History of Kundalini Yoga states that the origins of Kundalini Yoga come from the form of Hinduism known as Kashmir Shaivism. This form of yoga comes from the Kashmir region of India where Hindus worship Lord Shiva. The history of Kundalini Yoga therefore establishes Kundalini Yoga as the process for enlightenment, manifestation and liberation and the most powerful of the 22 schools of yoga. Kundalini Yoga has existed for thousands of years. In India, its teachings were restrictive and were maintained as a secret oral tradition for thousands of years, which protected the techniques from being abused, but also created an unnecessary image of mystery.
Concept of Kundalini
Kundalini in English means the serpent power. It is the common Hindu belief that within each person resides a "serpent" coiled tightly up at the base of the spine. Through practicing Kundalini yoga, along with chanting, meditation and an impartation from the guru one can have their Kundalini awakened. Kundalini Yoga is therefore the study of the journey from the mind"s sleeping state to its enlightenment.
Contributions of Yogi Bhajan in Kundalini
The rich history of Kundalini Yoga affirms that in the year 1969, Yogi Bhajan introduced Kundalini Yoga. It includes practices of the common Mantra, meditation, chanting, breathing and the classic poses. This type of yoga actually focuses more on chanting and breathing other than concentrates in the Poses alone.
When Yogi Bhajan went to the United States in 1969, he began to teach this Yoga openly and explained its technology in detail. Since then, he has been teaching Kundalini Yoga to students throughout the world. He has said, "Kundalini Yoga harnesses the mental, physical, and nervous energies of the body and puts them under the domain of the Will, which is the instrument of the Soul".
Kundalini and Human Body
The kundalini is found in the perineum region of the body. For the males, it is found between the testicles and the rectum. For the female, it is found between the clitoris and the vagina. Kundalini Yoga is also known as the symbol of equality and power for both genders. The masculine power is known to be Shiva and Shakti for the females. They become the elemental source of power and energy when they are united. The union of Shiva and Shakti occurs in the brain, which gives the sense of feeling like affection, energy, love, etc. Kundalini Yoga is therefore good to eliminate the feeling of sorrow, depression, anger and jealousy.
The practice of this yoga consists of a number of bodily postures, expressive movements and utterances, characterological cultivations, breathing patterns, and degrees of concentration.
The chronicle and the history of kundalini yoga recounts that although developed for the very first time in the Kashmir region, this particular yoga gradually crossed the boundaries of the mere geographical locations. Kundalini yoga helps one to build a strong immune system, to keep the glands vital, to nature a strong nervous system and to maintain good circulation that helps one to deal calmly and gracefully with the mental, emotional and spiritual facets of one"s lives.
