Teacher Resource Book

Transcription

IKYTA
Teacher
Resource Book
3HO IKYTA
6 Narayan Ct
Espanola, NM 87532
Phone: 505-629-1708
Fax: 424-731-8348
E-mail: [email protected]
©2011 3HO IKYTA
IKYTA Teacher Training Resource Book
Contents
Greetings from 3HO IKYTA........................................................................2
Greetings from the Director of Training,
Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. .............................................................3
Time Honored Tips for Teachers
Gurmukh Kaur and Gurushabd Singh Khalsa,.......................................5
Golden Bridge, Los Angeles, CA and New York, NY, USA
Mehtab Singh, Yoga Yoga, Austin, Texas, USA......................................6
Shakta Kaur and Hari Dev Singh, ..........................................................6
Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), Chicago, IL, USA
Sat Tara Singh, Mexico............................................................................7
Eight Awesome Curricula
1)Breathe Your Way to Inner Calm: An Introductory Series
in Kundalini Yoga and Meditation..................................................8
2) Balancing the Chakras.................................................................... 15
3) The Ten Bodies.................................................................................. 16
4) Weighty Matters............................................................................. 18
5) Boost Your Immune System........................................................... 22
6) Yoga for Seasonal Change.............................................................. 27
7)The Power of the Mother:
A Series of Pre-Natal Yoga Classes............................................. 28
8)Mastering the Tattvas: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.......... 30
Five Fantastic Workshops
1) Cultivate Peace Within (with sample flier)................................... 32
2) Connecting Women for Peace (with hand-out)............................. 33
3) Yoga for the Artist (with hand-out)............................................... 36
4) The Lunar Woman (with hand-out)................................................. 38
5)Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul (includes hand-out).................. 39
Articles—You’re in the “Yoga Business” Now!
Your Marketing Train................................................................................ 41
How to Easily Create Your Own Fliers................................................... 43
Charging for Yoga Classes—5 Steps to Success.................................... 44
Establish Yourself on the Internet.......................................................... 49
Instructors’ CD Package......................................................................... 52
A list of musical selections that every new instructor of Kundalini Yoga as
taught by Yogi Bhajan® should have in their collection.
Resources
Ancient Healing Ways .............................................................................. 55
Invincible Music......................................................................................... 56
Spirit Voyage............................................................................................. 56
PDF Files for Five Fantastic Workshops................................................. 56
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Greetings from 3HO IKYTA
Dear Kundalini Yoga Instructors,
Sat Nam and congratulations on completing KRI
Level 1 Teacher Training! This is a great first step
on the path to becoming a Kundalini Yoga Teacher!
We encourage you to stay connected and
participate in the 3HO Kundalini Yoga Teachers
Association—IKYTA. Here you will have the
opportunity to be part of a global association/
network of Kundalini Yoga Teachers, and continue pursuing your own professional
and spiritual growth and excellence as a Teacher.
IKYTA has some great benefits for Teachers, including:
• Marketing Tools—including a beautiful, professionally designed Kundalini
Yoga Brochure in which you can list your own contact information
•Many special discounts, including 3HO and KRI Events
•A new Graduation Package to help you get started as a professional
Kundalini Yoga Teacher
IKYTA offers a Continuing Education Program which meets Yoga Alliance standards. We encourage all Teachers to continuing learning, learning, learning!
IKYTA has a Global Teachers Council, with representation from Kundalini
Yoga Teachers all over the world. The voice of every Teacher counts, and we want
the collective voice of Teachers to guide our association.
Teaching Kundalini Yoga is an incredible opportunity to serve by sharing these
Sacred Teachings. In your purity as a link in the Golden Chain, many lives will be
touched through your practice and your presence. May you be blessed to be guided
by your highest consciousness to serve and elevate every person who comes to you
seeking Kundalini Yoga and Meditation as taught by Yogi Bhajan®.
We look forward to serving you, and to serving with you. Please feel free to communicate with us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Welcome to IKYTA!
In Service,
Guruka Kaur
Executive Director IKYTA
3HO International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association
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Greetings from Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.,
KRI Director of Training
Dear Level 1 Graduate,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the
international community of Certified Instructors of
Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan®. With the
completion of your 220-hours of training you are now
certified by the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) and
may teach Kundalini Yoga and Meditation anywhere
in the world. Most importantly, you have laid a solid
foundation upon which to build a bright future as a
consciousness educator in your local community.
When Yogi Bhajan envisioned the course of study that you’ve just completed he used the analogy of a Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. degrees to describe
the stages of personal growth each of us must traverse. Completion of Level 1
is equivalent to completing your “Bachelor’s” degree. Levels 2 and 3 are your
Master’s and Ph.D. degrees, respectively!
KRI’s desire is to produce teachers of Kundalini Yoga who will demonstrate
awareness in consciousness, excellence in teaching skills and also serve as an
example of depth and maturity of character. KRI supports you as part of a
global community of Certified Instructors in order to:
AAPrepare the foundations for the shift of humanity to the Aquarian Age by
applying the legacy of the teachings, the golden chain and the example of
Yogi Bhajan;
AAServe and uplift individuals to be healthy, happy and holy; and
AAProvide the opportunity for each person to awaken his or her capacity, character and sensitivity as a self-sensory human being who can be effectively
intuitive, creative and compassionate.
My personal hope is that you continue to use this technology to continue
your growth. It is not simply a collection of techniques, concepts, good ideas
and inspiring beliefs that you’ve mastered by completing Level 1 Teacher
Training. Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan is all about direct experience and the capacity to apply that experience to your life.
To continue your growth and as a bridge to your first Level 2 course, whenever that may come along, I have chosen a meditation for you to practice as a
40-day sadhana immediately upon graduation from Level 1. It has two parts.
Part 1: sit in any comfortable meditation pose with a straight spine. Begin
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Time-Honored Tips For Teachers
a steady Breath of Fire for 11 minutes as you gradually survey all the cells of
your body and the expansive domain of your aura. Walk the breath to every
part of you and become synchronized as a unified alertness: Ang Sang Whahe
Guru. Part 2: Practice the meditation on Dhartee Hai, Akhash Hai, Guru Ram
Das Hai mantra as done on the Miracle Mantra Volume Two CD, available
from Spirit Voyage (www.spiritvoyage.com). (On one breath chant the three
parts of the mantra. First part visualize the earth and your body from the navel
down with a color of grey or earthy tones; part two visualize the body from
the brow point up and out to include the cosmos in a blue color like the sky;
part three as you hold the other two images, spin a bright white light from
the heart center out and expand that spiral to encompass everything. Become
pure unbounded light. Create through your formless subtle being.) Do this
for 22–31 minutes as time allows. The effect is to create an intimacy between
your subtle body and your action projection to manifest in your life. It will
keep you aligned to your goals, speed manifestation and opportunity and
develop your presence as a healing touch for all who connect with you.
So, I congratulate you for your efforts, accomplishments and heart. And,
I look forward to meeting you soon in my travels around the globe as your
Director of Training.
Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.
KRI Director of Training
[email protected]
FaceBook:
Gurucharan Khalsa
3HO IKYTA asked some of our most beloved teachers what they would suggest new Level 1 graduates do to expand both their teaching practice and their
local Kundalini Yoga community. Here is what some of them had to say:
Gurmukh Kaur and Gurushabd
Singh Khalsa
Golden Bridge Yoga, Los Angeles, California and
New York City, New York, USA
Smile!
Ask always, “How may I serve you?”
Understand the deepest meaning of
“Giving.”
Develop the art of non-judgment, no competition, and no comparison.
Belong to the larger community, working with all that want Peace, Happiness
& Love on this planet.
Be Grateful, Graceful and not pushy.
Call upon the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan, and all the Gurus for your guidance and sustenance.
Understand deeply your profound link in this Golden Chain.
Listen & Hug a lot.
Don’t pretend to know everything—send people to others, more qualified in
their fields, when that particular help is needed.
Bow many times a day, in gratitude, for the Gift you’ve been given as a
Kundalini Yoga Teacher this lifetime.
Nirvair Singh Khalsa
CEO, KRI (formerly of Anchorage, Alaska!)
Become Visible!
On a regular basis, be sure to go where people can see
you. Go to popular stores, coffee shops, restaurants, Local
Fairs…any and all places where people can see you and
speak to you. Your presence will remind them to come to
class either as someone new or as someone that has gotten
out of the habit of coming to class. Be sure to carry calling
cards and your teaching schedule to handout. Dress beautifully…just as you
would be teaching class so you can best represent your consciousness.
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Mehtab Singh
Yoga Yoga, Austin, Texas
Serve Yogi Tea to everyone who comes!
When we first started teaching, no matter where we taught,
we always prepared and took homemade Yogi Tea made from
fresh spices to every class. It was a way to serve and nurture all
who came, and to give back to the students who gave to us.
Even today with over 10,000 students coming to our yoga studios every month,
we make and serve fresh Yogi Tea every day. We estimate that we made and
served nearly 25 tons of Yogi Tea last year.
Our teaching practice skyrocketed as soon as we helped to create 17 new
Kundalini Yoga Teachers in the first year we held a teacher training course. See
every student as a future teacher. We saw every student as a potential teacher
and encouraged everyone to consider becoming a teacher. As they began to
teach, their students found us and we kept creating more teachers.
As a teacher seeking to grow a practice, the primary vision to hold is the one
given to us by our teacher, Yogi Bhajan: “I have not come here to collect students but to create teachers.”
Shakta Kaur Kezios and Hari Dev Singh Beck
Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), Chicago, IL, USA
Shakta Kaur says:
-Greet every new student with “Welcome!”
-Some of the best advice I received years ago came from Gurmukh (Golden Bridge). “Shakta,” she said, “you’ve got to feed
people.” Soon after hearing those words we began hosting a
vegetarian potluck after my Sunday morning class. Whether I
am in town or not everyone knows they can come to KYL for
veggie potluck at noon on Sunday. That one meal each week has created an
incredible feeling of “home” and “community” at our center.
AAOne question I receive from beginning students is, “How is Kundalini Yoga
different from Hatha yoga?” My answer begins with, “Kundalini Yoga teaches
in Kriya form and Hatha Yoga does not.” Then I explain a bit about what a
kriya is in Kundalini Yoga. Another fun answer is, “the first requirement of
Hatha Yoga is celibacy.” (This always captures one’s attention!) “Kundalini Yoga
was developed for people with jobs and families. In India we’re called ‘householders.’ Kundalini Yoga is for those who are engaged in the finite world.”
AAThree things—invite students in for a class; give them the experience of
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Kundalini Yoga and Meditation; and encourage them to come back. After the
Long Time Sunshine Song and three long Sat Nams always say “thank you,”
announce one or two upcoming events and invite students to “come back
again soon!”
Hari Dev Singh says:
AADon’t think you have to know every answer to every question. Teach only what you know. You can always defer an
answer by saying, “I’ll get back to you on that.” Then do
some homework. Very often your warm, loving heart will
provide a safe place for students to find their own answers.
AAAs you prepare for class and select your kriya and meditation, allow your intuition to guide the process. The Universe knows who is attending class and will help you pick the right kriya (if
you are open to receive). Remember what Yogi Bhajan said: “Students are
present because they were pre-sent to you.”
AAWhen teaching Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan® stay totally within
that sphere of knowledge. Do not “add” or “mingle” other systems or practices. The energetic is very different.
AANew students are full of questions. At some point you’ll probably be asked if
yoga is a religion. Here are some of the phrases I use to answer that question.
“Let’s begin with the premise that yoga pre-dates all religion.” “Religion is
the external form of worship; yoga is the inner journey.” It is important to
point out there is no conflict between yoga and religion. Be sure to find your
own graceful answer but be sure to prepare this little speech ahead of time.
AARead a few pages of The Master’s Touch or something from the Aquarian Teacher Level 1 or Level 2 manuals just before each class. The condensed wisdom in
these books always helps me deliver the teachings with the greatest impact.
Sat Tara Singh Khalsa
Mexico City, Mexico
Connect with community!
Always remember…the way from individual to universal consciousness goes
through collective consciousness. There are no shortcuts! Use every excuse to
connect with community…and then connect some more!
Look for those spaces which have been overlooked, where nobody’s gone to
teach before…they’re waiting for you!
You’re always a student…otherwise it’s no fun
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Nine Fantastic Curricula
One of the most requested tools new Kundalini Yoga teachers ask for are
sample curricula. This is although all graduates of Level 1 Teacher Training
have already written two course curricula of their own! But, we understand the
desire for new ideas and examples to provide both inspiration and guidance.
So, as requested, here are eight sample course curricula created and used
successfully by Kundalini Yoga teachers. We hope you receive inspiration from
the samples provided. If you would like to share a curriculum that you have
successfully taught based upon the teachings of Yogi Bhajan®, please forward it
to [email protected].
Sample Curricula
BREATHE YOUR WAY TO INNER CALM: AN INTRODUCTORY
SERIES IN KUNDALINI YOGA AND MEDITATION
Curriculum created by Tejwant Kaur (Teri) Hall of Prince Edward Island
(PEI), Canada.
E-Mail: [email protected] | Telephone: 902.687.3367
Mailing Address: #690, Rte. 310, RR#4, Souris PEI
Canada, C0A 2B0
Introduction
Designed for those unfamiliar with Kundalini yoga—or
yoga itself—this series teaches many new concepts and skills about breathing
and the breath. Besides learning how to breathe correctly, students experience many different pranayam (breathing techniques), kriyas (sequences of
postures) combined with mantra (primal sounds) and meditations specifically
chosen to clear and calm the mind. The intention is for students to come
away from the series with a greater understanding of their conscious and
unconscious use of the breath…and to never breathe backwards again!
Class Notes
Timing of the individual components of a Kundalini Yoga class are indicated.
Times for the kriyas include explanations of postures and/or transitions in
between postures. Deep relaxation includes the time it takes to bring the class
into and out of deep relaxation. Meditation time includes time for explaining
the components of the meditation and the benefits/effects. Finally, at least
three key skills and three key concepts are listed for each class.
Class One: A Place Of Calm
5 mins.: Welcome, introduction and tune-in.
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10 mins.:Simple Natural Breathing (3-Part Yogic Breath p. 90, The Aquarian Teacher [AT])
35 mins.: Kriya: Basic Spinal Energy Series ( p. 339 1st ed./p. 19 5th ed.)
15 mins.: Deep relaxation (includes getting them into and out of relaxation)
10 mins.: Meditation for a Calm Heart (p. 395 1st ed./p. 69 5th ed.)
5 mins.: Long Time Sun and prayer/quote
Total: 80 minutes (with 10 minutes “wiggle room.”)
3 key concepts: 1) age is measured by the flexibility of the spine, to stay
young, stay flexible; 2) The word ‘kundalini’ means awareness and manifesting the hidden potential of that awareness; 3) many people report greater
mental clarity after regular practice of this kriya. The word kriya means ‘complete action;’ plus, 4) ‘Sat’ means “truth” and ‘Nam’ means “Name.”
3 key skills/practices: 1) simple natural breathing, the navel point moves out
on the inhale and in and up on the exhale, 2) Spine Flex, (inhale forward, exhale back), and 3) Sat Kriya: men cross the right thumb over left and women
cross the left thumb over the right; 4) While inhaling, think Sat and while
exhaling, think Nam.
Class Two: Tapping Into Your Sun Energy
5 mins.: Intro. and tune-in.
5 mins.: Simple Natural Breathing (AT, p. 90).
8 mins.: Long Deep Breathing (AT, p. 92).
35 mins.: Kriya: Surya Kriya (p. 352 1st ed./p. 26 5th ed.).
15 mins.: Deep relaxation.
10 mins.: Meditation to Open the Heart (p. 436/p. 110).
5 mins.: Long Time Sun and prayer/quote.
Total: 83 minutes
3 key concepts: 1) Our main Kriya is named after the energy of the sun—
surya. When you have a lot of “sun energy” you do not get cold, you are energetic and enthusiastic; 2) this kriya aids in digestion and it makes the mind
clear, analytic and action-oriented; 3) A kriya in Kundalini yoga is a sequence
of postures, breath and sound that are integrated together; 4) Breathing solely
through the right nostril draws on the energy of the Sun.
3 key skills/practices: 1) focusing at the brow point, the top of the nose where
the eyebrows meet; 2) Long deep breathing starts by filling the abdomen,
then expanding the chest, finally breathing into the upper lobes of the lungs
(underneath the clavicle); and 3) breathe through the right nostril by blocking
the left nostril with the thumb of the left hand.
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Class Three: Inner Resistance
5 mins.: Pranayam: 3-part yogic breath.
10 mins.: Warm-Up: Surya Namaskar (p. 336 1st ed./p. 10 5th ed.).
20 mins.: Kriya: Disease Resistance & Heart Helper (p. 354/p. 28).
15 mins.: Meditation for Stress or Sudden Shock (p. 442/p. 116).
Total: 75 minutes (If time, dancing to Sada Sat Kaur’s Adi Shakti Bhangra
Mix on Mantra Masala CD).
Note: The main kriya is designed to be repeated 3 times. If it is repeated
twice at 3 mins each posture (12 mins. Total x 2 = 24 minutes) it can take as
long as 34 minutes with explanations and transitions in between postures. If
that is your choice you may not have enough time for dancing.
3 key concepts: 1) this Kriya, posture 1 promotes calmness and disease resistance, 2) Exercise 2 stimulates the third Chakra, endurance and nerve strength,
and 3) The meditation balances the left hemisphere of the brain with the base
of the right hemisphere. This enable the brain to maintain its equilibrium
under stress.
3 key skills/practices: 1) applying mulbandh by contracting and pulling up
the rectum, lifting up the sex organ and pulling in the navel point (it’s like
stopping a bowel movement, stopping a urination and pulling the navel in
and up); 2) placing the hands in Gyan Mudra (touch the pad of the thumb
with the pad of the index finger); and 3) sitting in Easy Pose; ideally the shins
should be one in front of each other on the floor, angled towards the floor. Sitting on a cushion is important to raise the hips to be higher than the knees.
Class Four: Postures & Meditations To Keep You Free Of Illness
And Stress!
5 mins.: Pranayam: 3-part yogic breath.
35 mins.: Kriya for Disease Resistance (p. 360 1st ed./p. 34 5th ed).
15 mins.:Meditation: 8-Stroke Breath for Energy and Stress Release (p. 165,
Praana, Praanee, Praanayam).
Total: 80 minutes
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3 key concepts: 1) Long deep breathing relaxes and calms and gives capacity
to manage negativity and emotions, supporting clarity, cool-headedness, and
patience; 2) 11 minutes a day of eight-stroke breathing can give you enough
energy to balance your (daily) consumption of (prana) life and take you out
of stress. Is it possible? Do you have 11 minutes?!; 3) To avoid persistence
colds and illness, it is essential to keep digestion and elimination functioning
well. This kriya helps in these areas.
3 key skills/practices: 1) Venus Lock: For women, place the palms facing each
other, interlace the fingers with the right little finger on the bottom. Put the
right thumb tip just above the base of the thumb on the webbing between the
thumb and index finger of the left hand. The tip of the left thumb presses the
fleshly mound at the base of the right thumb. Reverse the entire sequence of
alternating the fingers for men. 2) Pumping the stomach by forcefully drawing
the navel in toward the spine and then relaxing it again; and 3) Finger lock:
(index finger and middle finger presses the fleshy part of the big toe, and the
thumb presses the nail of the big toe).
Class Five: We Are More Than Our Physical Body—Remembering
The Link Between You And The Creator.
5 min.: Intro. And tune in.
25 mins.: Pranayam: Basic Breath Series (p. 385 1st ed./p. 59 5th ed.).
45 mins.: Kriya: Awakening to Your 10 Bodies (p. 337/ p. 12.).
Total: 80 minutes
3 key concepts: 1) We have 10 bodies, not just the physical body; 2) through
the simple mechanism of closing or opening one of the nostrils, we have a
wide array of techniques to control our moods and energies; and 3) The Laya
Yoga meditation stimulates your creativity, focuses you on the real priorities
in your life and helps you sacrifice what is needed to accomplish them.
3 key skills/practices: 1) Long deep breathing through one nostril; 2) Breath of
Fire (pant like a dog or blow out the flame from a birthday candles just using
the breath from your nostrils); and 3) raising the arms to a 60 degree angle.
Class Six: The Key To Controlling The Mind Is Controlling The
Breath!
20 mins.: Basic Breath Series (with reduced times).
30 mins.: Kriya for Elevation (p. 343 1st ed./p. 17 5th ed.).
15 mins.: Deep relaxation (including getting them into and out of relaxation).
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10 mins.: Meditation for Perspective & Emotional Balance (p. 404/p. 78).
Total: 85 minutes
3 key concepts: 1) This kriya exercises the spine and aids in the circulation of
prana to balance the chakras; 2) The meditation is excellent to do before bed
to let go of the worries of the day; and 3) Sat Kriya circulates the Kundalini
energy through the cycle of the chakras aids in digestion and strengthens the
nervous system.
3 key skills/practices: 1) Neck rolls: relaxing the jaw will relax the neck; 2)
Modified Maha Mudra: The spine stays straight. There should be a straight
line from the top of the head to the base of the spine; and 3) Life Nerve Stretch
and Front Nerve Stretch (lead with the navel point; never with the head).
Class Seven: Let The Light Of Your Soul Shine In Your Life
5 mins.: Intro. and tune-in
5 mins.: Pranayam: Perspective and Emotional Balance (AT, p. 404/p. 78).
35 mins.:Kriya: For a Calm and Open Heart Center Yoga for Women (SelfKnowledge, p. 19)
15 mins.: Deep relaxation
10 mins.: Meditation: Tattva Balance Beyond Stress & Duality (AT, p. 406/p. 80)
Total: 75 minutes
3 key concepts: 1) Alternate Nostril Breathing creates a deep sense of well-being and harmony on the physical, mental, and emotional levels; 2) Alternate
Nostril Breathing can help with headaches, migraines and other stress-related
symptoms; and 3) Allow the light of your soul to shine in your life and you
will have the joy and success that is your birthright as a human.
3 key skills/practices: 1) eye focus (i.e., dhristi), fixing your eyes at the tip of
the nose, 2) Mudra (i.e., hand position) of the meditation created by exerting pressure on the 10 points of the fingers that correlate to the zones of the
brain; and 3) use the thumb of the right hand to close the right nostril, and
the index finger of ring finger of the right hand to close the left nostril in
what is sometimes called “U Breathing.”
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Class Eight: Chakra Focus For Calm
10 mins.: Pranayman Enerizer Series (AT, p. 403/p. 77)
35 mins.: Kriya: Nabhi Kriya for Prana-Apana (AT, p. 346/p. 20)
15 mins.:Meditation: Anti-Anxiety (The Art, Science & Application of
Kundalini Yoga, p. 172)
Total: 85 minutes
3 key concepts: 1) Breath awareness begins with recognizing the breath as
both the gross physical breath, as well as the subtle life force of the body and
mind called ‘prana;’ 2) The breath and the Word are in intimate relationship;
and 3) The mind follows the breath. The key to controlling the mind is in
controlling the breath.
3 key skills/practices: 1) Suspending the breath; 2) Mudra of hands to a
position of four inches apart in front of the chest with the palms facing each
other and feeling the energy flow; 3) Meditating on the flow of the breath as
you relax and it settles into a normal rhythm; and 4) Front platform pose.
Class Nine: Live By The Beat Of Your Heart
35 mins.:Kriya: Renew your Nervous System and Build Stamina (Reaching Me
in Me, p. 37)
20 mins.: Meditation: Kirtan Kriya (AT, p. 425/p. 99)
Total: 80 minutes
3 key concepts: 1) Kirtan kriya is one of three meditations that Yogi Bhajan
mentioned would carry us through the Aquarian Age, even if all other teachings were lost; 2) If a person’s shoulders get tight, that person feels old and
lifeless; and 3) The mantra for Kirtan Kriya is chanted in the three languages
of consciousness—Aloud (the voice of the human), Whisper (the voice of the
lover) and Silent (the voice of the divine).
3 skills/practices: 1) Each finger touching the tip of the thumb in turn with a
firm but gentle pressure (Mudra in Kirtan Kriya); 2) Standing up and dancing
shaking the entire body to the rhythmic beat of Bangara music; and 3) Making
an “O” of your mouth and breathing through your mouth (Cannon Breath).
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Class Ten: Healing Yourself—Because You Can You Know!
35 mins.: Kriya: Stress Set for Adrenals & Kidneys (AT, p. 350/p. 24).
20 mins.: Meditation: Healing with the Siri Gaitri Mantra (AT, p. 422/p. 96).
Total: 80 minutes
3 key concepts: 1) ‘Man’ = mind, ‘trang’ = wave or projection. A mantra
projects our mind to Infinity; 2) Our energy can be flowing, we can be eating
well, sleeping enough, but if our adrenals fail, it is hard to keep up; and 3)
glandular balance and in particular strong adrenals and kidneys are important
to have that extra edge to control anger and hypoglycemia.
3 key skills/practices: 1) neck lock (Jalandhar Bandh) (no wrinkles in the
back of the neck); 2) back rolls: if the lower spine is not making enough
contact with the ground, try holding the back of the upper thighs and press
the knees into the chest; and 3) Cat-Cow, i.e., start off slowly, then when the
movement is established, you can speed up. You can go as fast as you want, as
long as your head moves last.
Quotes/Prayers To Use During This Series
“Life is moment to moment, breath to breath. Life is not granted by years or
by time and space. The span of life is granted by breath: such and such soul
granted so many breaths.”
“What is old age? Old is a shallow breath. People who take deep breaths never
feel old. They can be old, but they never feel old, technically speaking. Is your
breath of life conscious and deep? You can absolutely not be old in energy.”
“More praana the body consumes (from the breath) more wealth comes. It’s
a simple law. People with short breath are always absolutely poor. They half
breathe. They breathe only in the upper area. They do not touch the Heavens
and the Earth.”
“The entire Universe is just one person. There are no two persons. There is one
link of a breath of life, which comes from me to you, to you, to you, to you, to
you…It is linked with one thing. When it is disconnected, you are gone. We
are all one mala, one rosary, linked with one thread of the breath of life.”
(Inhale deeply and hold the breath.) “May I walk in the company of my own
holiness and fall in love with my own soul and be bewitched with the breath
of life so I can enjoy my fulfillment forever. Sat Naam.” (Let the breath go.)
BALANCING THE CHAKRAS
This eight-week curriculum was created by Ram Nam Kaur (Kathleen)
Muniz, of Orland Park, Illinois.
E-Mail: [email protected] | Telephone: 708724-9368
Class Notes
In this series the kriya each week focuses on one chakra
beginning with the first chakra and concluding with the
eighth chakra (aura). The meditation for each of the eight classes is the same,
however. It is the Seven Wave Sat Nam (AT, p. 449 1st ed./p. 123 5th ed.).
The use of the same meditation in each class introduces the beginner to
the benefits of practicing a meditation over time and lays a foundation for
developing a daily sadhana. In these classes a very simple drawing of the location of the chakras was used to enhance a beginner’s ability to focus on each
chakra with each wave of the meditation.
Week 1 Kriya for the 1st Chakra (The Kundalini Yoga Experience, p. )
Week 2 Kriya: Refining Your Sexuality and Spirituality (Self-Knowledge, p. 25)
Week 3
Nabhi Kriya for Prana-Apana (Aquarian Teacher, p. 346 1st ed./p.
20 5th ed.)
Week 4
Kriya for the Neutral Mind (The Ten Light Bodies of Consciousness,
pp. 65–69)
Week 5 Kriya to be Creative (5th Chakra) (The Kundalini Yoga Experience, p. )
Week 6 Ajna Stimulation Kriya (The Kundalini Yoga Experience, p. )
Week 7 Kriya to Relieve Inner Anger (Transformations Vol. 1, p. )
Week 8Two kriyas for the aura: Kriya to Strengthen the Aura (Aquarian
Teacher, p. 349/p.23) and Kriya for Electromagnetic Frequency
(Yoga for Youth and Joy, p. 12)
“You live by breath. You can get everything from your breath of life. Now
please speak to your breath. Talk to it. Pray with it. This is life relationship:
you and your breath.”
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15
THE 10 BODIES
Originally taught in 2003 as a 90-minute class series by Shakta Kaur
Kezios of Chicago, Illinois.
E-Mail: [email protected] | Telephone: 312-922-4699
Web Page: www.shaktakaur.com
Mailing Address: Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), 410 S.
Michigan Ave., Ste. 514, Chicago, IL, 60605.
Class Notes
Shakta used three primary sources when originally creating this curriculum:
Tantric Numerology by Guruchander Singh Khalsa, D.C.; The Ten Light
Bodies of Consciousness (currently out-of-print) by KRI CEO Nirvair Singh
Khalsa; and The Mind by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D. and KRI Director of Training,
Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.
Since then, Siri Atma Singh Khalsa, M.D., published Waves of Healing in 2009,
which contains previously unpublished kriyas for the ten bodies along with other
information that might be useful as you design your own “ten bodies” curriculum.
Class One: Kriya: Awakening to Your 10 Bodies (AT, pp. 337-338); Gong for
Deep Relaxation; Laya Yoga Meditation at the end of Kriya.
Class Two: Kriya for the Second Body (Negative Mind) (The Ten Light Bodies
of Consciousness (TLBC), Nirvair Singh Khalsa, pp. 34–37, kriyas available at
www.shaktkakaur.com); Gong for Deep Relaxation; Meditation for the Positive Mind (third body) (The Mind, Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., p. 154).
(Kundalini Yoga Sadhana Guidelines, p. 59; 2nd edition, p. 115). Gong
Deep Relaxation. Meditation: Healing with the Siri Gaitri Mantra (AT, p.
422).
Class Six: Eighth Body. Kriya for the Eighth Body (TLBC, NSK, pp. 127–
130, kriya available at www.shaktakaur.com); Gong Deep Relaxation;
Meditation: Sodarshan Chakra Kriya (AT, p. 450).
Class Seven: Ninth Body. Kriya for the Ninth Body (TLBC, NSK, pp. 141–
145, available at www.shaktakaur.com); Gong Deep Relaxation; Meditation for the Chakras—Antar Naad Mudra (also called Kabadshe Meditation
(Sa Ray Sa Sa) (AT, p. 412).
Class Eight: 10th Body. Kriya for the 10th Body (TLBC, NSK, pp. 155–157
kriya available at www.shaktakaur.com) which includes an 11-minute
Gobinda meditation; Gong Deep Relaxation; Venus Kriya Meditation: Heart
Saver Gobinday, Mukunday (The Art of Making Sex Sacred, Guru Terath
Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D., 1st ed., p. 72 ).
Class Nine: 11th Embodiment. Kriya—Working the Total Self (Kundalini
Yoga Manual, edited by Rama Kirn Singh (currently out-of-print), pp.
37–41, kriya available at www.shaktakaur.com); Gong Deep Relaxation;
Meditation—Healing the Physical, Mental & Spiritual Bodies (Self-Experience,
p. 37) or Meditation for the 11th Body (TLBC, NSK, p. 175, meditation
available at www.shaktakaur.com).
Class Three: Kriya for the Fourth Body (Neutral Mind) (TLBC, NSK, pp.
65–69); Gong for Deep Relaxation; Pet Ardas Meditation (Mul Mantra)
(KRI International Teacher Training Certification Level One, 3-Ring Binder
Manual, 1998), p. 277).
Class Four: 1) Kriya for Physical and Mental Vitality (Kundalini Yoga Manual edited by Rama Kirn Singh (currently out-of-print), pp. 15–16 (kriya
available at www.shaktakaur.com) and/or in Kundalini Yoga by Shakta
Kaur Khalsa, pp. 94–95); Gong for Deep Relaxation; Meditation for the
Physical Body (The Kundalini Yoga Experience, Guru Dharam Khalsa and
Darryl O’Keefe), p. 110.
Class Five: Sixth & Seventh Bodies. Kriya for Balancing the Three Psyches
(Reaching Me in Me, pp. 9–10) and Kriya For Strengthening the Aura
16
17
Weighty Matters
Curriculum created by Kirinpal Kaur (Ruth Richman) of Prince Edward
Island (PEI), Canada.
Atmabir Kaur (Ruth) Richman
Mailing Address: RR#1 3353 Launching Road, Cardigan,
PEI Canada C0A 1G0
Introduction
This curriculum is designed as six one-hour classes. Three
key concepts and three key skills taught in each class are also listed here.
The intention for this six-week course was to instill the notion that there
is more to the extra weight someone might be carrying around than simply
calories and the tonnage of fad diets. Many of us carry around the extra weight
of unresolved issues from the past or feelings of guilt. This can create a buffet of
low self-esteem, food cravings, addictions, blocked emotions, health issues and
physical inflexibility, just to name a few! This series is designed to help students
find, face and address some of the issues that might be weighing them down.
Students will use mantra, kriyas, meditation, breath work and relaxation to
help change the messages they feed themselves. When the messages change
we can feel lighter and more joyous. And when we feel more positive about
ourselves watch out—because nothing is beyond our abilities!
This series gives beginners to Kundaini yoga a set of new thoughts to say to
themselves, called mantras and new ways to use their bodies in sets of exercises
called kriyas.
By clearing up a variety of issues and freeing emotional blocks the intention
is that one’s self-esteem rises and the weight begins to fall off.
Class Notes
The times listed for the kriyas include transition times in between postures. It
is noted if the postures are held the recommended full time or a percentage of
the full time. The times listed for all other class components, i.e., meditation,
etc., include the time needed for the teacher to explain any mudra, dhristi,
breath, mantra, etc.
Class One: Let’s Start All Over!
5 min. Introduction to teacher
Tune In: “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” and Golden Chain;
Introduction to “Weighty Matters.”
2 min.Warm Up: “Medical Meditation for the Thyroid Gland” 1 minute
each posture (Meditation as Medicine, p.238).
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5 min. Warm-Up Kriya: Sat Kriya (Aquarian Teacher, Level 1 Instructional Yoga Manual, p. 348.)
28 min.Main Kriya: “Conscious Rebirthing” (full times), (Self Experience,
p.4). 8.5 minute Meditation included in the kriya.
15 min.Deep Relaxation: 5 minutes leading students into and out of deep
relaxation, 5 minutes of the Gong, 5 minutes of playing I am the
Light of the Soul (Gurudass Kaur on European Yoga Festival CD).
5 min.Closing: “May the Long Time Sun”; three long Sat Nams; Yogi Bhajan
quote: “You can never get rid of your fear, you can never get rid of
your pain, doesn’t matter what effort you make, until you have the
guts to forgive yourself. Just forgive yourself.” And/or closing prayer.
Total: 60 minutes
Three key skills: 1. Baby Pose; 2. Sat Kriya; 3. Belly pumping
Three key concepts: 1. Mantra; 2. Sadhana—importance of daily practice;
3. Kriyas are an effective series of postures designed for a purpose don’t have
to be perfect—just lean in the right direction and you will gain benefits!
Class 2: Climbing Out from Under the Blockages
5 min. Tune In: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo and Golden Chain
32 min.Kriya: To Relieve Inner Anger (Kundalini Yoga, Shakta Kaur
Khalsa, pp 106–109). Full times. Ends with a 5 minute relaxation.
7 min. Relaxation: continues.
11 min.Meditation: Meditation to Release the Past Especially Childhood
Anger (Meditation as Medicine, Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD,
pp. 182); 7 minutes of meditation not including getting them into
and out of the mediation. .
5 min.Closing: May the Long Time Sun; three long Sat Nams; closing prayer.
Total: 60 minutes
Three key skills: 1. Self massage; 2. Celibate Pose Bends; 3. Breath of Fire
(contained in Kriya).
Three key concepts: 1. We are designed to feel good!; 2. Inner anger blocks
your relationship with others and yourself; 3. We carry anger from childhood—this is as good a time as any to let it go!
Class 3: Angry? Who’s Angry?
5 min. Tune In: “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” and Golden Chain
5 min.Warm Up: “Medical Meditation for the Thyroid Gland” (Meditation as Medicine, Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, p.238); full
times.
19
21 min.Kriya: To be Rid of Internal Anger full times (Kundalini Yoga,
Shakta Kaur Khalsa, pp 138-139)
16 min.Relaxation: 5 minutes led into deep relaxation, 5 minutes gong,
3 minutes silence and then 3 minutes to bring them out of deep
relaxation
7 min.Meditation: Meditation for Trust (Kundalini Yoga, Shakta Kaur
Khalsa, p 172) 6 minute meditation
6 min.Closing: May the Long Time Sun; 3 long Sat Nam; closing quote
and/or prayer
Total: 60 minutes
Three key skills: 1. Fighting Pose; 2. Har chanted properly; 3. Dristi (look
towards upper lip in the meditation)
Three key concepts: 1. Yogi Bhajan quote for the end of class: “…that inner
anger has to come out. It has to find a way. Why don’t you volunteer yourself and get
it out? Why to suffer? Once your inner anger is out, all you are left with is wisdom.”;
2. “…trust is the basis for faith, commitment, and the uplifted spirit” (quote from
Kundalini Yoga, p. 172); 3. The concept of the aura and the eight chakras
Class 4: House Cleaning
4 min. Warm up: 3 rounds of Surya Namaskar
26 min.Kriya: “Kriya for State of Mind and Paranoia” (half times), Kundalini
Yoga for Youth and Joy, pp 39–40)
5 min. Relaxation
15 min.Meditation: “Parasympathetic Rejuvenation” Gong Meditation,
Aquarian Teacher (AT), p. 446)
5 min. Closing: “May the Long Time Sun”; 3 long Sat Nam; closing prayer
Total: 60 minutes
Three key skills: 1. Bridge Pose; 2. Reverse Lion Pose; 3. Yogi Sit-ups.
Three key concepts: 1. Pituitary, thyroid and parathyroid glands, weight loss;
2. Jaap Sahib; 3. Kundalini Yoga’s effect on the parasympathetic nervous system.
13 min.Meditation: Meditation for Stress Relief and Resolving Issues from
the Past (Meditation as Medicine, Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, p
223).11 minutes of the meditation plus instructions and benefits.
? min.
Dance, (time permitting).
5 min.Closing: May the Long Time Sun; 3 long Sat Nams and closing
quote and/or prayer
Total: 60 minutes
Three key skills: 1. Slowing the breath—4 breaths a minute; 2. Venus Lock;
3. Gazing at the tip of the nose eye focus.
Three key concepts: 1. Mention the power of gazing at the tip of the nose.;
2. Lighter (in mind) is better!; 3. The power of slowing the breath
Class 6: Prosperity And Fulfillment
4 min. Tune In: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo
24 min.Kriya: Abdominal Strengthening, half times, (Sadhana Guidelines,
2nd ed., p. 134).
15 min.Relaxation: 5 minutes to get into deep relaxation, 5 minutes gong,
5 minutes silence.
13 minMeditation: Prosperity, Fulfillment, and Success Circling Your Psyche
(Infinity and Me, p. 60).
4 minClosing: May the Long Time Sun; three long Sat Nams; closing
quote and/or prayer.
Total: 60 minutes
Three key skills: 1. Cobra pose (King Cobra) lifting the feet up toward the
head; 2. Locust pose; 3. New mantra, Har, Haray, Haree.
Three key concepts: 1. Prosperity is more than money in the bank.; 2. A
strong nervous system creates a constant and direct person.; 3. Yogi Bhajan
quote: “You determine your worth. Nobody else can do it. Whatever worth you
give yourself, that shall be.”
Class 5: Losing The Weight Of The Past
30 min. Kriya: “Beginners Cleansing Set”(Sadhana Guidelines, p 106 full times)
5 min. Relaxation (included at the end of the kriya)
10 min.More relaxation (total of 5 minutes led into deep relaxation, 5
minutes of the gong, 2 minutes of silence and 3 minutes to lead
them out of deep relaxation.)
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21
Boost Your Immune System
Curriculum created by Satya Prem Kaur (Mayra) Ortiz of San Juan,
Puerto Rico.
E-mail: [email protected]/[email protected]
Telephone: 787.509.4674 | Web page: www.pasosyoga.com
Mailing Address: Cond. Torres del Escorial 4008, Ave. Sur.
Apt. 4301, Carolina, PR 00987
Overall Theme
This curriculum is for anyone wanting to either stay healthy or to maintain
their health—especially those with serious health conditions. It is about how
to stay healthy even with that condition. By strengthening and balancing the
nervous system, the mind and the heart center, you keep the immune system
in balance and thus keep disease away. This series was designed with HIV
positive patients in mind.
Class Notes
Three key skills and three key concepts taught to students in each day’s class
are also listed here.
Class 1: Balance Your Three Psyches
Kriya: Balancing the Three Psyches (Reaching Me in Me, pp. 9–10).
Meditation: Kirtan Kriya (Aquarian Teacher [AT], p.425).
3 Key Concepts: 1) There are three psyches: the individual inner psyche, the
one on your immediate environment and the one on the landscape, bigger
and higher. 2) In order to be harmonious with yourself you need to balance
your psyches. 3) Kundalini Yoga balances the intelligence, works on the eight
centers and the 10 bodies to help you become harmonious.
3 Key Skills: 1) Breath of Fire (BOF, i.e., pant like a dog and then close the
mouth; continue the panting breath through your nose). 2) Cow Pose (lift
head and let your pelvis tilt so that your tailbone points towards the sky). 3)
Cat Pose (arch the upper back like an angry cat as you bring the chin into the
chest).
Quote from Yogi Bhajan at the end of Class #1: “There’s a beauty in your presence. There’s a beauty in your radiance. And that radiating of your psyche reaches
out and communicates who you are.”
Components of Class #1
5 min.Tune In: Includes the Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo, connecting
with the space, theme of the class with some pointers
22
13 min. Kriya: Whole times, without transitions
2 min. Transitions
3 min. Relaxation: Guided Relaxation
12 min. Relaxation
14 min. Meditation: Meditation with closing
2 min. Explanation of the Mudra and Mantra
5 min.Long Time Sunshine Song and Sat Nam. Asking to bring someone
to their mind, chant, and reading a Yogi Bhajan quote.
Total: 56 minutes
Class 2: Keeping Disease Away
Kriya: Disease and Heart Helper (Aquarian Teacher, p. 354)
Meditation: Meditation for a Calm Heart (Aquarian Teacher, p. 395)
3 Key Concepts: 1) Good elimination is the key for a good health. 2) The
stimulation of the navel area is very important for components that help
your physical and mental health. 3) Good physical health comes from a good
mental health and a well functioning heart.
3 Key Skills: 1) Root Lock or mulbandh (it is like stopping a bowl movement,
stopping a urination, and pulling the navel in and up). 2) Gyan Mudra (pad of
index finger touches pad of the thumb). 3) Suspension of the breath (holding the
breath in, and, if you need more air, sip in a little bit more through the nose).
1.5 min. Transitions
15 min. Relaxation
11 min. Meditation: Whole meditation
2 min. Explanation of the Mudra and chant
5 min.Long Time Sunshine Song and Sat Nam; Asking to bring someone
to their mind, chant, and reading a Yogi Bhajan quote
Total: 58.5 minutes
Class 3: Strengthen Your Heart
Kriya: Exercises for the Heart Center (Reaching Me in Me, pp. 17–18)
Meditation: I am, I am (AT, P.433) (using track #4 of Sat Kartar Kaur’s Flow CD).
23
3 Key Concepts: 1) When working the heart you also work the thymus gland
which is responsible for a strong, functioning immune system. 2) Glands
(i.e., the Endocrine System) are the guardians of your health. 3) Pranayam
increases blood circulation all over your body.
3 Key Skills: 1) Crow Pose 2) Cobra Pose 3) Body Drops (legs stretched out in
front, hands at sides on the floor. Raise and drop the body. 3) Bow Pose.
16.5 min. Kriya: Whole times, without transitions
3.5 min. Transitions
6 min. Relaxation: Meditation included in kriya
15 min. Relaxation
11 min. Meditation: I Am, I Am meditation
Total: 59 minutes
Class 4: Keep Disease Away
Pranayam: Immune System Booster: The Inner Sun (Aquarian Teacher, p. 391)
Kriya: Strengthening the Aura (Aquarian Teacher, p. 349)
Meditation: The Divine Shield Meditation (Aquarian Teacher, p.418)
3 Key Concepts: 1) The Aura is the electromagnetic field that surrounds the
body. It is your protection, your shield from negative people, situations and
illness. 2) The aura is also your projection. Your projection is an attitude
of mind to approach action in a certain way. 3) All illness comes into the
aura first, if you can heal yourself auricly, illness cannot penetrate your body
(Aquarian Teacher, p.202).
3 Key Skills: 1) Surya Mudra (touch the pad of the ring finger with the pad
of the thumb). 2) Triangle pose (lift the hips so the body forms a triangle). 3)
The 2nd exercise mudra (extend left arm forward parallel to the ground, palm
facing to the right. Bring right arm beneath the left wrist. Right palm faces the
back of the left hand. Lock the right hand fingers over the left hand fingers).
3 min. Pranayam: Immune System Booster
24
2 min. Transitions
15 min. Relaxation
11 min. Meditation: Divine Shield meditation
to their mind, chant, and read Yogi Bhajan quote and/or prayer.
Total: 55 minutes
Class 5: Balancing Your Energy
Kriya: Prana and Apana Balance (Aquarian Teacher, p.374).
Meditation: Healing with the Siri Gaitri Mantra (Aquarian Teacher, p. 422).
3 Key Concepts: 1) Prana is the subtle life force, the first unit of energy.
Apana is the eliminating force of the body. 2) Most healing has to do with
rearranging the prana in an appropriate way. 3) The navel point is a center of
energy transformation in the body.
3 Key Skills: 1) Celibate Pose (spread feet far enough apart for the hips to fit
between them; use a pillow under the buttocks if needed). 2) Leg lifts (legs
stay parallel to the ground) 3) 90˚ Leg Lifts (keep the back on the floor using
Mulbandh to root yourself into the earth).
5 min. Tune In
13 min. Kriya: Prana & Apana Balance, without transitions
2 min. Transitions
15 min. Relaxation
11 min. Meditation: Healing with the Siri Gaitri Mantra
2 min. Explanation of the Meditation, Mantra and Mudra
Total: 56 minutes
Class 6: Become Still And You’ll Overcome Anything
Kriya: Strength to Sacrifice (Kundalini Yoga Sadhana Guidelines, p. 116).
Meditation: Gunpati Kriya Meditation (Aquarian Teacher, p. 420).
3 key Concepts: 1) In order to transcend, nerves must be strong and balanced. 2) When your aura or electromagnetic field is strong no negativity
25
can enter your field and provoke reaction. 3) There are many challenges and
lessons in life in the midst of which you can stay strong based on the conviction of your consciousness.
3 key Skills: 1) 1st exercise mudra (keep the fingers tightly together at chin
level as you chant 2) Forward Bend (extend legs, bend forward and grab the
toes, ankles or thighs keeping the back straight; it is more about bringing the
heart to the thighs than about bringing the nose to the knees). 3) Gunpati
Kriya uses a mudra that moves. Chant the mantra on a single breath as you
press the pads of the fingertips sequentially with the thumb on each syllable).
14 min. Kriya: Strength to Sacrifice, Whole times, no transitions
1.5 min Transitions
15 min. Relaxation: Includes guided Relaxation
13 min. Meditation: Gunpati Kriya meditation
2 min. Explanation of the Meditation, Mantra and Mudra
Total: 55.5 minutes
Yoga For Seasonal Change
This curriculum was designed to ease the transition from fall into winter
in the northern hemisphere. It was originally compiled and used by
Shakta Kaur Kezios in 2005 as a series of eight 90-minute classes.
Mailing Address: Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), 410 S.
Michigan Ave., Ste. 514, Chicago, IL, 60605.
Class One: Kriya: General Maintenance (Slim & Trim, pp. 3–7); 31 minutes
then 10 minutes deep relaxation. Meditation: Breath of Ten to Become Disease
Free (Self-Experience, p. 30)
Class Two: Kriya: Immune Strengthening Workout (Inner Workout Manual,
pp. 41–44). Meditation: Guru Ram Das Chant
Class Three: Kriya: To Control your Domain (Saahibee Kriya) (Inner Workout
Manual, pp. 11–13). Meditation: The Liberated Heart for Equanimity, Steadfastness & Immunity (KRI International Teacher Training Certification Level
1 Manual, p. 393, copyright 1998)
Class Four:: Kriya: Exercises to Create a Disease-Free Body (Reaching Me in
Me, pp. 15–16); the kriya includes an 8.5 minute deep relaxation. Meditation: Healing the Physical, Mental and Spiritual Bodies (Self-Experience, p. 37)
Class Five: Kriya: SAD and Depression (The Art, Science & Application of
Kundalini Yoga, pp. 131–141). Meditation: To Eliminate Negative Thoughts
(Yoga for Prosperity, pp. 48–49)
Class Six: Kriya: Detoxification (Self-Experience, pp. 9–10). Meditation:
Meditation for the Sixth Chakra (Meditation as Medicine, p. 249)
Class Seven: Kriya for Disease Resistance (Keeping Up, pp. 23–25). Meditation: Shabd Kriya (Kundalini Yoga Manual, Student Manual of Instruction
as Taught by Yogi Bhajan, edited by Rama Kirn Singh, p. 50)
Class Eight: Kriya: Refresh Your Lymph System (Fountain of Youth, p. 25). Meditation: Healing with the Siri Gaitri Mantra (AT, p. 422 1st ed./p. 96 5th ed.)
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27
The Power Of The Mother: A Series Of
Seven 60-Minute Pre-Natal Yoga Classes.
Compiled by Ram Nam Kaur (Kathleen) Muniz, Orland Park, Illinois.
E-Mail: [email protected] | Telephone: 708724-9368
Elements of a Pre-Natal Class Based Upon the Teachings
of Yogi Bhajan:
1.Begin by tuning in with Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo to
create a meditative space.
2.Have students take at least two deep refreshing breaths before the yoga set begins.
3.Teach a pregnancy yoga set or kriya as modified by Yogi Bhajan.
4.Deep relaxation on the back or left side. Note that deep relaxation should
be at least 10 minutes in a prenatal class.
5.Teach a meditation.
6.Have students take at least two deep refreshing breaths before closing the
class.
7.Close with a favorite version of Long Time Sunshine plus three long Sat Nams.
Week 1 Kriya: Pregnancy Yoga Set #1 (www.socalbirth.org)
Meditation: Leaving the Fear & Welcoming the Challenge (Bountiful,
Beautiful, Blissful, pg. 164)
Week 2 Kriya: Pregnancy Yoga Set #2 (www.soccalbirth.org)
Meditation: For Projection & Protection From the Heart (KRI Library of Teachings)
Week 3Kriya: Wahe Guru Kriya for Pregnancy (Conscious Pregnancy, pg. 196)
Meditation: Meditation On the Divine Mother (KRI Library of Teachings)
Meditation: Meditation To Conquer Pain (Conscious Pregnancy pg. 239)
Meditation: Meditation To Bless the Child in the Womb (Conscious
Pregnancy pg. 223)
Week 6Kriya: Lungs, Magnetic Field & Deep Meditation (Conscious Pregnancy
pg. 202)
Meditation: Bountiful Beautiful Meditation (Bountiful, Beautiful,
Blissful, pg. 30)
Week 7 Kriya: Pregnancy Set to Strengthen the Pelvis (Conscious Pregnancy,
pg. 192)
Meditation: Concentration and Freedom From Pain (Conscious Pregnancy, pg. 239)
28
Class Notes
The pregnancy yoga sets from www.socalbirth.org were shared by Gurmukh
Kaur Khalsa (Golden Bridge).
The kriyas used in weeks 3 and 6 were modified by Yogi Bhajan for pregnancy. The meditations used are all standard Kundalini yoga meditations.
In addition to Conscious Pregnancy, edited by Tarn Taran Kaur Khalsa and
Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful by Gurmukh, the I Am A Woman manual,
edited by Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa, is a good resource.
For more general information about yoga asanas for each trimester refer to
Tools for Teaching Prenatal Yoga by Brenda K. Plakans available at www.
yogajournal.com. These are 3 separate papers, one for each trimester.
Gurmukh also has a pre-natal and post-natal DVD available which is useful for those just beginning to teach pre-natal yoga or for students who want
guidance during their home practice.
The Guidelines for Teaching Pregnancy Yoga Based on the teachings of Yogi
Bhajan by Tarn Taran Kaur Khalsa provides good basic information about
teacher responsibilities, what to emphasize, what restrictions to honor, how to
make the classes appropriately challenging, and basic positions for pregnancy
yoga. These Guidelines are attached in the ‘Resource’ section of this document.
Mantra
The Adi Shakti Mantra is used in every class in some way to call upon the
creative feminine energy. There are many versions using different rhythms
to suit a particular class. Remind students of the benefits of chanting the Adi
Shakti both before and after their 120th day of pregnancy.
Guru Guru Wahe Guru Guru Ram Das Guru: there are many versions suitable
for a pregnancy yoga class. Encourage the students to ask for the miracle they
want in their lives as they listen to and/or chant the mantra during class.
The Divine Birth CD by Snatam Kaur includes many beautiful mantras and
shabds to elevate the consciousness of the mother and unborn child. The Adi
Shakti on this CD is perfect for an 11-minute meditation.
Mother’s Blessing, also by Snatam, along with her mother, Prabhu Nam Kaur,
has several tracks useful for a pre-natal series.
29
Mastering The Five Tattvas—
Earth, Water, Fire, Air And Ether
This curriculum was created for a series of five morning classes taught
in Rishikesh, India, at the Purnanava Ayurveda and Yoga Conference,
February 18–22, 2011, by Shakta Kaur Kezios of Chicago, Illinois. Each
class was two hours in length.
Mailing Address: Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), 410 S. Michigan Ave.,
Ste. 514, Chicago, IL, 60605.
Background
Mastering our tattvas (earth, water, fire, air, ether) means to transcend them.
Each one of us has this ability! As human beings we can re-arrange our five
tattvas (aka ‘earthly elements’) and three gunas (tamas, rajas, sattva) with each
and every breath. The new patterns we create will completely re-wire our
brain. This allows us to invite in new experiences even as we let go of old
habits which is even more important as the earth transitions from the Piscean
Age to the Aquarian Age. Rather than get caught up in the stress and overwhelm of the times, we can move through the change with grace, strength
and equanimity.
Class Two (Water): Ungali Pranayam (Kundalini Meditation Manual for
Intermediate Students, p. 56). Warm-Up: Self-Adjustment of the Spine (I Am A
Woman, pp. 192–193). Main Kriya: Pittra Kriya (I Am A Woman, pp. 90–91).
Meditation: Healing Ring of Tantra (Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual, p. 421
(1st ed.)/p. 95 (2nd ed.). [This class was taught on the day of the Full Moon.]
Class Three (Fire): Ungali Pranayam (Kundalini Meditation Manual for
Intermediate Students, p. 56). Kriya: Immune Strengthening Workout (Inner
Workout Manual, pp. 41–44). Meditation: Healing with the Siri Gaitri Mantra
(Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual, p. 422 (1st ed.)/p. 96 (2nd ed.).
Class Four (Air): Ungali Pranayam (Kundalini Meditation Manual for
Intermediate Students, p. 56). Kriya: To Open the Heart Center (Level 2
Conscious Communication Manual, pp. 188–189). Meditation: For Projection and Protection from the Heart (Yoga for Prosperity, pp. 58–59) [Students
sat back-to-back in this meditation.]
Class Five (Ether): Ungali Pranayam (Kundalini Meditation Manual for
Intermediate Students, p. 56). Kriya: Kantha Padma Kriya (KRI International
Teacher Training Certification Level 1 Manual [old 3-ring binder manual],
pp. 409–411). Meditation: The Waves of the Ganges (Meditations for the
New Millennium, LA #0963).
The mantra of the tattvas is Sa Ta Na Ma. Many of the kriyas and meditations chosen for this series used the mantra Sa Ta Na Ma. Ungali Pranayam,
which uses the mantra Sa Ta Na Ma, was used in all five classes so that students could gain experience and claim mastery of this one practice.
The five tattvas also have five projections. Earth’s projection is greed; water’s
projection is lust; fire’s projection is anger; air’s projection is attachment; and
ether’s projection is pride. We cannot remove these projections, but, we can
learn to channel them positively.
Class One (Earth): Ungali Pranayam (Kundalini Meditation Manual for
Intermediate Students, p. 56). Kriya: Balance of Prana and Apana (Physical
Wisdom, pp. 28–29). Meditation: Kirtan Kriya (Aquarian Teacher Level 1
Manual, p. 425 (1st ed.)/p. 99 (2nd ed.).
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Five Fantastic Workshops
After sample curricula the next most asked-for tool from teachers of Kundalini
Yoga comes in the form of an oft-repeated question. That question is, “Do
you have any workshop samples that I could use?”
Yes, we do! Four of them are included here: 1) Cultivate Peace Within;
2) Connecting Women for Peace; 3) Yoga for the Artist; and 4) The Lunar Woman.
In addition, the hand-outs that were used for each of these workshops are
available to download at the addresses on page 56 for your use as a guide when
planning your own awesome workshop!
Cultivate Peace Within
A Special 2-Hour Workshop of Kundalini Yoga, Meditation and the Gong. Conducted for
clients of Gladstone Chiropractic in Chicago, Illinois, USA, September 2005
Background
Gladstone Chiropractic held both a spring and summer series of Kundalini
Yoga classes. Their Kundalini Yoga teacher wanted to spur even greater interest in their fall series of Kundalini Yoga classes. She asked for a workshop
to be created, to appeal both to her experienced Kundalini Yoga students
and for any of the many Hatha Yoga practitioners in the neighborhood who
might decide to join them for the first-time.
6 pm—Intro and Tune-In
Your actions, words and thoughts are the key to a peaceful future both
for yourself and for the world. Your soul projects into the world via your
magnetic field. When that magnetic field is strong, it automatically filters
out negative influences and resonates with the energy of the Infinite
magnetic field.
Tonight we manifest the peace that is always at your core with Kundalini
Yoga postures, deep yogic breathing, sacred syllables called mantra and the
profound rest that only the gong can bring.
6:15 pm—Kriya: Working the Total Self (Kundalini Yoga Manual, edited by
Rama Kirn Singh, pp. 37–41).
7:15 pm—Deep relaxation with the gong.
7:35 pm—Healing with the Siri Gaitri Mantra (Aquarian Teacher Level 1
Manual, p. 422 (1st ed.)/p. 96 (2nd ed.).
[Suggestion: Put the students in a circle for this meditation. Suggest that they
may lie down in the center of the circle for however long they might want to
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experience the mantra. They do not need to chant while lying down in the
center of the circle.]
7:55 pm—Long Time Sunshine Song. Conversation with students during Yogi
Tea and cookies!
Connecting Women For Peace
A 4-hour workshop designed as a fund-raiser for a non-profit organization.
Welcome to “Connecting Women for Peace!” This workshop is a fund-raiser
for the non-profit organization Peace X Peace (www.peacexpeace.org). Peace
X (aka ‘by’) Peace is dedicated to improving the status of women around the
world and to building sustainable peace. With Peace X Peace’s help, women
communicate directly—across geographic, political, ethnic, linguistic and economic divides—unfiltered by their governments or the media. Women connect to each other via Sister Circles of women all over the world. These circles
are either formal (such as a professional organization) or informal (as in family
or a group of friends). The circles share information and expertise. Sometimes
they even travel great distances to meet each other in person!
Yogic teachings say that living this incarnation as a male or as a female is designed for us to learn specific lessons. [Briefly mention the acid bath and birth
for a male; birth for a female; the Arcline and aura of a woman and how it is
different from that of a man.]
After a little Kundalini Yoga and Meditation, we will take a break, have
some Yogi Tea and then we’ll watch the Peace X Peace-produced documentary,
Women on the Frontlines. This is an award-winning documentary narrated by
actress Jessica Lange. Featured women include a former underground teacher
educating women and girls in Afghanistan; Hutu and Tutsi female journalists
operating a peace radio station in Burundi and key leaders in Bosnia, Argentina
and the United States.
1:15 pm—Kriya for a Calm and Open Heart Center for Women (Self-Knowledge, p. 19) followed by deep relaxation with the gong. Meditation for a Calm
Heart (Meditation as Medicine, Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., p. 218 also
Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual, p. 395 (1st ed.) and p. 65 (2nd ed.).
2:15 pm—Break
2:30 pm—Women on the Frontlines documentary.
4 pm—Gather in a circle to share some of our thoughts and feelings after viewing Women on the Frontlines. Reiterate that “X percentage of their registration
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fee is going to Peace X Peace in order that they can continue their important
work.”
4:30 pm—[If time and energy allows a second kriya.] Kriya: Strengthening the
Aura (Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual, p. 349 (1st ed.)/p. 23 (2nd ed.).
[If no time for a second kriya, then allow the women to remain in their circle
and choose one of the following three meditations:]
Meditation #1: Healing Ring of Tantra (Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual, p.
421 (1st ed.)/p. 95 (2nd ed.) [Only to be done on the days of the Full Moon,
the New Moon, and the 11th day of the New Moon, with a minimum of 11
people].
Meditation #2: Mahan Jap (Linked Jap) (Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual,
p. 430 (1st ed.)/p. 104 (2nd ed.); also found in Kundalini Meditation Manual for Intermediate Students, p. 48 and Transformations Vol. 2, p. 110.)
Meditation #3: Group Solidarity Meditation (Vitality & Stress Level 2
Manual, pp. 218 and 220; also, Transformations Vol. 2, p. 109)
4:55 pm—Long Time Sunshine Song and prayer
[Suggestion: Once you schedule a local fundraising workshop be sure to notify the local media. The publisher of YOGAChicago magazine learned about
the Connecting Women for Peace workshop, attended and was moved enough
to write the article that you see here:]
Connecting Women for Peace—A Yoga Day USA Event
By Sharon Steffensen
On January 28, many yoga studios celebrated Yoga Day USA by offering
workshops with benefits going to charitable organizations. Yoga Day USA is
an annual nationwide celebration to raise awareness about yoga and was created in 1999 by Yoga Alliance, a non-profit organization that sets educational
standards for yoga schools and teachers.
This year Kundalini in the Loop (KYL) offered a workshop, Connecting
Women for Peace, as a fundraiser for Peace x Peace (“Peace by Peace”), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to improving the
status of women around the world and to building sustainable peace. Through
the Internet, it facilitates direct online communication between women-led
groups (called Circles) across the U.S. and Sister Circles around the world.
Special guest Linda Higdon, partnership development director of Peace x
Peace, defined the organization as “a grass-roots, global women’s movement,
bypassing government and media, to connect sister groups with one another.”
Examples of groups might be “nurses against violence, yoga studios work34
ing with grandmothers who are raising orphans, women from Kenya selling
beads in the U.S., groups teaching women how to get jobs [or provide] home
schooling,” explained Linda. As of last October, there were 351 Sister Circles
in 47 countries, including Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, India, Bosnia, Argentina,
Brazil, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Circles are supported by 275 professional
translators who help facilitate the connections.
KYL director Shakta Kaur opened the workshop by leading us in a mantra
to center ourselves. We then practiced specific kundalini yoga exercises while
chanting mantras to clear each of our charkas. After a deep relaxation, during which Shakta played the gong, and practicing another technique to calm
the heart, we watched an award-winning documentary about Peace x Peace
entitled, Peace x Peace, Women on the Frontlines.
The film featured women from Bosnia, Chile, Argentina, Burundi,
New York City and other places, who described not only their personal tragedies of war and loss, but also how they are now improving their lives. Some are
developing businesses through loans that have been made available to them.
(7,000 loans have been made to the women since Peace x Peace began in January, 2002.) We saw women who were able to buy chickens, a cow or material
to make gloves and, with the profits, grow their businesses and employ others.
Other women are connecting with others to further their education and educate their children. One message from the film is that when women become
independent, they have responsibility and the power that comes with it.
Here are some facts we learned from the film:
• During World War I, 16% of the casualties were civilians. Now, 80–90% of
the war casualties are civilians, and most of them are women and children.
• 200,000,000 girls worldwide have no education, and two-thirds of the
people in the world who are illiterate are women.
• There are 50,000,000 refugees; 80% are women and children.
• Women constitute 14% of the lawmakers in the world, but in the U.S.,
France and Japan, less than 12% are women.
Some of the comments of women in the film were: “Women need to be at
the negotiation table; the attitude of [many men] is that peace is possible
when everybody is dead.”
“Be peaceful in your own life. Open the door for somebody. Let someone
get in front of you. Forgive others for the sake of peace. The telling of the
stories connects each of us and allows for healing to take place.”
“Peace is the capacity to break the cycle of violence—not seeking revenge.
Your own security is tied in with the security of your neighbors. Much of the
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war on terror is treating the symptoms; we are not looking at the cause of the
disease.”
“From our strength we are building another world. Organize yourselves.
Anything in the world is possible because women are leading the fight for
change. We can get to know each other and erase all boundaries. Nothing can
work in our world unless we make peace, and the only way we can make peace
is in our hearts. Recognize all of us. Let’s be part of each other’s lives—then we
can help each other. Life is a gift. Take care of it.”
A woman from New York City made the point that “War will continue to
destroy the environment in which we live.” Referring to 9/11, she suggested we
“pay homage to the victims by spreading love and peace and not by demanding
revenge.”
After the film, we sat in a circle to share our thoughts and feelings. We also
remembered the women here in the U.S. who are abused and battered. We
ended the workshop chanting a mantra, “Wha-Hay Guru,” as we held hands.
Shakta Kaur translated the mantra to mean “Wow, God,” or “the indescribable joy of going from the darkness to the light.”
For more information about Peace x Peace, visit Peacexpeace.org. For information about Kundalini in the Loop, visit shaktakaur.com.
Yoga For The Artist—And Anyone Else Wanting To Awaken
The Artist Within!
A 3-hour workshop based upon the teachings of Yogi Bhajan
[Note: This workshop was designed and conducted in September 2008 for a group of artistsin-residence at the Fine Arts Building (FAB) in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was co-taught by
Meherbani Kaur (Chelsea) Schwartz and Shakta Kaur Kezios.]
2 pm—Intro and Tune In
Uniqueness, creativity and sensitivity—all are the hallmarks of great artists—
and the artist within! Welcome to Yoga for the Artist. This is a special workshop designed for creative people from all walks of life who love being that
channel for the life force of the Creator! That means you!
Our session today includes some Kundalini Yoga and several meditations
guaranteed to spark your creativity, deep relaxation with the gong and the
chance to share with each other a little bit about ourselves, our desires as an
artist, poet, writer or dancer and why we wanted to experience this class. All
of what you’ll learn today is written down in this hand-out. It is yours to take
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home and incorporate into your daily life. There is no need to take notes unless you really want to. We’d prefer that you have an ‘“xperience” today and
read the words about what you “experienced” later!
Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini Yoga to the west in 1968, said once
that “all art is worship of God.” I know you must feel that way when the spark
of creativity is flowing. But, what happens when you feel “stuck?” You might
have writer’s block or you simply can’t think of a creative way out of a sticky
situation. Well, with some of the tools we’ll share with you today, you will
have several new levers to use whenever you need a boost of energy, a pat on
the back or the silent whisper of inspiration to come your way, all of which
allow the creative juices to flow.
We’ll also talk a bit about the negative “tapes” running around in our head
from time-to-time and how to turn that negative “talk” into positive affirmations. Positive thoughts are the basis of our contentment and prosperity. And,
we all want to see more prosperous, creative people in our lives and in our
world. We want to be those prosperous, creative people!
2:15 pm—Kriya: Set for Creativity (The Kundalini Yoga Experience, Guru
Dharam Singh Khalsa and Darryl O’Keefe, pp. 88–90) and deep relaxation
with the gong. Meditation for a Calm Heart (Meditation as Medicine, Dr.
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., p. 218 also Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual,
p. 395 (1st ed.) and p. 65 (2nd ed.)
3:45 pm—Break
4 pm—Share with one another. Discussion about affirmations and negative
thoughts
4:45 pm—Three Minutes to Energy, Creativity and Prosperity (Kundalini Yoga,
Shakta Kaur Khalsa, pp. 130–131)
4:55 pm—Long Time Sunshine Song
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The Lunar Woman
A 3-hour workshop that teaches the essence of a woman is moon in quality.
[Note: The workshop hand-out included on page 56 was developed for the Ayurveda Yoga
Australia Conference held in Sydney, Australia, in April 2009. Both men and women attended
this workshop.]
6 pm—Intro and Tune In
Welcome to The Lunar Woman. My name is Shakta Kaur and I’m from
Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL) based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. There are
three important ideas that I hope you’ll take away from our time together this
evening: first, a woman has 11 different moon centers. Second, she moves to
a different moon center every 2½ days. And, finally—according to the yogic
scriptures—a woman is 16 times stronger and more powerful than a man.
(Well, we didn’t really need yogis to tell us that, did we ladies?!)
Important points to cover either after tuning in or after the break:
• The moon center sequence begins while you are in the womb.
• The male moon center on the chin has hair on it, therefore, it is steady.
• Mapping your moon center pattern provides insights into your emotional
ebb and flow.
• Watch how you feel each day for a few months paying attention to the general description of the moon centers and the qualities listed in our hand-out.
• The 11 moon centers and their qualities
6:30 pm—Kriya: Yoga set for Emotional Balance (I Am a Woman: Creative,
Sacred and Invincible, p. 158) followed by deep relaxation with the gong.
Meditation: Kirtan Kriya (Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Manual, p. 425 (1st
ed.)/p. 99 (2nd ed.)
7:30 pm—Break
7:45 pm—Discussion and Q&A about the moon center sequence. Meditation to Balance the Moon Centers and Glandular System (A Woman’s Book of
Yoga, Hari Kaur Khalsa and Machelle M. Seibel, M.D., pp. 63–64)
8:30 pm—Adi Shakti Meditation (KRI International Teacher Training Certification Level 1 Manual (old 3-ring binder), p. 488)
8:55 pm—Long Time Sunshine Song
[Suggestions: 1) To purchase a copy of The Lunar Woman Curriculum Guidelines compiled by Hari Charn Kaur Khalsa contact Upma Kaur (upmak@3HO.
org) at 3HO IKYTA. 2) To purchase your own copy of a Lunar Woman workshop on DVD call 312-922-4699 or e-mail [email protected]. Shakta
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Kaur taught this one-hour version of the Lunar Woman at the Punarnava
Ayurveda and Yoga Conference held in Rishikesh, India, in 2008.]
Japji Sahib: The Song Of The Soul
A 2-hour workshop to delve into the sacred sounds of Japji.
[Note: This workshop was developed in 2006 as an introductory 2-hour course. It was later
expanded to a 3-hour workshop in 2007. The hand-out provided on page 56 was used for
both the 2- and 3-hour version. Copies of Japji were also provided to the students.]
Here are some suggestions on how to expand this workshop to 3-hours:
• Include a break mid-way, serve Yogi Tea and ask if there are any questions,
comments or observations.
• Have students pull a hukam for themselves from their copy of Japji, ask
them to read the lines out loud with perhaps a comment on how they think
its meaning fits into their life right now.
• Add a meditation using a pauri of your choice with which to end the workshop.
• End with a group recitation of Japji (supported by a different recording than
the one used to open the workshop).]
Japji contains universal teachings for anyone seeking truth…like you! It is a
timeless piece of poetry, a song composed by the Indian saint, Guru Nanak,
while in a state of divine union with the Infinite.
The story goes that Guru Nanak (born in 1469) went to the river to meditate. He was gone for three days. He emerged from the water of the river after
three days and the first words he spoke were the words of Japji.
Japji will recalibrate your mind, heal your body and balance your chakras.
It is naad, the essence of all sound. Naad gives you the experience of infinity
within this finite body of yours. Japji is a sacred sound that resonates with
your soul and transforms you.
Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini Yoga to the West in 1968, taught that the
unconscious is a storehouse of memory. The subconscious mind, too, is constantly working things out, via dreams, for example. All of the thoughts we do not use
go into the subconscious. We need to regularly clear out our subconscious mind.
The sound current of Japji brings balance to the mind. It sets the pattern for you
to experience infinity. It is nothing less than a technology of self-transformation!
Physically, the tongue moves in a particular way when you recite Japji. It
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stimulates the 84 meridian points on the roof of the mouth which in turn
stimulates the hypothalamus which in turn stimulates the pineal gland. The
pineal gland radiates and stimulates the pituitary gland.
Japji is part of the technology of shabd (to erase the ego). Even in our darkest
hour, reciting Japji connects us to the greatest part of life, to the consciousness
of the saint, Guru Nanak himself. The consciousness of perfection is produced.
We become part of creation, full and abundant. We feel complete. We recognize that God speaks to us in every moment and we begin to acknowledge everything in our life as an act of God’s kindness. That is the gift of Guru Nanak’s
Japji to the world.
We begin by listening to the sound current of Japji and following along in
our booklets.
6:20 pm: Play Bani Pro 1 (approx. 20 minutes)
6:45 pm: Kundalini Yoga to Balance the Head and Heart (Kundalini Yoga,
Shakta Kaur Khalsa, pp. 92-93)
7 pm: Deep relaxation with the gong
7:15 pm: Meditation to Get Rid of Fear & Split Personalities (The Master’s
Touch, pp. 176–177) for 3–7 minutes
7:30 pm: Discuss effects of the pauris of Japji (see hand-out). Suggest chanting one pauri 11 times each day as a 40-day sadhana. Use the 25th pauri,
Bahuta Karam, as an example. (Play Livtar Singh’s Bahuta Karam CD, available from Invicible Music).
7:55 pm: Closing remarks and Long Time Sunshine Song. Serve Yogi Tea and
converse with students.
[Suggestion: Order free copies of Japji Sahib for everyone in this workshop
by contacting [email protected] or www.sikhlink.com. Let them
know how many copies you’ll need. Again, these copies are mailed to you…
complimentary.]
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Articles— You’re in the
“Yoga Business” Now!
Your Marketing Train
by Shakta Kaur Kezios, Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), Chicago, IL,
USA,
[email protected].
You are ready to begin teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation and you’d like plenty of new students to join your
classes. But, what do you need to do to attract and build
your yoga business? How much time will it take? And,
where do you start?
With an entire world to influence you might be surprised that your initial
marketing activities will remarkably resemble a train just starting to move out
of the station! As you know, most trains beginning their journeys move quite
s_l_o_w_l_y! Your “marketing” train will probably chug-a-lug along with
a few fits and stops until enough momentum builds up so that it can glide
along—seemingly--smoothly and effortlessly.
A train typically has three types of cars--an engine, passenger cars and a
caboose. Similarly, you have a “marketing train” of techniques from which to
choose to announce your yoga business to the world. All of these techniques
fit into one of three categories of activity—active, passive or database.
First, let’s talk about the “active” things that you “do” to get your marketing
message out into the world. These active marketing techniques are just like a
train’s engine. They are what “drive” your yoga business. Handing out your
business card to everyone you meet is active. Including an offer to try the first
class for half-price on the back of your business card makes it even more active.
Second, are the passenger cars. These are the more passive kinds of marketing tools; like telling someone, “I have a website.” A website is almost impossible not to have in today’s world of the internet, however, a website functions
simply as a billboard unless it puts people in your classes. Offering to e-mail a
special meditation to everyone who registers at your website will turn that once
passive website into an “active” tool that could begin to drive your business.
Finally, there are the things you do to “keep in touch” with people. We call
these activities database marketing. The database, much like the caboose of a
train, is bringing up the rear by gathering information that will benefit you
in the long-run. Collecting your students’ e-mail addresses and storing them
electronically is a “database” activity. But, picking up the telephone and calling
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10 people in your database each week to invite them to your next class can
turn your database into an “active” marketing tool.
Ideas For Your Train
The list below contains a sampling of marketing options available to you.
Some of these options might flow quite easily, feel natural and will, obviously,
work best for you right now. Other options you may need time to investigate,
trying one or two of them on for size to see how you do before adding them
to your permanent list of ideas for your personal “marketing train.”
As an exercise, indicate on a piece of paper which of these ideas you would
consider Active (A), Passive (P) or Database (D) marketing techniques. Then
indicate in order of priority several ideas in each category (Active, Passive or
Database) that flow easily, feel natural and might work best for you right now.
FF Public speaking
FF Workshops, Seminars
FF Retreats
FF Free Classes
FF Demo at health fair
FF Tele-classes
FF Networking
FF Tell everyone you meet
FF Invite your friends
FF Contact studios, gyms
FF E-mail people you know
FF Send out an announcement
FF Be interviewed on radio
FF Booth at conference/show
FF Write article in local giveaways
FF Article written about you
FF Write a book
FF Audio/ Video class or sample
FF Form Strategic alliances
FF Use your Centers of Influence
FF Donate classes to raffles/auctions
FF Chat rooms/online discussion
groups
FF Get students to bring a friend
FF Pass out flyers
FF Cable network show/interview
FF Volunteer your skills
FF Electronic newsletter
FF E-mail signature
FF Be listed in magazine/web directories
FF Brochure
FF Advertise
FF Direct mail offers
FF Sponsor an event
FF Clever business card
FF Giveaways, promotional items
FF Coupons, gift certificates
FF Website, links with others
FF Go where your target market goes
How Much Time Will This Take?
If you don’t constantly re-fuel your train it is going to slow down again. In fact,
70–75% of your efforts each week need to be in active marketing efforts. When
you feel you are doing as much marketing as you do teaching then you’re approaching the appropriate amount of effort. When you feel you are doing more
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marketing than teaching, you will know that you are in the correct place.
Sitting passively in front of a computer screen spending most of your time
designing your marketing brochures, fliers and business cards is not what we’re
talking about. If you intend on becoming a full-time yogi, half of your time
will be spent teaching. The other half of your time will, of necessity, be spent
on actively setting up your marketing infrastructure so that you can teach.
Eventually, you will need to set up a system that not only invites students
into your classes but one that will encourage them to return again and again.
You may have to think about recruiting someone to oversee some of those more
passive aspects of your marketing that can no longer be handled solely by you.
That is one of the first signs of recognizing that your marketing train* is on its
way. While gliding along the tracks smoothly may not go without a hitch at
this point, you now have momentum. And, that momentum is going to bring
you closer than ever towards the creation of the yoga business of your dreams!
*Shakta Kaur gratefully acknowledge that the concept of a “marketing train” was taught to her
by business building coach, Michael Charest, President of Business Growth Solutions, in a
prosperity tele-conference series that he co-taught with GuruMeher Singh Khalsa of Los Angeles,
California, USA ([email protected]). Contact Michael Charest for more information
by contacting him at [email protected] or by visiting his website at www.bgsllc.com.
How to Easily Create Your Own Fliers
“I don’t know how to do that,” is what new yoga teachers often say when
they look at artfully designed promotional material. But, learning how to
create an attractive flier to announce your yoga classes or workshops is easier
than you might think. And, it is becoming necessary to learn how to do so in
some of today’s crowded yoga markets.
Using the “Gong & Mantra” sample flier provided at the addresses on page
56 as an example is a good place to start. This flier can be created two-up on a
standard 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper.
To begin with, you need some “Graphic Software” to create interesting
effects in text and photos. The industry standard is Photoshop by Adobe. You
can purchase the “light” version called Photoshop Elements for about $90. It
is a good investment with lots of tools for creative effects. In fact, we used
Photoshop Elements to create the “Gong & Mantra” flier.
You will also need “word processor” software to create your fliers. A very
good “free” package is called Open Office. It competes directly with the
very expensive Microsoft Office Suite. You can download the free software
at OpenOffice.org (includes word processor, spreadsheet, database, and
presentation modules).
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Using both of these inexpensive tools can help put your yoga business
“on the map.” You will craft an appealing yet professional image that invites
people into your classes. Then all you’ll have to do is provide them with the
“experience” so they will come back again…and again…and again!
Charging For Yoga Classes—Five Steps To Success
by Shakta Kaur Kezios, Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), Chicago, IL, USA, [email protected].
Unless you’re beginning your teaching career in an established yoga studio or health club where the fees are pre-set a
new Kundalini Yoga teacher can be unsure about how much
money to charge for a yoga class. Add to this the notion
among some yogis that “money” is somehow not “spiritual”
and you have all the ingredients for a difficult beginning.
Here are five simple steps to take that will ensure success and help you determine what you should charge … all at the same time:
1. Research Local Classes.
2. Determine Your Market.
3. Set Your Prices.
4. Persist.
5. Gurudakshina.
Research
No matter what is happening nationally, your local market provides the best
source of information to help you price your new yoga classes properly. Begin
on-line by locating yoga studios, health clubs, community centers, churches
and any other place in your community where yoga classes are taught. Visit
their websites or call to find out what they are charging for their classes. Ask
the same questions when you do your research and write down your answers.
Questions you might ask include “What is a) the length of yoga classes offered; b) the price for an individual class; c) the price for a package of classes;
d) the price for an unlimited number of yoga classes per month; e) are yoga
mats, cushions, blankets and other props provided for students or must they
bring their own; f ) do you rent space to outside teachers, and, if so, what do
you charge; g) are you looking for any substitute teachers; and h) thank you!”
Your Market—The Students
Determine if your market (i.e., who you’re going to teach) is the same as
the places you are researching. In other words, if the community center you
44
called offers one “gentle” yoga class mid-mornings determine if that is also
your market. Or, would you prefer to teach a noon class to business people
on their lunch breaks? As you do your research you should target similar
types of classes to the ones you desire to teach. That way, you will be comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges.
Your market (i.e., who you’re going to teach) focus might change as you
do your research. For example, you might decide you want to teach stayat-home moms in your area. But then you find out that everyone is teaching stay-at-home moms! Your area is already flush with those kinds of yoga
classes. You may decide at this point to change your target and focus on the
after-work crowd. On the other hand, you could also decide at this point to
offer something unique, that no one else is offering to stay-at-home moms…
like “Kundalini Yoga and Meditation.” You would still use the other stayat-home moms yoga class prices to inform your pricing decision, but, your
research has educated you. You’ve gained some very valuable information
about your target market.
Price Setting
When setting class prices don’t set them too low. Some use the strategy to
have the lowest priced yoga classes in the local area. This is not necessarily
a bad strategy, but, it is not necessarily a good one, either! You have to ask
yourself if customers will perceive they are receiving as much value if they
were paying more money for their yoga classes. Some people are “snobby”
like that, you know! If your plan is to teach in an affluent section of your
community this is very important to consider in your pricing strategy.
Another reason not to set your prices too low is that it is never easy to raise
prices after you find out that you are positioned well below market price. Low
prices can be a good thing, too. But, you must let everyone know…many,
many times…that you offer the least expensive yoga experience in town.
Students shop around and there are only so many yoga dollars in everyone’s
pocket. So, if you decide to set your prices lower than other yoga classes
nearby then that fact needs to be trumpeted on your business card, on your
Facebook page, under the signature line in your e-mail messages, etc.
According to www.costhelper.com the average cost of single drop-in sessions
for a 60-minute class at yoga studios and fitness centers across the United States
is $12. Some instructors in metropolitan and coastal areas charge as much as
$16 (60-minute class). CostHelper.com notes that health clubs often offer unlimited yoga classes to clients as part of their overall membership package.
45
Package Deals
Prices decrease when students purchase multiple sessions. Studios in California, Texas, Nebraska and North Dakota offer packages of five sessions for
$50 to $75 and 10 sessions range from $90 to $135. At Kundalini Yoga in the
Loop (KYL) in Chicago, Illinois, USA, a six-class package is offered. When
you buy five classes upfront you receive the sixth class “free.”
Some studios offer monthly bundles for a flat fee. At San Francisco’s Yoga
Tree, you can take up to 30 yoga classes per month for $190. Chicago’s KYL
offers an unlimited monthly pass for $140. That means that someone could
take 40 classes a month at KYL for $140. (No one has ever taken even 20
classes in one month at KYL, by the way!)
As a show of support, friends and family members might be enticed to purchase an unlimited annual pass from you as you start out in your yoga teaching career! This type of fee ranges from $800 to $1500 per year, depending
upon the number of yoga classes you offer.
Remember to build automatic expiration dates into any bundled yoga class
passes that you sell. Find out how long a yoga class pass is good for at each of the
yoga centers you call in your area. Then, set your own expiration date. 90 days is
fairly typical. If someone does not use all five class sessions within 90 days, for example, the pass automatically expires. You could also decide to be more generous
and offer a 120-day or four-month expiration from date of purchase. Whatever
policy you decide to use, stick to it and do not waver. Students will recognize
your seriousness about running a yoga business and will respect you for that.
Of course from time-to-time, an emergency surgery or unexpected business
trip out of the country may keep a student away from your studio for longer
than the expiration date on your class pass. But, you then have the ability to
decide on an individual basis if you will extend the expiration date in such an
unusual circumstance. Be ready for the few students who will continually try
to “test” your policies, too!
Private Sessions
Eventually you will be asked to teach a private Kundalini Yoga and Meditation session. Someone might feel uncomfortable coming to a class full of
strangers. This is especially true if they are new to the yoga scene in general.
Be clear that private sessions are much more expensive than coming in for
a regular class. When pricing private sessions be sure to begin by asking the
client what amount of money they want to spend. Simply ask, “Do you have
a budget in mind?” Then be sure what you ask for is either equal to or higher
46
than what the client offers. If you must travel to their location, charge for
your travel time from the time you leave home until you get to the client’s
location and do the same on the way back.
It is not unusual for a private yoga session to cost at least $108 an hour
(even $150 or $300 per hour in some cities) plus $54 per hour of transport
time to and from the session (or, simply charge two hourly fees to cover your
transportation time and expenses). If the private client is willing to pay for
a series of, say, 10 sessions upfront then you may choose to discount your
hourly teaching rate.
Trade
Barter deals can be a good idea especially when you’re starting out as a
Kundalini Yoga instructor. The idea is to trade yoga classes hour-for-hour for
a service that you use, like massages or fresh cooked meals. Don’t use barter
or trade for something that you really need like the services of a student as
an assistant. Many times, the student doesn’t show up and you’re left doing
the work yourself! The difficulty about barter is that people can sometimes
be lazy in delivering on their part of the deal. If you want to trade assistant
duties for yoga classes be sure you have several back-up assistants. That way,
if your first choice is unable to show up when needed you’ll have the availability of an alternate helper.
Record Everything
Your record keeping is extremely important in all of the above situations. If
you are just starting out, a hand-written journal of who bought what class
pass, how they paid for it, the expiration date and a place to indicate how
many classes they have taken will be important records to keep. You do not
want to have to handle disputes about money. And, your record keeping will
inevitably become important as students often forget how many sessions they
have used.
Do not let a student get behind in paying for their yoga classes, either.
Remember, in Kundalini Yoga if they come empty-handed, they leave emptyhanded (Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Textbook, p. 271).
Right from the start you should consider accepting credit cards either via
PayPal or GoogleCheckOut. Once you have more than three yoga classes in
any one week it is time to consider using on on-line yoga class scheduling
service.*
47
Persist
Expect to build your class count slowly but surely. This is not a get-rich-quick
scheme. What that means is that you are going to have to persist through the
one- and two-student classes that you inevitably will teach. Be grateful for
each and every student that comes to a class. After the Long Time Sunshine
Song and three Long Sat Nams, always say “thank you.” Announce a special
workshop that you’ll teach or another upcoming event. Always invite them
to return for another powerful Kundalini Yoga and Meditation experience.
After several months of diligence, the word-of-mouth from current student
and your increased use of marketing techniques (like those described in “Your
Marketing Train”) will have your classes growing exponentially.
Gurudakshina
Give back. Every Kundalini Yoga teacher learns about gurudakshina while in Level 1 Teacher Training (Aquarian Teacher Level 1 Textbook, p. 293). Gurudakshina
is tithing 11% of your yoga class earnings to the source of the Teachings. Giving
gurudakshina is an expression of gratitude for the technology that you are now
able to teach. If you’ve never contributed to gurudakshina and your yoga classes
are not growing to the size you think they should, that may be the reason!**
Here’s a fun game to start with yourself. Send in more than 11% to see what
will happen. I did this when I started out as a Kundalini Yoga instructor. If I
wanted six new students to show up for class I would pay enough gurudakshina for six new students—in advance. Guess what happened? Those six or
eight or 10 new students—whatever I sent in advance—actually showed up
each week! I really enjoyed the give-and-take in this game that I began to play
with the Universe. It was, however, the mega-multiplying effect of gurudakshina that had kicked in, my attitude about tithing had changed and the universe
responded in kind.
There are only five steps needed to figure out how much you should charge
for a yoga class. Do your research, determine your market, set your prices, persist and give back. The results will be a steady client base, a growing income
and the satisfaction of seeing the growth of the Kundalini Yoga community
around you.
*For additional details on using credit card and on-line scheduling services,
see “Establish Yourself on the Internet.”
**E-mail [email protected] to find out the most convenient way for you to
make your gurudakshina payments.
48
Establish Yourself on the Internet
by Hari Dev Singh Beck, Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL),
[email protected].*
Students must know where to find you! And the only “place”that is stationary these days is in the virtual world of the internet. An internet address (also
called a “domain name”) provides a single, unchanging, location for your
business. You should obtain your own, private top-level domain name (such
as www.YogaByMe.com) rather than being added as a sub-domain on an
existing website (such as, yogabyme.yogajournal.com)—a sub-domain is
not yours and, therefore, not permanent. Continuity of your location, your
name, and your brand are vital to the growth of your business. Your physical
address will change and your phone number will likely change; but a private
domain name will assure a single point of reference for your business.
Also, a private domain name allows a more professional looking email address. Which address looks better to you: [email protected] or
[email protected]? Also, a quick note on displaying your domain name—
make it easy to read, use Capital Letters to help the eye define each word. This
is good—YogaByMe.com versus not so good—yogabyme.com (one real-life
example is [email protected]).
The good news is that you can have a presence on the internet for about $10
per month, and even create your own web site with user-friendly tools. There is
a learning curve, but it is not too steep. You really can do this yourself.
Here are the steps to help you become a member of the virtual world:
Register a Domain Name
It can be daunting to obtain the perfect domain name for your business. The
possibilities are almost endless, but keep in mind that simpler is better. You
actually have two items that will comprise you domain name—the unique
name of your business plus the extension letters at the end—often .com, .edu,
or .org (these were the original extensions for “company,” “education,” and
“non-profit”). The preferred extension is “.com”—but it is not easy to get a
good .com name these days. There are plenty of other extensions which work
just as well, so do not worry.
When considering your domain name, try to put your “brand”within the
name, and the word “yoga”too. Search engines look first at the domain name
to find information—so a good domain name will contain your “brand”and
type of business. One caution, a hard-to-spell word may confuse people–so
omit difficult words in favor of easier words when possible. Alternatively, you
49
may purchase several domain names, with spelling variations, all of which
will send internet viewers to the same website. For example, ShaktaKaur.
com variations would include—ShaktaKar.com and ShaktaCar.com (or even
ShocktaKar.com, etc.).
A domain name may have numbers, letters, or hyphens “-“. Nothing else!
The total length of the domain name is between 2 and 67 characters. The
following link allows you to search for many different domain names very
quickly: https://secure.dotster.com/DDS/
The registration for each domain name is between $10 and $20 per year.
Purchase a Web Host (Internet Service Provider, or ISP)
You need a physical computer system “out there”to be the host for your website. The ISP does all the work to manage the computers and connections to
the internet, along with your email. For a simple website, like a yoga instructor’s website, you only need the bare-bones hosting plan, which costs less than
$10 per month. Do not worry about “high bandwidth”and big GBs and 5,000
email boxes, etc. Get the most basic plan (usually on a Linux server rather than
Microsoft servers). Everyone can get to your website no matter which server is
hosting it.
Here is a good, reliable, cheap place to host your website:
http://www.dotster.com/hosting/linux.php The basic plan is $64 per year
and you get one domain name for free–along with a “Site Builder”program to
let you create your own website without knowing any programming.
Accept Credit Cards
This is not as hard as you think. The easiest way is via PayPal or GoogleCheckout payment portals. These are both easy to use and widely trusted. Your computer screen becomes the credit card reader, and you may add PayNow buttons
on your website (not too hard). Investigate both options to see which you prefer.
You will pay a fee of about 3% on each sale.
https://merchant.paypal.com/cgi-bin/marketingweb?cmd=_rendercontent&content_ID=merchant/home&nav=2
http://checkout.google.com/sell?promo=sbs&utm_medium=et&utm_
source=us-en-et-bizsol_canal-v1-ta&utm_campaign=en
Get Social
Begin the journey into social networking to establish and enhance your
branding. Get your nose into Facebook and similar networks to be present in
the virtual meeting rooms. This process can take a while to learn and master.
Get a 14-year-old to help you.
50
Build Your Client List
You must maintain a contact list of your students, and keep engaging
them. Most often this is done via a weekly newsletter; which can be tricky.
I recommend a professional service to help with this task, which will cost
you some money, but it will also give you a polished and professional look.
Here is one place, iContact, to look at ($8.46 per month): http://www.
icontact.com
Get Fancy—Online Scheduling
Today’s customer is accustomed to scheduling classes online. This is best
handled by yet another service provider, for a fee. The full version of the
Mind Body Online product is $45 per month (or more), and has scheduling
and credit card processing included. See details here: http://www.mindbodyonline.com/en/products/yoga
If you are very tech savvy you could consider exploring the many “open
source”programs that let you create customer database, class scheduling, and
email marketing. The cost can be very low with this approach, but your time
and learning curve will be very high. This is a good time to decide if you are a
yoga teacher or a website technician.
Get Listed on Search Sites
So many sites, so little time! Many options exist online for you to list your
business—too many really—and they all claim to be the best, most visited,
certified, etc., etc., etc. In truth, you do not have the time to find them,
register, fill-in the data, and monitor returns (if any) for all contenders. Even
though most such sites are free, some actually want to charge you a fee. There
is not a great return on your time-investment here; however, this type of project is perfect for a teenager! If you create the wording and details, you could
pay a teenager to spend the numerous hours needed to create and update listings for your business.
Certainly, you need to have your business listed on the 3HO IKYTA
site, the Yoga Journal website and pay to be a professional member of 3HO
IKYTA. This will require some expense and work from you, but it is totally
worth the time and the fees charged. 3HO IKYTA is the place people go to
find a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher. You want to be listed there so everyone
can find you.
51
Here are the links needed for recommended listings:
IKYTA—http://www.3ho.org/ikyta/ (then select “submit an event’).
Yoga Journal—http://www.yogajournal.com/directory/ (then select “Create a Listing’).
Mind Body Finder—https://www.mindbodyfinder.com/add-my-business/AddMyBus.asp?type=dot
*Of course, when you get really stuck in this process, you can hire a consultant to pull you
out of the muck. My hope is to work directly with you and “hold your hand”through it all—
teaching you along the way. My goal is for you to become self-sufficient. Call me anytime for
a complimentary 15-minute telephone consult. After that we can decide how much help you
need. My 3HO IKTYA rate is just $26 per hour (regularly $54 per hour).
Instructors’ Recommended Music Package
Kundalini Yoga practitioners are blessed to experience the power of naad, the
science of sound, as a regular part of every Kundalini Yoga and Meditation
class. The thousands of 3HO musical selections available offer a wide variety
of choice to Instructors of Kundalini Yoga as they begin to build their music
library.
One question frequently heard, especially from new Instructors, is, “I’m just
starting to teach. What music should I buy?” Here is a recommended list of over
30 CDs from some of the most talented 3HO singers and songwriters around.
Adi Shakti by Gurudass ([email protected]). Includes Adi Shakti
and Gobinday Mukunday (31-minutes each track).
Ajai Alai by Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa and Nirinjan Kaur Khalsa (62 minutes). Available at SpiritVoyage.com.
Amrit Vela (The Mother of 3HO, Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa, says that the
Long Ek Ong Kar on this Aquarian Sadhana Mantra CD is rhythmically perfect! Available at SpiritVoyage.com).
Angels’ Waltz by Sada Sat Kaur Khalsa. (KRI’s Director of Training, Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D., says that Track #5, Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung,
uses the perfect rhythm for teaching beginners Breath of Fire. Available at
SpiritVoyage.com.
Bani Pro 1 by Rajnarind Kaur ([email protected] or SpiritVoyage.com).
Contains Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib, Tva Prasaad Svaeeyay, Rehiras Sahib and
Sohila.
Circle of Light by Gurudass ([email protected] or SpiritVoyage.com)
52
Crimson 1 & 2 by Singh Kaur and Kim Robertson. Guru Ram Das (38 minutes) and Mul Mantra (31 minutes) at InvincibleMusic.com or a-healing.
com. Ideal for deep relaxation.
Crimson 3 by Singh Kaur and Kim Robertson (According to KRI’s Director
of Training, Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D., this version of Sat Nam Wahe
Guru uses the perfect rhythm for teaching Breath of Fire to beginners.) Available at InvincibleMusic.com or a-healing.com.
Crimson 4 & 5 by Singh Kaur and Kim Robertson. Contains Mender of
Hearts (33 minutes) and Har Har Mukunday (35 minutes). Available at InvincibleMusic.com or a-healing.com.
Crimson 6 & 7 by Singh Kaur, Kim Robertson & Mosaic. Contains Ardas (32
minutes) and Blessings (31 minutes). Ideal for deep relaxation. Available at
InvincibleMusic.com or a-healing.com.
Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru (The Blessing) by Sangeet Kaur Khalsa Available
at a-healing.com or SpiritVoyage.com.
Game of Chants by Guru Singh joined by Seal and friends. Available at
SpiritVoyage.com.
Grateful Ganesh by GuruGanesha Singh. Aquarian Sadhana mantras Available
at SpiritVoyage.com.
Journey Home by Gurunam Singh. Available at SpiritVoyage.com.
Kundalini Mantra Instruction by Gurudass Kaur (SpiritVoyage.com). Contains 67 of the most commonly used Kundalini mantras pronounced by a female voice. This includes all the mantras from the Level 1 Aquarian Teacher
Manual and from all KRI-approved Kundalini Yoga manuals.
Livelight by Aykanna (available at Aykanna.com where you can download a
digital booklet of all the mantras on this CD or SpiritVoyage.com).
Mantras of the Master by Santokh Singh Khalsa (KundaliniToolbox.com or
a-healing.com). Contains 64 Kundalini mantras pronounced by a male voice
in one-minute loops.
Miracles & Healing by Hari Bhajan Kaur and Livtar Singh Khalsa ([email protected]). Four classic tracks including Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So
Hung; Guru Ram Das chant; Ardas Bahee; and the Long Time Sunshine Song.
Morning Call Long Ek Ong Kar by Livtar Singh Khalsa (62 minutes).
Contact [email protected].
53
Narayan by Dev Suroop Kaur (DevSuroop.com).
Ocean by Mirabai (SpiritVoyage.com).
Pavan Pavan and Kal Akaal by Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa. (Each track 31
minutes) Available at SpiritVoyage.com.
Prem by Snatam Kaur (SpiritVoyage.com)
Rakhe Rakhanahaar by Singh Kaur (InvincibleMusic.com or a-healing.com)
Sacred Circle by Amrit Kirtan (SpiritVoyage.com)
Sahej by Dev Suroop Kaur (DevSuroop.com, a-healing.com or
SpiritVoyage.com)
Shanti by Snatam Kaur. Available at SpiritVoyage.com.
Silent Moonlight Meditation by Gurunam Singh (SpiritVoyage.com)
Tantric Har by Simran Kaur and Hari Bhajan Kaur. Includes Tantric Har
and Har Haray Haree Wahe Guru (31-minutes each track). Available at
SpiritVoyage.com or CherdiKala.com.
The Yoga of Sound: Cherdi Kala by Mata Mandir Singh Khalsa (Invinciblare five separate volumes in the Yoga
of Sound collection.
eMusic.com or a-healing.com). There
Turn of the Age by Mata Mandir Singh Khalsa (InvincibleMusic.com or
a-healing.com)
Universal Prayer (and Universal Mantra) by Sat Kirin Kaur Khalsa. Available
at SpiritVoyage.com.
Resources
You may purchase Kundalini Yoga music, books and manuals from any of
these sources.
Ancient Healing Ways
www.a-healing.com | 877-753-5351
The following CDs are available only through Ancient Healing Ways:
I Am Thine by Livtar Singh
Bangara Rhythms
Punjabi Drum Music
Sat Nam Wahe Guru #1, #2, #3, #4
Dhuni
Har Singh Nar Singh by Nirinjan Kaur
The Twelve Months by Don Cooper
Maha Mrityunjai Mantra (Prayer For Death)
The Noble Woman
Promises (Sat-Peter Singh Khalsa)
Wahe Guru Wahe Jio & Jai te Gung (Bhai Avtar Singh)
Ab Jan Oopar/Band Jammaeei (Master Darshan Singh)
Benti Chaupaee (Baba Nihal Singh)
Aad Guray Nameh by Singh Kaur*
Aap Sahaee Hoa by Singh Kaur*
Wahe Guru Jio by Singh Kaur*
Rakhe Rakhanahar by Singh Kaur
Slow Japji (learning CD) by Ram Das Kaur Khalsa
Prayer for the Golden Temple by Pritpal Singh
Jaap Sahib (learning CD) by Ram Das Kaur Khalsa
Nitnem Banis by Hari Dharam Kaur
Nitnem Banis by Baba Nihal Singh
Sukhmani Sahib by Baba Nihal Singh
Jaap Sahib by Ragi Sat Nam Singh
People of Love (Khalsa Women’s Training Camp)
The following books are available only at Ancient Healing Ways:
Living Reality by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D.
Siri Guru Granth Sahib Darshan by Bibji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D.
54
55
Invincible Music
www.InvincibleMusic.com
877-763-0080 or 602-277-2999
Spirit Voyage Music
www.SpiritVoyage.com
888-735-4800
Build Your Yoga Classes With These Books
Adler, Andrea, Creating an Abundant Practice
Andrea Adler, 2nd ed., 2005
Adler, Andrea, The Science of Spiritual Marketing
Prasad Publishing, Santa Fe, NM, 2007
Hyder Kabani, Shama, The Zen of Social Media Marketing
Benbella Books, Dallas, TX, 2010
Joyner, Mark, The Irresistible Offer
John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2005
Payne, Larry, The Business of Teaching Yoga
Samata Intl. Multi Media, Los Angeles, CA, 2000
Stevens, Mark, Your Marketing Sucks
Crown Business, NY, NY, 2003
Vandepas, Michelle, Marketing for the Holistic Practitioner
Conscious Destiny Productions, Colorado Springs, CO, 2003
Download These PDFs For Your Use
http://www.3ho.org/ikyta/images/japji-song-of-the-soul-handout.pdf
http://www.3ho.org/ikyta/images/lunar-woman-handout-aya-2009.pdf
http://www.3ho.org/ikyta/images/yoga-for-the-artist-hand-out.pdf
http://www.3ho.org/ikyta/images/connecting-women-for-peace-hand-out.pdf
http://www.3ho.org/ikyta/images/cultivate-peace-within-workshop.pdf
56
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Teacher Resource Book

Transcription

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