‘Your mind is your servant, your body is your vehicle and your soul is your residence.’

—Yogi Bhajan

The yoga of awareness

I found Kundalini Yoga by accident in a gym class and knew instantly that this was something different, something sacred, ancient and very special. As with most things in life the best way to explain something is to show it, to understand it you need to do it. It’s experiential, there are over a million Kriyas (from the Sanskrit, meaning completed action) so each one has a different focus.

Over the last 5,000 years Yoga has developed into the classes we see today and Kundalini is ancient, it was initially spread through the oral tradition, however one of the earliest mentions of Kundalini Yoga is in the Upanishads (1000bc-500bc) where it would seem to indicate that Kundalini Yoga was the science of energy and spiritual philosophy. This was practiced in Vedic society. It was not, however, taught publicly as it was an advanced education for the elite who only after after years of initiation could practice it. That was until Yogi Bhajan bought it to the Western world in 1968. From that time on he taught and trained thousands of teachers throughout the world.

Kundalini is a thrilling mixture of pranayama (breath work), asana (yoga postures), moving asana’s, meditation, savasana (yogic rest), mudras (ancient hand postures), chanting, music, the gong (vibration of sound) and even some dancing. Not each class will have all of these but, will definitely have most of them and all will flow together often accompanied by beautiful uplifting music.

Kundalini Yoga is beneficial for the nervous system, the digestive system and disorders, the glandular system, lowering blood pressure, improving respiratory capabilities and lung capacity, working on the endocrine system, the lymphatic system, the immune system, memory function and clarity (one particular meditation has been proved to help prevent Alzheimer’s) also helping with focus, strength, flexibility and weight loss.

The option is there. You can study the science; the philosophy or you can come and sit on a mat and experience the magic that is Kundalini yoga for yourself.

It’s a game changer.