Books (July 2008)

Khalsa, Shakta Kaur. Kundalini Yoga: Unlock Your Inner Potential through Life-Changing Exercise. New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., 2001. 215 pp. Ref 8 pp. $13.95

Unlock Your Inner Potential informs readers on the subject of Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., who brought this practice from India to the West in 1969. ?Yoga focuses on the need to control the ?waves? of the mind.? (p. 9). Kundalini comes from the word kundal, a ?lock of hair from the beloved.? The author explains, ?The uncoiling of this ?hair? is the awakening of the Kundalini, the creative potential that already exists in every human.? (p.9). Energy that is coiled at the bottom of the spine is stimulated through the practice of Kundalini yoga and rises up through the spine into the skull where the pineal gland is activated.The pineal vibrates and releases chemicals that lead to a major change in consciousness. (p.11).

Shakta Kaur Khalsa examines several aspects of Kundalini yoga; what it is, the myths surrounding it; how to start by preparing oneself; and then proceeds from beginning to more advanced techniques to show how to meditate in a way that raises consciousness. She explains that the myth stating Kundalini is dangerous only becomes truth when extreme wrong practice of the techniques is used. This is why the practice as given by a master of Kundalini yoga is essential. Proper technique and preparation are necessary for the proper flow of Kundalini energy. (p. 10).

Although the author minimized the danger associated with Kundalini rising, this reviewer found several other sources stating the possibility of a spiritual emergency occurring spontaneously in an unprepared person or even in a spiritual seeker. Gopi Krishna, who meditated for three hours every morning for seventeen years, describes experiencing a Kundalini awakening one day, which resulted in twelve years of misery both mental and physical. In a portion of the Shared Transformation Newsletter, Puran Bair, the founder of the Institute for Applied Meditation, writes that Kundalini is too dangerous for ordinary people and can lead to a variety of mental disorders. An awakening of Kundalini energy could be accompanied by years of physical and psychological upheavals. El Collie in ?Kundalini Signs and Symptoms,? reports that some have found that the risen Kundalini not only opens mystical and paranormal visions, but also may dramatically impact the body with long bouts of strange illnesses and extreme mental, emotional, interpersonal, psychic, spiritual and total lifestyle changes. On the website http://www.kundalinicare.com/, the features of a Kindalini rising include spontaneous bodily movements, emotional fluctuations, and atypical sensations. Khalsa, is a master yoga teacher as well as a writer. She has written other books and many articles on yoga. The purpose of this book is to demonstrate that anyone, who is in any physical shape, can perform this type of yoga, and that readers? lives can be enriched and deeply changed by approaching Kundalini yoga with respect and following the steps outlined.
(See more in IJHC, May 2008)

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist, New York: Harper Collins, 1993.  197 pp  $15.95

The Alchemist is Paulo Coelho?s second book and one of numerous bestsellers. When Coelho was a young man, he traveled Latin America seeking spiritual experiences in the footsteps of Carlos Castaneda. The theme of his book centers on the main character Santiago discovering how to have faith and courage while confronting obstacles on the path of following his heart. The search for worldly goods turns into Santiago?s discovery of his personal inner treasure and the transforming power of dreams. Coelho suggests people experience four obstacles when pursuing their personal dreams: 1) Learning that nothing is impossible; 2) Knowing what to do and following that knowing despite what others who love us might say; 3) Fear of failure along the way; and 4) Having a sense of guilt that we have achieved our dreams when others have not. The story of the Alchemist is centered on these four obstacles as the main character, Santiago, struggles to listen to his heart while pursuing his personal dream. 
(See more in IJHC, May 2008)