Kundalini, Tradition & The Modern Field: A Conversation on Integrity, Lineage & Evolution
Every so often, a question arises in our community that deserves more than a simple answer - it deserves a moment of collective contemplation. Recently, one of our students asked a beautifully sincere and thoughtful question about the use of the word Kundalini in modern “Kundalini Activation” spaces.
Her reflection carried a theme many people quietly hold:
Is what we practice today truly connected to traditional Kundalini teachings, or are we speaking about something entirely different?
Can Kundalini really be “activated”?
And are we unintentionally misusing or diluting something sacred?
This blog post is our response - never coming from a place of dogma, but as an opening of a conversation into deeper understanding, nuance, and sovereignty.
The Traditional Meaning of Kundalini
In the classical yogic systems of India, Kundalini refers to the sacred spiritual energy said to lie dormant at the base of the spine. Traditionally, this force awakens:
through decades of inner purification,
disciplined spiritual practice,
devotion to the Divine,
and guidance from a guru or teacher within a sacred lineage.
In that sense, the modern landscape of “Kundalini Activation,” as many experience it today, is not the same as the classical yogic path taught in texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika or Shiva Samhita.
And it is important, and respectful, to be clear about that.
But that is not the whole story.
Shaktipat: The Traditional Precedent for Resonance-Based Awakening
While many people cite the traditional view that Kundalini cannot be awakened “from the outside,” they often overlook something deeply important:
Awakening through resonance does exist traditionally - and it is called Shaktipat.
Shaktipat refers to the transmission of spiritual energy from a guru to a seeker.
This is not a modern invention.
It is an ancient, culturally-rooted practice.
So the principle of awakening through catalytic resonance is not new.
What is new is how it is being expressed in our era, in a globalized world, through practitioners who are not claiming the role of guru.
Where Our Work Differs: No Gurus, No Hierarchy
In the School of KCA, we draw a very clear distinction:
We do not place ourselves as awakened gurus transmitting our personal energy to you.
Instead, our work is founded on humility and attunement:
We open ourselves in surrender to the Field of Kundalini - the living intelligence of life force itself.
We become conduits, not sources.
The facilitator is not the one “activating” anything.
The Field organizes, awakens, and guides the process.
In that sense, what awakens within you is your own Kundalini, your own consciousness, your own innate intelligence.
We simply create a resonant field where your system remembers what it already knows.
Why We Use the Word “Kundalini” - With Respect & Discernment
When we have personally tuned into the Field and channeled guidance around the use of this word, the message has been clear:
When held with purity of heart, integrity, humility, and devotion, “Kundalini” is the correct word for this work - for us.
But language is personal.
Words carry charge.
And every practitioner must decide what is most aligned for them.
That is why we always encourage our students to:
Tune into your own guidance.
Feel the resonance in your own body.
Choose your terminology from sovereignty, not from allegiance to a trend or any dogma.
Inviting the Voices of Those Rooted in This Lineage
We deeply value the perspectives of those whose ancestral roots lie in the Indian spiritual traditions.
So as part of this conversation, we explicitly invite members of our community who are from Indian heritage to share their perspectives if they feel called. Every conversation is open in our school and community. It is a living field of co-creation and contribution.
And to everyone reading this, regardless of background or lineage:
Your voice matters. Your insight matters. Your lens matters. No one is here by accident.
In this School, we believe that every person’s channel is essential to the evolving tapestry of understanding.
The Shamanic Roots Beneath All Lineages
It is also important to remember that before there were religions, lineages, or codified systems - there was shamanism.
There was direct connection to the Earth, Spirit, and the unseen realms.
Every ancient culture on Earth holds ancient symbolism of the serpent or dragon - the life force energy that rises within the human vessel toward union with the Divine.
The language differs.
The cosmology differs.
But the essence is universal.
In yogic language, this is Shakti rising to meet Shiva.
In universal terms, this is energy awakening into consciousness, the feminine principle ascending toward the masculine principle.
If these Sanskrit terms don’t resonate, you can hold them simply as:
energy and consciousness
earth and sky
matter and spirit
the inward and outward currents of the Divine
The words change, but the mystery is the same.
The Word vs. The Work
This distinction is crucial:
The word “Kundalini” carries centuries of meaning, projection, debate, and misunderstanding.
The work itself is pure, immediate, and direct.
As practitioners, we each must decide:
Do we engage with the word and help peel away layers of misunderstanding?
Or do we choose a different term that feels cleaner or more neutral?
Where does our sovereignty point us?
Neither choice is wrong.
Both are pathways of integrity.
In the School of KCA, our role is to support you in that discovery, not to decide for you.
Because at the end of the day:
We are not the gurus.
You are.
Your awakening is self-led.
Your body is your teacher.
Your consciousness is your guide.
We simply hold a field where your remembering becomes inevitable.
A Living, Evolving Mystery
Kundalini, in whatever language we choose to name it, is not a static concept frozen in time.
It is a living intelligence.
Traditions evolve. Humanity evolves. Consciousness evolves. The Field evolves.
We stand not as gatekeepers of an ancient cultural lineage, but as humble participants in its ongoing evolution.
With reverence for what came before, and with openness to what is emerging now.
An integration of East & West.
A Closing Invitation
This conversation is not meant to end here.
If you feel something rising in you: a perspective, a question, a hesitation, or a knowing, we invite you to share it.
This School is a collective organism and each voice is part of the Field we are co-creating.
Let us continue holding this inquiry with humility, respect, and curiosity as we deepen our relationship to the mystery that moves through us all as we engage with this beautiful and deeply life-giving work.
With Reverence,
Alba & Eefke
The School of Kundalini & Consciousness Awakening