Kundalini Yoga is the

“Yoga of Awareness”.

Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan is a technology that works with natural principles that allow the practitioner to directly access their inner mechanisms for targeted change, greater health and, above all, prosperity. Turban is optional! 3hO.org

A typical Kundalini Yoga class is 75 minutes long. The class starts with the tune-in of “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo”. Ong is the formless coming into form, the creative manifestation. Namo is “I acknowledge”. Guru Dev is divine wisdom. Put together it means I acknowledge the Creator and I acknnowledge the Divine Teacher, particularly the Divine Teacher within. This serves to open us up to the “golden chain” of teachers and bring us into connection with our own inner teacher. The idea is that if we apply the technology, ie the yoga, we will evolve as human beings by connecting and directing the flow of Divine Consciousness through our individual human systems. This indicates that it is a practical method of self-growth. “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” sets the tone. After tuning in, we do a warm-up followed by at least one “kriya” or set. Kriyas are like recipes and are a combination of asana (exercises), pranayam (breath patterns), mudras (hand and eye positions), and mantra (chanting). They tend to focus on either a body system or a goal such as stress relief depending on what you want/need to work on. Meditation can be included in that recipe or not, AND is also a byproduct of the combination of asana, pranayam, mudras, and mantra. The whole idea is to get the body going to get the mind quiet. With a quiet mind and the skill to quiet the mind, we are more able to think clearly for ourselves and our buffers get better. When our buffers are more effective, we have an opportunity for better commumication and relationships because we are less reactive. When I teach, I am not teaching just so you can have a good experience in the classroom. I teach so that we can all have a better life outside of the classroom.

“Our purpose in this life is to live in higher consciousness and to teach others to live in higher consciousness. But the best test to that consciousness is humility, selflessness, and sweetness. When you teach, teach with honesty, truthfulness, and straightforwardness.”-Yogi Bhajan