The kundalini energy is
a source of energy latent
in our body. Sitting at
the base of the spine and
often represented as a coiled
serpent, it can be awaken
with different practices.

Some people have their
kundalini awaken already
and work with that on a
daily basis. For others is
stays dormant their whole
life. While for others,
they get jolt of it here
and there, and might be
able to fully awaken
their energy.

If awaken too early, that
energy can be very bad for
the body, the mind and the
nervous system.

Most of the yogic/tantric
text focus on the rise of
the kundalini through bandas,
asana, pranayama and mudra.
Which seems a bit forceful
way to awaken that energy.
In Taoism, in contrast, there
is a lot of grounding,
circulation, smiling practices,
which also work on a similar
energy but in a gentler way.

It's my understanding that
the kundalini energy is the
same as what is discussed in
Taoist text. Chi and Prana
are a similar concept, and
Taoist practice are there
to awaken that source of chi.

What I find refreshing on
the Taoist side is the focus
on the sexual energy. I repeat
myself here, but in the
culture we live in, our
sexual energy is completely
stuck, shamed, and we are
robbed once again of one of
our main source of being
human. So any attempt to
work on the kundalini energy
without a deep sexual healing
will be problematic to the
practitioner.

In her book, "Kundalini
for the West" Swami Radha also
make it clear that the process
of working of the chakra has a
strong foundation in psychology.
It points toward clearing not
only the energy body, but the
emotional and psychological
body. There is little to no
mention about sexuality, but
she brings a crucial element
here; if you haven't work with
your trauma, the burst of
energy that the kundalini will
create will harm the practitioner.

Her view on the awakening of the
kundalini is a more gentle one.
Instead of forcing the energy
up, you simply open the door
for the energy to rise. It's
gentler on the practices, but
it requires more psychological
and mental work. How do you
heal from sexual abuse to let
your kundalini rise?

In a culture that focus on
numbing people instead of
healing them, we become less
and less able to deal with
our powers. Our culture is
designed in a way that
works against our liberation.
It's more profitable if
we are constantly medicated
for our mental/emotional
issue than if we'd heal
from our past trauma.

Sexuality is often at the
core of our trauma. My biggest
traumas were around my early
exploration of my sexuality,
and mostly because there
was no discussion about it. 
Then my sexuality became
something I was shameful of.
It continued to be weird
and wasteful, instead of
being cultivated and used
as a source of liberation
and evolution.

Sexuality has such an
important role in our
well being and evolution,
yet we have no tools, nor
culture to support sexual
healing and growth. As I
am studying and practicing
more clearly around the
kundalini awakening, I see
that this is a major element
in my personal development.