The exploration of African spiritual philosophies provides the opportunity to gain greater understanding of the interconnectedness between various global spiritual concepts and practices. Through this vital learning experience, we can connect the missing pieces of the historical & cultural jigsaw puzzle and harness this information for personal growth, healing and collective development.
Many people may be familiar with the concept of Kundalini in Vedic tradition, which translates to ‘coiled’ or ‘coiled snake’. It refers to the life force energy that exists at the base of the spine that can be awakened through spiritual practices including meditation, yoga, visualisation & breathwork. What is not commonly known is that this concept also exists within African spiritual cultures.
The following excerpt from Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa in the book titled – Zulu Shaman: Dreams, Prophecies, and Mysteries (Page.13) is a prime example:
Working the Snake Power: A Zulu View
“My grandfather also taught me how to control my powers of seeing and how to sharpen them and make them more accurate and efficient. He taught me the art of breathing properly. He taught me the secret art of joining my mind to that of the great gods in the unseen world. He taught me how to sit still – very, very still – and eliminate all thoughts from my mind and call upon the hidden powers of my soul.
In short, my grandfather taught me the Zulu version of what is called in English, “meditation”. How to breathe softly and gently like a whisper until you feel something like a hot coiled snake bursting through the top of your head – a fearsome thing that is known as the umbilini. This umbilini, my grandfather told me, is the source, the primal source of the Sangoma’s powers. A sangoma must be able to summon this umbilini at will through the beating of the drum and through meditation, very, very deep meditation.”
The notion of an energetic force located at the base of the spine is also evident in the traditions of another group collectively referred to as the San; an indigenous people found in southern Africa primarily located in Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa.
The book ‘Shaking Medicine – The healing power of ecstatic movement’ by Bradford Keeney, explains their practice of a rhythmic stomping/dancing movement to invoke this energetic force through the body and as the excerpt below shows, a correlation is clear between the Vedic teachings and the San expression.
“The four-petaled base chakra is at the anus, and is called the “root-prop centre,” or muladhara chakra. Associated with the earth, the feet, and the sense of smell, it serves to distribute the life force through the whole body. This description relates to the Bushman shamans’ belief that stomping the ground helps to bring the energy, what they call nlom, through the soles of the feet and up the legs into the rest of the body. They dance in order to help the arrows of nlom come into their feet and legs and the hear up the rest of their body. Furthermore, past and present Bushman shamans have used smell to diagnose the physical conditions of others. It is regarded as the first base of assessing what needs to be addressed in the ecstatic treatment of sickness.”
These are just a couple of examples to highlight that there is much overlap when it comes to global spiritual wisdom, and it is imperative that African cosmologies and philosophies are documented and included in the wider discourse of theology and spirituality. Studying these ancient knowledge systems enables a holistic understanding which can provide people with the opportunity to positively draw upon this wisdom for healing, expanded consciousness and for the betterment of modern society.
This holistic approach to understanding is also what underpins our documentary Spirit is Eternal (available here), which correlated African Philosophies & Practices and is the result of over 10 years of active research and travels across continents interviewing a range of scholars, healers and medicine-people, including Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa. Those interested in learning more about the Knowledge systems and its practices can also opt for the Home-Study course instead, that includes our first documentary Esoteric African Knowledge and the 2016 published book, Spirit is Eternal, that learning package can be found here.
Editors note: The term ‘Bushman’ is a direct quote from the book and not a word that we at Ancestral voices use as it is deemed offensive by many.
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5 Comments
Oldest
2 years ago
Very interesting information about UMBILINI.
2 years ago
This article was very informative, great read!
2 years ago
I absolutely HAVE to check these books out. Great info!
2 years ago
Thank you.
2 years ago
Yes! Very powerful read. I am pleased to gain knowledge on the practice of Umbilini. As an African descendant, this is particularly meaningful to me. I am empowered to know I can connect to this spiritual practice that’s part of my history, my spiritual DNA.