Benefits of Kundalini Yoga

Through a unique combination of movements (asanas) and periods of stillness, the practice of Kundalini yoga trains the mind and body to shift to an optimal state of balance.

Breathing techniques bring about autonomic changes to the brain and nervous system: depending on the exercise, the practice may be used to stimulate, relax or balance between the active and passive elements of the electromagnetic signals of the nervous system.

The vagus nerve, thus energized by the breath, can then harmonize the electromagnetic signals it sends and receives between the brain and organs. This promotes a healthy expression of all hormone-producing glandular organs, benefitting the brain, digestion, sexual organs, the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Harmony is established and we unlock our most expansive resources within ourselves.

How Kundalini Yoga Works

This picture illustrates the movement of electromagnetic signals up the spine as they as they cross at specific points of glandular activity. These energetic centers are called chakras in the Vedic system.

Kundalini & the Vagus Nerve

This picture illustrates the traditional, Western view of the nervous system. Here we see electromagnetic communications between the brain and bodily organs via the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve, which is a pair of nerves, receives and sends information between various glands, bodily organs and the brain along the spinal column. In the yogic tradition, the electromagnetic impulses that run along the spine are called the Kundalini. 

In our Western understanding of the physiological system, the vagus nerve serves to mediate the functions of the autonomic nervous system by way of neurotransmitters and hormones. It’s composed of two parts: sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest).

When the nervous system is disrupted due to a chronic stress – that is, when it’s unable to properly shift between arousal and relaxation – this chronically overactivated state becomes habituated, resulting in a feedback loop and affecting various bodily organs, the glandular system, and brain function. 

When the nervous system gets stuck on “Go,” it cannot correctly communicate the body’s oxygen, nutrient and hormonal needs to the proper glands and organs. It also can’t signal for the organs to rest and regenerate because it’s in a chronic state of putting out fires. A dysregulated state overburdens the production of hormones in the pineal and pituitary glands, reproductive organs, thyroid, and adrenal glands. Symptomatically, this is experienced as overwhelm, lethargy, lack of joy, allergies, weight issues, addictions, rapid aging, and chronic dis-ease. 

In truth, the natural state of the human body is health. It is a highly evolved and intelligent organism fully capable of healing itself given the right habits and skills. With mindful awareness, it is able to create for itself a healthy environment internally and externally.