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The
origins of Kundalini Yoga are shrouded in the mists of the
dawn of civilization on the Indian sub-continent.
The divine power,
Kundalini, shines
like the stem of a young lotus;
like a snake, coiled round upon herself
she holds her tail in her mouth
and lies resting half asleep
as the base of the body.
Yoga
Kundalini Upanishad (1.82)
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The
psychic energy symbolized by the serpent form retained
by being wound into a 'closed circuit'.
(Rajasthan,
18th century, ink and color on paper) |
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Kundalini
Sakti, coiled and dormant 'feminine' energy, is the vast potential
of psychic energy contained within us all. It is normally symbolized
as a serpent coiled into three and a half circles, with its tail
in its mouth, and spiralling around the central axis (sacrum or
sacred bone) at the base of the spine. The awakening of this serpent
and the manifestation of its powers is a primary aim of the practice
of Kundalini Yoga.
We
do know that the basic techniques evolved in the monasteries of
India & Tibet over a period of thousands of years. There the
rishis systematically tested and perfected the precise movements,
postures, sounds and breathing that activate different parts of
the body and brain to produce specific results.
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Kundalini
with Sakti in the fire altar, symbolizing the element fire
associated with the Manipura or Navel Chakra.
(Rajasthan.
c. 19th century, gouache on paper)
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The
object of the practice of Kundalini Yoga is to awaken the serpent,
Sakti. When she is ready to unfold, she ascends through the spinal
chakras to unite above the crown of the head with Siva, the Pure
Consciousness pervading the whole universe.
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Within
the folds of Devi, the Cosmic Energy, rests Siva, the foundational
Consciousness. Devi (or Kundalini) is the primordial power
active in the great drama of the awakening of the unmanifested
Siva.
(Pahari School, c. 18th century, gouache on paper)
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Acknowledgement
The above pictures
and some of the descriptive content were taken from
"Kundalini
- The Arousal of the Inner Engergy",
Prof. Ajit Mookerjee,
Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont 05767. ISBN 0-89281-020-3
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