Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Kundalini Rising

Well, we don't have any Ashtanga teachers here, but we do have Kundalini teachers! I have located two, each in the most unlikely place. One I found in the classified ad section of my childrens' elementary school directory. From what I can tell, she teachers a bunch of classes at her own studio here in the area.

Before I contact her I am going to check out the other Kundalini teacher who has twice weekly classes at... the Y! I wonder whether the activities director who hired her had an inkling that Kundalini ain't your garden variety yoga. I am going to take this class today from 12-1. I tried to go a few weeks ago but the teacher was away and there was a shivananda-style teacher there instead. He had us do a headstand for like, 5 minutes. Very interesting who turns up at the Y.

So my plan for today is to work on my dissertation for a few hours after my kids go to school, then go to the Y and use the stair climbing machine for 45 minutes, then stoke some more energy in the Kundalini class.

Last year I went to the Estes Park Yoga Journal conference and spent most of the weekend taking classes with the lovely Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. By the end of the conference I was so sore I could barely move. Seriously, everything hurt, from my toes to my neck. I doubt this hour-long class will be as intense. But we'll see.

The ad in the back of the school roster has a quote by Yogi Bhajan: "You are the storehouse of your vitality." I like that. We are undeniably influenced by the people and things and energies around us, but the ultimate responsibility for our happiness, our health, our vitality, really does lie within.

Quite a heavy challenge.

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