the path of internal transformation towards the goal of attaining Light or Jothi. Whether I attain it is up to their grace, but I am deeply grateful to them for having brought me this far without much of an effort on my part. I should say I was gifted rather than say that I earned it by placing my efforts. As both my gurus, Supramania Swami and Tavayogi, say, "Whether we attain the state is immaterial for now; at least we are working towards it. We shall come back again if we fail in this life."
Though, as John White says, "Desiring something, even such a noble goal as the awakening of Kundalini, is misguided," and Sri Chinmoy echoes this statement, too, saying that "A genuine seeker never considers the hidden powers or occult powers as his goal. He cares only for God. He longs only for God's loving presence in his life," raising the Kundalini is esential to make this journey back to the state of "Being".
A word of caution. Do not head straight into this practice without a guru in the physical form to monitor our progress. In the absence of a guru, take hold of the Siddhas by carrying out worship to them. They shall come as the guru in any form and guide us further. As Swami Tadatmananda reminds us not to chase the "experience seeking" that promises bliss and ecstasy, which his guru, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, spoke about and warned him about, come to her only if you want to reach out to her and return home. Otherwise, stay away.
If one has awakened the Kundalini through self-effort, it is very difficult to lead it upward because right from the moment the Kundalini is awakened until the moment it finally merges in the Sahasrara, the seeker has to depend on yogic practices.