Kundalini Karma

By Erin O'Hara

Kundalini Karma
A type of yoga used to reach spiritual enlightenment, Kundalini is a deeply relaxing practice, great for meditation, awakening and bliss.

LIFE NERVE STRETCH (pictured above)

Stress makes the body become very tight and rigid. Tight hamstrings and a sore lower back are one of the most common health complaints. This pose releases tension in the lower back, spine and buttocks to keep the body youthful and relaxed. Inhale centre and exhale to the side (moving side to side) to release down the back of the body for 1-3 minutes.

COBRA POSE

Most people spend a lot of their day hunched over a computer. This is the perfect counterbalance to open and relax across the chest and shoulders. It will improve the flexibility of the spine to release back tension. Hold this posture for 1-3 minutes, breathing long and deep. If your back is very tight then rest on your forearms.     

EGO ERADICATOR

The Ego Eradicator will help you let go of tension and stress. This posture is done with “breath of fire”, a quick breath. Hold the arm position (above) and then take little quick sniffs through your nose from your belly. Start with 1-3 minutes to clear your mind, let go of stress and feel full body relaxation.

SAT KRIYA

A quick energy tune-up to stimulate the natural flow of energy upwards. It gives all the internal organs a gentle massage to improve digestion and overall health. This pose directly calms and balances your nervous system by creating a pulse at the belly.  Try chanting “Sat” as you draw your belly in and “Nam” as you relax your belly out for 1-3 minutes.

MAHAMUDRA

A wonderful stretch and release down the back of the body through the hamstrings, buttocks and lower back, as well as stretch through the quadriceps. If you have a sluggish digestive system, this pose will help stimulate elimination channels as you lean forward and breathe long and deep for 1-3 minutes.

The Rise of Kundalini

Erin O’Hara is one of New Zealand’s leading yoga teachers and a pioneer of Kundalini yoga in the country. Kundalini, she says, is the most meditative of all yoga styles and was designed to strengthen the nervous system and develop intuition. It combines meditation, mantra, physical exercises and breathing techniques.

Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini from India to the West, described it as yoga for the householder to balance a busy life.

Kundalini is known as the yoga of awareness. It tends to appeal to people who want to delve into a deep meditative practice to raise consciousness by focusing on breathing, building strength and releasing the energy located at the base of the spine. O’Hara says it is, without doubt, one of the more spiritual styles of yoga and has gained a lot of momentum around the world because of high-profile celebrity followers such as Russell Brand, Demi Moore, Miranda Kerr and Madonna.

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