Kundalini yoga is not a practice that resonates with everyone; it is not the traditional yoga practice one would expect. Its rituals and observances are much different than traditional (Samkhya-based) yoga, and the physical practice is almost non-existent. Alone, it may seem to be a branch of yoga one would not care to explore. Yet when seen as a petal on the flower of yoga, it can augment existing and more traditional practices.
Kundalini is more mystical than it is practical. Based on Sikh tradition, it differs in concept and implementation from Ashtanga yoga. Kundalini seeks to raise the prakriti, the essence of Life from the base of our spines. Some say we raise the Kundalini to rise and meet the Pranic life energy outside us, while some envision us as drawing the Divine energy down to meet the Kundalini energy. Either way, the Shakti energy internal to us meets with the Shiva energy external to us, the Divine meets the human, the animal nature synchronizes with the higher nature.
Like yoga, people come only when they are ready. Unlike yoga, raising the Kundalini before you are ready can be dangerous. Gopi Krishna describes this in some of his fascinating but scary books. The closest parallel in traditional yoga is the admonition in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (and Yoga Sutras) about misuse of Pranayama (loosely translated as breath control)..."and the practitioner will be destroyed."
Kundalini shakti (energy) is likened to hot lava. Our untrained bodies are like paper cups. Until they are hardened and readied by gradual, regular, and devoted yoga practice, they will be unable to tolerate the rise of Kundalini energy. Thankfully, Kundalini is not easily invoked, commanded, or encouraged to rise. This is the protective nature of life, which will not unleash its power until the recipient is ready. Also, most practitioners sense intuitively if the practice is helpful and the time is right, or not.
The specifics of Kundalini practice seem a bit vague to me; not as intuitive as Hatha regarding what is being worked, or how or why (in both physical and energetic bodies). Yet the comradeship is heartening, as is the tendency to keep our eyes closed and stay in our own spaces, within the boundaries of our mats. I like that many people use furs or soft pillows on their mats. Yet the most moving part of the practice to me is at the end, when instead of the traditional AUM, the practitioners sing the following verse, three times. The first time is an intention for one's self, the second for those closest to you, and the last for all beings in the world. It goes like this:
May the long-time sun shine upon you and all love surround you
And the pure light within you guide your way on
One other song from the practice moved me deeply, resonating deep within my soul, as it does every time I hear it. It is an old Sikh song (or kirtan or mantra) originally sung by women to make their men holy or to get a good man (as it was told to me, a story I love). It is called So Purkh and I loved it even before I knew what the words meant. It was written by Ram Das in the 1500s (not the modern day Ram Das, the former professor Alpert and author of the excellent book Be Here Now). You can find both English and Punjabi lyrics on You Tube for free. Sometimes I play it in a track and get in a blissful trance state, feeling as holy and pure as my future companion would want me to be.
So while Kundalini may not be the shortcut to nirvana that some claim, neither is it the demon others claim. Instead, it is yet another petal on the flower of yoga, another branch on the tree of Life. It is neither good nor bad, it simply exists. If it resonates truly within you, join the group and give your all. If it doesn't, keep an open mind and let it be until later. Until then, keep in mind my third favorite thing about Kundalini, the thing that shows it to be part of the One Yoga I hold dear: the saying of greeting or goodbye, the statement of fact that is so similar to the Hindu blessing and truism: Sat Nam (Thine name is Truth). This resonates in me as much as the more traditional yogic greeting of namaste (No Mind Between or, more loosely translated, the Divine within me recognizes, respects, and salutes the Divine within you).
So until then, Sat Nam and may the long-time sun shine upon you and all love surround you and the pure light within you guide your way on.
AUM, Shanti, Shanti, Shantihiii
Post Scriptum:
Some good books on Kundalini (for the curious or those who approach through theory) are:
Kundalini is more mystical than it is practical. Based on Sikh tradition, it differs in concept and implementation from Ashtanga yoga. Kundalini seeks to raise the prakriti, the essence of Life from the base of our spines. Some say we raise the Kundalini to rise and meet the Pranic life energy outside us, while some envision us as drawing the Divine energy down to meet the Kundalini energy. Either way, the Shakti energy internal to us meets with the Shiva energy external to us, the Divine meets the human, the animal nature synchronizes with the higher nature.
Like yoga, people come only when they are ready. Unlike yoga, raising the Kundalini before you are ready can be dangerous. Gopi Krishna describes this in some of his fascinating but scary books. The closest parallel in traditional yoga is the admonition in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (and Yoga Sutras) about misuse of Pranayama (loosely translated as breath control)..."and the practitioner will be destroyed."
Kundalini shakti (energy) is likened to hot lava. Our untrained bodies are like paper cups. Until they are hardened and readied by gradual, regular, and devoted yoga practice, they will be unable to tolerate the rise of Kundalini energy. Thankfully, Kundalini is not easily invoked, commanded, or encouraged to rise. This is the protective nature of life, which will not unleash its power until the recipient is ready. Also, most practitioners sense intuitively if the practice is helpful and the time is right, or not.
The specifics of Kundalini practice seem a bit vague to me; not as intuitive as Hatha regarding what is being worked, or how or why (in both physical and energetic bodies). Yet the comradeship is heartening, as is the tendency to keep our eyes closed and stay in our own spaces, within the boundaries of our mats. I like that many people use furs or soft pillows on their mats. Yet the most moving part of the practice to me is at the end, when instead of the traditional AUM, the practitioners sing the following verse, three times. The first time is an intention for one's self, the second for those closest to you, and the last for all beings in the world. It goes like this:
May the long-time sun shine upon you and all love surround you
And the pure light within you guide your way on
One other song from the practice moved me deeply, resonating deep within my soul, as it does every time I hear it. It is an old Sikh song (or kirtan or mantra) originally sung by women to make their men holy or to get a good man (as it was told to me, a story I love). It is called So Purkh and I loved it even before I knew what the words meant. It was written by Ram Das in the 1500s (not the modern day Ram Das, the former professor Alpert and author of the excellent book Be Here Now). You can find both English and Punjabi lyrics on You Tube for free. Sometimes I play it in a track and get in a blissful trance state, feeling as holy and pure as my future companion would want me to be.
So while Kundalini may not be the shortcut to nirvana that some claim, neither is it the demon others claim. Instead, it is yet another petal on the flower of yoga, another branch on the tree of Life. It is neither good nor bad, it simply exists. If it resonates truly within you, join the group and give your all. If it doesn't, keep an open mind and let it be until later. Until then, keep in mind my third favorite thing about Kundalini, the thing that shows it to be part of the One Yoga I hold dear: the saying of greeting or goodbye, the statement of fact that is so similar to the Hindu blessing and truism: Sat Nam (Thine name is Truth). This resonates in me as much as the more traditional yogic greeting of namaste (No Mind Between or, more loosely translated, the Divine within me recognizes, respects, and salutes the Divine within you).
So until then, Sat Nam and may the long-time sun shine upon you and all love surround you and the pure light within you guide your way on.
AUM, Shanti, Shanti, Shantihiii
Post Scriptum:
Some good books on Kundalini (for the curious or those who approach through theory) are:
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