Kundalini
Yoga and Bhangra Dance: A Fusion of Energies and Movement
Michelle
Ballou
Yoga:
Theory, Culture and Practice
Professor
Laura Douglass, Ph.D
October
8, 2012
The
experience I had at the Kundalini Yoga Center in Inman Square was one I will
not soon forget. When I first
entered the space I saw a pair of shoes by the door so I slid my off in
respect. Soon a woman sitting in the only chair in the room greeted me (there
were a series of cushions on the floor). She was surprised to learn that it was
my first time at the center and then gave me a tour. The one level space had
the reception area, and a changing room in the back of the space was where I
would leave my things and a few steps from that lay the one practicing room.
I walked in to see a man dressed in a
lightly colored cotton pant and a shirt with an om symbol sitting on a platform
six inches from the ground at the front of the room. He wore a red head
covering I would later learn is composed of five to seven layers of cloth to
help keep energy within the body (Covering the Head, 2010). He was texting on
his iPhone and this made me smile. There was something intimidating about an
authority figure from a culture I do not yet fully grasp, and the fact that he
was texting gave me a sense of commonality with him.
Before starting the class, the teacher
took a few moments to describe the basics of Kundalini to me. We chatted about
the different mental states, including the worrying one that constantly is checking
the iPhone for an update. The sense of humor and lightness in the space made my
experience really enjoyable. After cell phone talk, he then went on to say that
the western world has developed many more physically focused forms of yoga than
in the east. These yoga practices work on a vertical plane, seeking to make
your body strong and fit almost exclusively. Kundalini Yoga works on a
horizontal plane, working to shift the energy within. This the main yoga
practiced in India, where the teacher Harmeet Singh is from. The Kundalini yoga
practice focuses on awakening the Kundalini that sits at the base of the spine
and seeks to move through the body (Keutzer, 2002).
This method of practice began with the
Mahasiddas who began their study in the eighth century. The Indus Valley was a Bronze
Age metropolis spaced in current day Pakistan and India that showed evidence of
practicing Kundalini Yoga through their art. There is a sculpture of a man
sitting with snakes moving up his legs that is the traditional symbol of the
practice (Yoga Poses, 2012). This serpent is known as Kundalini Sakti
and is coiled feminine energy that the yoga overtime can release. Once released
Sakti moves to the chakra in the crown of the head and connects with the Pure
consciousness Siva (Rattana, 2012). This complex relationship between our
bodies, Satki and Siva is all explored through Kundalini yoga.
Even though the eastern world had a long
relationship with this yoga, Kundalini would not reach North America until 1969
with the arrival of Yogi Bhajan. This Yogi was born and raised in Pakistan with
a family composed of healers and leaders. This nurturing environment led him to
be a master at 16 years of age.
When this Yogi reached California he
witnessed a group of youth who were invested in exploring altered states of
consciousness and he used this interest to guide Americans into the yoga
practice. He founded the Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization (3HO) (Yogi Bhajan,
2011). This organization still seeks to bring awakening to the student and move
energy through the chakras in a more efficient way.
A way to shift and release inner energy,
more specifically the prana and apana is by applying the root lock. This is the
process of contracting the anus, sex organs and navel smoothly in that order. The
three lower chakras that are affected through this practice are the muladhara
(at the base of the spine), then the swadhisthana (slightly higher) and the
manipura (close to the navel). This lock helps simulate these areas to enable
the sushmuna to move up the chakras from the base of the spine (Body Locks,
2010). After I learned this root-lock it became clear I was the only person
attending this class, except for the female teacher Rumi I had met earlier, who
would join us. Harmeet Singh outlined that our goal for the practice was to
create a safe space to feel comfortable to work within ourselves.
We formally began with a healing chant
entitled “Raa Maa Daa Saa Saa Say So Hung” sung by Snatam Kaur. This translates
to “sun, moon, earth, impersonal infinity, total infinity and the infinite
vibrating and real”. Mantras in the Kundalini tradition are in Gurmukhi that is
the way to write the Indian Punjabi language (Kaur, 2010). These mantras are
meant to focus the mind by using specific sound vibrations to reach a higher
level of consciousness. The very word itself is composed of “man” that
translates to mind and “tra” meaning across or tune. This chant was highly
effective for me, and as I sang with the other two in the room I felt no shame
or insecurity.
Not only do mantras help focus the mind
for meditation but the practice also creates an influential mindset and rhythm
that opens up new channels in the mind. I sang a mantra of healing, and so it
is believed that I emitted vibrations of healing from myself. As I sent out
these vibrations, another source of healing came closer to me. It is believed
in the Kundalini tradition that vibrations can act like magnets attracting
similar thoughts and states. In this way mantras heal within and simultaneously
interact with the outer world.
While singing my tongue also hit the roof
of my mouth in a rhythm on my meridian points that are pressure areas (Mantras,
2010). In doing so repetitively it is thought that I was able to reach a higher
mental awareness. Based on my experience with chanting, I would definitely say
chanting helps quiet my mind.
Next we practiced pranayana, in which
there is a heavy emphasis in the Kundalini approach to yoga. At first I was
intimidated by the very fast paced swinging of the upper body, inhaling on one
beat, twisting, then exhaling on repeat as I am asthmatic and sometimes
reserved with pranayana out of fear. We also did a sitting cat and cow with the
same fast pace rhythm. The instructor explained that this exercise cleared out
the lungs and airways. It felt slightly strained at the time but now my lungs
feel just as clear as they do when I have a puff of an inhaler.
A portion of laughing yoga followed and
my open bronchi loved the chance to expand. By this point in the practice we
had created an open space together as a triad and I felt among friends. Neck
rolls and shoulder shrugs wrapped up this portion of our yoga practice. As the
group transitioned to dance, it was clear those aspects of posture and
breathing practiced before would move into the dance segment.
Bhangra dance has it origins in India
where farmers and warriors would utilize dance as a release. Hermeet Singh grew
up with this dancing in India and has a close connection with it. He explained
that when our ancestors walked on four legs we were protecting our heart chakras,
now on two legs we often do the same by crossing our arms over our chest and
hiding. This hiding and protecting is not much fun. So in Bhangra the arms are
always spread wide as about to receive a hug, and there is a large smile on the
face. “Fake it if you have to, the smile is the most important part” I was
told.
I didn’t have to fake happiness much as I
loved this dance! The basic steps involved moving the shoulders just as we did
in shrugs and being aware of one’s center of gravity. “Be mindful of the
practice” was said after almost every instruction. It was during this process
that I realized I was dancing with the same inner energy I approach yoga with.
Hermeet Singh also brought our attention to our hands. He asked if we could
feel an energy pulsing. I did, and it was surprising! It was explained this was
a result of the energy movement we had done during the formal yoga part of the
class. This “energy movement” sounds like a crazy acid trip, but it was a
really energetic and welcomed presence.
There was a feeling of laughing yoga in
the dance as the ever-present smile reminded me. Adults do not get enough
chances to laugh, so I immersed myself in the dance and found openness in
myself I didn’t expect. While I
was dancing around room with two other grown adults alone in a building in
Somerville I laughed and smiled at the absurdity and unpredictability of life.
When we were offered the chance to create
our own move to teach, I was reminded of the quote I saw upon arrival on a
pamphlet, “If you want to learn something, read about it; if you want to
understand something, write about it; if you want to master something, teach
it.” Yogi Bhajan. I am not normally a very open person, but the laughing yoga
and this accepting environment had me leading my teachers in my signature dance
move.
When our dancing time came to a close,
our small group chanted once more together then moved into shavasana. A blanket
was offered to me before shavasana and a pillow. I was terrified. I have a bad
track record of falling asleep in shavasana. During our meditation a gong was
played with increasing intensity and I found myself very alert with no inklings
of sleeping.
I don’t know what sparked my imagination
to produce this, but I experienced extreme visual images of the waves of
vibrations. I felt them and with my eyes closed saw them move across the room
and the people in it. It was a frightening experience. Then I applied the root
lock to try and bring a calm, yet it seemed to intensify the images. During the
entire gong ringing I couldn’t shake the images, so to calm myself I focused on
my feet and their experience of the sound. This helped, but I still don’t
understand what created that image. I would be curious to try a gong meditation
again.
We then rose and ended with a closing Irish
sun chant entitled “May the long time sun shine upon you” also sang by Snatam
Kaur. This was my first time practicing an English chant and I really enjoyed
understanding the words on a semantic level. Before I left Rumi gave me a free
class pass to return and I cannot wait to use it. The Kundalini yoga experience
I had employed humor and joy in a way I had been seeking in my yoga practice.
The less emphasis on the extreme physical poses struck a cord in me. With a
quirky history in North America, this well established branch of yoga was a really
fun time for me and I am excited to return with friends so they can experience
it too.
References:
About Yogi Bhajan. (2011). Retrieved from Yogi Bhajan: A
library of Teachings http://www.yogibhajan.com/About.htm
Body locks
(bandhas). (January
2010). Retrieved from http://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga/kundalini-yoga-yb/body-locks-bandhas/
Covering the head. (January 2010). Retrieved from http://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga/kundalini-yoga-lifestyle/head-covering/
Guru Rattana.
(2012). Serpent symbolism. Retrieved from http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/serpent.html
Kaur,
Ramdesh. (2010, May). An introduction to chanting. Retrieved from http://www.spiritvoyage.com/blog/index.php/an-introduction-to-chanting/
Keutzer, Kurt.
(2002 June). Kundalini: Frequently asked
questions and selected references.
Retrieved from: http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~keutzer/kundalini/kundalini-faq.html#2
Kundalini yoga poses and related
information. (2012,
April). Retrieved from http://kundaliniyogaposes.net/
Mantras. (January 2010) Retrieved from http://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga/kundalini-yoga-yb/mantras/
Parr, Laura.
(2011 May). Kundalini yoga history. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/399650-kundalini-yoga-history/
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