Kundalini Yoga in the Loop - 410 South Michigan Ave Suite 514 - Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 922-4699     www.ShaktaKaur.com     info@shaktakaur.com
Current Events...   Thursday - August 23, 2012
go Healing Power of Double Gong & Mantra - Friday!  
go Kundalini Cruise on Tall Ship Red Witch - This Sunday! 
go Guru Ram Das Mantra - Through August 25
go Celebration of a Master - Yogi Bhajan's Birthday  This Sunday!
go Healing the Wounds of Love - Recording Available  
go Yoga, Sex & Feminism Conference   
go KYL's Theme - Yoga for Humility and Intuition
go Teacher Training Devi Scholarships Available - 10 Days Left to Apply!
go Breathwalk Training Chicago - Level 2 'Instructor'
go Level 2 Teacher Trainings - Chicago & Canada
go Level 1 Teacher Trainings - Chicago (Fall 2012) & Prince Edward Island (Spring 2013)
News & Notes...
go Yoga Class Schedule
go Yogi Bhajan Quote
go Moon Watch
Tomorrow...
Healing Power of Double Gong & Mantra

with Shakta Kaur and Hari Dev Singh

Friday, August 24 - 6:30 to 8:00 pm
(Also on Sep 21 and Oct 26)
Bring a friend and join us for one of our most popular monthly sessions of gong and mantra! As always, we begin every ‘Healing Power of Gong & Mantra’ session with light Kundalini Yoga to prepare the body for what’s to come (the yoga is appropriate for all levels). Then we move into deep relaxation with not one, but, two beautiful Paiste symphonic gongs.

Your mind will have no defense to the gong after 90 seconds!

After the gong we use sound (mantra) to remind us that the entire universe was built on sound, on vibration. And, as we vibrate a particular combination of sounds, we are able to tune into a different level of intelligence, or, consciousness.  Click Here to register ($15 in advance / $17 at the door).
KY on Lake Michigan

Kundalini Cruise on

Tall Ship Red Witch

Sunday, August 26 - 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
$35 per person (25 seats remaining)

register
This will be a Kundalini Yoga and Meditation class like no other!  Join Shakta Kaur (from KYL) for seated yoga and meditation aboard the Tall Ship Red Witch!  Click here to read more about the Tall Ship Red Witch and to register (http://youswoop.com/Deal/12823/byob-skyline--kundalini-yoga-or-meditation-sailing-cruise--up-to-67--off-/True)

If your friends are still wondering why Kundalini yogis wear so much white and cover their heads then bring them out for a Kundalini Cruise featuring (seated) yoga and meditation on Chicago’s only wooden tall ship, the Red Witch! They’ll get to experience Shakta Kaur’s lovely and dynamic teaching style with ‘light’ Kundalini yoga and meditation.

Wear some sunscreen, put on a floppy sun hat but leave your yoga mat at home (bring a meditation cushion if you think you’ll need one). The wooden tall ship Red Witch departs Sunday, August 26th at 4 pm for an hour-long Kundalini Yoga and Meditation class on the rolling waves of Lake Michigan with the graceful views of the Chicago skyline as our backdrop.

All five tattvas* ... ether, air, fire, water and earth ... will be cleared with the (seated) yoga exercises on our Kundalini Cruise. And, all eight chakras** will be balanced with a very special ‘wave’ meditation that you and your friends will enjoy.

Appropriate for all levels, beginners welcome. Prior yoga or meditation experience is not necessary.

* Tattvas – the 5 elements of which you are made.
** Chakras – energy centers or vortices, 7 of which correspond to areas of the physical body, and the 8th to the aura or magnetic field of the body.
Guru Ram Das Chant
Now Through August 25 at KYL

Guru Guru Wahay Guru
Guru Ram Das Guru
Through August 25th each class at KYL continues to feature a special mantra meditation called the Guru Ram Das Chant.

This mantra has two parts, Nirgun and Sirgun. The first part, “Guru Guru Wahay Guru,” is a Nirgun mantra which vibrates only to Infinity. It has no finite qualities. It is the unknown. It projects the mind outwards to the source of all knowledge and ecstasy.

The second part, “Guru Ram Das Guru,” is a Sirgun mantra. This relates to the manifest energy or form and means, “the wisdom that comes as a servant of Infinity.” In combination, the parts of the mantra project the mind to Infinity and allow the guiding faculty to come into your practical activity.

This meditation invokes the protective energy of Guru Ram Das,* master of Kundalini Yoga and a great teacher and yogi of sixteenth century India, by whose grace we today are able to practice the technology of Kundalini Yoga.

The mantra brings a meditative peace, mental and physical relaxation and protection. It also channels healing energy. It can be useful when you’re suffering the negative effects of office politics, too!

It is a good meditation to practice whenever you need divine guidance, protection or assistance. Miracles can happen!

So, come to KYL any time from now until August 25th to experience the peace, relaxation and protection of chanting Guru Guru Wahay Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru.

* Shakta taught the first class at KYL on Guru Ram Das’ birthday in 2003 ... accidentally ... but, obviously, not an accident!

** Above comments on the Guru Ram Das chant from CD liner notes to The Yoga of Sound, Relaxation, by Mata Mandir Singh.
August 26 is...

Yogi Bhajan's Birthday - This Sunday - August 26

Celebration of a Master
This Sunday morning, August 26, KYL honors the life and legacy of the Master of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan. Yogi Bhajan brought the teachings of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation to the west in 1968. Before then, these teachings were considered a secret science taught only to certain households in India. Yogi Bhajan’s fundamental belief was that happiness was the birthright of every person. He spent his entire life teaching people how they could live to their highest potential.

Once each year, on Yogi Bhajan’s birthday, the entire worldwide community of Kundalini Yogis gathers for a simultaneous synchronized chanting of two mantras. One of them, Long Ek Ong Kar, we chant for 2.5 hours! Los Angeles begins chanting at 3:00 am, Chicago at 5:00 am, Boston at 6:00 am, etc., around the world. Yogi Bhajan once said that whenever you chant Long Ek Ong Kar for 2.5 hours on his birthday that you would receive the answers to your prayers!

Our schedule for early morning on Sunday, Aug. 26:
4:20 am – Japji (meditative prayer)*
4:45 am – Warm-Ups
5:00 am – Guru Guru Wahay Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru** chant for 11 minutes
5:11 am – Long Ek Ong Kar (Morning Call)*** chant for 2.5 hours
7:45 am – Hukam**** and Long Time Sunshine Song.
7:50 am - Enjoy some breakfast snacks and delicious Yogi Tea!

Please arrive between 3:45 and 4:15 am. The doors to the Fine Arts Building (FAB) will be locked after 4:15 am. If you happen to arrive late and need entrance to the Fine Arts Building, please call 312-656-8229.

Shakta finishes her 40-day early morning practice of chanting 2.5 hours of Long Ek Ong Kar on Yogi Bhajan’s birthday (she started on July 18th). Come join her to celebrate the life of a man who has changed the lives of tens of thousands of people all around the world!

There is no charge for this event.

* Japji is a prayer which relates the conscious mind to the soul. ‘Jap-’ is often translated as ‘song of’ and ‘-ji’ as ‘the soul.’ As a result, Japji is called ‘the song of the soul.’

** Guru Ram Das was the 4th of the Sikh Gurus/Teachers and was known for his humility and compassion. This mantra can rescue you in the time of trouble. It projects the mind to Infinity then allows guidance to come into your finite, daily activities.

*** The syllables are Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru. This was the only mantra meditation that Yogi Bhajan taught during his first year in the United States. The syllables mean, “The creator and all creation are one. This is our true identity. The ecstasy of this wisdom is Great beyond words.”

**** A ‘hukam’ is the divine order of the day.
Recording Available
Healing the Wounds of Love

recording with Shakta

listen
If you missed last Saturday’s special one hour ‘Healing the Wounds of Love’ conference call with Shakta you may now listen to the recording ... whenever it is most convenient for you!

On the call Shakta shared that we all have old wounds of love. Some exist from childhood. Some exist from friendships, lovers or spouses. All of these wounds of love enable our hidden agendas--our ‘masks’--and hide our authenticity.

Shakta shared a technique to help us establish a new story for our relationships--our soul’s story. We also learned why when you do certain things like jappa*, meditation and yoga we take charge and change our internal story.

Plus, Shakta guided us in a meditation to invoke our authentic self to heal. (You’ll need a piece of paper and a pencil or a pen for this part of the call.) We also learned about the perfect longing, love and fulfillment between a son and his father—Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Ram Das—that was recorded in the mantra prayer Shabd Hazaray.**

So, listen in on the call and learn how to move forward with the tool of the naad*** to eliminate and take old wounds of love out of your life—once and for all!

11-DAY MEDITATION WITH SHAKTA
Shakta begins an 11-day sadhana of Shabd Hazaray to ‘Heal the Wounds of Love’ on August 27th. Why not practice it with her? Click Here for a copy of the words and transliteration of Shabd Hazaray.  Call KYL to purchase a copy of the CD, ‘Healing the Wounds of Love,’ or click the next link to download a copy of the mantra (47-minute version) to support you in this 11-day practice: http://www.spiritvoyage.com/mp3download/Healing-the-Wounds-of-Love/Guru-Raj-Kaur/ALB-004031.aspx.
 
* Jappa – Literally, ‘to repeat.’ It is the conscious, alert and precise repetition of a mantra.
** Shabd Hazaray – An extended mantra. The son of Guru Ram Das--Guru Arjan Dev--wrote four letters to his father during a time when they were separated from each other. The pain and longing that Guru Arjan Dev went through during this separation were expressed selflessly and personally in his letters. These four letters of Guru Arjan’s became part of Shabd Hazaray.
*** --Naad- Literally, ‘Na’ = from nothing; ‘-aad’ = primal; i.e., primal, rhythmic sound.
Shakta Teaching at...
Yoga, Sex, Feminism
Shakta is Teaching at the "Yoga, Sex and Feminism" Conference

Dallas, Texas - November 1-4, 2012

more details      view Shakta's workshops
Come join Shakta and 21 other teachers from a variety of lineages at the first-ever ‘Yoga, Sex & Feminism’ TantraVinyasa Conference in Dallas, Texas, Nov. 1-4. This is a landmark event where the topics include relationships, unconditional love, intimacy, sexuality and walking in grace. Special workshops focus on the needs of transgender and gender non-conforming yogis, too!

Shakta is teaching a ‘Lunar Woman, Solar Man and Relationships’ Personal Intensive from 8 am to 12 noon on Thursday, Nov. 1st. Then she’ll teach one workshop each day, Friday through Sunday including ‘The Invincible Woman’ on Friday, Nov. 2; ‘Sacred Sexual Bliss’ on Saturday, Nov. 3; and ‘Sexuality, Intimacy and Pleasure with Kundalini Yoga, Meditation and the Gong’ on Sunday, Nov. 4.

Come join Shakta and the very special group of teachers and yogis who will gather together in Dallas the first weekend of November! Call 800-599-YOGA to learn more about the conference and to pre-register.
KYL's Theme

Yoga for Humility and Intuition

KYL's August Theme
What some have said about Yoga for Humility & Intuition:
‘This series is just what I need. I just didn’t know I needed it so much!’

‘The lessons of humility are reaching me at a time in my life when I finally feel ready to learn about humility. Thank you.'
Our series of ‘Kundalini Yoga for Humility and Intuition’ classes continues during the month of August. Everything that comes to us is part of our destiny. It has been given to us so that we may experience and mature because of it. But, the divine will and our will only meet as one in humility. Inner conflict only arises when we lack humility and demand control ... that we never truly have!*

Come to learn that...
  • Humility is a capacity that allows wisdom to guide your life ... to let the ego go and open the heart.
  • Humility takes you beyond what you know and opens your intuition ... to see the unseen.
  • Humility is the absence of arrogance, conceit or the feeling of superiority over others ... it comes from putting the Infinite above any status.
  • Humility is an openness to all that is ... are you humble enough to accept and act on your gifts without inner conflict?

Just drop-in or Click Here to pre-register for classes.


* The 21 Stages of Meditation, Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.
For Chicago's Level 1 Teacher Training
Applications Due September 1st

Just 10 Days Away!

Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL) is committed to making our Aquarian Teacher Level One Teacher Training course accessible to all regardless of financial ability. Towards that end a scholarship fund has been established through the generosity of our 2006 Teacher Training graduates.

KYL’s Devi Scholarships are granted to those individuals who have either a deep desire to improve their personal yoga and meditation practice and/or are interested in becoming teachers of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan but are unable to pay the entire cost of tuition.

The top candidates will be contacted for a personal interview by KYL’s Devi Scholarship Application Board. The amount of the scholarship is at the sole discretion of the Scholarship Application Board and may range between $250 and $1,000.

To apply for a Devi Scholarship you’ll need to complete an application form that requires answers to six questions (download form). You are asked to write a biography about yourself; to describe a teacher of any kind whom you admire; to describe your current yoga practice; and to write something about your motivation to take Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training at KYL.

When you send in your application you include a financial deposit ($500 recommended). This indicates to the universe your commitment to take the course. You will need to offer some evidence of financial need. Finally, a personal interview is conducted to determine which candidates will eventually receive a partial Devi Scholarship.

Click Here for information or to apply for a Devi Scholarship.
Breathwalk Training...

Breathwalk
® Level 2 'Instructor'
 
Chicago, USA - December 1 & 2

If you have already taken the Breatwalk Personal Intensive why not come and participate in the Instructor Training?

$575 tuition fee (includes all materials)

Weekend #2 – Instructor Training
- December 1-2, 2012 ($500 early rate / $575 on Aug 18)
You will enjoy two days of camaraderie with a group of fellow walking enthusiasts. You will learn how others have used Breathwalk to improve the lives of the people in their communities. And, you will see why we think Chicago is always fun during the first week of December! Lock in the lowest tuition rate now with your down payment. Call 312-922-4699 or Click Here to pre-register online.
Course Venue Class Times
Kundalini Yoga in the Loop
(and along the lakefront)
410 S Michigan Ave Suite 501
Chicago, IL  60605
Saturday - Dec 1 8 am to 6 pm
Sunday - Dec 2 8 am to 6 pm
 

 

Level 2 Teacher Trainings - Chicago & Prince Edward Island
   

Chicago, Illinois

Level 2 - LifeCycles & LifeStyles
Sept. 7-8-9 and Oct. 19-20-21, 2012
Cenacle Retreat Center Chicago, Illinois, USA

23 Days Away! Click Here for details.

Join us for this unique six-day course (one of five Level 2 Modules) and learn about yourself and your relationship to your destiny cycles: the 7-year cycle of consciousness, the 11-year cycle of intelligence and the 18-year cycle of energy.

  • $450 – Prior LC & LS Graduate
  • $1,099 – KYL Level 1 or Level 2 Alumni
  • $1,199 – IKYTA Members
  • $1,299 – Regular Rate

In this course you will:

  • Cultivate promoting habits that are in balance with the natural stages and rhythms of your life.
  • Invite success by defining your purpose for yourself rather than having it defined for you by fate.
  • Practice a powerful form of re-birthing so that your true character can be reflected and projected.
  • Learn to steward your sexuality to keep it potent and vital over your life span.
  • Become aware of how to live and die consciously.
  • Continually clear your subconscious so that you can act intentionally with grace and purpose.

Each day we study with the Master, Yogi Bhajan, in a DVD class with meditation. We work both individually and in groups, exploring key concepts and ideas. In addition, we experience kriyas and meditations as well as other processes to put aside the constant whir of our life for the stillness and intuitive sensitivity of our consciousness.


Prince Edward Island, Canada

Level 2 - Vitality & Stress
Course Dates - Sept. 28-29-30, Oct. 1-2-3 (arrive 09.27, depart 10.04)

Flyer     More Details     Housing Options

Yogi Bhajan said, “Life is based on two things: no stress and you are together; too much stress, there is nothing expected of you.
Join us on beautiful Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, as you explore your vitality and relieve your stress in this unique six-day course! Yogi Bhajan often said we could revitalize ourselves in as little as 15 or 20 minutes.
 
  • $450 – Prior V&S Graduate
  • $1,099 – KYL Level 1 or Level 2 Alumni
  • $1,199 – IKYTA Members
  • $1,299 – Regular Rate


Come learn to:
  - Recognize the signs and symptoms of stress in ourselves and others.
  - Use small amounts of stress to strengthen the nervous system and develop caliber.
  - Call on positive emotions to handle stress better.
  - Review basic lifestyle habits from the perspective of stress and vitality.
  - Become a spiritual warrior who doesn’t create more stress through worry, drama or fear.
  - Invoke the limitless healing space to bless and uplift yourself and others.

Each day we study with Yogi Bhajan in a DVD class and meditation. In addition we work both individually and in groups, exploring the key concepts and ideas in Vitality & Stress. In addition, we enhance our vitality and rid our body and mind of the effects of stress through kriyas, meditations and other processes.

Our Lead Trainer is Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa, D.C. Our course Location is Shaw’s Hotel, Canada’s Oldest Family-Operated Inn (99 Apple Tree Road, Brackley Beach, PEI, Canada).

Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainings in Chicago & Canada
The Art & Science of Improving Yourself

Our 11th Level 1 course!
10 Weekends Over Nine Months
October through June

Chicago, IL USA

Begins October 26, 2012 - 10 Weekends over 9 Months
Brochure     Registration Form     Devi Scholarship

Tuition $3,100 - $500 Down Payment - Installment Plans Available

At first you might be attracted to Kundalini Yoga for the more obvious reasons like:
-- increasing your strength and improving your flexibility,
-- reducing your stress and learning to relax,
-- learning proper breathing or even
-- for health problems.

But, over time the attraction to this technology increases as you experience:
-- a feeling of connection and vastness,
-- a clarity and neutrality of mind,
-- a calmness and evenness in your life and
-- fulfillment as a spiritual being.

Taking the personal journey we call ‘Teacher Training’ is truly a gift to yourself. This course is based on the comprehensive science of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. It is a journey in the art and science of improving yourself based upon excellence and exaltation. Come learn to elevate your own consciousness. You will also develop the skills necessary to teach Kundalini Yoga and Meditation publicly as a consciousness educator (if you so choose).

Kundalini Yoga is called a sacred science. This is because the sacredness of the student is awakened through it. Come respond to the call of your soul and the Infinite and join us the last weekend of October. Partial scholarships are available (application deadline Sept. 1st).
 
 

Prince Edward Island, Canada - Begins Spring 2013

  Brochure     Registration Form     Details

Course Dates
     Session 1: April 29 to May 9, 2013 (arrive 4/28, depart 5/10)
     Session 2: TBA

Registration is now open!
     $2,900 (enroll by xxx; pay-in-full by yyy)*
     $3,200 (enroll by xxx; make 6 payments)*
     Reserve your place with a $500 down payment!

It has been one year since the graduation of the first-ever class of Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Teachers in the Maritimes. And, we have received many requests in this past year for dates for the next 220-hour Level 1 Aquarian Teacher Training course on Prince Edward Island. Click Here to see images from the 2009-2010 Level 1 course.

So, we are happy to announce that the second Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training course led by Shakta Kaur on beautiful Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada is now available for registration! Click Here for the brochure.

Come experience the teachings of Yogi Bhajan in an environment loved by many as a destination location. You will reside with other teachers-in-training in resort-quality accommodations** and have access to scenic landscapes, beaches and an environment that will soothe your soul. Organic, vegetarian meals will be prepared on-site for us every day by our own chef, too!


* US funds or checks drawn on US banks only.
** Accommodations and meals are a separate fee depending upon room choice. See Registration Form for details.
Moon Watch
CURRENT MOON

New Moon - August 17

11 Days After - August 28

Full Moon - August 31
("blue moon!")

(Above Dates Adjusted for Central Time Zone)
New Moon
The New Moon is when you are at your lowest...energy-wise. It is a good day to fast on lemon and water. Fast from sun-up until the next morning at breakfast, when you "break" the "fast."

Waxing Moon
... is the time between the New Moon and the day before the Full Moon. During this time the energy of the body moves into your higher centers (chakras). This is the time to bring new things, new people or new relationships into your life or to accelerate the progress of your special projects.

11 Days After New Moon
Yogi Bhajan taught that this is the day when you are in balance. The glandular system readjusts itself on this day. Your metabolism is changing, so if you eat very lightly (green foods) or if you live just on water and lemon today, your health will be perfect. Eat very lightly during the day. Eat only one meal and drink lemon and water the rest of the day.

Full Moon
You are naturally accelerated on a full moon. You are at your highest energy level. The secretions in your body will be at their maximum, so you don't want your energy being used to consume food. Save your energy to reconstruct yourself. Try to drink only liquids on this day. If you feel you must eat, drink only milk. (But, don't drink cold milk right out of the refrigerator. Milk should be brought to a boil. Allow the milk to foam up and then bring the heat down so the milk is on a slow boil for 5-10 minutes. While cooking it, you may add a pinch of ground turmeric, a pinch of black pepper, a cinnamon stick, or a few pinches of ginger to reduce any mucous causing side effect.)

Waning Moon
... is the time between the Full Moon and the day before the New Moon. This is the best time to remove things, relationships or situations from your life that no longer serve you. It is not generally thought of as the best time to start a new project.

Yoga Class Schedule  (view online)
Kundalini Classes
  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
12:15-1:00 pm ($11) - not on Tuesday
6:00-7:00 pm ($13) - not on Friday
  • Sunday
10:30-Noon ($17)
(After Sunday's class join us for a vegetarian potluck.)
Other Events
Year 2012
  • August 26 Early Morning Sadhana Yogi Bhajan's Birthday
    Arrive at KYL by 4 am, doors lock at 4:15 am
  • August 26 Kundalini Cruise on Tall Ship Red Witch
    Limited capacity, $35 per person
  • Sept. 7-9/Oct. 19-21Chicago Level 2 Teacher Training
    "Life Cycles & Life Styles"
  • Sept. 28 to Oct. 3Canada (PEI) Level 2 Teacher Training
    "Vitality and Stress"
  • Oct. 26, 2012Chicago Level 1 Teacher Training
    10 weekends over 8 months.
  • Dec 1-2 Chicago Breathwalk 'Instructor' Training - Weekend #2

 
Year 2013
  • April 29 to May 9Canada (PEI) Level 1 Teacher Training
    First 11-Day Session (Second session in Fall 2013, dates TBA)
A Thought From Yogi Bhajan
"
Have you kissed your soul? Have you hugged your soul? Have you communicated with the soul in the morning in the ambrosial hours when there is absolutely no disturbance? Sadhana is nothing but where a disciplined one, the lover, talks to our own soul. It is nothing but where one cleans his own mind. Sadhana is nothing but where one prepares for the day to become kind and compassionate for everyone, including the enemies.
"