Krishnamacharya on Kundalini: The Origins and Coherence of his Position (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781800501515)

Krishnamacharya on Kuṇḍalinī explores a distinctive teaching of 'the father of modern yoga', T. Krishnamacharya. Whereas most yoga traditions teach that kuṇḍalinī is a serpentine energy that rises, Krishnamacharya defined it as a serpentine blockage that represents avidyā (spiritual ignorance) and prevents prāṇa (breath or life-force) from rising.

In this book, Simon Atkinson draws on over 20 years of study and practice under teachers following Krishnamacharya, and combines the analysis of quotations from yoga workshops with a detailed study of traditional Sanskrit texts. He traces the textual origins of Krishnamacharya's position to two sects of Viṣṇu-worshiping temple priests, and shows how it is compatible with a stream of South Asian thought where snakes represent something to be overcome.
Atkinson challenges claims that Krishnamacharya's position can be found in his religious tradition of Śrīvaiṣṇavism. He questions the tradition's reliance on textual sources, showing how the coherence of Krishnamacharya's position can only be maintained by employing elaborate arguments and rejecting texts that teach otherwise. He also explores how Krishnamacharya's teaching on kuṇḍalinī influences how yoga is practised. He argues that Krishnamacharya's position is best viewed as a model for experience that guides practice.

Author: Simon Atkinson
ISBN-10: 180050151X
ISBN-13: 9781800501515
Publisher: Equinox Publishing (UK)
Language: English
Published: 04/05/2022
Pages: 224
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.49lbs
Size: 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.88d