Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: Spyros Kapnias Garudananda


Yoga is a healing system of theory and practice. It is a combination of breathing exercises (pranayama), physical postures (asana), deep relaxation (yoga nidra) and meditation (dyana), practiced for more than 5,000 years.

 

While Yoga evolved as a religious practice in Hinduism, in the Western world has grown as a form of purely physiological, psychological, mental and spiritual practice. Most of the yoga practices in the western yoga have little or nothing to do with Hinduism, but are simply a way of keeping all levels of the human being, fit and healthy and this is only a part of the broad view of yoga. Through the practice of yoga, we become aware of the interconnection between our spiritual, mental, emotional and physical levels. Gradually this awareness leads us to an understanding of the more subtle areas of our existence.

 

Yoga practice prevents specific diseases and maladies by keeping the energy meridians (nadis) open and life energy (prana) flowing. Yoga is considered a mind-body intervention that is used to reduce the health effects of generalized stress.

 

Laboratory tests have proved the yogi’s increased abilities of consciously controlling autonomic or involuntary functions, such as temperature, heartbeat and blood pressure.

 

Yoga acts both as a curative and preventive therapy. According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine systems which directly influences all the other systems and organs of the body.

 

Regular practice of poses (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), deep relaxation (yoga nidra) and meditation, can help such diverse ailments such as: acidity , allergies, Alzheimer disease, anaemia, anger, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, bronchitis, cancer, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, colitis, common cold, constipation, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, eye problems, facial wrinkles, gastro-intestinal disorders, headaches, heartburn, haemorrhoids, hepatitis, high blood pressure, hypertension, immune-deficiency, impotence, menopause, menstrual cramps, migraines, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, nervous tension, obesity, osteoporosis, prostate, enlargement, sciatica, skin problems, sleep apnoea, slipped disk, sterility, stiffness, stress, insomnia, intoxication, thyroid problems, kidney stones, stuttering and stammering, urinary tract disorders for women, vaginal infections and many more…

Benefits for the Physiological Level (Annamaya – Pranamaya Kosha)

 

Increasing flexibility. Cure and prevent Arthritis - The yoga poses (asanas), act upon the various joints of the body, including those joints that we never really use. By practicing yoga poses we can experience a remarkable increase in the flexibility of the joints, ligaments and tendons. Yoga is exercise and relaxation combined and this is the perfect anti-arthritis formula. Yoga’s slow-motion movements and gentle pressures, reach deep into strained joints. Also, the easy stretches in conjunction with deep breathing exercises relieve the tension that binds up the muscles and further tightens the joints.

 

Cure and prevent back pain – Back pain is the most common reason to seek medical attention in the West. Yoga has consistently been used to cure and prevent back pain by enhancing strength and flexibility.

 Massaging to all the internal vital organs of the body – Research has shown that yoga poses are the only form of activity that massages all of the internal glands and organs of the body and this promotes good health and well-being.

 

Complete detoxification – Yoga poses (asanas) helps to gently stretch the muscles and joints allowing the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps to flush the toxins out of the body. This leading to benefits such as delayed in ageing, providing energy and a remarkable zest for life.

 

Excellent toning of the muscles – Yoga practice can stimulate the muscles that have become flaccid and weak.

 

Provide balance in the nervous system – yoga is a great form of mediation in motion and that can balance the nervous system.

 

Reduction of stress – Because yoga practice is a slow and gentle form of exercise combined with breathing exercises, it can relieve body stress.

 

Cure and prevent respiration problems and asthma

Various studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of yoga for patients with respiratory problems. Physicians have found that the practice of asanas in combination with breathing exercises and meditation makes the treatment of asthma more effective. It has also been proved that asthma attacks can usually be prevented by yoga practice, without resorting to drugs. Patients who practice yoga have a better chance of gaining the ability to control their breathing problems. With the help of yogic breathing exercises, it is possible to control an attack of severe shortness of breath without having to seek medical help.

High Blood Pressure (hypertension)

The yoga postures, yogic breathing (pranayama) and the deep relaxation techniques (yoga nidra), which are basic components of yoga, have a major role to play in the treatment or prevention of high blood pressure and reduce the need for high blood pressure medication for people suffering from it.

 

Pain Management

 

Concentration during yoga postures, breathing exercises, deep relaxation techniques and meditation can also help reduce pain. Yoga is believed to reduce pain by helping the brain’s pain centre regulate the gate-controlling mechanism located in the spinal cord and the secretion of natural painkillers in the body.

 

Weight Reduction

Yogic practices that reduce anxiety tend to reduce anxious eating. Regular yoga practice can help in weight management, for the reason that some asanas stimulate sluggish glands, to increase their hormonal secretions. There are specific asanas, such as the shoulder stand (Sarvangasana) or the fish pose (Matsyasana), which are targeted on the thyroid gland. This gland has a great effect on our weight because it affects the body’s metabolism rate. Fat metabolism is also increased, so fat is converted to muscle and energy and we have better muscle tone and a higher vitality level.

Also, the practice of “yogic breath” (yogic deep breathing) increases the oxygen intake to the body cells, including the fat cells. This causes increased oxidation or burning up of fat cells.

 

Benefits for the Psychological Level (Pranamaya – Manomaya Kosha)

 

Self-awareness

Yoga practice increases the self-awareness. The yoga practitioner learns to act instead of reacting. They start to control their feelings and learn to be conscious, living the moment, the Now and not in the past or in the future.

   

Self-confidence

Self-confidence, or low self-confidence, is something, which Yoga seeks to eliminate through the practices. Someone with low self-respect cannot do their work properly or becomes easily tired, irritable and haggard. One who practices yoga starts to believe deeply in themselves and in the incredible potentials, which they have inside. 

Vitality and Change of Mood

Everyone who practices yoga over a period of time, reports a positive effect on both their outer appearance and energy level. Yogic postures with breathing exercises have been seen to result in having an invigorating effect on physical energy and improved mood.

 

Benefits for the Mental Level (Manomaya – Vijnanamaya Kosha)

 

Mental balancing

A common breathing (pranayama) practice in yoga is the “alternative nostrils breathing” (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama). Electroencephalogram (EEG) studies of the electrical impulses of the brain have shown that breathing through one nostril, results in increased activity on the opposite side of the brain. The regular practice of alternative nostrils helps to improve communication between the right and left side of the brain.

 

Benefits for the Spiritual Level (Vijnanamaya – Anandamaya Kosha)

Self-knowledge

Yogic philosophy and practice lead to increased Self-knowledge. This experienced knowledge is merely the spiritual side of yoga practice, which has as a goal to cultivate the “Observer” and increase the knowledge of the nature of the Self.

Knowing the Self, the Observer, which is a genuine kind of knowledge, tends to get lost in the hectic pace of our daily lives and pursuit of desires. The discovering of the Self, inside us, is indeed the most precious spiritual value in our life.



Longevity and Health Now

Guest Author: Dr John Anne


 

Cardio and aerobic exercises are helpful to get the stronger muscles as muscle is a key to increasing your fat burning even you are not exercising. The most common way to get stronger muscles is weight lifting but lifting weight requires joining or going to gym. There are effective way of burning quick weight is cardio and aerobic exercises as these are very helpful.



Cardio & aerobic exercises helps in



Cardio and aerobic exercises are helpful to strengthen the respiratory muscles and it results in smoother and unlabored breathing. These exercises are good for strengthening the cardiovascular muscles and it also improves the hearts pumping efficiency. It tones the muscles of all parts of body that results in improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure. It increases the number of red blood cells in the body, which makes for improved transport of oxygen throughout the body.

If you follow the regular and disciplined aerobics, you can reduce the risks of having cardiovascular diseases. It is also helpful in lowering the risk of having other health problems such as respiratory diseases and osteoporosis.

Most common cardio exercises:



Walking – Walking is considered the most common form of cardio exercise. Walking is a low-impact exercise and it can be done just about anywhere. It is one of a few aerobics exercises that can actually be incorporated into your lifestyle. If you practice 15-30 minute walk around the mall, it makes you lose just as much calories as you would on the treadmill. You can increase your fat loss by increasing the speed of your walks.

Running or Jogging – Another, most accessible & easier cardio exercise is running or jogging. You can do it depending on your physical capacity. Beginners have to try speed walking first before progressing to jogging and then running. Like walking and running, jogging can be done in a lot of places like beach, park, in your neighborhood or at a track. It is a very natural activity for your body and you can easily adapt once you make it a regular exercise.

Aerobic Dance–Throughout the decades, aerobics dance exercises may have changed but it has not faded. People still prefer exercising to a thumping beat & aerobic dances are very effective yet fun ways of keeping the weight off while maintaining a trim and tone body.



Instant Skin Tightener

Guest Author: Alien


Yoga Poses for Aging



According to yoga, an individual’s age can be identified with the flexibility of the spine, not through number of years. Yoga poses for aging process can help you in preventing body’s degeneration from misuse and abuse by spending your adult years working extremely, eating food with too much calories, and sitting before the television all the time.

When your body doesn’t get any exercise then ultimately it will collapse, as it is a living machine and needs to be taken care just as any other mechanical machine. You need to offer a regular maintenance to your body just as you do any other mechanical machines.

Yoga Poses Are Powerful In Preventing the Aging Process

Yoga poses for aging is great in preserving your age and maintaining your body. Yoga poses for aging slows down the aging process by providing suppleness to the abdominal muscles, flexibility to the spine, eliminating tensions from the body, firming up the skin, correcting poor posture, eradicating the possibility of a double chin and many more.

Keeping your spine healthy is very important in maintaining yourself active for the whole life. Stretching and breathing exercises helps you in remaining agile and flexible and if you believe that you are too old to practice yoga then you’re wrong.

However, there are books, websites, and local yoga classes for you to enhance your body and to start on a new healthy lifestyle. Yoga poses for aging is dynamite in making you feel younger with heightened mental ability. Longer lives often come from regularly following yoga techniques as a way for maintaining a healthy life.

When you remove all habits that degenerate as well as the external dangers and internal diseases then you can naturally live longer. Yoga poses for aging influences all the significant determinants of a long life: the brain, glands, spine and internal organs. Increases the resistance power, thus providing a healthy strong body with increased immunity against disease.

It is most important to identify when you droop and limit your breathing capacity. Slouching can negotiate the basic need for your health, oxygen. In your body, each and every cell will be affected due to lack of oxygen and slowly they begin to die if they do not get the oxygen that they need. This is the origin for “aging” process.

People who make use of yoga poses for aging appear so much younger and more active than others who don’t. Practicing yoga techniques such as breathing exercises can open your lungs and increase their ability and can feed all those cells that are greatly looking for the oxygen they need. Yoga poses for aging also reduces the wrinkles and produces a natural ‘face-lift’. This is mainly due to the inverted postures.

Regular 10-minute exercises can help reinforce your back, stretch out your lung capacity and must become a regular part of your yoga routine. Pose that includes backbends can, be a part of this yoga routine after practicing, can tone your spinal column and some poses can even help strengthen your arms, wrists, and legs.

A good back bend poses will gently massage your kidneys, and lubricate those aching joints. When your back feels better, you feel younger, have more energy, and lift sagging spirits.

Yoga poses for aging Practice Is Very Effective For Over 50s

Many people who are just starting yoga poses for aging are over 50. Yoga poses for aging process can even practiced using supports such as chairs, straps and other implements that help them to do the yoga exercises.

The secret behind starting yoga over50 is to start slowly after consulting with your physician and always remember to warm up before starting work your yoga asanas. Also make sure that you are performing asanas in the correct form. It is better to discontinue immediately whenever you feel that the posture is incorrect or uncomfortable for you.

So, when anything hurts you then stop doing it. Remember to ask your yoga instructors, if you have any doubts bet never force yourself to practice the pose. Therefore, yoga poses for aging is a powerful tool against the physical effects and health concerns of aging.

If you have avoided exercise throughout your life and would like to have the benefits of flexibility, then it is not too late to begin. People performing yoga practices in its purest form feel it as much more than just a form of exercise. It is considered to be a holistic experience, which refresh the mind, body and spirit.

Recent studies illustrates that people who started practicing yoga poses for aging late in their life have slowed their aging process and reported that they feel better than they ever have. Remember, although you are not practicing your yoga routine try to avoid slouching, stand or sit straight, make it a point to stretch frequently and breathe.



Health and Vitality Now

Guest Author: ATrujillo


Yoga is a philosophy of life as well as a system of exercises that encourages the union of mind, body, and spirit. Yoga dates back as far as 4000 BC, and was developed first in India. It is a classical science and philosophy that was developed by the Indian sage Patanjali. Yoga comes from the original Sanskrit word, ‘joga,’ which means ‘to join. It has been around for a long time, yet its teachings are still applicable today. Yoga is geared towards self-development and is an important element in personal growth. It is an ancient set of teachings and practices, yet it is truly very simple to do.

   In the past decade, the yoga craze has been sweeping the western world. Yoga as it is practiced in the West is often simply the asanas, or yoga postures. These postures are named after mammals, fish or reptiles. Poses range from the easier corpse pose, which involves lying on the floor while completely relaxed, to the most difficult poses that take years of practice to master. Hatha yoga, the style most commonly taught in the West, includes stretching and breathing exercises, poses, meditation or relaxation techniques. Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. It is a system of techniques that can be used for: learning to relax, managing stress and increasing limberness all the way to becoming more self-aware. Yoga is all about going back to nature, back to the basics. It is a way of maintaining a balanced attitude in your day-to-day life. Yoga, has precise movements that draw your focus away from your busy day and more on the calming moments as you move your body through poses that require balance and concentration. It is a program that involves stretching, movements, controlled breathing and relaxation exercises.

   Yoga is more than a set of exercises to increase flexibility, however. Yoga can help you meditate, reduce stress, and even build strength. It is said to be a complete medical science and an enlightening spiritual art. Yoga is more than mastering postures and increasing your flexibility and strength. It has also been found to be helpful in the treatment of depression and anxiety which often accompanies pain problems. Yoga poses are also useful in curing disorders such as eating, bipolar disorders, asthma, seizures, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels and is said to also encourage weight loss. It has been known to balance hormones and the endocrine system. It can also be helpful when combined with other treatments for heart disease and high blood pressure. Yoga is often used for helping to rehabilitate  people who want to improve and increase back strength after spinal injury.  It can strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and help you sleep better. Yoga, when combined with a vegetarian diet, aerobic exercise and medication has reduced cardiovascular disease and blood pressure levels. Yoga is an effective method to reduce anxiety. It’s controlled breathing exercises has become a popular means of stress management and teaches that by controlling your breathing you can gain control over your body and mind. Yoga also helps build stamina and strength which can help you cope better with the physical aspects of stress. Yoga is also a good tool for relaxation. Yoga slows down the aging process by giving elasticity to the spine, firming the skin, removing tension from the body, strengthening the abdominal muscles, improving the tone of muscles, and correcting poor posture.Yoga produces a healthy strong body with increased immunity against disease. It not only cures diseases and improves physical health but also changes mind sets.  Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise, it relaxes the mind and exercises the body. It combines breath and movement into one, it also directs oxygen to flow into our muscle tissue which allows for better blood movement throughout our body. 

   Yoga is one of the fastest growing exercises that everyone can do. You can start doing it right away and you do not need to buy anything special or learn a lot to start, there is also no age limitation for practicing yoga. Yoga is perfect for every fitness level. You can take classes to help you understand the concepts of yoga, having someone help you in the beginning is always a great idea, you might think about taking a class. Classes generally start with a series of poses and typically end with a relaxation period to calm the body and clear the mind. Classes are designed to help you build strength and to develop a deep sense of  your body, mind and spirit. Some classes can be modified to fit individual needs and for older adults, can help them stay steady on their feet and avoid falls. Yoga teachers are not certified, so make sure you go to a reputable studio. Yoga, overall, is generally considered very safe. Yoga is a gentle way to heighten your awareness, empower the body and invigorate the soul.

Guest Author: Steve Evans


Children is a wonderful antidote to the hectic lives that our children lead. Yoga can be relaxing, stimulating, and promotes well being. It provides closely controlled exercise and is enormous fun for children at the same time.

A number of Yoga for Children programmes have been created by Yoga teachers to introduce the benefits of yoga and relaxation at an early age in a playful, simple and fun way. The combination of special yoga moves, breathing exercises and relaxations will energize, strengthen, loosen and balance little bodies, while helping to calm and control and relax little minds.

Kids yoga is a wonderful opportunity for the child to learn life skills that can be implemented into their daily routine. Whether it\’s breathing and relaxation techniques that will help them, focus, concentrate or be calm; or postures that will help their endurance, flexibility, balance and coordination these are all very naturally a strong part of yoga.

Yoga for children is most successful if the children are encouraged to use their imagination. A dynamic, creative and stimulating approach grabs the children\’s attention.

Yoga for children is practiced in the United Kingdom. It is not new to Britain, with after-school clubs and classes gaining popularity in recent years as parents realize its wide-ranging benefits. What is new to the UK, however, is the method of Research on Yoga in Education (RYE), an international non-profit making organization which blends the standard school curriculum with exercises on concentration, attention and relaxation, drawn mainly from traditional yoga.

What is also claimed is that Yoga for children gives the benefit that the children may be protected from injuries and at the same time they get all the benefits of exercising the system. This is not to suggest that the other exercise including outdoor forms of exercises and sports and games are not beneficial.

Parents have expressed appreciation for the presentation of yoga in a playful manner with its presentation of actively moving exercises balanced with those that require stillness and inner concentration, all in a child-friendly way. Parents may be practicing yoga themselves, and kids are always interested in what their parents are up to.

When assessing yoga trainers for children, parents should also inquire as to the spiritual nature of the classes; some instructors take a strong religious stance, while others offer no particular religious slant, instead focusing simply on the movements and breathing.

In the best classes the kids learn balance with dozens of yoga poses, develop strength, improve coordination and enhance their flexibility all with these children\’s yoga exercises. Furthermore, kids develop an overall sense of strength, flexibility and well-being, while they get hold of their active lives and sometimes overactive minds. Kids get to prowl, growl and wiggle through yoga animal poses from Alligator to Zebra! Certified children\’s yoga instructors will introduce stretching, breathing, standing poses and simple meditation.

Kids yoga provides an answer to children who we might described as being are little bit harder to reach, although we stand firm with our belief that every child has an angel deep down inside them.

We have said that children’s Yoga allows a child to deal with daily stress. What do we mean by that?

The answer is that each time a child enters a Yoga class for kids, he or she can “close the door” on negative feelings that stress overload brings. They can simply put that behind them throughout the lesson and afterward doing that tend to take a more mature perspective. Kids need a way to manage all of their stress and anxiety. It is not healthy for a child to feel so much anxiety over any given situation.

There you have it! Kids and yoga seem like a natural match. It can be immensely therapeutic for those who need it.

However, yoga can be presented well and insensitively. The best trainers recognize that kids need a practice that suits their physical and emotional needs. Luckily, many yoga schools across the nation are responding to the growing interest in yoga for the younger set in a very well managed and sensitive way.

It is a fact that to provide kids yoga a specialized training might be needed, and is in some places being made available, but patience is a key quality needed for Yoga instructors who want to embark on this path. I teach children myself, and a Kids Yoga class has to be well devised, be fun, and include games.

So, we hope that we have shown you how yoga is such a great way to relax and de-stress equally for the child and the adult.

However, did you know that there are even now some yoga practitioners who are providing training to parents in yoga from soon after birth?

By using yoga with babies, parents confidence grows in handling, playing and having fun with their babies. The classes are fun class in a system which also offers gentle post-natal yoga and tummy toning exercises for mummy!

The Real Youth Potion

Guest Author: Siri Datta


What is Kundalini Yoga?

Taken from the book Open your heart with Kundalini Yoga, by Siri Datta

Throughout the ages, in every civilization, there has been a hidden pathway, a secret technology of discovery, which enables the individual to reach the ultimate potential. This is a technique that has the ability to elevate, inspire and awaken the individual to their own greatness. That greatness is within every one of us, and the technology that can do this is Kundalini Yoga.

As an enthusiastic teacher of Kundalini Yoga, I am always asked ‘What is it? Is it like Hatha Yoga, or Ashtanga Yoga? Is it dynamic or static? Are there meditation or breathing techniques?’ My answer is always the same: it is all of those things, and a multitude more.

Yogi Bhajan, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, now living in New Mexico, has explained that there are 22 major forms of yoga, each one expressing a facet of the whole. A good way of understanding this is that each different form of yoga is like the facet of a diamond. The diamond herself is Kundalini Yoga, the mother of all yogas.

Kundalini Yoga is the most inclusive of all yoga practices as it includes all aspects of yoga within its teachings. In this practice there are over 8.4 million kriyas (completed sequences, or sets). These kriyas are made up of asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), mantra (chanting), mudras (hand gestures), bandhs (body locks) and meditation.

The kriyas are a blend of dynamic and static postures that deliver a perfect sequence of energy, tones and feelings played upon the instrument of the body. In the ancient scriptures it is said that Kundalini Yoga is the fastest way to create the transformation that the individual is seeking. There is a certain depth, completeness and timelessness that is inherent in Kundalini Yoga.

Kundalini Yoga is a legacy. It has been practised as an exact science by masters in communication with Infinity, coming directly from the Soul. It is a practice that has been experienced and handed down through enlightened souls for many thousands of years. It is said that Christ, Buddha and Moses practised Kundalini Yoga.

In ancient times it was often taught and passed down through the line of kings. These Kundalini Yoga masters did not specifically or personally pass on the knowledge. Rather it is thought that the teachings were handed down via an authentic lineage of Raj (Royal) Yogis. Kundalini Yoga knowledge was transmitted through meditation and altered states. It was this practice that was kept within the bloodline of royalty. We understand that the very first transmission of Kundalini Yoga was passed to the Hindu god Shiva, who in turn passed the knowledge to his consort Parvarti. From the Bhagavadgita we can understand that Lord Krishna was a keeper of the teachings, which were then passed to King Janaka, who was an early Raj Yogi and master of Kundalini Yoga. This was passed on through that lineage to Guru Ram Das, a Guru of the Sikhs, via the subtle realms. Guru Ram Das was bestowed the High Throne of Raj Yoga, known as the Takhat.  The word takhat literally means ‘high throne’ and is not specific to any exclusive form of yoga; there are many other takhats. This meant that he had to pass the technology on with his blessing to anyone who came along. It was through Guru Ram Das that the teachings were passed on to Yogi Bhajan. In 1969 Yogi Bhajan took Kundalini Yoga to the United States, against the wishes of his peers. Until then, it had always been highly secret and was never practised in public.

Since Kundalini Yoga has become so popular in the United States the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) has been developed. This was founded to verify, promote, produce and preserve the teachings of Yogi Bhajan, exactly as they had been passed down.

There is much confusion surrounding kundalini and Kundalini Yoga. Some experts say that it is the most potent and powerful way to change consciousness, while others warn against practising it, or veil the entire teaching in secrecy. Yet how can something as essential to consciousness as kundalini be feared? Some people worry about raising the kundalini energy, but teachings from Yogi Bhajan have dispelled many misrepresentations and myths surrounding kundalini and his explicit teachings have given researchers techniques that can be thoroughly tested out. Kundalini Yoga is also known as the ‘yoga of awareness’. Awareness leads to understanding and understanding gives way to acceptance. When you can accept yourself, all your limitations fade away. All your fears, insecurities, and self-belittlement cease to be. In its place are abundance, hope and the wisdom of your true worth. Kundalini Yoga is so much more than a set of physical exercises. If genuinely practised, with respect and reverence, it will change your life.

There is only one way that you can practise Kundalini Yoga. It is very specific, clearly laid out and it is practised as it was given, with no alterations. Its path can take you to many places, whether you wish to achieve enlightenment or to release parts of yourself that are out of date and do not reflect the person you wish to be. Kundalini Yoga can also offer an approach for those who have only limited time to devote to this practice, but who also deserve the rewards of this priceless gift. The practice is easily understood and accessible for complete beginners to yoga who have decided that they need a tool to help them balance out everyday pressures. This is the yoga for modern humankind. This practice is for our present-day dilemma: to feel whole and complete while maintaining our day-to-day responsibilities. Kundalini Yoga is a sacred technology that is greatly needed at the present time. It is direct, powerful and simple.

It is important to understand that Kundalini Yoga is concerned with preparing the body for the kundalini energy to rise up through the Sushmana (the energetic spinal column). The scientific aspect of Kundalini Yoga is designed to provide you with the experience of your highest consciousness through the raising of your kundalini. Kundalini is your latent spiritual potential. Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, this psychic nerve centre is awakened; its revelation is the release of your true potential. For this energy to awaken safely, body and mind need to be strong and able to deal with this very powerful change in consciousness. The practice of Kundalini Yoga is the powerful cleansing of the whole being. Not only do the body and mind need to be cleansed but also the energetic aspects of ourselves. The chakras (energy centres) and meridians (energy pathways) need to be unblocked and activated to allow this new influx of dynamic energy to flow freely throughout the whole being.

Kundalini and chakra work are closely linked. The kundalini energy can be depicted as a serpent, coiled in three and a half turns, sleeping in the Muladhara (Base, or Root, Chakra), the densest of all the chakras. But please note that Yogi Bhajan does not support the concept of kundalini as the coiled serpent, but rather as the blueprint for the full potential of humankind. Kundalini is known as the spiritual nerve, seated in the base of the spine, waiting to be awakened. With the practice of Kundalini Yoga this nerve can be stimulated and start to become activated as it breaks through the blockage at the Muladhara, travelling upwards through the Sushmana and piercing every chakra along the way, until it reaches the Crown, where full enlightenment is attained.

You do not have to charge in with the intention of raising the kundalini to full enlightenment, although this is the goal of all forms of yoga. There is a more acceptable, more gentle, way of introducing you to the sheer potential that is within you, and showing you how this potential can be released. This method is to gently rouse or stir the kundalini energy in the Ida and Pingala channels, which interweave around the Sushmana, every time you embark on a kundalini kriya. The general pattern of a kundalini kriya is to awaken and build up the Pranic energy. This is then guided to the relevant area that you wish to work on. For example, if your digestive system needs working on, a set to help with decision-making or an emotional state that is upsetting you might be helpful. By directing the energy to a particular chakra, organ, or issue in your life, this blockage will be dissolved and once again you will be back in balance. The negative effects will harm you no more.

There are over 8.4 million kriyas, all designed to deal with the day-to-day challenges we face. There are kriyas for physical issues, such as the digestion, circulation, immune system (disease resistance), lower back problems, glandular malfunctions, menopause and sexuality problems. There are also kriyas for the mind, to clear confusion, addictions, haunting thoughts and creative blocks. Additionally, there are kriyas to balance the emotions, to bring about feelings of ecstasy, to dispel fear and paranoia, to bring about stillness and to attain the empowering ability to accept and forgive all aspects of your life.

Meditation is also a very important part of the practice. This allows the body and mind to process the journey of the kriya. The energy has travelled along a certain pathway, awakening, dispelling and moving your energetic bodies. The meditation process is a lesson in inner awareness. Sometimes the meditation will have a breathing technique to enable the mind to quieten as you turn inwards into the realm of feelings and emotions. When this happens you will be able to observe your thoughts as they come and go. This is the start of the practice known as ‘becoming the watcher’. It is through this method that you become master of the mind.

At other times there will be a mantra to accompany the meditation. A mantra is always equipped with a coded sonic vibration that cuts through the psyche and starts to balance out areas within that need attention. When there is a mantra, you may find yourself immersed in the sound. This is the most powerful part of Kundalini Yoga. The word mantra breaks down into man, which means ‘mind’ and tra, which is ‘to vibrate’. Therefore, mantra means ‘to vibrate the mind’. This miraculous technique shifts many character traits and behavioural patterns that keep us suffering. In the chapter on Mantra (see page 51), I will explain exactly how this sonic science works.

I would like to close this section by saying that you can never predict a kundalini class. It is always full of surprises, since many changes will be going on in all the various people present. There have been times in my classes when there have been outbursts of laughter, which is always good fun and I actively encourage it. Yoga is usually synonymous with seriousness, quiet and solemnity, but this is not always the case. Laughter is common in my classes. It is, after all, an explosion of happiness. This usually happens when a painful emotion or memory has been released. It is also common to find yourself so immersed in the kriya and the breathing that you surface to find tears falling down your cheeks. You may not actually be crying, but tears are falling silently. This is always a very powerful realization of the many changes that are taking place within you.

When you experience this, you will find that harmony and balance are restored to you, and you will feel within an endless supply of energy and happiness. When you experience this, even for a few brief moments, your life will not be the same again. The inner light is now switched on, shining through you, and others will not fail to be drawn towards you. You will become a beacon for humankind, a touchstone for the truth, and the living reality of who we really are.

To everyone who embarks on the path of kundalini, I wish you the greatest journey. May your path show you the many examples of Divinity that are around you at any given moment. May you realize the ultimate truth: that only Love can set you free. Be free, my friend, as it is your birthright.

Be Grateful, BE GREAT and BE FULL Yogi Bhajan



Read more from Siridatta here