Introduction

Kundalini is a dormant primordial energy situated at the bottom of the spine. It can be awakened by various methods which can be practiced individually, or in combination. In Kundalini Yoga, different parts of the brain are connected with the chakras, which are vortices of psychic energy. There are six chakras in the human body, which are directly connected to the higher, unilluminated centers of the brain. These include the mooladhara, situated in the pelvic floor, swadhisthana, which controls the unconscious in man, manipura, which controls the entire processes of digestion, assimilation and temperature regulation in the body, anahata lies in the vertebral column behind the bade of the heart, at the level of the depression in the sternum. Then, vishuddhi lies at the level of the throat pit in the vertebral column. Ajna, the sixth and most important chakra controls the muscles and the onset of sexual activity in man. Kundalini can be awakened in an individual chakra, or it can awaken throughout the network of chakras collectively. From each, the awakening shock moves up to the top of sahasrara. However, the awakening is not sustained and those centres in the brain return to dormancy. If kundalini awakens in an individual chakra, the experiences which are characteristics of that chakra will be brought into consciousness. The most important method for awakening kundalini shakti is kriya yoga, which can be practiced even by people who are not familiar with yogic techniques.