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| Hi,
I am interested in Kundalini Yoga, I think it sounds like the most interesting Yoga of all the physical yogas. At the same time, I have some apprehensions.
I am put off by the 3HO and Yogi Bhajan and sort of cultic associations and have heard a lot of negative things about it. Is that the only form today of Kundalini Yoga, or there other types?
I was reading at Rick Ross's site, not sure if it is true or not, that the 3HO Kundalini Yoga is a mismash of practices and is not properly developed. It also includes banned postures, that have been known to cause injury.
My other concern is, because you are dealing with Kundalini after all, and is a very sensitive thing to deal with, how would you know that your teacher/instructor has an active Kundalini? After all, if they don't have an active Kundalini themselves, then they would be ill equipped to deal with any complications you are going to face on the way. Besides, I think it is pretentious to be teaching Kundalini Yoga, when you yourself have not developed your own Kundalini to high level.
What I am wary of, is people who claim they have active Kundalini, because if they have active Kundalini, yet they come across as any average person, then they could not have an active Kundalini. These people would, according to yogic texts, be in a much higher state of awareness and project an aura of power. It is also stated, that they should have supernormal abilities.
What kind of questions should I ask a Kundalini Yoga teacher and what exactly should I be looking for? |
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| I am looking forward to hearing the responses you your questions, Suraj. I wish I had the answers.
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| those are actually pretty good questions, as im thinking about at least getting a ravi singh and anna bri(e)tt kundalini video soon.
I think though, that activating the kundalini via yogic kundalini process, is a very long ( wait...lemme back up TRULY ACTIVATING the kundalini ) process of practice and meditation etc...
this is to prepare the body, and mind for the activation of the kundalini, and as such will allow someone who has indeed activated their kundalini be able to control it if it is not appropriate to show this...ala public situations and such....
Just a thought, but it kinda makes sense, I know you cant just start taking kundalini and in the first class have that kundalini active and working, that is BAAAADDDD, from what I have read/researched kundalini is very VERY powerful, and one must be instructed properly and with utmost detail so the chances of them going Nutso is very limited....
I would check the "WEary Of this Thread" I posted a small quote from wikipedia in regards to the kundalini syndrome. Good info to start with I guess... |
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| I don't really want to do Kundalini Yoga, to activate my Kundalini. I want to do it, because it seems much more interesting and dynamic than the others and concentrates on developing your inner and dormant power. I think it would be good to enhance my confidence.
It's a bit discouraging not to get any answers. Have not many done Kundalini Yoga on this forum?
Allow me to reframe my questions:
1. What kind of questions should I ask a Kundalini Yoga teacher?
2. What should I be looking for in the teacher?
3. What are the different types of Kundalini Yoga?
4. Have you met anybody who has developed their Kundalini to a substantial level, and, what was different about them?
Also, the Rick Ross article mentioned that certain postures in 3HO Kundalini Yoga are banned and unsafe to practice. Is there any truth to this? |
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| you are asking good questions, unfortunately they are questions I dont have an answer too.
Perhaps you need to do a google search on kundalini yoga and look for forums dedicated to that or maybe find a site you can email a teacher and ask these questions.....
I can tell you from experience of a few of my friends who took alot of kung fu classes, that their teacher could only progress them SO FAR within the confines of the class. It had something to do with their being a differencence between what could be done/displayed/shown to the public and what could NOT be.
So, if they wanted to learn more than what they were able to pick up on through class ( example: if they wanted to go from a 2nd degree blackbelt-the class limit- to like a 3rd degree ) they had to go to workshops/camps to learn more, as those would NOT be for the public...
you sorta follow what i am saying? Perhaps, alot of the deeper kulandini work ( i.e. activating yoru kundalini etc... ) isnt actually shared with the general public via a kundalini class...
but its worth investigating....check some sites...thats about the only other advice i can offer, if i can, perhaps ill do some trolling on my own and see what i can find.... |
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| Hi, I have been training to be kundalini yoga instructor for a year.
I'm probably forgetting a few of your concerns, but this is my attempt for now and helping.
In searching for an instructor, I would say that they should give off an aura, if you are not in tune, it might take you a class to notice it. This is if you have a really great teacher. There is a huge myth that kundalini yoga is dangerous and that is not true, you need someone who knows what they're doing and who has your best interests in mind, someone who is aware of the kundalini, but there's nothing wrong with someone who is developing their kundalini as an instructor, I would not look to that person as my sole foundation for kundalini, but as an instructor and for someone who is not particularly interested in doing kundalini yoga *to* raise the kundalini, I think it's absolutely fine. For instance I have an instructor, the instructor who trains me, in actuality if I had no other sources, he is amazing, and is all the authority I need, for what I'm looking for, but I also train with people who are even more experienced than he is(one of the most in the country), I also work with people who have been instructing Kundalini yoga for one year, a few years, or less than a year. And for kundalini yoga, they know what they are doing, they know how to lead, protect, and grasp the energy in their students and in their classes, they know how to support their students and although they are still developing their kundalini quite a bit, they are aware of it, they are aware of the intention needed to keep things safe and comfortable.
I think anyone teaching kundalini yoga, needs to be involved with that community in some way, they need to take classes and talk to masters. For instance I, since I started have been developing my kundalini, I'm not going to jump into, "I am a master kundalini yogi, I can do and tell you anything", but the most important part of my training is holding energy, protecting your class space and your students. I don't know how every kundalini teacher training is in America, but of the people I know who are doing kundalini yoga, they are doing it with integrity, I would not be surprised that it is not all like that.
A kundalini instructor, should let you know when you are doing something, how intense it could be, and how to do it so that you're comfortable, not going any farther than you want to go. Teaching as a student teacher, and when I am certified, there are plenty of things I will not teach my students, and I will start off slow as a teacher, and of course let my students know, I'm a beginner, I have lots of notes, I practice often, and I try to write down things that concerned me when I first did certain things, it is very important to the way that I teach my class, as well as the way my students go home, that I do not lose focus of the balance at one second. In my classes one thing that I stress to my students is that they shouldn't do anything they don't feel comfortable doing, and there are things that I just wouldn't do until my students reached a certain point, only if I knew the people well and knew how much experience they had would I teach certain intense kundalini rising aspects.
I probably will not be teaching anyone who wants to awaken their kundalini, maybe every now and then, and I keep those people in mind, these students are my family and friends, people that I want to introduce kundalini yoga too, because it has so many great benefits, the kinds that these people, who are not interested in a kundalini awakening, are interested in. Kundalini yoga is fun, and it's great for many things, I want to teach people who think that way, besides all yoga will raise your kundalini eventually, it just depends on how it's done. Kundalini yoga happens to raise it faster, but obviously, you can go at the pace you want and go as far as you want. |
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Expert Yogi
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| Thanks for that reply, kundajoy! I would have to say that right from the beginning of your post, I can see that kundalini is just not for everyone (which of course, is the same with all forms of yoga and even of yoga itself). When you say In searching for an instructor, I would say that they should give off an aura, if you are not in tune, it might take you a class to notice it. I think a lot of people would be put off by that right away. Many don't believe in auras at all and certainly aren't going to be going to class to look for one  So for those people it would be best to be looking at what we have lately been calling "western" yoga and not kundalini, perhaps. But for those looking for the kundalini experience, your post will be very helpful. Thanks again. |
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| Well, I signed up for a class, so I will tell you how it went. I realise there is a free Kundalini Yoga course online, but I probably won't do that until I've got a teacher in real. |
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Veteran
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| Hi, I have no experience at all on classes/teachers/practicing of kundalini yoga, but for anyone interested on the theory of kundalini, here is a link with a lot of interesting articles/info: www.ecomall.com/gopikrishna/index.htm |
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Kundalini Yoga and 3HO
