Why is Kundalini yoga dangerous? If you want to find an answer to this question, this article was written for you.
Kundalini yoga is turning out to become one of the most popular forms of yoga in recent years. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Gisele Bündchen, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Russell Crowe, Sting, and Cindy Crawford are known to practice it.
In fact, celebrities like Demi Moore, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Carrie-Anne Moss are certified Kundalini yoga teachers. Russel Brand is pursuing his plans to also become a certified instructor and wants to open his own Kundalini yoga studio.
But despite all the celebrities practicing it, some claim Kundalini yoga is dangerous. According to the naysayers, Kundalini yoga carries a lot of risks.
But what is Kundalini yoga and why do these A-listers swear by it to maintain their health, vitality, and well-being? Is it just hype?
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Here, we will discuss what you need to know about Kundalini yoga and the answers to why is Kundalini yoga dangerous.
What is Kundalini yoga?
Kundalini yoga is an ancient healing practice that awakens the divine energy within yourself. Once you connect to that energy, you will be able to live a life full of lightness, joy, and love through spiritual awakening.
“Kundalini” is a Sanskrit word that stands for “coiled snake.” It was believed that divine energy is located at the base of one’s spine. Kundalini helps “uncoil the snake” and helps you connect to your own divine energy and make the best of it.
Before, Kundalini was treated as a spiritual philosophy and a study of the science of energy. Ancient royal leaders would sit with Kundalini masters to hear their visions and teachings. In fact, the ancient teachings of Kundalini were kept a secret for some time and only royalty and nobility were able to use them for thousands of years.
Yogi Bhajan, also known as Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogihji, is the person responsible for introducing Kundalini to Western culture in the 1960s. According to him, “The process of growth through Kundalini yoga is a natural unfolding of your own nature. Like a snake, you will need to shed old skins to be more of who you are.”
When you practice Kundalini yoga, the ultimate goal is increased self-awareness and unblocked chakras. We have seven chakras: the crown, third eye, throat, heart, solar plexus, sacral, and root chakras.
Once the coiled energy at the base of your spine is accessed through Kundalini, the dormant energy will run through your body and will unblock all sevene chakras.
Practicing Kundalini yoga involves meditation, movement, challenging breathing exercises, and chanting. As you can see, it is a yoga practice that focuses more on spirituality than on the physical well-being of your body.
The phases of Kundalini yoga
If you want to practice Kundalini yoga, you have to know and understand the different phases of Kundalini yoga.
Asana
Asana is the physical part of Kundalini yoga involving specific yoga positions.
Kriyas
Kriyas refer to asana movements in Kundalini yoga. Each kriya consists of a combination of yoga positions that are performed with a specific breathing technique.
Mudras
Mudras refer to the hand movements you do in Kundalini yoga. Every mudra delivers a particular message to your body and mind.
Mantras
This is the part of Kundalini yoga where you chant mantras or positive affirmations. They are often said in Gurmukhi and occasionally, in English. This is the easy Kundalini yoga practice.
Chakras
As mentioned earlier, there are seven chakras in the body. These chakras are energy centers that promote maximum physical and mental health and well-being by aligning the body and mind.
Why is Kundalini yoga considered dangerous?
Based on everything discussed so far, we can see that practicing Kundalini yoga has its benefits as it enhances mental equilibrium, improves physical health, and boosts happiness. So, why do people consider it to be a dangerous type of yoga?
It turns out that the enhancements Kundalini yoga can provide to people are not favorable for some who could not handle them properly. The danger falls into achieving early enlightenment when you are not fully prepared for it.
The release of energy once the Kundalini awakening is activated can be intimidating and overwhelming for those who are not prepared for it. There is so much power in this spiritual experience and yogic system that it needs the utmost responsibility.
Kundalini awakening is a shift of consciousness that is accompanied by energy. Practitioners who have gone through it have described it as a physical, mental, emotional, and energetic rush. It is a mystical phenomenon that not everybody finds pleasant.
Some people have reported anxiety attacks and psychotic episodes similar to LSD trips when they have gone through Kundalini awakening. Although some people only go through these effects for a few hours or days, some take years to recover from it.
Aside from these effects on your mental health, the breathing exercises of Kundalini yoga are considered to be unfit for beginners. These breathing exercises require slow and deep breathing and if you are not used to that kind of exercise, you will end up feeling light-headed or nauseous.
The following people are advised to exercise extra caution when doing Kundalini yoga:
- Those who have breathing issues
- Those who have joint pains
- Those who have balance problems
- Those who have unhealed injuries
- Pregnant women
If you are not sure whether Kundalini yoga is right for you, you should talk to your doctor. They can tell you what precautions you should take or advise a safer type of exercise that will suit you best.
How to avoid the dangers of Kundalini yoga
Awakening Kundalini can boost your mental and physical well-being but it can also cause mental and physical problems if you are not prepared for its effects. You should be physically fit and have a good mental balance before you start this powerful spiritual process.
Kundalini experiences differ from one person to the next. If you are still new, proper guidance and necessary preparation must be done in order to raise Kundalini awareness properly. It helps to attend a class so that you have an immediate supportive atmosphere.
Here are some of the things that you can do to prepare yourself for Kundalini yoga and to lessen the risks of getting its dangerous effects.
- Understand and know the fundamentals of different yoga types.
- Seek a certified Kundalini instructor to help you throughout the entire process.
- Make sure you are in good health always.
- Get medical advice before you start practicing Kundalini yoga.
Make sure to have necessary guidance even when simply attempting the simplest Kundalini moves. It is always best to start out with classical yogic traditions first before you attempt Kundalini.
Benefits of Kundalini yoga
Here is a list of common benefits that Kundalini yoga practitioners are enjoying. These benefits can be beneficial for practitioners of all ages. If you get to do Kundalini yoga properly, you can also enjoy these benefits:
Reduces stress and anxiety
Just like any other type of yoga, a major benefit of Kundalini yoga is to reduce any stress and anxiety that you may feel. It is the reason why majority of practitioners start this very fantastic process.
Kundalini yoga provides rapid stress alleviation, which means people who have heart disease and insomnia caused by high-stress-level situations can benefit well from it.
Because of this benefit, Kundalini yoga is often recommended as a therapeutic option for those who have severe anxiety disorders and PTSD.
Relieves back pain
Kundalini yoga will make you more flexible by extending your tendons and muscles. This will help relieve any back pain or discomfort that you may be feeling.
And since Kundalini yoga helps boost blood circulation, it helps deliver healing oxygen and other nutrients to the pain’s location quicker.
Lowers blood sugar levels
Kundalini yoga is often recommended for those who have type 2 diabetes. With this type of diabetes, your body is no longer reacting to insulin as it should and runs the risk of producing more blood sugar levels.
Kundalini yoga helps lower your blood sugar levels by enhancing blood glucose release through exercise. Aiding weight loss is also considered a bonus since most patients with type 2 diabetes are also at risk of obesity.
Enhance self-esteem
In 2017, small research involving women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and binge-eating disorder was found to improve after practicing Kundalini yoga. The women in the study had improved self-acceptance and increased confidence when it came to their bodies.
Because of this, Kundalini is found to help in different kinds of mental health issues as well as most of these issues are based on insecurity and low self-esteem.
Builds strength
Some postures in Kundalini yoga are held for an extended period compared to other types of yoga. Some practitioners can hold these poses for up to five minutes. Going through this regularly means you will be able to tone and strengthen your muscles.
The more intense breathing techniques can also help boost your core of strength as it engages your abdominal muscles.
Boosts memory and focus
Kundalini yoga has been found to improve cognitive functioning – therefore, it can enhance your ability to focus and remember things.
In fact, the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation actually recommends Kundalini kriya to their patients as they find it effective when it comes to improving memory retention.
Spiritual awareness
When you achieve Kundalini awakening, you will notice that you will feel more spiritually connected not only to yourself but also to the people around you.
With increased spiritual awareness, you have the benefits of having more compassion, creativity boosts, inner peace, and enhanced vitality.
You become more attuned to your true nature without the influence of external factors or ego identification. You get to experience life completely differently and with your energy centers producing energy, you will be performing at your best.
What happens in a Kundalini yoga session?
A Kundalini yoga class is composed of six main parts and they are done in the following order.
Opening chant
Every Kundalini yoga class starts with an opening chant. This is also known as tuning in and will prepare you for the rest of the session.
Pranayama
The pranayama part of a Kundalini yoga class is your “warm-up” part. You will be doing breathing exercises and sometimes there will be movements to help stretch your spine. The major goal of this part of the session is for you to practice controlling your breath.
Kriya
In this part of your Kundalini yoga session, you will be doing a series of postures, pranayama, mudras, sounds, and Kundalini meditation. The intensity and length of the kriya part will depend on your Kundalini instructor.
Relaxation
After going through kriya – which can be long and intense – you will have time to relax. This gives your mind and body some time not only to rest but also to absorb the effects of Kriya.
Kundalini meditation
After relaxing, the next part of the Kundalini class will be meditation. Your Kundalini instructor will guide you and the aim of this part of the session is to help cultivate your awareness.
Closing chant
To end your Kundalini yoga session, the whole class will participate in a closing chant.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does Kundalini yoga differ from other types of yoga?
Compared to other yoga techniques, Kundalini yoga focuses more on the spiritual aspect. The spiritual process essentially means you being able to connect with your inner energy. But despite this, it does still involve physical movements.
Another thing that makes Kundalini yoga different from other forms of yoga is the fact that it is more precise and repetitive. It uses a specific pattern and combination of chanting, singing, poses, movements, and breathing exercises.
What does it feel like when you have a Kundalini awakening?
The results will vary, depending on the person. It is a very personal experience.
Some would find it a pleasurable physical sensation and describe it as getting an orgasm but the feeling is more sensual than sexual. It is like you are being taken into a certain dimension and perception heightened states when you attain enlightenment.
For some, the rush of energy is so intense that it can be painful. In this case, it is mostly accompanied by shaking and spasms after. This is one of the reasons some people would find Kundalini yoga dangerous.
After that rush of Kundalini energy though, you will go through life completely differently – like a totally new person. You are more aware, more confident, and more focused.
Is Kundalini a religion?
Kundalini is not a religion – you can practice yoga no matter what religious affiliation you have. Kundalini yoga is simply all about connecting your inner energy to your being.
The mantras used in Kundalini yoga actually predate all modern religions and are used universally. Although you can find the word “God” a lot in Kundalini yoga, it does not really refer to a specific deity. The “God” refers to the “sustainer of all.” It is a general term.
If you feel uncomfortable using this word you can always replace it with “source,” “nature,” “spirit,” or others that would feel more natural to you.
Why do practiced Kundalini yoga users wear white?
According to Yogi Bhajan, colors have an effect on your consciousness. In relation to that, he believes the color white can expand your aura to an extra foot. When this happens, you will have extra protection from any harmful energy around you. At the same time, you also get to project more of your positive energy to the world too.
You may also notice that Kundalini yoga practitioners also wear white turbans or head coverings. This is optional but covering your head is believed to help you focus your energy on your third eye. It is also considered a symbol of devotion to the practice. The head coverings are a great help in Kundalini meditation.
Conclusion
Life is filled with vibrant energy – everyone and everything we interact with is energy. Kundalini yoga lets you focus on the power of your own internal energy and lets you live a high vibrational lifestyle.
Of course like in all things, it is important to understand not only the benefits but also the drawbacks. Everything has its pros and cons. If you ever wonder why is Kundalini yoga dangerous, the answer is simple – it is an advanced type of yoga that is not suitable for beginners.
Although Kundalini yoga does have its dangers, especially for beginners, you can get past these risks if you learn how to practice Kundalini properly. If Kundalini yoga is done correctly, there is very little chance that its effects would be negative for you.
As you can see, the Kundalini yoga dangers are not as terrible as you would think. But if this is your first time to do yoga, we advice you to start with simpler yoga forms and breathing exercises before you attempt to tap into your Kundalini energy. This is to make sure that you will be prepared for your Kundalini awakening.
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