through kundalini you elevate not just yourself, but the world around you
the path of light
Kundalini Awakening is the path of balance and deep personal transformation. It shines a light on the unconscious parts of your self, with the primary aim of spiritual enlightenment. The practice of kundalini activation is simple, yet powerful and has its roots in the tantra yoga tradition.
Kundalini Awakening
the path of light
Kundalini Awakening sparks a quiet yet powerful shift, bringing profound changes to the very core of who you think you are, and how you experience the world. Parts of your brain previously silent become alert. You begin to think more creatively, and your intuition is sharpened. You start to live outside the box of your social and cultural conditioning.
Kundalini Tantra Yoga is practice and preparation for Kundalini Awakening. Good health, willpower, concentration, vigor, vitality, and inner peace are all outcomes of its dedicated practice. Your patience and persistence over time will make you a happier, more loving and compassionate person.
Ending the war within
Most people live in a state of chronic inner conflict. Constantly trying to change the outside world to fit ideas of what it should be. When you finally get to see this war going on inside you, and how it hurts your relationships, you will do what you can to end it as soon as possible.
The practice of yoga for Kundalini Awakening creates peace within. As a result, your experience of the world completely changes. It also changes the experience others have of you. You begin to engage with the world through your heart, and become more giving and compassionate towards all beings. You also move beyond the stress, worries, and the projections of others. No longer do you react to their words and actions but, instead, to your own inner voice.
Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.
Kundalini Awakening Practices
core elements of kundalini tantra yoga
Kundalini Awakening practices focus on achieving physical vitality and a deep awareness of ourselves, our bodies, our emotions, and the world around us. This kind of awareness both requires and creates profound internal transformation.
These are the core Kundalini Tantra Yoga practices we teach at Yogi Living Retreat Center that support Kundalini Awakening:
1. Breathwork (Pranayama)
Breath plays a major role in Kundalini Activation. Methods used include rapid breathing, like Breath of Fire, as well as alternate nostril breathing and deep, belly breathing.
2. Asanas (Postures)
Most forms of yoga focus on physical alignment. Kundalini Tantra Yoga uses poses (asanas) to open the chakras and activate Kundalini energy. The poses can be static or active and can be held for a longer time.
3. Mantras Chanting)
Mantra practice is the mental or vocal repeating of specific sounds. These sounds focus the mind, raise awareness, and create deep inner peace. Some mantras are used to achieve specific outcomes.
4. Mudras (Gestures)
Mudras are hand positions used to direct the flow of prana in the body. They are used to enhance meditation and breathing exercises.
5. Meditation
Meditation calms the mind, raises awareness, and connects us with higher states of consciousness. It may include mantras, focus on points in the body, and picturing the movement energy.
6. Surya Kriya (Sun Salutation)
A powerful Kundalini Activation practice to promote complete inner wellbeing. The practice aims to activate the solar plexus, raising the samat prana, or solar heat, within the body.
7. Kundalini Meditation
An active meditation for Kundalini Activation and to balance the chakras. Transforms stagnant energy into bliss and joy, allows the body and mind to release tension, and creates a sense of calm.
8. Kundalini Kriyas (Sequences)
Kriyas are sets of actions. They are combinations of postures, breath work, and mantras. Each kriya has a specific outcome, such as detox, increased energy, or emotional balance. Kundalini Kriyas focus energy on and through the chakras and are used to prepare the way for Kundalini Awakening.
9. Tibetan Rites (Trul Khor)
Secret practices from Tibetan monasteries. The rites combine movement, breathwork, and meditation to balance the chakras and create a shield against negative energy.
At Yogi Living we believe individuals have the power to overcome unhealthy habits through aligning mind and energy. However, this is a gradual process that requires guidance and consistent practice.
safety and guidance
Know that Kundalini Awakening is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process that requires dedication and patience. It is a personal and very subjective experience that can vary greatly from person to person. Some may get a gradual and gentle Kundalini Awakening, while others may have intense and overwhelming sensations.
You will find many posts online that talk of dramatic experiences with Kundalini Awakening. These typically include: strong vibrations of in the body, electric-like currents flowing up and down the nerves, blissful states and even divine visions. There are also other, less desirable, conditions such as uncontrollable muscle spasms, intense heat and sweating, migraines, even temporary paralysis.
These kinds of experiences are rare with correct preparation (see The 3 Stages Of Kundalini Awakening below). They can, however, happen spontaneously. The guidance of an experienced teacher is essential.
While generally safe, those with medical conditions should consult a healthcare professional before starting Kundalini yoga.
The 3 stages of awakening
balancing, activating, opening
Many think Kundalini Awakening is a more or less linear process of raising Kundalini energy. However, you are working with a great power and this does involve some risk. For example, Kundalini may be stuck in the root (Mooladhara) chakra which can cause sexual and neurotic problems. Many potential issues such as these are avoided by working with a qualified teacher and following the practices described in the ancient texts.
There is a specific order to Kundalini Awakening, as follows
1. Balancing Ida and Pingala
In yoga and Ayurveda, Ida and Pingala are two of the three main nadis (energy channels) in the human body. The third nadi is Sushumna, which runs along the spinal cord in the center of the body.
Ida nadi is the left channel, associated with the feminine, lunar principle, and the parasympathetic nervous system. It is said to be responsible for the flow of prana (life force) from the moon and is connected to the left nostril. Ida is often referred to as the “cool” or “yin” energy, and is associated with the qualities of receptivity, intuition, and emotional balance.
Pingala nadi is the right channel, associated with the masculine, solar principle, and the sympathetic nervous system. It is said to be responsible for the flow of prana from the sun and is connected to the right nostril. Pingala is often referred to as the “hot” or “yang” energy, and is associated with the qualities of action, creativity, and mental clarity.
Pingala controls life energy (Shakti) of your body and Ida the energy of consciousness (Shiva).
For Kundalini Awakening yoga practices, Ida and Pingala are associated with specific postures, breathing techniques, and meditation practices that aim to balance and harmonize the flow of energy through the channels. By working with this energy flow, we cultivate greater awareness, balance, and harmony in mind and body.
It is worth noting the parallels of Ida and Pingala with the two pathways of the vagus nerve. The activation of this nerve has been linked to many health benefits.
2. Activating the chakras
It is essential to work with the chakras before attempting to open the Sushumna. The chakras need to be purified and activated to allow prana to move freely along the nadis of the body.
Nadis are energy channels, and the chakras can be seen as the junctions of those channels. If the junctions are not connected the right way energy will not pass through and remains stuck. Chakras can most effectively be activated through the practice of Kundalni Kriyas and the magical Tibetan Rites.
Chakra focus is used in all Kundalini Awakening yoga practices, including Sun Salutation and Hatha yoga asanas. When practising pranayamas we use chakra locks. Breath control is an important practice used to remove energy blocks, particularly in the lower chakras, and create the required free flow of prana.
3. Opening the sushumna
When Ida and Pingala are balanced and chakras activated the Sushumna opens and Kundalini energy can be directed to flow unobstructed. The most effectfive practices at this stage of Kundalini Awakening are the pranayamas and Kundalini Kriyas.
The Kundalini energy moves up the Sushumna, passing through each chakra in turn. A process that completely rewires your nervous system and purifies all 72,000 nadis throughout the body. When Kundalini enters the last chakra (Sahasrara) at the crown of the head the energies of Shiva and Shakti unite and your awareness is completely transformed. You become an awakened and liberated soul.
Kundalini Kriyas
mastering the mind with breath
Kundalini Kriyas are yogic practices focused on mastering the mind through the regulation of breath and energy. They are dynamic techniques that harmonize body, mind, and spirit.
By consciously directing life force (prana) through breath and movement, practitioners achieve a state of balance known as a kriya—a state of alignment where mastering breath equates to mastering the mind. This alignment is central to the its transformative power.
Kundalini Kriya Yoga is a practice especially impactful for those with busy, distracted minds, as it offers tangible benefits, even when stilling the mind for meditation feels impossible. Through disciplined breathing, movement, and energy locks, Kundalini Kriyas help practitioners feel calmer and more focused. Through regular practice deeper meditative states are enabled.
Unlike intellectual learning, Kundalini Kriyas must be experienced physically under the direct guidance of a qualified teacher. The practice involves working with Kundalini energy—which can be a powerful, transformative force when used correctly. Improper handling of this energy can pose risks, emphasizing the need for humility and expert supervision.
Preparing For Kundalini Awakening
The ultimate aim of Kundalini Kriyas is to prepare for Kundalini Awakening, where the dormant energy (Shakti) rises through the chakras, elevating awareness, before descending once again to ground the experience. Preparation involves cleansing energetic impurities and opening the chakras, much like tuning a musical instrument. Over time, practitioners achieve flow states and the highest levels of meditation.
The transformative power of Kundalini Kriyas lies in their integration of various elements:
- Postures (Asana): Use to align the body.
- Breath Control (Pranayama): To regulate and harness prana.
- Energetic Seals (Mudras): Gestures that redirect energy flow.
- Energy Locks (Bandhas): Contractions that retain and focus energy.
- Visualization and Sound (Nada Yoga): Enhance focus and vibrational alignment.
When combined, these practices activate the chakras and balance the body’s primary energy channels (Ida and Pingala Nadis), opening the way for Kundalini Awakening.
The Journey And Its Rewards
This is a process that requires patience and persistence, but the journey itself brings rewards. Even before fully experiencing a Kundalini Awakening, many notice greater harmony, vitality, and joy in their daily lives.
Kriya Yoga offers a powerful path to inner transformation, enabling practitioners to master their mental state and unlock their full potential.
Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath to take hold of your mind again.
Radiant Living
living with kundalini practice
Kundalini Tantra Yoga is a comprehensive and powerful set of practices designed to activate kundalini energy. The ultimate goal is full Kundalini Awakening and the blossoming of spiritual consciousness.
However, the regular practice of Kundalini Kriyas (integrated physical poses, breath, meditation, and chanting) has additional effects.
Here are 9 life-changing benefits of Kundalini Tantra Yoga practice:
1. Lower Stress
Asana poses, breathwork, and meditation activate the vagus nerve and switch on the relaxation response, lowering stress levels.
2. Enhanced Life Force
Breathwork increases prana, the life force energy, enhancing vitality and boosting energy. Kundalini Activation practices align the body’s energy systems, leading to a balanced and vibrant state of being.
3. Improved Focus
Focused attention and visualization improve concentration and sharpen cognitive abilities. Regular practice trains the mind to focus and stay present.
4. Better Health
Tantra Yoga asanas improve flexibility, strength, and stamina. Also, pranayama practices improve respiratory health, promoting overall vitality.
5. Less Mind Chatter
Mindfulness and chanting quiet the mind, reducing mental noise and create inner calm. A more focused, quieter mind makes better decisions.
6. Less Anxiety And Depression
Physical activity and breath work release endorphins, improving mood and reducing anxiety. Meditation helps process, release and heal suppressed emotions.
7. Increased Strength And Flexibility
The postures (asanas) strengthen and stretch muscles, improving overall strength and flexibility. Repeated and sustained postures build physical stamina.
8. Stronger Respiratory System
Techniques like long deep breathing and Breath of Fire strengthen the lungs and improve respiratory efficiency. Regular practice increases lung capacity and boosts metabolism.
9. Inner Peace And Joy
Deep meditation creates profound inner peace and contentment. Turning the attention within leads to self-awareness and personal growth.
To master Kundalini Kriyas means to be able to do exceptional things. This is what is meant by reaching your full potential. With dedicated practice you will begin to experience Kundalini Awakening. Over time there will be a deepening both of the practice and your waking experience of life.
2025
Kundalini Activation Retreat
A deep dive into kundalini tantra sadhana, within the serene beauty of Skåne in South Sweden. Using powerful practices for kundalini activation, meditation, and working with the 5 elements, you will unlock layers of yourself you never knew existed.
Ask Winnie
frequently asked questions
What is Kundalini?
Kundalini is said to be a powerful, primal energy that represents the unmanifested potential within us. The term “kundal” means “coiled” and “ini” can be translated as “power”, leading to a definition of Kundalini as “the dormant energy coiled at the base of the spine”.
This powerful energy can be awakened by the physical and spiritual practices of yoga such as mantra, mudra, asana, and pranayama. When awakened, the kundalini shakti rises through the chakras (energy vortices) in the energetic body and leads to spiritual awakening.
Is Kundalini Awakening dangerous?
A Kundalini Awakening is powerfully transformative and as such should be treated with respect, in common with ALL forms of bodywork and transformative practice.
There is the possibility for unpleasant side effects, such as: uncomfortable physical sensations, emotional turmoil or mental challenges. These risks can be reduced or eliminated entirely with proper preparation, developing strong self-awareness and most importantly working with a qualified guide or teacher experienced in Kundalini Activation practices.
Do I need yoga experience?
Not at all. Yoga classes are optional and tailored to individual needs, without the complicated postures you may see online.
Are classes held in English?
Yogi Living Retreat Center resident yoga teacher Winnie Winnetu speaks English, Swedish, Danish, French and German so don’t worry if you cannot speak Swedish!
How do I get to Yogi Living Retreat Center?
Yogi Living Retreat Center is located in Skåne, South Sweden close to the vibrant city of Malmö. The closest international airports are Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup (75 km) and Malmö airport, Sturup (30 km) with good rail connections to Malmö and on to Trelleborg (our closest town). You can also come by car through Germany and take the ferry from Rostock to Trelleborg. There are 3 sailings (6 hours duration) per day.
We can pick you up by car from Malmö or Trelleborg, but please ask for this in advance.
What is the local area like?
The surrounding countryside is picture-postcard Sweden. There are many small picturesque villages and a mixture of open farmland, woodland, and lakes. The wonderful coastline of the Swedish Riviera is only 5km away. When the weather allows we can arrange an excursion to places like the Ales Stones (the “Swedish Stonehenge”) and local castles.
You can also hang out in the garden where we have a treehouse meditation platform and a jacuzzi. There is a small ICA supermarket 5 minutes walk from the ashram.
Can I call you?
You are also welcome to contact me directly by phone (+46) 730-702785.
You can also send a message through the website here.
Let's Talk
we would love to hear from you!
Book a discovery call with Winnie to see if we are a good fit for you. Or simply ask a question by email, and we will get back to you as soon as we can!