Several years ago in Chicago’s Southside Englewood neighborhood, often portrayed in the press for its violence rather than the good people who live there, we began teaching Kundalini Yoga and training teachers from the community. We helped create I Grow, Chicago’s Peace House. I Grow offers an oasis of calm as a non-profit organization that combines yoga, urban gardening, and art to help encourage community members to become empowered and connected. Although community organizations like I Grow have helped reduce the shootings in Englewood by 40% this year, one day there was an incident of domestic violence a few doors…

Several years ago, I enrolled in Kundalini Yoga teacher training with the intention of “deepening my practice.” I had no plans to teach—ever! In fact, I had a long history of shying away from teaching, though I had studied education in college and at my late father’s urging had procured a teaching certificate for English 7-12. After graduation, however, I never used the certification, deciding instead to pursue a career as a writer. In truth, the idea of teaching terrified me. During my college years, I was required to practice/teach English to a group of seventh graders. The experience (though…

Kundalini Yoga teachers often get drilled on the relation between Breath of Fire and hyperventilation. In this video I explain why Breath of Fire is not hyperventilation, and it also the physiology of hyperventilation and what it really is. Pranayama will induce sensations that may be new for students, but these experiences need not be feared. We are adventuring into realms of consciousness expanded beyond the everyday. And any fear sensations themselves can be observed and that awareness be utilized to transform this Vata energy into pure Prana. People often hyperventilate when they panic. And the breath just tends to…