Have you ever been meditating, submersed in stillness, in a flow state or a deep yoga pose and suddenly your body begins to twitch, jerk, shake, or feel like it is realigning itself in ways you didn’t consciously initiate? Perhaps it felt like your limb just developed a mind of its own, someone was correcting your posture, you had a sudden wave of tears from nowhere or a burst of sound or breath escaped you unexpectedly. Sometimes this can even be full words that seem foreign to you until you investigate them further – trust me that can be a mind-trip!

These involuntary responses can feel strange or even unsettling, especially when there’s no one around to explain what’s happening. In yogic traditions, these are often referred to as kriyas: spontaneous energetic adjustments that occur as your system processes, purges, or integrates subtle information. You might not even be consciously doing an activity to receive input information but are simply at a stage in your own evolutionary journey where you’re open enough to receive a transmission of energetic information. Often your body may have to adjust its own baseline to integrate them. But that’s just one example of a kriya – there are many, and we’ll dive into them!

An important thing to know is that kriyas aren’t exclusive to Hinduism or yoga. I use this term because it is how I first started to find the language for something that was an unmistakable part of my new reality. Many mystical and indigenous traditions have recorded similar phenomena under different names, each interpreting them as signs of spiritual alignment, Divine recalibration, or ancestral intervention.

Watch out for my coming YouTube video on this topic where I’ll dive deeper into how these energetic responses have been viewed by different cultures – and expand on some of the most common types of them. If you’re consuming material like this, you may have already experienced this phenomenon but dismissed it as just being ‘clumsy’ or ‘just’ a natural body twitch. They often get to a stage where something will lead you to question deeper…and that is why this article exists.

This information is normally seldom spoken about – and for good reason (we’ll get to that another time) are reserved for initiates and advanced devotees. It is often discovered as retrospect information to explain what they had experienced. I have this crazy idea that maybe, if more people are armed with the awareness and are prepared to pause and notice these profound happenings within their own system, then we can collectively benefit from what they serve to teach us individually – crazy right?!

In this article, we’ll explore what these responses really are, why they happen, and what it means when your biological system starts to speak back to your consciousness and help you anchor your experience with clarity and sovereignty.

And if you’ve ever stumbled into the depths of a YouTube spirituality rabbit hole and found yourself watching a group meditation session where someone suddenly starts shaking, sobbing, or making unexpected sounds – yes, those are kriyas. They can look intense, even frightening, especially without context. But behind that external release is often a profound inner shift: the body letting go, unwinding, or receiving in ways that words can’t touch.

This article doesn’t just celebrate the light side of energetic awakening – it also speaks to the shadowed and silent parts of the process: the grief that arises when you realise you’ve been numb for years, the fear that surfaces when something unseen moves through you, and the vulnerability of letting your body lead for the first time. All of that is welcome here.

When Your Body Speaks Back

I’ll never forget the first time I became aware it was happening, though with awareness I can now look back and say it had been for years. I was sitting still after a deep meditation when my spine gently arched without warning, my head tilted upwards as if guided softly by invisible hands, and I felt a slight sway as if the angle of my whole body was being repositioned and a wave of energy surged through me causing a couple abnormally deep, spaced out heart beats. Honestly, I felt so loved and supported in that moment, but as the brain came back online it was a bit terrifying – even as an experienced Occultist who is familiar with energetics (and entities). Something was clearly happening to me. My body was responding to an unseen force, and I had no words for it at the time. Later, I would come to understand this as a kriya. This is mostly seen as a spontaneous energetic movement or adjustment often described in yogic and Kundalini traditions. There are different types of kriyas, both internally generated and more guided ones as I’ve just described but understanding these aren’t just tricks of your imagination is the first step.

Even before I found the language for it, I knew it was real. And since then, I’ve come to learn (formally) what I instinctively knew – kriyas aren’t limited to yoga or Eastern practice, they show up across cultures, in shamanic initiations, Taoist meditations, Sufi devotions, even modern trauma release therapies. These spontaneous movements are not glitches in your nervous system, they are signs of deep energetic recalibration. Your system is unwinding, releasing, and remembering how to listen to energy in its purest form.

If you’ve ever experienced anything like this: sudden twitches, involuntary sounds, jolts during stillness or breathwork – you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. In this article, I’ll walk you through what these reactions really mean, how to support your body during them, and offer practical tips to help you move through this stage of your journey with grounded awareness and trust in your own unfolding.

What’s Actually Happening During a Kriya or Energetic Reaction?

As we move through periods of spiritual activation, inner healing, or deep meditation, the body often becomes a bridge processing not only our emotional and mental experiences, but also subtle energetic information. The result? Our biology responds in real time, sometimes in ways we can’t control or predict.

These somatic reactions – whether they show up as jerks, shakes, postural shifts, sound releases, or intense emotional waves – aren’t random. They are often signs that the system is:

  • Releasing stored energetic blockages
  • Receiving or adjusting to incoming energetic transmissions
  • Reclaiming alignment after long periods of dissociation or fragmentation

In the beginning, these signals can be loud. Your nervous system is learning how to hear and translate energy, and just like when you first learn a new language, the early messages may come through in more dramatic or jarring ways. Your body may jolt you out of a distracted moment or shake during meditation as a way of forcing your awareness back into the present.

It’s not punishing you. It’s asking you to listen. And the more you do, the more things begin to shift.

Over Time: From Disruption to Dialogue

As you stay consistent in your practice, whether it’s meditation, breathwork, movement, or simply intentional presence – your body starts to realise that it no longer needs to “shout” to get your attention. What once required a full-blown tremor might now arrive as a whisper in your chest, a heat in your palms, or a subtle twitch in your eye.

This is what I call the recalibration arc: a process where your biological system adjusts to receiving information from your energetic body without going into fight-or-flight. You begin to tune into the subtler frequencies of the universe, and in doing so, the transmissions that once overwhelmed you become invitations for intimacy with your own awareness.

Audio-visual distortions, sensory triggers, or emotional floods may soften or even disappear altogether, not because you’re bypassing, but because your system is no longer resisting.

This isn’t a bypass. It’s a breakthrough. You’ve stopped reacting, and you’ve started relating.

Now I’m going to through a spanner in the works and talk about some other types of Kriyas that a lot of people experience and don’t know it – unfortunately. Don’t we all love to know when a friend has our back? What if that’s still the case but the friend isn’t embodied?

Kriyas as Spiritual Assistance

While kriyas are often described as spontaneous physiological responses or energetic recalibrations, those of us walking a deeply mystical path know that sometimes there is more to the story. Yes, some kriyas are your body’s way of processing suppressed energy or releasing trauma stored in the nervous system. But other times, the source of that movement or the impulse that triggers the shift may not be entirely your own.

Many seekers report feeling as though something is adjusting them during meditation, especially in the early stages of practice. A head gently tilted, a spine subtly realigned, an arm lifted all not by conscious effort, but as if guided by an invisible intelligence. These experiences are often dismissed or rationalised away, yet they are consistent across cultures and lineages. From yogic kriya yoga initiates to shamanic apprentices and mystics of all paths, many describe the sensation of being “touched by Spirit” and in some cases, quite literally repositioned.

These are not mere metaphors. In some instances, kriyas may be the direct result of assistance from non-incarnated beings: guides, ascended masters, ancestral spirits, or even divine intelligences who are aiding your evolution. These beings may not be physical but that does not mean they are distant. For those with the openness to receive, they can become very present.

Like myself, you might be working with someone like Hekate or Kali, who not only offers symbolic teachings but sometimes moves through your body as part of your devotional surrender. Or perhaps you feel Odin’s energy adjusting your breath as you sit beneath your own proverbial tree. These are not fantasies, they are multidimensional collaborations, and kriyas may be the language of that collaboration.

Helpers of the Unseen

For those actively walking the path of awakening, it’s not unusual to encounter helpers who never incarnated in human form at all – energetic allies, angelic presences, or cosmic beings whose purpose is to support those doing sacred integration work on Earth. If you have consciously or unconsciously asked for support, these beings may show up not as voices or visions, but as impulses in your body, as gentle pushes toward alignment.

These are transmissions of intelligence, translated into movement.
A tilt of the jaw that releases shame.
A spontaneous mudra that anchors protection.
A wave of breath that breaks the pattern of generational trauma.

To ignore these movements is to silence a profound conversation your soul is trying to have.

That’s why it’s so important not to pathologise these experiences or rush to explain them away through trauma language alone. Yes, healing happens. But sometimes what’s happening is not a release… it’s a reconnection. You are remembering your sacred posture. You now realise though, perhaps are being adjusted by grace.

Cellular Memory and the Continuum of Incarnation

At other times, kriyas may arise not from external beings, but from your own soul’s memory. We are not blank slates at birth, we arrive encoded with the essence of our previous journeys. And while we may incarnate into families, cultures, or belief systems that seem disconnected from our soul path, the pull to remember is always there.

You may have been a priestess, monk, healer, or mystic in previous lifetimes. You may have practised breathwork or trance states, held sacred geometry in your posture, or learned specific energy flows through your spine, hands, or eyes. The body remembers. And when you begin a practice in this life – even something as ‘simple’ as sitting still – your system may begin to recreate those energetic patterns.

Sometimes a kriya is a return, a movement back into the alignment your soul already knew. Other times it’s an adjustment, making space for the parts of your path that still remain unfinished.

This is why so many of us find our way back to ancient traditions, even if we were raised in environments that were atheistic, strictly religious, or spiritually empty. On a soul level, we are drawn back to the frequencies that are most familiar, whether that’s through deities like Shiva, Tyr, or Freya; through dream symbolism; or through bodily movements we can’t quite explain.

These kriyas are not just about this life. They are about the entire arc of your soul’s embodiment.

Practical Tips for Navigating Somatic Recalibration

If you’ve been experiencing heightened sensitivity, body jolts, emotional surges, or sensory overwhelm during your awakening journey, here are some practical ways to support your system as it learns to integrate and recalibrate:

1. Anchor with Intention, Not Force

Instead of trying to “force yourself to ground” through willpower, try setting a gentle intention to be present in your body. Place your hand on your solar plexus or heart and whisper:
“I’m here. I choose to stay.”
Let your body feel the invitation without pressure.

2. Track Your Triggers Without Judgement

When your body reacts strongly (e.g. jumps, tightens, zones out), don’t immediately label it as “bad” or “wrong.” Instead, treat it as data. Ask yourself:

  • What just happened?
  • What was I thinking, sensing, or avoiding?
  • What message might my body be amplifying?

This builds trust between your awareness and your body’s intelligence.

3. Create a Sensory Safety Kit

Have a few tools nearby that help soothe your nervous system quickly:

  • A grounding scent (e.g. cedar wood, chamomile, or lavender oil)
  • A heavy blanket or shawl
  • A textured object/s (crystal, smooth stone, sensory toy)
  • A soft sound playlist or nature frequencies
  • A creative and low energy activity like colouring-in

Use these to disrupt the disruption — lovingly and non-judgementally.

4. Introduce Gentle Stimulation

If your system is too “switched on” or stuck in hyper-vigilance, paradoxically, gentle stimulation can help. Try:

  • Brushing your skin with a soft bristle brush
  • Swishing cold water in your mouth
  • Humming or chanting softly (this activates the vagus nerve)

These actions give your system safe input, so it doesn’t default to overwhelm.

5. Honour the Rest Cycle

Integration doesn’t happen in peak states, it happens in recovery windows. Make space for:

  • Short naps
  • Lying on the floor with nothing to do
  • Logging off from spiritual input when your body says “enough”

Remember: You do not need to be constantly processing to be evolving.

6. Talk to Your Body Like an Ally

When you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in your body, try speaking aloud to it as though it’s a beloved partner:

  • “I see you’re reacting – thank you for letting me know.”
  • “You don’t have to hold this alone.”
  • “We’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

This re-establishes communication and softens internal conflict. If you cried at any of those – I’ve got a special section to this article for you – keep on reading.

Before You Reflect: A Note for Every Body

Not everyone will experience kriyas in the same way, or at all. That doesn’t mean you’re not spiritual enough, sensitive enough, or doing something wrong. For some, these movements arise quickly and unmistakably. For others, the journey of embodiment is a slower, quieter unfolding. If you’re someone who hasn’t felt these spontaneous shifts yet, or doesn’t feel fully in your body most days, you’re not being left behind – you’re standing at a different doorway of the same sacred house.

Let’s be honest: disconnection from the body can feel painful. It can carry grief, shame, or confusion, especially if you’ve been doing the practices, showing up on the mat, sitting in meditation, and wondering why you’re still waiting for something to “happen.” But your path is no less powerful. Kriyas are not a badge of achievement. They are simply one way the body speaks when it’s safe enough to respond. And if your body doesn’t feel safe yet, then this is your initiation of learning how to hold space for it, patiently, fiercely, and without force.

After these tips, as you move into the reflection questions below, know that these aren’t tests or spiritual homework. They’re invitations. And wherever you are whether buzzing with energy, sitting in stillness, or feeling like you’re floating outside your skin then this section is for you.

Let it meet you where you are, not where you think you should be.

7. If You Don’t Feel Embodied Yet, That’s Okay

Let’s start here you are not behind. Not broken. Not missing something everyone else has.

Many people live most of their lives feeling somewhat disembodied, especially those who’ve experienced trauma, over-intellectualisation, or environments where emotions and body awareness weren’t safe. If you’re reading this and thinking “I don’t even know what my body feels like most of the time,” that’s not a flaw. That’s a protective adaptation that served you until now.

Be proud that you’re even noticing that.

8. Start with Gentle Sensory Invitations

If tuning into subtle energy feels overwhelming, try simple, non-spiritual sensory practices to help your body feel safe again:

  • Rub your hands together and slowly pull them apart and feel the warmth and sensation
  • Place a cool cloth on your face and notice the temperature shift
  • Sit or lie on the floor and press your body against it and feel supported by gravity
  • Name three sensations out loud: “I feel the breeze on my skin, the weight of my legs, the softness of this blanket.”

The goal isn’t to activate kriyas, it’s to build trust with your body’s presence.

9. Validate the Smallest Wins

If you cry after a meditation, that counts.
If your breath shifts without you forcing it, that counts.
If you suddenly feel emotion for “no reason,” that’s your body speaking.

This is how energy moves when it knows it’s finally being listened to. The more you notice and validate these subtle shifts, the more your body will begin to offer them.

10. Reframe Disconnection as Dormancy

What feels like numbness is often just a body that hasn’t been spoken to in a language it understands. Instead of saying “I can’t feel anything,” try:

  • “I’m still learning how my body speaks.”
  • “Maybe I’ve just been speaking a different dialect of presence.”
  • “It’s not nothing – it’s not yet.”

Trust that the path will unfold uniquely for you and that presence is a practice, not a personality trait. Opening the conversation to learn your bodies language with simple statements like this can have a profound impact.

11. Use the Phrase “I’m Here” as a Portal

When you feel dissociated or lost in your thoughts, softly whisper (aloud if possible): “I’m here.”

And again. “I’m here.”

This simple act can become an anchor. Not to pull you forcefully back but to remind your system that it is safe to arrive. Do not underestimate these words due to a perception of simplicity…when they unfold, they can be loaded.

12. Ask Why You Might Feel Disconnected in the First Place

If embodiment feels distant, heavy, or even impossible – pause and ask why.
This disconnection didn’t come from nowhere.

Many of us learned, often at a very young age, that being in our body wasn’t safe. Maybe you were punished for expressing emotion. Maybe your physical boundaries were ignored. Maybe no one ever mirrored your internal world back to you, so you left it behind to survive. Over time, this kind of protective distance can evolve into full-blown dissociation, or even body dysmorphia – not because you’re broken, but because your system got too good at protecting you.

If that’s your story (or even just a whisper of it), this article isn’t here to tell you to “snap out of it” and feel energy. It’s an invitation to uncover the why, so you can begin to reclaim your body as a safe space again. From there, the sensations may start to arise. Your system may start to shift. The energy that was trapped may finally move.

13. Emotional Waves Are Kriyas Too (Especially Tears)

Not all kriyas look like shaking, jolting, or physical movement. Some of the most powerful ones move through us in emotion and for many, crying is the first and clearest sign that energy is beginning to flow.

Crying during meditation, after breathwork, in savasana, or even in moments of stillness isn’t random. It’s not just being “emotional.” It’s often a release of held, unprocessed energy – especially grief, shame, relief, or finally feeling seen. Sometimes, it’s not even tied to a specific thought. That’s the magic of it, kriyas don’t need a narrative to be valid. They’re how the body and soul speak to each other without words.

For people who are just beginning to reconnect to their bodies after long periods of disconnection, these emotional releases are often the first sign that your system is thawing. You may cry suddenly, for no clear reason. You may feel choked up during a meditation or out of nowhere during a yoga pose. This is energy unbinding itself from the tissues where it was once trapped.

Don’t shut it down. Don’t try to “make sense of it.”
Instead, refer back to earlier tips:

  • Whisper “I’m here” as an anchor (Tip #11)
  • Speak to your body as an ally (Tip #6)
  • Let the tears become a portal, not a problem
  • Wrap yourself in your sensory safety kit (Tip #3)
  • Honour the rest cycle after a wave passes (Tip #5)

These emotional kriyas are proof that you’re listening, that your body feels safe enough to soften, that you’re no longer holding it all in your own hands.

Let the tears come. Let them wash something through.
This is what returning to your body looks like.

And let me say this clearly:
If you’re someone who relates more to the second half of these tips – the ones about numbness, distance, or fear – then you likely have even more energy waiting to be reclaimed and released. The power within you isn’t gone. It’s just buried under the weight of survival.

And when it begins to stir, when you do notice movement or kriyas, it won’t be random. It will be you coming home.

If this article stirred something in you whether it was a tear, a tightness, a memory, or even just a blankness – that’s not a failure. That’s a beginning. The path back into your body isn’t paved with instant sensations or grand revelations. It’s built slowly, gently, through acts of attention. Through telling the truth about what’s been too heavy to carry alone. Through moments like this where instead of bypassing your numbness, you sat with it and asked it to speak.

You don’t have to feel it all today. You don’t have to crack wide open. Just keep coming back. Keep noticing. Keep listening. The body always remembers how to come home. Sometimes it just needs time to trust that you’ll stay.

Closing Words: You’re Not Broken – You’re Becoming Fluent

Now that we’ve looked at what kriyas are, the different places they can originate from and addressed the elephant in the room that often leaves some practitioners feeling out of the loop when we talk about topics like this because they have their own type of relationship with their biological vessel that is just as valid to look at, I’ll leave you with these parting words for now. Your body is not malfunctioning – it’s becoming fluent in the language of energy. The trembles, jolts, and sighs are not signs of something going wrong; they are your system’s way of recalibrating itself to a new level of presence. These kriyas, however they appear, are sacred messages written in sensation, asking for your witness, not your control.

You don’t need to fear them.
You don’t need to suppress them.
You just need to learn how to listen.

This path isn’t always graceful. It may shake you, crack you open, leave you raw. But over time, what was once overwhelming will become intimate. And that intimacy with your breath, your bones and your energy is where real power lives.

May you meet your body not as a barrier, but as a bridge. And may you learn to walk that bridge with reverence, curiosity, and deep trust in the intelligence that made you.

Blessed Be xo