The Proud Gentile wrote:I'm not sure whether this has been discussed before or not, but is there a difference between prana and Kundalini energy or are they synonyms of each other?
I understand that the kundalini resides exclusively within the sushumna nadi along the spine and rises upward from the root chakra. But recently I've been doing outside research and I've seen "gurus" or whatever, say that prana rises up the spine/sushumna nadi. So now I'm confused as to whether they're actually referring to the kundalini or a different kind of energy.
Any short straight forward answers will help, thank you for your time

Prana is another name for life force/energy, bioeletricity, chi, ashe, nyama, etc. The Kundalini is a form of prana. It is ultra life force power. One can experience prana or bioelectricity without stimulating or waking up the kundalini.
Prana and Kundalini are interchangeable in some places but calling the kundalini by its name is how we distinguish it between that and just mere energy flow(prana).
In the Hindu commnunity, many so called gurus say that the kundalini waking up is the same as it rising up to the spine, but it is not. It's just kundalini awakening.
It can be synonomous but it's important to specify for some people. Kundalini is a form of prana energy.