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Atkinson, S. (2022). Krishnamacharya on Kundalini. The Origins and Coherence of his Position. Equinox Publishing. https://doi.org/
Atkinson, Simon. Krishnamacharya on Kundalini: The Origins and Coherence of his Position. Equinox Publishing, 2022. Book. https://doi.org/
Atkinson, S (2022): Krishnamacharya on Kundalini: The Origins and Coherence of his Position, Equinox Publishing, [online] https://doi.org/
Atkinson, S. Krishnamacharya on Kundalini. Equinox Publishing, 2022.
Atkinson, Simon. Krishnamacharya on Kundalini. Equinox Publishing, 2022. doi.org:
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Krishnamacharya on Kundalini
Toggle the cite modalThe Origins and Coherence of his Position
Krishnamacharya on Kundalini explores a distinctive teaching of 'the father of modern yoga', T. Krishnamacharya. Whereas most yoga traditions teach that kundalini is a serpentine energy that rises, Krishnamacharya defined it differently. To him, kundalini is a serpentine blockage which prevents praa... Read more
Published: 2022
Pages: 262
eBook: 9781800501539
Paperback: 9781800501522
Hardback: 9781800501515
Krishnamacharya on Kundalini explores a distinctive teaching of 'the father of modern yoga', T. Krishnamacharya. Whereas most yoga traditions teach that kundalini is a serpentine energy that rises, Krishnamacharya defined it differently. To him, kundalini is a serpentine blockage which prevents praana (breath or life-force) from rising and which represents avidyaa (spiritual ignorance). Simon Atkinson draws from over 20 years of study and practice under teachers following Krishnamacharya. He combines 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 Vishnu-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 Shrivaishnavism. 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. Atkinson also explores how Krishnamacharya's teaching on kundalini influences how yoga is practised. He argues that Krishnamacharya's position is best viewed as a model for experience that guides practice.
Simon Atkinson has been practising and studying yoga in the broad tradition following Krishnamacharya since the 1990s and has been learning Sanskrit since 2001. He teaches academic English and academic skills at the University of Cambridge.