QC

My first chakra experience was terrifying, uncontrolled, unexpected - for me & people around me. I didn’t know what it was at the time. It was directly connected to my first exploration of meditation. It was also positive and changed the course of my life in some ways.

This sounds a bit like what some people call kundalini syndrome, and others “spiritual emergency” For those who may not be aware, kundalini as a phenomenon is engaged with in some Tibetan Buddhist practices, but it’s languaged differently

Would love to hear more about this! I think I had some kind of kundalini-ish experience last year but I never really learned what to do with it.

Well, if it had a flavour of destabilizing-ness, or felt a bit scary/alarming, I’d recommend looking up “spiritual emergency” and emergence and figuring out what self-care, first aid, hygiene, and possibly further outside resources might be indicated

If it didn’t have that destabilizing flavour, and was just more about of an upwelling of energy in a mostly positive way, then there’s really basically two classical schools of thought 1. Ignore it. (Very Pali canon & Goenka-ian). Just keep sitting

2. Use it, work with it. (this is view of Hindu & Buddhist Tantra, and Chan - esp. Shaolin). Physical bodymind practice helps integrate it. My experience and commitments heavily tilt me in favour of approach # 2

This sounds much more like my style too. I can kinda integrate the energy when I have a person good at attunement holding space for me, but I don't really have any practices for working with it solo. Someone told me to try kundalini yoga, any thoughts?

Oh good grief, I have a lot of thoughts. Here’s my $0.02; just my opinion. If you’re talking about the Yogi Bhajan system, it’s...a mixed bag. A real mixed bag There are some really great practices (I use a couple of their moves in my movement practice) and you can do them