Faq - Kundalini Yoga as Taught By Yogi Bhajan

What Do I Need to Know Before I Come to a Class?

• Bring your yoga mat and block if you have one. Otherwise we have some spares.
• Best not have a full stomach. Leave 2 hours or more after a big meal. A light snack before is OK
• Wear clothes that allow a full range of movement
• For women during your period you should avoid inverted poses and exercises that stress the lower part of your body.
• Consult your doctor if you aren't in general good health.

please let me know if you:-

• Have a back or other problem that affects movement
• Have been diagnosed as psychotic.
• Have any other medical condition that makes exercise dangerous.

Who Was Yogi Bhajan?

Yogi Bhajan started teaching Kundalini Yoga in the west in the 1960's. Kundalini is a cool sounding word and gets used in many contexts often associated with rather bizarre things. This is the yoga that Yogi Bhajan taught and nothing else.

What is Special About Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini Yoga is designed to get the benefits of yoga as quickly as possible. It offers a challenge - if you work harder you get faster results. You make your own choice as to how hard you work.

Do You Do Meditation in Kundalini Yoga?

Yes but maybe a better term is 'Deep Relaxation'. This lets our mind/body 'unwind' the effects of accumulated stress responses. I think our ancestors could sit gazing at a fire, the sea, a river or nice view and this 'self-repair' processing would happen by itself. In our fast paced high stress world Kundalini Yoga gives these processes a mighty 'kick start'.

Is Yoga Spiritual?

This is a big subject. For me yoga starts with undoing the effects of stress. Just doing this a significant amount is very good for us physically and mentally. Some people do a lot of yoga and go beyond just de-stressing and work to gain the so called 'mystic' experiences. These are very interesting and give a deep understanding of how we operate internally. Many claim they sense their connection to god or a 'universal consciousness' of the universe. Very few people go this far with these things so a lot of writing about yoga is about experiences that the average yoga student maybe isn't so interested in. There are two aspects of our experience that are beyond the realm of explanations using logic and words. These are art and spirituality. No-one doubts we have a subconscious 'mind' that we can't control and don't really understand much about. Beyond that there are many different beliefs and belief systems - many contradict each other. For this reason I try to teach yoga without a belief system - except the belief that if it works so well for me it can work well for other people!

On the Internet I see warnings. Is Kundalini Yoga dangerous??

This Kundalini Yoga is safe. I give a 'health warning' because people with frailties and medical problems need to take care as you would in a normal exercise class. Kundalini Yoga can be vigorous but you are only using your own muscles and the force of gravity. If you seek the paranormal you won't find it in a Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan class any more or less than you would fnd it anywhere else!