Kundalini Energy

Kundalini means coiled up, or coiled like a snake, and is often translated as meaning “serpent power.” The serpent, in mythology, is an interesting creature. Though he is feared, he is also revered and even envied. A serpent seems to have a touch of immortality, because he sheds his skin. And the caduceus, used to this day by the medical profession to symbolize healing, is represented by two snakes coiled and intertwined around the healing staff of Hermes; it’s also associated with the structure of DNA, another example of two serpentine shapes coiled around a central structure.

When one realizes that all these symbols are universal to humanity, one starts to understand the power of kundalini energy. This is a power that lies coiled at the base of our spines. When it is awakened and properly channeled, it flows through the seven chakras from base to head, enabling the yogi to correspond directly with God.

Mystical yoga taps kundalini energy by using many different practices that produce an altered state of consciousness: yoga, psychedelic drugs, near-death experiences, or sometimes simple meditation. A more modern version uses tantric sex to achieve some of the same effects.

In yogic tradition, Kundalini is curled around the sacrum in three and a half turns (giving it seven segments) around the sacrum, the tailbone of the back. It is directly behind and overlapping the root chakra. Awakening the Kundalini may produce certain bioenergetic phenomenon in something called “pranic wakening,” the release of a vital force in the body. The release of this energy may repair chakras, but it also initiates spiritual development. No yogi releases Kundalini without a plan.

Hatha Yoga is designed specifically to release Kundalini through a regimen of breathing techniques, which uses physical postures that help maintain peak physical fitness. Meditation practice, totally unbroken, is the third element of this yogic practice, as well as is good luck.

Today, there are three different practices for Kundalini yoga. One is the physical-fitness yoga, practiced with little or no regard to the metaphysical aspects of Kundalini. The second is the traditional practice of Hatha Yoga, both in the West and in India. But New Age beliefs have taken parts of Kundalini yoga and run with it, applying it to chakra studies and attempts to unlock the power of prana in oneself.

Such experimenting should be undertaken cautiously. While the New Age has been here since the early 1900s, Kundalini yoga has been practiced and refined for centuries – and even their yogis approach the practice with caution and respect. Many New Age applications for Kundalini power are valid and good, but most are also untried. Never try to unlock your Kundalini power without proper preparation.