Book Description

Introduction to Kundalini Kundalini. This ancient Sanskrit term may conjure up for you all kinds of images and ideas. Mysticism, secrecy, ritual, perhaps even the attainment of bliss or enlightenment. But what exactly is Kundalini? Kundalini practices have been misunderstood for decades in the West, but recently increasing numbers of people have been discovering the benefits of the tradition. Kundalini yoga emerged from the meditative practices of ancient Hindu India, possibly as long as 4,000 years ago, and incorporates a focus on the chakras (the energy centres of the subtle body, see pages 36–9), movement, breathing exercises and chanting. Today, ordinary people are rediscovering Kundalini as a tool to relieve stress, to promote both physical and emotional healing, and ultimately to connect with a profound and transforming spirituality. Kundalini truly has become accessible to everyone. My own path to Kundalini has been a little unusual. For most of my career I have performed around the world as a professional opera singer. Early on I discovered yoga as a tool to help calm and centre me in the midst of the demands of my singing career. But my first experience of Kundalini took me way beyond the benefits of the type of yoga I had been practising up to that point. I was on a yoga retreat in Chichén Itzà, Mexico, burnt out after a hectic schedule of singing and touring. Intrigued by a form of yoga I knew nothing about, I signed up for a Kundalini class. Deep down I was searching for some inner peace, balance and a greater sense of connectedness through both mind and body. This initial encounter with Kundalini was a very powerful one and I realized during that first class that I had found what I was looking for. Of course, I didn’t immediately surrender my feelings of fear, resistance and doubt about this very different form of practice. However, once I tuned in to the techniques of Kundalini I found a new way of being. The beauty of Kundalini is that it takes you beyond the confusion and clutter of daily life to a place where you experience a sense of real freedom and stillness. At this point the neutral, meditative mind can allow access to inspiration, excitement and new possibilities. Your mind frees itself of the repetitive dialogue of negative voices and confused thoughts – the ancient echoes of the past. The new, raised energetic frequency at which your mind is operating allows you to listen to your mind’s authentic voice, the voice of your dreams, passions and purpose. In this neutral space we can accept who we are and embrace all that we are – the light and the shadows, the good and the bad in us.