New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., 2001. 215 pp.
Refs 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.

Each of the nine chapters builds on the ones preceding it. Readers are instructed on what to do before starting yoga in order to focus. The basics of Kundalini yoga are then given, including breathing, visualization, sitting poses, hand positions, mantras, body locks (muscle contractions), chakras, and kriyas (postures linked to mantra and breath). The glossary is most helpful for readers unfamiliar with the terms used.

Khalsa describes how yoga exercise and meditation have moved from the fringe in the early 1960s to the mainstream now. (p.6). She demonstrates that yoga is not a religion but an ancient science, which includes the care, maintenance and preservation of the body/mind/spirit. She further relates that yoga was originally passed on through the centuries from individual masters to select students, who were thought to be worthy. (p.8). These select few included monks, yogis and others who withdrew from the world to become more conscious spiritually. Kundalini yoga is designed for ordinary people who desire the health, happiness and a sense of holiness that the ancient practice of yoga has imparted to practitioners., Today it is practiced without leaving one's everyday world, and thus is a fast and powerful way to give strength and integrity to anyone desiring it.

Unlock Your Inner Potential through Life-Changing Exercise is presented in an enjoyable and easily understood manner. Not only are instructions plainly and thoroughly written, but there are also pictures of the various yoga poses for additional clarity. When mantras are given, the musical notes are included. Other beautiful illustrations are included in each chapter, a pleasurable complement to the text throughout the book. Of particular beauty are the whole page picture of Kundalini rising through the body, mostly in shades of blue, and the following two pages with smaller pictures of the Kundalini energy in each of the eight chakras. These contain a description of each chakra by location, function, what it looks like when unbalanced, and how a balance in that area might be beneficial to the corresponding functions aligned within it.

This book is comprehensive, ending with descriptions of the noticeable changes in the body and psychological benefits produced by just a few minutes of daily practice. Finally, the deepening changes when Kundalini yoga is practiced regularly are explained, enticing readers to integrate this practice into their lives.

Review by: Liz Donnelly
Doctoral Student
Holos University Graduate Seminary
www.holosuniversity.org

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