Kundalini.Tantra.by.Satyananda.Saraswati

longer appealing, hunger and the sexual urge diminish and detachment develops
spontaneously. Raja yoga brings about a slow transformation of consciousness.
Pranayama
The sixth method of awakening kundalini is through pranayama. When a sufficiently
prepared aspirant practises pranayama in a calm, cool and quiet environment, preferably
at a high altitude, with a diet only sufficient to maintain life, the awakening of kundalini
takes place like an explosition. In fact, the awakening is so rapid that kundalini ascends to
sahasrara immediately.
Pranayama is not only a breathing exercise or a means to increase prana in the body;
it is a powerful method of creating yogic fire to heat the kundalini and awaken it.
However, if it is practiced without sufficient preparation, this will not occur because the
generated heat will not be directed to the proper centers. Therefore, jalandhara, uddiyana
and moola bandhas are practiced to lock the prana in and force it up to the frontal brain.
When pranayama is practised correctly, the mind is automatically conquered.
However, the effects of pranayama are not that simple to manage. It creates extra heat in
the body, it awakens some of the centers in the brain and it can hinder the production of
sperm and testosterone. Pranayama may also lower the temperature of the inner body and
even bring down the rate of respiration and alter the brain waves. Unless you have
practised the shatkarmas first and purified the body to a degree, when these changes take
place, you may not be able to handle them.
There are two important ways of awakening kundalini - one is the direct method and
the other is the indirect. Pranayama is the direct method. The experiences it brings about
are explosive and results are attained very quickly. Expansion is rapid and the mind
attains quick metamorphosis. However, this form of kundalini awakening is always
accompanied by certain experiences, and for one who is not sufficiently prepared
mentally, philosophically, physically and emotionally, these experiences can be
terrifying. Therefore, although the path of pranayama is a jetset method, it is drastic and
is considered to be a very difficult one that everybody cannot manage.
Kriya yoga
The seventh method of inducing awakening is kriya yoga. It is the most simple and
practical way for modern day man as it does not require confrontation with the mind.
Sattvic people may be able to awaken kundalini through raja yoga, but those who have a
tumultuous, noisy, rajasic mind will not succeed this way. They will only develop more
tensions, guilt and complexes, and may even become schizophrenic. For such people
kriya yoga is by far the best and most effective system.
When you practise kriya yoga, kundalini doesn't wake up with force, nor does it
awaken like a satellite or as a vision or experience. It wakes up like a noble queen. Before
getting up she will open her eyes, then close them again for a while. Then she'll open her