Showing posts with label kundalini yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kundalini yoga. Show all posts

23 November 2015

Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training In Egypt


Week 1 of the Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training course came to a close last Thursday. It was such a pleasure to be with these two amazing yogis. Siri Neel, Lead Trainer for the Course and Shama Kaur, the gentle force behind the organization of this course. I could go on and on...and I will as I continue to shuffle through my photos w
ink emoticon\


Dancing in the Rain.
On the afternoon that we were to watch a video class taught by Yogi Bhajan, it started to pour down rain! What a great way to start our Teachers Training with a classic greeting from the Master of Kundalini Yoga.


22 September 2015

Kundalini Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training Cairo Egypt 2015

Sat Nam Dear Readers: 

I am extremely delighted to announce that we are launching the first ever Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in Egypt starting this November 2015.
Through a gracious grant from the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI
) we are offering this program as a "Reach Out Teach Out Program." This opportunity reduces fees from 5000$ in the US to 2200$ here in Egypt.

The Lead trainers are long-time practitioners and teacher trainers of Kundalini Yoga: Siri Neel Kaur Khalsa, Sat Purkh Kaur and Shiv Charan Singh.

Below is a Facebook event that contains all details to the event. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/808652732533332/

If you are interested in this training please do let me know.

And we would be tremendously grateful if you could share this with your network of students.
Love and Blessings
Shama Kaur and Dev Dharam Kaur, Kundalini Yoga Instructors in Cairo, Egypt
Yalla Yoga, Cairo Egypt Yoga Studio announces Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Training
to apply, email: shama@yallayogacenter.com

24 June 2015

Kundalini Yoga Foot Massage Reflexology

Refresh. Relax. Reflexology. Foot Massage ala Kundalini Yoga


The object is to stimulate every nerve ending in the soles of your feet. There are 72,000 of them. The pressure of the fingers on the feet during the massage relaxes the whole body, as each place on the foot corresponds to a different area of the body .

Wash your feet, preferably with cold water to awaken the nerves. Get comfortable. Rub some oil or cream between your palms and begin the massage process. A 15 minute massage on each foot offers a good 30 minute meditation.

1st foot: 
Begin with the toes. The massage technique is to twist and pull each “section” (between the knuckles) of every toe.

Start at the base of the big toe; grasp it with the thumb and forefinger and, using a twisting motion, massage in between the big toe and the next toe. Without changing the position of the fingers as pressure is applied, pull upward.
Next, move up to the middle section of the big toe, massage/twist several times and pull up.
Keep the movement, up to the uppermost section of the big toe.

Next, continue on to the next toe. Repeat the massage motion over each section of toe.

After massaging the toes, next is to massage the rest of the foot. Try to touch the entire surface.
Use your thumbs, fingers, even your knuckles in a slow and powerful circular motion.

Start under the big toe and work your away across the foot until you reach the base of the little toe.
Then move down and massage your way across to the other side.
Go left and right, right and left, from one side of the foot to the other, slowly moving downward  to the heel.
Finish with a massage of the ankles on either side of the Achilles tendon, then briefly squeeze and release that tendon at least once.

Once you have completed the first foot, be sure to spend the same amount of time on the second foot. Otherwise you will be unbalanced.

Add Ons
Hold all the toes in your hand and flex them forward and back.

Massage up and down an imaginary line running from the middle of the heel to directly underneath the middle toe. This is a “life-line” and includes your kidneys.

Knead the feet, as a baker kneads bread dough.

To finish each foot, pat the sole briskly with the palm of your hand.
Then using both hands, starting at the heel, gently draw your fingers up both sides of the foot (top and sole) as if pulling out any remaining tension.

End by pulling up and away from the top of the toes, and then shake your hands out to release all the tension you pulled from your feet.

26 November 2014

Meditation for Restful, Refreshing Sleep

Times are stressful. Here is a easy meditation to help you with your sleep.

MEDITATION FOR A RESTFUL, REFRESHING SLEEP

POSTURE:Sit comfortably. The spine straight. 
Place the hands in the lap. Palms up, with the right hand over the left. The thumbs are touching and point forward.

EYES:Focus the eyes at the tip of the nose, with the eyes half closed.

BREATH:Inhale in four equal parts, while mentally reciting the mantra “Saa Taa Naa Maa” on each part of the inhale. The mantra is mentally chanted four times for a total of 16 beats.

Hold the breath in, while mentally reciting the mantra “Saa Taa Naa Maa” four times, or 16 beats.

Exhale in two equal parts, while mentally reciting “Wha-hay Guru.” Wah-hay is recited on the first part of the exhalation, and Guru is recited on the second part of the exhalation.

TIMING:Continue for 15 minutes to 62 minutes.

COMMENTS:Practice this meditation in the evening to help you enter into a deep, restful sleep. You will wake refreshed. When practiced regularly, your sleep becomes deep and relaxed. Rest allows nerves to regenerate. After a few months, you will breathe in the same rhythm as the meditation while sleeping. 

Meditation for Restful and Refreshing Sleep
From "Allowing Inner Peace" Kundalini Yoga Manual for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)


25 June 2014

Mantra and the Breath of Life, Dr. Bibiji Inderjit speaks at Summer Solstice

Bibiji Inderjit Kaur, wife of Yogi Bhajan, speaks about Mantra and the Breath of Life at Summer Solstice celebration.
I was very humbled when she mentioned me and the students in Egypt. She also lead the calm heart meditation that I was teaching to everyone that I would meet to help them deal with trama and stress  during the times of our Egyptian revolutions.
Bibiji will soon be releasing a book about the power of mantras for transformation
Bibiji Inderjit Kaur, wife of Yogi Bhajan, speaks about Mantra and the Breath of Life at Summer Solstice celebration.

19 June 2014

Summer Solstice Sadhana in New Mexico

Summer solstice celebration starts tomorrow in northern New Mexico.

For the next two weeks, I'll be in New Mexico for the summer solstice celebration that happens every year in the mountains just north of Española, New Mexico, about 25 miles north of Santa Fe. This land is sacred to the local Native Americans and is located in the Jemez Mountains at an altitude approaching 7,000 feet.

Summer Solstice runs from June 19-28, 2014. It is a week long event of kundalini yoga and meditation, and white tantric meditation.

I am managing the registration booth for solstice, so if you are attending, please find me and say hello. I am there to help you with any questions or assistance you need if you are attending for the first time.

For those of you who do not want to spend a week, you can join us for Peace Prayer Day on Saturday, June 21 10:30-9pm It is a free event filled with music, dancing, and the sacred healing walk.

I will do my best to post as many pictures that I can over the next few weeks.

#kundaliniyoga  in  #newmexico  

23 May 2014

Kundalini Yoga Summer Solstice Celebration in New Mexico

June is fast approaching. Are you ready for Summer Solstice celebration? 


June is approaching quickly, and that means that summer solstice is just around the corner. Every year, Kundalini Yoga practitioners from around the world gather in northern New Mexico for the 3HO Summer Solstice celebration.
I invite you to New Mexico to join us there. I will be at the registration table, so be sure to stop by and say hello.

For all the details, please follow the link: What is Summer Solstice Celebration.

"If, somehow, because of circumstances or because of certain duties, you can’t come, please remember those ten days are precious. Wherever you are, meditate, chant and enhance your sadhana and just be very aware and careful that during those days you have to be very special." -Yogi Bhajan

03 March 2014

Call For Translator: English to Arabic for Yoga Manual

I am looking for someone that can help me translate my Kundalini yoga book / manual to Arabic.

kundalini yoga manual arabic
SYNOPSIS:
Discover Inner Peace project is a landmark project and the first of its kind to be offered in the Middle East. It has been developed to help anyone under intense pressures and critical situations. The program uses a combination of Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and healthy food choices to help people release the effects of continual stress.

Discover Inner Peace provides students and teachers with training and support that uplifts our individual and collective transition to an open-heart world. This program is based on the teaching of Yogi Bhajan, and was originally founded by his wife, Bibiji, under the Create Inner Peace program.

Please contact me here if you have qualifications to help me.

17 October 2013

Creating Self Love, Kundalini Yoga Kriya

Kundalini Yoga Kriya Creating Self Love
The First Posture of the
Kundalini Yoga Kriya: Creating Self Love
Taught by Yogi Bhajan on April 4, 1994.

Love Your Body Day 2013
Wednesday, Oct. 16

NOW Foundation has organized Love Your Body campaign. The Love Your Body campaign challenges the message that a woman's value is best measured through her willingness and ability to embody current beauty standards. 

As a long-time yoga teacher, I have met women from around the world who always fret about body and beauty issues: losing weight, looking attractive, getting a flat belly, getting a prized yoga butt, and even getting taller or shorter!

When I was younger, I too, tried to destroy my body through starvation and other extreme means. I would look in the mirror and find every flaw. Big nose. Fat lips. No matter how much I exercised, I always had a potbelly. I despised myself.

 As I got older, I knew that I could see my self differently. I went on a journey to change my perception about myself.

The first thing that my teacher, Yogi Bhajan told me is to feel and experience self love.  What does that mean? Self love is not always easy. It might be considered selfish. But, self love is not selfish…it is the most selfless and caring idea we can have about ourselves. We love ourself, we open our hearts for others.
How Do You Love Your Body if You Don’t Have Self Love?
The power and beauty of all women is indescribable and honorable.
It transcends body and image.
Your body does not make you a woman.
Your fashion and your beauty don’t make you a woman.
The one thing that will make you a woman is your self-love of being a woman.
You honor and bless your self.

Yogi Bhajan, said, “Love doesn’t rule you. What rules you is fear, phenomenal fear. If you cannot bless yourself, then nobody can bless you.”

My contribution to #loveyourbody day is a posture from part one of a kundalini yoga set that Yogi Bhajan gave his teachers so that love can be invoked and fear can be reduced.

 For more information about the Now Foundation Love Your Body campaign, please visit this website: http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/index.html +National Organization for Women (NOW).

 #kundaliniyoga #kundaliniyogameditation

06 July 2013

Meditation during Revolution: Meditation for a Calm Heart

The last few nights have been challenging to keep a focused mind and focused breath. Military helicopters flying overhead. The energy pulsing from Tahrir. Constant checking Twitter to find out where gun fire is coming from. I can't settle into sleep. Nervous. Anxious.
 During the day, we can see the people in the streets. At night, we can only hear gun fire and shouting. A battle is being waged, but I don't want my fear to play into the scene. I am in the middle of this war zone. But, I chose to be calm for those that are not calm.
Rather then fret, I practiced a meditation that I frequently teach in class. I practice it when I find it hard to be calm and find center.

Meditation for a Calm Heart 

POSTURE: Sit in an Easy Pose, with a light jalandhar bandh. 

EYES: Either close the eyes or look straight ahead with the eyes 1/10th open.

MUDRA: Place the left hand on the center of the chest at the Heart Center. The palm is flat against the chest, and the fingers are parallel to the ground, pointing to the right. 
With the right hand, make Gyan Mudra (touch the tip of the index (Jupiter) finger with the tip of the thumb). Raise the right hand up to the right side as if giving a pledge. The palm faces forward, the three fingers not in Gyan Mudra point up. 
The elbow is relaxed near the side with the forearm perpendicular to the ground. 

BREATH: Concentrate on the flow of the breath. Regulate each bit of the breath consciously.
Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils.
Then suspend the breath in and raise the chest. Retain it as long as possible.
Then exhale smoothly, gradually, and completely. When the breath is totally out, lock the breath out for as long as possible. 

TIME: Continue this pattern of long, deep breathing for 3-31 minutes.
To End: Inhale and exhale strongly 3 times. Relax.

When you hold the breath in or out for "as long as possible," you should not gasp or be under strain when you let the breath move again.

28 May 2013

Kundalini Yoga Classes in Alexandria, Egypt

Darla Hueske, kundalini yoga instructor egypt
Refresh yourself with kundalini yoga.
I am very excited to announce a special series of Kundalini Yoga classes in Alexandria. Four classes only from 1 June to 4 June.

1 June Saturday 19:00
2 June Sunday 19:00
3 June Monday 19:00
4 June Tuesday 19:00

Venue: Centre Rézodanse – Alexandria, Egypt
Located in central Alexandria, on the 2nd floor of a historical building of Sezostris Street.

Please join us for one or all of the classes.
Beginners to advanced students welcome.

Please contact me for more information.





#kundalini #yoga #egypt #alexandria

03 May 2013

Invoke the spirit of Mother Earth with your own body.

As I travel from one part of the earth to another part of the earth, I set my intentions for connection. A dear friend recommended this meditation to me a few years ago after having a frightful incident during the revolution. I use it now when I need to connect to the earth before I travel. ps: do this on the ground, not a tree stump ;-0

Old Gypsy Way of Calling on the Spirit of Mother Earth

This meditation will connect and calm you.
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine, and a light Neck Lock.

Mudra: Raise the arms up 60 degrees from horizontal, elbows and wrists straight. Stretch the body forward slightly from the plane of the body. The angle of the palms follows the angle of the arms. The fingers are straight and together, thumbs relaxed.

Visualization: Imagine a flame at the Heart Center. Do not move.

Breath: Breathe consciously, long and deep.

Time: 3 minutes.

To End: Inhale deeply with a prayer for the loftiness of Creator Mother Earth and peace. Hold for 15 seconds. Exhale. Inhale deeply. Feel in your heart the blessing of the Divine Mother. Hold for 15 seconds. Exhale. Inhale deep. Feel the taste of the sweetness of life. Hold for 15 seconds. Exhale.

Yogi Bhajan originally taught us this meditation on July 4, 1994

16 December 2009

Kundalini Yoga Classes made for you

What's so easy about easy pose?

Expect to sit in easy pose a lot during a kundalini yoga class. Many of the postures require this posture. Don't worry. If you can not sit on the floor, you can always sit in a chair.

Your sitting posture should always feel well balanced and comfortable to you. It should reflect harmony. It is relaxed and poised. You'll hear me tell you to sit evenly on your sitz bones.

What are the sitz bones?

Sitz bones, or sitting bones, are the lowest of the three major bones that make up  the pelvis. It’s part of the pelvic girdle that supports our body when we sit. The pelvis is your base of support.

When you sit on the center of these sitting bones, you can give way your weight to gravity, stretch the spine upward, and create the correct flow of energy up the spinal column.

Practice at home

If you are a beginning student, you set a pace that suits your flexibility and endurance. As you feel more comfortable with the exercises, begin to practice as often as you can. I can provide you with basic sets to try at home.

If you can practice at the same time each day, you will find that you will improve rapidly. Do not push the body too far. You should not experience pain or discomfort. Do what you can, that is perfection.

May the long time sunshine upon you. All love surround you. And the pure light within you, guide your way on.





## 30 ##

31 August 2009

Starting Trainer in Training



Throughout August, I participated in the KRI Aquarian Trainer Academy program in Espanola, New Mexico. As a Trainer in Training, I participated in the Level I Immersion program. The Immersion program is a month-long training program where participants learn the fundamental understanding and experience of one's basic self. The course allows students to immerse in the fundamental principles and practices of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Completing Level I training a student becomes a certified Instructor of Kundalini Yoga.

As a Trainer in Training (TNT), I deeply experienced my own Self. The Immersion course is rigorous. It is a 27-day, full-day training program. It pushes on all levels. The day starts with the Aquarian sadhana at 3:45 am and completing the meditations around 5:55 am. After sadhana, I would come home to do my Level II meditation, that would take 35 to 40 minutes.

At 8 am, it was time to join everyone for small group check-in. The 55 or so participants were broken into groups of 6 to 8 people. My group had 6 students, along with me and the my co-partner Trainer in Training. We would spend about 15 minutes with the check-in and then it was time for the course meditation: 11 minutes of Narayan Kriya.

The daily class would end at 8 pm. Most evenings, I wanted to drop but there was usually something for me to work on for either the course or my own freelance work. Basic everyday chores became a challenge as I tried to find many creative ways to wash and dry clothes, meet friends that I hadn't seen for years, and keep my own physical stability. We had Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings free.

It was an amazing experience. Since my first Level I training was more than 10 years ago, having the opportunity to be refreshed with KY training was invaluable. Having an opportunity to teach upcoming Kundalini Yoga teachers was exhilarating. Working with experienced and dedicated Kundalini Yoga instructors provided me with even more depth and understanding of these ancient yogic teachings.

++

08 July 2009

Vitality & Stress

stress & vitality
Last week, I completed a 50-hour Kundalini Yoga Level II course called Vitality & Stress. Senior Trainers for the course were Nirvair Singh, Gurucharan Singh (KRI Director of Training), Krishna Kaur and Shanti Shanti Kaur. It was a week of intense meditation and heart opening.

As stated on the KRI website, at the close of the course, I do affirm:
“I cultivate my core vitality to honor and use the opportunities that come with each breath—
to receive them as a gift.
I recognize the value of my physical and energetic bodies and take steps to maintain them.
I thrive under stress and challenge;
I am a spiritual warrior who leads, uplifts and delivers effective decisions.
I practice a lifestyle that incorporates continuous preventative habits for vitality and victory.
I have the mental and spiritual endurance to cross every crisis
and be a beacon to navigate and excel in the Aquarian Age.”


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11 April 2009

KY meditation for when you don't know what to do

kundalini yoga meditation
What It Will Do for You

When you don’t know what to do, try this meditation. It is very simple, but very powerful if done correctly. It coordinates both areas of the brain, gives you powerful insight and coordinates the mystery of spiritual phenomena into the mastery of the three bodies (physical, mental and spiritual). Though it looks simple, it solves many complications. It is sometimes called gyan mudra kriya.

How to Do It

Sit straight, crosslegged or in a chair. Relax the arms down by the side of the body. Bend the elbows and raise the hands up and in until they meet at the level of the chest. The fingers of each hand are extended and joined in a relaxed way. Cross the hands with both palms facing toward the chest. One palm rests in the other and the thumbs are crossed. The fingers point up at a comfortable angle. (The position of left and right hand is interchangeable for this exercise.)
Look at the third eye, then bring the eyes to the tip of the nose.

Inhale through the nose, then exhale through the nose.
Now, inhale through the mouth, and exhale through the mouth.
Next, inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth.
Finally, inhale through the mouth, and exhale through the nose.
Continue this sequence.


All breaths should be deep, complete, and powerful.
When breathing through the mouth, purse the lips almost as if to whistle.

Start practicing this kriya for 11 minutes and gradually increase the time to a half hour.

Taught by Yogi Bhajan on March 2, 1979

01 February 2009

Kundalini Yoga Classes Offered at En Vogue in Nasr City

dev dharam kaur cairo egypt photo: Tadasana, or Mountain Pose promotes the experience of stillness, strength, relaxed power, and immovable stability associated with mountains. (Cairo, Egypt)

Open your heart, experience inner peace and joy, relax and attract opportunities, strengthen your nervous and immune systems, and heal your self and others with Kundalini Yoga

“El sabre gameel, in radit bee.” (Patience is beautiful, only if you are satisfied from it.)

Take a walk or drive in Cairo, and anyone will experience the challenge to this saying. Patience and peace whilst absorbed into one of the world’s most populated cities may sound impossible, and perhaps unimaginable. But, it is possible. Anyone can achieve clarity of mind, freedom from aches and pains and overall peace despite the constant barrage of stress that surrounds us all. Practicing the ancient techniques of Kundalini Yoga with its connection of breath and movement, one can develop inner peace and experience joy.

Kundalini, a word heard frequently as yoga gains popularity, is simply the creative potential of human beings. Kundalini Yoga is called the yoga of awareness and enables one to access and utilize his or her own creative energy. This form of yoga, from the northern regions of India, was introduced and taught by Yogi Bhajan, master of Kundalini Yoga.

This powerful yoga is now being taught at Shirley Shalaby’s studio by one of Yogi Bhajan’s students, Dev Hueske. Dev began practicing Kundalini Yoga in 1996. In 2000, she left a highly prestigious corporate job and moved to New Mexico to study with Yogi Bhajan and earn her teacher certification. As an international teacher of yoga and meditation, she has taught yoga classes in the United States, India, and Mexico. Dev embraces Shirley Shalaby’s vision that each one of us is blessed with an inner beauty struggling to be recognized.

“As an athlete, I was attracted to Kundalini Yoga because it is vigorous and helps me keep an athletic edge. It also keeps my spine flexible, which is the key to youth and radiant beauty,” says Dev. “Yoga is not to be able to place your foot behind your neck, but to connect to the present moment and reach a balance of mind and body. Connection. That is in essence what yoga is all about.”

There are many types of yoga, such as Hatha Yoga, which is one of the most practiced forms of yoga. Kundalini Yoga is one of the most comprehensive, effective, and healthiest forms of yoga because it brings balance to mind, body, and spirit. It balances the glandular system, strengthens the nervous system, expands lung capacity, and purifies the bloodstream. The practice combines physical postures (asanas) with breathing techniques (pranayama), hand positions (mudras), sound currents (mantras), and meditation to create an exact, specific effect.

“Yoga is not a competition,” says Dev. “Yoga should feel great and, apart from the occasional struggle with balance or mental frustration, you should never experience physical pain. Do what you can, and that is perfection.”

The Kundalini Yoga classes are open to all-levels, suitable for active beginners and experienced yoga practitioners. Wear comfortable clothes so that you can sit on the floor. Everything else will take care of itself.

As Dev is studying to speak, read, and write Arabic, she is still teaching her classes in English. As she continues to learn Arabic and with practice, she hopes to conduct classes in Arabic. Until then, there is always someone that will translate.

For more information contact, En Vogue Studios, 12, Omar Ebn El-Khatab Street, Ramo Gardens, opposite City Stars, Nasr City, Cairo Egypt
Tel: +202-2414-6875

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03 October 2007

natural cycles

bow pose to alleviate cramps
Bow Pose is a gentle way to ease menstrual cramps.
Nabhi Kriya practice is on hold for a few days as I move through the natural cycle of my body.

Yoga Postures to Avoid During Menstruation

Yoga is a great way to alleviate menstrual cramps and mood swings, but the postures should be more relaxing and not straining. During menstruation, a woman should avoid the following postures:

  1. any exercises that strain the lower back such as leg lifts
  2. strong navel point exercises (like nabhi kriya)
  3. mul bhand
  4. breath of fire
  5. inversion exercises (shoulder stand, plow pose)

Yoga Postures to Practice During Menstruation

To keep my navel point in balance, I have been practicing bow pose and cobra pose with long deep breathing. Rock pose is an excellent posture to sit in during meditation. It really relaxes my cramps.

Daily Movement through Menstruation

Avoid Heavy Lifting: Every month, I realize how much lifting that I do daily. During the days of flow, a woman should avoid any heavy physical demands and recognize that she is a female, she is delicate, she is beautiful, and she is menstruating.

This doesn't mean drop out, or become helpless. Rather, my approach to these few days is to move slower and more deliberate. I avoid lifting anything that would require me to use both hands. I'm a weightlifter-bodybuilder, so I'm very strong. But during these days, my partner loves that I call on him to move something for me. He loves that he is needed and his brawn is appreciated.
yoga for menstration
More postures that are supportive of menstrual cycle.
Menstruation is a beautiful female experience. As women, we experience menstruation universally, trans-culturally, and for the greater part of our lives on this planet. When we take care of our selves, and flow in the rhythm of our bodies, this cycle doesn't have to be painful, or uncomfortable. It is a time to remember our refinement and grace. It is not a sign of weakness, nor debilitating.

Embrace Yourself and Be Kind. Menstruation is not a Curse.

From my own experience, several years ago I embraced my monthly cycle. I used to experience debilitating cramps, vomiting, and overall depression. After I embraced it all and accepted it rather than dread it, everything moved into balance. I still experience cramps and mood swings in various degrees, but because of my attitude, they are not as severe.

How Nabhi Kriya Helped Ease My Monthly Cycle

This last month of strong navel point yoga has brought me to the most balanced cycle that I've ever experienced; no cramps and almost no disruption to my emotional balance. Without expectations, I've discovered another wonderful reward in my 40-day journey of nabhi kriya. As my period only lasts for under three days, I will resume the nabhi kriya tomorrow.

**I follow these practices as taught by Yogi Bhajan

25 September 2007

making it work

I set my timer today for the kriya. Yet, after this last week, I was in the practice of counting my movement. Instead of stopping my count, I decided to just go with it.
After the timer beeped, I discovered that my "count" was timed right with the half time of the minutes given for each posture. My "competative mind" wanted to provoke me to think that I was doing fewer movements. It turned out that I was in sync with the times with which I started this 40-day journey. In short: 108 reps for each leg on leg lifts equals 5 minutes. 54 reps on both leg lifts equals 2-1/2 minutes. 200 reps equals 7-1/2 minutes. 30 reps per leg equals 1 minute.

Lesson learned: relax and God will do the rest.


In the practice of Kundalini yoga, the yogini moves the Kundalini energy up through all seven chakras. The goal of this energy movement is to reach the seventh chakra and experience enlightenment.

Kundalini yoga is not only useful in strengthening the health and well-being of the physical body, but also very useful for emotional balance, stress relief, mental clarity, and personal transformation.

Noticeable benefits of Kundalini Yoga:

* Balanced emotions
* Strengthened nervous system
* Strengthened immune system
* Increased energy level
* Enlivened sense of awareness
* Sense of peace
* Clarity to the mind
* Stress reduction
* Increased lung capacity for better breathing
* Supports and encourages personal transformation and growth
* Orients consciousness to create happiness and health

Kundalini can be awakened by various means and different methods: Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and meditation techniques.

***

15 September 2007

yoga starts at the navel point


The ancient Shastras cite "all yoga starts at the navel point."

Once, a young student asked his teacher how far he must travel to find enlightenment and the true path of the Self. The teacher spread his fingers wide and said, "You must travel the distance from the thumb to the tip of the little finger. If you place the spread hand on your stomach with the little finger at the Navel Point, then the thumb stretches to the heart center. This is the mystical path consciousness must ascend."

The Navel Point is not the navel, or belly button, though it is related. The center can be located a few inches down from the belly button and in front of, the lower
spine. I've been told, it lands 3 fingers down from your belly button. It is known as the center of physical well-being.

Thousands of channels carrying the life force of the body converge through this point, with different currents, ratios, and intensities of flow. Many imbalances can be corrected just by strengthening the navel point center.
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Nabhi Kriya