Kundalini means energy, and Kundalini yoga is a powerful and useful practice. It works quickly to reduce stress, improve mental clarity, and elevate moods. It forgoes complex poses for energy-boosting, breath driven exercises, quick meditations, and simple poses. Using Kundalini yoga activates the chemical distributions in the brain that are your natural substances. Certain mantras and breathing exercises make actual physical changes to the brain and body. In short, it’s practical magic.

Kundalini yoga relies heavily on chanting, breath, and meditation. There is no vinyasa flow, no chaturangas, no hands on adjustments in postures. The kriya exercises (or postures) done during class can be physically or mentally challenging, or both. Some are short bursts of physical movement and others are a static holding of a position, with breathwork and meditation practiced throughout.

Kundalini yoga directly works on the endocrine and nervous systems to positively affect your life, creating a greater sense of peace and relaxation as well as a deep satisfaction with relationships, work, and creativity. Chanting mantras directly changes the frequency with which your adrenals release stress hormones. The hypothalamus is located just on top of the brain stem right above the roof of the mouth, which is why chanting and vibrating a mantra gets direct results. Deep yogic breathing increases bone strength and density by creating more minerals in the body and delivering them deep into your bone marrow. Physical yoga postures stretch and tone your muscles.  Kundalini Yoga can reach major emotional and energetic breakthroughs in under 3 minutes of practice. Who doesn’t have time for that!

Every class begins by sitting in easy pose and tuning-in with the same mantra recitation.  It’s ok if you don’t know it. Listening to the sounds will still deliver benefits until you learn them. There is then usually a dharma talk by the teacher followed by a series of sets that involve different kriyas (postures), breathwork, and mantras. Each posture will last for a few minutes and each set is followed by a meditation. Do your best, no one is judging…or watching. Except the teacher. And trust us, they have seen everything!

Our longer yoga classes are 90 minutes but most classes are 45-60 minutes depending on the schedule. There tends to be a more laid back vibe at Trace Zen Yoga compared to a “traditional” yoga class.

All Kundalini Yoga classes are open to everyone from advanced practitioners to people taking their very first class. If you are new, take it easy and go at your own pace – you will have a deeply personal experience!