I took my very first Kundalini Yoga class last night. I was "humming" if ya know what I mean. I was "blissed out" if ya know what I mean. Boy, do I like to feel high from a yoga class and no drugs involved!
As a yoga practitioner for (Wow) 13 years now, I ALWAYS enjoyed that "high" after a class. You feel light as a feather and happy as a clam. Of course, I kept going back to get that "high" and sometimes I would get it, and sometimes I would get something else. But after this class, I had that high!
People I know who practice Kundalini Yoga have explained it to me, but I just never got around to trying out a class. YOU TOTALLY SHOULD! Taken from good 'ol Wikipedia, "Kundalini yoga derives its name through a focus on awakening kundalini energy through regular practice of meditation, pranayama, chanting mantra and yoga asana. Called by practitioners 'the yoga of awareness', it aims 'to cultivate the creative spiritual potential of a human to uphold values, speak truth, and focus on the compassion and consciousness needed to serve and heal others.'" So it's not all asana (poses) in most yoga classes out there. It combines breathwork (pranayama), meditation and mantra, and poses. In addition, some lovely, inspiring affirmations through music.
It's for for all levels and no prior meditation, yoga experience necessary. Just tell the teacher and they will support you. If you get tired from the poses, breathwork, exercises etc., take a break. There's chanting involved, so if you feel weird or uncomfortable doing it, just listen. I listened a lot before participating, and I have to say, just being there with everyone chanting was quite calming, soothing, and healing.
I tend to have a very active yoga and fitness practice. In other words, even in my yoga practice, it's more on the active side. I have fallen out of incorporating some restorative sequences every once in awhile. In fact, once a month is ideal. We all need to rest, recover, relax and renew our whole body from whatever we're doing, and from whatever is happening in our lives.
I knew I needed to slow-it-down, and by going to this Kundalini Yoga class, I did. It was a step toward stillness. If I'm not at my job, I'm teaching, rehearsing, or filling the time with something. A couple weeks back, I acknowledged the fact that I needed a refresh and a rest from that, and I'm SO happy I took action towards starting it.
The class that I went to and will BE continuing to go to is on Sundays from 4:00-5:30pm at Heartspace Yoga in Albany with teacher, Sat Kriya Kaur. She teaches on other days and at other locations as well.
