Kundalini and the Chakras by Genevieve Lewis Paulson: Impressions

Look at the cover of this book. Mighty attractive, no? The title too is all mystic and mumbojumboey - exactly the kind I fall for. But, here's one classic example of appearances being deceptive.

I really love to read books on energy work and having attended a workshop or two on Reiki and Pranic Healing, I understand and relate to the ideas therewith. Among all concepts in the sphere of energy work, Kundalini is one of the most powerful and I've always been fascinated with it. I've read a fair bit on the subject before, but there's always more to know, isn't there?

Naturally, when the opportunity to review a book on Kundalini came my way, I jumped at it. Kundalini and Chakras - Evolution in this Lifetime by Genevieve Lewis Paulson is a Jaico publication and that should have told me something about its quality. Sorry, but Jaico's acquisition editors really need to stop giving a nod to everything that comes their way. Few books from Jaico's stables make the cut and this one's just terrible. Paulson is such an artless writer, she has managed to kill this interesting topic completely.

I rarely abandon a book, especially if it deals with the esoteric. I had never imagined a book on Kundalini and the Chakras could be boring. But damn, this one is. In my several failed attempts at reading this book, I could never read more than three pages at once without feeling bored and/or frustrated. Every paragraph sounded the same with the author liberally using words like 'consciousness', 'energy', 'cleansing', 'healing', 'Kundalini', etc. It was like I would take in a mouthful of words at the end of a page, but take away nothing from it.

Through this book, the author aims to teach a layperson some tips and tricks on cleansing the chakras and awakening the Kundalini. There are some decent illustrations and tables too, but the style of writing extremely unhelpful. A good student is not always a good teacher, and this seems to be Paulson's problem. She may write page after page but few will understand what's going on. The book has chapters on Kundalini release, Chakra healing, Karma, The Different Bodies, etc., each more odious than the other.

If Kundalini and Chakra Healing are your interests, pick from the many books in the market - not this one.