Kundalini yoga is a form of yoga that involves chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitive poses. Its purpose is to activate your Kundalini energy, or shakti. This is a spiritual energy that’s said to be located at the base of your spine. As Kundalini yoga awakens this energy, it’s supposed to enhance your awareness and help you move past your ego. Sometimes, the practice is also called “yoga of awareness.” Read on to learn more about Kundalini yoga, its potential benefits, and how it differs from other types of yoga.
Although Kundalini yoga is practiced around the world, its origin is unknown. The concept of Kundalini energy has been around for centuries and was mentioned in ancient Vedic texts from 1,000 B.C. Kundalini yoga is most associated with Yogi Bhajan, a yoga teacher from Pakistan. He’s credited with introducing the practice to Western countries in the 1960s. The term “Kundalini” comes from the Sanskrit word “kundal,” which means “circular.” It also refers to a coiled snake. And according to practitioners, Kundalini energy is like that coiled snake: It sits at the base of your spine, sleeping and unaroused. Kundalini yoga is practiced to activate this energy, which allows it to move up and through the chakras along your spine.
Kundalini yoga can help relieve stress and anxiety. In a small 2017 studyTrusted Source, participants experienced immediate stress relief after doing Kundalini yoga. Similarly, a 2018 study determined that 8 weeks of Kundalini yoga lowered participants’ anxiety levels. The researchers concluded that Kundalini yoga may be an effective treatment option for people with generalized anxiety disorder.
In a 2017 controlled trialTrusted Source, researchers studied 81 participants with mild cognitive impairment. While both groups showed significant improvements in their memory at the end of the study, only the Kundalini group showed short- and long-term improvements in their executive functioning. This includes skills such as reasoning, problem-solving, and cognitive flexibility, among others.
Working with your own body weight is an excellent way of building strength and tone in the body, and this is exactly what you do in a Hatha yoga class.the poses taught held for longer periods of time .
Another small 2017 study found that Kundalini yoga may improve body positivity and self-acceptance. These benefits were observed in nine women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.