The word Kundalini comes from the Sanskrit kundal — "coiled." It refers to a form of primal energy or Shakti (cosmic feminine power) described in Tantric texts as lying coiled like a serpent at the base of the spine, at Muladhara chakra. In its dormant state, this energy sustains ordinary life — but it does not flow upward through the central channel (Sushumna nadi). The goal of Kundalini practice is to awaken this sleeping energy and direct it upward through the seven primary chakras to the crown (Sahasrara), where it unites with Shiva (pure consciousness) — an experience described as the dissolution of the individual self into cosmic awareness.
This is not merely metaphorical. Practitioners across traditions describe specific, verifiable physical and psychological experiences associated with Kundalini awakening — heat, electricity, spontaneous movements (kriyas), visual phenomena, altered states of consciousness and profound shifts in perception of self and reality. These experiences have been documented by psychiatrists, neurologists and researchers including Stanislav Grof, Lee Sannella and Bonnie Greenwell.
In the body, Kundalini is understood to work through the nadi system — primarily through Sushumna (the central channel) but first through the clearing of Ida and Pingala (the left and right channels). Blockages in the chakras — created by unprocessed emotions, trauma, limiting beliefs and physical tension — must be cleared before the energy can move freely upward. This is why Kundalini awakening is often accompanied by intense emotional and psychological processing.