Living with Kundalini: The Autobiography of Gopi Krishna (Shambhala Dragon Editions) Paperback – November 9, 1993

This was the first Gopi book i read(not the last), and my first glimpse into the inner workings of Kundalini.Not sure what happened to my old copy i read 17 yrs ago, but i recently ordered a second used copy last week.It goes from beginning to end with his own Kundalini awakening, and not unfolding at first in always a positive way.In fact he soon discovers it is passing up only one side (the pingala), the HEAT path and doesn't figure it outor how to get things back on track for a more balanced unfolding of this spiritual energy until later.It is interlaced with sayings on importance of this untapped dormant energy lying at the base of the spine andhow humankind especially in today's world is of utmost importance for our upgrading ourselves on many levels forthe future. I personally did not find the book preachy or overly repeating himself. Although when i read it manyyears ago, i did skip around depending on my mood at the time. I remember some passages being of so interest tome personally, i even found myself highlighting even though i normally am anti-highlighting books in case someoneelse may want to read and develop their own thoughts of importance, but had no plan to lose in first place!He in no way makes light of the complications or hardships associated with kundalini awakening, and lifestylechanges he's to make along the way. He makes no claims ahead of time and is trying to understand his awakeningas it is transforming his mind and body over time and let's the reader follow along with him.** Keep in mind, this is NOT a "how to" book on to have your own kundalini awakening, it IS however one ofthe best books on EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENS to someone "having" their (Gopi) kundalini awakening. And withoutthe usual Eastern new-age-y poetic weirdness, but rather easy to relate to plain English.Also, just to note: it did not read as foreign. Easy to understand for anyone of any religion or background,or like the other reviewer said: earthy. Really simple english and DETAILED as to what happened to him on botha physical and mental level as the kundalini began to awaken and unfold over time. I still wonder had Gopi neverfigured out how to get it back on track(away from just pingali and more equally with ida)that kundalini gonewrong may be related to spontaneous combustion? Anyways, quite interesting book and i.m.o. important in today'severmore seemingly out-of-balance, technology bent--destructive world. We need this spiritual upgrade!

This autobiography of Gopi Krishna is fascinating and inspiring. His experiences from arousing kundalini without the guidance of a guru are a warning for spiritual seekers and at the same time a view of the extraordinary ability of humanity to evolve. He was, in his own words, an ordinary man of moderate habits who, after meditating for three hours a day for seventeen years, had an experience that is difficult for us to imagine. He seems to do a very good job of describing something that is indescribable, although this is just my perception, as I haven’t experienced this. He is very eloquent and his high intelligence and compassion are evident in his writing. I was deeply moved and more than once brought to tears by the depth of this book.If you are a spiritual seeker you will enjoy his story. I admit that when I picked this book up I was feeling despondent about the state of humanity. Insecurity, jealousy, lies, greed and unkindness seem to be pandemic in our cultures. The destruction of the very natural world that sustains us fills me with anxiety for our future survival. Gopi Krishna ends his story with these very warnings, but also with an inspirational discourse on the destiny of humanity to develop a superconsciousness. I hope we reach that destiny.

Fascinating tale of his experience, and this book would have been even better if the stunningly LONG sentences used by the author had been edited down to something more manageable. The sentences are often so long that you end up having to re-read them just to figure out what he meant.

Anyone who is interested to know details about spiritual journey this book is a must. So glad I found this.

Thank you for being so vulnerable to share your process. I really appreciated hearing his story of the trials and tribulations he went through during his kundalini unfoldment. Was very heartening to read. It was a while back but it made an impression on me and now I want to read it again. It is somehow encouraging to read the story of someone who went through such a challenge throughout his awakening and shared from coming out the other side.

My boyfriend and I loved Gopi Krishna's first book, KUNDALINI, but this gives even more material, more information about this incredible man. I agree completely with him that people with transcendental consciousness have what he terms a "hereditary" ability to achieve transcendental states. I highly recommend reading this book--probably more than once.

Great book for anyone looking for an honest and realistic account of a kundalini rising.

I just thought it was a terrible misleading book. One definitely needs a kundalini teacher. His experiences proved the problems one has when you do not have a proper guide. Kundalini exercises are not something to mess with.I lived in India with a kundalini master for five years. Different people would come with awakened kundalini from other masters that did not know how to control the energy. They were in very distraught states until my Baba helped them. It is not something to play around with unless you have a real kundalini guru.Also, everything I have read from different masters like Ramana Maharshi says once the kundalini is stabilized in the Sahasrara it travels back down to the heart chakra. Gopi Krishna’s went back down to his Muladhara (base) chakra. He was not an expert.Very terrible representation of the kundalini process!

Bless him for sharing his down to earth experience. Though I have some idea as to how he could have done to alleviate the pressure on his system or maybe prepare for his day of awakening, this serves as a strict warning to aspirants of kundalini yoga. It's the most dangerous because it is the most potent form of yoga as mentioned by my guru

I loved it, easy and pleasant to read, well written, and apart from this full of information about kundalini awakening.

Wow. This is definitely one of the best books I've ever read....a big surprise. I was advised this book by an acquaintance who is known as a brilliant psychic and healer, at a time of my life when some really strong, weird things were happening to me. I was worried, and feared I was going crazy. He said I should read this book by an Indian guy called Gopi Krishna. I was skeptical ; I thought it would be just another religious guy rambling on about abstract themes, God and mystical visions....Boy, was I wrong. I am too overwhelmed to get into detail now, I will just say that this is an intelligent, rational, scientific account of a physical/psychic phenomenon known as kundalini awakening. This read is an absolute must for anyone interested not only in yoga, oriental philosophy and religion, and of course kundalini, but also esoteric questions, evolutionary theories in scientific terms, and mental illness. The book leaves a lot of questions open, to be sure, but Krishna says clearly that, at this stage, beginning to look for the answers is all we can and must do, and finding them will be the task of science in the future. Anything else I could say, would just spoil the case he makes. Strongly reccomended.

Fg

The most interesting bits of this book are the ordinary and extraordinary biographical details by the author himself. Sometimes the added scientific detail can be quite dense and not that easy to follow, but then I'm not a scientist.