In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines yoga as stilling the waves of the mind. In modern forms of yoga that hearken to classical lineages, yoga is frequently viewed as preparation for meditation or a meditation unto itself. But tantric adepts found another reason to practice: to celebrate the body as a vessel of the divine, and in so doing, to invite kundalini energy to awaken and rise upwards, thus imbuing enlightenment. In the throes of kundalini awakening, Swami Kripalu would frequently experience spontaneous yoga postures, dance, mudras, and meditation.

Are the stilling of Patanjali’s mind waves and Swami Kripalu’s deeply meditative, kundalini-saturated experiences one and the same? Many tantric buddhists and hatha yogis believe kundalini awakening is necessary in order to better integrate or transcend the ego, while others feel it’s a distraction that may foster more power and attachment, but not enlightenment.

It is important to remember that postures alone, taught and practiced with the correct context, intention, and container, can serve as both vehicle to and expression of awakening. Practiced in their absence, however, as is done in many fitness-oriented yoga classes, asana may strengthen maladaptive thoughts/behaviors (vrttis). Swami Kripalu notes, “Regardless if you’re worshipping God or drinking a glass of water, it’s all yoga, provided you act with concentration of mind … we can choose whatever we want and that will be meditation, but the type of action we choose should be sattvic or pure in nature so it doesn’t create any disturbance in our mind.”

In our appearance-driven society, many struggle with body acceptance, much less view the body as a vessel for divine expression. Yoga asana is thus a double-edged sword; it can facilitate greater communion with the sacred, conjoining body, mind, and soul, but the inability to twist into a pretzel or becoming distracted by appearance-related goals may validate an underlying sense of inadequacy. These represent opportunities to strengthen your practice through observing inner dialogue, thus engendering mindful, compassionate awareness internally no matter the type of yoga class you might be attending. In so doing we begin to practice meditation—in motion.

Do you think meditation can be practiced while doing yoga postures? What are your thoughts on kundalini? Have you had a kundalini experience?