Somatic Kundalini Yoga

“It does not take centuries of practice and incarnations of study to know what truth is. We all know what truth is.” - Yogi Bhajan

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In 1969, Yogi Bhajan, a spiritual leader and Kundalini practitioner, came to North America from India. Witnessing the growing search for spirituality in North America, Yogi Bhajan made the momentous decision to begin teaching Kundalini yoga openly. This had never been done before in the West and created quite a stir in India. 

Kundalini energy is not something contrived or created; it lives in each of us. It is said that after our eighth year of life, our pineal gland does not secrete fully, thus compressing our energetic abilities on all levels. To counterbalance this process, we have the ability to access our reserve life force energy, which is stored in the belly button and lower vertebra area. It is said that this is "pure" energy, which is deeply attuned to your authentic spirit from the moment you were conceived. Kundalini yoga has the ability to gently support the body to open in a safe and integrative manner, therefore freeing up this energy to move more fluidly and creatively, while supporting cellular, somatic healing that is life-changing and sustainable.

All yogic practices work with this energy in different ways, including energizing and strengthening our bodies, boosting our immune system and harmonizing our parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. It is said that Kundalini yoga, when practiced correctly and with commitment, is an "accelerated" practice that heightens our awareness on all levels in a short period of time.

Many people often feel a deeper level of sensitivity and connectedness for the very first time when they allow themselves the opportunity to experience the wealth of this yogic practice. This deepening of self creates growth and raises ones consciousness.

I began doing yoga 32 years ago. My mother did Hatha yoga throughout my childhood and was my very first yoga teacher. This is one of the kindest gifts she ever gave me. Her discipline and faithful practice made a tremendous impression on me, which has affected my entire life.

Seven years ago I attended my first Kundalini class, during which I had a profound opening where it felt as if my cellular body was actually "singing" and healing effortlessly. I fell in love with the practice and began my teacher training the very next fall.

Teaching has been such a joy! Regardless of my "ego," which has small and regular internal tantrums about teaching, this student/teacher journey has transformed my life in every way.

This shifting and growth has not been particularly easy; real change comes with commitment, especially when one is struggling or in pain. The times I want to practice the least are when I need it the most. It is during these dark times that I find the sweetest seeds of light inside of me. I cry when I practice, I laugh, yell, get up and dance, stomp my feet… I feel, and this opportunity to feel is a blessing.

I teach yoga from a body-based Somatic (‘soma’ translates to body) perspective. What this means is that through my own training and individual yoga/somatic therapy practice, I have discovered methods of supporting the body to open and allow a gentle process of discharging trauma to occur.

Regardless of your personal or family history, it is extremely likely that your body carries some "stories" and traumas that affect your life today. Some of these situations are very old, perhaps even from childhood, while some of them are simply in us because, to be truthful, we live in a society that is thick with addiction and desensitization. Our society does very little to support fully "alive" vibrant beings. It is more concerned with how much money we make or spend, and if we are actively or passively (through being good and quiet) supporting a "power over" system.

All of these cultural influences are "felt" in the deepest levels of your being. Stress is accumulated or denied, often through addictive behaviors. Many of us have a deep sense of longing inside of ourselves that is hard to articulate. We may yearn for connection, yet feel that we are somehow flawed for having these feelings. That we are not "fitting in" to the norm. Yet it is rare that anyone has the courage to get in touch with the fact that this "norm" is anything but natural.

I cannot claim that this practice will miraculously "heal" any difficulties you may be experiencing. What I can offer is this practice as a tool - a useful and beautiful tool - that can, if handled with care and respect, gently allow your humanness to surface on a deeper level.

Somatic Hatha/Kundalini is a process of unraveling and opening through gentle discharge. The body carries stories in our cells, which long to be released and allowed more space, more movement and more joy. If during your practice you experience any of the following - tears, trembling, yawning, shaking, tingling, itchiness, sighing, jerky movements, vocal sounds, heat, deep sweating or the wanting to rock or move your body in some pattern - this is all normal and nothing to worry about. It is your body's remarkable ability to "discharge," to release what is no longer needed and to set your life force energy free. Once the body discharges these "stories," you will often experience the ability to think more clearly and to move forward in your life, to love deeper with generosity and compassion for yourself and others.

The interesting fact about this unraveling process is that, although many of us say over and over that we want to change, grow and to let go of old patterns, our unconscious self is very stubborn and often quite lazy. Many times we sabotage our brightness and beauty in order to stay safe in what feels familiar, but might actually be stifling our passionate existence on all levels. We slowly fall back to what is familiar and allow that thick blanket of complacency to cover us again, or we create some kind of rational excuse to give up whatever it is that is fueling our life force energy because it is unknown territory, and unknown means ‘out of our control,’ which, for many of us, can be terrifying.

This practice is definitely the unknown. There are over eight thousand Kriyas (sets of postures) that you may find yourself doing in a class. There is no formula that you can count on; therefore, the simple fact that you show up for a class or a workshop indicates that you are an adventurer! You are WILLING to take a chance, a risk, and for that I highly commend you!

If you find that you are distancing yourself from your yoga practice, ask your body what it needs. Leave your mind for a moment and listen to the deeper self, the wisdom of the body. From there make "body choices." Let your body/heart lead the way. Even if only for a moment, trust your beautiful body and stay curious to see what happens.

It has been said that commitment (mental) leads to devotion (heart)! This is undeniable. Without commitment we flounder, lost in the ego sea that is relentlessly craving something. I encourage you to commit to something for your highest good. Whatever that might be, I pray that it brings you joy and sustainability, that it opens your heart and brings happiness to your community. If you want to reach into this practice and explore the possibilities, then I say: WELCOME! Let us find our way together, for these are strange and mysterious times and it is best to travel the unknown roads in each other's company.

Remember that it is your birthright to ask questions, to watch carefully, to allow trust to be built, to "feel" your life from your deepest center and to never have to justify these innate "knowings" that come from your body/soul/spirit.

I am simply your teacher, some days my light is strong, other times I am afraid. It is the human condition. It is my hope that by offering these teachings to the best of my ability that you will find something of worth to explore and perhaps cherish. This is a journey and our connectedness to each other is extremely valuable. Loving kindness, compassion, transparency and generosity are important!

The world can no longer sit in the "me" reality - for honest life change to happen, "me" must become "we". "Seva" (service to one another) has never been more needed. The need for authentic loving that supports growth and integrity, rather then supporting old ways of being in the world, is beckoning each of our deepest hearts. We are living in difficult times, and it is our birthright and responsibility to shine as brightly as we can, and that means befriending our shadow side. Truth telling, risk taking, heart breaking (wide open)! We are not meant to do this work alone! We humans are actually "pack" animals, regardless as to the ideas we may cling to around autonomy, and we need one another.

Cultures that thrive are the ones in which the members take care of one another. This practice will help you know how to care for your truest Self, and empower you to take that love and let it shine throughout your community and the world.

Blessing the Body

We live in a "body negative" society - it is that simple. Look around you: we are bombarded with images and ideas that promote a false self-image. Every source of media tells you that you are defective, particularly on a physical level. Unobtainable standards are set and, whether we are consciously aware of it or not, most of us judge ourselves and others within the realm of this false paradigm. The time and energy that we use trying to perfect ourselves is incredible. Imagine what we could do with our lives if only that commitment was channeled into other areas! 

This constant reminder of our flaws is corrosive in every way, and not just to the individual. The financial waste is astounding. The millions of dollars spent on plastic surgery and “natural” products to “enhance” our bodies is seen as acceptable under this distorted mentality.

Regardless of how you choose to “improve” yourself, it is my guess that this motivation is unconsciously derived from that implanted belief system, that “you are not good enough” slogan which is being shouted at you from every billboard, magazine and television set. The message is that this product, or food, or diet, or surgery will make you ‘better.’ This yoga, Pilates, weight lifting, meditation or prayer regime will save your life and ensure that you are loved and acceptable.

This oppression is extremely painful. I feel it in my own life and see its pressure in the lives of others. Our negative self-image can lead to many other behaviors that are often addictive or compulsive, and ultimately become harmful. Anything, if taken to an extreme, can be damaging. In order to reach an extreme, generally, we have to dissociate from our inner voice and our bodies to maintain the intensity. With regard to yoga, one can also become obsessed with their “program.” I myself have lived this experience. When I began a more regimented yogic lifestyle seven years ago, I pushed my body to the brink of exhaustion. I wanted to be a role model: fit and happy and perfect. What I became was depleted and unhappy. After several years of this intense behavior, I was forced to re-evaluate my entire life. I had taken myself to an unsustainable physical and mental platform. My practice and my body were breaking down. I was sick physically and emotionally. I believe that this push towards unobtainable perfection was completely self-inflicted and completely unnatural. It was unconsciously linked to my inability to accept and cherish myself simply for being human. And I was being helped along, down that dark road, by a society that supported my fixations and negativity, with its deranged map of wholeness and distorted concept of "perfection."

If my energy is taken up with self-loathing or one program or another to “improve” myself, I am self-absorbed and do not spend much time connecting with others or the world. I am unable to give from a place of love, joy, empowerment - my natural, instinctual Self is suppressed and, therefore, my life tends to be “small,” cloistered with my programs to become the perfect human with, of course, the perfect body.

Dropping these internal voices and quieting myself long enough to actually connect with my inner self is hard. There are many distractions calling to me: coffee and sugar are two of the “bad” ones, obsessive yoga is a “good” one. Anything that is done from a place of disconnection, without joy, love, integrity, compassion or humor, creates hardship. I am not saying that one should not commit to themselves and their practice. Commitment is essential to growth, but if this commitment does not leave room for grace, for fun, and especially for spontaneity and change, then it becomes yet another yoke around our necks, regardless of its seeming benefits.

Loving who we are and loving our bodies is a life-long journey. I relearn self-love by watching babies. When we arrived here, we all loved our bodies with a wild abandonment. Simply watch children: they live in their skin, and they express and experience life through their cells. They dance, move, jump, and feel with their bodies, and this expression cannot be denied by anyone around them. Few babies or small children spend a lot of time getting massages or therapeutic interventions to deal with their tight, constricted bodies. Children wiggle, shriek, giggle, move and keep moving their energy, generally without embarrassment or apology.

How do you move? We are sensual mammals, as much as we may wish to deny this, and our bodies are made for pleasure and sensation. We have an instinctual inner body; often we feel this in our bellies. If we are connected to this resource inside ourselves it will give us very clear messages as to what we need and how we are feeling. It will support our brain to think fully and clearly when we make decisions.

All over the world people use various tools to stay deeply connected to this inner body. Dance, movement, dreaming, vision quests, and song are all regularly used to keep individuals connected to themselves. North America is one of the few places where we do not embrace these natural tools, individually or as a community, to bring ourselves to heightened states of physical or mental awareness or bliss.

People who live freely in their bodies generally have deeper life connections to family and community and are even less medicated, if at all. As well, these individuals are harder to control, which translates into being more empowered to live their lives from a place of choice. When North American propaganda begins to touch these people’s lives, that is when negative change and hardship begins to manifest, and we need only to look at the situation of our own Indigenous Peoples in Canada to see these affects.

What I am getting at here is this: if you chose to come to yoga and allow yourself to remember the wisdom of your “mammal” body, to get in touch with your inner knowing and practice from this perspective, then many changes are possible.

I completely let go of teaching some time ago, I was not able to teach from my inner knowing, I had gotten “lost” in my life as a “human doing” rather then a human being. I had to remember the place inside of me that was truthful and knew what was needed for me to live a full life that was joyous, even though it was hard to relearn to hold both the joy and the difficulties of my existence with humor.

It has been a good side trail, letting go of control, allowing my practice to be anything. Writing a poem, reading in the forest, sleeping by the river. It is all yoga, life is yoga, loving is yoga, being angry is yoga; there is no separation between your yoga practice and your life.

Yoga has nothing to do with your mat, your studio or your sun salutations. Yoga means union; the practice is everything you do and your motivation for doing it.

If your practice is tangled in the web appearance, then perhaps it is time to unravel those knots. Maybe it is time to find a practice that feeds all of you, that dismantles a belief system that tells you that you are not good enough, that the way you look is flawed and that you have to try harder to be better at what ever it is that has your hands tied.

It is my wish that every one of us dismantles our own critical paradigm in order to learn to dance wild and free, taking back our bodies and our hearts, reaching out to one another as a community of wonderful rebel yogi mammals that are saying: "Enough is enough! I will live free!"

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions if you are curious.

Send any questions or comments to:  yonimagic@gmail.com

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My deepest blessings on your road less traveled, may your journey be filled with honesty, courage and love. Sat Nam angels!