Kundalini Yoga Essentials

“Existence is energy, the movement of energy in so many ways and so many forms. As far as human existence is concerned, this energy is kundalini energy. Kundalini is the focused energy of the human body and human psyche. Energy can exist either manifested or un-manifested. It can remain in the seed, or it can come up in a manifested form. Every energy is either in the seed or in the manifested form. Kundalini means your total potential, your total possibility. But it is a seed; it is the potential. The ways to awaken kundalini are ways to make your potential actual.” —Osho

In preparation for my Kundalini essentials three-class series that starts tomorrow, I have been thinking about my own kundalini yoga practice and how it has helped me on all levels – physical, emotional, and spiritual.  By using this ancient science of yoga over the last decade I have indeed strengthened my body and increased my flexibility and developed a discipline of practice that is good for my overall physical health. However, this is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the actual manifestations of this practice in my life.

In practicing this technology known as kundalini yoga, I have learned to circulate my prana (life force energy) which then not only creates a lightness of being in the moment but also leverages out over time. The nucleus of each of us is energy and when our energy is in flow rather than stuck in our lower triangle* we are more able to access ourselves and our inner wisdom, that innate energy that we all long to be more connected to. When we connect here we feel more relaxed, less reactive and more alive. This has to be experienced in the body. It is not something you can learn outside of yourself or think about. And the simple, but very powerful exercises combined with postures, mudras and conscious breathwork are really quite accessible for all of us.

Learning the postures creates an alignment with the earth and sky and four directions - and creates a connection to more than just our inner dialogues and emotional back and forth. During the exercises, we use our bodies to create angles – and these angels then create the conditions in our bodies to neutralize our prana, which then creates the fertile soil for our emotions and thinking mind to move from constant polarities- I want this, I don’t; I like this, I don’t; etc.,  into a more relaxed state; and in this relaxed state ‑ meditation can actually take root within us. In this way we work with not only our dense bodies (nervous systems, glands, muscle) but we also work with our more subtle body – our prana, aura and meditative mind and actual radiance.

We all want to feel more calm, more relaxed and less reactive. When we bring our prana into flow we feel more centered because we are bringing our being into its natural state. That state where we feel connected to what life is really all about, where we lead from our hearts, and where we can explore our natural innate intuitive intelligence beyond our personalities.

We leverage our bodies to create this through the breathwork and kriyas. Just think of it - thousands of yogis and sadhus over thousands of years have studied and practiced to create this technology so that we can now use it to access the subtle mystery of our own beings now. What a gift.  

I am excited to share and start with the kundalini essentials. Reciprocity. I am so grateful to have this practice in my life and feel blessed to have the opportunity to give back in this way.

 *when our prana is stuck in our lower triangle, personality aspects such as depression, greed, fear and shame reign supreme in our beings. When our prana is not stuck in the lower triangle, then these same personality traits manifest as steadiness, vitality, creativity, and devotion. These polarities are representative of our human potential - and kundalini yoga is a tool to move from these seemingly stuck places, ultimately take responsibility for where we are on this spectrum and bring awareness to our beings and experience the lightening of the “load” literally..