 Kundalini Yoga with Gurmukh(Gaiam) 2000 What is it? An introduction to Kundalini Yoga and a basic, very invigorating session. Who is it for? Those who are curious about this Yoga style and who are also already pretty physically fit.
What to expect: First off, don't expect the kind of Hatha Yoga that includes familiar poses such as Triangle, Mountain or Downward Facing Dog. And don't expect to sit around and passively stretch, either — at times this video seems more like Yogi calisthenics than anything else. Do expect some non-invasive spiritual-speak — instructor Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa has been a Sikh and Kundalini Yoga practitioner for 30 years and she's bound to interject a bit of the mystical into her teaching now and again, usually in a lighthearted manner. And do expect to be energized, if you can drop your self-consciousness and just go along with the moves on this tape.
The focus in Kundalini Yoga is awakening the energy that runs upwards from the base of your spine (referred to, as you might guess, as Kundalini energy). This is done through specific moves and, very importantly, the breath. Gurmukh only gives you one specific Pranayama exercise here — Breath of Fire — but she also emphasizes breathing in rhythm to the moves in this hour-long tape. The session is divided into four sections — Awaken (the warm-up), Energize (very active standing poses), Strengthen (more strenuous poses), and Relax (the ending meditation). This tape is pretty demanding physically — if you are out of shape, you may find much of it rather difficult to accomplish. If you're already fit, you will get quite a lot of out this Yoga style, especially if you can just let go and have fun. Go ahead, flap your arms like a bird! Get into those martial arts-style punches! Sweat a little and enjoy yourself. Think about it this way — when she flew to Maui to shoot this video, Gurmukh was 58 years old. She looks like she's in her 30s. If she has this much vitality, and such beautiful, clear skin at her age — not to mention her wonderfully positive attitude — then there's definitely something to Kundalini Yoga. It's worth a try — it can only enhance your well-being. Other Yoga DVDs you may like:
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