Kundalini Yoga, also known as “the yoga of awareness”[1], traces its origins back to Tantric Yoga styles of the 8th century. It aims “to cultivate the creative spiritual potential of a human to uphold values, speak truth, and focus on the compassion and consciousness needed to serve and heal others.”[2]. Kundalini mixes dynamic breathing techniques and movement with meditation and chanting of mantras. The types of mantras are similar to those one might find in daily affirmation exercises.
The Serpentine Energy Released by Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga focuses on the belief that energy is coiled at the base of the spine like a serpent. This energy can be released or moved through the 7 chakras that align from the base of the spine to the head. Release of this energy promotes greater self-awareness along with higher levels of concentration & creativity.
For people, Kudalini may be easier to do at home than other types of Yoga.
What Makes it Unique
One of the key differences between this type of Yoga and others, is that the poses are not held for long periods of time. The physical focus is more on movement within the poses. As you’ll see in the video at the end of this article, some of these movements almost resemble doing repetitions in a standard workout. The mental focus of Kundalini is on specific breathing techniques such as the breath of fire. These short quick breaths provide an element of focus during the poses that help maintain concentration.
Kundalini Yoga trains the mind and body. Practitioners of the technique claim that it helps build focus and gives the same benefits of an intense cardio workout without the impact on joints. It’s great for beginners because the individual movements don’t require a high amount of flexibility. Unlike Hatha Yoga, there is very little in the way of twisting and balancing.
Ready to give it a shot? Here’s an easy 10-minute routine you can do:
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