✦ The Yoga of Awareness
The most comprehensive and direct system in the yogic tradition — working simultaneously with body, breath, sound, chakras, and the subtle energy of consciousness itself.
Kundalini Yoga is one of the most powerful and comprehensive systems of self-development in the entire yogic tradition. Where Hatha Yoga focuses primarily on the physical body, Kundalini Yoga works directly with prana — the life force — and with the subtle energy system that classical yoga texts describe as running through and around the physical body.
The word kundalini comes from the Sanskrit kundala, meaning “coiled.” It refers to the dormant spiritual energy said to lie coiled at the base of the spine, which, when awakened through sustained practice, rises through the central channel (sushumna nadi) and activates each of the seven chakras in turn, culminating in states of expanded awareness and, in the classical model, liberation (moksha).
The primary classical sources for Kundalini Yoga are the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (15th century CE), the Sat-Cakra-Nirupana (16th century CE — the most detailed classical description of the chakra system), and the Gheranda Samhita (17th century CE).
At The Holistic Care, we approach Kundalini Yoga from a nondual perspective rooted in Advaita Vedanta — understanding awakening not as a goal to be achieved through effort, but as the direct recognition of what is already and always present: the pure, luminous awareness that is your very nature. Kundalini practices are tools for removing the layers of conditioning that obscure this recognition.
Kundalini Yoga is not a modern invention. Its practices are described in detail in classical Indian texts spanning five centuries.
The foundational text of Hatha Yoga, describing asanas, pranayama, mudras, bandhas, and the awakening of kundalini through physical and energetic purification.
The most detailed classical description of the chakra system — seven energy centres, their petals, seed mantras, presiding deities, and the pathway of kundalini through each.
A classical Hatha Yoga text describing the seven-fold path of yoga including shatkarmas (purification practices), asanas, mudras, pratyahara, pranayama, dhyana, and samadhi.
A comprehensive tantric text covering the subtle body, nadis, prana, and the systematic practices for awakening kundalini, including detailed descriptions of the five prana vayus.
Precisely sequenced sets of postures, breathwork, and movement designed to produce specific energetic effects on the nervous system, chakras, and subtle body.
Advanced breathing techniques — puraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention), rechaka (exhalation) — that directly influence the flow of prana through the nadis and awaken subtle energy.
Sacred sound vibration used to elevate consciousness, focus the mind, and attune to deeper frequencies. Chanting activates Vishuddha (throat chakra) and directly affects the nervous system.
Deep inner practices that take the practitioner to the source of awareness — the still, luminous Self. From dharana (concentration) to dhyana (meditation) to samadhi (absorption).
Practices that clear and activate the seven energy centres along the sushumna nadi, from Muladhara (root) to Sahasrara (crown), enabling the free flow of kundalini energy.
Energy locks (Mula, Uddiyana, Jalandhara) and hand gestures (Ashwini, Vajroli, Shambhavi) that direct prana, seal energy in specific areas, and deepen the effects of practice.
Kundalini Yoga is built on a detailed map of the subtle body — the energetic dimension of the human being that classical yoga texts describe as interpenetrating the physical body. There are said to be 72,000 nadis (energy channels) in the subtle body. The three most important are:
Three psychic knots — granthis — block the free passage of kundalini: the Brahma Granthi at Muladhara (attachment to physical existence), the Vishnu Granthi at Anahata (attachment to emotional experience), and the Rudra Granthi at Ajna (attachment to psychic phenomena and the intellect). Sustained practice gradually dissolves these knots.
Chakras are energy centres where nadis intersect and prana concentrates. Each has associated qualities, organs, elements, and yoga practices.
Root Chakra
Location: Base of spine · Element: Earth
Safety, stability, groundedness
Sacral Chakra
Location: Lower abdomen · Element: Water
Creativity, pleasure, fluidity
Solar Plexus
Location: Solar plexus · Element: Fire
Personal power, will, confidence
Heart Chakra
Location: Centre of chest · Element: Air
Love, compassion, connection
Throat Chakra
Location: Throat · Element: Space
Communication, expression, truth
Third Eye
Location: Between eyebrows · Element: Light
Intuition, inner vision, discrimination
Crown Chakra
Location: Crown of head · Element: Consciousness
Pure awareness, spiritual connection
See our detailed guide: The 7 Chakras and Their Yoga Poses →
Bandhas are internal muscular locks that seal prana in specific areas of the body and redirect its movement upward through the sushumna.
Mula Bandha
Root Lock
Contraction of the perineum and pelvic floor. Prevents the downward flow of apana and directs it upward toward kundalini at Muladhara.
Uddiyana Bandha
Upward Abdominal Lock
After a full exhalation, the abdomen is drawn up and in. Directly stimulates Manipura chakra and the digestive fire. Creates a vacuum that draws prana upward.
Jalandhara Bandha
Chin Lock
The chin is drawn down to the sternum, sealing prana in the thoracic cavity and stimulating Vishuddha (throat) chakra.
The shatkarmas are six purification practices described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika as prerequisites for advanced pranayama and kundalini work.
The ultimate destination of Kundalini Yoga — the awakening of Sahasrara, the crown chakra — is described in the classical texts as the dissolution of the individual sense of self into its source: pure, undivided consciousness. This is precisely the recognition that the Advaita Vedanta tradition calls moksha or liberation.
In the nondual understanding taught by Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj, this recognition is not the product of years of practice but the direct seeing of what is already the case. The practices of Kundalini Yoga — the pranayama, the kriyas, the bandhas — are purification tools. They remove the obstacles. But the awareness they reveal was never absent.
This understanding transforms the motivation for practice. Rather than practising to become something, or to reach somewhere, the practitioner begins to recognise that each practice is an opportunity to see what is already here. The purification is real. The transformation is real. But what is recognised at the end of the path is what was present before the path began.
“The awakening of Kundalini is the awakening to one’s own infinite nature — the recognition that you are not a drop in the ocean, but the ocean itself.”
Nondual Yoga Tradition
Our courses integrate Kundalini teachings with mindfulness and nondual awareness for a complete path of transformation.
✦ Common Questions
Direct answers to the most common questions about Kundalini Yoga, its practices, and its relationship to nondual awareness.
Kundalini Yoga is a comprehensive system of yoga that works directly with prana (life force) and the subtle energy system — the nadis, chakras, and the dormant kundalini energy said to rest at the base of the spine. It combines asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing practices), mudras (hand gestures), bandhas (energy locks), mantra (sacred sound), and meditation. Its goal is the purification of the subtle body, the awakening of kundalini shakti, and its movement through the seven chakras toward expanded awareness and, in the classical model, liberation (moksha).
Hatha Yoga focuses primarily on the physical body — asanas and pranayama — as preparation for meditation. Kundalini Yoga goes further, working simultaneously with the physical body, the energy body (through kriyas, bandhas, and mudras), and the mental body (through mantra and meditation). Where Hatha Yoga prepares the system, Kundalini Yoga directly works to awaken the dormant energy and activate the chakras. Both are described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (15th century CE), the foundational text of classical Hatha Yoga.
A Kriya is a precisely sequenced set of postures, breathwork, movement, sound, and meditation designed to produce a specific energetic or physiological effect. Unlike freestyle yoga flows, Kriyas are precise and time-tested — each element placed in a specific order to achieve a particular result, such as activating the nervous system, balancing the chakras, or building mental resilience. The word kriya means "completed action" in Sanskrit.
The three bandhas (energy locks) are: Mula Bandha (Root Lock) — contraction of the perineum and pelvic floor, preventing the downward flow of apana and directing it upward toward kundalini at Muladhara; Uddiyana Bandha (Upward Abdominal Lock) — drawing the abdomen up and in after a full exhalation, directly stimulating Manipura chakra; and Jalandhara Bandha (Chin Lock) — drawing the chin to the sternum, sealing prana in the thoracic cavity and stimulating Vishuddha (throat) chakra. Together they form Maha Bandha (the Great Lock).
The seven main chakras run along the sushumna nadi (central channel) from the base of the spine to the crown of the head: 1. Muladhara (Root) — safety, stability; 2. Svadhisthana (Sacral) — creativity, pleasure; 3. Manipura (Solar Plexus) — personal power, will; 4. Anahata (Heart) — love, compassion; 5. Vishuddha (Throat) — communication, expression; 6. Ajna (Third Eye) — intuition, inner vision; 7. Sahasrara (Crown) — pure consciousness, spiritual connection.
The shatkarmas are six purification practices described in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika as prerequisites for advanced pranayama and kundalini work: Dhauti (digestive cleansing), Basti (yogic enema), Neti (nasal cleansing using a neti pot with saline water), Nauli (isolation and rotation of the rectus abdominis muscles), Trataka (steady unblinking gazing at a fixed point — typically a candle flame), and Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath — rapid, forceful exhalations that purify the respiratory system).
Kundalini awakening refers to the experience of the dormant energy at the base of the spine becoming activated and beginning to move upward through the chakra system. Symptoms can include: heat or electricity along the spine, involuntary movements (kriyas), visions of light, spontaneous emotional releases, heightened sensory sensitivity, and states of expanded awareness. In the classical model, full awakening — kundalini reaching Sahasrara — is synonymous with liberation (moksha). The traditional emphasis is consistent: kundalini work should be undertaken with a qualified teacher.
At The Holistic Care, we approach Kundalini Yoga from a nondual perspective rooted in Advaita Vedanta. Rather than treating awakening as a goal to be achieved through effort, we understand it as the direct recognition of what is already and always present: the pure, luminous awareness that is your fundamental nature. Kundalini practices are tools for removing the layers of conditioning that obscure this recognition — not techniques for creating something new.
The sushumna nadi is the central energy channel of the subtle body, running along the spine from Muladhara (base) to Sahasrara (crown). It is flanked by the ida nadi (left channel, lunar, feminine, associated with the left nostril) and the pingala nadi (right channel, solar, masculine, associated with the right nostril). Kundalini awakening occurs when the dormant energy at the base of the spine enters the sushumna and rises through each chakra in turn. Pranayama, particularly Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), purifies and balances the ida and pingala, preparing the sushumna for this passage.
Traditional teachings recommend daily practice, ideally in the early morning (the Amrit Vela, or ambrosial hours). Even 20–30 minutes a day is sufficient to produce noticeable changes in energy, emotional regulation, and clarity. Consistency matters far more than duration — a short daily practice outperforms a long occasional one. For beginners, starting with simple pranayama (Nadi Shodhana) and a gentle asana practice, combined with basic bandha awareness, provides a safe and effective foundation.
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