Kundalini Yoga: The Express Train to Awakening

Kundalini Yoga: The Express Train to Awakening

by Melissa Carroll

When you think of yoga in the West, you may — depending on your level of cynicism — conjure up thoughts of fit women in spandex toting a Starbucks in one hand and a designer yoga mat in the other. While this is an overgeneralization, it sure does have a slight ring of truth to it. For millions of Americans, yoga is something to “do”: a good workout with a side of spirituality. In many contexts, the workout element is emphasized and the spiritual dimension is minimized. This, of course, continues to stir up controversy in yoga communities across the United States. For me, the confusion boils down to an essential question: What should our intention be when we get on the mat?

This is not so easily defined. 

The intent, purpose, and practice of yoga often depends on the style and tradition it embodies. For example, physical precision, focus, and alignment are the emphasis of Iyengar yoga. Deeply stretching myofascial tissue and developing mental focus are the primary aim of Yin Yoga. Kripalu yoga aims to unite breath, movement, and the mind to create a meditation in motion. 

There is another style of yoga distinctly unique from many others, one that is crystal clear in its intent and spiritual dimension: Kundalini Yoga. 

When you step into a Kundalini Yoga class in America, you know you’re entering a different experience than other forms of yoga classes typically offered at most studios (i.e., a hatha yoga or vinyasa flow class). The instructor will be wearing all white, head covered in a white turban. And her “yoga mat” might be…furry. It's traditional for Kundalini practitioners to use sheepskin or even wool fabric instead of the usual yoga mats made with rubber, PVC, jute, etc. Yogi Bhajan, the founder of Kundalini Yoga, instructed his teachers to wear white to radiate the energy of their bioelectromagentic field. Similarly, he advised practicing on animal skin instead of synthetic material (he also taught the benefits of a plant-based diet for optimal health, and advised against eating animals). These details signify this isn’t your usual power hour class — there is a more conscious, cosmic intent behind the practice. 

Known as “The Yoga of Awakening,” the aim of Kundalini Yoga is to unite you with your divine essence. By purifying and releasing all of your junk — on the physical, mental, emotional levels — you can realize and connect with your higher Self, which is the part of you that is divine consciousness itself. 

Yogi Bhajan brought his ancient lineage to the West in the late 1960s. According to the Kundalini Research Institute, which he founded, “Kundalini yoga classes are a dynamic blend of postures, pranayam, mantra, music and meditation, which teach you the art of relaxation, self-healing and elevation. Balancing body and mind enables you to experience the clarity and beauty of your soul.” In Kundalini Yoga, the spiritual dimension is without question. The students are there to do some transformative work and attain a state of oneness. 

Now, that doesn’t mean along the way you won’t get a tremendous physical experience. In fact, many of the Kundalini yoga techniques are very physically demanding, in order to build up heat and purify the body, strengthen the mind, and loosen up the ego’s grip (one well-known Kundalini technique is even called ‘the ego eradicator’).

The Kundalini Yoga practice is characterized by kriyas, or specific sequences of physcial movements, concentrated breathwork (pranayam), mantras, and meditation. There are thousands of kriyas designed to cultivate all kinds of results, from enhancing your vitality to removing fear of the future, from generating compassion to developing your own inner greatness (you can find a list of featured kriyas on the 3HO organization’s website).

Those who practice Kundalini Yoga rave about its transformative power. International yoga teacher Kia Miller says Kundalini Yoga is “like an express train that shakes and wakes you up. I sincerely encourage you to have an experience of Kundalini Yoga for yourself. It will add depth to your existing practice and to your life.”