Many yoga lecturers know Kundalini as an vitality observe, however few discover its roots in Tantra- the philosophy that connects creation with consciousness.
Tantra and Kundalini Yoga are two historical paths that designate how consciousness and vitality work collectively in life. Tantra provides understanding, whereas Kundalini Yoga supplies the direct expertise of that reality.
In Tantric philosophy, life is seen because the play of two inseparable forces; Shiva, the nonetheless consciousness, and Shakti, the inventive energy. From their union arises every little thing in existence, from delicate thought to stable matter.
When Shakti unfolds from the stillness of Shiva, it creates layers of actuality referred to as tattvas – transferring from pure consciousness to the bodily world. This motion known as the descent of vitality, the place the unseen turns into seen as matter.
Kundalini Yoga describes the identical journey in reverse the return of vitality from matter to spirit. The divine energy that created the universe lies dormant on the base of the backbone as Kundalini Shakti. When woke up and guided upward via the chakras, it dissolves inside limitations and awakens greater consciousness.
Collectively, Tantra and Kundalini Yoga reveal the total circle of existence, from unity to range, and again to unity once more.
Tantra and the idea of creation
In Tantra, creation shouldn’t be a one-time occasion however a steady unfolding of consciousness into vitality. At its core are Shiva and Shakti the nonetheless and the dynamic features of 1 actuality. When Shakti stirs inside Shiva’s stillness, creation begins to take kind.
From this primary motion come up thirty-six tattvas, or ideas of existence. They present how pure consciousness transforms step-by-step into the bodily world. The ultimate stage of this descent is Prithvi Tattva, the earth aspect the place spirit turns into matter.
This course of is called the descent of vitality. But whilst vitality takes kind, it by no means loses its divine essence. The identical consciousness that created the cosmos additionally lives inside every individual. Recognising this reality is the muse of all Tantric observe.
Additionally Learn: Idea of Creation in Tantra
The reverse journey: involution and religious evolution
Kundalini Yoga teaches the reverse of creation- a course of known as involution, or the return of vitality to its supply. This inward motion shouldn’t be about escape however about rediscovering the divine inside.
In yoga, this is called Bhūta Shuddhi, the purification of the 5 parts: earth (Prithvi), water (Apas), fireplace (Agni), air (Vayu), and house (Akasha).
By breath, meditation, and consciousness, these parts are harmonised and absorbed again into each other from the dense to the subtle- till solely consciousness stays.
This inside purification is the true that means of religious evolution. As vitality rises, the senses withdraw inward, the thoughts turns into nonetheless, and consciousness expands. The yogi experiences the identical vitality that when descended as creation now transferring upward as liberation.
Additionally Learn: Bhuta Shuddhi – Yogic Course of to Purification of 5 Parts
Understanding kundalini: that means and symbolism
The phrase Kundalini comes from kundal, that means coil. It refers back to the coiled religious vitality resting on the base of the backbone, within the Root Chakra. This vitality is Shakti in her potential kind the dormant energy of creation inside the human being.
Even whereas dormant, Kundalini sustains life by releasing a mild stream of prāṇa, the life drive. When woke up, she rises via the Sushumna Nadi, the central channel, activating every chakra and reworking consciousness at each degree.
Kundalini is revered because the Divine Mom, the inventive energy of Shiva. Her awakening isn’t just an brisk expertise however a religious rebirth the return of vitality to its supply, the assembly of Shakti and Shiva inside.
Additionally Learn: Nadis and Chakras: Working Mechanism of Refined Physique
The image of the coiled serpent
Kundalini is usually proven as a serpent coiled three and a half instances on the base of the backbone. This can be a image of potential vitality, resting but able to awaken.
The three coils characterize the three gunas, or qualities of nature:
- Sattva — steadiness, readability, and peace
- Rajas — exercise, ardour, and motion
- Tamas — inertia, heaviness, and ignorance
The half coil represents the spark of consciousness past these three the notice that results in freedom.
This imagery additionally displays the three states of consciousness– waking, dreaming, and deep sleep — with the half coil symbolising the fourth state, Turīya, or pure consciousness.
When Kundalini awakens, she lifts us past the bounds of the thoughts into this fourth state the nonetheless mild of self-awareness. The serpent thus symbolises transformation, knowledge, and the rise of inside energy.
Additionally Learn: The Symbolism and Energy of the Serpent in Kundalini Yoga
The stream of vitality: ida, pingala, and sushumna
In accordance with yogic philosophy, the awakening of Kundalini relies on the steadiness of vitality transferring via three delicate channels within the physique, known as nāḍīs. These nāḍīs are the invisible pathways via which prāṇa the life drive flows and sustains each physique and thoughts.
Simply as rivers carry water throughout the earth, the nāḍīs carry vitality via the inside panorama of consciousness. Among the many 1000’s of vitality channels, three are mentioned to be most essential: Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. Collectively, they create the muse for pranic steadiness and religious awakening.
Ida Nadi – The Lunar Channel
Ida Nadi runs alongside the left aspect of the backbone. It’s related with the moon’s cooling and calming vitality and governs the psychological and emotional nature of our being. When Ida is lively, it encourages introspection, stillness, and sensitivity.
In yogic symbolism, Ida is linked with the Ganga River, representing purity, instinct, and stream. An individual dominated by Ida vitality tends to be light, reflective, and inward-focused.
Pingala Nadi – The Photo voltaic Channel
Pingala Nadi flows alongside the appropriate aspect of the backbone. It carries the solar’s warming and activating vitality, supporting vitality, power, and outward expression. When Pingala is dominant, the thoughts turns into alert, the physique feels energised, and motion arises naturally.
Pingala is symbolically related to the Yamuna River, representing motion, dynamism, and the inventive fireplace of life.
Sushumna Nadi – The Central Channel
Sushumna Nadi flows via the centre of the backbone, connecting the Mūlādhāra Chakra on the base with the Sahasrara Chakra on the crown of the pinnacle. This channel represents religious consciousness and serves because the pathway for Kundalini Shakti to ascend.
When Ida and Pingala are unbalanced, Sushumna stays dormant. However as soon as these two currents stream in concord, prāṇa naturally enters Sushumna, permitting the inside vitality to rise. This balanced state is the true essence of Haṭha Yoga — “Ha” that means the solar and “Tha” that means the moon. Haṭha Yoga goals to unite these two forces so the central channel can awaken.
In yogic symbolism, the assembly level of the three nāḍīs Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna known as Triveṇī Saṅgam, the sacred confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati. Simply as these rivers merge in concord, the steadiness of pranic currents inside us awakens a deeper religious stream.
When prāṇa begins to maneuver freely via Sushumna, the breath turns into quiet, the thoughts turns inward, and meditation deepens naturally. That is the primary motion of Kundalini Shakti — the second when inside vitality begins its upward journey, main in direction of awakening and expanded consciousness.
The union of solar and moon: the that means of hatha Yoga
The phrase Haṭha Yoga comes from two Sanskrit sounds Ha, that means solar, and Tha, that means moon. These two forces characterize the twin energies that form each the universe and the human physique.
The solar symbolises Pingala Nadi, the channel of heat, vitality, and motion. The moon symbolises Ida Nadi, the channel of coolness, calmness, and reflection. These two currents are always flowing inside us, shaping the rhythm of physique and thoughts one creating motion and exercise, the opposite bringing relaxation and renewal.
In day by day life, considered one of these energies typically dominates. When the photo voltaic present is simply too sturdy, we grow to be stressed, pushed, and tense. When the lunar present is simply too sturdy, we really feel uninteresting, drained, or withdrawn. The intention of Hatha Yoga is to convey steadiness between the 2, creating concord in each the nervous system and consciousness.
By the common observe of asana (posture), pranayama (breath management), mudra (gesture), and bandha (vitality lock), the Ida and Pingala channels are purified. As steadiness develops, vitality begins to stream freely via the Sushumna Nadi, the central channel that results in greater consciousness.
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That is the true objective of Hatha Yoga not solely to construct power or flexibility, however to arrange the physique and thoughts for religious awakening. When the solar and moon energies unite, the inside present opens, and Kundalini Shakti begins to rise naturally.
Hatha Yoga is due to this fact the muse of Kundalini Yoga. It steadies the physique, regulates the breath, and quiets the thoughts. As soon as these three are aligned, the dormant vitality inside awakens with out drive or effort.
The union of solar and moon isn’t just a symbolic idea- it’s a dwelling expertise. It brings steadiness to each side of life: exercise and relaxation, thought and silence, outer motion and inside stillness. When this inside concord is achieved, the breath flows evenly, the thoughts turns into peaceable, and consciousness turns inward.
This balanced state marks the primary mild of transformation the start of the awakening of Kundalini.
Kundalini yoga: the trail of transformation
Kundalini Yoga is usually seen as the following step after Hatha Yoga. Whereas Hatha Yoga balances the physique and thoughts by cleaning the vitality pathways, Kundalini Yoga works straight with the inside life force- the dormant energy of Shakti that rests on the base of the backbone.
The aim of this observe is to awaken Kundalini and information her gently upward via the chakras, the delicate vitality centres alongside the backbone. Every chakra displays a unique degree of consciousness and expression of vitality. Because the Kundalini strikes via them, the restrictions tied to every degree dissolve, permitting greater states of consciousness to unfold.
When vitality awakens at a chakra, the pure qualities of that centre reminiscent of creativity, willpower, compassion, or readability start to shine extra freely. This course of is usually described because the flowering of consciousness. Simply as lotuses bloom one above one other, every chakra opens in its personal time, revealing the hidden potential inside.
The ascent of Kundalini is a gradual and pure course of that unfolds via constant observe, self-awareness, and purity of life. It’s supported by conventional yogic instruments, together with:
- Asana – prepares and strengthens the physique.
- Pranayama – regulates the breath and awakens prana (life vitality).
- Bandha and Mudra – direct vitality inward and upward.
- Mantra and Meditation – focus the thoughts and refine vibration.
As Kundalini rises, it purifies the nāḍīs (vitality channels), cleanses the thoughts, and awakens religious consciousness. The practitioner begins to really feel a deep inside readability and reference to life. Particular person consciousness expands naturally towards the common.
In its essence, Kundalini Yoga is the science of transformation. It refines the decrease energies of intuition and need into greater energies of knowledge and consciousness. The sleeping potential turns into woke up energy, and extraordinary expertise transforms right into a path of realisation.
When Kundalini lastly reaches the Sahasrara Chakra on the crown of the pinnacle, she unites with Shiva, the nonetheless consciousness. This union marks the fulfilment of the yogic journey the merging of vitality and consciousness, matter and spirit. It’s the state of oneness, identified in Tantra as liberation (moksha) or Sat-Chit-Ananda- Being, Consciousness, and Bliss.
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Key texts and classical sources
The roots of Kundalini Yoga and Tantra lie within the historical Sanskrit scriptures that describe each the philosophy and the sensible science of awakening. Amongst these, two texts are thought-about the first sources:
- Ṣaṭ-Chakra-Nirūpaṇa (Description of the Six Chakras)
- Pādukā-Pañchaka (5 Verses on the Footstool of the Guru)
These classical works map the delicate physique, explaining the chakras, nāḍīs, and the rise of Kundalini Shakti via every degree of consciousness till her union with Shiva on the crown of the pinnacle. They element the stream of prāṇa, the indicators of awakening, and the transformation that unfolds as consciousness expands past the bounds of the thoughts.
For contemporary readers, these historical teachings have been translated and illuminated by Sir John Woodroffe, writing beneath the identify Arthur Avalon, in his famend work The Serpent Energy. This e book brings collectively the unique Sanskrit verses and Woodroffe’s detailed commentary, making a bridge between conventional Tantric knowledge and fashionable understanding of vitality and consciousness.
Whereas The Serpent Energy provides deep philosophical perception, a extra accessible and practice-based information will be present in Kundalini Tantra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Written in clear, easy language, this e book presents the identical ideas in a method that’s straightforward to use. It explains the connection between the chakras, breath, and thoughts, and supplies secure, systematic strategies for awakening vitality via yoga and meditation.
Collectively, these two texts characterize the 2 important features of the Kundalini custom:
- The Serpent Energy reveals the scriptural basis and philosophical depth,
- Kundalini Tantra provides the sensible steering for on a regular basis yogic life.
Each remind us that Kundalini Yoga shouldn’t be a contemporary invention, however an historical science of consciousness that continues to information honest seekers towards steadiness, consciousness, and religious awakening. By finding out these texts, practitioners achieve not solely the tactic of awakening vitality but in addition the knowledge to method it with reverence, persistence, and purity of intention. study not solely how to awaken vitality, but in addition why it should be approached with purity, persistence, and reverence.
Kundalini because the goddess and aim of yoga
Within the yogic and Tantric traditions, Kundalini is honoured because the Divine Mom, the dwelling Shakti inside each being. She represents the inventive energy of the universe- the drive via which consciousness takes kind as life. Resting silently on the base of the backbone, she holds the blueprint of each creation and awakening.
Kundalini is usually described because the counterpart of Shiva, who symbolises pure consciousness. Shiva is stillness, the unchanging witness; Shakti is motion, the ability of creation. Collectively, they kind the 2 features of a single actuality. When they’re seen as separate, life seems divided — between inside and outer, spirit and matter, self and world. Once they unite, this sense of division dissolves, revealing the pure state of wholeness.
The aim of Kundalini Yoga is to revive this inside union. When the dormant Shakti awakens, she begins her ascent via the Sushumna Nadi, rising via the chakras and purifying every degree of consciousness. When she reaches the Sahasrara Chakra on the crown of the pinnacle, she merges once more with Shiva, symbolising the realisation that vitality and consciousness have been by no means actually aside.
This union marks the fulfilment of yoga- the state of Samadhi, the place consciousness turns into one with the supply. On this expertise, the yogi realises the essence of Sat-Chit-Ananda:
- Sat – pure existence,
- Chit – pure consciousness,
- Ananda – pure bliss.
Right here, the physique and thoughts stay lively, however they not create separation. Each breath and motion turns into an expression of the identical divine rhythm. The world is not seen as one thing outdoors of us, however because the dance of Shiva and Shakti- consciousness in movement.
Thus, Kundalini is each the Goddess and the aim of yoga the journey and its vacation spot. When Shakti unites with Shiva inside, the yogi realises that the seeker, the trail, and the divine are one and the identical. That is the essence of Tantra to recognise that every one of creation is sacred, and awakening lies not in escape, however within the consciousness of unity that already exists.
Conclusion
The teachings of Tantra and Kundalini Yoga describe one steady journey the motion of divine vitality from its supply into creation, and its return to pure consciousness. Tantra helps us perceive how this vitality manifests, whereas Kundalini Yoga exhibits the way it can rise once more via observe and inside self-discipline.
This journey begins on the base of the backbone, the place Kundalini Shakti rests in silence. By yoga, breath, and meditation, this vitality awakens and ascends via the chakras, clearing blocks and opening deeper understanding.
The awakening of Kundalini shouldn’t be a bodily occasion however an inside transformation. When the vitality reaches the Sahasrara Chakra, it unites with Shiva, symbolising the whole union of vitality and consciousness.
The message of Tantra is timeless: what we search outdoors is already inside. By regular observe, persistence, and consciousness, Kundalini Yoga helps us return to that reality the state of steadiness, readability, and pleasure that’s our pure essence.