What is Kundalini energy? How can I awaken it?

Kundalini Yoga is a form of yoga designed to target Kundalini energy, all yoga incorporates this energy, however Kundalini Yoga is designed to target it safely and allow the energy to rise quickly.

But what is Kundalini energy?

Kundalini energy lies coiled at the base of the spine, trapped in what is known as the root chakra and it is the source of your creative potential. It is pure energy that when the body is correctly aligned (physically and subtly) it is able to travel along the spine, passing through all 7 Chakras before eventually connecting you to source, opening up all to you.

So what is different from Kundalini Yoga to other forms?

Kundalini Yoga is designed as a fast -track system, it is designed to unleash the energy in a safe and controlled way to gain faster access to your true self. To achieve this Kundalini Yoga uses multiple facets based on the 8 limbs of Yoga as prescribed by Patanjali. Many forms will concentrate on one area, for example Hatha yoga ( the most common form of yoga in the West) promotes movement of the physical body and awareness of the breath. Occasionally breathwork will be incorporated but it is rare in a class for meditation or mantra to be involved, so you may need to seek these experiences outside of the class. Other forms such as Bhakti Yoga are based on devotion and Karma yoga is based on acts of service.

In a Kundalini Yoga class you will practice not only physical postures but breathwork practices are just as important alongside mantra and meditation. You are given time and are encouraged to go within during the practice, to experience it not just ‘do’ it. Kundalini yoga also targets the subtle energies of the body from the Chakras to the 10 energetic bodies and Kriyas are performed to effect specific changes within the body. Kundalini Yoga prides itself on leverage (the power to make change and difference in our lives), legacy (a complete integrity outside of the individual) and lineage (as a student you are part of a line of succession of information which has been passed through the generations).

Kundalini energy lies coiled in the root chakra at the bottom of the spine, it is trapped here and can only be released when the root is ‘pierced’. In order to pierce the root chakra we must first balance the energies of prana and apana, the energies of bringing in life force and of elimination, release and letting go . By creating heat in the navel centre we are able to draw prana down and apana up to a place where they can meet. Then by careful application of mulabandh, the root lock, we are able to direct that energy down to the root chakra. Once awakened the kundalini energy will travel along the sushmuna, the spiritual nerve of the body which runs alongside the spine until it reaches the crown of the head. Once it has started along this path we can use other ‘locks’ in order to help it rise, and as it travels it will pierce the other 6 Chakras before connecting our finite selves to infinity.