Shaktipat...

The Primordial Energy of Consciousness gives birth to the universe, nurtures it, and bestows manifold spiritual blessings. This Evolutionary Energy dwells within all beings as Kundalini. Great Spiritual Preceptors have the rare ability to awaken this Divine Energy and lead seekers to the experience of their own true essence - Being, Consciousness and Bliss. This is the path of Mahashakti Yoga. The uniqueness of this Yoga is that it includes all other Yogas. The type of Yoga exactly suited to the seeker occurs spontaneously. This is propitiated from within by the workings of the awakened Kundalini Shakti Energy.

There are many spiritual practices that are generally recommended, including maintaining subjective awareness, mantra repetition, meditation, chanting, satsang and living the teachings. These are activities that you can do. Yet, around Great Beings, something else happens. You are done! Just as a candle lights another candle, the master injects a current of Divine Power (Shakti) into the subtle body of the aspirant. This ignites or releases their inner prana (life force). This prana then works freely, generating the various yogic processes - asanas, mudras, pranayamas, etc. This is known as Shaktipat (descent of Grace) or the awakening of Kundalini. It is initiation of the highest order.

There is no conscious effort or sense of doership involved in these spontaneous yogic processes. One watches as a witness. The workings of this Energy thin the Self-limiting impressions of past actions stored in the mind stuff by converting them into Kriyas (movements). With this, the binding tendencies that limit one's consciousness are lifted. Whatever path one may follow, it is inevitably through the release of prana that one enters deep meditation and ultimately, Union with God.

The importance of the Guru cannot be overemphasized on this journey. First, because it is extremely rare for an aspirant to be able to awaken this indwelling Divine Energy, and second, because after Its awakening, various purification processes occur where the stabilizing influence of the Guru is very important.