Book talks in detail about Kundalini yoga
New Delhi: A new book talks in detail about Kundalini yoga, a form which deals with the primordial energy present in all that is not well known or explored.
In "Kundalini Yoga for All: Unlock the Power of Your Body and Brain", author Kamini Bobde goes on to show how this yoga helps in the quest of discovering the mysteries of creation and the purpose behind it through a process which is both scientific and spiritual.
"Kundalini, the primordial energy, is present in everyone. In most people, it is sleeping; in some, it is partially awakened. Scriptures say your past lives karma, your prarabdha karma, determine how awakened will be the state of Kundalini Shakti in you.
"Kundalini yoga deals with the primordial energy present in all but many either do not know it or are simply too lazy to explore. For those willing to dive into the depths of their inner being to awaken this sleeping Shakti, this book will prove to be an exciting exploration into yourself that will unravel your highest potential," Bobde, a Kundalini practitioner who has conducted workshops in India and abroad, says.
Simply put, Kundalini is "understanding what powers understanding itself".
"Locked within the everyday process of cognition and action is the secret of all that powers our evolution as a human race. Any form of yoga is finally a journey into oneself, into unlocking one's own secret hidden behind a veil of innocence and ignorance," the book, published by Penguin Random House imprint Ebury Press, says.
It is divided into two major sections: the theory of Kundalini and the practice of it.
"You may either first digest the theory and then launch into the practise or read the theory and do the practice simultaneously. The choice is yours. But if either part of this book is neglected, you will not succeed at awakening your inner Kundalini," says the author, who is the wife of former Chief Justice of India S A Bobde.
She argues that theory will not succeed at awakening one's inner Kundalini because mere theory without practice will remain an intellectual exercise and practice without understanding the theory will not fructify into an awakened Kundalini.
Starting with cleansing and tuning the body to the step-by-step guide of one's daily Kundalini yoga practice, this book seeks to empower people to experience their highest potential in brain, body and awareness to meet all challenges of life with equanimity and experience bliss which is every human's birthright.
According to Bobde, a refrain most frequently heard is that one must not practice Kundalini yoga without a guru.
"But it is equally true that the first and last guru is within you. The external gurus will come and go in many forms and often not just in human forms. Be clear and confident that awakening Kundalini is your goal. Then even if you start with just this book as your guide, the rest will unfold slowly and surely, just as a lotus opens up to the touch of the sun's rays," she says.
The origin of Kundalini yoga is buried in the annals of time. Although there is an absence of a clear source for the history or origins of the yoga, the mentions of Kundalini Yoga can be traced in the origins of Tantra, Samkhya and Hatha Yoga.
One of the earliest references to Kundalini is in the Yoga Upanishads. Out of twenty volumes, twelve refer to Kundalini Yoga.
On the etymology of the word Kundalini, Bobde says 'Kundala' is the feminine form of the Sanskrit word coiled and is also a conjunction of 'kund' and 'alini'.
'Kund' means a deep pit, 'alini' means coiled.
Kundalini is the word used to describe the immense energy which is coiled like a snake at the base of the spine.
"Kundalini yoga is something like the atomic release of energy when the brain and nervous system is subject to the Kundalini awakening. The practice of Kundalini yoga aims to awaken this latent energy from the base of the spine and make it travel upwards, along the spinal cord, awakening the various psychic points (Chakras) in the spine to culminate at the final psychic centre at the crown of the head, the Sahasrara Chakra," the book says.
