Resources for further exploration of Kundalini Yoga:
GURU RATTANA KAUR
I love Guru Rattana Kaur! Her website is so informative and there are many sequences and meditations, available on this site, for free. She is also the author of one of my all- time favorite manuals: Transitions to a Heart-Centered World.
YOGA INTERNATIONAL
Practice with me online at Yoga International. There are many different sequences available with more on the way. With a membership, you have access to 100's of classes with some of the top teachers in the world as well as incredible articles, wisdom, tutorials and more.
RESEARCH ON KIRTAN KRIYA
The Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation has been on the leading edge of scientific research on the value of meditation for many years. Please visit them and learn first hand what they have learned and been able to demonstrate about the value of meditation in general, and the value of Kirtan Kriya specifically. Donations are always welcome to keep this research going.
Study with me! Virtually, on Monday mornings at 10:00 am. In person or virtually on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm. I also offer Moon Circle gatherings at West Asheville Yoga, every new (dark) moon and full moon.
Tulasana Sadhana is a series of independent yet interrelated courses that I developed in an effort to support your home practice. It is my experience that while classes and trainings are so very necessary for our soul, it is our own home practice that will hold, sustain, and truly awaken. All courses offer lifetime access.
resources for filling your own cup / enriching your offerings:
(Svadhyaya ~ Sva refers to the self, or soul and Adhyaya means study and can refer to reading, lessons, lectures as well as the study of one’s own self. This is the 4th Niyama and, as part of our great and universal vows, we seek to continually learn ~ about yoga, the world and ourselves. )
Here, I am sharing some of the books (and so, teachers) that have filled my cup, enriched my life and so, my own offerings. In no particular order:
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - I have numerous translations and encourage you to seek out the same. The translation and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda is perhaps the most user friendly for those new to the Sutras. I also really like “How to Know God” translated and commentary by Swami Prabhavananda and Christoper Isherwood.
Bhagavad Gita - My most well-worn translation is by Stephen Mitchell
Awake in the World - the link will actually take you to a podcast - the podcast is lectures by Michael Stone, an extraordinary and prolific teacher who also authored two of my go to books ~ “Awake in the World” and “Yoga for a World Out of Balance”
Skill in Action - inspired by Michelle Cassandra Johnson’s relationship with the Bhagavad Gita, this is a book about so very much but especially, the intersection of yoga and social justice.
Freedom - Medicine Words for Your Brave Revolution - this book has become a touchstone for me in a short amount of time. Author Jaiya John shares deep nectar for anyone and everyone who seeks to abolish the structures of oppression, injustice and racism.
The Ethics of Love - Vimala McClure’s book on the great and universal vows as a way to heal yourself, others and the Earth
A Wild Love for the Earth - Joanna Macy has been my teacher for at least 30 years. While not yoga, Joanna, perhaps more than anyone else, has spoken to my heart, again and again. Every single one of her books, as well as her translations of Rilke, have the potential to awaken something deep, primal and important within all of us.
Radiant Rest - this is a gorgeous book about Yoga Nidra by the luminous Tracee Stanley. I’m quite confident that Tracee is an actual goddess that walks among us, uplifting with her presence and so very generous with her knowledge - not just about nidra, but also about life.
How To Love - this book clarified so very much for me - about love, about how to love, how to live. It is a tiny book but enormous in content. I have so very many of Thich Nhat Hanh’s books and they are all beautiful, yet this one, for me, is the one.
The Upanishads - like Patanjali’s Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, I encourage acquiring multiple translations so that you may build your own authentic relationship with the teachings. With that said, the most worn version on my bookshelf is the translation by Eknath Easwaran
Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings - Joy Harjo writes and walks in beauty. This is simply my favorite of her offerings but everything she writes will open a sky in your heart.
Threads of Yoga - this book was a radical little find for me. It was a confirming read. Matthew Remski “remixed” the sutras. While I endorse this book and value it greatly, I do sometimes feel challenged by Remski and his other work.
Kundalini Tantra - a must have reference for all who love Kundalini. Authored by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
*this list of books is by no means complete but rather, a rich and gorgeous introduction.
Yet More Love:
I am passionate about bringing the practice to populations that otherwise would not have access to these tools. After teaching to youth at risk and experiencing the transformations possible in this population as well as the incarcerated, I co-founded Light a Path - a 501c3 founded on the knowledge that connection creates resilience. Please check us out online at www.lightapath.org and consider getting involved.