What is Kundalini and What is Kundalini Yoga?
by Guru Singh mss

Imagine an intuitive, specialized, spiritual power, physically existing within your own body, able to be consciously activated and awakened to its fullest potential... leading you to a fulfilled life of happiness and ultimately spiritual enlightenment. Kundalini: a word you may have heard before refers to this physical, anatomical and mystical energy that when activated will lead to all of the above.

The purpose of any spiritual practice is to bring the freedom, power and fulfillment, rightfully available to every human being. All Spiritual practices recognize that the awakening of the Kundalini brings this consciousness. Kundalini is the basic energy of life. Kundalini is a Sanskrit word meaning coiled power; centered in the human body at the base of the spine; it is a powerful nerve coiled three times.

The three coils of the Kundalini are:

(1) Prana-Kundalini - the energy that gives life to the physical body.

(2) Chitta-Kundalini - the energy of our mind and emotions.

(3) Para-Kundalini - the energy of our spiritual Self.

In order for us to achieve spiritual awareness, this energy must be awakened and drawn upward through the spine to the crown of the head. This is where Kundalini yoga comes in. A powerful and ancient style of yoga it involves postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayam), and hand positions (mudras), Kriyas (combinations of the above) and chanting (mantra). When practiced consistently all this makes possible the Kundalini energy moving up through the spine. Specific sets of exercises - called kriyas - combine postures, breathing and movement to release, direct and balance the energy stored all over the body. This stimulates and balances our glands and organs, energizes the nerve ganglia connections known as chakras, and removes blockages standing in the way of our personal fulfillment. Each Kriya includes sets of movements designed for a specific purpose - stimulating the nervous system gives mental clarity and improved relaxation, cleansing the glands and organs balances and stabilizes our emotions, opening and relaxing the heart brings about energy and vitality; all of which is emotionally and physically healing.

Once the Kundalini is activated and begins sending its energy up through the spine it causes chemical secretions in the pineal, hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain that result in an actual physical change in our brain chemistry and then in turn our consciousness. This advanced consciousness is known as non-dualism. In other words - there is no separation between the God-Self and the individual-self. We experience that: we are Divine and we don't have to search outside to find it.

The sensations we feel when all of this is working properly is the physical, mental and emotional- body - mind - spirit - energy clarifying within our entire being. This experience is completely palpable and definable in real-time terms. It is said in Kundalini yoga - "The God that cannot be experienced and the experience that cannot be explained are of little value to the human psyche." In Kundalini Yoga the goal is to be cognizant of it all; the individual experience and awareness transforms from mundane to divine, from duality to unity. By opening and raising the Kundalini energy our true human nature - loving and compassionate - is readily able to reveal and sustain itself. When the Kundalini is fully awakened we experience the complete unity of our existence; our experience shifts from a limited duality (with all of the worldly struggles) to recognizing the oneness of all things. While we still experience the diversity, opposition and complexity of our daily lives, we understand this all to be a part of the larger whole; we see patterns of reason and magic behind the seemingly random events of the world. In other words this is not a "LA - LA" experience; this is an "AHA" experience.

While it is theoretically possible for a person to have an instant awakening, it is extremely rare (close to never). A far more common occurrence is for this realization to progress gradually. Disciplined work in Kundalini yoga and meditation - practiced over time - delivers the joyous experiences of our divine consciousness - this is our birth-right.