According to Tantra, the human being is a miniature universe.
According to the philosophy of Tantra, the entire universe is a manifestation of pure consciousness.
In manifesting the universe, this pure consciousness seems to become divided into two poles or
aspects, neither of which can exist without the other.
One aspect, Shiva, is masculine, retains a static quality and remains identified with unmanifested
consciousness. Shiva has the power to be but not the power to become or change.
The other aspect, Shakti, is feminine, dynamic, energetic and creative. Shakti is the Great Mother of
the universe, for it, is from her that all form is born.
All that is found in the cosmos can be found within each individual and the same principles that
apply to the universe apply in the case of the individual being.
Kundalini Shakti is sexual energy; Kundalini Shakti is conceived as a goddess, then, when it rises
to the head, it unites itself with the Supreme Being (Lord Shiva).

The kundalini depicted as a serpent coiled three and a half times, lies dormant at the base of the
spine, blocking entrance into the Sushumna, the central channel that runs from the first chakra- the
Muladhara, to the seventh chakra- the Sahasrara, located at the crown of the head. The two
intertwined serpents, wrapped around the Sushumna, are represented in the medical profession as
the caduceus. This symbol represents the ida (feminine energy, the left channel) and Pingala
(masculine energy, the right channel). These are the two subtle pathways of energy that allow the
awakened kundalini to ascend from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.
The object of the Tantric practice of Kundalini yoga is to awaken this cosmic energy and make it
ascend through the psychic centers, the chakras that lie along the axis of the spine as
consciousness potentials. This union is the aim of Kundalini-yoga: a resolution of duality into
unity again, a fusion with the Absolute. By this union, the adept attains liberation while
living what is considered in Indian life to be the highest experience: a union of the
individual with the universe.

Author's Bio: 

Sri Tulasi is a professional astrologer, life coach and member of the Indian Astrologers Council. She has more than 15 years of practical experience in astrology.