The Kundalini practice is designed to activate and release this dormant creative energy located at the base of the spine, and allow it to travel upward, energizing each of the chakras and increasing our consciousness and potential. The image of a coiling snake imparts the sense of an untapped source of latent energy. The word “Kundalini” itself comes from the Sanskrit word for “coiled female serpent”. Now in our modern world, this lineage is believed to exist through what is known as the Golden Link or Golden Chain, a transmission of wisdom and consciousness from masters to students through the subtle body. For instance, the use of the mantra Sat Nam in Kundalini yoga comes directly from Guru Nanak’s enlightenment experience when he was studying with the yogis.įor centuries, the practice of Kundalini was only taught from master to student, as students were required to go through years of initiation before they were prepared to receive the spiritual teachings of the Kundalini masters. Because of the intersection between yoga and the lineage of Sikihism through Guru Nanak, many of the meditations in the Kundalini practice come from the Sikh tradition. Yogi Bhajan who was also a Sikh, integrated the teachings of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism who studied and practiced yoga. Kundalini differs from other forms of yoga in that it descends from a Sikh lineage, a religion distinct from Hinduism and Islam founded in 15th century Punjab that emphasizes love, equality, and service to others. The practice comes from the lineage of Raj Yoga, one of the oldest forms of yoga mentioned in the sacred Vedic collection of texts known as the Upanishads, and practiced in India since 500 BC. The history of Kundalini is unusual and fascinating. Because of the variety of practices included in a Kundalini class, particularly those that draw more upon the subtle body, this form of yoga can be practiced by anyone no matter their age or physical fitness level. The head covering protects and contains the energy of the crown chakra, the uppermost energy center of the physical body. The color white, according to Yogi Bhajan, is considered to be cleansing, expanding the aura and guarding from negative energy. Both teachers and students wear turbans and white clothing. While physicality is one aspect of this type of yoga, Kundalini blends the physical and spiritual, using mantra such as “Sat Nam,” which means “truth is my essence” pranayama, or breath control meditation and kriyas, or repeated body movements designed to facilitate energy flow.
In 1969, Yogi Bhajan established the 3HO, which stands for “Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization,” a nonprofit dedicated to sharing the teachings of Kundalini yoga.įor most Westerners who associate yoga with a flowing physical workout, Kundalini is a practice that is a bit outside the box. Declared a master of Kundalini yoga at age 16, Yogi Bhajan, as he would later become known worldwide, became the first to openly teach Kundalini yoga to the public, unveiling a lineage previously masked in secrecy. In 1968 a Pakistani-born economics major named Harbhajan Singh Puri boarded a plane with a one-way ticket from Punjab, India to Toronto, Canada.
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