Kundalini Reiki: Diamond Crystalline DNA, Birth Trauma, Location & Past Life Healing

Kundalini and Reiki are two distinct energy practices that come from different traditions, use different methods, and describe their workings in different language, yet people frequently encounter them together, either in combined sessions or in teachers who hold both trainings. This guide treats them separately first, then honestly examines what they share and where they diverge.

Kundalini: The Coiled Energy

The word kundalini comes from the Sanskrit kundala, meaning "coiled", like a serpent. In the Tantric tradition, kundalini Shakti is the name given to the primordial cosmic energy as it exists in the individual human body: coiled, latent, at the base of the spine in the region of Muladhara chakra.

The classical source most widely cited is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (c. 15th century CE), which describes kundalini as "sleeping" at the entrance to the Brahma Nadi (the innermost channel within Sushumna) and states that the whole of yoga has one aim: to awaken it. When kundalini rises through the central channel (Sushumna), passing through each of the seven chakras from Muladhara to Sahasrara, the classical texts describe the dissolution of individual ego-consciousness into universal awareness. The meeting of kundalini Shakti (energy) with Shiva (pure consciousness) at the crown is the goal.

This sounds abstract. In practice, people who report kundalini activity describe a spectrum of experiences: warmth or intense heat rising through the spine, involuntary physical movements (kriyas), visual phenomena, spontaneous pranayama, periods of profound stillness, rushes of energy through the body, and in some cases, dramatic and disorienting shifts in the sense of self. Kundalini awakening is not always blissful, it can be destabilising if it occurs without preparation or understanding.

How Kundalini Is Awakened

The Tantric texts describe multiple pathways. Shaktipat, transmission of energy from teacher to student, through touch, gaze, word, or intention, is considered the most direct. The student's kundalini is activated by contact with a teacher whose own energy is already flowing freely. This transmission is not mystical in the sense of being separate from psychological reality; it reflects the well-established capacity for state transmission between individuals whose nervous systems are in proximity.

Self-practice pathways include: sustained pranayama (particularly breath retention and the application of bandhas), intensive asana practice, mantra repetition (especially the soham mantra or the Shiva mantra Om Namah Shivaya), prolonged meditation with Sushumna awareness, and Yoga Nidra. The common thread is a progressive refinement and purification of the energy body that creates the conditions for spontaneous awakening.

Reiki: Universal Life Energy

Reiki was developed by Mikao Usui in Japan in the 1920s following a period of intensive spiritual practice on Mount Kurama. The word itself combines rei (universal, spiritual) and ki (life energy), equivalent in concept to the Chinese qi/chi and the Indian prana. Usui's original system, Usui Reiki Ryoho, was a spiritual practice first and a healing modality second.

As Reiki spread outside Japan, primarily through Hawayo Takata, who brought it to the United States in the 1930s and 40s, it was adapted and simplified. The complex meditative elements of Usui's original system were reduced, and the emphasis shifted toward hands-on healing sessions. Modern Western Reiki, as most people encounter it, involves the practitioner placing hands on or near specific areas of the recipient's body, with the intention of facilitating the flow of universal life energy to support the recipient's own healing process.

The Three Degrees of Reiki

Reiki is traditionally taught in three levels. Reiki I covers the history, principles, and basic hands-on practice for self-healing and healing others in person. Reiki II introduces three sacred symbols (Cho Ku Rei for power, Sei He Ki for mental and emotional healing, and Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen for distance healing) along with attunement to a higher frequency of energy. Reiki III (Master level) completes the training with the master symbol and the capacity to attune others.

The attunement process, in which a Reiki Master opens the student's energy channels to allow freer flow of Reiki energy, is the defining feature that distinguishes Reiki from general energy work or touch therapy. Whether this constitutes something physically measurable or whether it works primarily through intention, relaxation, and the well-established therapeutic effects of compassionate touch is an open question. The research on Reiki's effects, while preliminary, shows consistent trends toward reduced anxiety and pain in clinical populations.

Where Kundalini and Reiki Meet

Both practices work with the same fundamental premise: that the human body has an energy dimension that is as real and important as the physical dimension, and that the health or illness of this energy dimension affects physical and psychological wellbeing. Both use the concept of energy channels (nadis in the Indian system, meridians in the Chinese system that also informs Reiki). Both involve the chakra system, though Reiki's engagement with chakras tends to be simpler and more schematic than the classical Tantric mapping.

Kundalini Reiki, specifically, is a synthesis system developed by Ole Gabrielsen in Denmark in the early 2000s. It combines Reiki attunement with the specific intention of opening the Sushumna channel and supporting kundalini energy. Sessions typically involve placing hands on the chakras from crown to root (or root to crown) with specific intentions at each point. It is a contemporary synthesis, not a classical tradition, which is not the same as saying it is ineffective, but it is worth being clear about its origins.

The Differences That Matter

The most significant practical difference: Kundalini practice, in the classical tradition, is an active sadhana, something you do, every day, with your own energy, breath, and attention. Reiki, in its Western form, is primarily something done to you or for others, through a practitioner's channelling of energy. These are different orientations toward practice.

The classical Tantric position is that the most reliable awakening comes from within, from one's own disciplined practice, purification, and investigation. External energy transmission (shaktipat) is a catalyst, not a substitute. Receiving Reiki sessions, from this perspective, may create conducive conditions, reduce blockages, and support relaxation, but it does not replace the practitioner's own inner work.

Practical Guidance: Which Practice When?

If you are drawn to Reiki: it offers a gentle, accessible introduction to energy awareness and tends to support relaxation, stress reduction, and a general sense of inner settling. It requires no prior yoga or meditation background. As a self-practice (Reiki I), the daily self-treatment routine is simple and takes 20-30 minutes.

If you are drawn to Kundalini practice: be prepared for a more demanding path. The classical practices require consistency, guidance, and a certain willingness to sit with whatever arises. The effects can be more profound, and more disorienting, than a Reiki session. Begin with basic pranayama (particularly Nadi Shodhana, the alternate nostril breath), establish a daily sitting meditation, and work with a teacher who understands the terrain.

Many people find that Reiki serves as a bridge into deeper practice. The experience of feeling energy move during a Reiki session often catalyses interest in understanding that energy more directly, which leads toward pranayama, chakra work, and eventually the full spectrum of Tantric practice. If that is where you are, follow the thread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kundalini Reiki safe?

Kundalini Reiki, as a relatively gentle synthesis system, does not typically trigger the intense energetic phenomena associated with classical kundalini awakening. The word "kundalini" in its name refers more to the intention to open the Sushumna channel than to the full classical process. For most people, sessions are relaxing rather than disruptive. If you have a history of significant trauma, dissociation, or have previously experienced intense kundalini symptoms, discuss this with the practitioner beforehand.

Can I practise Reiki and Kundalini Yoga at the same time?

Yes, and many practitioners do. They work at different levels of the energy system and tend to complement rather than interfere with each other. The main consideration is not to overstimulate the energy system in a short period, avoid intensive pranayama, Reiki, and vigorous Kundalini Yoga practice all in the same day if you are new to energy work.

Does Reiki actually do anything, scientifically?

The research base for Reiki is limited but not empty. A systematic review published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2014) found moderate evidence for Reiki's effectiveness in reducing pain and anxiety compared to sham Reiki or no treatment. A 2017 study published in Holistic Nursing Practice showed significant reductions in anxiety and depression scores in healthcare workers after Reiki training. The mechanisms are not established, relaxation response, therapeutic touch, placebo effect, and actual energy transmission are all plausible contributors.

What does a Kundalini Reiki session feel like?

Responses vary considerably. Many recipients report warmth or tingling in the areas where hands are placed, a deepening sense of physical relaxation, emotional releases (sometimes unexpected), visual phenomena such as colours or light, and a sense of expanded awareness during or after the session. Some people feel nothing unusual at all and simply relax. The quality of the practitioner's training and presence, and the recipient's own sensitivity and receptivity, both matter.

Do I need to believe in energy for Reiki to work?

The short answer is no, the relaxation effects of any compassionate touch practice do not depend on belief. Whether what Reiki calls "energy" corresponds to something measurable in the physical world, or whether it is a useful map for experiences that arise from the nervous system's response to stillness and touch, is a genuine open question. What most recipients report, reduced tension, greater ease, sometimes unexpected emotional clarity, does not require a metaphysical position to be valuable.