The Dark Side of Kundalini Awakenings That No One Talks About

A Story of Spontaneous Kundalini Rising

Nov 11, 2025

Sometimes, in our spiritual journey, it’s the experiences we least expect that change us the most.

For me, that moment occurred in an unexpected setting. It was a warm September Saturday evening in the magical land of Sedona. I was on my first spiritual retreat across the country with an internationally renowned shamanic medium and Psychic who lived in my local area in Michigan.

Several months prior I had asked my sister in law if she wanted to plan a trip to Sedona and within 2 days we both received an email invite to the “Soul Inspired Retreat” for later that year. A clear message and invitation that was soulfully aligned, that couldn’t be ignored.

It was the closing night of the retreat. We had spent several days connecting and learning with 20 other soul-seeking women. We meditated, we visited world-famous energetic portals. Prayed at the Amitabha Stupa Peace Park and convened with the medicine wheel of the ancestors and elders who had once inhabited the land.

The energy pulsed through the air, carrying an electrifying current that ran through my body, mind, and soul. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my quest for a deeper understanding of life. If you’ve been to Sedona, you know what I am talking about. Words almost can’t capture the magic of the land.

I was sad to say goodbye to the many women with whom I had built connections with that week. There was one woman in particular that I felt drawn to. She was tall and slender, speaking with a gentle yet authoritative voice. She carried the gift of light language that she spoke throughout the week together. To me, it sounded like a mix of French and Middle Eastern languages. Although it wasn’t spoken words, it was a frequency of light that was being transmitted. It was a song for my soul that felt oh so familiar.

At the closing ceremony on that Saturday in 2021, we each took turns sharing our greatest insights, discussing our personal experiences with one another. Light Language Laura, that’s what we called her because there were 2 Lauras in the group, asked if she could give a light language transmission.

We sat in a circle on the floor in the brightly lit convention room at The Wilde resort. As Laura stepped into the middle of the circle, she stood over us as her hands began to move and the sound of magic poured from her mouth. This was a channeling, not a performance.

I was hypnotized by her tone, her movements, and the simple beauty of her transmission of light language. It felt as if my whole being, mind, body, and soul were dancing amongst each spoken syllable. I was captivated by the beauty of the ancient sounds, which made me feel as though I had finally come home. I could feel myself being swept away in it. It was as if there was no one else in that room but me, my soul, and this beautiful melody. Her hands moved as if she were orchestrating a symphony. I was absolutely mesmerized by the energy.

I began to sway and feel lightheaded. I look to Lori, the retreat leader, who is sitting 10 feet away. She has a look of gentle concern in her eyes and says to me, “Are you ok?” Before I could grasp what was happening and respond, my whole existence was taken over by an energy I had never felt in this physical life. I went blank, and that’s when it happened. My Kundalini was rising, and Lori was witnessing it.

The women broke the circle to get closer out of concern, as I swayed and shook uncontrollably. It was as if I was struck by lightning. The energy swiftly moved from the base of my spine to the crown of my head and back down. It was an internal vibration unlike anything I had ever felt before. I remember saying, as I rocked back and forth repeatedly, that I am ok. I’m okay, I’m OK.

One of the women approached to comfort me, and Lori had motioned to her to give me space. Lori took my hand and held it as a witness to this Divine unfolding. She assured me that, in fact, I was ok as I screamed, yelled, and cried in agony as my body trembled.

I was witnessing in my mind’s eye memories of abuse and torture that came as crystal clear visions released from my auric field.

Letting go of the trauma that no longer could be held. The pain was imprinted into my cells and energy centers, not just from this life but from many past lives. This experience was a soul instruction that my mind could never have planned for.

It was a long time coming, as my body was responding to the rising energy. It was an initiated Shamanic birth that lasted for what felt like an eternity. In reality, it was about a 20-minute experience.

My soul knew I had a qualified Shaman next to me, actually, a few of them were there. One of the elder ladies in the group took her Sarape blanket and placed it over my shoulders. As I awakened from this experience, having no clue what just happened, the leader looked at me and said Welcome home, shaman, welcome home, you just experienced a Shamanic Birth.

Wait? What? Me, a Shamanic Birth?

I wasn’t really sure what that actually meant. But what I did know was that this was a destined event that would change my life. Not just a physical or mental transformation but a soul-level ascension into higher states of awareness.

I spent that night trying to make sense of it. The only thing I could feel was mental fog take over. I could never have imagined how my life would change moving forward. I left the retreat, ungrounded in uncertainty, with more questions than answers, yet felt a knowing that THIS was my soul giving me the nudge to go deeper into my healing and spiritual journey.

Just like most people do when they need answers? I turned to the great WWW. As I boarded the flight home, I immediately Googled “Shamanic birth” in a search for answers.

What the hell just happened?

Why me?

What was this healing?

What was the message?

What do I do now?

Am I broken?

I felt as if a mystery was building, but I didn’t have the clues to figure it out. So I turned to meditation to gain some insight.

Over the following year, I thought about my Shamanic Birth every day. I never told a soul, other than the people who were witnesses to it. In fact, to this very day, I have never discussed it with anyone out loud. It’s not something that could be easily explained or understood, especially to those who aren’t walking the spiritual path. I was trying to make sense of it myself let alone put meaning behind it.

I see many people in spiritual circles chasing their Kundalini Awakening as if it were an achievement toward enlightenment. But what they don’t know is that if done in the wrong setting without a compassionate and experienced leader, it won’t turn out as the blissed-out state of ecstasy they have been sold in grand marketing schemes.

If it weren’t for the retreat leader, who shortly became my mentor, I would’ve probably been admitted into a psych ward. The women watching were ready to dial 911, and the hospital is not the setting you want to end up in, promise.

What is a Kundalini Awakening?

In ancient times, ceremonies were held in safe communities with trusted elders, guides, and healers who understood the process. Today, people are doing it alone, through YouTube meditations, psychedelics, and breathwork, and their energy isn’t ready for it. Too much too fast can feel like a hijack on your system.

Kundalini awakenings dismantle your old identities through rising energy that can no longer be contained within your human form. Everything that isn’t your truth gets stripped away in one single moment. It’s like crossing a threshold with the rising flame that burns the old energy to make way for elevated frequencies. Sounds like a great idea, until you actually experience it.

The rising energy is serpent-like energy that you carry since birth. It’s a Divine activation, but shouldn’t be intentionally manipulated or forced. It rises through the spine, lights up your subconscious, and awakens the parts of you that have been asleep. When it rises too quickly, the body doesn’t know how to hold the energy. The nervous system gets flooded, which can cause you to shake, cry, scream, and sweat while the body sends signals of danger.

Kundalini awakenings are like clearing out the basement of old clutter, but doing it with a backhoe. It’s intense and swift, and once initiated, it can’t be stopped. It’s as if you’re being struck with a lightning rod down your spine.

Without grounded guidance, the mind can spin. People ask themselves

Am I losing it?

Was this real?

What’s happening?

Confusion sets in, and so does panic as a result of an overstimulated, not ready yet, nervous system.

Not grounding within the body is a big NO NO. Some people will open their crown chakra but not ground into the earth. They begin to float, disassociate, and they become all spirit and no body. Without embodiment and groundness, there is no where for the energy to go. The unprepared system is the danger, not the Kundalini itself.

When you allow the Kundalini to rise in Divine order and timing, instead of forcing it, it can unfold naturally as the most transformative and beautiful awakening experience.

You might be thinking, how do I awaken the energy naturally without shocking my system into a flight, fight or freeze state?

Let me break it down for you.

9 Steps to safely prepare for a Kundalini Awakening:

This is one of those initiations where slow is powerful and safety is key.
You don’t force Kundalini.
You prepare
You condition
You create an environment

Kundalini doesn’t rise through pressure. It rises through soulful permission and direction.

1. Regulate your nervous system first.

This is non-negotiable. Kundalini is voltage. Your nervous system is the wiring.

If the wiring is frayed, overwhelmed, or dysregulated, the energy hits too hard, and then shit hits the fan. You don’t want that.

Start by building your capacity to hold the energy with:

Slow breathwork (no aggressive breath of fire)
Coherent breathing (inhale 4–6, exhale 4–6)
Long walks
Gentle shaking/dancing
Consistent sleep
Staying hydrated

This is a way to tell your body: “You’re safe. You can hold more.”

2. Strengthen and open the lower chakras.

People want to open the third eye, but Kundalini starts at the root.

If the root and sacral aren’t stable, the energy won’t rise coherently.

Ground through:

Feet on the ground/earth
Hip-opening practices (slow, not forceful)
Eating grounding foods
Feeling your body from the inside out
Trauma-informed somatic practices

Practicing grounding in your physical body and the earth will help keep you out of a state of mental fog and disassociation.

3. Practice gentle, not forceful, breathwork.

No intense breath practices.
No rapid fire pranayama.
No forcing the energy up.

Do this instead:

Diaphragmatic breathing
Alternate-nostril breathing
Box breathing
Breath awareness without manipulation

Kundalini works well with patience and a relaxed state of being.

4. Deepen your meditation practice.

But it has to be the right kind:

Present. Grounded. Body-aware.

Kundalini rises naturally in stillness.

Try:

Body scan meditations
Focusing on the breath at the belly
Listening for inner silence
Allowing—not chasing—sensations

Allow the energy to choose the timing. Don’t try to visualize serpents rising up your spine. Be present and remain calm.

5. Emotional clearing + shadow work.

Kundalini burns through whatever is suppressed.

If you’re carrying hidden emotions under the surface, a rapid rise will feel like an explosion of darkness with no light in sight.

Try working with:

Journaling
Therapy or somatic healing
Honest conversations with yourself
Feeling your emotions without running

This creates an inner expansive space for the energy to move through you safely.

6. Move your body every day.

Not workouts. Movement.

Think:

Walking
Yoga
Free flow stretching
Slow dance

When your body is fluid, the energy moves in grace, not chaos.

7. Work with a grounded guide.

This is where people go wrong, trying to do it alone or through random online techniques that blast the system open without context.

A healthy awakening happens in:

Community
Safe mentorship
Trauma-aware spiritual guidance
A lineage-based practice

You should never feel like you need to do it alone. Having a trusted healer and guide by your side is a wise choice.

8. Listen to your body. She’ll tell you when it’s too much.

Signs of healthy opening:

Gentle warmth
Subtle tingling
Stronger intuition
Calm clarity
Deeper compassion
Vivid dreams
Creative surges

Signs to slow down:

Panic
Spinning thoughts
Pressure in the head
Sleeplessness
Intense heat
Dissociation
Feeling ungrounded or floaty

When the body whispers slow, honor it. That’s self-mastery.

9. Invite, don’t force.

Sit in meditation and say:

“I welcome my life force to rise in its own timing, with safety, grace, and Divine guidance.”

Your system relaxes.
Your energy opens.
Your Higher Self leads the way.

Although my awakening wasn’t planned or prepared for, it happened just as it was meant to be. Bright fluorescent overhead lights in a room full of strangers that became close friends and witnesses. I am grateful that I had my beloved Shaman next to me, holding me in loving compassion that I felt through the whole experience. I could never imagine going through it without her safe presence next to me. Thank you, Lori Lipten, for grounding me during the storm.

Awakening your Kundalini isn’t about chasing enlightenment or forcing some dramatic spiritual ascension. It’s about building enough safety, awareness, and devotion in your body that the energy rises naturally, in its own timing, with its own wisdom.

When you honor your nervous system, stay rooted, and walk this path with compassion instead of urgency, the awakening becomes a blessing rather than a shock to the system. Ease and flow are your birthright. This gets to be gentle. This gets to be sacred. And it gets to unfold exactly the way your Higher Self has always planned for you. Patience, dear soul. It will all happen in Divine Time just as your soul planned it to be.

Have you experienced a Kundalini awakening or curious about it?

Now that I shared my story, I’d love to hear yours. Share it in the comments below.

Soul & Mind Alchemy

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