Worth Knowing

Kundalini Yoga is rooted in ancient knowledge that has been passed on orally and through direct experience over thousands of years. It promotes the development of inner intelligence for health, happiness and spiritual vitality.

Kundalini Yoga offers a holistic method that can be practiced by people of all faiths and from all walks of life. Unlike abstinence-based yoga traditions, Kundalini Yoga also provides access to those who are in the middle of life – with family, social obligations and everyday worries.

This yoga is known for its transformative power. It strengthens physical strength and endurance, promotes cognitive functions, emotional stability and spiritual connection. Many describe the experience as invigorating, euphoric and powerful. In addition, the generally known positive effects such as increased flexibility, improved lung capacity, a strengthened inner core and stress reduction should be emphasised.

Here are 10 more significant (and perhaps unexpected) benefits of Kundalini Yoga:

1. Inner Guidance
Kundalini Yoga sharpens the power of the intuitive mind.
Everyone has an inner voice that serves as a personal navigation system and can choose to follow it. By clearing the subconscious and deep meditative listening, when your thoughts and feelings come into harmony with the soul, the ever-present guidance of intuition becomes tangible. Developing your inner guidance system enables you to use it as a guide when you are faced with decisions, questions and choices in life.

2. Sacred Sound
Kundalini Yoga is characterised by sacred chanting music, which is an integral part of the practice. Naad Yoga, the yoga of sacred sound, is based on the experience of how sound vibrations influence the body, mind and soul through the movement of the tongue, the mouth and the change in hormone secretions in the brain. By consciously regulating the sounds through mantra, breath and rhythm, we can achieve profound effects on our health and well-being and experience the pure joy of singing from the heart and soul.

3. The Golden Chain
Kundalini Yoga has been practiced for a long time and passed on from teacher to student. By chanting the mantra Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo at the beginning of a Kundalini Yoga class, you connect with the tradition of the spiritual masters who preceded you. You ask this lineage and your inner teacher for guidance, protection and wisdom. This tradition, called the Golden Chain, provides access to spiritual awareness by inviting us to set aside our limiting beliefs in order to experience and share what is pure, unadulterated and effective.

4. Transform Karma to Dharma
Kundalini Yoga helps you to break the cycle of karma. Your positive intention and the execution of the Kundalini Kriyas (specific sequences of asanas) burn karma. With increasing practice, you will become more present, more aware and more intuitive. Enter the path of dharma, of conscious living, and do not live in reaction to your karma, the consequences of past actions.

5. Protection from Negativity
Kundalini Yoga strengthens and expands your electromagnetic field or aura – the energy field that surrounds you and informs you about positive and negative influences in your environment. A weak aura allows negative influences to pass through and even attracts them, while a large, strong and radiant aura can protect you from negativity and center you in the light of your true identity.

6. Emotional Balance and Neutral Mind
Kundalini Yoga strengthens the nervous system, balances the hormonal system, purifies the blood and clears subconscious thought patterns.
This gives you a heightened awareness and the ability to decide how you react to thoughts and feelings. Through practice, you can train your mind and body not to react emotionally – not by suppressing feelings, but by developing a buffer zone that gives you time and space to process and consciously choose your reactions. Develop the Neutral Mind, a state in which positives and negatives are briefly evaluated, and act from this state of freedom, compassion and neutrality.
Act rather than just react.

7. Deep Relaxation that Heals
Kundalini Yoga strengthens and balances the nervous system. A weak nervous system makes you susceptible to stress-related overreactions. During a Kundalini Yoga Kriya and the deep relaxation that follows, all nerve endings in the body are activated. You reach a deep, rejuvenating state of total relaxation in which healing is possible. Regular practice gives you additional stamina and resilience in the face of everyday stress.

8. The Kundalini Yoga Lifestyle
Kundalini Yoga is specially tailored to people who work and lead an active life. It works quickly and effectively and offers a comprehensive range of lifestyle information. You can join a weekly yoga class, take away the positive effects and delve deeper into a variety of proven yogic teachings covering body care, nutrition, numerology, relationships, communication, seva and much more.

9. Community Connection
Connecting with like-minded people offers powerful support on the path to spiritual growth and higher consciousness. At Kundalini Yoga we welcome everyone to create community, celebrate special occasions with group meditations, concerts, communal meals and social projects. The connection and support of a spiritual community (sangat) is a priceless gift as you make positive changes in your life.

10. Befriend Your Soul and Manifest Your Destiny
Kundalini Yoga allows you to experience your True Self when the influence of the ego is diminished. It allows you to feel and recognise the depths of your soul. Find access to your truth and establish a strong connection to your soul and its purpose in this life.
Kundalini Yoga is the experience of the union of the Finite Self with the Infinite Self. When you have this experience, you no longer look for security outside. Your security comes from knowing who you are in relation to the universe. You recognise who you are and can be authentic. You can leave behind the pain of past hurts and manifest your soul’s destiny.

We accompany individuals and groups with Kundalini Yoga, meditation, relaxation and counseling on the path to the best Self.

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence is not an action, it is a habit.
Aristotle

How each person defines their best Self is individual.
Also how exactly the path will look like, is different and always the decision of the individual. But true knowledge and awareness of the world around us can only be achieved through reflection and understanding of our own thoughts, feelings and actions:

Knowledge always begins with self-knowledge.

The following guidelines help us on this path:

• Fate is not something to which you are condemned.
  This is because karma means that all actions have consequences. We are responsible ourselves – even for the actions we refrain from.
• With conscious communication, misunderstandings can be clarified, harm and pain can be avoided.
• Discernment and the power of No allow to make the right decisions.

The references for the support we offer lie in the universal teachings of yoga and meditation, as well as the findings of neuroscience. The many helpful tools and techniques enable change and growth on your journey of self-knowledge and self-realization.

What drives and motivates my teaching is my experience that we can evolve as human beings. Sometimes it is not easy to get oneself out the curds of bad habits that have become dear to one’s heart, but in every life there is the possibility of making one or another decision differently and thus possibly bringing about a great change.

In these possibilities of decision there comes a bit of freedom. And the most powerful tool for achieving freedom is:
self-responsibility.

Whatever we do has consequences.
Whatever we don’t do also has consequences.

Being able to act means being able to decide.
Being capable of action means having the energy to act and staying on task.
Being able to act requires alignment with the True Self.

Decision

We often perceive boundaries that are set by our environment, but which actually exist only in our minds.
This illusion of borders has fatal consequences:
Instead of moving and acting on our values to achieve our goal (or at least taking steps in that direction), we become passive.

A vicious circle begins.

The experience of imagined limits makes us smaller and smaller, and most of the time we make sure to find evidence of these limits around us. And from the moment we look for something, we experience the consequences of our “free-roaming” perception:
Have you ever wanted to buy a car?
Imagine you are interested in a special model, let’s say the new electric VW Golf. Suddenly you’ll see many, many electric VW Golfs on the road!
But..: There are just as many as before.
You experience a change in your perception; your perception sharpens your awareness.

Your interest directs your consciousness.

So as we search for the evidence of our limits, we can be sure to find it.
But back to the limits in the head.
We have the feeling of being limited and therefore we do not act as we could.
This is the first step in the vicious circle.
Passivity creates an increasing distance from our inner goals, the desires of our true self, our destiny. Added to this is the working climate of a performance-oriented society, in which even a temporary break is not accepted.
We often compensate with external goals, for example, a career vision that drives us but leaves us empty and burnt out after a certain time.
The energy of life flows in a direction where we get our salary in exchange, but no deep satisfaction.
After the limits in our head, the feeling of passivity sets in, nourished by an inner emptiness and lack of energy.
In the second step of the vicious circle, we begin to compare. We look outward and see the successful and satisfied.
In this comparison, we draw the short straw. We condemn ourselves for failure and lose sight of our inner goals.
The game of shame and guilt begins.
We are ashamed that we are so small, so incapable of getting going, of not doing what would move us forward. Our self-worth dwindles and we feel incapable. All the evidence we have found in the outside world tells of a victim role: We see ourselves as victims of circumstances, preferably of past circumstances. So we blame our parents, our childhood experiences, the education system, work. Our partner, the colleagues, our teachers.
Aaah, whole life!
The list is endless and can be extended at will.
What we lose as we plummet into our self-made hell is the freedom to choose.
We no longer perceive that we have the option to say “no” at any point in time. Each decision can be a different one.
It is not only fear, uncertainty and doubt that make this change difficult. We instinctively know the risks that this self-responsibility entails:
When I decide, when I take the reins of my life, I have no one else to blame but myself.
A powerful counter to change is the “secondary disease gain” we lose when we stop our game of shame and guilt. That is, we would have to accept the loss of attention, care, comfort, encouragement, positivity and support. The liberation from the victim role of circumstances also makes us miss the encouragement, the regrets of others, finally the energy that they provide us by listening to us.

Energy

Freedom begins with a NO.
Defining our availability is critical to defining our energy losses.

• All the things we do, all the things we feel we have to do – do we really have to?
• Have we consciously or unconsciously chosen to be available to them?
• Where do previous agreements hide that need to be renegotiated?
• Where can we identify patterns that were useful in the past but are no longer so in the present?

A simple formula:
The less I am available, the more often I say no and thus set healthy boundaries, the more energy is available.

Every No to the outside is a Yes to your self.

This does not mean suddenly abandoning all tacit or expressed commitments. Of course, the dog still has to eat and walk, not to mention the obligations to children and family.
But our comfort often makes us pause until our hats burst and pent-up, old anger breaks out, out of proportion to an everyday event.
Saying No means being clear about your own needs.
Saying No means questioning commitments and roles.
Saying No means renegotiating agreements and cherished habits.

Alignment

What principles do you base your decisions on?
What are the values and virtues that align your actions with your path that will define your future?
We may have a hazy idea of our destiny, we may have dreams of our future, we may even have plans – but have we anchored principles that guide our actions, our words, our thoughts to our best selves?
Acknowledging, accepting, agreeing and finally restoring our creative power is the prerequisite to being your best Self.
(And no, by creative power I don’t mean an occasional break from the mundane with a hobby: Creative power is the fuel of the daily necessary decision to act aligned with your values).

That is the purpose of my workshops, my trainings.

That is the motivation that drives me when I teach:

Understanding that each breath is the opportunity to think, speak, act aligned with the true Self, the Sat-Nām identity.
Prāna, the life force, can be dedicated to discovering what is really inside you.
Be open to surprises along the way – it might be something different than what you imagined.
This alignment with the divine spark within us, the Higher Self, humanises the animal within and allows the unfolding of our human potential.
It is the ascent from false entanglements to the wide, bright heights of freedom, where the world is no longer the reference of action, but universal values guide thought and action.
Far beyond techniques, tools, plans, policies and strategies, we can find the freedom of self-responsibility and self-initiation: Independent, free and at the same time responsible for the people around us, the world.
A world in which we manifest this freedom is my vision.
Touching people’s hearts with this message and sharing the yogic tools of growth and personal development is my objective.

Doesn’t the title sound a bit like a megalomaniac vision?
“We’ve found it! We know how “always happy” works!” Or an abbreviated simplification at a mediocre esoteric advertising level:
“Come to our course, Yogi! Meditate and all your worries and fears will vanish!”

There’s nothing wrong with a little megalomaniac vision. Visions make life more varied. The challenges are generated from self-imposed goals, which increases the fun factor.
But did I understand anything? Hmhmhmm…
How “always happy” works – surely not.
If you don’t have days when the never-ending to-do list, the demand for perfection and the uncertainties of life form an nerv rattling and stressful combination in which losing your yogic contenance is very close, please get in touch immediately!

It is in its nature that happiness is a fleeting thing:
Happiness is a condition.
A condition that is changing. And any condition perfomrs similiar in the eternal game of polarities: It comes and goes. And thus happinesscomes and goes.
We know that happiness is influenced to a large extent by hormones. In Kundalini Yoga we know about specific meditations that have a positive influence on our hormonal balance.

The influence of individually experienced happiness on our lives is as direct as the influence of stress on our breathing.
The only problem is that we usually only notice it when someone points it out to us.
Happiness is a little more complicated:
Because before we realize that we are unhappy, we start with a deeply rooted compensation program from our evolutionary human beginnings:
Where there’s no happiness, there’s stress.
Where there’s stress, there’s danger.
Where there is danger, survival must be ensured.

In the blink of an eye, our brain catapults us out of our human, ethical potential, out of our principles and values for the instinctive protection of the ego. There is no room for noble general interests in the supposed fight for survival. Because they are only worthwhile if we have time and space for complex thought processes. But they take much longer than fleeing, freezing or fighting. By then, the sabre-toothed tiger would have already eaten us for breakfast.
When we are unhappy, appealing to an attitude of abundance only helps to a limited extent: the head nods, but its contents are on alert. Our focus has long since shifted away from the frontal cortex and the processing of complex relationships:
Where there’s no happiness, there’s stress.
Where there’s stress, there’s danger.
Where there is danger, survival must be ensured.

We can beat this mechanism at its own game:
By re-establishing a state of happiness, our reptilian brain switches off the alarm state.
Where there is happiness – there is no danger.

We experience a state of happiness when the following hormones are released:

• Dopamine
• Endorphin
• Oxytocin
• Serotonin

We achieve this through specific Kundalini Yoga meditations.

The happiness we experience is like the light of a candle that makes it brighter for everyone.
A happy person is a charismatic person with a positive charisma that is contagious!
The happiness we experience gives us serenity and confidence. It leads us into a feeling of abundance, out of scarcity. Happiness allows us to experience inner contentment and relaxation.
And, beware, this has implications that go much, much further than perhaps ticking off the certification requirements for yoga teacher training.

When we anchor the feeling in ourselves that we are doing well, that everything is taken care of, that we can be happy even in challenging times – then we broaden our view. We create a deep experience within ourselves that puts our individual interests in their proper place. Through regular repetition, we make this experience a fixed basis.
Me-me-me is the short-term satisfaction of our instinct for self-preservation. Paradoxically, this does not make us any happier.
We experience sustainable and long-term happiness when we put our own interests behind the interests of the community.

Or, in short:
We are convinced that a regular meditation practice makes the world a better place and is your perfect antidote to frustration.

In museum stores I always try to pull myself together and not buy any knick-knacks. I often manage to reduce it to a fridge magnet. Alternatively, I’m a sucker for cups, as one always breaks.
Since the Vatican Museums, I have been accompanied by a cup with a quote from Michelangelo, which, according to tradition, he uttered at the tender age of 87:
Sto ancora imparando – I am still learning.

Learning is a central topic for me.
My whole life is learning and I pray that I will never give it up.
I recently understood a new aspect of learning.
Well hidden in a well-known phrase: “Keep up!”

Until then, my understanding of this snappy phrase was that it was a slogan for persevering, sticking with it, keeping your teeth together: “10 more seconds of stretching position! Keep up! You can do it!”
A call for self-initiation. To dissolve & break through imagined limitations.

Some time ago, I saw a video in a Buddhist context about challenging times. The message was to face challenges flexibly, to look for new solutions, to try them out and not to give up looking for solutions.
In other words, to approach the entire process with a keep-up spirit, not just a single action in the process.
The discipline of biting through and persevering was suddenly complemented by fluid flexibility.

The scales fell from my eyes:
“Keep up” helps to counter the simplistic shortcuts of populism, as it invites us to look for solutions even in complex situations and not to fall into black and white thinking. “Keep up” is the precautionary program against senility, the nostalgic longing for the good old days.

Suddenly, two previously lonely neuronal areas in my brain had happily connected with each other!
Learning means adaptability.
Learning requires flexibility.

• Learning is the perseverance of being flexible.

Previously, the discipline of perseverance was in one corner & the flexibility of learning ability in the other.
But even from a neural point of view, learning requires both discipline and flexibility:
In complex situations that call for new solutions, you need the flexibility to let go of old neural connections.
For example, recognizing, accepting, agreeing that something is outdated.
Something that no longer works because the situation has changed. Because the environment has changed.
Because the problems requiring solutions have changed.
I need to break new ground in my head! 😱
My thought structure, my resulting behaviors & habits were good solutions. Now they no longer fit in with the present.
Just like when working with beliefs.
The difficult part is tracking down the negative beliefs. The recognition of self-sabotage. The inner process of letting go of these old, entrenched beliefs.
This is the flexibility of learning.

Only then does discipline come into play: New things have to be repeatedly sent along the initially difficult jungle path of neuronal connections.
Just like learning vocabulary.
Like manifesting positive beliefs.

Just like yoga.
The great goal are not perfectly held asanas. It is the inner process of discovering why some asanas cause difficulties.
No clinging to supposedly perfect ideas. But rather the flexibility to recognize reality and adapt our thoughts and actions.

I’m still learning…

In today’s fast-paced and hectic world, relaxation has become an indispensable resource. Many of us work and experience the hectic pace of everyday life every day. This stress can lead to a variety of health problems, including nervousness, sleep disorders and even serious mental and physical ailments. It is therefore crucial to regularly take time for relaxation and recuperation. In this article, you will learn how you can find inner peace and serenity through various techniques and habits.

Increased resilience as a result of regular relaxation

Relaxation is not a luxury, but a necessity for our well-being. It helps to stimulate the vagus nerve, which in turn activates the parasympathetic nervous system. This leads to a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure, resulting in a deep inner calm. When we take regular breaks and relax, we act more calmly and thoughtfully in challenging situations and have better access to our problem-solving strategies. We can cope better with the stress of everyday life and improve our general quality of life: Relaxation gives us resilience.

Ways to relax

There are many methods to find relaxation. Here are some effective techniques that can help you take a soothing time-out:

1. breathing exercises: Deep and conscious breathing can bring immediate relaxation. A simple breathing exercise consists of breathing in deeply through your nose, holding your breath for a few seconds and exhaling slowly through your mouth.

2. meditation: Regular meditation can help to calm the mind and reduce stress. Whether guided meditations or silent sessions, the practice of meditation brings deep relaxation and inner peace.

3. yoga: Yoga combines physical movement with breathing exercises and meditation. It is an excellent way to achieve both physical and mental relaxation.

4. progressive muscle relaxation: This technique involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups. It helps to release physical tension and promote a sense of calm.

5. mindfulness: Mindfulness means living in the present moment and being aware of what is happening. This can help to reduce the hectic pace of everyday life and create a sense of serenity.

Relaxation exercises for everyday life

Here are some practical relaxation exercises that you can easily integrate into your everyday life:

– Breathing exercises: Try to set aside a few minutes each day for deep breathing exercises. This can help you to reduce stress and center yourself.

– Mini meditations: Even a short meditation of five minutes can have a big impact. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and concentrate on your breath.

– Walks in nature: A walk in the park or forest can work wonders. Nature has a calming effect and helps to clear the mind.

– Breaks in the office: It is also important to take regular breaks in the office. Stand up, stretch and take a short break to recharge your batteries.

Guided deep relaxation

Guided deep relaxation is a particularly effective method of achieving deep relaxation. These techniques are often guided by a teacher or through audio recordings and help to completely relax the body and mind. They are particularly useful for people who find it difficult to calm down on their own.

Use your vacation as a time for regeneration

A vacation is not just a break from work, but an important time for regeneration. Use your vacation to really switch off and recharge your batteries. Avoid being online all the time or thinking about work matters. Instead, you should plan activities that you enjoy and that relax you. Ensure a balanced mixture of passive relaxation (lying on the beach, reading a book, …) and active relaxation (going for a walk, doing sport, …).

The role of the vagus nerve in relaxation

The vagus nerve plays a central role in relaxation. It is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system and influences many bodily functions, including heart rate and digestion. Techniques such as deep breathing and meditation can stimulate the vagus nerve, leading to a state of deep relaxation.

Sleep problems and relaxation

Many people suffer from sleep problems such as difficulty falling asleep or sleeping through the night. Relaxation techniques can be very helpful here. A relaxing evening routine that includes reading a book, a warm shower or gentle yoga exercises can make the transition to sleep easier.

Finding serenity in everyday life

Finding serenity in everyday life requires conscious effort and practice. Here are some tips that can help you:

– Planning and organization: Plan your tasks and set priorities. Good organization can help to reduce stress.

– Develop positive habits: Develop habits that help you stay calm and composed, such as taking regular breaks, eating healthily and getting enough sleep.

– Set boundaries: Learn to say no and respect your boundaries. Excessive stress is often caused by too many commitments.

Conclusion

Relaxation is an essential part of a healthy and balanced life. By taking regular breaks, practicing relaxation techniques and paying attention to your needs, you can escape the hectic pace of everyday life and find inner peace. Whether through breathing exercises, meditation, yoga or simply a walk in nature – there are many ways to find the time out and relaxation you need. Take the time to integrate these techniques into your everyday life and experience the positive effects on your well-being and quality of life.