Kundalini.Tantra.by.Satyananda.Saraswati

commencing the practices which bring about the actual awakening of kundalini, you must
prepare yourself step by step on the physical, mental and emotional planes. If you are
patient and prepare correctly, awakening of kundalini will definitely take place.
Adequate preparation is necessary to ensure that one has the strength to bear the
impact of full awakening of the mighty potential force within. Most of us do not even
have control over our physical manifestations and behaviors. Supposing you were given a
sleep inducing injection, you would become drowsy whether you wanted to or not. This
is because you have no control over the processes and actions of your brain and you do
not know how to control sleep. Similarly, if you have a headache, you are unable to exert
control over it. When physical manifestations such as sleep and pain are not under your
control, what would happen if other manifestations began to occur in your brain? You
wouldn't be able to control them. Therefore, before kundalini awakens, it is important
that you are able to manage the mind.
If you can maintain a balanced mind in the face of mental and emotional conflicts and
you can endure anger, worry, love and passion, disappointment, jealousy, hatred,
memories of the past, sufferings and sorrows, you are ready for the awakening. If you can
still feel joy when the scales are heavily loaded against you, you are an aspirant for
kundalini yoga. Before you bring into use a generator of five megawatts, you must have a
factory ready to utilize the energy. In the same way, before you awaken kundalini shakti,
you must be able to merge yourself with the higher spirit and you must know how to
utilize the creative energy of kundalini.
Therefore, if you want to follow the path of kundalini yoga, it is absolutely essential
to have a guru with whom you feel intimate. Many people say the guru is within, but are
they able to communicate with him, understand him and follow his intricate instructions?
If so, it is possible to proceed with this internal guidance, but few people have such a
relationship with the inner guru. They need an external guru first. He will connect them
with the inner guru. If you have a guru he will help you to prepare for kundalini
awakening, he will be there if you need any advice and he will guide you through the
crisis of awakening.
Usually, because we are religious minded people, our relationship with guru is based
on a sort of formality. To us he is worshipful, respectable, superior and supreme, but at
the time of awakening, all these attitudes to guru must be set aside. At this time you must
evolve a more intimate attitude, as if your relationship was based on love, not merely
devotion and worship. When you serve your mother you do so with an attitude of love,
not respect and veneration. With this same attitude you should serve the guru, then his
direct influence is upon you. Then, if there is excitement in any chakra, the relationship
with guru will balance it.
The relationship between guru and disciple is the most intimate of relationships; it is
neither a religious nor a legal relationship. Guru and disciple live like an object and its
shadow. The guru is the best thing in spiritual life, and if you have a guru you are very
fortunate. However, it is sometimes difficult to find a guru. If you haven't a guru, you can