How to Practice Kundalini Yoga

So, you’re interested in starting a Kundalini yoga practice? The good news is that you’re in the right place! The bad news is, well, actually there isn’t any. Apart from the fact that you better be ready for your life to change - Kundalini yoga tends to have that effect…

Kundalini yoga is a fast way to activate stagnant energy in the spine - you know, the kind that makes you feel incredibly out of touch with yourself - and move towards a deep connection with your intuition, creativity, and so much more.

By the end of this post, you’ll know the best ways to set up your space for your Kundalini practice as well as three simple Kundalini practices that you can try today.

To establish a successful, long term practice we recommend making your practice as fun and enjoyable as possible. It is your time to become your highest self after all!

One of the biggest reasons we find students move away from their yoga practice is not because they lose interest. It’s because they don’t have a dedicated space to come to time and time again that excites them to participate in Kundalini yoga.

Here are our best tips for setting the ultimate space for your Kundalini practice.

Make it comfortable
Sitting still and meditating can be hard enough on its own. Therefore, it’s a good idea to make your practices as enjoyable as possible, especially when first starting out.

Though cushions are not required for Kundalini yoga, they sure can make long meditations and breathing practices more comfortable! Grab a bolster, blanket or something else soft to sit on if you’ll be sitting for an extended period of time.

Keep it quiet
Distractions are the enemy of any style of yoga practice. A distraction free environment is key to honing in on that full mind, body, spirit connection.

Keep your space quiet in every way by minimizing both noise and clutter as much as possible. Although some noise may be unavoidable, try to find a spot where you’ll be mostly undisturbed.

Decorate

When decorating your space, don’t go crazy! Remember, we want to avoid clutter. However, you might want to place a few precious items around to make your practice feel more sacred. Also try things like essential oils or smudging to create an atmosphere that really sets the mood.

Once your space is set up, it’s time to dive into the practice!

If you’re new to Kundalini yoga or are just looking for some quick techniques to try here are three simple Kundalini practices to get you started. These can be practiced individually, strung together to make a powerful Kundalini yoga sequence or sprinkled into your regular yoga practice.

Axial rotation of the spine
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position with the eyes open.

Bring your hands to your shoulders, resting your fingers in front of your shoulder and thumb behind. Inhale through the nose as you turn your upper body and head to the left, then exhale through the mouth as you turn to the right.

Move as quickly or as slowly as you like, using your breath to guide the movement.

Repeat for between 30-90 seconds.

Breath of fire (ego eradicator)
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position with the eyes closed.

Reach your arms overhead and slightly away from the body. Turn the palms to face forwards and take a breath to roll the shoulders back and down. From here, bring the tips of your fingers to rest on your palms - without making a fist - and keep the thumbs open as if you’re trying to plug them into the sky.

Take conscious, sharp breaths in and out through the nose - bringing your navel in as you exhale.

Repeat for 1-3 minutes.

Frog squat
Start from a standing position with the heels touching and the toes facing the corners of your mat.

Bend your knees to bring your sit bones gently towards your heels and plug all five fingertips into the ground in front of you.

Keep the heels lifted and the fingertips plugged into the ground as you inhale to straighten the knees. Exhale to bring the sit bones back down and look forwards.

Repeat for 26 rounds.

There you have it! Now you have all the tools you need to start your own Kundalini yoga practice.

If you would like to learn more about Kundalini yoga and deepen your practice, we have some other great free resources here and here.

If you’re ready to dive headfirst into the world of Kundalini yoga, we recommend you check out our comprehensive online 200hr Kundalini yoga teacher training. We’ve even made a few lessons available for free so you can get a sense of what the training is all about.