Consultation

A Brief Introduction to Kundalini Yoga Meditation

*The excerpt below is taken from David Shannahoff-Khalsa’s book “Sacred Therapies.” More of Shannahoff-Khalsa’s books and resources are here.

The meditation techniques and other yogic practices in this book are commonly referred to as “Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan.” This descriptor helps to differentiate these techniques and this system of teachings from other schools and systems of yoga and meditation, whether they are currently taught in India or in the West, including any other system that might be called Kundalini yoga. Yogi Bhajan openly taught these techniques to the public during his life in the West from 1969 to 2004. Prior to his efforts, these techniques had been kept secret for approximately the last three millennia, and during this time they were taught only by a master to select disciples. These masters were few in number, but they remained as guardians of these once secret and sacred ancient techniques. The reason for the secrecy during the last 3,000 years resulted initially from a nomadic invasion in India that forced the teachings underground. The invaders knew that these powerful techniques would make it much more difficult to control and exploit the masses if they were empowered by their practice. Consequently, the invaders forbade the practice of these techniques (Shannahoff-Khalsa, 2012). During this long era of secrecy, others were left mostly with only remnants of the original integrated parent science of yoga and meditation, what we refer to here as “Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan.” Before this suppression, this highly integrated, evolved, and comprehensive science was practiced openly by both the dedicated yogis and the common householder. Thanks to Yogi Bhajan’s efforts, it is now again possible to bring these teachings to humanity at large. He recognized that extraordinary societal need along with the newly emerged spiritual hunger to become awakened and to better understand the nature of the human psyche and consciousness itself. Why these techniques did not reemerge in society once India again became a sovereign country remains a matter of speculation.

Testimonials from
David Shannahoff-Khalsa’s books

From "Kundalini Yoga Meditation for Complex Psychiatric Disorders: Techniques Specific for Treating the Psychoses, Personality, and Pervasive Developmental"
"Most psychiatric disorders are chronic and disabling. Since current treatments often do not provide full symptom remission, additional approaches are needed. In this new book, Shannahoff-Khalsa continues to increase the credibility of Kundalini Yoga as one such approach. The yoga protocols introduced can serve as adjuncts to the treatment of specific psychiatric and personality disorders not explored in his previous books."
—Euripedes Miguel, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, and Coordinator of the National Institute for Developmental Psychiatry, Brazil
From "Kundalini Yoga Meditation: Techniques Specific for Psychiatric Disorders, Couples Therapy, and Personal Growth"
"Shannahoff-Khalsa expertly presents ways that Kundalini yoga can help people overcome an array of symptoms, such as bouts of insomnia, stress, or anxiety from interpersonal problems. Breathing is a major way in which we can link the outside world of our internal environments, and this books lays out a series of exercises that have worked for centuries to help mankind cope. I personality prescribe a few of the exercises to even my most debilitated CFS patients. Besides the possibility of improved health, the exercises are a way to put control back into the patient's hands."
—Benjamin H. Natelson, M.D.
Professor of Neurosciences, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School
From "Kundalini Yoga Meditation: Techniques Specific for Psychiatric Disorders, Couples Therapy, and Personal Growth"
"Eastern wisdom informs Western science in David Shannahoff-Khalsa's quest to bring the benefits of Kundalini yoga meditation to relieve the emotional pain and mental distress of obsessive compulsive disorder and other disabling psychiatric conditions. Richly illustrated with clinical case histories, this book bridges the tensions between these two world views by offering a detailed repertoire of yogic breathing techniques and postures embedded within controlled treatment outcome trials. Readily practiced within everyday settings, these techniques open the ancient yogic technology of the mind to the reader while remaining grounded in modern neuroscience."
—Frank W. Putnam, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati
From "Sacred Therapies: The Kundalini Yoga Meditation Handbook for Mental Health"
"In this new book, David Shannahoff-Khalsa brings together his 20+ years of experience using Kundalini yoga meditation to understand and treat psychiatric disorders. Having worked with David on the design of a new study in adults with OCD, I can attest to the seriousness of his scholarship. And having been a lifelong meditator in another Asian meditation tradition, I can also attest to the enormous wisdom and practical value embedded in his work. In fact, David's careful translation of Kundalini practices for Western audiences is a model of both academic rigor and a testimony to his great compassion for those afflicted with mental illness. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in applying Kundalini yoga in a psychiatric context."
— John S. March, MD, MPH
Director, Division of Neurosciences Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, and Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Duke University Medical School
From "Kundalini Yoga Meditation for Complex Psychiatric Disorders: Techniques Specific for Treating the Psychoses, Personality, and Pervasive Developmental"
"The successful use of Kundalini Yoga to treat severe psychiatric illness is one of those disruptive observations that should make us sit up and wonder if we really know as much as we think we do. A first rate scientist and a high order Yogic practitioner and teacher, David Shannahoff-Khalsa draws on one of the world's great wisdom traditions, providing much that may be of value to patients and practitioners and much that should stimulate further study."
—John S. March, MD, MPH
Director, Division of Neurosciences Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute, and Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology, Duke University Medical School
From "Sacred Therapies: The Kundalini Yoga Meditation Handbook for Mental Health"
"The origins of psychopathologic states are believed to be determined by the interactions of both the environment and the genetic factors, especially during the sensitive periods of development. Since multiple risk factors can play a role in the origin of mental disorders, it is likely that multiple approaches in treatment can be used to alleviate their symptoms. Kundalini yoga meditation is a unique approach. Shannahoff-Khalsa is not only helping to disseminate this knowledge but he is also helping to set the stage to create a scientific perspective for Kundalini yoga. In his book, he clearly describes a wide array of disorder-specific protocols that have helped uncountable individuals and can now be backed up by evidenced-based studies."
—Euripedes Miguel, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, and Coordinator of the National Institute for Developmental Psychiatry, Brazil
From "Kundalini Yoga Meditation: Techniques Specific for Psychiatric Disorders, Couples Therapy, and Personal Growth"
"This is an outstanding book! Shannahoff-Khalsa does an exemplary job in text and with photographs explicating the use of over 50 different Kundalini yoga meditation techniques for the treatment of psychiatric and relationship disorders. Applying his remarkable grasp of physiology, psychiatry, scientific method, and ancient yoga techniques, he enlightens the reader with practical guidelines on how to view and use these methods to help patients in distress."
—Brian Fallon, M.D., MPH
Director, Neuropsychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center
From "Kundalini Yoga Meditation for Complex Psychiatric Disorders: Techniques Specific for Treating the Psychoses, Personality, and Pervasive Developmental"
"Our understanding psychopathology and related mind-body states is incomplete. Shannahoff-Khalsa provides a well-informed overview of some of the most challenging disorders and currently available treatments, describing his experience working with severely affected individuals where intensive practice of specific yogic protocols resulted in substantial clinical improvement."
—James Leckman, MD
Neison Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Psychiatry, Psychology and Pediatric at Yale, and Director of Research, Yale Child Study Center

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini Yoga Meditation is an ancient technology of the mind that includes approximately 5000 different meditation techniques, that were originally taught by Guru Ram Das and Yogi Bhajan. Many are psychiatric disorder-specific and they have clinically proven therapeutic benefits according to the ancient yogis. The techniques in this system were also used to help people achieve enlightenment, as well as for health purposes, and for the purposes of anti-aging and longevity.

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