Queen Dancer Pose

We Hate To Break it To You: There is a Point to Extreme Yoga!

Questions  of  the Month 

S.O.S, What Can I Do?

Hello Ravi and Ana, I generally can answer my own kundalini yoga questions by myself at this point, but I am in a state of S.O.S. right now, as I am living away from home this summer. It IS super stressful to be so far from home. More so because I have a severe anxiety disorder. I have maintained my 3x/week kundalini yoga practice by hauling ALL of your DVDs with me, but because my job schedule is erratic, it's hard to know in advance even what time of day I'll be able to do yoga. I have had to start taking tranquilizers to sleep lest I wake up every 30 minutes the entire night soaked in sweat and trembling from night terrors. I am definitely at the bottom of the barrel of personal wellness, and have been compensating by eating every sugary food I come across. My boyfriend recently said to me "you need to find a way to do your work without it making you sick, or you'll have to stop doing it to save your health." (This wasn't a command on his part, but a worried suggestion.) It is just that things which would be stressful, but not cause most people to get ill, devastate me physically. Even being around people in my hometown saps my energy so quickly that I need "recovery time." What can I do?  

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a life challenge. We feel that moving your practice from 3x per week to daily will make a huge difference. It's very important to keep your solar plexus open (which is something which gets covered in all of our DVD's). Also, we feel that it's important that you do an 22-31 min. meditation each day (or, even twice a day) ideally do a meditation in the morning (so that it informs you day), and later on if possible. We recommend: So Darshan Chakra Kriya and the Sa-Ta-Na-Ma Meditation, on, Yoga Quick Fixes and Yoga House Call,  the "Born Free," segment on Kundalini Yoga Transformer the Meditation on Navel Power , any of the techniques on our Meditation DVD, or the "Hands Like a Teapot," Meditation on Fat Free Yoga.   

Anxiety disorders can be exacerbated by certain foods or substances. Be a detective and stay clear of those things. Most importantly make your Spiritual practice a primary focus in your life.  It is a constant you can count on. Then everything else, and the inevitable ups and downs won't seem so devastating. Everything contains its opposite, so, improbable as it may seem to you now, this situation can actually be a doorway to great bliss. Please keep us posted. You have the power to be victorious in the present situation, no matter the outcome. We wish you joy, health, and abundant blessings!

                         Helping Stroke Patients 

Hi, I have a friend who had a stroke awhile back. She is 70 but in excellent physical shape and works out but does not do yoga. I am looking for which of your DVD's (and which specific movements) would be good for her "brain working". Her left and right brain are not working well - she has memory problems, math, number and information retention problems, and although she speaks fine, she has difficulty finding the right words - what goes on in her head does not necessarily come out right. Can you recommend which of your DVD's would be a good one to start with for these specific purposes. Rather than just a beginning Yoga DVD, I would rather give her one that focuses on brain access and healing.

It's wonderful that you want to help your friend who has suffered a stroke. The support of friends is one of the most important things in a stroke patients healing journey. Their company and conversation provide important stimulation to the brain and helps speed the healing process.

The brain is remarkably "plastic." When one or even, several, areas are damaged, the brain can actually rewire itself by going around that area and forging new connections with other areas. Unaffected areas of the brain can often take over the jobs of affected areas! There is still so much not known about how the brain works but all the new research is certainly promising and exciting. Of course the degree of damage varies greatly, but, no matter what the extent of the stroke, patients can take a very long time to heal. so, patience is key. In our experience, stroke patients continue to heal for years despite their age, and often despite their doctors opinions!

Kundalini Yoga is an excellent idea for your friend for two reasons. First, depression is almost a given in cases of stroke and Kundalini Yoga will certainly help with that. And two, the reason you cited, Kundalini Yoga contains many exercises that directly stimulate and help balance the brain.

We recommend the RaviRolls exercise on Fat Free Yoga, the arm exercises on Kundalini Yoga Transformer (as well as the rest of those workouts). Also, the Sa-Ta-Na-Ma Meditation which is on, both  Yoga Quick Fixes and Yoga House Call will be helpful. Playing the fingers, as this meditation does, stimulates the different areas of the brain. Also the Brain Booster  segment on Yoga House Call and the Maximize Memory on Yoga Quick Fixes will be helpful. We wish you and your friend joy, health, and abundant blessings! 

                     Resistance to Certain DVD's 

Hi Ravi and Ana, I have a burning question. I have been trying to re-establish my kundalini yoga practice for several years now after a year or more long practice of doing it almost sometimes twice a day in 2007. I definitely saw the benefit!

If I stick to doing Beauty Body, Lighten Up and Purify, Fat Free Yoga,  and  Total Tune Up and Hip Bliss, I am fine and could probably do yoga everyday.

However, whenever I add in Navel Power and Warrior or do them each in a row I actually HATE yoga EVEN though I feel so good afterwards. Especially Navel Power. I always feel amazing afterwards but then find myself dreading doing yoga the next day. It is so odd especially since I DEFINITELY feel and notice the benefits. I know I have a very weak will. And I know from some of the quizzes and based on my personality and problem areas I it would benefit me greatly to continue to do if nothing else Navel Power.

What could be the possible dynamics going on here?  I am considering just sticking to my favorites to get myself jump started but wondered if you might have a solution. On Navel power the exercises that help me the most are the wheel and the one which is an almost wheel, the one you can do modified before you get out of bed for more energy. That combination totally seems to undo the rounded shoulder type syndrome/bind I find myself in. There is a similar sequence in Yoga Beauty Body where it finishes out with shoulder stand, and then rocking like a baby to get up and it just feels so amazing. Anyway what would cause such deep seated resistance? Any clues or suggestions?  Thanks again for your wonderful dvds and all you do!

                            Full Moon Meditation 

The full moon this month is July 15th. The Full Moon of July is called Guru Purnima in India, and is celebrated by Buddhists in honor of Buddha, who gave his first sermon on this day. The Hindu tradition honors the great sage Vyasa, who is a symbol of the sacredness of the Guru/disciple tradition. Wandering yogis (sadhus), observe this day by doing devotional rituals to the Guru (Infinite Teacher) during the four month period of the rainy season, when they meditate in seclusion, at one selected place.

The mantra for this very special Full Moon Meditation, taught by Yogi Bhajan in the early 80's is:

Sat Narayan Wahay Guru, Hari Narayan, Sat Nam

This means: Clear Perception of Truth, Ecstasy Beyond Words, Creative Essence of the Divine, Truth Made Manifest

This mantra relates to the element water and is great for balancing the emotions and for emotional healing. The stipulations for this meditation are: 1. It is to be practiced alone. No one should see you as you practice and vice versa. 2. You should be sitting in a place where the light of the Full Moon is hitting your directly (NOT through a window). 3. This practice should be done for at least 2 1/2 hrs. on the night of a Full Moon.  

Following the above specifications, please have your hands in Prayer Pose. Close your eyes and chant this mantra mentally.  Stay alert. Stay awake, and know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.   

Just as the Full Moon has a noticable effect on the tides, it also makes our emotions more extreme. For a yogi, this represents an opportunity. When we meditate on the night of the Full Moon, our glands can secrete in special ways, and sublime states of consciousness become accessible to us. This meditation can help to resolve the emotional wounds of the past, and helps us to master the element water. No one thinks twice about watching TV or a movie for 2 1/2 hours. Why not watch the Universe for 2 1/2 hours and see what unfolds! Let something as seemingly extreme as meditating for 2 1/2 hours become business as usual in terms of your personal practice. Worlds and wonders will rally around your effort.