Mind the KAP (Kundalini Activation Process)
By Sarah Schultz
Have you ever spent 15+ hours manically laughing, hysterically crying, and writhing around on the floor with a room full of strangers? Right, me neither. Until last weekend. It started with a KAP (Kundalini Activation Process) Thursday night workshop, housed in the cutest turquoise church in San Francisco’s Lakeside district, and culminated in a full weekend immersion that might have—and I don’t say this lightly—changed my life. Skeptical, scared, intrigued, electrified: My mind, body, and soul were taken on an epic ride last week. While I remained consciously in the driver’s seat for the duration, expert Kundalini transmitter Venant Wong was definitely shifting the gears.
Venant’s background is in business, Tae Kwon Do (both as a black belt and instructor), and professional dancing. “I’ve always wanted to perfect what I wasn’t naturally good at.” So, spirituality became his hurdle. And, as someone who is shaky in their belief of the divine, I can fully say he has mastered it.
Kundalini is the raw life force or energy, sometimes referred to as the “sleeping goddess” or “serpent power, ” that lives within all of us, coiled around root chakra. Once risen or awakened, it moves up your spine, eventually through your crown chakra. “It’s what cleans out your pipes, so the water can run clear,” noted Sigrid—another Kundalini transmission practitioner—in her soothing Swedish accent—at the beginning of the workshop.
Gaining popularity with celebrities, yogis, and those seeking’s their soul essence, Kundalini yoga has seen a spike in popularity in the past couple of years. Through breathwork, mudras, and chants, you can access your Kundalini through repetitive practice. But there’s also a more straightforward way to channel it—through transmission.
Theoretically, it’s the same work as reiki or chi transfer, two healing modalities that involve the movement of energy. But Venant isn’t here to heal, he’s here to expand consciousness (more on that later). And he does it in his own special brand of no-nonsense, leave-your-bullshit-at-the-door-but-come-as-you-are kind of way.
We kicked the workshop off with a demonstration. It looked so surreal and, to be honest, a little scary. Chosen participants laid on their mats, then were activated by Venant. They began dancing, shaking, convulsing, smiling, and grimacing without so much as a touch from him, just some subtle hand movements. After about two minutes (of sheer skepticism on my part), the participants downloaded. “Imagine you are the happiest you have ever been,” explained one. “I’ve felt that the Kundalini needed to go to my legs today, so I allowed it to,” voiced Sigrid. “I know it looks wild, but there is no need to be fearful,” said another, looking directly at me. Then, Venant explained that 10% of first-timers felt nothing, and I 100% assumed I’d be the 10%. After all, did I even believe what I just saw?
We all rolled out our mats, and a brief guided meditation set the scene. The instruction was simple: Forget the day, forget life up to this moment—just be. In the first few moments, I naturally held on. I liked my life, I didn’t want to forget it! Who am I without my negative, self-limiting thoughts?! Oh wait, did I miss a deadline earlier at work? I told my busy, manipulative mind to wait for me outside and settled back into the room, eyes shut. I clicked off the different parts of myself, working up towards my mind.
For the first few moments, I was still. I could sense someone close to me and it started. With bated breath, my chest and stomach began to pump up, then down, and created heat. A glimmer of fear passed through me like an ocean current. I rose up before gently returning to corpse pose, as I felt my mind put up some well-known blocks. The tempo of the music eventually increased and as the vibration of the room reverberated, my body began to echo it. All of a sudden, and all at once, I let go. And that’s when the magic began.
Like there was a magnet, my back arched and I found myself in bridge pose with a sparkling splash of green in my otherwise dark, eye-shut sight. I could feel my heart opening, something I’ve tried to attain on my own without much luck. (Side note: I own a lot of rose quartz.) It was this pure, unadulterated love coursing through my body that I wanted to share, to spread. I rose up even higher, now in a fully seated position, and entered a rhythmic dance sequence that felt foreign, yet completely innate. It was primal and animalistic and I loved it.
For almost an hour, I remained in this state of mindlessness, but body awareness. I could stop moving at any time, but I never wanted to. To my right, I heard another begin to laugh. One by one, like a domino effect, others began to giggle and I couldn’t do anything but join the chorus. It was the happiest, most joyful, most ego-less moment. As the music slowed, so did my body. I relaxed back down on my mat, and someone came and gently placed their hands on my solar plexus. Silent, simple tears streamed down my face as I felt the chakra, often neglected, start to activate.
And then, all of a sudden, and all at once, it was done.
Click here to learn more about the KAP Kundalini Activation Process. To learn more about Venant Wong visit venantwong.com.
