What is Kundalini Tantra Yoga?
Kundalini Tantra yoga is the path to freedom and spiritual growth. It can also be regarded as Western Esoteric Yoga. It is one of the few available authentic paths for Westerners to achieve Enlightenment (Moksha). The word “kundalini” comes from the sacred Sanskrit language. In this discussion, we shall learn what is kundalini tantra yoga.
Kundalini Tantra Yoga is a form of yoga which emphasizes the awakening of the kundalini energy through meditation and other techniques. The word “Tantra” may also signify a “web of light” that is created when the male and female energies are brought together.
The literal translation of kundalini from Sanskrit is “coiled up” or “spiral”. As simple as this definition may be, it is basically a “spring” or “spiral power” that lies asleep at the base of your spine. While the Sanskrit meaning of “Tantra” is to weave.
What is kundalini Tantra yoga? It is a sacred personal growth and enlightenment system that combines ‘body’, ‘sex’ and ‘spirit’.
It is believed that the practice of kundalini yoga can help improve one’s health and spiritual growth, as well as mental and emotional development.
The main focus of this form of yoga is on the “kundalini” energy which lies dormant at the base of one’s spine and can be awakened by meditation techniques through which a person’s consciousness can be expanded.
Kundalini energy resembles a snake because it rises from below up towards the crown chakra located at the top of one’s head.
It is said that the awakening of this energy leads a human being to freedom from all sufferings and transformations into an enlightened being and, eventually, into divinity.
What is the difference between Kundalini and Tantra Yoga?
Kundalini yoga is a form of yoga that combines breath work, meditation and physical exercise. It is said to awaken kundalini energy, also known as the “serpent power,” which is located at the base of the spine.
Kundalini yoga is sometimes called tantric yoga or mantra yoga. Tantra yoga is one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy and practice. According to this school, there is a divine energy, or shakti, that moves through the body and gives life to all things.
Tantra uses various techniques to help free this energy from its locus at the base of the spine and allow it to flow through all aspects of a person’s being.
Tantra also teaches that liberation comes through an understanding of both personal freedom and interconnectedness with all living beings.
Both kundalini yoga and tantra share a belief in a divine force that flows through everyone and everything in the universe. This force can be awakened in those who practice either system.
One difference between kundalini yoga and tantra is that tantra believes this awakening can be manifested in daily life while kundalini focuses on awakening during meditation. Most forms of kundalini yoga involve physical exercises as well as chanting.
Chances are that if you’re a yogi, then you’ve at least heard about kundalini – the long dormant energy at the base of our spine. For those of us that have studied kundalini yoga, we should know how to distinguish between kundalini and tantra yoga.
You might think you know all there is to know about each but if you dig deeper into tantra yoga and kundalini, you’ll unlock new levels of knowledge within both practices.
Both forms of yoga focus on liberation, or freedom and union with the cosmos. The two types of yoga, Kundalini and Tantra, differ in their methods, history, and ultimate goals.
Kundalini Yoga is a kind of Yoga that works on your energy. Energy is what sustains the body and the mind. When our body and mind are vibrant, we tend to feel good about ourselves and do well in our daily routine.
Yoga is a practice where you make use of various techniques and postures to increase your energy and vitality.
Moreover, kundalini yoga may be a specie of spiritual discipline that involves different meditations and physical poses, which will require you to be connected to your breath and body in order to successfully complete the various postures.
This connection between you and your environment is crucial not only to your physical well-being, but also helps you tap into your chakras. This yoga practice can even help those who suffer from depression or anxiety issues.
Is Kundalini Yoga also a Tantra Yoga?
As an ancient spiritual methodology, kundalini yoga has been practiced for thousands of years already. It is known for the kriyas, or the spontaneous movements that arise from deep meditation.
It’s also known for generating intense heat and sweating through the poses. This can be very challenging for someone with a low tolerance for physical activity and heat.
Many of the more advanced asanas are combined with breath work and chanting to help you get into a deep meditative state.
These days, kundalini yoga is often referred to as a Tantra yoga, although it isn’t strictly speaking a Tantra yoga per se. Tantra comes from the word “tantram,” which means “to weave” in Sanskrit.
In Tantric practice, energy is harnessed through meditation and controlled breathing to help you achieve a heightened sense of awareness and spiritual connection while engaging in normal activities throughout the day.
The goal of Tantra yoga is to experience complete enlightenment through physical, mental, and spiritual union with God.
The word Tantra is derived from the root word ‘tan’ stands for expansion and contraction. The contraction phase is explained in Kundalini, and the expansion phase is taught in Hatha yoga.
In Tantra, there are two phases of Chakra: First, the awakening of all chakras to their fullest capacity, which happens during Mulabandha (root lock).
Second, after achieving Sahaja Samadhi or absolute state of oneness with the divine Shakti, at that time Kundalini will uncoil and rise up within Sushumna nadi in order to reach Brahmarandhra (topmost point within the spine).
The ultimate goal of Tantra yoga is to attain Samadhi through awakening of Kundalini energy. When Kundalini energy rises up through Sushumna Nadi, it pierces all 6 Chakras (psychic centers) from bottom to top and reaches topmost point called Brahmarandhra (which means Brahma’s lake).
Therefore, while kundalini yoga may not be absolutely similar to tantra yoga, their methods, discipline, and practices may be incorporated and integrated with one another.
What does Kundalini Yoga do?
Kundalini yoga concentrates on the chakras, and it brings about an awakening of our inner energy. The goal of kundalini yoga is to achieve a meditative state and to awaken the kundalini energy, which is located at the base of the spine.
When not yet awaken, to the practitioners, there may be an energy blockage. This trapped energy is said to be keeping us from harnessing our potential as human beings.
The elements in this process are believed to be contained in one’s body, and the job of the chakras, or energy centers, is to distribute this life force through the body.
The means used to achieve this energy flow are part of what make kundalini yoga different from other forms of yoga. Kundalini Yoga uses breathing techniques and physical exercises called mudras to bring about this life force.
These techniques are used alongside mantras and visualization exercises that guide us into higher states of consciousness.
This meditation practice can be beneficial no matter where you start out. You don’t need any previous experience with meditation or yoga; what matters most is your ability to quiet your mind and release your inhibitions, allowing you to fully experience the present moment.
The more you practice, the better you will get at reaching these heightened states and achieving optimal health.
Kundalini Yoga is necessarily known to be as an awareness yoga. The objective is to bring one’s full awareness to each and every moment and experience in life.
This is done through observing and experiencing the inner flow of prana, or universal energy, through the chakras, or energy centers, in order to align them and bring balance to the body.
This point is situated at the crown of our head and opening of Ajna Chakra, which is a very subtle point located above pineal gland. This point represents a door between physical body and subtle body.
Kundalini, Tantra, and Chakras
Kundalini yoga is considered to be the most powerful of all yoga practices in the world today. It is a complete holistic program that not only teaches you to reconnect with your inner self, but also provides you with the tools to reach a state of enlightenment.
One of the main reasons why kundalini yoga is so effective is because it focuses on balancing all seven chakras in your body to allow energy to flow freely and help you achieve an enlightened state.
The word Tantra refers to a set of techniques and rituals that were developed over the course of many centuries in India. In fact, some historians believe that Kundalini Yoga was actually created as a result of Tantric practices.
There are 7 chakras in the body. They are commonly referred to as energy centers or wheels of light. Each chakra corresponds to a specific color, element, and body function. The 2nd chakra is orange and represents the sexual/creative energy of the body.
As mentioned, there is a higher energy that is located at this chakra, called Kundalini Shakti (or Kundalini Energy). When activated by self-awareness, Shakti rises up through each chakra until it reaches Sahasrara (crown) Chakra, where it merges with the universal energy of all things.
What happens when Kundalini awakens?
Kundalini is a powerful practice that emphasizes breath work, mantra chanting, meditation, and visualization.
It is said that when Kundalini is awakened through Kundalini Yoga meditation techniques, one experiences cosmic consciousness, blissful awareness of the Divine within all things.
In addition to awakening higher levels of consciousness through Kundalini Yoga techniques, practitioners also experience greater spiritual connection with the self and others.
Kundalini is the primal energy that resides in the base of our spine. It’s often called “serpent power” or “the primordial force.” When Kundalini awakens, it rises up from the base of our spine to our crown and unites with the cosmic energy.
This awakening has been described as a burning sensation at the base of the spine, sexual arousal, electric shocks, powerful emotions, or an overwhelming sense of bliss.
The rising of kundalini is also accompanied by intense activity in the chakras (energy points), which results in increased psychic and healing abilities.
This is why some awakenings are accompanied by visions, out-of-body experiences, and other psychic phenomena.
The effects of this awakening can be so sudden and overwhelming that they cause great anxiety and confusion in the unprepared student and may even lead to mental breakdowns in some extreme cases.
Final Thoughts
The Kundalini Tantra Yoga practice focuses on a technique for harnessing energy within the body that produces healing and self-awareness through the techniques of chanting and meditation.
Now that you have an awareness of what Kundalini Tantra Yoga is, you can explore whether it’s right for you.
Kundalini tantra yoga is related to tantra yoga, which aims at moving prana from the base to the top of the sushumna [main energy channel] and after that at reaching samadhi through chakra meditation.
The ultimate goal of Kundalini Tantra Yoga is Self-realization and this path can be considered dangerous due to its strong emphasis on awakening Kundalini. A spiritual master with direct knowledge of the spirit is an absolute necessity for the initiation in this tradition.