online yoga forum

A girlfriend of mine recently came back from a yoga retreat in India where they played around with Tantra yoga. She's not done much yoga or meditation, and to cut a long story short she ended up having this experience where she had shooting pain like red hot coals running up her back and she couldn't walk for 2 days. The 'guru' on the retreat told her that this was her kundalini rising, but because she wasn't experienced she couldn't cope with it.

I don't know much about Tantric yoga but I'd say be very careful before you try it - it's powerful if you don't know what you're messing with.

all yoga techniques are powerful. its that simple. you wouldn't try juggling with flaming sticks if you couldn't catch for toffee. its like running before you walk.

So many people are all in too much of a hurry to experience results through kundalini yoga or tantra yoga - but without a base of Yama, Niyama & Asana your body & mind will not be prepared. Its been likened to putting a 5 watt bulb into a 1000 watt socket.

the teacher your friend experienced is probably right, and sometimes its good to shock people into respecting techniques further along the path in order for them to be aware they need to take their time and be patient.