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Kundalini: The Awakening
of the Self
by Shakta Kaur Khalsa
People who do yoga, or have at least some understanding of yoga, are curious about
Kundalini Yoga. In the past, the Kundalini energy has been referred to as "serpent
power" and other exotic-sounding terms, but Kundalini Yoga, as taught by my
teacher, Yogi Bhajan, is much more simple and close to home than you might think.
Kundalini comes from the root word, kundal, in Sanskrit, which means "the lock
of the hair from the beloved." The uncoiling of this "hair" is the
awakening of the Kundalini, the unlimited potential that already exists in every
human.
The easiest way to understand Kundalini is to acknowledge that there is the universal
spirit, sometimes referred to as God. God uncoils him/her/itself. This uncoiling
process is known as Kundalini. What is uncoiling and awakening is you, nothing more
and nothing less. It is a normal capacity that most people simply are not utilizing.
Yoga is the science of the self, and Kundalini is the awakening of the self. It is
that simple.
A unique and distinctive yoga form that encompasses elements that are found in all
other forms of yoga, Kundalini yoga is sometimes called the "mother yoga."
Here are a few of the ways that Kundalini yoga shares paths with other traditions
of yoga.
--Links movement with rhythmic breathing patterns.
-- Has an introspective quality of listening to the body and releasing emotions,
as well as drawing on inspiration, such as holding a pose with fearlessness, etc.
-- Incorporates chanting and singing as yogic technology.
-- Is directly focused on moving the energy through the chakras (your body's energy
centers)
-- Encompasses the eight limbs and all seven branches of yoga
-- Includes pranayama (breathing) techniques, and uses the bandhas (body locks).
-- In addition to yoga and meditation, Kundalini Yoga incorporates teachings for
all aspects of life -- for example, vegetarian diet, serving others and yogic life
skills, such as conscious parenting and partnering.
Often people are afraid to try yoga, and no wonder. Yoga magazines and books are
filled with images of rubber-bodied yogis in acrobatic twists, or muscular body-builders
in perfect handstands. Unfortunately this portrayal of yoga scares most folks away,
but fortunately, yoga, and especially Kundalini Yoga, is not really like the "macho
yoga" image. Kundalini Yoga meets you where you are and takes you to your potential.
I always say that if you can breathe and move your body, you can do Kundalini Yoga.
Strong, rhythmic breathing coupled with fluid movements is one of the strong foundations
of Kundalini Yoga.
So what does a Kundalini Yoga class look like? First, we tune in using a centering
technique to call upon our inner guidance. Then we warm-up and stretch out our bodies
using movement and strong breathing. Each Kundalini Yoga class is unique, but each
will contain a yoga "set" of postures and exercises that work on specific
areas of the body, mind and spirit. There are literally hundreds of these yoga sets
to choose from: yoga for your back, your radiance, your mind/heart balance, your
ability to keep up through hard times, in short, for every aspect of you as a human
being.
After the yoga set, a Kundalini Yoga class will culminate with a deep relaxation,
supported and uplifted by divine music, and often times, the sound of the gong. After
the restful period, most Kundalini Yoga classes end with breath or mantra meditation
-- the icing on the cake, so to speak!
Here are a couple easy exercises that bring flexibility to your spine and rejuvenate
your brain:
--Lower spine flex: Start by sitting on the floor with the legs crossed and tucked
in. Straighten the spine by pressing the chest slightly forward and lifting the ribcage.
Relax the shoulders and slightly tuck the chin. This is called "easy" pose.
Now take hold of the outside ankle with your two hands. Inhale and flex the spine
forward, chest out and shoulders back. Exhale and slump the body. The shoulders curve
forward, the chest caves in, and the spine is rounded. Continue in a rhythmic forward
and backward manner. Focus on rocking the pelvis forward and back, as well as moving
the mid and upper spine. Feel each vertebra of the spine curl and uncurl. As you
continue, pick up the pace. Go for one to two minutes. Then inhale deeply, holding
the breath. Exhale and relax the breath and hold the pose. In this exercise, you
are loosening the vertebrae of the lower spine, and stimulating the energy there.
-- Twists: Still sitting in easy pose, bring your hands up to the shoulders with
the fingers in the front and the thumbs in the back. Straighten the spine and begin
twisting side to side as far as you can in each direction. Keep the upper arms parallel
to the ground as you swing freely from side to side. Inhale to the left and exhale
to the right. Breathe rhythmically and powerfully for one to two minutes. The entire
spine is loosened and adjusted.
-- Shoulder rolls: Hands on the knees again. Make sure the spine is straight and
your neck is in line with the spine. Inhale and roll the shoulders forward and up
toward the ears. Imagine you want to touch your ears with your shoulders. Exhale
as you roll your shoulders around to the back and down. Breathe deeply and continue
for one to two minutes. Then inhale deeply, stretch the shoulders up---hold for a
few seconds---and exhale down. Relax and breathe normally for a few seconds. Feel
a warm energy circulating throughout the shoulder and neck area. In this self-massage,
tension in the shoulders is pressurized and then released.
-- Neck rolls: Having worked your way up to the neck, drop your head forward, and
as you inhale begin to rotate the head around to the right. Keep the jaws relaxed,
the mouth slack. The chin will come over the right shoulder as you inhale. The head
will drop back in a smooth, continuous motion. As you exhale, the head will move
over the left shoulder and back to the front. Move meditatively and slowly. Feel
that the weight of your head is taking your neck around in a fluid circle. After
two or three circles, reverse the direction. Inhale to the left; exhale as the head
comes around to the right. Continue for two or three circles then inhale and bring
the head to the front. Exhale and relax. Energy has been stimulated and circulated
in the spine upward to the neck area. This exercise releases the tension in the neck,
allowing the energy to flow into the head.
Shakta Kaur of the Radiant Child Program in Chicago will be a guest instructor
of a workshop, "Kundalini Yoga for Eliminating Tension and Pain," from
6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at the Center for Happiness, 2645 SE 4th St., Minneapolis.
The workshop will teach participants about the release of body tension and mental
pain using strong physical movement and deep breathwork. In the process, there is
an opportunity to experience deep peace and sublime meditation. The cost is $20.
Directed by Helena Raghubir Eyre, the Center for Happiness has been serving the community
through innovative programming, unique guest teachers, and outreach/volunteering
since 2003. The center offers Kundalini Yoga, Meditative Healing Treatments, teacher
training, workshops, and pregnancy/postnatal specialty classes. For more information
and a schedule of classes, call (651) 649-4510, visit www.centerforhappiness.com
or e-mail info@centerforhappiness.com.
Shakta Kaur Khalsa has been a yoga teacher for more than 30 years. She is a certified
Kundalini Yoga instructor and teacher trainer and a RYT-500, an AMS Montessori teacher
and director of the Radiant Child Yoga Program, a training program for teaching children
yoga. See her websites: www.childrensyoga.com and www.shaktakhalsa.com. Additionally,
Shakta has authored several books: Fly Like A Butterfly: Yoga For Children, The Five
Fingered Family, Kundalini Yoga, and Keep It Simple Series (KISS) Guide to Yoga,
and most recently, Yoga for Women.
Copyright © 2005 Shakta Kaur Khalsa. All rights reserved. |
March 2005 |
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