Why is the breath so important in Yoga? January 30, 2008

In the orient, it is said that when a child is born, the life span is already pre-determined, pre-measured, pre-ordained and pre-destined – not by years but by the number of breaths allotted. If you breathe slower, you will live longer. You will also live healthier.

The rate and rhythm of the breath are intimately connected to our mental and emotional states. In fact, just as the emotions and the mind cause the breath to vary, by consciously controlling the breath we gain control over the mind and the emotions. By slowing down the breath, we calm the mind and cool down our emotional energy.

-excerpt from “Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power”

Why do we chant mantras? January 28, 2008

The scientific use of sound to affect consciousness is called Mantra Yoga. Next to breathing (necessary for any endeavor), the use of Mantra is the most important aspect of the practice of Kundalini Yoga.

“MAN” means Mind. “TRA” means to tune the vibration (just as one tunes the guitar). Mantra is the sound current which tunes and controls mental vibration. Silence makes you aware of the many experiences of the mind while repeating mantra aloud restructures the patterns in the mind that allow experience.

Chanting mantras either silently or aloud is a conscious method of controlling and directing the mind. Happiness, sorrow, joy and regret are vibratory frequencies in the mind. Call them atttitudes or beliefs but fundamentally they are vibratory frequencies or thought waves. They determine the kind of program our mind plays. What we choose becomes our vibration, defines how we feel and what we project to others. And we have the right and access to choose differently at any time.

So think of yourself as a divine instrument with strings. When you chant, the vibration of the strings causes all thirty trilion cells of your body to resonate, to dance – forming the patterns that shape you physically, emotionally and mentally.

Is Kundalini Yoga associated with a religion? January 27, 2008

No. Kundalini Yoga (and yoga in general) is a technology for health and consciousness that predates religion. It is practiced by people of all faiths. Our teachers represent many paths including Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh, and others. Teachers who visually exemplify a religious path (such as Sikh teachers who wear turbans as part of daily attire) do so because of their personal beliefs.

The technology of Kundalini Yoga is aimed at the spirit that has no boundaries. No matter what, if any, religious path a person follows, Kundalini Yoga helps practitioners experience fully what they believe.

Why do Kundalini Yogi’s cover their head? January 27, 2008

The practical reason for wearing a head covering can be summed up as follows: Your head is a very sensitive part of the body.

1.) The skull is made up of tiny bones that are constantly moving even if only by micromillimeters and the degree to which they move impacts levels of calmness or anxiety. Covering the head provides a sense of containment and focus while practicing yoga or while doing work that requires clarity of thought. It literally helps “keep your head together”.

2.) The forehead consists of porous bone which allows light to pass through it and stimulate the light sensitive pituitary gland. The pituitary is the master gland which regulates all other glands. If it is not stimulated by enough light, a lack of glandular secretion can result including the “feel-goods” dopamine, seratonin and melatonin. Therefore keeping this area of the forehead clear (having the hair up or not wearing bangs) can help with these hormone levels.

Wearing a head covering when you teach or practice enables you to command your sixth center, the Agia Chakra or the third eye point (where we gain access to our intuition). Covering the head stabilizes the cerebral matter and the twenty-six parts of the brain which are interlocked with the neurological system and electromagnetic field. Covering the head creates a focus of the functional circuit of the hemispheres, and tunes the neurological system. Kundalini Yogi’s are taught that the hair is alive and has an energy function. We are training ourselves to be aware of and master our subtle energies and all teachers cover their head and hair with a cotton cloth or wrapped turban. Any natural fiber head covering is functional.

What is Kundalini Yoga? January 25, 2008

Kundalini Yoga is a 5,000 year old system of yoga exercises and meditation that promotes health, happiness and awareness. Combining breathing (pranayam), movement (asana) and sound (mantra), Kundalini Yoga is a safe, comprehensive technology that can be practiced by anyone.

Practicing Kundalini Yoga keeps the body in shape, increases vitality and trains the mind to be strong and flexible in the face of stress and change. It balances the glandular system, strengthens the nervous system and enhances creative potential. Through yogic breathing techniques and meditation, peace of mind can be obtained, giving an experience of deep inner calm and self-confidence.

Kundalini Yoga is more than a system of exercises. With this technology, people have healed themselves of the pain of physical illness, mental pressure, drug and alcohol addictions and more.

The technology of Kundalini Yoga is aimed at the spirit that has no boundaries. Therefore, it is universal and non-denominational. No matter what, if any, religious path a person follows, Kundalini Yoga helps practitioners experience fully what they believe.

“What is Kundalini Yoga? The creative potential of the human.”
-Yogi Bhajan