Practice Guidelines
Before You Begin:
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Consume only a light snack and water in the 2 – 3 hours prior to practicing.
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Turn off all cell phones and other distractions.
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Have water in a closed-lidded container handy.
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Wear lose, comfortable clothing and a natural-fibre head covering (e.g., bandana, scarf, cap).
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Have a sheepskin If you are tight in the lower back, hips, or legs, have a pillow or cushion to elevate yourself on during meditation and seated postures.
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Why natural fibres? Through time, yogis found it to be the best insulator to keep grounded during meditation.
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Tune-in with the Adi Mantra: Chant Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo three times before beginning any warm-ups, Kriyas, or meditation. During Your Practice:
Kundalini Yoga is the yoga of awareness. Listen to your body; do what works for you.
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Challenge yourself to extend just past whatever you think your limits are. For instance, if you think you can only do one minute of an exercise, then try for one minute and ten seconds.
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Follow the directions! Keep the order and type of posture. Do not exceed the stated times. If you wish to shorten an exercise, shorten all exercises in the Kriya proportionally (i.e., cut all times in half or quarter).
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In a class, feel free to ask for clarification on an exercise or other aspects of the practice.
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Drink water as needed between exercises.
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Remember the Moon! During the heaviest part (one to three days) of a woman's monthly menstruation, avoid strenuous yoga. In particular, do not do: Bow Pose, Breath of Fire, Stretch Pose, Camel Pose, Locust Pose, Root Lock, Sat Kriya, inversions (e.g., Shoulder Stand), or strenuous leg lifts. Instead, visualize yourself doing the posture or ask the teacher for a modification.
After Your Practice:
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Drink lots of water. Pay attention to your physical, emotional, and mental self.
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Incorporate what you experienced in class into the rest of your life, particularly the “simple” things like long, deep breathing and a graceful, royal posture.