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 - December 1, 2011
go KYL Holiday Open House at Fine Arts Building  
go "Winter Solstice" Gong & Mantra  
go Yogic New Year's Eve Celebration  
go The Stages of Meditation with Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.
go Discounted Room Rates (for Stages of Meditation) at Palmer House  
go Workshop: "Naad Yoga: Reclaiming your Inner Sound"  
go Breathwalk in Pittsburgh, PA with Shakta  
go Holiday Gift Certificates
go KYL’s November-December Theme - Resolution & Healing
go Prince Edward Island, Canada - Level 1 Teacher Training - Fall 2012
News & Notes...
go Yoga Class Schedule
go Yogi Bhajan Quote
go Moon Watch
KYL Holiday Open House

KYL Holiday Open House
Fine Arts Building (FAB)
Friday, December 9
5:00 to 9:00 pm
The Fine Arts Building (FAB)  (map)
410 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605
Visit 30+ Visual Artists and KYL!

This is the annual ‘Holiday Open House’ at KYL’s home, the historic Fine Arts Building (FAB)! We hope you’ll bring a friend and come visit us along with all the artists-in-residence and musicians as they open their studios to the public. There are also building gallery spaces hosting special exhibitions that you won’t want to miss!

KYL is offering three-minute meditations and the gong ... all night long ... from 5 to 9 pm in Suite 514! Hope to see you then!

"Winter Solstice" Gong & Mantra
"Winter Solstice" Healing Power of Gong & Mantra
Friday, December 16

with
Shakta Kaur, Hari Dev Singh and Saibhung Singh

 
6:30 to 8:00 pm - $15 adv/$17 door
register
Come to KYL as we prepare to celebrate the time when darkness rules—Winter Solstice! This is the time of year the ancients considered the ‘gateway to God.’ The gods of the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and Greeks were all born at this, the darkest time of the year--to bring light!

Let's use the darkness to pause, to go within, to recognize the divinity we carry inside and continue to bring it forward in our day-to-day lives. In the midst of the darkness you’ll experience the healing sounds of three beautiful Paiste gongs played by Shakta Kaur, Hari Dev Singh and Saibhung Singh. (Your mind will have no defense to the gongs after 90 seconds!)

After the gongs we chant a beautiful mantra meditation to see and feel the light of consciousness as it manifests and pulses through all of creation. Come expand beyond your imaginings with ‘light’ Kundalini Yoga, a triple gong experience and a mantra meditation especially designed to illuminate the divine light within! Click Here to register.
Yogic New Year's Eve Celebration
KYL’s 8th Annual

Yogic New Year’s Eve
Saturday - Dec. 31 - 7:30 pm to 12:30 am

Fine Arts Building (FAB)
410 S. Michigan Ave., Fifth Floor

with Shakta Kaur and Hari Dev Singh
register
Join us for a fun, inspiring and conscious evening of Kundalini Yoga, meditation, gonging, chanting and community at Kundalini Yoga in the Loop’s (KYL) 8th Annual ‘Yogic New Year’s Eve’ celebration!  Held in the historic Fine Arts Building’s (FAB), yogis from the city and suburbs will gather once again to enjoy a perfect view of both Lake Michigan and the midnight fireworks off of Navy Pier. Plus, delicious potluck vegetarian food and drink will be served in an alcohol and tobacco free environment.

The evening includes:
     7:30 pm – Doors Open
     8:00 pm – Yoga, Meditation and Double Gong with Shakta Kaur
     9:30 pm – Vegetarian Potluck Dinner (Everyone brings a ‘dish and a wish’ for the New Year!)
     10:45 pm – Kundalini Mantra Dance
     11:30 pm – Gongs and Chanting the Night Away
     Midnight – Fireworks Viewing
     12:15 am – Prosperity Meditation to bring in your best year ever!

Space is very limited. Advance registration required. No walk-ins on the day of the event. $54 single/$100 for two. Click Here to register.
The Stages of Meditation with Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.
"Express the Self"
Weekend 2 - January 14-15

(Open to all!)

“This was life changing!” --Santosh Kaur “Really beyond words to describe!” --Eve Faes “Very sophisticated material.” --Doug Frohman
“Really delivered what it promised!” --Tiffany Seybert “Loved the cumulative energy of the two days. I feel lighter, uplifted, happier!” --Bhagat Kaur “So grateful for being here and so grateful to Yogi Bhajan.” --Daljeet Kaur

Join us on January 14-15 for the second weekend of our amazing journey of ‘The Stages of Meditation: An Expedition towards Realization’ with the Kundalini Research Institute’s (KRI) Director of Training, Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. Gurucharan Singh learned these stages from our teacher and Master of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan. Gurucharan then developed the workshops for this very special deep meditation series.

‘Express the Self’ is our journey in January. Come traverse the stages of Rasa, Delight, Politeness, Humility, Elevation, Graceful Enlightenment and finally, ‘Express and Be Your Self.’ Each of these stages systematically confronts your mind’s patterns and limitations, awakens a part of you and develops new skills to clear your way towards realization.

This course is for anyone who wants to enhance the joy of their meditation experience.* Anyone may participate. Meditators from all traditions are invited; there are no pre-requisites. (Chairs are available for those not comfortable sitting on the floor for long periods of time.)

Click Here for more details.


* This is not a yoga course. This is a meditation course. Early morning sadhana is available on Sunday, January 15 for those desiring a group yoga practice prior to the start of ‘The Stages of Meditation.’
Discounted Room Rates at Palmer House Hilton
$99 Sleeping Rooms

for ‘The Stages of Meditation’

at the Palmer House Hilton
17 E Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603

Friday Jan. 13 and Saturday Jan. 14
We are happy to announce a deeply discounted sleeping room rate at the luxurious Palmer House Hilton Hotel for all ‘Stages of Meditation’ guests! The Palmer House Hilton is located just two blocks away from the Fine Arts Building (FAB) our venue for the ‘Stages of Meditation’.

Call 1-800-HILTONS and ask for the ‘Kundalini Yoga in the Loop’ rate of $99 per night. You must reserve your sleeping room on or before December 28 to receive this very special rate.
Naad Yoga Workshop
Naad Yoga - Reclaiming your Inner Sound

with Professor Surinder Singh
Raj Academy Conservatoire London, England


Tuesday, January 3, 2012
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
$25 adv/$30 door
register
Discover Naad Yoga--the science of sound and communication--as it was handed down through the lineage of the Sikh Gurus. Empower yourself even as you dissolve the feud between your mind and soul. Replace any internal noise with balanced and harmonic communication between your finite and infinite self. Naad Yoga allows you to be in tune with your inner self and, guided by your intuition, you’ll begin the New Year still, content and composed.

Naad Yoga is the essence of all life. It is a healing sound mechanism designed by the Sikh Gurus. Bringing it into your own life allows you to unfold your inner potential to become the pure, fearless and noble human being you were born to be. Your soul did not incarnate for you to be miserable!  You can finally follow your calling to inspire, elevate and heal yourself and others all with the ancient science of sound known as Naad Yoga.

You’ll learn:
     - simple techniques of sound and rhythm
     - about the interaction between sound and human emotions
     - how to get in touch with your inner sound, and
     - to fall in love with your voice again.

Your teacher: Professor Surinder Singh...
... is founder and director of the Raj Academy Conservatoire London. The Mission of Raj Academy is to teach and promote the art and science of singing and playing ancient and sacred hymns for elevation, holistic healing, and spiritual growth worldwide.  (more details)
Click Here to register.
Pittsburgh, PA
Breathwalk® is Coming
to Pittsburgh, PA

Learn the perfect exercise program for the Aquarian Age
with Shakta next Spring!
Course Venue
Wholistic Awareness Center
4363 Northern Pike
Monroeville, PA 15146
Weekend #1 – Personal Intensive - April 28-29, 2012 ($250 adv / $300 after April 6)
Weekend #2 – Instructor Training - August 4-5, 2012* ($500 adv / $575 after July 13)

Walking is often the #1 recommended exercise for people of all ages and all ability levels. And, with ‘sitting’ becoming the new ‘smoking’ walking for better physical and mental health is becoming even more important than ever before.**

Breathwalk® is a walking meditation practice derived from Kundalini Yoga. It combines yogic knowledge with western scientific methods. This combination is proven more effective than “just walking,” with many other added benefits including increased mental clarity, increased vitality, an elevation in mood levels and a greater sense of wellbeing and connectedness.

Breathwalk® is a simple, yet profoundly effective mental and physical fitness program. It uses a variety of different breath patterns, timed with your footsteps, to effect a change in your mood and energy level. And, there are 20 different Breathwalks available to choose from!

Join Shakta for a rejuvenating, refreshing and simply remarkable weekend learning to use Breathwalk®...  for your health and well-being... and to uplift the lives of many others.

Two levels of Breathwalk® training are offered. Weekend #1 is designed as a personal intensive. You learn 5 Breathwalks with an Illustrated Guide for each, plus, you’ll receive the Breathwalk textbook. Weekend #2 is designed for those wishing to go deeper with the intent of possibly teaching Breathwalk. An additional 15 Breathwalks are provided in an Illustrated Guide for those taking Weekend #2 along with Home Study materials. In addition, extensive Instructor Support Materials are provided.

Click Here for more information.
* A pre-requisite for Weekend #2, Instructor Training, is the satisfactory completion of Weekend #1, the Personal Intensive.

** See these recent posts about sitting’s lethal effects:
     USA Today     New York Times
Holiday Gift Certificates
Holiday Gift Certificates

Available at KYL
Don’t know what to get your favorite yogi for the holidays? How about a KYL gift certificate that can be used towards classes, workshops, special events, clothing, books or CDs? And, when you purchase $70 or more in gift certificates you’ll receive 5% off the face value.

Purchase gift certificates by calling KYL at (312) 922-4699.

We can mail your certificates either to you or to your intended recipient, too.
KYL’s November-December Theme

Yoga and Meditation for Resolution and Healing ...

Welcome the Aquarian Age!

Click Here to register for classes.
We are privileged to live at a unique period in time—the arrival of the Age of Aquarius! Although many estimates have been offered for the date of entry into the Aquarian Age, our teacher, Yogi Bhajan, discerned that transition to be November 11, 2011.

Humanity is moving from adolescence to maturity. Wisdom, intuition and the use of the meditative mind is what is needed in the Aquarian Age. It is time to resolve and heal personal patterns at their deepest level. Expect whatever has been actively seeking healing within you to come to the surface during this transition to be dealt with openly, compassionately and thoroughly. Let’s get to the bottom of it all, yank it out by the roots and clean up, move on, and heal...  for you... not for anyone else!

During November and December at KYL you will generate the inner energy needed to survive and thrive during the ‘change of the ages.’ You will learn to consciously direct the consciousness of your mind. And, you will balance yourself with Kundalini Yoga and Meditations especially designed to help you heal, elevate and arrive at a new level of physical and spiritual fitness.
Kundalini Level 1 Teacher Training in Canada
Level 1 Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training

"The Aquarian Teacher"

in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada
Course Dates
     Session 1: Sept. 15 to Sept. 25, 2012 (arrive 9/14, depart 9/26)
     Session 2: April 29 to May 9, 2013 (arrive 4/28, depart 5/10)

Registration is now open!
     $2,900 (enroll by July 17, 2012; pay-in-full by Sept. 17)*
     $3,200 (enroll by July 17, 2012; 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!

Photo courtesy of Atmabir Kaur (Ruth) Richman.
* US funds or checks drawn on US banks only.
** Accommodations and meals are a separate fee depending upon room choice. Housing details coming soon.
Moon Watch
CURRENT MOON

New Moon - November 25

11 Days After - December 6

Full Moon - December 10

(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)
6:00-7:00 pm ($13) - not on Friday
  • Saturday & Sunday
10:30-Noon ($17)
(After Sunday's class join us for a vegetarian potluck.)
Other Events
Year 2011
  • Dec 16/Jan 20 Gong & Mantra Chicago Friday night, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm - $15 adv / $17 door.
  • Dec 31Yogic New Year's Eve at KYL 8:30 pm to 12:30 am - Bring a Dish and a Wish for the New Year - $54 single/$100 couple.
     
Year 2012
  • Sept. 7-9/Oct. 19-21Chicago Level 2 Teacher Training "Life Cycles & Life Styles"
  • Sept. 15-25Canada (PEI) Level 1 Teacher TrainingFirst 11-Day Session Sept. 2012 (second session April 29 to May 9, 2013)
  • Sept. 28 to Oct. 3Canada (PEI) Level 2 Teacher Training"Vitality and Stress"
A Thought From Yogi Bhajan
"
There are only two things in life which are important. You must have the energy to face a challenge and you must have the strength to go through it. If that is not with you, it doesn’t matter how many degrees you put on a wall or how professional you are or how much money you have in the bank. Life is based on two things: no stress and you are together; too much stress, there is nothing expected of you.
"