What: Join Kundalini Yoga Teacher Hope Katz Gibbs for her first workshop at Breathe Body & Mind Yoga Studio in Springfield, VA
When: December 7, 2024, 1-3pm
Where: Breathe Body & Mind, 6350 Rolling Mill Place, Suite 103, West Springfield, VA 22152
703-884-8676 / info@breathebodymind.com
About the class: During this first workshop at Breathe we will focus on the fourth chakra (Anahata), the Heart, the essence of the self
- We begin with a brief overview of the history and power of Kundalini Yoga and how it can help heal what ails you
- We’ll learn the basics of the Chakra system
- Our focus is on opening the heart: Anahata — Sanskrit for unhurt, unstuck, and unbeaten
- In Kundalini, the heart is considered the balance point between the upper energies of the heavens and the lower energies of the earth. When balanced, it is associated with love, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and service.
- When unbalanced, we may suffer from grief or fear of rejection. Physically, this can manifest as heart, lung, and blood pressure problems.
- The symbol is the lotus with 12 petals. In the center is a star created by one triangle pointing up and another pointing down, the balance point between the physical and the subtle. The animal associated with this chakra is the deer.
Hope practices yoga at Greece’s Temple of Poseidon in July 2024 where she went to celebrate her 60th birthday.
About Kundalini Yoga: The term “Kundalini” comes from the Sanskrit word “kundal,” which means “circular.” It also refers to a coiled snake. And according to practitioners, Kundalini energy is like that coiled snake: It sits at the base of your spine, sleeping and unaroused. A form of yoga that involves chanting, singing, breathing exercises, and repetitive poses, the purpose of this practice is to activate your Kundalini energy, or shakti. This spiritual energy that’s said to be located at the base of your spine. As Kundalini yoga awakens this energy, it’s supposed to enhance your awareness and help you move past your ego. Sometimes, the practice is also called “yoga of awareness.”
Although Kundalini yoga is practiced worldwide, its origin is unknown. The concept of Kundalini energy has existed for centuries and was mentioned in ancient Vedic texts from 1,000 B.C. In the US, this practice is most associated with Yogi Bhajan, a yoga teacher from Pakistan who introduced it to Western countries in the 1960s.
Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa, who was taught by Yoga Bhajan, is Hope’s Kundalini teacher. The author of Art & Yoga: Kundalini Awakening in Everyday Life, Hari Kirin has taught hundreds of 200-hour certification programs with her daughter, world-renowned Kundalini musician Ajeet Kaur. Hope received her 200-hour certification from this dynamic duo in 2016 at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. In the years since, Hope has gone on to take additional certifications with Hari Kirin and other Kundalini masters in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
The power of Kundalini yoga, which is practiced to activate this energy, allows it to move up and through the seven chakras along your spine. As Kundalini energy rises, it’s believed to help balance these chakras and contribute to your spiritual wellness. With regular practice, Kundalini yoga is said to lead to spiritual enlightenment. This is called a “Kundalini awakening.”
In yoga, chakras are the seven energy centers in your body. They include:
- root chakra
- sacral chakra
- naval, or solar plexus, chakra
- heart chakra
- throat chakra
- third eye chakra
- crown chakra
Learn more about the Chakras on Hope’s website: ChakraJewelrybyHope.com.
Learn more about Hope’s yoga and massage offerings: MassagebyHope.us