Kundalini yoga uses specific combinations of breathing techniques, yoga poses, meditation and chanting to produce a profound spiritual awakening. Writer and yogi Gopi Krishna emphasizes the importance of raising consciousness through Kundalini for the sake of human evolution, yet admits that "the nature of the mysterious force has not been defined or elucidated in a rational way." Skeptic or not, Kundanlini experts like Gopi, Yogi Bhajan and Swami Satyananda Saraswati all encourage yogis and spiritual seekers to learn Kundalini techniques from a trained instructor.
Short-Term Physical Effects
The physical impact of Kundalini is often the most dramatic. The process of raising Kundalini (what yogis often describe as awakening the serpent of enlightenment) can induce shaking, tingling, itching and sweating. Swami Satyananda mentions in his book "Kundalini Tantra" that awakening Kundalini can feel like explosions or electrical shocks moving through the body. Cravings for sex, food and sleep may heighten or diminish. Headaches and insomnia are possible as well.
Long-Term Physical Effects
The long-term effects of practicing Kundalini are similar to those which other kinds of yoga produce, including increased balance, flexibility, strength and an overall sense of well-being. Kundalini is unique in that the combinations of yoga techniques, practiced repeatedly over a period of years, specifically work to open seven energy centers in the body, which are roughly located along the spinal column (chakras). The opened or cleared chakras let energy travel up to the crown of the head, then back down the spinal column to the base chakra. This is the moment of Kundalini awakening.
Mental Impact
Outside of the short-term physical effects of Kundalini, nothing produces more wonder and curiosity than the reported mental effects. Along the path of raising Kundalini, yogis like Swami Saraswati reveal that some participants may experience mental clarity to the extent of supernatural ability. Likewise, without the guidance of trained Kundalini instructors, a person can experience confusion, depression, hallucinations and other unpleasant mental disturbances. Saraswati emphasizes that dramatic mental experiences can be of a positive or negative nature depending on a person's adherence and patience to his Kundalini instructor's teachings.
Spiritual Impact
The 3HO Foundation, led by Yogi Bhajan, describes their Kundanlini teaching as the path to unleash a yogi's ultimate potential, to experience the soul's beauty and to gain vitality through yoga poses and breath work. Through the practice of Kundalini, participants seek to reach Samadhi, the god within, or what many call Nirvana. Raising Kundalini is a long process that culminates in a dramatic awakening event, which is supposed to allow the highest connection to the divine to take place.
Unleashing Potential
Yogi writers of Kundalini's impact, specifically those in the 20th century, aim to bring awareness of Kundalini and its possible impact on humanity to the masses. The combination of mental, spiritual and both short- and long-term physical effects of Kundalini awakening on mass amounts of people could signify more harmony in the world overall. Yogi Bhajan believes that exposing people to Kundalini is part of ushering in the astrological Age of Aquarius.
References
- "Kundalini -- The Secret of Yoga"; Gopi Krishna; 1972
- 3HO.org: Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini
- "Kundalini Tantra"; Swami Satyananda Saraswati; 1984
Member Comments