Kundalini is a spiritual potential energy or life force located at the base of the spine. The means and practices to awaken this spiritual energy are known as Kundalini Yoga. Kundalini yoga awakens the “Saraswati Nadi”, the hidden channel in the spinal column.
There are hundreds of practices. The practices are flexible. It is not a rigid path. As you practice and go forward, you need to adjust and add new flavors to it. Rigidity is the only problem. If you are too rigid to the steps and practices, you can not progress much. It will be some mechanical exercises. Kundalini yoga is like good cooking, you have to learn it and modify it gradually to get the best out of it.
History of Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga was first described in the Yoga-Kundalini Upanishad, which is one of the 108 Hindu texts of meditation. It is a part of Yajurveda. Most probably it was written around 1000 to 1400 years before the Birth of Christ. (BC). The classical literature of Kashmir Saivism also discusses more about the nature of this kundalini energy. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gherandha Samhita and Shiva Samhita are three famous books of kundalini yoga.
In the late 1800s John Woodroffe, an Oxford graduate, in his famous book “The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic” discussed this occult science of tantra and kundalini energy awakening practices. He translated some twenty original Sanskrit texts under the pseudonym Arthur Avalon and became a major contribution of the time to the appreciation of Hindu philosophy and spirituality.
In 1935 Sri Swami Sivananda wrote a detailed, but esoteric portrayal of some historically classic Kundalini Yoga practices in a treatise called Kundalini Yoga.
Sri Amit Ray expressed that the core teachings of kundalini yoga lies in your inner peace and inner beauty and that beauty comes through meditation, exercises, loving kindness and proper lifestyle.
Obviously, there are many schools of thoughts about the nature of practices. Different cults, sects and gurus have their own methods. However, packaging may be different but the core teachings of the Kundalini yoga are same. It is a journey of Divine energy from Muladhara Chakra (lower end of the spinal column) to the Sahasara Chakra at the top of the head. Kundalini yoga is a science, it is not a static thing, new discovers, new experiences adds new dimensions to it.
Dangers of Kundalini Yoga:
Awakening of the kundalini energy brings joy, pure knowledge and love, but like all powerful scientific experiments, if you do it wrongly it may cause problems. Hence, you must take necessary precautions before doing Kundalini Yoga. In yoga sutra (1.29), Sage Patanjali said “OM” chanting removes the obstacles of yoga. This is valid for all yoga techniques, including Kundalini Yoga.
Precautions and safety practices of Kundalini Yoga:
Safety #1:
You are your own judge; do not rely too much on external teachers. They may have their own agendas. You have to apply your intelligence and commonsense in every moment.
Safety #2:
Do the practices one by one. Do not be in harry. Give sufficient gap between two practices. Learn gradually.
Safety #3:
Learn the basic techniques first. Modify them according to your needs. As my teachers say “Kundalini yoga is not a static concept. You need to re-discover it in every moment. ”
Safety #4:
Forceful kundalini awakening is dangerous. It creates imbalances in the mind. So avoid these forceful techniques. Forcefulness comes from ego. Ego enjoys it. However, you have to go beyond the ego.
Safety #5:
Do the practices with patience and love for the Divine energy.
Beauty of Kundalini Yoga:
Benefit #1:
Brings balance in life. It provides peace and stability of mind.
Benefit #2:
Releases accumulated emotions such as anger, fear and insecurity.
Benefit #3:
Re-establish our natural bio-rhythm.
Benefit #4:
It develops the feeling of joy and happiness along the spinal column.
Benefit #5
It provides more Strength and Energy.
Conclusion:
Kundalini yoga techniques are developed for greater physical and mental fitness, which prepares one for higher wisdom. It ignites the creative energy of our system. It guides the energy flow in the brain and it is best way for self healing.
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