I love introducing students to kundalini yoga for beginners because it’s such a changing practice that combines breath work, movement, and meditation to awaken inner energy and promote overall well-being. It envelops all the things I love about my practice into one delicious package.
Beginners who practice Kundalini yoga can see such changes that it often brings them back to the studio to further their practice in other ways, it’s one of our most successful courses at the studio because it gets people hooked. Many of my students report feeling more energized, centered, and emotionally balanced after just a few sessions, as the combination of breathwork, movement, and meditation helps to awaken their inner potential. Kundalini yoga is particularly effective for stress relief and improving overall mental clarity, making it an excellent choice for those new to yoga who are seeking both physical and mental benefits.
- Easy Pose (Sukhasana). Sit cross-legged on the floor with a straight spine. Many beginners struggle with maintaining an upright posture. If you experience lower back discomfort, sit on a folded blanket or cushion to help your hips.
- Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati). Perform rapid abdominal breathing with forceful exhales. Beginners often have difficulty coordinating the breath and abdominal movement. If you feel lightheaded, slow down the pace or take breaks between rounds.
- Spinal Flex (Cat-Cow). Alternate between arching and rounding the spine while seated. Those with sensitive knees may find discomfort in this position. If kneeling is uncomfortable, perform this exercise while seated in a chair, focusing on the spinal movement.
- Arm Poses (Arm Raises). Raise arms overhead while holding specific mudras (hand positions). Shoulder tension is common in beginners. If you experience shoulder strain, lower your arms to shoulder height or rest them on your knees between repetitions.
Affirmation: I awaken my inner energy and embrace transformation through kundalini yoga. My body and spirit align, opening me to infinite possibilities.
When preparing for your first kundalini yoga practice, you’ll want a yoga mat (or a towel if you don’t have a mat), comfortable clothing, and a water bottle nearby, as kundalini yoga can be quite energizing. As a beginner, it’s perfectly normal if some movements or breathing techniques feel challenging or overwhelming at first. Yoga isn’t about the ego or making everything look perfect. Meet yourself on the mat as you are and listen to your body. You’ll naturally improve as you continue practicing. Always listen to your body, and don’t hesitate to pause or take breaks if you feel dizzy or uncomfortable during intense breathing exercises.
After your session, take a few moments to sit quietly and notice how you feel physically and mentally; kundalini yoga often has deep and positive effects on your energy levels, mood, and overall well-being.
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‘kriya’ literally means ‘action’ in Sanskrit, which explains why I spent my first kundalini class wondering if I was doing yoga or auditioning for an interpretive performance about a caffeinated octopus!
While I appreciate the enthusiasm for live online kundalini classes, I’d actually argue that self-paced video learning might serve many practitioners better. The pressure of real-time feedback can sometimes create performance anxiety that blocks the natural flow of energy work.
When you’re alone with a recorded session, there’s freedom to pause, repeat, and truly listen to your body’s wisdom without worrying about keeping up with a class schedule. Plus, many beginners find that developing their own intuitive relationship with the practice, even if it means making some mistakes along the way, leads to a deeper, more authentic connection to kundalini energy than constantly seeking external validation from instructors.
What I’ve noticed after years of practice is how kundalini yoga acts like a full-body lymphatic drainage session, those dynamic movements combined with breath of fire literally flush out stagnation in ways that sitting meditation alone never could.
Sometimes people dismiss kundalini as ‘just breathing exercises’ or ‘too woo-woo’? Like, yes, there’s chanting and specific hand positions, but the physical practice is legitimately aerobic and creates tangible nervous system regulation that you can feel immediately. My anxiety levels drop dramatically after just 15 minutes of spinal flexes and breath work, and honestly, the ‘weird’ parts like mantras actually help distract my monkey mind better than trying to sit in silent meditation.
The combination of movement and breathwork seems to reset my entire nervous system in a way that purely physical yoga styles never quite achieved for me.
If you’re drawn to awakening kundalini energy but find certain Kundalini Yoga practices intense, then exploring other Hatha Yoga styles like Iyengar or Ashtanga can offer the same benefits since they all use breathwork, postures, and mudras to raise prana.
If anyone has a harder time with the rapid breathing in Kundalini, might find gentler pranayama practices in other styles help them build up to more intense techniques. The beautiful thing is that whether you’re doing spinal flexes in Kundalini or sun salutations in Ashtanga, you’re working with the same key energy, just through different pathways.
Experienced teachers seamlessly blend the energetic locks (bandhas) with breath work - it’s like watching someone conduct an invisible orchestra inside their own body, and suddenly those confusing cues about ‘pulling energy up the spine’ actually made sense when I could see the small movements in action.