Kundalini Energy and Chi Energy - Research Paper Example

Kundalini energy and Chi energy Kundalini energy Kundalini literally pertains to being coiled. With reference to yoga, the terms pertains to the corporeal energy, which is an instinctive, unconscious, or libidinal Shakti or force that lies at the bottom of the spine in the shape of a coiled. The energy is viewed by the people as either a sleeping serpent or as a goddess. Therefore, there are numerous renderings in English for this terms which include the context of serpent power. The Kundalini energy is explained as a dormant, sleeping potential force in the human organism. It is described as one of the major elements of the mysterious elaboration of subtle body, which comprises of the chakras (psychic centers), nadis (energy channels), bindu (drops of essence), and prana (subtle energy)1. Kundalini is a Hindu term which refers to the mystical force or power which form the basis of their spirituality. The serpent power generally signifies the Kundalini in the Hinduism. The awakening or arousing of Kundalini from the "slumber" takes place at the bottom of an individuals spine through the practices of intense breath control or uninterrupted, focused meditation. Tantra Yoga and Hatha Yoga are the primitive forms of the yoga that are developed and designed to awaken the Kundalini so that the person can utilize the huge amount of energy, which is ultimately released, in order to enhance the potential and strength of the spiritual practices and meditation. The Yoga practitioner is made cautious through the relevant literature that the person is required to be subject to the extensive preparations prior to begin arousing the Kundalini. Otherwise the entire process can be troublesome and very tough. The yogini or yogi, the person who has successfully and safely arouses their Kundalini, obtains a good friends towards their spiritual journey. This friend is the tremendous amount of energy and the significant vitality, which makes the path smoother that, in turn, makes the sharp slopes easier to climb. This ally, the energy, functions as a sword which cuts through the conditioning and inertia. Precisely, Kundalini is able to alter the personality and thinking process of an individual in a drastic manner, and advances the spiritual aspirations. Kundalini awakening It is through numerous esoteric practices such as meditation, Yoga, Sahaja Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, and Kriya Yoga, that the Kundalini is awakened. Through such exercise, it is able to wake up and rise from the muladhara chakra through sushumna, the central nadi, alongside or inside the spine and goes up towards the top of head. The progress of Kundalini through the different chakras leads to different levels of awakening and mystical experience, until the Kundalini finally reaches the top of the head, Sahasrara or crown chakra, producing an extremely profound mystical experience. It is believed by the Hindus, that the Kundalini energy remains in the form of coil at the spinal base. It may be released in the shape of flames, waves, uncoiling or pulsations. An outlet is sought by the uncoiled part, which usually goes through the spine up to the top of the head and out, with the prices known as the crown chakra. Chakra pertains to the vortices of different energy on the esthetic body2. This energy is sometimes coiled around the spine in an upward manner and gain ends at the chakra crown. There are numerous layers in the natural evolutionary process, which may also seem like waves that are released individually within the lifetime and this depends upon the readiness and growth of the person. Most of the people are not familiar with the activity and this makes the movement of the wave a lot more imperceptible, although they may be familiar with the energy movement and heat released by it. The people who are more sensitive tend to feel the progression of energy up the spine and may feel pain or pressure when the blocked area is encountered by the energy; in case of abnormal patterns of energy, the pains may reappear. Different approaches There are two broad approached towards the awakening of Kundalini: active and passive. One of the approaches is an active approach that engages in the concentration techniques and the systematic physical exercises, meditation and pranayama, and the visualization under the supervision and guidance of an expert and competent teacher or instructor. These techniques emerge from one of the four major branches of yoga and therefore can also be called as Kundalini yoga. on the other hand, the passive approach is refers to a path of surrender where all the obstructions are let go by the individuals through the awakening instead of making effort to actively awaken the Kundalini 3. Shaktipat is a primary part of the passive approach is where one persons Kundalini is awakened by another who already has the experience. A lot of Christian leaders today endorse contemplative (centering) prayer, yoga, the Christianized meditation, numerous varying altered states of consciousness and mantras - all in the name of their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. The yoga is it surprisingly a mystical manifestations of occult power are being experienced in Churches and in the lives of the believers. When getting into the Christendom en masse, across denominational and continental boundaries, the yoga is a baleful powerful, and old that it is an ever-so-subtly influencing compromised Christendom4. This power has as its goal nothing less than the full blown destruction of the human body, mind and spirit. The endorsement of occult, i.e. the secret hidden, clandestine, mysteries, and their strength and power is being absorbed and injected into the Christianity and other religions too in the present era5. This is being done through the Spirituality, Contemplative, a.k.a. Spiritual Formation Movement. Thomas Keating has remained to be one of the founding architects and fathers of the Contemplative Prayer Movement wrote and endorsed the foreword to a book during June of 1990. The book was entitled as the Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality: Philip St. Romain had written and compiled the book, A Pathway to Growth and Healing. He was a practicing Catholic who had countered various occultists and yogi’s such as the “the awakening of Kundalini energy". His book mentioned that the Christians are now on a spiritual journey which is though significant but has long stayed to be an ignored capacity of the transformations of grace and power. Numerous Christian scholars have proven that the spontaneous awakening of Kundalini-like energies carry much importance which goes even far beyond the significance of many things in the real life. It is believed by the Christians too that the numerous stages of the awakening of Kundalini energy assist in enhancing clearly the understanding of the ways in which the body participates in the spiritual journey. The Kundalini energy is considered to be a very strong and tremendous energy for good. This is perhaps the Kundalini energy which is so appealing in the party leaders; the release of this energy may also give them the ability to impart the spiritual experience very well with the help of the transmission of Kundalini in such a way which is not easy to be understood6. However, the fact remains that it is not the energy which is great; it is basically the individual who makes use of that energy who is more capable and potential. Chi Energy Chi is one of the forms of energy and a symbol that has been in use in the conventional Chinese culture. It is an active principle which forms part of any and every living things. The term Chi, or Qi, is generally translated and interpreted as the life energy, energy flow, or life force. In traditional Chinese, Qi is the central principles which formulate the basis of the martial arts and medicine. The literal meaning of the term Chi, or Qi, is air, breath, or gas. According to the beliefs of primitive Chinese, Chi energy is basically the universal life force energy7. The conventional Oriental medicine has the basic premise that there is necessarily a positive balance for all the things that are negative. The release of the Chi energy is considered to produce the positive balance in Oriental medicine is called chi or universal life force energy. The concepts that are same as QI can be found in various other traditional cultures too which include the mana in Hawaiian culture, Prana in Vedantic philosophy, vital energy in Western philosophy, and Lüng in Tibetan Buddhism. There are various elements of Chi that can be understood and considered with respect to the term energy when it is used by the practitioners and writers in various esoteric forms of alternative medicine and spirituality8. The historical Chinese explain the term as life force. It is believed by the Chinese that Chi permeates and absorbs all the things that are connected to their surroundings together. They refer to it as the release and flow of energy through and around the body, which forms a functioning and cohesive unit. With the help of understanding and interpreting the flow and rhythm of the Vhi energy, the Chinese were of the faith that they could guide treatments and exercises in order to provide their bodies such qualities as longevity and stability. Different Approaches All the traditional, ancient, and indigenous healing systems, such as divination, journeying, and illumination in the traditional world symbolizes the utilization of the context of significant energy as basic elements of the core methods of medicine as well as religious and personal methods. Shaman mentions that the healing does not occur until or unless there is chi energy release and the individual does not live a long life or stay healthy is there is no high reserves and no release of the vital energy from his/her body. In the modern world, it is believed that the in case of the presence of low energy in the body, the individuals is unable to develop the mind sight skill and abilities9. One of the writers and teacher, Robert Bruce, discovered in the "out of body travel" , that the students studying under his supervision were forced to work upon the development of the energies in their body prior to accomplishing any of the experiences out of the body. Chi is significant in the attainment of the internal power which is the integral part of the development and training of an individual in the martial arts10. The energy inside the human body is dedicated to the maintenance of particular perspective of reality and is utilized in keeping it intact and in place. This perspective basically involves the universe, religious beliefs and the faiths in God; it is also connected directly it the personal relationships of the individuals and maintaining their "place" in the surrounding world. A huge amount of Chi energy is needs to understand the personal and professional relationships, their restrictions and limitations, the maintaining if connections with the past and future times, the fears, injuries, limitations, and the emotional entanglements. In the religious context, Qi is called chakras in the Hindu origin. It is interrelated with the Kundalini energy and its release from the human body. The physical body is thought be vitalized by the chakras and it is connected with the interaction of emotional, physical and mental nature. These are thought to be the locus of the life energy or prana, and are also known as Qi or Shakti. The basic function that the Chi energy release performs is the spinning and drawing in the energy in order to keep the mental, spiritual, physical and emotional health of the body in harmony and balance. Some consider these energy releases to mirror the ways in which the human consciousness has been unified and is classified in order too manage and maintain various elements of the mortal life (vital energy/body/ /contact to God/deeper emotions/communication/instinct/ having an overview of life). There are various levels of the spiritual subtlety on which the Qi or chakras are placed; the Sahasrara has been positioned at the top which is mainly concerned with the pure form of consciousness, while the Muladhara stays at the lower level which is basically related to the matter that is primarily condensed, and pertains to the consciousness. There is an entire model of the human body formulated as an energy system on which the Qi energy relies. The circulation of Qi energy is maintained across the channels of energy known as meridians. In the major circuit of Qi, called the Microcosmic orbit, the energy boosts and goes up to the primary meridian with the spine, and also comes back downward. It forms an entire cycle for its release and through this process makes the individual physically, mentally and spiritually powerful and strong. The religious faiths suggest that all the energy originates from the Creation itself. The individuals lose their existence and relationship with the unlimited energy source when they are separated with theory owns Spirit from the Creator and theory connection is made non-existent to the manifested material world. An individuals journey is to end with the returning of the person to the Creator with the state of oneness. The closer the individuals get to the attainment of their accomplishment, the more energy they obtain within their bodies. Practices Feng Shui The conventional Chinese art of geomancy pertains to the arrangement and the placement of space known as the Feng Shui. This is dependent upon the practices of computing the balance of Qi, the interconnection amongst the five elements, yang and yin and other factors. The dissipation or retention of Qi is thought to impact the wealth, health, luck, level of energy, and various other dimensions of the occupants of the space. Qigong Qigong is pertains to a process engaging the coordinated movement, breathing, and awareness, which is conventionally considered as a method to balance and cultivate Qi. Having its basis in the historical Chinese philosophy, medicine, and martial arts, people all over the world practice the qigong for healing, exercise, training for martial arts, and meditation. Martial arts Many people utilize the concept of Qi across Korea, Japan and China. It is used in the martial arts and is most prominent as the Qi-focused "internal" force (jin). The martial arts involving Qi includes the Xing Yi Quan, Baguazhang, Snake Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan, Aikido, Southern Dragon Kung Fu, and many other styles. The exhibition of the Qi power may entail the unraisable body, the immovable body, the other feats of power and the unbendable arm in various martial arts styles. Acupuncture and moxibustion The conventional types of the Chinese medicine and treatment include the Acupuncture which pertains to the inserting of needles into superficial structures of the body. The needles are inserted inside the subcutaneous tissue, skin, or muscles at different points of the acupuncture in order to harmonize and balance the Qi flow. The treatment of acupuncture is frequently escorted by the process of moxibustion. Conclusion Human body is mortal and works with the help of energy, and spiritual conditions. There are various types of energy such as Kundalini and Qi energy which are released into the human body. They give the individual tremendous powers, physical, mental and spiritual, to perform certain tasks. It is essential for people to undergo various preparations prior to making attempts of obtaining such energies and power. Bibliography 1. Arthur Avalon, The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga, New York: Dover, pp. 6-18, 1974, 2. Eastman, David T, Kundalini Demystified, Yoga Journal, September 1985, California Yoga Teachers Association., pp. 78, 1990 3. Frantzis, Bruce Kumar, The Chi Revolution: Harnessing the Healing Power of Your Life Force, Blue Snake Books, pp. 101-105, 1998 4. Gu, Mingtong, Wisdom Healing (Zhineng) Qigong. Petaluma, CA: The Chi Center. pp. 61-80, 2011 5. Hans Ulrich Rieker, The Yoga of Light: Hatha Yoga Pradipika, New York: Seabury Press, p. 101, 1971 6. Ho, Peng Yoke, Li, Qi, and Shu: An Introduction to Science and Civilization in China, Dover Publications, pp. 78-81, 2001 7. Philip St. Romain, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality: A Path to Growth and Healing, New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company, pp. 21- 34, 1994 8. Philip St. Romain, Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality: A Path to Growth and Healing, New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company, p. 115, 1994 9. Rinpoche, Tenzin Wangyal, Healing with Form, Energy, and Light, Ithaca, New York: Snow Lion Publications, pp, 23-27, 2001 10. Saraswati, MD, Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga, Theri-Garhwal, India: Divine Life Society, Print. pp. 90-92, 2001 Read More