What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini Yoga is a spiritual and physical discipline that focuses on the awakening of kundalini energy, which is believed to reside at the base of the spine. This practice combines various elements such as postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), chanting (mantras), and meditation to enhance physical vitality and consciousness.
Key Components of Kundalini Yoga:
- Asanas (Postures): Specific poses designed to activate different parts of the body and facilitate the flow of energy.
- Pranayama (Breath Control): Techniques that control the breath to influence the flow of prana (life force) in the body.
- Mantras (Chanting): Recitations of specific sounds and words that are believed to have spiritual power.
- Meditation: Practices that focus the mind and increase awareness, often involving visualisation or concentration on a particular aspect of the self or the universe.
- Mudras (Hand Gestures): Hand positions that are used to direct energy flow within the body.
A kriya is a set of exercises designed to work on a particular part of the body, or achieve a specific result on a mind or spiritual level.
This set is perfect for beginners and especially good for people with back problems or who sit at a desk all day. These exercises improve the flexibility of the spine and the circulation of spinal fluid, which is good for mental clarity and memory. This kriya also stimulates the chakras (energy centres) along the spine, strengthens and balances the nervous system.
Enhance Spinal Flexibility and Boost Mental Clarity with these Kundalini Yoga Exercises
Sit kneeling on your heels with your hands on your knees. Inhale as you stretch the spine forward, pushing the chest forward and the shoulders back. Exhale, arching the upper back in the opposite direction, tucking the chin in towards the chest. Repeat 24 times.
Squat on the balls of your feet with heels together and your weight slightly forward, resting on your fingertips. Look forward. Inhale as you straighten your legs and lower your head towards your knees. Exhale as you come back into a squat looking forward. Repeat up to 26 times.
Sit with your legs wide, holding your toes (if you can’t reach your toes, hold your ankles or legs). Inhale in this position and then exhale as you fold over your left leg, taking your nose towards your knee. Inhale, lifting back to the start position and then exhale over the right leg. Continue for one to two minutes.
Kneel on all fours with your knees under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders. Inhale, look up to the ceiling and let your navel drop towards the ground. Exhale, arch your spine (like a cat), tuck your tailbone under and take your chin towards your chest. Repeat 24 times.
Sit with your legs crossed in Easy Pose with your hands on your knees. Moving from the base of the spine, rotate your torso in a circle (clockwise), breathing in as you move forward and to the right and exhaling as you move back and towards the left. Continue for one to two minutes and then rotate anti-clockwise for one to two minutes.
Sit cross-legged in Easy Pose with your hands on your knees. Roll your head slowly in a circle, inhaling as you roll forward and right, then exhaling as you roll back and left. Try to relax your jaw and face muscles.
Continue for one minute in a clockwise direction and then repeat for one minute anti-clockwise.
