Kundalini Yoga: A beginner’s Introduction
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini yoga is for everyone, known as the ‘householder’s yoga’, it is practical but also very powerful. It works quickly to give you grace, balance, strength and, most of all, the ability to remain calm, centered and clear through life’s challenges. As you increase your practice, you will grow & gain new perspectives & capacities, as well as habits that support a healthy lifestyle. Further, you don’t need any previous yoga experience to gain results from your very first class. It is a Spiritual, but non-religious, practice, therefore open to those of all faiths, or of no particular faith. “The Yoga of Awareness”, it is also incredibly scientific, designed by the yogis to increase vitality, to maximise healing powers, strengthen the immune, nervous & glandular systems and give greater stamina and flexibility.
What to expect in a Kundalini Yoga Class
The format of a class is always the same:
1. Tune in
2. Pranayama &/or Warm Up
3. Kriya
4. Relaxation
5. Meditation
6. Tune out
• Tuning in
When we practice Kundalini Yoga, we always tune in by chanting ‘Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo’, connecting
us to the purity of the infinite teacher living within each of us.
• Remove socks and watches. It is good to wear white and cover the head. See what 3HO has to say on why we wear white https://www.3ho.org/ecommunity/2012/11/yogi-bhajans-words-on- wearing-white and why we cover the head https://www.3ho.org/3ho-lifestyle/daily- routine/covering-head Interesting stuff! Try it and see if it feels different
• Easy pose (legs crossed), on our sitting bones with palms together in prayer pose. Thumbs are gently pressing on the sternum. Lift the sternum up, chin in.
• Inhale, expand the belly Exhale, bring the belly in
• Inhale deeply, exhale fully, squeezing all the air from the lungs
• Inhale to begin the mantra:
“Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo”
(Say 3 times)
“I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, the divine teacher within”
This centres us in the highest self, spiritually guides the teacher and students during the class & connects us to The Golden Chain (all the Teachers who have gone before us).
“Aad Guray Nameh, Jugaad Guray Nameh Sat Guray Nameh, Siree Guroo Dayv-ay Nameh” (Say 3 times)
“I bow to the primal wisdom. I bow to the wisdom true through the ages. I bow to the true wisdom. I bow to the unseen wisdom”.
This mantra clears the clouds of doubt and opens us to guidance and protection. It surrounds our magnetic field with protective light.
Resonate the sound, pronouncing each sound with the lips and the tongue. Project the sound, connecting with your inner teacher. Connecting with infinite wisdom.
• Breath (Pranayama) & Warm up ☀
Breath is life energy itself. When we learn how to breathe consciously, we can calm our minds and master all aspects of our lives.
A good general Pranayama is the Nadi Cleansing Breath (alternate nostril breathing):
This is best done on an empty/almost empty stomach. Sit in easy pose with a straight spine. Fix the eyelids 1/10th open and gently roll the eyes upward to the brow point. Relax the eyelids so they don’t flutter. You will use the thumb and index fingers on the right hand to control the breathing, like a U-shape.
Inhale through the left nostril, keeping the right nostril closed with thumb of the right hand
Hold the breath for 4
Exhale through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed with the index finger of the right hand
Inhale through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed with the index finger of the right hand Hold the breath for 4
Exhale through the left nostril, keeping the right nostril closed with the thumb of the right hand
Begin by practicing for 3 minutes, increasing to 11.
Another good one when you don’t feel like doing your practice (!) is Ego Eradicator:
Sit in easy pose. Raise the arms to a 60-degree angle. Curl the finger tips onto the pads at the base of the fingers. Plug the thumbs into the sky. Eyes closed, focus at brow point. Do Breath of Fire.
1-3 minutes
Warm up ☀
A good routine will warm up the muscles, move the blood, deepen the breath & flex the spine. Some
recommendations:
Sun Salutations 3-5 rounds
Sufi Grind - Sit in easy pose, hold the knee caps with the hands. Rotate the middle of the body in circles while keeping the head nearly still. Create a pressure at the base of the spine like a grinding wheel. Use the arms for leverage. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 1 minute, then reverse direction 1 minute
Spinal Flex – Sit in easy pose. Grab the ankles with both hands & deeply inhale. Flex the spine forward & lift the chest up. On the exhale, flex the spine backwards. Keep the head level so it does not flip-flop. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 1 minute
Spinal Twist – Sit in easy pose. Grasp the shoulders with fingers in front, thumbs in back. Inhale twist to the left, exhale twist to the right. Breathing is long & deep. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 1 minute
Shoulder shrugs – Sit in easy pose. Shrug the shoulders up on the inhale, down on the exhale. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 1 minute.
Neck rolls – Roll the neck slowly to the right, 1 minute. Then slowly to the left, 1 minute.
Butterfly – Sit in easy pose, then bring the soles of the feet together and clasp the fingers around the feet. Keep spine & head straight & begin bouncing the knees up and down. Let the knees move vigorously. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 1 minute.
Cat Cow – Come into a position supporting yourself on your hands & knees, with knees shoulder width apart. Keep arms straight. Inhale & flex the spine downward as if someone were sitting on your back. Stretch the head & neck back (cow). Then exhale & flex the spine up, bringing the chin towards the chest (cat).
Continue rhythmically with powerful breathing. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 1 minute. *3 minutes of this a day is a complete exercise.
Cow pose variation – In cow pose, inhale & raise the right leg and the head up as high as possible. Exhale and swing the knee under the body & bring the head down. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 1 minute each side.
Life Nerve Stretch – Sit with legs extended & spread apart. Reach down and grab the toes, squeezing the big toe to stimulate the sciatic nerve. Begin stretching, inhaling up to the centre, exhaling down to the left. Inhale up to the centre, exhale down to the right. Eyes closed, focus at the brow. 2 minutes
• Kriya ☀️
A Kriya is an exact, dynamic combination of postures (asana), breathing and sound - a complete system that balances the body, mind and soul and increases mental clarity and physical vitality.
It is ideal to be part of a class & be led through a kriya. The group energy enhances the experience. However, there are some beautiful Kriyas on the 3HO Website. Follow this link and choose any. It is important that you follow every detail of the instructions, as the kriya is an exact science. The timings/repetitions, however, can be reduced. Try half or even quarter to begin with and build up. If you are using another resource, make sure it states “Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan” and if a teacher does not have their head covered (usually with a white cloth), it most likely isn’t authentic.
Here is the link to 3HO Kriyas - https://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga/kriya/featured-kriyas
Things to remember:
Eye position ☀ - Unless otherwise stated, eyes are usually closed, with focus at the brow point. Kundalini Yoga is a personal practice and the focus should be within. “If you don’t go within, you go without” YB
Mulbandh (root lock) ☀ - This is the lock we apply at the end of an exercise to correct our flow of life energy. Unless otherwise stated, apply the lock and draw all your energy up your spine to your Crown Chakra whilst suspending the breath. The lock is a smooth motion consisting of three parts:
i) Contract the anal sphincter, feel the muscles lift upwards & inwards
ii) When muscles tighten & move, contract the muscles around the sexual organ. Experienced as a slight lift & rotation of the pubic bone (like trying to stem the flow of urine)
iii) Then contract the lower abdominal muscles & navel point towards the spine.
The mulbandh can be applied when breath is held in or out.
Jalandhar bandh (Neck lock) ☀ - Applied in all chanting meditations and during most pranayama
exercises. Whenever you are holding your breath in or out it is usually applied unless otherwise instructed.
1. Sit comfortably with spine straight
2. Lift chest and sternum upward
3. At the same time, gently stretch the back of the neck straight by pulling the chin towards the back of
neck (do not force the head forward or down)
4. Head stays level and centered, does not tilt forward or to either side
5. Muscles of neck and throat remain loose. Brow and face muscles relaxed
Neck lock seals the energy generated in the upper brain, creates nerve flexes that stimulate and balance thyroid and parathyroid glands and prevents changes in blood pressure that can happen during exercise and breathing. It acts as a safety valve that regulates pressure by reducing dizziness that can result from practice.
• Relaxation☀️
Relaxation is done in Corpse Pose (lying flat on back, ankles together/feet relaxed, palms facing up)
Head flat on ground, no pillow. Socks & blankets can be used to keep warm. It is very important to let the body rest after the Kriya. The body will integrate all the changes brought about during the class. Don’t skip it, even if you only do 5 mins.
Coming out of relaxation ☀ - breathe deep into the body, inhale and exhale, wiggle fingers and toes, circle wrists and ankles around one way, then the other, stretch the spine, stretch arms overhead, stretch both sides, knees to chest, rub hands and feet together, rock side to side, rock up to easy pose
• Meditation☀️
“Prayer is when the mind is one-pointed and man talks to Infinity. Meditation is when the mind becomes
totally clean and receptive, and Infinity talks to the man." ~Yogi Bhajan
Meditation in Kundalini Yoga contains specific, practical tools that carefully and precisely support the mind and guide the body through the use of breath, mantra, mudra, and focus. The range and variety of meditation techniques in the Kundalini Yoga tradition is truly extraordinary. Yogi Bhajan passed on hundreds of meditations tailored to specific applications. There are meditations that reduce stress, work on addictions, increase vitality, and clear chakras, to name a few. While there exist many, many styles and approaches to meditation, what sets this approach to meditation apart is its precision, effectiveness, and practicality. Even 3 minutes a day can be truly transformative.
Again, 3HO has some really beautiful meditations. Here is the link - https://www.3ho.org/kundalini- yoga/meditation/featured-meditations
Many of these meditations have been put to music, so it’s worth searching Itunes or similar. Artists who have some lovely ones are:
Snatam Kaur
Nirinjan Kaur
Mirabai Ceiba
Ajeet Kaur
Jai-Jagdeesh
It is advisable to cover your head with a natural fibre headscarf when meditating to protect your Crown Chakra.
• Tuning out☀️
At the end of the class we will tune out and close the space by chanting ‘The Long Time Sun’ and long ‘Sat
Nams’ - which are blessings for ourselves and others.
Sit in Easy Pose with palms together, thumbs at the heart centre, touching the sternum Lift the sternum up, bring the chin in. Inhale, expand the belly. Exhale, bring your belly in.
Inhale deeply. Exhale fully.
“May the long time sun shine upon you. All love surround you. And the pure light within you, guide your way on”
(Sing 2 times) This is a blessing
Then finish with three long Sat Nams “SAAAAAAAAAAAAT NAMM” (Say 3 times)
Truth identified I am truth