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What is Kundalini Yoga
Yoga” generally translated means integration or union, with most experts agreeing that the union is that of the soul with the Cosmos or a Supreme Being. Kundalini means awareness. Kundalini Yoga is total union of awareness.
Kundalini , known as the seat of all knowledge, is one of the few yoga practices, which lifestyle-based principals are practical and easily incorporated into everyday life, regardless of whatever other principals within which you may otherwise operate.
"Kundalini yoga classes are a dynamic blend of postures, breathing, mantra, music and meditation, which teach you the art of relaxation, self-healing and life transformation. Balancing body and mind enables you to experience the clarity and beauty of your soul or inner strength. No previous experience in yoga is required for you to achieve results with your very first class.
Kundalini Yoga focuses a lot on Chakras. Men of great knowledge actually found out about the chakras – their workings, their petals, their sounds, their infinity, their co-relationship, their powers. They found that the life of a human is totally based on these chakras. This total science gave birth to Kundalini Yoga."
To heal, uplift & inspire!
Kundalini Yoga can help to balance the energy systems in the body, including the brain, the glandular and nervous systems. Supporting our systems at a consistently higher level, without exhausting your mind and body. When the body and mind are at ease, inspiration flows freely and peace of mind is realized. Which in tune enables us to harness the energy of the mind and the emotions, so we can be in control of ourselves, rather than being controlled by our thoughts and feelings.
4. What is yoga?
Yoga is a tradition and a science with roots in ancient India that has evolved over centuries to embrace the wisdom of many places and times. Although it means something different to each person, it is rooted in oneness or returning to the Source. Throughout history, it has been split into various 'schools' focusing on different aspects of yoga. Each branch is of the same tree, the tree of the Self. Yoga means union.
The physical exercise part of Kundalini Yoga is just one aspect of this Yoga of Awareness. Among the many outrageous quotes from Yogi Bhajan is, "If flexibility of the body is the only yoga, then clowns in the circus are the best yogis." Important as the physical body is, and as desirable as flexibility is, there is much more to be gained from yoga, there is your entire happiness and success in life.
The Science of Kundalini Yoga
For thousands of years this yogic knowledge was carefully handed down by oral tradition from Master to disciple. The Master spoke, the student memorized and practiced. Eventually a portion of this vast body of knowledge leading to enlightenment, or self-mastery, was written down. Some of these sacred teachings can be found in ancient Vedic texts 1 .
There's a yogic art and science to all aspects of human life. There's a yogic way to get up in the morning; there's a yogic way to go to sleep at night. A way to eat, and a way to breathe! Virtually every aspect of human existence has an enlightened, efficient, and effective way to do it. This legacy of technical and spiritual knowledge that Yogi Bhajan studied and mastered in India is the gift he brought to the West.
The Goal
Why come to a Kundalini Yoga class? It is in this class that one may be able to experience inner change and greatness. This change may appear in our bodies, our breath or our emotions. You can also learn methods by which you can achieve your own inner greatness in your life.
The technology of Kundalini Yoga applies its technologies to our bodies and minds, and aimed at our inner being which has no boundaries, no discrimination. Therefore it is for everyone. It is universal and nondenominational.
Why practice Kundalini Yoga?
People decide to practice Kundalini Yoga for many reasons. Maybe your friend, a family member, your partner, your psychologist, physician, or next-door neighbor recommended it to help you relax, cope with stress, and find peace of mind. Or, perhaps you're simply curious. It doesn't matter what your reason to start just start! "DOING IS BELIEVING."
Kundalini Yoga is much more than just a system of physical exercises. It is a dynamic, powerful tool for expanding awareness. Approach it with respect, with reverence, and with openness.
Who is Yogi Bhajan
Kundalini Yoga was always kept very secret. It was never taught publicly until 1969, when Yogi Bhajan challenged the ages-old tradition of secrecy.
He spent many years in India learning, mastering and perfecting the habits and practices of Kundalini Yoga. It sometimes took months of waiting patiently and being tested in many ways before a Teacher would reveal anything at all to him.
Until fairly recently, Kundalini Yoga was the exclusive and secretive domain of yogis in the far-off Himalayas and India .
In 1968, Yogi Bhajan came to the West and he first reached out to the youth of America who he understood to be seeking an “altered state of consciousness” as a result of a generational spiritual malaise. Kundalini filled a spiritual void and provided the added advantage of physical well-being and heightened mental awareness. In 1970, he founded the Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization (3HO) to spread and to serve these teachings. (check it out www.3ho.org for more info)
Nowadays, through the teachings of Yogi Bhajan and the other teachers of the 3HO Foundation, Kundalini Yoga is practice by tens of thousands of people in 31 countries, making 3HO the largest yoga teaching organization in the world.
"Kundalini Yoga teaches you the techniques and awareness to stay healthy.
You gain strong immune, glandular and nervous systems. This foundation gives you
energy and lets you deal with the mental and spiritual facets of your life."
-Yogi Bhajan
Questions Answered
1. Is Yoga a Religion?
Kundalini Yoga is not a religion. Kundalini Yoga is a Sacred Science. It is sacred because it deals with the GOD ( or spirit) in you. It is scientific because it provides a technology, a method by which anyone who practices it can experience that divine identity within. The way you choose to worship that God is your religion.
Long Term Gain / Short Term Gain
As you work toward achieving the goal of "Yoga" or liberation, you become more capable, more confident and more efficient in whatever you're doing in your external life. Simultaneously, you become progressively more aware of yourself on all levels. It's a win/win situation!
How does Sikhism and Kundalini fit?
Yogi Bhajan was a Sikh and also a Kundalini Yoga Master. When he started to teach Kundalini Yoga in the late 60's people started to ask questions about his way of dressing, turban, and life style. Many people were and are still inspired by the knowledge or Sikhism and in tune became Sikhs.
The word Sikh means disciple. Sikhism, the youngest of the world religions, is barely five hundred years old, yet today it is the 5th largest of all practiced religions with 23 million practitioners, worldwide. Sikhs believe that there is only one God, but that God has infinite qualities and names; and that God is the same for all religions. God is the Creator and Sustainer – All that you see around you is God's creation. God is everywhere, and in everything: God has and will exist forever. God is aligned with no religion, and respects all religions. God and many paths, and the Name of God is Truth.
For more information on Sikhs and the Sikh philosophy, check out the following links: www.sikhdharma.com and www.sikhnet.net
Getting Started
As a beginning student, you can participate in the class at a pace that suits your flexibility and endurance. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, preferably made of cotton or other natural, breathable fiber. It is best to remove your socks to stimulate the vital nerve endings in the soles of your feet.
If you allow at least two hours between eating and practicing yoga, you will gain the maximum benefits. It is also easier to exercise on an empty stomach. If you must eat, have something light to tide you over.
Advise the teacher beforehand if you have any physical limitations or are pregnant. If you are pregnant or menstruating, do not push yourself. Avoid exercises and inverted postures that position the legs over the head or put great stress on the abdomen. Instead of breath of fire, practice long deep breathing.
A blanket or shawl may have many useful applications. You can sit on it, cover your body with it during deep relaxations, and use it to cover your back and shoulders during meditation.
Tuning In
Since Kundalini Yoga is a powerful, life-altering science, we begin each class with an exercise of attunement, using the mantra Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo . This is similar to chanting OM in other styles of yoga.
By chanting Ong Namo , we honor the universal energy of change and embrace its role in our life. Ong means Creator and Namo means I bow . By chanting Guru Dev Namo , we honor our highest spiritual authority, our consciousness. Since change without inner guidance is pointless, with the help of our inner Guru Dev we can accomplish a great deal that otherwise might not be possible.
Posture (Asana)
Kundalini Yoga is called the yoga of angles and triangles. The specific angles that make up each yoga posture put pressure on the glands to secrete. When the body comes out of an asana, the glandular secretions have an opportunity to circulate freely. With practice, the glands, which are the guardians of our health, begin to function better, relieved of needless stress and better attuned to the real needs of body, mind and spirit.
Breathing (Pranayam)
Exercising the breath is a fundamental part of yogic practice. The lungs are our largest organs, but most people only use 30 percent of their lungs. Long, deep breathing helps to build our lung capacity and thus our patience and endurance. Breathing through the nose has a calming effect compared with mouth breathing, which stimulates the secretion of stress-producing chemicals in the body. Breath of fire is a rapid, abdominal breath that releases toxins from the body and expands the capacity of the lungs.
Locks (Bandhas)
The use of locks, created by tensing certain muscles, serves as a powerful way for you to concentrate and direct the flow of your body ' s vital energy to your higher centers. The four locks are root lock (mool bandh), diaphragm lock (uddhiyana bandh), neck lock (jalandhar bandh) and the great lock (maha bandh).
Mantras
In both the ancient science of the yoga masters and the theory of quantum physics, vibration is central to all existence. In Mantra Yoga, we create certain sounds that have been shown to have natural, healing attributes. When we chant a mantra, it affects us in three ways. One is through the impact of the its meaning. Another is through the subtle effect of its sounds on the nervous system. Thirdly, subtle meridians, at the roof of the mouth are stimulated, which in turn affects the hypothalamus and the pituitary, the master gland of the body, for greater efficiency and higher awareness.
Hand Postures (Mudras)
According to traditional yogic science, each area of the hand helps control a specific part of the brain. Western anatomical science also shows that the hands and fingers are widely represented in the brain. Yogic theory says that various discrete neurological effects can be attained by, for example, touching the fingertips to the thumb, or crossing certain fingers.
Mental Focus (Dhyan)
Try to stay mindful for the duration of the class. Keep aware of the magic of the breath. Be mindful of the subtle nuances of the exercises you are doing. Be aware of their effect on your physical and mental state. Be mindful of your mind, and try to coax it back to the here and now when you find it wandering by focusing within.
Sadhana
The strengthening, uplifting effects of Kundalini Yoga are most pronounced when it is practiced on a regular, even a daily, basis. Consider setting aside time to invest in your self first thing, or before you sleep at night. You will be glad you did.
The Longtime Sun
Each class comes to a close with a song that affirms our connectedness with each other, the Earth and our highest aspirations. It dates from the early days of Kundalini Yoga classes in 1969.
May the longtime sun shine upon you,
all love surround you,
and the pure light within you
guide your way on,
guide your way on
guide your way on.
Sat Nam
"Kundalini Yoga teaches you the techniques and awareness to stay healthy.
You gain strong immune, glandular and nervous systems. This foundation gives you
energy and lets you deal with the mental and spiritual facets of your life."
-Yogi Bhajan
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