Awakening the Serpent with Massage
By: Laurie Handlers
Tags: Massage, Bodywork, Tantra, Kundalini, Awakening

The Sanskrit word Kundalini (“Serpent”) is a description of the life force energy that lies coiled like a snake in the area at the base of the spine. If you look at your back in a mirror, or if you’re looking at a partner’s back, notice toward the bottom of your body where your hips, waist, and buttocks meet is an area of ridges that form an upside-down triangle. These ridges are bone fragments fused together to form the area known as your Sacrum or “Sacred Bone”.

Why is your Sacrum so sacred?

Because your Sacrum covers a gland known as the Kunda gland. At Butterfly Tantra at Butterfly Workshops, we call the Sacrum the “Kundalini Cave”. The Kunda gland has mystical properties whose functions are relatively unknown in modern medicine.

But in Tantra, the Kunda gland is one of the most important glands in human evolution, and its mystical properties are the basis for healing and rejuvenating the body. Ancient Tantrics practiced regularly the stimulation of the Kunda gland through a massage we call the Kundalini Massage.

Photo by Chelsea shapouri on Unsplash

With one partner lying prone on her stomach, on an outstretched towel or blanket. The massaging partner sits or stands to the left of the receiving partner. Receiving partner can be fully clothed, fully nude, or half-nude with her top off.

VEGAS MUDRA

Massaging partner rubs her hands together in what we call at Butterfly Tantra at Butterfly Workshops the “Vegas Mudra”. Pretend there is a pair of dice in your hands and you’re at the dice tables in Monte Carlo ready to break the bank with the next roll.

ENERGY READ

Massaging partner spreads her palms apart and places her left hand up toward the receiving partner’s head, specifically at the Medulla Oblongata “Mouth of the Cobra” where the neck joins the head. Place the right hand at the Sacrum area. Massaging partner closes her eyes and just notices any warm swirling air, or tingling sensations, cool air, or nothing. Whatever the massaging partner feels in her hands is fine.

HAND CHOP

Massaging partner uses the bottom of her hands, in particular, the fleshy part of the side of her palm that connects with her pinky fingers to “chop” at the Sacrum area. This is also known as the “knife move” in the massage. Chopping the Sacrum vigorously, making sure that she is hitting bone area just above the crack of the buttocks, the massaging partner asks the receiving partner if the pressure is okay. There needs to be sufficient pressure on the Sacrum to wake up the “Serpent” by sufficiently activating the sacred Kunda gland. The hand chop is done for approximately two minutes. The sacrum is the only area of bones in the body that respond well to direct pressure like chopping.

TURNING ON THE CHANNELS

In Tantra, there are three main channels in the spine, Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The Ida channel (pronounced ee-da), like the female name Ida (eye-da), is the Shakti channel, or feminine channel. This is the channel on the left of the spinal cord. You may also think of these channels like canals that bring up the feminine energy in the body. The Shiva, or male channel is Pingala (pronounced peen-ga-la) where male energy travels down from the head on the right side of the spine. Sushumna (sa-shoom-na) is the “motorway” or main route through which the powerful Kundalini energy rises and circulates.

Massaging partner makes a “Victory” sign with her index and middle fingers extended like rabbit ears. Using her right hand, she places her Victory sign at the Sacrum area of the receiving partner and pushes her fingers deep into the skin and brings the Victory sign all the way up the spine to the Medulla Oblongata, where the neck and spine meet. Seven strokes are more than sufficient, making sure that there are lines developing on both sides of the spine (Sushumna). This is opening the channels in the body to balance male and female, an important aspect of a healthy Kundalini experience.

KNEADING THE DOUGH

Next, the massaging partner travels upward toward the trapezius muscles, the muscles around the shoulders. This area is where people reveal their burdens from the day, carrying around their problems like a sack of wet clothes. Massage this area thoroughly by kneading the shoulders and trapezius muscles like you have dough in your hands and you’re making bread. Really pull the muscles apart, gently massage the neck tendons around the Medulla Oblongata. The receiving partner will immediately release stress and should be encouraged to make a sound. Sound helps to release blocked energy in the body.

Photo by Nadya Spetnitskaya on Unsplash

BUTTERFLIES

Massaging partner uses her intuition to decide when it’s appropriate to end the shoulder massage, and crosses her thumbs together, joint to joint, the left thumb in front of the right thumb, and extends her fingers wide like a butterfly. Traveling back down to the Sacrum, gently brush the spine with the thumbs crossed. Long strokes all the way from the Sacrum to the back of the head are what is needed here to balance male and female energy up the spine. Again, balancing male and female energy is important for the receiving partner to have a healthy and loving Kundalini experience. Seven light, brush strokes is sufficient

BREATH OF GODDESS

Next, the massaging partner opens her mouth wide and begins to blow warm air up the receiving partner’s spine. The key to this step is taking your time, and blowing warm air, thus, having your mouth open as wide as possible is important. The softer the air as it lands on the spine the better the feel is the usual rule. But the massaging partner should feel free to experiment. Making a silent “aah” sound may also be appropriate. About two minutes' worth of blowing is sufficient. Again, the massaging partner can encourage the receiving partner to make sounds. The Breath of the Goddess is clearing the main Sushumna channel to allow Kundalini to rise.

KUNDALINI RISING

Massaging partner moves her mouth about three inches from the back of the receiving partner's head, particularly where the neck meets the head. This is the Medulla Oblongata “Mouth of the Cobra”, also known in Tantra as the “Mouth of God”. Massaging partner releases three OM (ooooo-mmmmm) chants deep into the “Mouth” of the receiving partner’s neck and head union point, with sufficient volume for the vibration of the voice to be received. Volume is not as important as the vibration or sound waves. Massaging partner needs to make sure there is vibration in her voice. A soft OM can carry a powerful vibration, but the voice must be clear. A person with a soft voice should OM louder than a person with a loud voice, who could tone the OM down a bit.

By this time, don’t be surprised if the receiving partner is asleep and completely relaxed. This is preparing the Shiva (God) opening for receiving Shakti (Goddess). Next, the massaging partner brings her blessed tones to the Sacrum area, opening the Kundalini Cave, ready to bring up the Serpent. Aiming her mouth three inches from the receiving partner’s Sacrum, the massaging partner unleashes three AUM (aaaaa-uuuuuu-mmmmm) chants. This is releasing the sacred Serpent. Shakti shoots up to greet Shiva, the Kundalini life force energy is released through the Sushumna channel in the spine, the body is balanced, healed, perfect and safe! Oh, what a feeling!

After chanting, the massaging partner should match the breathing of the receiving partner. Look at her ribs and notice the pattern of breath.

ENERGY READ

Back to the Vegas Mudra, massaging partner rubs her palms together and places her left hand upward toward the Mouth at the back of the head, and her left hand at the Sacrum. Just notice anything that you feel. There may be a marked difference in the energy of the receiving partner.

GENTLE CARESS

Laying on the left side of the receiving partner, massaging partner “spoons” the laying, relaxed receiving partner, matching the same body pattern. As if you both are Siamese twins unseparated. Grabbing an edge of the towel or blanket that nestles the receiving partner, the massaging partner covers the laying receiving partner, keeping them warm and safe. Allow the receiving partner to feel as if she has just been re-born and you are her mother or father holding her safely. Rocking the receiving partner may be instinctive. If it feels right and safe to do so, the massaging partner should always trust her instincts. The massaging partner can also notice the position of the receiving partner’s heart and matches her heart to the same place. Massaging partner matches the breathing of the receiving partner.

RESTING

Rest together for three to four minutes and then the massaging partner asks the receiving partner to wiggle her toes and fingers and to slowly get up. The massaging partner should assist the receiving partner as much as possible in placing clothing back on and becoming reacquainted with the world. The Kundalini Massage can be a very powerful, and even mystical experience. The receiving partner may be surprised at how little time expired. If she is, it’s a good thing. Connecting with Kundalini energy is orgasmic, sensual, relaxing, healing, loving, powerful and astrological. Thus, the Kundalini Massage is the perfect massage for connecting couples and can open many doors to a sacred intimacy that goes way beyond sex. For some participants in our Butterfly Tantra workshops, Kundalini Massage is the safest, and most sacred connection between two strangers ever experienced. As one participant said of the Kundalini Massage “it’s the safest I’ve ever felt with the opposite sex!”