When Kundalini is awakened we become aware of our true nature, of our greatness, of the fact that not only do we belong to God, but we are God. On the several ways Kundalini can be awakened.

The awakening of the inner Kundalini is the true beginning of the spiritual journey. Just as when She is directed outward, Kundalini enables us to explore the outer world, when Her inner aspect is activated, we are able to experience the inner, spiritual world. The scriptures say that as long as the Kundalini is sleeping, it doesn't matter how many austerities we follow, how much yoga we practice, or how many mantras we repeat, we will never realise our identity with our inner Self. We will never known our own divinity, or understand God, or experience the all-pervasiveness of Consciousness.

In our present state, we identify ourselves with this body which has a certain size and shape. We are not aware that we are all-pervasive. It is only when the Kundalini is awakened that we become aware of our true nature, of our greatness, of the fact that not only do we belong to God, but we are God.

A verse in the Shiva Mahimna Stotram says, 'How can I describe You when You are beyond the mind, body and senses?'

When the Self is limitless, unborn and eternal, how can It be known? Only through the medium of Shakti can we gain entry to the Self.

This is why it is essential to awaken the inner Kundalini Shakti. According to Shaivism, when one acquires the strength of Kundalini, one expands infinitely, and then one assimilates the whole universe; one is able to see the whole universe within one's Self. One no longer remains a bound, limited creature; one achieves total union with God. One merges with Shiva and becomes Shiva.

Although Kundalini pervades the human body, She has a special abode at the center of the body, in the muladhara chakra at the base of the spine. In fact, there are three kinds of Kundalini within the body - Prana Kundalini, Chit Kundalini and Para Kundalini - each of which has a different location. Kundalini can be awakened at all three locations; however, it is at the muladhara that She is usually awakened. The word mula means root and adhara means support. According to the yogic scriptures, this root is three inches long, and within it the Shakti resides in a subtle form, coiled three and one-half times; this is why She is known as Kundalini, the coiled one. When She is awakened, She uncoils and begins to journey upwards towards the abode of Shiva in the sahasrara.

There are several ways in which the Kundalini Shakti can be awakened. She can be aroused through intense devotion to God, through repetition of mantra, or through the practice of various yoga exercises. Different modes of awakening the Kundalini have been described in the scriptures. The easiest and best method is through Shaktipat from the Guru, when the Guru directly transmits his own divine Shakti into the disciple. It is the divine function of the Guru to awaken the dormant Shakti; when the Guru transmits his power into a disciple, the inner aspect of Kundalini is automatically activated and set into operation.

Shaktipat is a great and divine science. It is the secret initiation of the greatest sages.

A true Guru, then, is one who can bestow divine grace on a disciple through Shaktipat, who can awaken the three aspects of Kundalini, can pierce all the blocks in the disciple's spiritual centers, and who can still the disciple's wandering mind and help him find peace within himself.

Related: Nature of Kundalini | Awakening of Kundalini | Kundalini Awakening in Daily Life | The Attainment | Glossary