Kundalini, the power of boundless Consciousness to know Itself both as finite and infinite, is known by many names in different traditions – Holy Spirit, Goddess, Divine Mother, and Bhagavati Maha Prajnaparamita, to name just a few. Awakening is the metaphor aptly used for becoming aware of what already is, however, awakening to this boundless power of Universal Consciousness can be profoundly disorienting to the ordinary mind with all its limitations. Sages and saints have left us maps to help the mind understand what it is awakening to and what lies far beyond its reach. These maps aren’t the territory. We only come to know the actual landscape of Consciousness by becoming skilled, trained, informed explorers. The Eastern meditative traditions and all mystic traditions emphasize the need for direct non-conceptual experience. Maps and selfless guides or teachers are necessary, but not sufficient. We have to make the journey ourselves. I’ll be sharing with you some of the ancient maps that can help orient a seeker on the journey of awakening to the Reality of Infinite Oneness.

Lawrence Edwards, PhD is a teacher, mentor and guide for the path of Kundalini and non-dual spiritual development. He is the founder and director of Anam Cara Meditation and for many years he served as president of the Kundalini Research Network. He trained as a monk in India in an ancient Kundalini yoga lineage. He also trained for decades in the Buddhist tradition and received teachings and empowerments from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other rinpoches. He is a board certified neuro-biofeedback clinician and a licensed psychotherapist. He was on the faculty of New York Medical College for 24 years. He is the author numerous works including: The Soul’s Journey: Guidance From The Divine Within, Awakening Kundalini: The Path To Radical Freedom, and the recent research article in the Journal of Transpersonal Psychology on Kundalini, co-authored by Marjorie Woollacott, PhD, titled: Analysis of Spiritual Awakening in a Kundalini Tradition: Psychological Change and Spiritual Growth.