Explaining Kundalini Yoga Practices
Kundalini yoga practises form an ancient art and science that transforms and expands your consciousness. Kundalini Yoga Practises involve the awakening and rising of kundalini energy up your spine through your chakras.
Kundalini energy is the energy that lies dormant at the base of your spine until it is activated. Activation can be achieved by yoga and meditation. In kundalini yoga practises, your spiritual energy is channelled upward through the chakras.
Kundalini yoga was originally taught by the master Yogi Bhajan. He lived from 1929 until 2004. Kundalini yoga teachers follow his teachings.
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini yoga is the oldest of all traditional forms of yoga and it is a spiritual and physical practice. Kundalini yoga includes asana (posture), pranayama (breath-work), meditation, mantra, and kriya (yogic exercises).
Kundalini yoga uses a combination of bhakti yoga, raja yoga, and shakti yoga. Bhakti yoga is the yogic practice of devotion and chanting, raja yoga is the practice of mental and physical control, and shakti yoga is the practice of harnessing and expressing your power and energy.
Kundalini yoga brings you excellent health, wellness, and joy. Kundalini yoga is the flow of energy and power, and the pursuit of excellence in practice. It helps you to unlock your true potential, reveal your true you, and become your highest purest self.
Kundalini yoga is physically and emotionally rejuvenating, energizing and healing. Kundalini Yoga works directly with your endocrine system, stimulates your brain function and it also strengthens your nervous and immune systems.
Kundalini yoga is for everyone and it supports all aspects and stages of your life. It is effective in alleviating depression, recovering from addictions, and also in prenatal and postnatal care.
There is a Snake in Your Spine
Kundalini is a spiritual energy or life force that is located at the base of your spine. You can visualise your kundalini energy as a coiled-up serpent. The Sanskrit word ‘kundal’ means circular and means coiled snake when used as a noun.
Kundalini yoga is designed to arouse the sleeping kundalini shakti from her coiled base at the root of your spine. Then she rises up and through the six chakras that reside along the spine until she penetrates your crown chakra.
Your kundalini weaves and coils like a snake being charmed out of a basket. The energy at the base of your spine up is pulled all the way through the roof of your crown and outward so that energy can flow and create balance in your chakras.
Kundalini yoga, if practised regularly, will eventually generate complete body awareness and supreme suppleness of body and mind. This prepares your body, nervous system, and mind to have the full capacity to handle the powerful energy of kundalini rising.
Many physical postures are designed to activate your navel, spine, and specific energy points on your meridians. The direction of release and control of the flow of your kundalini energy is achieved through bandhas which are yogic locks of energy together with the yogic breathing known as pranayama.
Kundalini Yoga Practises
A kundalini yoga class includes deep relaxation, asanas, pranayama, and a kriya. This is often accompanied by a gong or ambient music with meditation, mantra, and guided visualisation.
The word kriya means work or action. These are a series of one or more exercises or postures in combination with pranayama, locks, chanting, visualisation, and other techniques. These are taught in a specific sequence designed to produce specific effects.
Long deep breathing is often used in kundalini yoga. You breathe slow and deep in and out through the nose by expanding your stomach out on the inhale and contracting your stomach in on the exhale.
The breath of fire is practised by breathing rapidly equal parts in and out through your nose. As you do so pump your stomach to create oxygen in your blood and charge your electromagnetic field.
Asanas are postures that are designed to stimulate glands, organs, and body awareness. Asanas often apply pressure on nerves or acupressure points. They also quieten your mind for meditation.
Mudras are a gesture or position that locks and guides energy flow and reflexes to the brain. By curling, crossing, stretching and touching the fingers and hands you can talk to your body and mind. Each area of your hand reflexes to a certain part of your mind or body.
Bhandas are body locks or muscular contractions. These are used for the retention and channelling of three types of energy. These are prana, apana, and kundalini energy. Apana is the energy you eliminate, let go of, or give back.
Prana is the basic life force in the air you breathe and the food you eat. Kundalini Yoga enhances its absorption. When your prana and apana unite and create heat at your navel centre, the heat generated descends to the first chakra. This awakens your kundalini.
Mantra Meditation: Sa Ta Na Ma
The mantra SA TA NA MA represents the primal sounds of the universe. In the mantra ‘Sa’ means infinity, ‘Ta’ means life, ‘Na’ means death/transformation, and ‘Ma’ means rebirth.
Sit in a cross-legged position, extend your arms out straight with the palms facing down. Then say or whisper “Sa.” Then move your straight arms alongside your ears with the palms facing in. Say or whisper “Ta.” Then move your straight arms out to your sides, with palms facing down, and with the middle fingers in line with your shoulders. Say or whisper “Na.” Then bring your straight arms back down, and say or whisper “Ma.”
This is a great meditation to do when you wake up in the morning. The movement using your hands, chanting, and meditation balances your brain ready for the day ahead.
Embracing Kundalini Practises
As you practice kundalini yoga you will grow. The process of personal growth through kundalini yoga is a natural unfolding of your own nature. When you embrace and practise kundalini yoga techniques you learn to let go of the attachments to your past, and your fear of becoming your future self will fall away.
Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, you unite your consciousness with cosmic consciousness. This is achieved by carefully performing the exercises and meditations in specific sequences and combinations. You will soon become adept at perceiving the movement of energy within and outside of your body. You will also consciously begin to direct the flow of your own energy to heal yourself and others and to stimulate and awaken your chakras.
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