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All about Kundalini

Kundalini Yoga, is a powerful ancient Indian practice designed to awaken higher levels of consciousness, build self-mastery and harmonise mind, body and spirit.  For thousands of years this highly secret practice had been taught only to royalty and nobility by word of mouth, but thankfully the teachings are now becoming more widely available.

The practices in Kundalini Yoga are designed to help channel this dormant energy that resides both inside and through us, transforming our life by helping us to discover our life’s purpose and activating our fullest potential.  Often you may hear the word ‘Shakti’ being used interchangeably with Kundalini energy. Shakti energy is the feminine universal energy that resides in all things and it is this same energy that also lays dormant at the base of your spine.  Awakening the Shakti Kundalini energy is how you awaken to the divine consciousness.

The word Kundalini is made up from several root words. The word “Kund” in the ancient Sanskrit language literally means a pit, cave or deep place. The word ‘Lini’  means to be absorbed in energy and “Kundalin” means serpent, which has more of a symbolic translation. Kundalini therefore perfectly describes the essence of these words put together:- a coiled serpent of primordial energy that sits at the base of your spine.   A reservoir of pure, untapped creative potential. In essence kundalini energy is the seat of our consciousness, and as it uncoils and travels up our spine moving through our energy centres (known as chakras), so does our consciousness transform with it.

 

Kundalini Yoga is more therapeutic and educational in nature than just an exercise class. Unlike ‘flow yoga’ (such as Vinyasa, or Ashtanga), Kundalini Yoga does not focus just on physical postures and stretching such as ‘downward dog’ or ‘the warrior’.  In Kundalini Yoga, as well as movements and postures (Asana’s), a combination of breath-work (pranayama), sound, mantra, energy healing, and meditations (all which make up a Kriya or lesson) are used to release trauma from the energetic body which surrounds the physical body. It is believed that old wounds are held in this field, known as the aura.

As those wounds are healed, we begin to ‘radiate’ love and light from deep within. Radiance is the magnetic frequency that draws in beauty, love, and light, attracting abundance into our lives. And all this starts in the subtle (energetic) body–not in the mind.

Kundalini helps to quieten the constant chatter in the mind, putting you more in touch with your heart. It is the heart that leads the way to our highest potential. When our heart is in in alignment with our soul’s mission, everything flows, our sensitivity awakens, and our intuition opens. We are more attuned to the present moment and so we can let go of the pain of the past, and the fear of the future.

You do not need to be flexible in body to get great benefit from a Kundalini class, as most of the class is focussed on breath work and small but intense movements. You will probably not break a huge sweat in a Kundalini class, but do not be fooled by the intensity that you will feel in your body nevertheless. It can be tiring in a different way – one that brings you into a wonderful state of peace and relaxation, and some people report a far deeper night sleep after a practice.

Practising Kundalini helps us to let go, and to live without attachment; becoming one with the universe and allowing us to feel a connection with higher realms. It is here we learn to trust ourselves more deeply and to recognise that our pure essence is at one with divinity. We learn more about ‘being’ as we release ourselves from the constant ‘doing’ state. We begin to love and appreciate ourselves more – which gives us a greater sense of inner confidence and from this place we become more giving and loving towards others as well as ourselves <3