Dear Soul Arcanum:
Last year I attended some energy healing lessons, during which I opened my crown chakra. A couple of months after these lessons, I began to feel dizzy all the time. My teacher had warned me that I might experience some changes in my body, but it was a terrible feeling, and I couldn’t wait to get back to normal. I still feel like something is spinning on top of my head, and sometimes my “head spins” as well. What is happening? What should I do?
– A.
Dear A.:
While I see a connection between your spiritual practices and these sensations, it would of course be wise for you to see a doctor and rule out potential physical problems.
That aside, it sounds to me like you need to get “grounded.” When we engage in spiritual practices like meditation, ritual work, spirit communication, energy healing, etc., we focus our energy and attention beyond the physical plane. This can cause us to sort of disconnect from the physical and our physical bodies. We then might say we are “out of it” or not totally “with it,” because on some level, we understand that we are not completely in our bodies.
Our minds are not located in our brains; they are non-physical, so they transcend space and time. Our minds go where we send them via our attention. If we develop a habit of focusing beyond this plane, our minds can begin to disconnect from the physical. You didn’t mention if you continued to work with this teaching or were engaged in other spiritual practices in the period following these lessons, but in any case, it sounds like this experience sparked a new surge of spiritual awakening.
I recommend you research the term kundalini and the various symptoms that can arise with kundalini awakening. Kundalini is just life force energy, of course, so despite the dire warnings you may read, it is in no way dangerous. It is powerful, however, so it demands a careful, respectful approach.
Kundalini is the force carrying us through the evolutionary journey we call life, and things like meditation and energy healing can clear the way for this evolution. Sometimes, this can be an uncomfortable or awkward process, and we may experience “growing pains” as we struggle for a foothold at a new vibration. It’s like our spirits are leading, but our hearts, minds, and/or bodies are lagging a bit behind.
For example, if someone who is engaged in spiritual practice to raise kundalini has a block in their crown chakra, they might experience something like a headache as a result of working with this energy. By contrast, someone with a very open crown chakra who is trying hard to grow spiritually may channel more energy than he is drawing in. He may feel very dizzy during and after spiritual practice because too much energy is flowing out through the crown chakra. I used to get very dizzy when I would try to meditate after a strenuous workout. While this could have been a blood pressure issue, it felt like I was just too revved up (flowing too much energy) to meditate at that time.
During a period of big spiritual awakening, I would also begin to spontaneously leave my body every time I tried to meditate. When my teacher told me this meant I needed to get more grounded, and that I was “top heavy” in terms of chakra development, I gave up my traditional meditation practice and began to focus on getting physically strong, fit and healthy. In terms of spiritual practice, I began to study and work with earthy paths like Wicca and shamanism. This led to new spiritual growth, better balance, and greater well-being. I was more “grounded” in the physical.
It only makes sense that balance would be a key issue here, since when you are dizzy, you naturally lose your balance. It may prove helpful to ask yourself in what ways you are out of balance in various aspects of your life: your physical health, emotional world, relationships, career, spiritual journey, etc.
Also, when you’re engaged in raising kundalini or awakening spiritually, low blood sugar is a common problem. In fact, people who are going through a kundalini experience often crave things like sugar, dairy and refined carbs because their energy is erratic. When they experience a surge in kundalini, they burn through energy quickly, and their blood sugar drops.
So if you’ve been fasting or eating very lightly and you’re getting dizzy, it would be prudent to make sure you’re eating frequently and eating enough. If you are uncomfortable with the dizziness, you could counter the blood sugar issues with protein in the form of nuts, soy or animal products. If, however, you want to work with this shift, you might honor your cravings. In fact, despite our Western prejudice against these foods, dairy products and sweet carbs are said to promote a high spiritual vibration.
Similarly, if you want to work with this surge in energy, you could try moving with it. By practicing something like yoga, tai chi, or chi gong, you can channel and release the energy. If, however, you just want “your old self back,” you could focus on getting lots of sleep and physical rest.
To get back to “normal,” you might also try just doing normal things and hanging out with normal people. This will bring your vibration back down to a level you’re comfortable with. Spend time with people who are grounded in “ordinary reality,” who have good common sense, and are trustworthy and reliable. Do mundane things like cleaning, exercising, spending time outdoors, etc. Simply get physical: feel your body on your chair, focus on the physical world around you, and stay present to the here and now of your outer experience.
You mentioned a teacher who had told you that you might experience some physical changes. One of the greatest reasons to have a spiritual teacher is so you have someone you can consult when you don’t know what to do. Hopefully, if you contact your teacher about these sensations, he will be able to help you find your way to better balance.
There is a note of worry in your question, and I want to reassure you that your dizzy sensations do not mean that there is something “wrong.” It’s more like when you feel tired, and how that just means that you need to rest: feeling dizzy just means you need to get grounded and balanced. Fortunately, balance is natural: everything in nature eventually returns to balance, including our bodies and the rest of our beings.
– Soul Arcanum