KUṆḌALINĪ. The Sanskrit term kuṇḍalinī is used in Hindu yogic and Tantric literature to refer to the divine female energy (śakti) that lies dormant within every human body. Derived from kuṇḍala, a word meaning "coil," kuṇḍalinī is imagined in the form of a coiled serpent who sleeps at the base of the spine in the lowest energy center of the body, called the mūlādhāra cakra. Through specialized techniques of meditation, physical postures, and breath control, kuṇḍalinī can be aroused and raised through the body to unite with the divine male principle (personified as Lord Śiva) that resides at the top of the head. Although kuṇḍalinī is used primarily in Hindu yogic traditions, Buddhist Vajrayāna texts describe an analogous kind of fiery internal...