The concept of Kundalini is mentioned in Upanishads (9th century BCE - 3rd century BCE). The Sanskrit adjective kuṇḍalin means "circular, annular". It does occur as a noun for "a snake" (in the sense "coiled", as in "forming ringlets") in the 12th-century Rajatarangini chronicle .
What is Kundalini?
Kundalini (Sanskrit kuṇḍalinī, कुण्डलिनी) stems from yogicphilosophy as a form of shakti or "corporeal energy" and is often described as an indwelling spiritual energy that can be awakened.
Sir John Woodroffe coined the phrase "serpent power" to describe it.
What is interesting is there is a lot of debate about whether or not kundalini is dormant/sleeping. One school of thought says kundalini is always present in all of us. It is correct, yes , but 'a dormant kundalini' is a metaphoric explaination of a concept. Anyway, it doesn't matter! The point is we can all benefit by awakening kundalini. (let's be diplomatically correct and call it enhancement)
Kundalini - root meaning:
Kun is the Earth ... add the "di" (sometimes spelt "ti") and its the little pot of earth (one cell) in the earth (physical manifestation) .. and the bits added to the end which some transcribe as "lini" are the perpetual consciousness of the 'alpha and the omega' expressed as potential .. Kundalini is the Refiner's Fire which straightens out the mind's distortions of Life and Nature (Kundalini definition)
Kundalini is, thus, the energy of our natural physical beingness - the life energy of each cell of the Physical Body -- particularly the 'stem cells'.
Kundalini is the latent potential of the Feminine Principle of Creation - the Life-Force and life consciousness of every cell of all physical life. We are all born with Kundalini already awakened .. we would be very dead if it wasn't.
(From: Transpersonal)
KUNDALINI AND YOGA:
"Take the simple analogy of a lake. A lake is made up of water. The lake water evaporates from the lake, and goes up into the air... the vapor becomes rain, it comes back to the lake immediately, and the circle is completed without any problem.
On the other hand, if the vapor gets carried to a nearby mountain, and conditions turn it into snow, the mountain might hold the water for some time. *However, sooner or later, the sun will warm up that snow, and it is bound to melt. It will start to dribble down the mountain, drop by drop, slowly becoming a stream, and it will eventually find its way back to its source.*
The Kundalini spiral is like the water from the lake. Despite its erratic movement, there is a constant pull towards the center that will eventually bring it back to its point of origin.
*It is one of the most vital messages of yoga. Namely, that there is no such thing as eternal damnation.* It may take you one hundred years; it may take you one hundred lifetimes, but having left the source, the constant pull towards the center will bring you back."
(Read more at: Daily Readings)
Ramana Maharshi mentioned that Kundalini is nothing but the natural energy of the Self, where Self is the universal consciousness (Paramatma) present in every being, and that the individual mind of thoughts cloaks this natural energy from unadulterated expression.
Swami Vivekananda described Kundalini briefly in London during his lectures on Raja Yoga. He spoke about the spiritual aspect of it as well as tried to seek it in the human anatomy. The language of the wise men of ancient times is metaphoric and cryptic. However, analogies may be drawn.
He mentioned two nerve currents in the spinal column, called Pingalâ and Idâ, and a hollow canal called Sushumnâ running through the spinal cord.
He said:
"At the lower end of the hollow canal is what the Yogis call the "Lotus of the Kundalini". They describe it as triangular in form in which, in the symbolical language of the Yogis, there is a power called the Kundalini, coiled up. When that Kundalini awakes, it tries to force a passage through this hollow canal, and as it rises step by step, as it were, layer after layer of the mind becomes open and all the different visions and wonderful powers come to the Yogi. When it reaches the brain, the Yogi is perfectly detached from the body and mind; the soul finds itself free. We know that the spinal cord is composed in a peculiar manner. If we take the figure eight horizontally (∞) there are two parts which are connected in the middle. Suppose you add eight after eight, piled one on top of the other, that will represent the spinal cord. The left is the Ida, the right Pingala, and that hollow canal which runs through the centre of the spinal cord is the Sushumna. Where the spinal cord ends in some of the lumbar vertebrae, a fine fibre issues downwards, and the canal runs up even within that fibre, only much finer. The canal is closed at the lower end, which is situated near what is called the sacral plexus, which, according to modern physiology, is triangular in form. The different plexuses that have their centres in the spinal canal can very well stand for the different "lotuses" of the Yogi.
When Kundalini Shakti is conceived as a goddess, then, when it rises to the head, it unites itself with the Supreme Being (Lord Shiva). Then the aspirant becomes engrossed in deep meditation and infinite bliss"
Paramahansa Yogananda in his book God Talks With Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita states:
At the command of the yogi in deep meditation, this creative force turns inward and flows back to its source in the thousand-petaled lotus, revealing the resplendent inner world of the divine forces and consciousness of the soul and Spirit. Yoga refers to this power flowing from the coccyx to Spirit as the awakened kundalini.
and
The yogi reverses the searchlights of intelligence, mind and life force inward through a secret astral passage, the coiled way of the kundalini in the coccygeal plexus, and upward through the sacral, the lumbar, and the higher dorsal, cervical, and medullary plexuses, and the spiritual eye at the point between the eyebrows, to reveal finally the soul's presence in the highest center (sahasrara) in the brain.
According to Hindu tradition, in order to be able to (wilfully) integrate this spiritual energy, a period of careful purification and strengthening of the body is required.
Patañjali emphasised following the path of an openhearted manner.
Although kundalini can "awaken" spontaneously as well.
(Read more at wikipedia )
This article has primarily been taken up from various online sources and I take no credits for it, whatsoever. All I did was compiled some interesting facts about kundalini in one place for the ease of reference.
In a subsequent post, I shall mention the "awakening" of kundalini as well as scientific data supporting it.
Namaste
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