Synopses & Reviews
Taught for thousands of years--and revealed to the West in recent decades by the master Yogi Bhajan--Kundalini Yoga is suprisingly simple to learn. And practiced regularly, it can strengthen the nervous system, balance the glandular system, and harness the energy of the mind and emotion as well as the body. While general yoga technique focuses on exercise postures and breathing, Kundalini takes yoga concepts a step further by integrating them into everyday life activities. This definitive guide, fully illustrated with photographs, is an accessible introduction to this ancient practice, with information on poses and positions, diet and lifestyle, breathing and stretching techniques, chanting and meditation exercises, and general guidelines that can help anyone--beginner or advanced--gain the greatest benefit from yogic practice.
Synopsis
The practice of Kundalini yoga aims to unlock and awaken the radiant transformative energy that exists within every person. This book is the perfect introduction to the fundamentals of a Kundalini practice. Taught for thousands of years and brought to the West by Yogi Bhajan, Kundalini is a powerful mind-body style of yoga. When practiced regularly, Kundalini yoga can strengthen the nervous system, balance the glandular system, and harness the energy of the mind, emotions, and body, and is surprisingly simple to learn. While general yoga technique focuses on exercise postures and breathing, Kundalini takes the process a step further by integrating yoga into everyday life activities.
This definitive guide, fully illustrated with photographs, is an accessible introduction to the ancient practice of Kundalini yoga, with information on poses and positions, diet and lifestyle, breathing and stretching techniques, chanting and meditation exercises, and general guidelines that can help anyone--beginner or advanced--gain the greatest benefit from the practice of yoga.
Synopsis
This book is brazenly personal. I have taken the marvelous technology of Kundal ini Yoga as taught by my spiritual teacher, Yogi Bhajan, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, and presented it in my own conversational style. This is the way I have been teaching students in Kundalini Yoga Beginners classes for twenty-seven years: straight, simple, and with a smi le This is not a manual or a textbook but it does have specific "things" you can do: breathi ng, stretching, chanting, meditating. I've also included some psychological, phi losophical, and I hope, inspirational com mentary, plus many excerpts from Yogi Bhajan's lectures. There are some personal anecdotes and a sprinkling of my own poetry. Each topic cou ld be a whole book in itself. Believe it or not, I've tried to be brief, but it's difficult to be brief and thorough at the same time. You'll find new ideas, new ways of looking at yourself and the people in your life, plus some yogic tidbits that you can apply to everyday activities. I want this book to whet your appetite to experience more of the vast technology of Kundalini Yoga. I know it can transform your life from the inside out and the outside in. I know, because I tried it. You won't know u ntil you try it. You wi ll find most quotes in this book are Yogi Bhajan's words.
The kundalini experience does not mean you have gone into a deep breathless trance and are beyond this world --- It integrates you more fully with reality and give you a broader vision and sensitivity so that you can act more efficiently." -Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D.
This is the definitive guide to Kundalini Yogataught for thousands of years, and revealed to the West in recent decades by the master Yogi Bhajan. This "sacred science" is surprisingly simple to learn and, practiced regularly, it can strengthen the nervous sys, tern, balance the glandular system, and harness the energy not only of our bodies, but of our minds and emotions. Fully illustrated with photographs, this gen, de introduction to Kundalini Yoga covers:
+ Poses and positions ranging from beginners to more advanced levels - Diet and lifestyle - Breathing and stretching techniques - Chanting and meditation exercises - General guidelines that help us gain the greatest benefit from yogic practice .
Kundalini Yoga can help you handle stress, improve your health, overcome depression, feel more energetic, enjoy your life, and love yourself more deeply than ever before. With this guide, you can begin to bring yoga into your daily life today-and discover a new way to meet your physical, psychological, and spiritual challenges.
About the Author
Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa was the first woman to study with Yogi Bhajan in the United States. Bhajan is the leader of the Sikh religion in the West and the founder of 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization), which has 300 Kundalini Yoga centers around the world. Shakti has been teaching Kundalini Yoga for nearly 30 years, and was ordained as a minister of the Sikh Dharma in 1974.
Table of Contents
As Taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D. Section One: Things to Know (and a Few Things to Try) You Are Here - How to Read This Book
Chapter 1: What's It All About?
Chapter 2: One Goal
Chapter 3: Tuning In
Chapter 4: Breath of Life
Chapter 5: Mantra: "Magic Words"
Chapter 6: Conquer the Mind, You Conquer the World
Chapter 7: Mysterious Kundalini: "Where There's Mastery, There's No Mystery"
Chapter 8: Chakras - Energy Centers, Where Are You At?
Chapter 9: Stress, Stamina, and Nerves of Steel
Chapter 10: Healing
Chapter 11: Let's Talk About Food
Chapter 12: Creatures of Habit
Chapter 13: Drugs
Chapter 14: Sleep
Chapter 15: How to Get Up in the Morning
Chapter 16: Sadhana: Your Spiritual Bank Account
Chapter 17: Woman is Spelled "Double-You-O-Man"
Chapter 18: Four Teachers - Things Your Mother Never Told You
Chapter 19: My Spiritual Teacher, Yogi Bhajan
Chapter 20: Communication
The Snake That Poisons Everybody
Chapter 21: Happiness
Chapter 22: Life is a Movie
Chapter 23: Other Paths of Yoga
Chapter 24: Tantric Yoga
Chapter 25: The Ten Bodies
Chapter 26: Going Home
Section Two: Things to Do General Guidelines for the Practice of Kundalini Yoga
Mantra and Meditation
Key to Pronunciation
How to Chant
Invoking the Flow of Eternal Power: ONG NAMO GURU DEV NAMO
The Seed Sound: SAT NAM
Raise the Kundalini: Chakra Meditation
Meditation for Change: SA-TA-NA-MA
Change of Habit: Breath Meditation
Mantra of Protection
Meditation for Positive Communication
Meditation for Effective Communication
My Favorite Mantra: "Long EK ONG KAR's"
Meditation to Clear the Past, Present and Future
"May the Force Be With You": PAVAN GURU
Shout it in the Shower: ANG SANG WAHE GURU!
"The Persian Wheel" Meditation
Sadhana Mantras for the Aquarian Age
Kriyas and Pranayam (Exercises and Breathing)
Energy Up: Mul Bandh and Sat Kriya
Sharpen Your Mind: Basic Breath Series
Loosen-Up, Tune-Up: Kriya for Elevation
Easy Set
Balance Your Glands: Angles
Stretch in the Morning
Breathe and Move in the Morning
Sweat and Laugh... (anytime)
Digestion and Elimination
How to Give a Foot Massage
Things to Do at Bedtime
Three Stress Meditations
Take Care of Yourself as a Woman
The Magnificent Seven
A Conscious Act
Disease Prevention for Women
The Power of Foods
Yogic Tidbits for Women: Foods, Health
GGM: Grace of God Meditation
Recipes
Yogi Tea - The Original
Golden Milk
Ginger Tea
Kitcheree
Potent Potatoes
Spicy Beet-Sweet Potato Casserole
Saffron Rice
Ghee
Sources and Resources
Glossary
Index
Poems by the Author
Prana
You Are What You Eat
Sleepy Time Song
Sadhana
Choose Your Words
Past Lives
The Choice
The Persian Wheel (Gatga)