Kundalini Yoga Glossary
Kundalini
A feminine, creative energy said to lie coiled and dormant at the base of the spine.
Meaning
What Kundalini Means
Kundalini is thought to have first been used as a term in the Upanishads, one of the sacred Hindu texts, around 500 BC. The word comes from the root kundal, meaning coiled. It's a feminine energy, known in yoga philosophy as Shakti energy, related to creative power and potential, located at the base of the spine in its dormant state.
Metaphorically, when Kundalini is described as awakened, it uncoils from the base of the spine, moves to the first chakra, and begins moving upward, opening the rest of the chakras. Reaching the seventh chakra is described as enlightenment.
In Practice
How It’s Used
In more practical terms, this uncoiling is connected to a process of self-knowledge: using one's energy to know oneself more deeply, connecting with inner truth, and living closer to one's own integrity. As that happens, connection with others and with one's surroundings tends to grow too.
One common concern is that the practice can be dangerous. This traces back to early Western practitioners in the 1970s and 80s who, searching for an awakening, combined intense, prolonged Kundalini Yoga sessions with fasting and other extreme practices, sometimes leading to physical or emotional distress. Kundalini Yoga and its work with this energy call for responsibility: practiced inadequately or excessively, like any intense activity, it can have harmful effects, so it's approached with respect for the wellbeing of body and mind.
