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What is Kundalini Yoga?

 

 

 

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