Customer Reviews

Kundalini Yoga

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I found this book to be just what excerpt on the back cover of the book states, it is an illustrated instructional book on Kundalini Yoga. This is not a book on yogic philosophy and lifestyle. Shakta Kaur Khalsa has written a great visual guide book on what Kundalini Yoga is, showing real people performing Kundalini Yoga. These photographs depict what you would do if you attended a Kundalini Yoga class. I found that these pictures give the reader excellent visual instructions on the specific nuances of how the Kundalini Yoga breathing, Mudras, and Kriyas are performed. This Kundalini Yoga book serves the following purposes, it gives the reader a clear picture of what they would be doing if they attended a Kundalini Yoga class. It also serves as a cheat sheet to help the Kundalini Yoga student who attends class to review the postures and be able to do them at home on their own, without the Yoga teacher, and it also serves as a guide to share with a spouse, children, or friends who may want to join you in doing Kundalini Yoga. If the readers is interested in finding out what Kundalini Yoga is about, or if they would like to have a visual reference for what is done in a Kundalini Yoga class, or a book of photographs which demonstrate Kundalini Yoga Kriyas, I would highly recommend this book. If the reader is looking to read about the Kundalini Yogic philosophy and lifestyle I would recommend they purchase, "Kundalini Yoga The Flow of Eternal Power" by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa. "Kundalini Yoga The Flow of Eternal Power" covers Kundalini Yogic philosophy and lifestyle in great detail. "Kundalini Yoga" by Shakta Kaur Khalsa is just what the book states it is, a visual instructional book on what Kundalini Yoga is and how Kundalini Yoga is performed.

I was very satisfied with this book. I own a lot of different introductory books about hatha yoga, and this is definitely one of the best. in addition to the exercises, it contains excellent explanations of the underlying concepts and foundational techniques, it doesn't just contain a bunch of poses or a few sets, but gives you a wide variety of exercise sets and meditations a long with descriptions of the benefits and purpose of each one. the book provides a great deal of flexibility and room for experimentation, which is extremely rare in a "beginner's text." the photographs and instructions are clear and of high quality, and the book provides a good introduction to the practices and lifestyle of Yogi Bhajan's devotees.

some points of clarification may be warranted from the reviews of the other readers. first of all, "kundalini yoga" as referred to her is the name given by Yogi Bhajan to the style of yoga he developed. it is not the same as the various forms of yogi developed within hinduism expressly oriented around the development of divinity through the cultivation of kundalini. this form of "kundalini yoga" is modern, and bears a much stronger resemblance to hatha yoga than it does hindu kundalini yogis, which are primarily meditative. like hatha yoga, as taught by Swami Sivananda and the Ashtanga lineage and others, Kundalini Yoga represents a fully developed spiritual system and set of lifestyles practices. however, unlike other popular forms of hatha yoga, kundalini yoga is not grounded in Hindusm. also, whereas other types of yoga are some times taught with an emphasis placed on the exercise aspects, with the spiritual and lifestyle aspects deemphasized, Kundalini Yoga is always taught as a complete system.

a great deal of controversy surrounds Kundalini Yoga, 3HO and Yogi Bhajan. as one other reviwer wrote, a number of scandals have occurred within the community over the last thirty years, and these are chronicled on Rick Ross's website. however, a self-proclaimed deprogrammer and cult investigator, Rick Ross himself is a controversial figure and has been investigated and sued on a number of occasions. none of the actions following from Yogi Bhajan's alleged misconduct ever resulted in a conviction.

finally, Yogi Bhajan's credentials as a yogi teacher have been called into question, as has his claim to be the spiritual representative of the Sikhs in the Western hemisphere. these allegations are more or less true. Yogi Bhajan's lineage is completely unknown and many of his teachings violate the basic tenets of Sikhism. to my knowledge, Sikhs do not practice hatha yoga, and many of the beliefs and techniques in Yogi Bhajan's system were clearly borrowed from Hinduism.

all that said, I and many people I know have practiced Yogi Bhajan's Kundalini Yoga for years and have found it to be healthy and emotionally and spiritually uplifting. on that grounds, I recommend this book to anyone interested in yoga, spirituality and mind-body exercise. with regard to the other issues, I suggest you draw your own conclusions about 3HO and Yogi Bhajan, without being overly swayed either by his devotees or his critics.

Having started Kundalini Yoga in Feb. of this year (2001), I was anxious to "bring home" my practice of Kundalini Yoga. My teacher is wonderful and recommend this book because I wanted to find or learn some thing so that I could do my exercies at home. Kundalini Yoga, by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, was my answer. This book is the very very best at introducing, explaining and depicting exercies, mudras and medidations relating to Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness. The pictures are colorful, clear and the directions are precise and easy to read. I, we, are all lucky to have such an author to give us such great work and allow us to bring home our daily practice of Kundalini Yoga. My hat is off to this book and its context. Thank you.

Sat Nam

Scott Heiple Norman, Oklahoma

This is a wonderful introduction to kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. It covers the basics well.

Most of the book is devoted to exercises and meditations, which should be a useful reference for anyone who wants to practice at home. There is also a little bit about yogic philosophy and lifestyle.

Although the book's editing was not very good -- there are several typos and a couple pages were transposed -- it is a physically attractive book, with full-color photos throughout. It is nice to see real people, of various physiques and abilities, as models. I congratulate the publisher on taking this risk, which is hardly ever seen in our society which values unreal images of so-called beauty.

Kundalini yoga stresses the quality of mental and spiritual focus as being more important than how well you can physically perform the pose, and it is nice to acknowledge that most beginners will not be able to do every pose well by showing some models with an extended leg not perfectly straight or a hip not in alignment. Maybe this realism will make it more accessible for some readers. But beginners do need to know what they're striving towards in a pose, however, and there were a few cases where I thought a poorly demonstrated pose did a disservice to the reader. Also, matching the breath to the movement is so important, and there is almost no mention of how to do this in the explanation of specific exercises. (Breathing is discussed in a separate section.)

Despite these criticisms, I do think this is a great book for beginners. The explanations are clear and easy to read and understand. And for those who don't like to concentrate on a lot of text, there are lots of colorful photos to hold your attention.

I want to thank Shakta Kaur Khalsa for her incredibly beautiful books, her beautiful writing, and her beautiful teachings! Certainly her "gift number" must be 5 since she is such a talented teacher and communicator!

I bought the "Kundalini Yoga" book about a year ago and still thoroughly enjoy selecting various "kriyas" (exerices) to perform. One of my favorites is the kriya for disease resistance! The book is so beautifully produced and Shakta's writing is so lyrical. I have given many of the Kundalini books as gifts to help others discover their life potential.

Also, I purchased the companion CD to the Kundalini book and often use that music to accompany my yoga practice. The music is beautiful and the CD has so many tracks!

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the incredible benefits yoga offers. The descriptions are very clear and the writing is so very inspirational. There is such a wealth of information that even now, a year later, I am still using it as a reference as I get deeper into yoga.

I also enjoyed the nutritious recipes. I overcame a cold very quickly by preparing a delicious datemilk. I've made some of the soups as well, all very tasty and healthy!

I plan on buying more of Shakta's books. They are my absolute favorites when it comes to yoga!

This is a FANTASTIC resource and addition to one's yoga routine. Of course, it is only an introduction, but it is informative, accurate (to my knowledge), and easy to understand. It has a wonderful design and layout. It tells you everything you need and is a wonderful guide.

If you are curious about Kundalini Yoga this book is for you:

"Kundalini Yoga, the mother of all yogas and the most powerful yoga known. As brought to the West in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan, it produces results 16 times faster than ordinary yoga.

Its power comes from the Kundalini, an enormous reserve of untapped potential within each of us. It is normally depicted as a coiled or sleeping serpent, located in an area towards the base of the spine.

By gradually and safely awakening this serpent and employing its power, you will benefit greatly from an elevation in consciousness, promotion of physical well-being and an expansion of awareness. You will feel more relaxed and at ease with yourself. Your life will be transformed into one which is happy, healthy & harmonious."

If you are interested in Kundalini Yoga, this is a good book to read. It is very thorough and describes the reasoning behind the practice, has detailed descriptions of various poses, and general health information. As the cover says, it is fully illustrated, the pictures are clear and easy to follow.

I am responding to a review by chiara adina cerweny "chiaradina" (wellington, NZ), who has posted the exact same review for three different books on kundalini yoga. Obviously, this individual has a personal problem with kundalini yoga, calling it a cult and a money producing machine. I have practiced kundalini yoga for eleven years and as far as I can tell, it is not a cult. My yoga instructor has never encouraged me to join anything or buy anything. For me it is an enjoyable way to exercise, unwind, and rejuvenate.

As for the book by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, I have used it as a reference for four years now. It is well written and beautifully illustrated. The book is not only a manual, but explains the background and philosophy of kundalini yoga as well. Simply put, it is the best book on kundalini yoga that I have come across.

This book is wonderful with its illustrations by real people, different cultures - not perfect models. I started yoga about a year ago and never knew what small things I was doing incorrectly or why I was doing them. This book explains what every position does for you and which chakra (didn't know what that was) it affects. The book also explains breathing exercises and how important the relaxation after unlocks all the tensions..... liked reading about the history of yoga and about meditation which many movie stars talk about. How helpful it is to take the time for yourself every day in this world of high stress fast lane type living. Kundalini Yoga explains it all. Yoga has changed my life giving it more energy, focus, control, relaxation, and has made me to be happy with who I am. - Not what others think I should be. My sister, 63 is obsessed with
losing weight and this complicated ZONE diet. She is very thin right now. Is this because it's the IN thing to do? She definitely is not happy within herself...
YOGA< JUST DO IT..... AND RELAX AND ENJOY PEACE

At last a yoga book for real people. The people demonstrating the poses are of all ages, races and body types. What a relief to open this book and feel I don't have to look like a model or be in great shape to enjoy yoga. The book is truly wonderful. The design, colors, layout, accessibility of the text and format and the incredible joy and clarity the author put into each word make the book an absolute delight. It is so inviting I wanted to open to any page and just start doing what was on that page!