Kundalini Yoga 101

 

Hi. 🙂

I love the quote above by Yogi Bhajan; it states perfectly what Kundalini yoga can do for you in tough times.

I know this well and speak from experience. In my greatest struggles, when I was often crying my eyes out, sitting on my yoga mat with nothing to do but surrender my efforts was when everything flowed.

As of yesterday, I embarked on a new 40-day Kundalini Yoga immersion, focusing on strengthening naval power to access firmer self-confidence, self-belief, and a calm demeanor so I can accomplish anything I set my mind to and transform how I see and think about myself.

The very nature of Kundalini yoga is to awaken your energy, your ability to become intuitive and sensitive, your ability to understand when no words are spoken, and your ability to know the consequences of actions before they occur.

It’s thirty-one minutes of poses, breathwork, and meditation all rolled into one beautiful plan for me- wake up before the sun rises and practice for forty days daily.

No excuse.

In this short article, Kundalini 101, you’ll receive the basics and the benefits; may you leave with a seed planted, insight, and inspiration.

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==>Kundalini Yoga Basics<==

Kundalini yoga is an ancient practice that combines yoga poses, mantras, mudras, meditations, and breathwork. It’s a blend of Bhakti yoga -the yoga of chanting, Raja yoga -the yoga of meditation and physical control, and Shakti yoga -the yoga of the expression of power.

It is difficult to determine the precise date when Kundalini Yoga originated. Still, records show that It was mentioned in the Upanishads, a sacred collection of writings dating back to 1,000 B.C.

It’s called the yoga of awareness -known initially as Laya yoga; the practice was brought to the West in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan, the founder of 3HO Happy, Healthy, Holy Organization.

Kundalini yoga is named from the Sanskrit word Kundal, which means circular. Kundal is thought to represent the creative potential of yourself and aims to gently awaken the kundalini energy, which lies coiled, serpent-like, at the base of your spine.

A Kundalini practice is called a Kriya and includes breath work, physical postures, chanting, meditation, and applying yogic energy locks to help move and open you up to positive shifts in your awareness.

The best way to gain maximum benefits from Kundalini yoga is to practice daily, and when you want to shift something in your life – say a bad habit, committing to a daily forty-day practice is ideal for lasting change.

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==>Kundalini Yoga Benefits<==

1. Nervous System

Kundalini yoga strengthens and tones the nervous system. The stronger your nerves, the more you can act cool, calm, and collected in any situation.

2. Willpower

Kundalini yoga awakens your inner willpower right at your navel point. You build an intense heat in this region, which helps you to process, digest, and take necessary action on things, people, or situations that do you more harm than good.

3. Brain Power

Kundalini yoga quickly clears the foggy cobwebs of your mind. Hence, you feel more alert with focus and concentration, experience better memory, and have the capacity to make easier, clearer decisions.

4. Creativity

You usually act, analyze, and do much more frequently than you feel, visualize, and imagine. Kundalini yoga awakens your inner creativity by releasing your worries and opening up to life’s infinite possibilities.

5. All-Embracing

Kundalini yoga opens the heart center so you remain open and trust that a higher power will provide you with what you need when suitable. You gain peace, acceptance, and understanding and become available to what life offers.

6. Compassionate Communication

In Kundalini yoga, you’ll become forgiving, compassionate, and non-judgmental. Your words can then bless and give gratitude and kindness to those around you – especially when something bothers you; you’ll find the best way to express your truth with gentleness while holding to your boundaries.

7. Awakened Intuition

Kundalini yoga allows you to reach quiet until your thoughts become so still you hear your heart’s longings.

8. Wise Choices

All forms of yoga make you a more conscious human being. With Kundalini yoga, you’ll naturally gravitate towards healthier food options, lifestyle choices, and people you surround yourself with.

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==>In Closing<==

Kundalini yoga brings to your awareness inherited self-limits, old patterns, and habits you’d like to change.

My Kundalini practice is a place of transformation. It’s where the layers of my old stuff are released, and access to the truth of the fullness of who I am as a part of something bigger than myself becomes easier to live by.

I sincerely encourage you to experience Kundalini yoga for yourself; it’ll add significant depth to your physical activity and life. To benefit from Kundalini yoga, give yourself the gift of immersion by committing to a full forty-day kriya practice.

There are several forty-day Kundalini yoga Kriya’s on YouTube; here’s my favorite.

Thanks for reading; I hope it provides a bountiful resource.

Many Blessings

-Shannon