What Can You Expect in a Kundalini Class?
Are you looking for a Kundalini Yoga class in Brussels but not sure what to expect?
Here at the Brussels Yoga Loft, our vision is to bring you mental, spiritual and emotional well-being, and Kundalini Yoga delivers on all three.
Life is packed with dynamic energy; everything we connect with is energy.
Kundalini Yoga, which wakes you to the power of internal energy, leads you to a vast spiritual awakening within that can significantly impact all aspects of your life.
You will experience successes, failures, adversities, and challenges during your existence.
If you practice Kundalini, you'll be able to respond to life's highs and lows from a more neutral standpoint.
This Yoga practice is the earliest form of Yoga we know of, and its techniques have been shown to stimulate parts of the brain associated with heightened self-awareness and a calmer, steadier sense of control through extensive scientific study.
A Kundalini practice raises your cellular-level nervous system activity and heightens energy awareness by coordinating breath, movement, and timing.
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini yoga combined breathing exercises, physical postures, and mantra chanting and was first brought to the West by Yogi Bhajan in the late 1970s. It was coined from the Sanskrit word "kundal", which means "coiled energy."
According to Kundalini theory, we all have untapped energy in the base of our spine, and by channelling it via the seven chakras, we could release it at the top of our heads.
Kundalini Yoga facilitates the inherent blossoming of your nature.
To become who you are, "like a snake," you will have to shed previous skins. Kundalini's ultimate purpose is to heighten introspection by calming the mind and opening the energy centres known as chakras.
Practising Kundalini is loaded with immensely challenging breath exercises paired with asanas and meditation.
These are frequently done repeatedly over a relatively long period, shifting energy inside your body.
The traditional principles of Kundalini yoga were kept hidden for a long time, only imparted to nobility and aristocracy until Bhajan took it to the West in the late 1960s and started teaching it openly.
What are the Benefits of Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini Yoga is practised to awaken your dormant Kundalini force, also known as shakti.
It's believed that you can find this spiritual force at the base of the spine. Kundalini yoga is used to raise consciousness and aid in overcoming ego since it activates this latent energy.
The term "yoga of awareness" is sometimes used to describe this Yoga practice.
Here are some of the benefits of Kundalini:
Clears Energy Blocks
Kundalini is a practice that aims to heal your energetic body.
The aura is the field that holds your inner wounds.
If your wounds are healed, there is room for radiance, a magnetic frequency that lets light and love into your life.
You might have done everything you could have imagined to live your desired life, but you remain trapped.
Kundalini clears all the blocks in your energy field to help you heal and channel your inner energy, thereby attracting light and love into your life.
Relieves Stress and Anxiety
Like other types of yoga, Kundalini yoga can help reduce your mental and emotional strain.
According to 2017 research, those who practised Kundalini yoga reported almost rapid decreases in stress.
After three additional months of practising Kundalini, their stress and anxiety greatly diminished.
A similar study in 2018 also found that Kundalini yoga practised for eight weeks reduced participants' feelings of anxiety.
From these findings, it's hypothesised that Kundalini yoga could be helpful in the treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Builds Strength and Resilience
Inner vitality, rather than the muscles, is the source of true strength. When we are low on energy, it affects us physically and emotionally, making it harder to deal with life's difficulties.
Kundalini Yoga, when practised regularly, allows you to tap into an inner wellspring of prana (life force) and an abundance of love.
You learn to rely on that resource to provide the energy and grit you need to deal with the challenges of everyday life.
The many benefits of Kundalini yoga on your health and mental health, in particular, can have a significant impact on how you approach life.
What is a Kundalini Awakening?
Many Kundalini yogis attest to experiencing what is called a "Kundalini awakening," in which the practitioner's vital energy is said to ascend from the spinal column.
The hallmarks of a Kundalini awakening include a surge in vitality and vigour as well as improved mental and spiritual clarity.
The momentary state of mind that this mental state provides allows you to see possibilities instead of obstacles.
You will notice that your mind is clearer and sharper and that there are not as many thoughts and noise running through it.
You'll experience less anxiety and stress and a greater sense of calm.
You may also experience trembling and heating of the body during a Kundalini awakening - as energy travels up your spine to the rest of your body.
What Can You Expect in a Kundalini Class?
Ready to start your Kundalini practice? Here's what you can expect in a Kundalini class.
At the Brussels Yoga Loft, our Kundalini class lasts between 60 minutes to 90 minutes and typically includes:
Kundalini Mantra
Mantras are sound vibrations believed to influence brain chemistry and state of mind.
Mantras in Hatha and other forms of yoga are typically chanted in Sanskrit, but in the Kundalini style, mantras are repeated in Gurmukhi, the language of the Sikhs.
Often, our classes will begin with a brief period of chanting, such as "Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo" (roughly translated as "I bow to the divine teacher within") or "Satnam" (roughly translated as "I honour my true identity").
Kriya
As part of a yoga routine for increasing flexibility, you engage in a series of back stretches.
A Kundalini kriya must be performed as instructed to bring about the desired mental and physical transformations. Each kriya ("completed action") is created to achieve a particular goal.
Each kriya has a recommended time commitment or several repetitions that you must complete.
For instance, the Surya Kriya is meant to awaken your sun energy. You'll be able to focus on taking constructive action while enjoying improved digestion and mental clarity.
There are seven distinct postures and motions in the Surya Kriya alone, breathing, and the occasional energetic lock.
Pranayama
You'll perform deep breathing exercises to enhance focus and relieve emotional strain.
Meditation and breathing exercises are central to most yoga practices. Pranayama, often known as "breathing methods," are integral to every Kundalini kriya.
This step is crucial for realising the kriya's benefits.
Relaxation and Meditation
Mindfulness and concentration practices boost one's awareness of himself and his surroundings.
When you're done with a kriya, you sit down for some quiet time to reflect. Some kriyas include a meditation, while others immediately follow one.
Song
At the end of a Kundalini yoga class, the class sings a song to reflect on and mark the end of the session.