What Kundalini Yoga Means to Me

As a former devotee of Power Yoga, I loved the intensity of the physical work. The sweat that poured off my body in class felt like an instant detox. I practiced this type of vinyasa flow yoga for years, however, after sustaining an injury, I found that I was unable to function in my power yoga classes like I used to. I became depressed about my inability to perform my normal yoga practice and stopped going to class altogether.

Without the classes that had been my physical outlet and had provided me with balance, clarity, mental stability and emotional release, I started to get a little crazy. Needless to say, my relationships and friendships suffered and my work took a major dive. My creativity was completely severed at the knees and I found myself crying a lot for no real reason. As a typically sunny, upbeat girl, I didn’t recognize myself anymore. After a few months of going to bed crying and waking up with heavy anxiety, I knew I couldn’t live like this.

Kundalini yoga became a refuge during the most insane time of my life. I began to crave my teacher training weekends at Yoga West almost like a return to the safety and warmth of the womb. I lived for the community, the meditations, the breathing exercises and the balance the kriyas brought to my emotionally fried state.

No question this yoga was very different than any I had previously done. I’m a pretty open minded person, but I must say, at first glance, this yoga looked completely bizarre. First of all, the teachers dress from head to toe in white clothing, wear head wraps or turbans and sometimes play yoga music straight out of the 70‘s. The poses themselves are sequenced in a specific way and are held for up to 3 minutes in order to bring vitality to certain centers of the body. In teacher training, I discovered the layout of Kundalini yoga sets powerfully deliver energy, oxygenated blood and health to deep internal organs and glandular systems. Rather than focusing on building superficial muscular strength as in Power Yoga, Kundalini yoga works internally to rebuild and repair a shot nervous system. Because I felt so great after practicing, I got used to looking strange and got over caring what anyone else thought of me. Over time, this practice soothed my frazzled nerves and brought me the peace of mind I so desperately needed.

I came out of Kundalini yoga class buzzing with energy, bright eyed and happy. That’s all I needed. I was hooked and felt a strong need to share the yoga that brought me this incredibly deep, personal transformation. I began teaching Kundalini Yoga and meditation to beginners, with a strong focus on proper breathing. I realized anyone could benefit from the techniques I’d learned, from working professionals, to athletes, to new moms, to people seeking a better health and a way to cope with stress, anxiety or depression.

I love teaching. The transformations I see in my clients’ lives keep me inspired to continue learning and growing as a teacher. My private sessions are intuitively driven. Using knowledge gained from many years of studying yoga and the body including my own personal experience, I seek to meet a client’s individual needs and provide a safe space for him to dig in and challenge himself to grow.  This work is about uprooting long-held, unhealthy habit patterns and developing positive, lasting change so you feel good. Private clients can expect increased body awareness, a deeper connection to breath and spirit, the power to stand in stressful situations, and more energy, clarity and stamina in their everyday lives. We are all born knowing how to breathe perfectly. Simply remembering how to breathe properly can change your life.

I’m so grateful to have found my path and that I continue to meet so many incredible people on this journey. My hope is that you all will find what makes you come alive on your road to happiness and health.
Love you all,
Parvati