If you are up for both mental and physical challenges, Kundalini yoga is definitely the one for you. Believed to be one of the most spiritual forms of yoga, Kundalini yoga emphasizes on spiritual awakening by focusing on breath and movement. This yoga type is fundamentally based on the philosophy that a spiritual energy or life force is situated at the base of the spine, which is usually conceptualized as a coiled serpent. In fact, Kundalini or kundala literally means coiled in Sanskrit. Kundalini yoga aims at arousing this sleeping spiritual energy through the 6th Chakra and to penetrate the 7th. Kundalini yoga has been rightfully called “the yoga of awareness” because its prime objective is to help an individual connect to his consciousness by increasing self knowledge, developing intuition and releasing the unlimited creative potential that lies hidden in every human being. This yoga type is believed to have been in existence for hundreds of years and it was introduced to the west only recently. While this yoga type was deemed to be secretive and misunderstood, a man named Yogi Bhajan brought this practice to the west in the 1960s with the aim to tackle drug abuse. Since then, Kundalini yoga has flourished and has become a popular choice for reinforcing a person’s spiritual growth and bodily maturation.
Who has time to think about enlightenment at a time when people are busy living their lives? Yoga is only for making a person enhance his well-being. If this is what you think, Kundalini yoga is going to change your opinion. Attaining enlightenment is the primary objective of Kundalini yoga and it is believed that full enlightenment occurs when the Kundalini energy situated at the base of the spine reaches the crown. This is possible only when all seven chakras have been awakened. Every movement and pose in Kundalini yoga is executed with a keen focus on breath. It is understood that this focus is what intensifies the effects of the poses thus releasing the energy in the lower body and helping it move upwards. One can expect a Kundalini class to begin with chants. This is followed by exercises to stretch the spine and improve flexibility. The main activity of the Kundalini class which is called kriya is composed of a series of poses and pranayama in which special attention is paid to different parts of the body. Students are also made to meditate towards the end of the class. Kundalini yoga has been observed to cure a large number of ailments such as asthma, diabetes, stress related diseases and even mental disorders. But this doesn’t mean you have to be ill to practice Kundalini yoga for it is said to improve memory as well. Kundalini yoga is so much more than just stretching and breathing. It goes beyond making you physically and mentally healthy and helps you become a complete human being by tapping into your inner consciousness.