WHAT IS KUNDALINI YOGA?

Kundalini Yoga is described as the Yoga of Awareness or Householders’ Yoga, accessible to all. It is a powerful science that rewires neurotransmitters in the brain working on not only the physical body but also the nervous, endocrine and glandular systems.

Although various forms of Kundalini Yoga have promoted the worshipping of a guru, the work we will be doing together is meant to allow you to experience that guru within; accessing your own inner power and knowingness to support you on your journey.

A large focus within the practice is the drishti or eye-gaze during meditations and postures (asanas). When the eye gaze is focused behind closed lids between the eyebrows (third eye), a pressure builds in the limbic region of the brain, activating the pituitary and pineal master glands. This works to regulate the whole body and increases serotonin and other neurochemical levels to bring a calming, happy, peace to the mind. Through regulating hormones and the glandular system, Kundalini yoga strengthens, heals and changes the brain, body and the way we respond to stresses in our lives.

Another fascinating component of Kundalini yoga is its ability to remove emotional blocks within the body. As life goes on, traumatic and stressful moments we experience become lodged within our bodies. Without opportunities for safe and healthy release, these memories and ways we develop to cope in the world slowly become a part of our personality. Although we may have needed these coping mechanisms at one or multiple times in our life, often they become a source of pain because they no longer serve the purpose they once did. For instance, maybe you were bullied as a child and now find yourself on guard and ready to attack when provoked, when in reality the threat is no longer with you. Perhaps as a child you were scolded or even physically reprimanded by your parents for being “too loud” or “acting out” and this has created a deep-seated fear within you to speak up for yourself in the world. Maybe this stifling of your voice and spirit has even created a thyroid condition or goitre? These emotions in the body are real and may eventually manifest into physical ailments. By bringing mindful awareness to the body and facilitating release through postures, mantra and meditation, we are invited to let go of these parts that no longer serve us and hold us back from living life to our fullest potential. In this way, Kundalini Yoga can bring about strong releases of emotion that help to clear the subtle bodies that sustain and support our soul’s path.

• Kundalini Yoga works on the nervous, glandular and endocrine systems of the body.
• By stressing the body physically when we are in control, we develop the capacity to regulate our responses to stress when situations and life around us appear to be out of control.
• We use various eye gazes, physical movements and mudras or hand postures to stimulate meridians or nadis in the body for a desired effect
• The postures in Kundalini yoga follow specific sequences to create an intentional outcome.
• The idea is that we are raising the energy of the Kundalini which rests in the base of the spine, allowing that energy to move through the spinal column and all 7 chakras for a feeling of deep healing, ecstasy and peace.
• Energy stored in the body often and usually stems from emotional upsets and traumas in life. Because we are moving and healing this energy, Kundalini yoga can often bring up emotions. This is normal, invited and a safe space to release uncomfortable feelings in.

Conclusion

By combining Art Therapy approaches, mindful awareness of feelings in the body and Kundalini Yogic Meditations, I invite you to experience the profound healing that all these modalities offer. No artistic expertise is needed and there is never any pressure to fold like a pretzel or push yourself beyond what is safe for your own body. Honoring and listening to your body and allowing space for feelings and messages to arise are all that is required for you to step into a new way of being in the world.