I often ask myself, “What does my soul need at this very moment to grow?” during my morning and evening meditation sits. One morning, I received an answer of kundalini yoga! I have no idea where it came from (quite possibly my curiosity around how Sikhi has been adapted into yoga, and knowing that the breath contains my ability to release suffering and work with sankharas in my body).

Anyway, my friend and I signed up for a kundalini workshop taught by Seva Singh, a student of Yogi Bhajan, at Yoga Tree in Potrero Hill. I went in with no expectations and not really knowing anything about kundalini yoga. Seva Singh greeted me (I was actually early for a change) with a warm handshake and gave me a handout with all of the different mantras we would use.

We started the class doing the basic breath of fire exercise (think pumping your diaphragm) and slowly incorporated different asanas (such as sitting on our heels) and locks to work up through the various chakras. The basis of kundalini yoga is recognizing that there is energy that resides in our root, or close to the end of our spine, and that raising that energy up through the sacral, solar, heart, throat, third eye, and finally, crown chakra, allows for us to tap into our intuitive, natural selves. It is a very transformative process, as I experienced first hand.

We then incorporated SAT (truth) and NAAM as mantras that we would use on the inhale and exhale of the breath of fire. It felt quite nice and healing but then I realized that my raised arms were violently shaking! I tried to just observe the shaking, as I know that I am very sensitive and easily attuned to energy awakenings, so I waited and breathed through it. When we were instructed to lower our arms, I shook them all out. (After the class I asked Seva what that was all about and he mentioned that it was my nervous system being activated and that I can try to eat avocados to calm it down).

After every intense kriya (I didn’t realize how intense kundalini would be!) we rested in Savasana to let the energy rise up and disperse. Towards the end of the class while we were in Savasana, Seva struck a gong that was unlike any other gong I’ve heard before — this one took me to an intergalactic place, and suddenly I felt like I was Spock coasting on Enterprise. As I traveled through the darkness on Enterprise, I suddenly remembered that I was in a yoga class and that all of these alien like sounds were working on a cellular level to promote healing and optimal function.

As we came out of the Savasana, another classmate mentioned that she felt like the gong created a jarring alien invasion — another reminder that we have to accept things as they are and believe in their good intent. The assumption of good intent is so integral to any yoga practice.

It was an awesome workshop and I came out feeling so light, hyper, and happy!