I usually put a lot of effort into controlling my anxiety by focusing on the positive, but the stress of the pandemic made that much harder. After all, anxiety comes from uncertainty. I normally meditate every day, but I found myself struggling to focus and my mind kept wandering, something I hadn’t really experienced since I was a beginner at meditating. Then I discovered Kundalini meditation.
Kundalini meditation is more active than traditional meditation, focusing on alignment and breath, says spiritual life coach Ryan Haddon, who has practiced Kundalini meditation and yoga for more than 16 years. “By unblocking all of the body’s systems, it cleanses, stimulates, strengthens, and opens the practitioner to the creative energy within,” she explains.
Think about counting your breath, holding yoga poses, chanting affirmations or mantras, shifting your gaze position, etc. These are all elements of how to practice Kundalini meditation and can be used interchangeably over a single session or multiple sessions depending on your goals.
I decided to try a virtual Kundalini meditation class that involves 10 minutes of repetitive breathing exercises to see if it would help center my mind and ease my anxiety.
What is Kundalini Meditation?
After doing some research, I discovered that while the origins of Kundalini meditation are unknown, it is said to be one of the oldest forms of yoga (dating back to B.C.). The premise of Kundalini meditation is the belief that everyone has an extremely powerful coiled energy (Kundalini means “coiled” in Sanskrit, and is often referred to as the “coiled serpent”) at the base of their spine.
It is believed that through breathing exercises and meditation this energy can be unlocked, reducing stress and allowing you to reach your full potential.
“It’s about creating a container of energy and helping to bring out your best self,” says Erika Polsinelli, Kundalini meditation teacher and founder of Evolve by Erika, a virtual community that offers Kundalini meditation and yoga videos and private lessons. “Through breathing techniques, Kundalini yoga poses, mantras, and active meditation, you can shift your limited mindset and empower yourself to manifest whatever you desire.”
Benefits of Kundalini Meditation
With its diverse series of movements and breathing techniques, Kundalini meditation can be used to relieve a variety of emotions, including sadness, stress and fatigue. “Personally, when I began my Kundalini meditation journey, I realized that for the first time in my life, my mind was finally calm,” says Polsinelli, who once suffered from severe anxiety attacks. “The days I meditated, I felt so much better, and I realized I could work with the flow of the universe, instead of against it.”
Depending on what you want from your meditation practice, you can focus on healing past trauma, gaining energy, or combating stress.
Essentially, practitioners claim that Kundalini meditation has the following benefits:
There may also be physical benefits, according to Haddon:
There aren’t many scientific studies on the benefits of Kundalini meditation, but one 2017 study suggested the technique may lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and another 2018 study found that Kundalini yoga and meditation may improve symptoms of GAD (generalized anxiety disorder).
what’s happened
After learning about all these possibilities, I had to see if this practice was something I was missing in my own self-care routine. Soon, I signed up for a private virtual Kundalini meditation with Polsinelli.
She first asked me what I wanted to do, which for me was anxiety about the future and constant stress. We started with a Kundalini Adi Mantra (a short prayer) to connect the breath to the practice and calm the nervous system. Then we began with breathwork.
Polsinelli instructed me to place my hands together as if in prayer and take five quick inhales through my mouth, followed by one long exhalation through my mouth. We repeated this breathing technique for 10 minutes while soft music played in the background. I was encouraged to keep my spine straight to access the “coiled” energy of the kundalini, all the while keeping my eyes half-closed so I could focus on my nose.
This was quite different from my usual, more Zen-like meditation practice. Usually I keep my eyes closed, hands comfortably placed on my lap, and focus on my breath, without intentionally trying to change it. So, staying still with my hands together, elbows wide apart, and back straight without support actually hurt after a while. Being physically uncomfortable, I began to wonder how on earth this could possibly be relaxing.
But after a few minutes, something truly amazing happened: I was so engrossed in concentrating on my breathing that I couldn’t focus on anything else. It was as if my mind had been wiped clean, and I was finally able to pay attention to the present moment, rather than the past or the future.
My arms tingled a little and my whole body started to feel warm, but not uncomfortably. More than that, I felt like I was finally in touch with myself. As I was breathing, some unsettling emotions rose up, like panic and anxiety, but Polsinelli’s calming voice telling me to just keep breathing was exactly what I needed to keep going.
After the practice, we did some calming breathing and hand movements to bring our bodies back to reality, as Polsinelli says. I honestly felt like I was on a cloud. I felt so energized and centered, like I’d just come back from a run. It felt like a combination of a spa trip and an invigorating workout class.
More importantly, the next day I felt calmer, more present, and more at ease throughout the day. When something annoyed me, instead of reacting immediately, I responded calmly and logically. This was a big change, but it helped me feel more in tune with my true self.
How to Try Kundalini Meditation at Home
Understanding the nuances behind Kundalini meditation can be daunting, not to mention that most people probably don’t have the time to devote to the practice. Luckily, Polsinelli offers three-minute guided sessions on his website that make incorporating the technique into your daily life more realistic.
Additionally, you can find a variety of Kundalini practices on YouTube so you can choose the practice that best suits you and your needs. Private (virtual or IRL) classes can help provide additional accountability if needed.
“I’ve found that in my training, it’s about just showing up,” says Polsinelli. “Taking a few mindful breaths is better than not breathing at all.”Sounds simple, right?
