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What Is Kundalini Yoga? By Lisa Fierer. January 3, Yoga , Style , Kundalini. On Wearing White in Kundalini Class A traditional Kundalini yoga class, if photographed from above, would look like a sea of albino ants swarming a hill. Kundalini Kriyas Practices From a seated position, extend arms overhead and shake your arms, your entire upper body, your head. Like animals in the wild, this type of shaking is how fear, anxiety, and other emotions are moved through and out of the body.
When we have a healthy spine, we have a healthy mind. Shoulder Stand, when done properly, the yogic masters say that 15 minutes of shoulder stand equals 2 hours of sleep. Seated in Rock Pose shins tucked underneath , bring hands to shoulders, elbows out wide and with a tall spine, inhale and turn spine to the left, exhale and turn spine to the right.
This is a great one to do every single day. Deep Squats, with hands at heart you can rollover the yoga mat to slide under your heels if needed , spine long, bend your knees to drop your bottom towards the ground.
Keep your head upright and inhale as you lower down, exhale to come up. Spinal Flexion, from a seated cross-legged position, this is the way your spine would move if you were riding a camel. For maximum health of your spine. This helps open your diaphragm, chest, and shoulders as well. Imagine you have a very bumpy ride.
Or an uncoordinated camel. Read about her upcoming memoir, Thirst, and find her class schedule at her website. Next Article. Signs of a Kundalini Awakening 9 min read. By Rachel Zelaya. December 12, Read Article. Related Articles. Signs of a Kundalini Awakening. Rachel Zelaya 9 min read. Gaia Staff 9 min read. What Is Kundalini Awakening? Lara Hocheiser 9 min read.
Guru Jagat 11 min read. When Did Kundalini Yoga Start? These concepts are even explored in the Bible, the Quran, and by Greek philosophers. Continue Your Journey Kundalini Yoga has a rich, long history, with its theories being explored not just in ancient Hinduism, but through many other spiritual practices around the world.
More On This Topic. Read more. Latest Articles. Yogi Bhajan who was also a Sikh, integrated the teachings of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism who studied and practiced yoga. Because of the intersection between yoga and the lineage of Sikihism through Guru Nanak, many of the meditations in the Kundalini practice come from the Sikh tradition.
For centuries, the practice of Kundalini was only taught from master to student, as students were required to go through years of initiation before they were prepared to receive the spiritual teachings of the Kundalini masters. Now in our modern world, this lineage is believed to exist through what is known as the Golden Link or Golden Chain, a transmission of wisdom and consciousness from masters to students through the subtle body.
The image of a coiling snake imparts the sense of an untapped source of latent energy. The Kundalini practice is designed to activate and release this dormant creative energy located at the base of the spine, and allow it to travel upward, energizing each of the chakras and increasing our consciousness and potential.
Thanks to Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini is now one of the most formalized styles of yoga currently taught throughout the world, with a set structure for each class. All classes begin with the Adi mantra to tune in to the spiritual channel of the Golden Chain and to focus the mind. Through this connection, teachers and practitioners channel the sacred wisdom of the Masters of Kundalini yoga in order to be guided and protected during the practice.
It was direct connection with Brahman, the God-like spirit within us. No religious buffer between man and God was considered necessary. Just practice. Of the many yogas that developed over the past 5, years, Kundalini was considered the most sacred. The exact origin of Kundalini Yoga is unknown, but the earliest known mention dates to the sacred Vedic collection of writings known as the Upanishads c.
Historical records indicate that Kundalini was a science of energy and spiritual philosophy before the physical practice was developed. The word "upanishads" literally translates to "sitting down to hear the teachings of the master. Masters sat down with students and gave oral recitation of spiritual visions. This was a popular practice in ancient Vedic society and would be replicated centuries later by a couple guys named Buddha and Jesus.
Over time, the body science of Kundalini Yoga was developed as a physical expression of the Upanishad visions. From its origin, Kundalini Yoga was not taught publicly. It was treated as an advanced education. Students were required to go through several years of initiation before they were prepared to learn the spirit-body lessons of the Kundalini masters. For thousands of years, the science of Kundalini was kept hidden, passed on in secret from master to a chosen disciple who was considered worthy.
Teaching Kundalini outside the secret society of Indian yoga elite was unheard of. The public was not prepared, it was believed, to access such powerful knowledge.
Kundalini was veiled in secrecy until one morning when a holy Sikh rebel named Yogi Bhajan wrapped a white turban around his head and took a one-way flight from Punjab, India to Toronto, Canada in Without him, it's no stretch to assume that Kundalini Yoga would still be unknown in the United States. While visiting California in the late 's, Yogi Bhajan witnessed the hippie cultural revolution, many of whose principles he recognized from his own Sikh upbringing.
He observed two things. Yogi Bhajan knew that teaching Kundalini Yoga outside the sacred Indian lineage was forbidden. But during a meditation on a weekend trip to Los Angeles in , he had a vision of a new spirituality that combined ancient knowledge with modern practicality.
He awoke from the meditation with inspiration. He would teach Kundalini to the west, proclaiming , "It is everyone's birthright to be healthy, happy, and holy, and the practice of Kundalini Yoga is the way to claim that birthright. He was just getting started. Yogi Bhajan taught over 8, Kundalini Yoga classes. He established the first teacher training program in and personally trained thousands of yogis and future teachers.
Several of his students, including Gurmukh Kaur , went on to launch their own yoga studios, and many Kundalini classes around the world today are taught by yogis who trained directly under him. Yogi Bhajan's influence extends beyond yoga. He wrote a handful of books , established International Peace Prayer Day and worked with several international governments on projects to bring peace and mindfulness to world affairs. Yogi Bhajan believed we each have a responsibility to better society through mindfulness and compassion, and he dedicated his life to making his vision of practical spirituality a reality.
After his death, the U. Congress passed a bipartisan resolution honoring his contributions to the world. To understand the philosophy behind Kundalini Yoga, let's follow the trail to the first historical texts to mention it by name - the Upanishads.
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