Kundalini Yoga 101

Kundalini Yoga is often referred to as the yoga of awareness. It is essentially a technology of energy and energy management. Unlike many forms of yoga, Kundalini Yoga places a large emphasis on the breath and the development of the nervous system. I often refer to it as the yoga for “people who think they can’t do yoga” because the starting position is always the breath. If you can breathe, you can do Kundalini Yoga.

The first known references to Kundalini Yoga date back to the Upanishads, a sacred Vedic collection of writings written between 1,000 B.C. and 500 B.C.

For centuries, Kundalini Yoga was taught in secrecy, available only through a master-disciple relationship. In the late 1960s, a Punjabi master of Kundalini Yoga named Yogi Bhajan began teaching it publicly in the United States, breaking this ancient tradition. Now there are thousands of Kundalini Yoga teachers sharing the practice across the world.

The word “Kundalini” is an ancient Sanskrit word that literally means “coiled snake.” It is also sometimes translated to mean “the curl of the lock of hair of the beloved.” Kundalini energy is a creative energy of consciousness that resides at the base of the spine. Everyone has this energy, but for most people, it stays dormant their entire life. But it can be awakened. One of the goals of Kundalini Yoga is to activate this creative force and to simultaneously prepare your body for its awakening.

Kundalini Yoga has both physical and psychological benefits. Scientific studies report enhanced memory, weight loss, better focus and increased physical flexibility as well as psychological benefits such as lower anxiety, lower depression and decreased anger. Overall energy levels and immunity levels are also reported to increase with the regular practice of Kundalini Yoga. And less scientific but equally important, long time practitioners often report, “Kundalini Yoga has helped me be more ‘me’.”

Kundalini Yoga is a science of angles and triangles. Every angle created with the body has a corresponding energetic effect. For example, lifting the legs 30 degrees affects the navel point. Lifting the arms 60 degrees affects the heart and lungs. Yogically, the body is thought of as a whole, energetic, vibrating, creative entity – a huge complex of energies on many different levels. Kundalini Yoga leverages this energy.

Tuning in
Warm up exercises (optional)
Kriya (I’ve included the Kriya for Elevation here as an example)
Deep Relaxation
Meditation (I’ve included the Meditation to Remove Fear of the Future here as an example)
Closing.