kuṇḍalinī

kuṇḍalinī, in some Tantric (esoteric) forms of Yoga, the cosmic energy that is believed to lie within everyone, pictured as a coiled serpent lying at the base of the spine. In the practice of Laya Yoga (“Union of Mergence”), the adept is instructed to awaken the kuṇḍalinī, also identified with the deity Shakti. Through a series of techniques that combine prescribed postures, gestures, and breathing exercises, the practitioner brings the kuṇḍalinī up along the spine...