Kundalini

In yoga, Kundalini refers to the resting life energy that, in traditional conception, lies at the lower end of the spine and can be awakened and unfolded through practice. It is the namesake and core of the Kyborg Institute. This entry describes a spiritual view, not a medical statement.

What is Kundalini?

Kundalini is a central term of the yogic tradition. In the handed-down images it is described as coiled, sleeping energy at the foot of the spine – as a potential laid down in the human being that can be awakened through practice.

We understand Kundalini not as an esoteric assertion about the world, but as a model of experience: an image of how people experience the awakening and flowing of their life force. This is a view, not a medical finding.

How is Kundalini connected with yoga?

In yoga, Kundalini is regarded as the force that is set in motion through practice. Breath, posture and concentration aim, in this tradition, at guiding the subtle life energy – the prana – and awakening the resting Kundalini.

According to this conception, the awakened energy rises along the central channel of the spine (Sushumna) and in doing so passes through the chakras, the energy centres of the body. The way thus leads from physical practice to a finer, more conscious experience.

What does a Kundalini awakening mean?

A Kundalini awakening describes an experience related to experience and consciousness: the feeling that the inner life energy becomes more awake and rises. People often describe this as clarity, wakefulness or a changed experience of themselves.

We understand this expressly as an inner experience and as a view – not as a healing effect and not as a statement about the treatment of illnesses. A spiritual practice remains an experience of well-being and consciousness, not a substitute for medical advice.

What role does Kundalini play in the Kyborg Institute?

The name “Kyborg” stands for Kundalini Yoga Based Organisation. Kundalini is thus not one theme among many, but the namesake and the core of the entire orientation.

The institute sees itself in the tradition of practical spirituality: the yogic teaching of life energy is meant to become tangible and close to everyday life – as a way to practise and experience more consciously, not as a promise. In this sense Kundalini is the starting point from which terms such as yoga, chakra, energy and prana can be opened up.

Specific art objects of the institute tie in with this in practice – for example the pharaoh’s chair as a meditation throne for the rising Kundalini energy, or the energy cone for training sensitive perception.

Note: This article renders a spiritual, worldview-based view and is not medical advice. It describes experiences of experience and consciousness and does not replace a medical diagnosis or treatment.

Autor: Tobias O. R. Alke