Ben Ralston

ENERGY: my personal experience of Kundalini Energy


 Awaken the snake: a tale of Kundalini and orgasm.
I originally wrote this article in response to the question: “How can I learn to feel my chakras?” from a student.
In answering that question, I found myself writing about Kundali.
Kundalini is a vast reservoir of natural energy that lies dormant in most people, until ‘activated’. This activation is a process: it happens quite naturally and slowly as we evolve. But the process of evolution can be accelerated through disciplined spiritual practice. When the kundalini ‘awakens’, our consciousness changes: we become much more aware.
This article presents my own personal experience of this awakening…

 The human body has a subtle aspect to it that we can call the energy body. It’s as though the physical body wears an invisible glove, and that invisible glove is not only around the physical body, but also inter-penetrates it. The energy body consists of many thousands of ‘Nadis’ (the Chinese call them ‘meridians’). According to the Vedas, (ancient yogic scriptures) there are 72,000 of these nadis, or energy pathways, in the body.
The Chakras are simply the places in the body where these energy meridians merge with each other (the word chakra means wheel, or junction). There are many charkas, but seven important ones:
1.              the root chakra (at the perineum)
2.              the second chakra (between the hips)
3.              the solar plexus chakra
4.              the heart chakra (in the middle of the chest – not at the physical heart)
5.              the throat chakra (at the base of the throat)
6.              the third eye (the space between the eyebrows)
7.              and the crown chakra (at the top of the head).
One of the ‘aims’ of Hatha yoga is to awaken the dormant Kundalini energy (which is said to lie curled up sleeping at the base of the spine like a snake) and to raise it up through the chakras. As it goes higher and higher, various abilities are awakened; evolution is accelerated; and finally enlightenment is achieved when the kundalini goes up through the crown chakra. The rising of the kundalini is a completely natural process: it will happen to all of us, at some point in our development.
In our modern society, our awareness tends to be very ‘gross’ – meaning very dull and material-based. In ancient times people were much more oriented towards feeling rather than thinking (for example), so they were more aware of this subtle aspect of themselves. Nowadays, we are not… hence the question “how can I feel my chakras?”
To answer the question:
There is a very important pre-requisite to feeling the flow of energy, let alone feeling the chakras: you have to be totally relaxed.
Tension and stress block energy. You simply cannot feel it if you are physically or mentally tense.
Many beginners to yoga have simply not yet mastered relaxation enough to be able to focus on the more subtle aspects of energy and chakras.
However, once we get to the point where we are able to fully relax, and to feel more, we become gradually aware of this subtle aspect of ourselves, and can come to know our own energy body. We begin to feel the flow of energy! Usually it feels like a cool breeze, or a warm tingling sensation, or perhaps a vibration. It feels at the same time physical and non-physical, and that is how you know that it really is ‘energy’.
Once you feel it, you can focus your attention on it, and it gradually becomes more a part of your awareness. In my case, it took many years to achieve this (but I know that occasionally people are quicker).
As you become slowly more and more aware of the energy, you sense that it flows in a ways, and that in some parts of your body that flow is stronger. Usually the places where you feel it most strongly are the chakras.
The chakra feels like a ‘vortex’; like a whirlpool of energy. You should be aware that everyone feels them in slightly different places – so don’t ‘look’ for them. It is better to find them organically (without effort).
So, to summarise: learn to relax fully; learn to ‘feel’ more and more subtly; finally, focus your attention on the feeling of energy, and learn to follow it’s flow.
In addition:
•                diet is highly important: you are what you eat. If you eat dense heavy food – meat, processed food, too much cooked food – then it will be very hard to access the more subtle vibrational body. If you want to experience a higher vibration, it is good to eat more fresh, raw, organic foods. A certain level of purity within the physical body is necessary before the subtle energy can be felt.
•                the body has to be in good condition, and the more you practice energetic exercises like yoga, tai chi, chi kung, and so on, the more the physical body comes into ‘alignment’ with the energy body.
•                breathing exercises stimulate the flow of energy (the yoga breathing exercises are called Pranayama – which literally means “control of the energy”). Of course, you should first make sure that you know how to breathe properly. 
Warning: it is well known that trying too hard to ‘speed up’ this process can be harmful. I have heard of people who really lost their minds by coming into contact too early with Kundalini energy. It is extremely powerful, and if you are not ready, it can make you feel as if you are completely out of control. In my case, here’s what happened:
First, some background information:
I studied yoga for about 5 years, going quite deeply into the physical aspects (exercises and breathing). I also began to meditate, and had immediate transcendental experiences of ‘stopping the mind’. I then took a very intensive yoga Teacher Training course. Two years later, I took the advanced Teacher Training course (even more intense!), and soon afterwards began to experience (very strongly!!) the rising of the Kundalini energy, which lasted for about 72 hours…
I was in the Bahamas, where I was living and working in an Ashram, having just completed my advanced teachers’ training. One afternoon, I began to experience what can only be described as ‘rushes’ of energy going up my spine – exactly the same feeling as an intense rising orgasm, causing a kind of ‘ripple effect’ through my body. At first it was very pleasurable, and pretty amusing! Apart from the physical pleasure, I was also very satisfied because I felt that this experience symbolized progress in my spiritual practice. But after a few hours I began to feel restless. After a sleepless night, I was getting uncomfortable and feeling mentally exhausted and disturbed; and after two days I really wanted it to stop!!
I was lucky – I found that by focusing my intention, I was able to gradually slow down the rising Kundalini. I felt that I wasn’t ready for the experience I was having, so I delayed it. The reason I was able to do that is because I was very experienced, and in the ideal supportive and understanding environment of an ashram. Many people have not been so lucky – there are ‘kundalini clinics’ which have been established purely with the aim of treating people who have lost control of their lives, after prematurely raising the Kundalini. So be careful!
That was in 2003. Since then I feel the occasional ripple! I feel the kundalini rising, but much slower. I know that it’s better that way: it’s always better to go too slow, than too fast. Take things one step at a time, don’t rush. The journey is just as important as the destination, and our progress must be balanced, otherwise there will always be a ‘kickback’.
Relax deeply, and all will go as it should. Relaxation is the foundation upon which everything good is built.
As a very wise man once told me:
“just relax, and enjoy!”

WHAT IS HEALTH?



Many people (including many doctors!) view HEALTH like this: “we are healthy when there is nothing wrong“.
You know what? When you look at health like that, you are really just waiting to get sick!

I’m going to share with you some information that not many people know, and fewer understand.

I want to tell you WHAT HEALTH REALLY IS.
I’m also going to give you 5 practical tips which, if applied intelligently, will transform your life!
Health is not a lack of disease. It is not the absence of sickness. It is not a negative anything. But many people (including many doctors!) view it like this: “we are healthy when there is nothing wrong“.
You know what? When you look at health like that, you are really just waiting to get sick!




True health is a radiant state of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual vitality. It is much, much more than a lack of symptoms. It is a state of consciousness in which abundant energy and vibrant wisdom merge with physical well-being and peace of mind, bestowing an all-consuming sense of JOY…


This is actually our natural state of being – it is our birth right! It is the way we are supposed to be.

When we experience this state of natural health, it is because all the different aspects of us are unified. Our head, our heart, and our body, are all speaking the same language. We are coherent. All of our different aspects are co-operating.


As I said in the article SUCCESS, coherence and intention, this term coherence comes from the language of Reference Point Therapy. It is also a scientific term: a coherent light pattern is one which is focused. When you focus the beam of a torch, the light becomes more intense; brighter… similarly, when we focus our light, (our awareness, our energy)… we become more powerful. Specifically what this means to us as human beings, is allowing our head (thoughts), our heart (emotions), and our gut (instincts) to be in harmony. When we operate like that, we are coherent, and that means healthy.

So, poor health, sickness, disease, depression, and addiction are symptoms of incoherence. It really is that simple.
If there is something wrong, it is because some part of you is not communicating with the other parts. You are, on some level, incoherent.
What this new understanding means – and let’s be really clear: this is modern, cutting edge information that I am giving you here. Only very recently has this new approach to healing been discovered. What I am talking about here is a NEW PARADIGM, a completely new approach to health and healing.
What this new understanding means, is that we can HEAL ourselves very quickly, very easily, and permanently – now. This is the Holy Grail of healing.


We don’t have to keep on repeating the same patterns of illness, poverty, unhealthy relationship. We don’t have to visit the doctor anymore, or spend thousands of euros on psychotherapy, or keep on going to bio-energy healing again and again. We are able now, if we so choose, to become more coherent!

If health and joy are our birthright, why do so many people suffer from poor health and depression?

The reason why so many people are unhealthy is that our society is unhealthy.
You don’t need me to tell you why and how our society is unhealthy – it’s obvious. Essentially, health is our natural state, but we have become very far removed from what is natural. It’s not natural to spend so many hours inside. It’s not natural to spend so many hours sitting down. It’s not natural to sit in chairs, or to stare for hours at the pixels of a computer screen. It’s not natural to… I could go on, but I won’t because you know all this.


What to do about it?
Well, if you want to be healthy, I offer you here some practical advice:

  1. The body needs exercise every day. It needs to stretch, and the muscles need to be used regularly. You don’t have to over-do it, but do DO it! (I’ll write an article on proper exercise later).

  2. Breathe deeply and slowly.
  3. Diet: You need to eat fresh, healthy food, and drink lots of water. If you eat meat, eat only a little (once or twice a week is about right). The human body is not designed to eat large quantities of meat, and doing so causes toxins. (I will write an article on nutrition and vegetarian diet later).
  4. Practice deep relaxation daily.
  5. Meditate. Meditation is relaxation taken to a whole other level. When you meditate, you combine deep relaxation with focused awareness (concentration), and the result is a profound, powerful meeting between YOU and YOURSELF. It’s hard to describe – if you have experienced it, you don’t need me to tell you. If you haven’t… I’ll write an article on meditation later!

If you put these 5 points – exercise, breathing, relaxation, diet, and meditation – into practice daily, you will be well on the way to perfect, radiant health. Remember, that means:

“abundant energy and vibrant wisdom merged with physical well-being and peace of mind, bestowing an all-consuming sense of JOY!”

Practicing these 5 points will help to re-align the different aspects of yourself (for example body, emotions, and thoughts). This means coherence, and therefore greater health.


If you get stuck, it may be that there is a blockage. I highly recommend Reference Point Therapy as a unique, highly efficient alternative healing method – quickly and permanently releasing blockages. One such blockage could be a lack of discipline – lack of discipline is really low self-esteem: when we love ourselves deeply, we don’t need ‘discipline’ because we automatically do for ourselves what is best.


An example of the way in which RPT works:
Perhaps your parents didn’t express their love for you openly when you were a child. Perhaps they worked a lot, or maybe they just didn’t know how to love their children fully. This caused you, as a child, to feel a sense of emptiness; like something is wrong with you; as if something in you is missing. This sense of emptiness is a blockage that causes many problems for many people. It prevents people from living life fully; from loving themselves deeply; and from doing the things that they know they should.
It’s easy to release this kind of blockage with RPT.


I practiced the above 5 points for many years, and I made very good progress. Whereas I used to be ill a lot, and suffer from emotional ups and downs, after years of practicing yoga (which is where these 5 points come from – I’ll write more articles on yoga later!), I felt much better. But something was missing. When I discovered Reference Point Therapy all that changed. I let go of several blockages that were holding me back, and my health, abundance, and self-esteem all shifted: I became much more successful.


The purpose of this blog is to share the secret of that success with you. I hope it is helping…
With love,
Ben


Do you agree with this article – anything you disagree with?
Do you feel that something is blocking you from the life you WANT to live?
Have you experienced RPT yourself? – If so, share your experience by leaving a comment.

RELAXATION 1 – WHAT is relaxation?

With this blog I want to GIVE you as much information and practical advice as I can.



So this is the first of a series of guides on relaxation. It’s a big subect – one that in reality few people really think about, but it’s so important. It’s fundamental – without proper relaxation we cannot be successful in any area of our lives. So I’m breaking it down into three manageable chunks:
Today I will tell you WHAT relaxation is (it’s not so obvious!).
In the 2nd article I will tell you WHY it’s so important.
And finally I’ll give you practical advice on HOW to incorporate relaxation into every day life.


WHAT is relaxation?


Relaxing means “going back”.
Going back where?
Inside, where we BELONG!
Ok, but what does that mean?


Almost all our waking lives our attention (and energy) is directed outwards. It goes out through our eyes, our mouths, our bodies (our senses) into the world around us. It is attracted to other people, sounds, advertising, media… all of which are competing for our attention, 24 hours a day…


So to relax means to break this cycle – literally, to regain control of our own attention, our own energy.


Try something:
Take a deep breath into the abdomen, and as you exhale, let go of any physical tension. Taking another deep breath, simply acknowledge what is happening with you right at this moment – physically, emotionally, and mentally… breathing deeply, letting go of tension, and observing how you feel. It’s best to do this with the eyes closed.
Go ahead.


Doesn’t that feel great?!
That is a 10 second relaxation. Now, imagine if you were doing that all the time, 24 hours a day – breathing deeply, letting go, observing. Imagine how good you’d feel, how much energy you’d have!


It’s very simple isn’t it? So why don’t we actually do it?!


The reason why we don’t stay relaxed is because:
a) we were never told the importance of it
b) we were taught that other things are important
c) the combination of a + b causes STRESS


I want to tell you something different: relaxation is the most important thing in the world. It is the foundation of all health, happiness and succes.


Stress is the opposite of relaxation. Quite literally, in biological terms, stress is the absence of relaxation, and relaxation is the absence of stress!
Our nervous system has two possibilities – either the sympathetic nervous system is dominant (stress), or the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant (relaxation).


The sympathetic nervous system reacts to perceived threat in the environment.
Let’s say that a dog behaves aggressively towards you: your body will automatically react in several ways – your eyes dilate to enable faster reactions; your chin drops to protect your throat; adrenalin is released to enable more strength or speed, depending on whether you choose fight or flight; the heart rate goes up to bring more oxygen to the muscles; blood and energy flow is redirected from the organs to the muscles (center to periphery); and so on. All of this is very good – it helps us in difficult sitations, and without it, we would never have survived as a species!
The parasympathetic nervous system on the other hand UNDOES all that the sympathetic nervous system does – when the stress is over (the dog stops barking and goes home) your body needs to calm down. So the parasympathetic nervous system releases hormones to relax the body – releasing the adrenalin, calming the eyes, the heart, and so on.
So, the sympathetic nervous system is all about stress response, while the parasympathetic nervous system is all about normal, regular function.


So far, so good. But what happens when you live in a society where your body is always under stress? For example, what if you live in a city with lots of traffic; lots of people in a hurry; noise, air, food and water pollution creating toxins (stress) in the body; constant bombardment of the senses by media, advertising, etc?
I’ll tell you what happens: the body is permanently in a state of stress. In other words, the sympathetic nervous system is always being stimulated.
This is the primary reason why so many people are so ill, depressed, and unhappy.


I’m not kidding! I lived in London for 14 years and I know from experience!
But let’s be honest: it’s not only city life that is to blame. It’s really the speed of 21st century living – and that can affect anyone, even in the country.


What’s the solution?


The solution is that we have to consciously relax. We have to take time to really come back to ourselves, allowing our body to slow down, and giving time to the systems in our body to balance each other.


This does NOT mean watching a movie; reading a book; listening to music; having a beer / glass of wine; going out with friends. All of these things, which we have been taught to associate with relaxation, are stimulating! They stimulate our senses. They don’t really help us to relax in a deep, meaningful way.


For real relaxation, silence is needed. So that our hearing is allowed to relax, and the muscles of our throat, vocal chords, tongue, and mouth can relax.
Closing the eyes is needed, so that our mind can stop processing visual information (did you know that literally millions of bits of information are absorbed through the eyes every second? And that our brains have to process that information?!).
Lying on the back is the best position to relax in – and the best posture is the ‘corpse pose‘, a yoga pose known to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Breathing should be deep and slow.
And our mind should be directed inwards.


There is a practice called Yoga Nidra, many thousands of years old. Yoga Nidra means yogic sleep, or ‘sleep of the yogis’ – it is a state of awareness in which the body is so relaxed that it sleeps, but the mind is awake, fully conscious.


20 minutes in this state of being is equivalent to two hours of sleep. It’s very simple to do. I’m going to tell you how…

YOGA NIDRA
  • Lie on the back, with the arms and legs slightly apart, and the head in the middle (corpse pose).

First, tense all the muscles in the body, tensing them, and releasing them.
Then get comfortable.

  • Close the eyes, and take a few deep, full breaths.
  • Then focus the attention inwards… focusing your full attention into the toes. Mentally (silently) repeat: “I am relaxing my toes, my toes are relaxing, the toes are relaxed“

Repeat this phrase until you really feel the toes softening, and relaxing.

  • Then shift your attention to your feet, repeating: “I am relaxing the feet, the feet are relaxing, the feet are relaxed…“

Continue this process, going through every part of the body in turn, until you get to the top of your head. 

  • Then do the same for all the internal organs: brain, heart, lungs, stomach, intestines, and so on. The whole body can be done in 5 minutes. If you are a beginner, it will take longer.
  • When you are finished, lie still for at least 3 minutes. Allow your body to be completely still, and simply observe your mind. As time passes, the mind sinks into a deeper and deeper state of relaxation. There comes a point when, with the body and mind deeply relaxed, we touch something inside ourselves very deeply. That is true relaxation.
—



With practice, we are able to be deeply relaxed all the time. When you can do that, you don’t age so fast. You stay healthy. And perhaps most importantly, when you are in a stressful situation, you have more reserves of energy to call upon should you need them.


This is the secret of the ancient yogis, and why they are known for long life and miraculous acts.


In the next article on relaxation, I’m going to tell you just WHY relaxation is so important for us – I believe that it’s the foundation upon which any success (whether in work, relationship, personal development, or spiritual evolution) must be built.
And I’m going to keep on giving you as much information as I can about these things, because I want you to be successful!
– If you would like to be updated, press the FOLLOW button in the top left corner of the page –
With love,
Ben

Breath: Bridge between mind & body

Nearby Forest
What is the single most important thing you ever do?

Breathe… more important than eating and drinking! 


You will survive for months without any food.


For a week perhaps without any water.

But without oxygen you only have minutes! We breathe 24 hours a day! But SO many people breathe badly – using too much energy; creating tension in their body; and not getting enough oxygen. I want to share with you here the three basic rules of correct, or proper breathing…







  1. Always breathe (whenever possible) through the nose. Inhalation, and exhalation! Guess what – that’s what the nose is for!!

  2. Breathe from the abdomen. This means that you use the diaphragm, and breathe deeply into the belly. If you find it difficult (if you have a habit of breathing in the chest) then practise lying on your back. Put one hand on your belly, and the other on your chest. Focus on breathing so that your abdomen expands like a balloon as you inhale, and slowly sinks back down towards the spine as you exhale. The chest should remain still. Practice until you master it. Then you can try sitting up – it’s a bit harder… and finally standing.

  3. Concentrate on the exhalation. Exhalation is active, inhalation is passive. When you exhale slowly and deeply, two very important things happen:

  • You stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (which releases stress from the body), and
  • You empty the lungs! When the lungs are empty, just relax the body, and watch as the lungs expand deeply and effortlessly.

This is the natural rhythm of the breath, the body, and the universe.

 When you begin to breathe better, every aspect of life gets better. Immune system, glands, organs, emotions, feelings, thoughts, relationships… everything is affected in a positive way. BREATHING BETTER is the fastest and most effective way in which we can improve our health and every other important aspect of our wonderful lives – and it’s FREE!

Remember:
Breathe slow and deep, through the nose, into the abdomen.



Focus on the exhalation.


If you have any questions about this or anything else, please contact me. I am always happy to help.
 With love, 
Ben