Kundalini Yoga is another Yoga
system that has been brought to the Western world not that long ago and
still remains a controversial issue for its practitioners and
adversaries. Kundalini Yoga focuses on realizing every person's
potential for awakening and developing the inner resources of vital
energy that lies coiled like a lock of hair or more like a sleeping
serpent in the root chakra, that is, near the sacrum. This can be
achieved through a complex of physical and psychological exercises,
including Asanas, Pranayama, Concentration, Meditation and similar
practices.
Kundalini is also sometimes associated with the energy movements caused
by Hatha Yoga.
Though Kundalini Yoga does pay much attention to outward expression
like bodily poses,
mantra reading and the like, it is not all about gymnastics; the
ultimate goal of Kundalini Yoga is to train the intangible, namely, the
mind and senses.
This equates Kundalini Yoga with other Yogas that are aimed at
establishing proper communication between the body and the mind and
contribute to the spiritual growth of a person, but on the contrary to
those systems, Kundalini Yoga is primarily concerned with stirring the
energy of the lower chakras and moving it up the spine that will lead
to clarity of mind, great powers of spirit and the blissful unity with
the Universe. It is interesting to consider the scientific point of
view on the Kundalini Yoga. Medical men observe, chakras coincide with
most important endocrine glands and major nerve bundles. Thus,
stimulating the work of endocrine system by means of Kundalini Yoga
affects physiological processes in the organism and can lead to a
number of symptoms that are generally known as the Kundalini Syndrome.
The latter can show in motor, sensory and cognitive dysfunctions such
as problems with breathing, headache, depression, irregular heart-beat,
swings of mood, etc. It is also unclear whether to cure such
“illnesses” by means of modern medicine or regard
them as
the signs of awakening being the actual purpose of Kundalini Yoga. The
list of possible side-effects is long and so it is absolutely necessary
that Kundalini Yoga is practiced under surveillance of an experienced
teacher. Incidentally, there exists another way of activating the
pranic energy, to be exact – through direct transfer of it
from
the guru to the student
(for example, through a touch).
Contrast to widespread beliefs, Kundalini Yoga does not contradict with
any religion and is universal. However, as a result of misunderstanding
of the Kundalini Yoga concepts, this practice is often criticized.
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