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For many of us the words “Kundalini” and “chakras” are a bit of a mystery. They are part of an ancient yoga practice; discovering more about this mystery is a way of tapping into your spiritual energy.

The Kundalini is the energy stored in the area of the lower spine. This energy is often referred to as being wound up and is visualized as a coiled snake. It is believed that the Kundalini encompasses the total potential energy of the human, one’s innate intelligence, and it is often described as the infinite organizational force that supports every aspect of life. Kundalini yoga was designed to awaken this energy by stimulating it to travel up the body through a series of energy points called chakras.

There are seven chakra points in the body, located along the midline at the base of the spine, the navel, the solar plexus (diaphragm area), the heart, the throat, the third eye (area between the eyes, centred on the forehead), and the crown (top of the head). The chakras are often described as energy fields or centres of consciousness. Renowned researcher and author Candice Pert refers to the chakras as minibrains or bundles of nerves that receive and distribute information to and from the body and mind.

Uncoil the Kundalini

Kundalini yoga has been practised for over four thousand years and although the postures and disciplines may differ from person to person, the goal is the same: to raise the Kundalini through the chakras, meaning to harness your inborn energy and raise it up through each chakra successively, beginning with the lowest one. As each chakra is activated, the participant will experience improvements in bodily function and an increased awareness corresponding to that chakra.

Proponents of Kundalini yoga believe that the body and mind are intrinsically linked, working together to bring balance to the body. When all chakras are working in harmony there is a sense of ease in the body. But sometimes chakras may be overactive or underactive, causing a state of “dis-ease” in the body. When one chakra is underactive, another may become overactive in order to compensate. The result is a lack of balance between the chakras and physical symptoms.

Pinpoint the Chakra

According to advocates of Kundalini yoga, many pains and illnesses are the physical manifestation of overactive or underactive chakras. A specific symptom may indicate difficulty in the area of your life controlled by that chakra. The energy associated with that particular chakra must be addressed before the symptom will cease. For example, a woman with consistent sore throats may not be expressing her opinions out of fear. This may be associated with a blockage in the communication chakra, at the level of the throat. Focusing energy on the “dis-eased” chakra and bringing it into balance will allow the woman to face her fear and resolve her symptoms.

Kundalini yoga’s many benefits include tapping into our potential energy and creating balance while improving our health. With life moving at such a fast pace, those are concepts we can relate to.

Laina Shulman, DC, cofounder of Pure-Health, is a chiropractor, consultant, writer, and professional speaker residing in London, Ontario. pure-health.com

Source: alive #294, April 2007