What Is A Kundalini Yoga Class Like

A typical Kundalini yoga session consists of three parts: an introductory chant (known as a kriya), a kriya (known as a kriya), and a kriya (known as “A brief warm-up for your spine, a kriya (a sequence of postures linked with breathing exercises), and a closing meditation or song are all included.

Each kriya—Sanskrit for “movement”—is a Sanskrit word that means “movement.” “action”—involves combining a physical stance with breathing or meditation. These poses can be anything you desire depending on which region of your body you want to target, such as cobra pose for your spine or warrior pose for your legs and glutes.

While many kriyas use different breathing techniques, Breath of Fire is one of the most prominent. It consists of short, fast breaths (almost like a dog panting). Seal your lips and breathe in and out of your nose at a rate of two to three breaths per second to perform Breath of Fire. Expel the air in forceful spurts when you breathe to engage your core.

Kundalini yoga also incorporates chanting and singing. You can recite a limitless number of mantras and songs during your practice, but most sessions begin with the Adi Mantra, which means “I bow to the divine teacher within, the subtle divine wisdom.” Sat Nam, which means “I am,” is another chant you'll hear in a Kundalini class “I am reality.”

A meditation-heavy lesson is also on the cards. Each set of Kundalini yoga poses includes movement, breathing techniques, mindfulness, and recitation of a mantra. You'll have a minute or two between poses to relax and focus inside. After the complete set, there is a relaxation, then a meditation, and finally a mantra before class ends.

Bonus: While you are not required to wear all white, it is customary in Kundalini. Because the color white is supposed to ward off negative energy and extend your own aura, it's a good idea to wear it. To retain the energy within the body, teachers frequently wear a white head covering such as a hat, scarf, or turban.

What is Kundalini yoga class?

Chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitious positions are all part of Kundalini yoga.

Its goal is to awaken your Kundalini energy, also known as shakti. This is a spiritual energy supposed to reside at the base of your spine.

Kundalini yoga is believed to expand your consciousness and help you transcend past your ego by awakening this energy. The practice is sometimes referred to as “yoga of awareness.”

Learn more about Kundalini yoga, its possible advantages, and how it varies from other styles of yoga by continuing reading.

How difficult is Kundalini Yoga?

Much of Kundalini Yoga is both difficult and soothing in equal measure. Chemical responses in the body are triggered by the practice's fundamental science, resulting in palpable, dramatic transformations in your thinking, physical health, and daily life.

How long is a Kundalini yoga class?

“The powerful use of breath, as well as the amount of time each posture is held, give the practice enormous intensity,” says Veronica Parker, a wellness mindset coach and certified Kundalini yoga instructor in Voorhees, New Jersey. The poses, breath, and chanting in a conventional Kundalini yoga class are strung together in a sequence called a Kriya.

What are the benefits of Kundalini yoga?

According to Parker, there are hundreds of Kriyas in Kundalini yoga, and each stance inside a Kriya is designed to enhance different body systems, such as the endocrine and nervous systems.

“You are training your neurological system to handle and integrate the powerful life force energy inherent in your body when you practice Kundalini yoga in a conscious way,” explains Kristen Fletcher, a Kundalini and Yoga Alliance-certified instructor in New York City.

It may sound a little woo-woo, but these assertions are backed up by science: According to a 2018 study published in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy, Kundalini yoga can help alleviate symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder by calming restlessness and edginess. Furthermore, a 2017 study indicated that practicing Kundalini yoga can help reduce cortisol levels and perceived stress in 26 adults who participated in three months of courses. Finally, evidence suggests that Kundalini yoga may aid in the prevention of cognitive decline as well as the alleviation of depression symptoms.

The benefits of Kundalini yoga on mental health, in particular, can have a significant impact on how you approach life, which leads us to our next point: Kundalini awakening.

What is a Kundalini awakening?

Many Kundalini yoga practitioners claim to have had a Kundalini awakening, which is when the life force energy within you rises from the base of the spine. When you have more energy, vitality, mental clarity, and awareness, you're undergoing a Kundalini awakening, according to Parker. This transient sensation permits you to focus on life's potential rather than the obstacles in your way.

“You will notice a sense of lightness within you, and you will find your mind is clearer and has fewer thoughts and chatter flowing through it,” Parker explains. “You'll feel more at ease because you won't have as many anxieties or fears.”

As the energy goes through the body and spine during a Kundalini awakening, people may feel their bodies trembling or heating up, according to Fletcher.

Is Kundalini yoga a good workout?

While the purpose of Kundalini yoga isn't always to enhance strength and flexibility like other varieties of yoga, it's still a terrific workout since it incorporates unique variants of common yoga positions that can push your body in unexpected directions. Most Kundalini yoga classes last longer than an hour, sometimes up to 90 minutes, so you'll be active for a long time.

“Kundalini yoga, in my experience and those of my students,” Parker says, “may help you get healthy, flexible, and strong.” “I've had a lot of students who had done Hatha or Power yoga and found Kundalini yoga to be challenging.”

What to expect at your first Kundalini yoga class

Your tutor will most likely lead you through some basic positions and chants. “We recite ‘Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo,' which roughly translates to ‘I bow to the subtle wisdom, the divine teacher within,' before performing Kundalini,” Fletcher says. This will assist you in setting an objective for each practice and putting you in the correct frame of mind before you begin the Kriyas.

Because Kundalini yoga places a strong emphasis on breathing, you can expect to use a breathing technique called breath of fire. “A fire breath is a continuous inhalation and exhale via the nose with no pauses. “Exhale deeply through the nostrils while pressing the navel point into the spine,” Parker advises. “You can go as quickly or as slowly as you like. The most important thing is to breathe evenly in and out, because energetic breath effectively eliminates pollutants while also strengthening the nervous system.”

Imagine yourself panting like a dog, blowing air in and out of your mouth and forcing your navel into your spine. Start with one minute of breath of fire and gradually build to three minutes. You can close your mouth and breathe in via your nose once you've mastered this method of breathing.

Kundalini yoga poses for beginners

Because Kundalini yoga is built on the basis of energy flowing from the spine, many of the postures you'll complete in class will focus on strengthening and stretching the posterior chain. Yoga positions such as cat-cow, spinal flex, and spinal twists are frequent in basic Kundalini yoga programs.

However, other yoga postures, such as Kundalini yoga frogs, are unique to the practice. “This is a terrific pose to boost energy and vigor because it helps flow energy up the spine from the first three bodily centers (chakras),” Parker adds.

What happens during a Kundalini experience?

There are a variety of signals that your kundalini is rising. When we have kundalini “symptoms,” that energy is banging on our door, trying to attract our attention and awareness so we may make the changes our souls desire. We are then able to become who we were created to be and live our highest calling. The following are some of the signs and symptoms:

• Sleep difficulties, anxiety, energy spikes, and shaking are examples of physical and emotional changes.

Whatever symptoms you're having, try not to get too caught up on whether or not they're kundalini and why they're there. Allow the energy to flow through you instead, and seek to heal any painful sensations that arise on a holistic level. The less you fight these emotions, the faster they'll pass.

What are the dangers of Kundalini Yoga?

So, what's not to enjoy about that? B.K.S. Iyengar Swami Vivekananda, a yogi, compares the nervous system to an electrical system, including wire (nerves), circuits (chakras), and gates (locks) (bandhas). A Kundalini power surge, like any other electrical system, can disrupt the grid, causing serious mental and physical sickness. While the channels Kundalini flows through are broadly correlated with the neurological system, Kundalini is a subtle energy form that cannot be tested like normal nerve circulation.

Can beginners do Kundalini Yoga?

While anyone can practice Kundalini yoga (unless they have a pre-existing medical problem), this kind of yoga is especially beneficial for those who want to combine a spiritual practice with a physical workout.

Although Kundalini yoga is a demanding practice, its physical and mental benefits make it an excellent choice for both beginners and seasoned yogis. There's a reason the discipline has exploded in popularity, attracting everyone from yoga aficionados to celebrities.

Why was kundalini kept secret?

The science of Kundalini was kept concealed for thousands of years, passed down in secret from master to chosen disciple who was deemed worthy. Outside of the secret society of Indian yoga elite, teaching Kundalini was unheard of. It was thought that the general population was unprepared to have access to such powerful information.

How often should you practice Kundalini Yoga?

Is it necessary for me to practice Kundalini yoga on a regular basis? The greater the number, the better. It is recommended that you practice Kundalini for at least a few minutes each day. For the fastest development and to maintain good shifts in your consciousness, we recommend attending sessions 3-4 times per week if at all possible.

What do you wear to a Kundalini Yoga class?

Wear clothing that allows you to sit comfortably. I like to wear roomy trousers with a vest or leggings and a small dress or t-shirt. I usually advise women to wear a bra because you never know when you'll be hopping around a lot. Covering your head will help you meditate more effectively.

Is Kundalini Yoga good or bad?

Kundalini yoga is a style of yoga that combines all of the yogic disciplines to enhance the practice and effects of yoga. While many varieties of yoga combine asanas (postures and breathing methods) with pranayama (breathing techniques), Kundalini yoga additionally includes chanting and meditation. Because all of these factors are coupled, some people believe the practice's effects can be so severe.

Kundalini Yoga has a number of stated benefits, including enhanced happiness and mental equilibrium, as well as improved physical health. The results of Kundalini, however, are not always favorable for certain practitioners.