Kundalini yoga
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Kundalini yoga is a physical and meditative discipline within the tradition of Yoga, associated with the subdivision of hatha yoga [1]. It describes a set of advanced yoga exercises. The exercises are also sometimes referred to as Kriya Yoga or simply Kriya. According to Hindu tradition Kundalini yoga is a pure spiritual science that leads to enlightenment and God-Realization under the guidance of a Spiritual Master. The awakening of kundalini means awakening of inner knowledge [2].
In Hindu tradition, the techniques are only communicated from Master to disciple once the disciple is deemed ready. It is believed that some methods were made public in the west by rogue disciples. Inability to follow strict instructions of the Master, or practicing of methods without a living and self-realized master, can lead to a series of psychic disturbances and sometimes even mental damage [2]. The conditions are known in psychiatric circles as Kundalini Syndrome.
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[edit] Etymology
The term "Kundalini" is based on several words and has several meanings. The word ending with "i" indicates that it relates to the feminine principle and deals with a form of SHAKTI (energy) and PRAKRITI (nature) [2]
KUNDA is a hole or well into which all debris and rubbish is thrown. In time the rubbish loses its original form and disintegrates into a formless mesh in which the individual components are no longer recognizable. In the similar way, our impression from earlier lives lie like an amorphous substance deep in the unconscious (Muladhara Chakra) [2].
KUNDALA means the ring (generally earing). A ring or a circle has neither beginning nor an end. It is infinite and that is why it is a symbol of creation. Cosmic energy is circling constantly; we do not know when the Universe began and how long will it last [2].
The other roots of "KUNDALINI" are KUNDALIN, serpent, and KALA, time or death. The symbol of the snake has many meanings: ignorance, energy, unhappiness or happiness, death, time and change. In Indian mythology Lord Vishnu rests on a thousand-headed snake and sends out the first vibration (Sphurna), from which the entire Universe evolves [2].
The symbol of snake also refers to the poison and danger that lies in ignorance. Ignorance is as poisonous and deadly as a cobra. But poison can also heal and even have a life saving influence. Knowledge about its correct application and dosage is an important thing. Just as the power to heal is contained in poison, supreme knowledge lies dormant in the "ignorance" of the unconsciousness. Just as a snakebite can suddenly change our life, when the Kundalini awakens our consciousness changes fundamentally and we reach another dimension of time and space [2].
[edit] Underlying philosophy
According to Hindu philosophy Kundalini is a concentrated form of prana or life force, lying dormant in chakras in the body. It is conceptualized as a coiled up serpent (literally, 'kundalini' in Sanskrit is 'That which is coiled.' Sanskrit kund, "to burn"; kunda, "to coil or to spiral"). The serpent is considered to be female, coiled up three and a half times, with its mouth engulfing the base of the Sushumna nadi.
In the classical literature of Kashmir Shaivism kundalini is described in three different manifestations. The first of these is as the universal energy or para-kundalini. The second of these is as the energizing function of the body-mind complex or prana-kundalini. The third of these is as consciousness or shakti-kundalini which simultaneously subsumes and intermediates between these two. Ultimately these three forms are the same but understanding these three different forms will help to understand the different manifestations of kundalini .[3]
The path of Kundalini is said to proceed from the Muladhara Chakra at the lower end of the spinal column up to the Sahasara Chakra at the top of the head. But its awakening is not thought to be a physical occurrence; it consists exclusively of a development in consciousness. According to some sources, awakening of kundalini brings with it pure joy, pure knowledge and pure love [4]. According to one source, those people who write about supposed danger of this path either do not have a (self-realized) master or do not follow his instructions. [5]
According to one source, the word kundalini literally means "the curl of the lock of hair of the beloved." [6][7]. It is a metaphor, a poetic way of describing the flow of energy and consciousness which already is said to exist within each person. The practices are said to enable the person to merge with or "yoke" the universal Self. This merging of individual consciousness with the universal consciousness is said to create a "divine union" called "yoga"[8].
Kundalini yoga is sometimes called "the yoga of awareness" because it awakens the "kundalini" which is the unlimited potential that already exists within every human being [9]
[edit] Developmental perspective
Sovatsky [10], a scholar of Yoga associated with transpersonal psychology, adapts a developmental and evolutionary perspective in his interpretation of Kundalini Yoga. That is, he interprets Kundalini Yoga as a catalyst for psycho-spiritual growth and bodily maturation. According to this interpretation of yoga, the body bows itself into greater maturation [...], none of which should be considered mere stretching excercises [11].
[edit] Cautionary observations
However, intensive spiritual practices, associated with Asian traditions, are not unproblematic. Psychiatric literature[12] notes that "Since the influx of eastern spiritual practices and the rising popularity of meditation starting in the 1960's, many people have experienced a variety of psychological difficulties, either while engaged in intensive spiritual practice or spontaneously". Among the psychological difficulties associated with intensive spiritual practice we find "kundalini awakening", "a complex physio-psychospiritual transformative process described in the yogic tradition"[13]. Also, writers in the fields of Transpersonal psychology [14] and Near-death studies[15] [16] describe a complex pattern of sensory, motor, mental and affective symptoms associated with the concept of Kundalini, sometimes called the Kundalini Syndrome.
The psychiatrist Carl Jung warned that Kundalini Yoga could lead to dissociation in which the mind purposely attempts to separate from its bodily restrictions. He stated, "One often hears and reads about the dangers of yoga, particularly of the ill-reputed Kundalini yoga. The deliberately induced psychotic state, which in certain unstable individuals might easily lead to a real psychosis, is a danger that needs to be taken very seriously indeed. These things are really dangerous and ought not to be meddled with in our typically western way."[17]
[edit] Medical research
Recently there has been a growing interest within the medical community to study the physiological, as well as the psychological, effects of meditation, and some of these studies have applied the discipline of kundalini yoga to their clinical settings.[18][19]
- Arambula et al. [20] has studied the physiological correlates of a highly practiced kundalini yogi.
- Peng et al. [21] has studied the heart-rate oscillations, associated with slow breathing during the practice of kundalini yoga meditation.
- Venkatesh et al. [22] has studied twelve kundalini (chakra) meditators, using the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory. They found that the practice of meditation "appears to produce structural as well as intensity changes in phenomenological experiences of consciousness".
- Narayan et al. [23] studied the degree of relaxation of muscle under the effects of kundalini yoga with the help of an EMG integrator.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Sovatsky, 1998, p. 14
- ^ a b c d e f g Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, The hidden power in humans, Ibera Verlag, pages 47, 48. ISBN 3-85052-197-4
- ^ Kundalini Yogas FAQ
- ^ Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, The hidden power in humans, Ibera Verlag, pages 47, 48. ISBN 3-85052-197-4
- ^ Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, The hidden power in humans, Ibera Verlag, pages 47, 48. ISBN 3-85052-197-4
- ^ Satya July 99: Kundalini Yoga by Deborah Clapp
- ^ Yogi Bhajan
- ^ What is Kundalini yoga?
- ^ Sat Bachan Kaur Karla Becker, 2004.
- ^ Sovatsky, 1998: p. 6, 82, 142
- ^ Sovatsky, 1998: p. 142
- ^ Turner et al.,pg. 440
- ^ Turner et al.,pg. 440
- ^ Scotton, 1996
- ^ Kason, 2000
- ^ Greyson, 2000
- ^ Schroeder, Gerald L. The Science of God. New York: Free Press, 1997, p. 15.
- ^ Cromie, 2002
- ^ Lazar, et al., 2000
- ^ Arambula et al. ,2001
- ^ Peng et al., 1999
- ^ Venkatesh et al., 1997
- ^ Narayan et al., 1990
[edit] References
- Arambula P, Peper E, Kawakami M, Gibney KH. (2001) The Physiological Correlates of Kundalini Yoga Meditation: A Study of a Yoga Master, Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback, Jun 2001; 26(2): 147 - 53, PubMed Abstract PMID 11480165.
- Cromie, William J. (2002) Research: Meditation Changes Temperatures: Mind Controls Body in Extreme Experiments. Harvard University Gazette, April 18, 2002
- Greyson, Bruce (2000) Some Neuropsychological Correlates Of The Physio-Kundalini Syndrome. The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, Vol.32, No. 2
- Laue, Thorsten: Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Tee und das Wassermannzeitalter. Bibliografische Einblicke in die Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization (3HO) des Yogi Bhajan. Tübingen: 2008. Online abrufbar unter: http://tobias-lib.ub.uni-tuebingen.de/volltexte/2008/3596/ [in German]
- Laue, Thorsten: Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Tee und das Wassermannzeitalter. Religionswissenschaftliche Einblicke in die Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization (3HO) des Yogi Bhajan, Münster: LIT, 2007, ISBN 3825801403
- Kason, Yvonne (2000) Farther Shores: Exploring How Near-Death, Kundalini and Mystical Experiences Can Transform Ordinary Lives. Toronto: Harper Collins Publishers, Revised edition, ISBN 0-00-638624-5
- Lazar, Sara W.; Bush, George; Gollub, Randy L.; Fricchione, Gregory L.; Khalsa, Gurucharan; Benson, Herbert (2000) Functional Brain Mapping of the Relaxation Response and Meditation, [Autonomic Nervous System] NeuroReport, Vol. 11(7) May 15, 2000, p 1581 - 1585, PubMed Abstract PMID 10841380
- Narayan R, Kamat A, Khanolkar M, Kamat S, Desai SR, Dhume RA. (1990) Quantitative Evaluation of Muscle Relaxation Induced by Kundalini Yoga with the Help of EMG Integrator. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. Oct 1990; 34(4): 279 - 81, PubMed Abstract PMID 2100290.
- Peng CK, Mietus JE, Liu Y, Khalsa G, Douglas PS, Benson H, Goldberger AL. (1999) Exaggerated Heart Rate Oscillations During Two Meditation Techniques. Int J Cardiol, Jul 31, 1999; 70(2): 101 - 7, PubMed Abstract PMID 10454297.
- Scotton, Bruce (1996) The phenomenology and treatment of kundalini, in Chinen, Scotton and Battista (Editors) (1996) Textbook of transpersonal psychiatry and psychology. (pp.261–270). New York: Basic Books, Inc
- Sovatsky, Stuart (1998) Words from the Soul: Time, East/West Spirituality, and Psychotherapeutic Narrative, Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology, New York: State University of New York Press
- Turner, Robert P.; Lukoff, David; Barnhouse, Ruth Tiffany & Lu, Francis G. (1995) Religious or Spiritual Problem. A Culturally Sensitive Diagnostic Category in the DSM-IV. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease,Vol.183, No. 7 435-444
- Venkatesh S, Raju TR, Shivani Y, Tompkins G, Meti BL. (1997) A Study of Structure of Phenomenology of Consciousness in Meditative and Non-Meditative States. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol, Apr 1997; 41(2): 149 - 53. PubMed Abstract PMID 9142560.
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