Yogi Bhajan described two styles of spiritual teachers, the Saturn teacher and the Jupiter teacher. Both look to the soul of the student, but each uses a different mode to evoke results. Saturn Teacher: The planet Saturn is the only planet with rings. The rings provide limitation and constriction. The Saturn teacher is all about discipline. He specializes in always doing the unexpected and he “carries a stick” so he can suddenly “whack” any student who gets out of line. His role is to give the discipline and the limits.  It is through limitation that we gather our strength and become potent…

Q: Is it permissible to chant Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo silently before teaching a Kundalini Yoga class? Yogi Bhajan: No. Sound purifies the inner and outer environments. Chanting it on one breath is preferred.   Q: Is there anytime one would teach a Kundalini Yoga class and NOT tune in with Ong Namo aloud? Yogi Bhajan: Is there anytime when a pipe is not fitted with the gas tank and you can fill the car? This mantra is for tuning the flow of personal energy with universal energy. That’s a fact. Do it with the group to tune them in too.   Q: Is…

  With beats that bounce, Natalia Safran, left, moves to hip-hop at a YogaHop in Santa Monica. The workout balances power, sweat and athleticism with deep stretches and peacefulness. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) By Amber Dance April 13, 2013 As you stretch into warrior pose and inhale and exhale, you’re not just stretching those hamstrings and lungs; you’re also doing good for your brain with a practice that can stave off or relieve problems such as stress, depression and anxiety. Yoga “gives some sense of sanity,” says Sat Bir Khalsa, a neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School in Boston. “You’re no longer washed away by the…

TEACHER ENHANCEMENT TELECOURSE Recording Research on Yoga: Rationale, History, Breadth, and Access   Discussion Topics: – Usefulness of research on yoga/why do yoga research? – History of yoga research – Existing published yoga research, breadth and depth – Existing research on Kundalini Yoga – How to access published yoga research – How to participate in yoga research   Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. has been fully engaged in basic and clinical research on the effectiveness of yoga and meditation practices in improving physical and psychological health for over 10 years. He has also practiced a yoga lifestyle for over 40 years…