Kundalini

Kundalini is a Sanskrit word meaning “she who is coiled”. The kundalini is an energy that is said to lie dormant at the base of the spine. It is believed that this sleeping serpent energy can be awakened in order to bring forth creativity, emotional well-being, spiritual… even supernatural powers that defy scientific explanation, and profound peace. One can awaken the serpent energy through meditation, certain breathing and movement practices, and sometimes it is awakened spontaneously.


The awakening of the kundalini energy is a profound practice and focus of Tantric Hinduism and Buddhism. It is also practiced within other cultures besides India, though it is given differing names in each different cultural and geographical domain. In Taoist thought the arising of the Kundalini energy is related to the achievement of the greater Kan and Li, which Chinese thought describes as a channeling of internal chi in a specific path up the spine, over the head and back to the dantien point that is believed to lie two inches below the navel. In order to safely do this, it is always prescribed to touch the tip of one’s tongue to the roof of one’s mouth. Yogic practice advises to allow the energy to exit through the top of the head at the crown chakra and then come down upon one in a shower of energy.

There can be potentially negative consequences to the arising of the kundalini energy in an abrupt manner, or in someone who is not completely ready for it. These consequences range from varying degrees of physical, psychological, and emotional discomfort (what the Taoists refer to as ‘chi sickness’) to insanity and death. This is why it is called the quick path, or the warrior’s path to enlightenment. This is not for the faint of heart.

On the positive side, kundalini can grant an experience of oneness with all life, a meeting with mythological archetypes, supernatural powers called siddhis in Sanskrit (psychic powers, physical strength, etc.), the transparency of the ego – if not its complete obliteration.

Some people who have experienced the awakening of the kundalini and have written about their experiences include Gopi Krishna and Glenn Morris. Gopi Krishna was a householder in India who unintentionally awakened the serpent power and almost died because of it. He felt as if he was burning up from the inside out and could only cool the fire with a strict diet that he happened upon through trial and error. Glenn Morris is an American Martial Arts enthusiast who had intentionally achieved the awakening of the Shakti (energy) through meditation. Even with his planning, he still experienced some detrimental physical effects that took him years to heal completely. Gopi Krishna recounts his experiences in his book “Kundalini: The evolutionary energy in man”, Glenn Morris tells of his spiritual experiment in his book “Path Notes of an American Ninja Master”.