The System of the Kundalini

In the subtle body there is the main conduit of Kundalini, called sushumna nadi, which is located similiarly where the spinal cord is to the physical body.  It is the major channel the creative energy of consciousness flows through as it manifest the universe and personal experiences.  It is also a storehouse of all karmas.  Patterns of thinking, feeling, acting, relating, and creating are built up over lifetimes and reproduced again and again.
To become liberated or enlightened requires becoming free of those samskaras.  The Kundalini moves through the sushumna nadi "erasing" the impressions stored there and releasing the energy bound up in them.  This purification process then releases us from the patterns in our lives created by those impressions.
She also opens up states of consciousness that give us access to what some call God-consciousness.  In order for the state of unity consciousness to become stable and fully manifest in the individual's mind, body, and actions, the nadi and all the lesser nadis must be purified.

Reference~Kundalini Rising Exploring the Energy of Awakening