Phil,

T. Keating, in his intro to your book, calls for a Holy Spirit guided practice of Kundalini yoga. I like that idea.

In Centering Prayer, when we become aware of thought, we gently return to our symbol of receptivity to the presence and action of God within.

You have said the Kundalini energy is not the Holy Spirit; instead, it is a natural energy. In keeping with that concern -- not to identify Kundalini energy as the Holy Spirit -- I am trying out regarding it as my prayer symbol, my symbol of receptivity to the presence and action of God within. Thus, when I become aware of thought during my times of spontaneous yoga, I gently return to awareness of Kundalini energy as my symbol of receptivity to God.

So far, it seems like a beneficial synthesis.

Your response?

I've done something similar at times, Ryan. When the energy is strong, it's pointless to try to ignore it and do something else. To simpy be present to God so that God can mold the process according to His designs is good prayer, I believe.

You might check out the thread, "Evaluating Centering Prayer," on the Christian Spirituality Issues forum. You'll note, there, that I've come to hold some concerns about CP practice and how it might actually contribute to the intensification of kundalini process. The way thought is treated -- as though it's some kind of obstacle to union with God -- is especially bothersome to me. Once the formative power of thought (especially as used in Lectio Divina) is set aside, then the only natural formative agents left are the general orientation of the will (albeit apophatically open) and the body itself. The mental and affective faculties are blown open, and this isn't necessarily a good thing. I much prefer the traditional practice of the prayer of simplicity, which is solidly rooted *within* the practice of Lectio Divina, to which it returns when the times of rest seem to abate. We can discuss all that more on that CP thread . . . just pointing out, here, a connection between CP and kundalini, as you're one who can make a contribution concerning the relationships between both.

Let us know how using kundalini as the sacred word goes.

Thanks for your comments Phil,

I have seen the Evaluating CP thread, and what you have said here fits with what you said there. Thanks for helping me out by applying your evaluations specifically to my situation.

You wrote, "Let us know how using kundalini as the sacred word goes."

At the risk of sounding picky, and perhaps related to my radical reformation roots, I don't usually employ the standard CP phrase "sacred word." I prefer "symbol of receptivity," also a phrase used in CP, but with a different emphasis; one that fits better with the idea that the "symbol" (a broader idea than word) is, as Keating says, arbitrary in meaning. It is not "sacred" in itself. It is only a symbol of the intent of the person in prayer because the person chose it as such.

As to how kundalini as a symbol of receptivity is working, I think it is of value.

One model of receptivity in the Pauline biblical tradition is the "bride of Christ." As saints in the making, we are called to participate in the corporate "bride of Christ," the Church.

When I use kundalini as a symbol of receptivity, I have a sense of participating in the rich tradition of bridal mysticism. My kundalini energy spontaneous yoga is feminine in at least one respect -- it is not ejaculatory. It is also receptive in the sense of not being initiated by my own active will. It is a passive grace.

This is not to say that I identify the energy directly with the Holy Spirit. Instead, I see it as a rarely perceived, but natural process. It is "flesh" becoming "word" under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

That is how I see it this weekend. I am house-sitting for a friend who is on vacation and doing a little drywall finishing for them. But mostly I'm reflecting on Kundalini with the help of Gopi Krishna's autobiography, "Living with Kundalini." His story is very instructive.

Thanks,

That all makes sense, Ryan, and I very much relate to the process you describe. Sometimes it is for me just a being before God as God's beloved, allowing God's loving presence to order the energy process. This is all mostly non-verbal and part and parcel of the contemplative experience. As you know, it's possible to shift one's attention to focus on the kundalini process per se, at which point a different type of meditation begins to ensue. At least that's how I experience it. It's this opening oneself to be formed in Christ through the Spirit that makes all the difference, situating even the kundalini process in a larger context.