By Lisa Moore

If you walk into a Kundalini yoga class, you won’t see people hanging out in down dog or standing on their heads.

You’ll witness a synergistic blend of movement, breathing, meditation and chanting with the sound current to facilitate a change in consciousness and transformation of character. 

Known as the yoga of awareness, Kundalini Yoga concentrates on awakening the psycho-spiritual energy that is believed to reside at the base of the spine. The release of this energy can promote healing and spiritual growth. The powerful technology of this ancient mind/body science is for all ages and levels and is universal and nondenominational.

A major component of Kundalini is sequences of exercises known as kriyas. Each exercise is made up of postures, breath, and sound, which work together to create a particular state or effect. Practicing a kriya initiates a sequence of physical and mental changes that affect the body, mind and spirit simultaneously. A kriya might focus on relieving depression, detoxifying the liver, attracting prosperity or developing willpower.

Kundalini yoga uses mantras - syllables, words or phrases in one of the sacred languages (Sanskrit and Ghurmeki) and sometimes in English - to elevate consciousness through its meaning, sound, tone and the reflexology of the tongue on the palate.

Mudras, gestures or positions typically of the hands, help to lock and guide energy flow and reflexes to the brain. By curling, crossing, stretching and touching the fingers and hands, practitioners can talk to the body and mind as each area of the hand reflexes to a certain part of the mind or body.

Patty McLaughlin and Gail Goforth of Charlotte are both certified teachers in Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. a master of Kundalini from India who was responsible for bringing it to the United States in the1960’s. Both women agree that while all yoga helps to unblock energy, Kundalini works more quickly.

“It raises your vibration by bringing your energy up your central channel, around the spine and central nervous system,” says McLaughlin. “Kundalini raises your energy from the lower chakras up to the higher, spiritual centers. It helps manifest a happier attitude toward life, relationships and self. You become more aware of yourself as part of the infinite and more aware of your divine essence.”

Goforth says Kundalini can heal on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels because of its wide range of kriyas and meditations. Digestive, liver and stomach problems, Alzheimers, sleep disorders, addictions, creative and mental blocks, thyroid and other endocrine disorders are a few of the issues that can be helped.

“Kundalini balances the glandular system, strengthens the nervous system and helps tame the mind and emotions so we are not so controlled by our thoughts and feelings,” says Goforth.

Pamela Richardson began practicing Kundalini Yoga last winter because of a rare throat condition that makes it very difficult to breath in the winter. She hoped it would help with her breathing and focus.

“Practicing has certainly helped with both, but it has also brought a calmness to my life that wasn't there before,” states Richardson. “The various meditations have been instrumental in guiding me to a place of peace, both physically and mentally. I am not sure how I lived without Kundalini Yoga my whole life. I'm just pleased I found it.”

Goforth says Kundalini can uncap the creative potential that in most of us goes untapped. “When we evoke this ethereal energy that sits at the base of our spine, it awakens all of our energy centers and we begin to live the lives we were created to live, to manifest our true destiny and not a fate, and to become our true selves.”

A Kundalini Yoga to Elevate the Spirit Workshop with Patty McLaughlin will be held April 24. She can be reached at [email protected]. A Kundalini and Meditation Workshop with HarDarshan Kaur Khalsa will be held May 14 and 15 at YogaforLifeCharlotte.com. Gail Goforth can be reached at [email protected]. To learn more about kundalini, visit www.3ho.org.