Kundalini Yoga Many of you are newcomers to Kundalini Yoga and have expressed interest in its origins and process. Kundalini Yoga is called the Yoga of Awareness because it serves as the catalyst for the insight and inspiration which help us to heal and expand. In Kundalini Yoga the bottom line is what works. What does work, more quickly and powerfully, than just about anything, is a combination of breath, movement, and poses, along with the science of sequence, rhythm, and vibratory effect.

The techniques in Kundalini Yoga have been practiced with reverence for all of human history. Each generation adds to the body of knowledge with deference to the exigencies of that time. Now it seems that Kundalini Yoga has never been more relevant. People are experiencing extreme stress levels and an overall sense of disconnect. Filtering mechanisms are working overtime. Kundalini Yoga is designed tohelp us live off of our own energy, rather than have to rely on an external substance or negative habit pattern to compensate for external pressure. The Kundalini experience is to be positive and vibrant even in the midst of the frenetic activity of our lives. Kundalini Yoga has the global effect of stimulating the glandular system, balancing all systems, freeing up trapped energy, and working on the emotional and spiritual level. We have designed our DVD’s with this global effect in mind in addition to offering other benefits specific to that theme. Everyone reading this has done Kundalini Yoga and experienced its power. We hope you will continue to embrace this technology to bring blessings into your life and inspire many others.

May Questions & Answers Muscle Definition First of all, I just want to say that you both are awesome! I have only being doing yoga for a couple of months and ( I only do your tapes ) and I love it! I started doing yoga for all of the health benefits, but mainly to get in shape. Everyone that I know that has a great figure always tells me that they practice yoga. I have always had a weight issue, ranging from 20 – 50 pounds overweight, and because of my fluctuation with my weight issue, my body is not as firm as it should be for my age. I have never been able to build or keep muscle mass, which I think would help a lot. My question is, is there a certain yoga pose or tape (that you’ve made) that can REALLY help me define my muscles? Also, I have “bunches” or “pockets” of fat in all of my problem areas. What pose can I do to get rid of it? It is really affecting my life and my self esteem!! I am close to being at a comfortable weight again, but my body looks like an 80 year old, when I am only 34. Please help me! I really believe in you both and think that you are great. Thanks!! M

Thanks for writing and congratulations on nearing your weight loss goals! The reason people who practice yoga have good bodies is that yoga emphasizes alignment. When the bones are lined up properly the muscles can hug the bones in the way they are meant to and fat pockets redistribute themselves. We have seen incredible body reshaping through yoga/alignment practices. Kundalini Yoga uses these principles and also works on many other levels as well. With regard to weight loss, these would include detoxification, glandular balance, emotional work, and spiritual transformation. Through detoxifying your body, and working on the glands, as well as alignment, you should start to see some positive changes. Nutrition is also very important, especially for your skin. It may take some time for it to bounce back completely. Moving towards a diet that contains more live food (see Ana’s live food page on our web site) will help your skin immensely and also help in detoxifying the body. Celebrities have their weight fluctuations and are quick to turn to laser therapy for a quick skin tightening fix. This should be a last resort because it is good to keep the body in the habit of righting itself.

Do you have the Fat Free Yoga DVD? This is the best one for the glands and metabolism. We also recommend Yoga Cleanse for the liver. Yoga Bliss Hips and Ultimate Stretch Workout will help with your alignment. Navel Power is important to help keep you focused on your goals. All of the DVD’s will help facilitate weight loss. We wish you the best of luck with your yoga practice. Please keep us posted.

What’s With the Turbans? I have recently discovered and enjoy your tapes very much. I have a few other Kundalini Yoga tapes. I notice that you two dress differently than the others in Kundalini Yoga. I especially note that you do not wear turbans (and Ana’s dress seems non-traditional). I was just wondering if this is a conscious decision or a separating from the late Yogi Bhajan? Personally I love the yoga, but am a bit put off by some of the trappings (i.e., traditional clothing, turbans, need for a Sikh name, etc.). Thanks S.

Thanks for writing. We like to say that Yoga is not a religion but that you should do your Yoga religiously. As Teachers and we want to give people the most powerful means available for health and happiness, with no strings attached. In the Aquarian Age, as Yoga Bhajan said, all information should be available to everyone and there is no more need for labels or belief systems which divide people. The turban and traditional dress is a part of Sikhism. In many traditions devout people dress distinctively not to be attractive to other people but to be attractive to God. We feel that Sikhism, which is the custodial tradition of Kundalini Yoga, the way Yogi Bhajan presented it, is an amazing and beautiful religion, and that serious practitioners of Kundalini Yoga might want to familiarize themselves with it to understand the yoga more fully. Nevertheless, we feel that there is no reason that Kundalini Yoga and Sikhism need to be intertwined. Kundalini Yoga is a very ancient tradition, predates Sikhism, and is its own totality. What Kundalini Yoga is, is the “greatest hits” of the saints and sages of the ages. We are motivated to present Kundalini Yoga in a down to earth and accessible way so that everyone everywhere can partake of this powerful practice. How someone decides to express themselves in relation to this practice is, of course, an individual decision.

Combining Workout Systems Hi, many thanx for ur newsletter. i got a question into my mind which i want to ask. i do kundalini yoga and also do chi kung exercise system in which we stand into specific postures for lots of time. first i do my chi kung session and then finish with kY exercises please tell me is it safe to combine the two systems or not? kind regards, J (from PAKISTAN)

Yes, it is perfectly safe to combine the two systems. In fact, Kundalini Yoga and Chi Kung are very complimentary. Ana’s initial training entailed the exact same progression as you are describing: a Chi Kung warm-up followed by a Kundalini Yoga set. Many teachers will tell you that it is not correct to mix their system with another one. This is well intentioned because usually it is an attempt to keep a tradition pure. However, innovation is how all the systems of yoga and martial arts were developed and refined. When beginning any system, we normally don’t have the perspective that our Teacher does. Many people flit from one system to another and never become masters of any of them. We do feel it is good to steep yourself in one tradition so that you have some depth and a foundation from which to expand. On the other hand, we can learn from other systems and enrich our practice. For instance, Kundalini Yoga was not originally taught in the US with an emphasis on alignment. We have made use of Ana’s training in dance, Pilates, athletics, and other forms of yoga to add another dimension to Kundalini . Once you have a good foundation in a particular system, and as long as you use common sense and listen to your body, combining the practices you mention is perfectly safe. Bottom line: Try to strike a balance between honoring a traditional practice and honoring yourself. Do what feels right and embrace what works.

Young Coconuts We still can’t get enough of Young Coconuts! Coconut water is the perfect summer thirst quencher! It is even more hydrating to the body then water and, in fact, contains a mixture of electrolytes and nutrients similar to popular sports drinks. When your body is properly hydrated you should get an incredible energy buzz! We have had letters recently from those who we realized were confused between the old brown coconuts and the white young ones which we recommend. The brown ones are sort of hairy and the meat is quite hard. The young ones are smooth white and the meat has a jelly like texture. To see what a Young Coconut looks like and for some suggestions as to how to open one and make yourself a simple and delicious smoothie follow this link: http://www.living-foods.com/articles/youngcoconuts.html. You can also check out Ana’s Live Food page for more recipes and suggestions.

We wish you all a healthy, vital, beautiful, and bountiful May! All Best to You, Ravi Singh & Ana Brettwww.raviana.com/212.982.5518

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