Swami Khecaranatha has been teaching Kundalini Sadhana since 1972. With a mastery etched from five decades of inner practice and selfless service, he is an authentic adept of Tantric Shaivism and an initiated carrier in the Shakti Transmission Lineage of Bhagavan Nityananda and Swami Rudrananda (Rudi). Khecaranatha is the spiritual leader of Heart of Consciousness, which is based at Nityakash, his retreat center on Maui, Hawaii.

Swami Khecaranatha was not born to privilege or in a spiritual environment, but to an American family in circumstances comparable to those of most of his readers. While living in an ashram for thirty years he also held several “real-world” jobs, including that of CEO of a multimillion-dollar publishing/consulting business. This personal experience has strengthened Swami Khecaranatha's conviction that it is possible to live fully in the world while developing and maintaining one's conscious connection with the Divinity within. From this platform, he is able to discuss spiritual growth in language that is relevant to students' daily lives, giving them specific tools to actualize the radical transformation of consciousness that is available to anyone willing to work in-depth, over time.

Books:

Merging With The Divine: One Day at a Time

Depth Over Time: Kundalini MahaYoga: A Path of Transformation and Liberation

The Heart of Recognition: The Wisdom and Practices of the Pratyabhijna Hrdayam

Shiva's Trident: The Consciousness of Freedom and the Means to Liberation

Website: heartofc.org

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded October 5, 2013.

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Swami Khecaranatha (Nathaji)

00:03:29 - From Disbelief to Spiritual Awakening

00:07:12 - The Grace of Meeting Rudi

00:11:39 - Rudi's Break from Muktananda

00:15:14 - The Kundalini Awakening and Meditation Techniques

00:19:18 - Kundalini Yoga: Becoming aware of energy frequencies

00:22:44 - The Transmission of Shaktipat

00:26:26 - The Initiation from Rudi

00:30:28 - Kundalini Awakening and the Potential Dangers

00:34:17 - The Intensity of Kundalini Awakening

00:38:02 - Burning with Emotions

00:41:35 - The Divine Force that Created Us

00:45:25 - The Zoomed-In Microscope and God's Plan

00:48:53 - The Four Upayas

00:52:29 - Rudi's Accelerated Growth

00:55:45 - The Intensity After Rudi's Passing

00:59:02 - Siddhis and Enlightenment

01:02:34 - Finding Joy in Life

01:06:01 - The Seduction of Enlightenment

01:09:44 - The Challenge of Describing Enlightenment

01:13:46 - The Origins and Development of Shaivism

01:17:15 - Awakening the Psychic Body and Ascending Consciousness

01:21:15 - The Ultimate Reality within Ourselves

01:24:01 - Tantra as a Practice in Kashmir Shaivism

01:27:59 - The Journey to Becoming a Swami

01:31:42 - Rudi's Teaching and Tantric Shaivism

01:35:21 - Swami's Personal Life and the Levels of Sannyas

01:39:09 - Surrendering to God and the creation of Rudramandir

01:42:43 - Thriving Amidst Challenges and Authenticity

01:45:57 - Concluding Remarks and Next Episode Preview

01:48:19 - End credits