Kundalini yoga is a late bloomer here in North America, only reaching our shores in 1969. Unlike the seemingly static postures performed by Hatha yoga practitioners, students of Kundalini yoga are constantly moving in poses designed to move energy throughout the body and expand consciousness. Intense practice of Kundalini yoga produces the signs and symptoms of Kundalini energy.
Kundalini Rising
According to yogic lore, Kundalini energy lays coiled at the base of the spine like a snake waiting to strike. When this energy is awakened, it is said to flow up through the sushumna -- a column than runs from the root of the spine to the top of the head -- and is channelled through secondary passages called the ida and pingula, laying to the left and right of the spine respectively. From there the energy is distributed throughout the body by 72,000 nadis or conduits. These channels make up the "subtle" body honored by yoga purists, but which modern scientists have yet to discover with their powerful microscopes. It could then be said that the signs and symptoms of Kundalini energy are more felt than seen.
Kundalini Awakening
When this unleashed energy floods the body it is called a Kundalini awakening. In an interview with "Yoga Journal" for the article "Is it Safe to Awaken the Snake," meditation expert Sally Kempton recalled having a Kundalini awakening as a young woman. She advises that anyone in search of such an experience do so for the first time with a qualified Kundalini yoga teacher. Students of Hatha or Kundalini yoga who attempt to "awaken the snake" through intense yoga or pranayama -- breathing -- practice without assistance may experience more of the signs and symptoms of Kundalini energy than they bargained for. This expansion of consciousness can go one of two ways; towards rapture or darkness.
Kundalini Dangers
One of the signs and symptoms of Kundalini energy has been described as a "psychotic break." These breaks usually occur in people who are unduly stressed or come from a background plagued with troubles. By unleashing energy that may have heretofore been used to tamp down unpleasant memories or to cover up imagined inadequacies, the experience can be disconcerting. In the same interview in "Yoga Journal," psychotherapist Stuart Sovatsky, like Kempton, recommends having an experienced Kundalini teacher in attendance in the event of a bad experience.
Kundalini Signs and Symptoms
While awakening the snake can induce unpleasant episodes, it can also engender a state of bliss, often spontaneously. Other signs and symptoms to look for are tingling or twitching in your limbs; hot or cold feelings; lower back pain; headaches; a need to express yourself lovingly and sexually to your partner; a change in sleeping patterns and depression.
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