Kundalini as a Method for Re-Entering Exercise After Chronic Illness
Sep 12, 2024
Whether you're chronically ill and struggling...
...or on a healing trajectory with sound mitochondrial strategy (yay!)...
...if you're anything like I was (or like many of my clients and students are) it's likely that you're scratching your head in confusion when it comes to re-entering the world of exercise and movement.
Maybe you understand that exercise is a vital part of building any long-term resilience with your body, or perhaps you know about the link between exercise and better mental health.
Yet, every time you try to implement more movement in your routine...
...symptom fallout ensues.
I know first-hand about the challenge of re-entering exercise after prolonged periods of downtime.
After all, profound rest is required to support the body as you move through detox and erecting the foundations of a mitochondria-friendly lifestyle.
For myself, after I applied quantum principles to strengthen and purify my body (putting my Lupus squarely into remission) exercise felt like the last frontier.
Yet it seemed like every time I tried to re-engage with intensive movement, an onslaught of symptoms would come on:
- heart palpitations
- dizziness and lightheadedness
- brain fog
- adrenaline and cortisol surges that would disrupt my circadian rhythm
- extended recovery times and more.
But that all changed when I found Kundalini.
Why Kundalini?
The truth is that recovering from chronic illness presents a unique challenge when it comes to re-entering exercise.
The body can require careful reconditioning that balances strength building with stress mitigation.
And as we'll discuss below, Kundalini is uniquely equipped to achieve this balance, as it incorporates breathwork, dynamic movement, and attention to the nervous system and spine—facets that critically need to be applied together to move deconditioned bodies safely through the reconditioning process.
Breath: How Kundalini Uses Breath to Power Movement, Lower Cortisol, and Improve HRV
Breath is the cornerstone of Kundalini Yoga, and it also plays a pivotal role in supporting the body’s recovery from illness.
By leveraging breath in the unique way it does, Kundalini helps to lower cortisol levels, improve heart rate variability (HRV), and fuel the body as it moves into more challenging movement.
Here’s how specific Kundalini breath techniques support healing:
Bhastrika with Movement (Hyperventilation)
Bhastrika, or bellows breath, involves fast, forceful inhalations and exhalations coordinated with movement.
This technique oxygenates the blood, increases energy levels, and enhances circulation.
For someone recovering from illness, this hyperventilation technique provides a quick boost of energy that helps to power new movement while also moving stagnant bio-waters in the body.
Kapalbhati Between High-Intensity Movements (Decarbonizing the Blood)
Kapalbhati, or fire breathing, is another breathing technique involving rapid exhalations, designed to release excess carbon dioxide from the body.
This “decarbonizing” effect is vital for improving oxygen flow and supporting cellular regeneration as your body copes with the movement it's just performed.
In Kundalini, Kapalbhati is often performed between high-intensity movements to clear the increased CO2 levels created by the previous movement and Bhastrika breath, ensuring proper oxygenation is available during the recovery process.
Breath Retention to Clear Nadi Energy Pathways
Kumbhaka, or breath retention, is used in Kundalini to pause and hold the breath, allowing prana (life force energy) to flow through the nadis (energy pathways) without obstruction.
This hormetic stress (low-grade, temporary stress that results in strength-building) trains the body to cope with high CO2 levels associated with stress, and recalibrates the stress response to generally improve stress tolerance.
Breath retention also helps resources in the blood to rush forward, releasing any blockages and ensuring that resources are distributed evenly, balancing the body’s vital reserves.
Clearing the Energetic Body: Moving Through Kundalini in a Specific Order
Many with chronic illness are hesitant about moving too quickly into exercise because they fear symptom relapse if they overdo it.
But Kundalini Yoga follows a deliberate progression of practices, over 1000 years old, that clear the body’s energy pathways in a very specific order.
This careful progression ensures that the body doesn’t become overwhelmed by too much stimulation too quickly, which could lead to detox reactions or discomfort.
Starting with Asti Granthi Practices (Energy Clearing)
Kundalini begins with practices designed to clear the Nadi energy pathways from blockages, especially in the body’s foundational chakras.
These practices ensure that no energetic stagnation remains, which could lead to symptoms or impede the flow of energy, but they also help to begin tonifying the muscles and stimulating subtle connective tissue like fascia, crucial to the body's drainage system.
Clearing these blockages before engaging in deeper energy work sets the stage for a safe and effective practice.
Moving from the Base of the Spine to the Crown
Energy in Kundalini is awakened first at the base of the spine (root chakra) moving gradually up the spine to the crown (crown chakra), which helps to ensure that the body can safely tolerate the activation of energy.
**This bottom-up process mirrors the body’s natural drainage process— both processes share the goal of ensuring systems can handle the newly mobilized energy and toxins that get kicked up during practice.**
Prana, Qi, Lifeforce, Charge
Kundalini recognizes the importance of careful activation of the body’s energy systems.
Just as too much charge in the body before opening detox pathways can lead to bottlenecks and symptom fallout, similarly, too rapid an activation of kundalini energy can overwhelm the system.
Kundalini’s careful pacing ensures that energy is activated gradually, preventing symptoms of detox or discomfort as the body heals.
Nervous System Regulation: Why Kundalini Is Good for the Nervous System
Kundalini Yoga provides powerful support for the nervous system, making it an ideal practice for those recovering from chronic illness, where nervous system dysfunction is often a core issue.
Chronic illness frequently leaves the body in a heightened state of stress, with the nervous system dysregulated.
In fact, 'dysaunotomia' or nervous system dysregulation is the single most common symptom presentation I come across in practice.
Kundalini helps to reset this imbalance by focusing on practices that tonify, regulate, and strengthen the nervous system.
The Nervous System as an Electrical System
The nervous system can be thought of as the body’s electrical wiring, transmitting signals and energy throughout the body.
Chronic illness can lead to "short-circuiting," where the system becomes overloaded or imbalanced.
Kundalini’s breathwork and dynamic movements help to remove blockages in this electrical system, repair the circuit, and ensure that energy moves smoothly throughout the system without overwhelming it.
Shaking and Intense Movements
Shaking and intense movements, often combined with breath, help to discharge excess energy stored in the body from prolonged periods of stress.
This release provides a “reset” for the nervous system, encouraging it to move out of dysregulation and back into a state of balance.
Shaking helps the body rid itself of stored tension and stress, which is especially important for those recovering from illness, where the nervous system may be chronically overstimulated.
Breath’s Impact on the Nervous System
Breathwork in Kundalini directly modulates the nervous system, promoting a state of balance.
Deep, rhythmic breathing has also been shown to stimulate the movement of the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF) which is necessary for a regulated nervous system response.
Activating Body Locks (Bandhas)
In Kundalini, body locks—called bandhas—are used to control and regulate the flow of energy.
These locks help prevent surges of energy that could overwhelm the nervous system.
By engaging bandhas, Kundalini practitioners ensure that energy moves consistently and controllably through the body’s energy pathways, helping to prevent symptoms of overload or burnout during recovery.
Spinal Health as a Foundation for Recovery
Yogic traditions believes that spinal health is essential for overall well-being and longevity, and as such, Kundalini Yoga places a strong emphasis on maintaining a healthy, flexible, and strong spine.
The health of the spine directly impacts the flow of energy in the body and the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is vital for nourishing and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
Dynamic Movement in the Spine
Kundalini practices often involve movements that flex, extend, and rotate the spine, creating mobility and stimulating the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.
For someone recovering from chronic illness, this is crucial for detoxification and the promotion of spinal health.
Breathwork to Move CSF
Kundalini breathwork, such as rapid exhalations or deep, controlled breathing, helps pump cerebrospinal fluid through the spinal column.
This promotes detoxification, enhances brain function, and supports the health of the nervous system.
Inversions to Move CSF
This is especially helpful for rejuvenating and energizing the body during recovery from illness.
Activating the Chakras Along the Spine
The seven chakras, or energy centers, are aligned along the spine, and Kundalini practices are designed to activate and balance these chakras.
By stimulating these energy centers, Kundalini creates mobility, strength, and flexibility in the spine.
Conclusion
Kundalini Yoga offers a uniquely adept approach to safely re-entering exercise after chronic illness.
Its focus on breath, gradual activation of the body’s energy systems, nervous system regulation, and emphasis on spinal health makes it the ideal practice for individuals seeking to restore vitality without overwhelming the body.
By working with breath to lower cortisol, improve HRV, balance energy, and clear the nervous system, Kundalini helps you rebuild strength, resilience, and well-being without any of the risk other exercise methods pose.
Want to learn more about how I've used Kundalini to re-enter exercise safely and *without* symptom fallout? Click here to learn more!
