I can't with kundalini yoga (as taught by Yogi Bhajan) panel

Cultural appropriation is a topic that western yoga has popularized and proliferated. It’s become rampant in nearly every yoga space and often goes unchecked in most yoga circles.
Kundalini yoga is a practice popularised by its “originator” Yogi Bhajan positioned as an ancient teaching that was kept secret and taught only to royalty and nobility for thousands of years. It often includes challenging breath exercises, meditations, chanting and repetitive poses in the hopes of awakening one’s dormant serpent energy.
Yogi Bhajan began offering Kundalini Yoga in the United States in the the 1960s. It caught popular attention almost immediately and now if you’re so inclined, you can visit the 3HO website to purchase your Kundalini spiritual name.
Some say, “I can't with Kundalini because it’s made up by a snake oil charlatan!”
We don’t entirely disagree.
Enjoy the replay from our abcdyogi panel as we ask questions about this practice, its roots, and connection to the authentic and spiritual lineages of yoga.
Hear from our panelists, all Punjabi Sikh yoga practitioners, and experience first-hand what Yogi Bhajan and the Kundalini legacy means to them through an intersectional lens.
Panelists:
Harpinder Kaur Mann (she/her) @harpindermannyoga
Pardip Kaur (she/her) @kaurhealing
Sheetal Kaur Kandola (she/her) @sheetalkandola
Kallie Schutt (she/they) @kallie_rebel_yogatribe
Shalini Sarena Bahad (she/her) @shalinisarena
abcdyogi is a global community for
- South Asian teachers committed to decolonizing yoga and mindfulness teachings
- People identifying as South Asian, Non-South Asian BIPOC, LGBTQIA2+, Allies, Accomplices in search of community-based, spiritually-rooted yoga and mindfulness practices and stories. Everyone is welcome to learn regardless of ethnicity, caste, gender, religion or practice level.
Follow our journey: / abcdyogi
Read our full Vision & Values: abcdyogi.com

[@MissMarvelous28]

very informative and insightful!

[@HeartfireKundalini]

Thank you all immensely for having this discussion publicly. I for one, really appreciate it, and I loved seeing the diversity as well as the unity in all you said. I am a writer and a Kundalini yoga teacher in training. I am based in Canada and have Punjabi (though not Sikh) ancestry. I made a point of finding a non-white teacher of Indian ancestry. I am a survivor of childhood trauma and abuse who has found much healing in what we know as "Kundalini yoga." But when I was young, my father (who bears some resemblance to Yogi Bhajan both physically and, well, hypocritically) was an abusive guru figure who actually had followers, made meditation tapes, etc. I grew up at war with my him, confronting him every step of the way and suffering many wounds because of it. True story: Kundalini yoga has helped me heal those wounds. I feel I am in a strong and empowered place to take what I learn and make it my own. Kundalini yoga as taught by Maya Khamala. :) If inner wisdom and intuition and truth live in all of us, I don't see why not. My journey thus far has been centered on how to teach (and modify) these practices in ways that feel good and transparent and educational, and above all, healing. The teacher I have chosen is well-suited to helping me do just that. Personally I reject the wearing of any special/white garb, I question many of the mantras, I don't take well to being told that anything "must" be done in a specific way "just because," and I have a very hard time with every facet of the white Sikh phenomenon. I feel I am using my intuition and my body's knowledge to pick and choose what I know is real. I am very transparent with my practice-students about the origins and thought processes behind certain practices, telling them more than they really care to know and inviting anyone with questions about anything to contact me. I too, ask questions constantly. I have plans to visit my local Gurdwara (and have been to Gurdwaras in the past). But at the end of the day, I have seen too many people (many of my classmates included) have meaningful life-changing transformations via Kundalini yoga practices to feel that it should simply be discontinued. While yes, there are a lot of white Sikhs getting famous for singing Sikh prayers (barf), there are some people out there exploring these practices with eyes wide open, without any attraction to cults and "gurus," and with trust that their own divine inner wisdom will guide them to teach and share in ways that promote transparency and love without sacrificing any of their critical faculties. I find these discussions integral, and feel blessed to have stumbled upon this in my quest for truth. Haha. One love & sat nam. 🙏🏾❤‍🔥

[@pananetta9911]

Thank you for this information 🙏🏼 I was trying to find out more about the origins of kundalini yoga, I am not interested in practicing from the yogi bhajan line. Would either of you recommend places to study kundalini yoga? Could be anywhere.