In our practice we move like salamanders, tadpoles and lizards. We become amphibious creatures, sometimes gill-breathing and aquatic, at other times terrestrial lung-breathers. We stay close to the ground, move slowly, and sense vibration. For long stretches of time, we stay perfectly still, sensing the world through our skin, tongue and innards. With belly down, we feel the pulse of our lungs, heart, gut, and sex glands. In this way, we connect to a force that predates the thinking, scheming, planning mind. It is as old as the first single-celled organism, the sun, moon and stardust. Raw and powerful, it is the engine of life. It is known as kundalini, the serpent power, the very thing that ensures survival.
It is strange how people fear the most primal energy inside, as if it were designed to debilitate and cause our ruin. On the contrary! It is the one force that invigorates and sustains all life. In the Biblical story, the serpent is malevolent, poised to tempt and corrupt and cause shame. But in yoga the reptilian awareness is all powerful and provides access to the most vital, intimate and necessary part of the living system.
So, listen for the signs of kundalini in your practice. Outside of conscious control, she shows up as sighs, yawns, tears, tingles and sudden changes in breathing. When you get connected to this superpower, thousands of years old, it is humbling. When you encounter this awesome force, the most you can do is lie in wonder and honor her by feeling her deeply inside.
