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Kundalini: Path to Higher Awareness
Kundalini yoga begins with the goal of awakening Shakti, the sleeping creative energy believed to rest coiled like a snake at the base of the spine, gently guiding it upward to bring awakening, healing, and transformation.
The word ” kundalini ” comes from the “kundal,” which means coiled energy, the creative potential of an individual. We can understand Kundalini’s meaning as the movement of energy and consciousness within each of us, which allows us to connect with the universal self.
Kundalini Yoga is a Raaj Yoga that builds vibrancy in the body and brings balance to the mind. It is the yoga of awareness of oneself, the study of what we’re truly capable of.
Its primary purpose is to awaken each individual’s full potential for human understanding. We recognise our awareness and refine and expand that awareness to our unlimited self. “Kundalini” helps us find inner duality, create deep listening power, develop inner peace, prosper, and deliver excellence in our personality.
Yogis believe that when Kundalini awakens, it unlocks the Sushumna—the central energy channel—allowing the energy to rise through the six chakras, or energy centres until it reaches the crown chakra at the top of the head.
When Kundalini reaches the crown chakra, it is said to unite with Lord Shiva—the deity of transformation and destruction—who is the eternal consort of Shakti. This divine union is believed to bring about a state of profound joy known as “Blissful Beatitude.”
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Yoga is a vast subject with many types, but the most practised styles are around 11 distinct styles, including Kundalini yoga.
It is a spiritual yoga practice that combines physical postures, breathing methods, meditation, and mantra chanting, which help awaken the inner energy believed to reside at the bottom of the spine.
Kundalini energy is present in every being, but not everyone successfully experiences it. This hidden Kundalini energy lies at the base of the spine in the Muladhara chakra. It is also considered to be the source of pranic energy and consciousness.
Process of Kundalini yoga
Kundalini Yoga is typically practised in six key stages, followed in a specific sequence to maximise its energetic and spiritual effects:
- Kundalini energy chanting: Every Kundalini Yoga class starts with an opening chant called “tuning in,” which helps you connect with yourself and the practice.
- Pranayama or warmup: You’ll practice breathing exercises, known as pranayama, and sometimes gentle movements to stretch and wake up your spine. The main goal of pranayama is to help you control your breath and calm your mind.
- Kriya: A kriya is a sequence of actions (postures, pranayama, mudras, sounds, and meditation) that target a particular physical, emotional, or spiritual outcome. The length of kriya relies on your instructor’s understanding of your practice.
- Relaxation: After a whole kriya part, your body must absorb its effects by relaxing. It could be for 7 minutes or more, depending on your yoga instructor. This deep relaxation practice helps you feel calm, as if you’re going beyond your body and discovering something deeper inside yourself.
- Meditation: Kundalini meditation is designed to awaken the inactive energy at the base of the spine. During a Kundalini meditation, individuals are instructed to focus on their breath or a specific mantra, chakra focus, or visualisation meditation, depending on their needs.
- Closing chant. The class ends with a kundalini energy chanting closing. “MAY THE LONG TIME SUNSHINE UPON YOU, ALL LOVE SURROUND YOU, AND THE PURE LIGHT WITHIN YOU, GUIDE YOUR WAY ON” or “Satnam,” which means “my identity,” is chanted three times—once with each breath.
Note: It’s important to practice Kundalini meditation with a trained teacher because it’s a powerful practice that can profoundly change you. It’s best to learn it safely and correctly.
Also Read – 10 Kundalini Yoga Poses and the Benefits of These Kundalini Yoga Poses
Stages Of Kundalini Awakening Decoded
Practising Kundalini Yoga helps release energy that travels up the seven chakras along your spine, eventually reaching the top of your head (the Crown). This process creates a powerful shift in practitioner awareness, known as Kundalini awakening, which brings you to a higher state of consciousness.
When the body experiences an awakening, you’ll notice many types of symptoms. But before we discuss those, it’s important to understand the stages of the process.
Arambha – It is the first stage of Kundalini awakening. In this stage, the yoga teacher or Guru chants mantras with highly specific vibrational frequencies. These vibrations help unlock energy centres. During this stage, meditative kriyas and exercises open the Root Chakra, where energy is stored. A range of emotions may arise for those experiencing this process for the first time.
It’s a time of letting go, and you may also feel physical discomfort. In some cases, people report having a near-death experience or intense sensations as the energy begins to move.
In this context, it’s important to understand the granthis clearly. The human body has three core granthis: the 1st Brahma Granthi (perineal knot), the Vishnu Granthi (navel knot), and the Rudra Granthi (forehead knot). This first stage of Kundali awakening helps open the Brahma Granthi.
Ghata – The awakening has already started, and the practitioner has reached the 2nd stage, “Ghata’. In this stage, your doubts will become clear, letting you understand and uncover your problems’ root causes, leading to deeper insight and growth. You may encounter intense emotions at this stage, which could lead to emotional outbursts. Your Guru will guide you in visualization techniques through symbolic release, you will cleanse all the harmful energy and emotions that arise during this process, clearing the way for healing.
As the Sushumna Nadi clears, you transcend your ego, unlocking the Vishnu Knot that has kept the lower chakras blocked. This allows energy to flow freely and breaks the cycle.
Awakening: It is the final stage of Kundalini energy, where practitioners reach their purpose, which is awakening. It encourages the dissolution of boundaries between the individual self and the universe’s immensity. This is the moment when you will engage yourself in pure bliss, a state of deep, unshakable contentment.
Before your awakening takes place, you undo the Rudra Knot. This will prepare you for the final awakening when all sorts of duality vanish, and you will be able to become one with the universe.
This triggers your kundalini shakti, which is free to rise as it has confounded all the obstacles. By this time, your chakras will be cleansed, and you will know the meaning of divine energy because you have experienced it.
This entire process may be draining because of numerous shifts in energy as you undergo spiritual transformation. A wise Guru or teacher will guide you through this process with care and balance. However, it is essential to prioritize rest and allow yourself the space to rejuvenate.
Also Read – 7 Health Benefits of Meditation Practice
Kundalini Yoga Benefits
Kundalini Yoga has physical and spiritual benefits, but the main focus is on the mind and deep spiritual awareness. For those seeking spiritual growth and mental peace, Kundalini Yoga is an excellent choice because it helps deepen your inner connection and promotes a calm, focused mind. Here are some benefits you can expect after practising Kundalini yoga:
- Physical Health: The benefits of kundalini yoga on the body are overall, like strengthening the body, increasing flexibility, and improving overall physical health. It can also help relieve chronic pain and lower the risk of injuries.
- Mental Clarity: Kundalini Yoga is a powerful practice for boosting mental clarity and focus. With regular practice, anyone can enhance cognitive function, improve memory, and sharpen decision-making skills.
- Boosts Energy Levels: It activates the body’s natural energy centres, boosting stamina. Kundalini Yoga can help combat fatigue and help to absorb glucose properly.
- Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Kundalini Yoga meditation and pranayama work together to lower cortisol levels in the mind, the hormone that activates stress and anxiety.
- Improves Emotional Health: Releasing negative emotions and tension promotes peace and joy.
- Enhances Spiritual Growth: Kundalini yoga is an excellent tool for connecting with one’s inner self and developing a deeper understanding of the universe. Regular practice can help awaken the Kundalini energy and bring out spiritual growth.
- Bring Balance: The combination of chanting, praying, and kriya addresses the physical body, mind, and spirit. You’ll cultivate a sense of balance and well-being through dynamic postures, breathwork, meditation, and mantras.
- Awaken Your Inner Potential: This practice can lead to heightened consciousness and personal growth.
Note: Kundalini yoga should be practised under the guidance of an experienced guru, or if the process is not to be followed correctly. Otherwise, it can reduce its benefits and negatively affect physical and mental health or cause harm.
Why is Kundalini Yoga Dangerous?
There are many benefits of kundalini awakening, but when the energy increases too much, repressed emotions, insecurities, and inner conflicts surface, which can cause serious damage. This includes severe discomfort as the ego’s self-narrative clashes with hidden truths. As energy rises further, intense visions, fears, and even panic or psychotic symptoms may occur, especially in vulnerable practitioners.
Advanced traditions often avoid simply calming the mind, as this could lead to further repression. Instead, they focus on maximizing this tension, believing that the energy will burn itself out at its peak, leading to a mental breakthrough.
The most famous Indian yogic Guru, Sadhguru, explains that it awakens a high-intensity level of energy that shakes people’s inner world, and if you are not prepared for it, it can be hard for you to manage it.
Energy itself doesn’t have a fixed direction, so you must become more powerful in order to guide it effectively.
Conclusion
All yoga aims to bring you closer to that goal, but Kundalini Yoga is focused explicitly on it. In fact, everything in life is about this – people want to experience life more deeply. Some sing, others dance, some drink, and some pray. Why? They all want to feel life more intensely. Everyone is trying to awaken their Kundalini, but often in an unorganised way. When you approach it with a clear, scientific method, that’s what we call yoga.
