I’ll be the first to admit that I’m already a little bit woo-woo.
Meditation, kinesiology, homeopathy, hypnosis, you name it, I’ve always been very open-minded when it comes to alternative wellness.
But even I raised an eyebrow when I first heard about Kundalini activations – a centuries-old spiritual practice often dubbed a ‘spiritual orgasm’ that’s suddenly trending again, thanks in part to Jackie Henderson, aka Jackie O.
The Her Best Life co-host, who you may also know from KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O show, recently spoke candidly about her experiences with a Kundalini Awakening session on the podcast she shares with best friend Gemma O’Neill.
In an episode called ‘unexpected tears‘, Jackie goes into great detail of her intense emotional releases, involuntary body movements and a sense of finally letting go of deeply buried pain all thanks to this alternate therapy.
Call it divine timing, but before Jackie’s voice came through my headphones, I had already heard of Kundalini Activations myself courtesy of my good friend, Sydney-based Reiki practitioner and lymphatic therapist Daniela Pola.
There are also ancient healing practices and postures within Kundalini Yoga which I was briefly introduced to on an ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ style holiday I’d taken in Bali years before, but Dani said this is an whole different experience entirely.
She’d accidentally stumbled upon the practice after a friend urged her to attend a group session in Sydney in 2025, run by Jackie O’s very own Kundalini coach, Lynsey Page.
Kundalini activation is a centuries-old spiritual practice often dubbed a ‘spiritual orgasm’ that’s suddenly trending again, thanks in part to Jackie Henderson, aka Jackie O
What followed, was an out-of-body experience so profound it pushed her to formally study Kundalini activations and offer them to her own clients.
‘I’d never encountered anything like it,’ Dani said.
‘I felt so liberated that I didn’t even care I was in a room full of people having the most profound experience of my life.’
When someone you trust describes something with that level of conviction, you listen.
Hearing both of their vulnerabilities and openly sharing how these sessions had helped them process grief, family trauma and long-held emotional patterns, it felt like the universe was shouting at me.
So, I decided to book in, and I’m so glad I did.
The Her Best Life co-host, Jackie O, recently spoke candidly about her experiences with a Kundalini awakening session on the podcast she shares with best friend Gemma O’Neill (pictured)
What is Kundalini, really?
At its simplest, Daniela explained, Kundalini is an innate energy believed to sit at the base of the spine, linked to creativity, vitality and emotional expression.
‘For many people, this energy stays dormant,’ she tells me.
‘Not because anything is wrong, but because modern life keeps us stressed, busy and disconnected from our bodies.’
Kundalini itself has roots in ancient Indian yogic and tantric traditions, spoken about for thousands of years. Traditionally, it was ‘awakened’ slowly through meditation, breathwork and disciplined practice.
But what’s surged in popularity today – especially among time-poor, overstimulated women like me – is Kundalini Activation, a modern, facilitated experience where you lie down, do nothing, and simply allow it to evolve.
‘There’s no forcing, no breath control and no poses,’ Daniela explains.
‘I create an energetic field in the room, and your body responds in its own intelligent way.’
Kundalini is an innate energy believed to sit at the base of the spine, linked to creativity, vitality and emotional expression, and rooted in ancient Indian yogic traditions. Pictured: Sydney-based Kundalini activation specialist Daniela Pola
Your first session might lead to tears
Unlike Jackie O, who said it took her three sessions before she felt anything shift, my experience was immediate.
The moment I lay flat on my mat and the low, tribal music began, tears started rolling down my face. Quietly at first, but then it felt uncontrollable.
Images flickered behind my closed eyes like fragmented, technicolour flashes of past relationships, break-ups, friendships, family moments. It felt like dreaming while awake – you know that disjointed feeling, but I was completely coherent.
And then ‘the magic’ happened, they say, and my body involuntarily took over – exactly how Jackie O and Dani had described.
It started subtly, with my chest lifting and contracting, before turning into full-body convulsions. My nose blocked completely, and I had no choice but to breathe heavily through my mouth as sobs shook my torso.
‘Unlike Jackie O, who said it took her three sessions before she felt anything shift, my experience was immediate. The moment I lay flat on my mat and the low, tribal music began, tears started rolling down my face,’ – Daily Mail’s Elise Wilson (right) on her first experience of a Kundalini activation
By the end, my abs were burning like I’d just finished an intense HIIT workout, which I guess we could add as another upside to the glowing reviews.
Unlike the dramatic YouTube videos I’d nervously Googled beforehand, I wasn’t flailing or writhing as such. My arms and legs felt heavy, anchored to the mat.
Daniela had warned us that everyone’s experience looks different. Sounds, movements, tears – or none at all – are all welcome, and each session is unique to you without shame.
It took just under one hour from start to finish, and before my group session was up, Dani quietly moved through the room, offering Reiki to help ground everyone before we sat up.
At that point, the tears had stopped and a wave of calm washed over me. I did feel lighter, but also foggy, drained and deeply tired.
An emotional release is different for everyone
According to Dani, emotional release during Kundalini isn’t about reliving trauma, but more about letting the body finally let go.
‘We don’t just process life in our minds, we store it in our bodies.’
When the nervous system feels safe, long-held tension, stress and suppressed emotion can release naturally, often through tears, shaking, laughter or spontaneous movement.
Some people, she adds, feel nothing dramatic at all, and instead experience deep calm, rest and regulation, which is just as valid.
Emotional release during Kundalini isn’t about reliving trauma, but the body releasing stored stress and emotion, according to practitioner Dani Pola. She says when the nervous system feels safe, responses can range from tears and shaking to deep calm and rest – all of which are considered normal
Kundalini has gained a reputation online for being ‘very intense’ and Daniela understands why.
‘There are practices that push the body into altered states and that can be overwhelming for some nervous systems,’ but she stressed, these sessions are non-forceful.
‘I’m not overriding the body or pushing it beyond what it’s ready for. Instead, it meets your energy exactly where it’s at.’
She’s also clear that spiritual practices like these should complement, not replace, professional medical or psychological care.
‘There’s no shame in medication or therapy, as true wellbeing is holistic and serves in many forms.’
Why people are suddenly talking about Kundalini
Dani believes the resurgence of Kundalini, and similar somatic practices, accelerated during COVID-19, when people were forced to stop.
Add social media, burnout, and a collective nervous system that’s exhausted, and it makes sense, especially to me anyway – the woman who always feels like she’s juggling 500 things at once.
‘These practices don’t require years of discipline, but they invite people to soften, surrender, and come back to themselves.’
Kundalini is often described online as ‘intense’, but Dani says her approach is non-forceful and guided by the body’s own readiness. She stresses that practices like this should work alongside – not replace – professional medical or psychological support
Would I do it again?
I don’t do things by halves, so of course I booked in again immediately.
Six weeks later, my second session felt completely different, which surprised me. My thoughts were less about re-hashing the past this time and more fixated on my future.
And yes, I cried again!
I’m avoidant by nature and I’m very good at pushing things down instead of talking about them, so I think these visceral responses were my body’s way of finally bringing everything – good and bad – to the surface.
Whether you call it spiritual awakening, nervous-system regulation or simply a deeply human release, Kundalini isn’t about believing in chakras or snakes at the base of your spine.
‘Most of my clients don’t believe in any of that woo-woo stuff, they just know they want more,’ Dani said.
