Kundalini yoga involves various spiritual practices like chanting, breathing, and physical movements. This yoga activates your kundalini energy at the base of your spine. Known as the “coiled snake” in Sanskrit, this divine energy lies dormant in most people. We all have this life force within, but we must work to awaken it to its full potential by performing the poses.
As kundalini rises in the spine, it enhances your awareness and loosens the ego’s grip on the soul. As yogi Sadhguru explained in a video, “If you activate this energy dimension, other dimensions of life will open up. One thing is, are you ready for those dimensions?”
You can realize your true nature if you perform kundalini yoga regularly with concentration and dedication. That means moving beyond the ego and no longer identifying with the mind or body. It’s an intense practice designed to connect you to your divine self, which involves immense sacrifice.
However, even if you’re not ready for enlightenment, you can still benefit from kundalini yoga. We’ll teach you how to do this yoga and discuss how it can improve your life.
What is Kundalini Yoga?
It’s believed that kundalini yoga originated in ancient Vedic religions from 1,000 BC. While this yoga was born in the Eastern world, people in Western cultures also practice it. Yogi Bhajan, a yoga teacher from Pakistan, brought these teachings to Western countries in the 1960s.
Through breath, poses, and chants, this practice helps enhance the nervous system to process higher energies. The mind and body become charged with cosmic energy, instantly electrifying any impurities. However, reaching this consciousness requires countless hours of practice and intense focus.
Once you activate this energy, it moves up and down the seven chakras in the spine. These seven energy centers include:
- root chakra
- sacral chakra
- naval, or solar plexus, chakra
- heart chakra
- throat chakra
- third eye chakra
- crown chakra
As the kundalini energy rises, it will realign these chakras and produce feelings of immeasurable peace.
Six Main Components of Kundalini Yoga
- Opening chant. The kundalini yoga practice always begins with a chant to calm the mind and heart. It also helps you channel energies from the higher realms. Many yogis like to chant “Om” — the basic sound and vibration of the universe — at the beginning of their practice.
- Pranayama breathing exercises. The next step involves breathing practices to balance the mind and prepare you for meditation. The purpose of pranayama is to learn breath control to free up stagnant energies in the body.
- Kriya in Sanskrit means action or effort. It consists of postures, pranayama, chanting, mudras, and meditation. Performing a kriya involves consciously bringing the energy up and down the spine. Some yogis like Yogananda say this is the fastest way to achieve spiritual awakening.
- In this step, you will observe your body and mind to integrate the teachings.
- After you’ve prepared your body and mind, it’s time to meditate. You can focus on your breath, the present moment, or concepts like compassion or loving-kindness. Or, you may choose to concentrate on a spiritual figure or deity who brings you peace.
- Closing chant. Finally, you can end the session with a chant or mantra. Some people like to lay in Savasana (Corpse Pose) to absorb their practice’s positive energy.
Tips for Kundalini Yoga Practice
- Breathing techniques. Many people who practice kundalini yoga use a technique called long deep breathing. It involves taking slow, deep breaths through each nostril while expanding the stomach outward on the inhale. Then, you contract the belly on each exhale to increase the energy flow in the body.
- Mantra means a sacred sound or syllable designed to enhance your connection to the divine. When used correctly, they have an incredible healing power, putting you in a more positive mindset. Chanting a mantra increases your vibration by channeling that frequency from divine realms. Try chanting Om or Ananda Hum, meaning “I am bliss,” at the beginning and end of your practice.
- Mudras are sacred and symbolic gestures performed by the hands in yoga. These hand poses help channel the flow of prana life force into different parts of our brains. Most people practicing kundalini yoga use the Gyan mudra, which translates to ‘Mudra of Wisdom.’ To perform this mudra, press the thumb and index finger firmly together. This gesture helps the meditator focus and allows knowledge to flow more easily. You may also try the prana mudra to increase energy levels and balance the mind. Perform this mudra by connecting the tips of the pinky and ring fingers with the end of the thumb.
How to Do a Kundalini Yoga Meditation
If you do the meditation correctly, you can experience profound mental and physical healing. Mindfully directing the energy up and down the spine clears up “blocks” in your energy field. You’ll notice different results depending on how long you practice this type of yoga.
For instance, a 3-minute meditation session impacts the circulatory system and electromagnetic field. An 11-minute meditation starts to produce changes in the nervous and glandular systems. Finally, a 30-minute meditation affects every cell and process in the body. It’s also the most impactful for clearing out intrusive or repetitive thoughts.
We have a sample meditation for you if you want to feel rejuvenated and restored.
- First, sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight. Place your palms together in a prayer pose and offer a prayer to the universe.
- Now, keep your eyes closed and focus your attention on the point between your eyebrows. Focusing on the third eye increases willpower and helps you overcome body consciousness.
- Next, practice calm, deep breathing to balance the energy in your body. Pull your abdomen toward your spine to draw deeper breaths as you inhale and exhale. Focus on how your breath feels, and release any tension you notice.
- After you’ve calmed the body and mind, sit quietly for fifteen to thirty minutes. If thoughts come, observe them without any judgment or reaction. Practicing mindfulness will allow you to approach each moment of life with a neutral mind.
- Open your eyes slowly and offer a closing prayer at the end of your meditation. Sit for another few minutes to absorb the positive vibrations from your session.
Final Thoughts on How Kundalini Yoga Can Awaken the Soul
Any yoga can increase your energy and awaken your spirit. However, kundalini yoga differs from other yoga forms because it focuses on drawing prana up and down the spine. This practice helps clear the body and mind of impurities and prepare the soul for liberation. It involves breathing techniques, poses, chants, and meditation to complete the practice. If you try kundalini yoga, please share your experience with us on Facebook!
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