Kundalini Yoga taps at the deepest life force

Kundalini Yoga is the concentration of the mind on the 'chakras' or psychic centers in the body. This intense focus gives rise to a powerful spiritual energy, which is termed as 'kudalini energy'.

The term 'Kundalini' literally means 'coiled up'. Through Kundalini Yoga, the vital life force that flows through the body of every human being is shaken up from its dormant state to become potential. This life force or 'prana' is thought of as a coiled up, serpent situated at the base of the spine. With the intense concentration achieved through Kundalini, the 'prana' is activated.

The Chakras are centers of Shakti. They can rouse the dormant 'prana' and make it energetic and full of life. The spiritual power or Kundalini energy is generated as a result of this activation of the 'prana'.

The 'prana' flows through the 'nadis' (nerves), also referred to as channels in the human body. The practice of Kundalini comprises of first vitalizing and then canalizing the energy ('prana') upward, from the base of the backbone, up the spine to the head (brain). The psychic channel running from the base of the backbone to the brain is termed as 'sushumna'. In addition to 'sushumna', the two other channels that run up from the root of the spine to the brain are, 'ida' and 'pingala'.

The dormant, coiled up force- Kundalini — is present at the base of the spine in the first of seven chakras, called the Muladhara Chakra. Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, the force travels upwards through the other chakras, which are Svadhishthana Chakra, Manipuraka Chakra, Anahata Chakra, Visuddha Chakra, and Ajna Chakra. The seventh and final chakra into which the energy flows is called as the Sahasrara Chakra. This is the highest chakra and is located at the crown of the head.

The mind of a worldly person moves in the Muladhara and Svadhishthana Chakras. If one's mind becomes purified it rises to the Manipura Chakra. Further purified, it rises to the Anahata Chakra or centre in the heart.

When the mind gets highly purified, that is when meditation and devotion become intense, the mind rises to Visuddha Chakra, and experiences more powers and bliss. When the Yogi reaches the Ajna Chakra he attains Samadhi. If he reaches the spiritual center in the brain, the Sahasrara Chakra, the Yogi attains the super conscious state. This is the highest plane of consciousness.

Self-realization is characterized as having achieved Samadhi, which is the blissful state of inner peace. This happens when you feel currents of 'Prana' rising up to the Sahasrara, when you experience bliss, when you repeat Om automatically, when there are no thoughts of the world in the mind.