How is kundalini yoga different from other yogas?

Kundalini yoga is soooo different. Different from the way vinyasa might be different from ashtanga or from hot yoga. And because I am a big fan of a variety of different flavors of yoga, I don't want to come off sounding like one is superior than another. Having said that, in my personal hierarchy of likes, I think Kundalini Yoga is the boss. No surprise there- this is what I chose to teach. 

Here's why:

• It puts a lot of emphasis on pranayam (breath exercises). The breath, to me, is foundational to wellness, healing, metabolism, integration, relaxation and calm, and for connecting with Spirit. 

• It loves mantra. Meditation is hard. Mainly because our monkey minds work hard to "protect" us from change, keeping us where we are. It can talk us out of anything. Mantra gives our mind something to focus on. And it can change our negative self-talk and break through self-limitations. It can also help regulate the breath. And it makes silent meditation more accessible, more blissful.

• Kundalini Yoga & Meditation as taught by Yogi Bhajan encourages the 40 day challenge. When ready to go further, it offers 90, 120 and 1000 day challenges. A kriya (a prescribed yoga sequence that produces a specific effect) is chosen and practiced for 40 consecutive days, and the rule is, if you skip a day for any reason, you start over again at Day One.  What's great about this is not the effect that the kriya has; I mean, the effects are great too, but here's what's really great about it. You have to carve that time out for yourself. Every day. What you learn from this is invaluable. The discipline, the boundaries, the priorities, the negotiations you have with yourself, the frustrations, the feelings of achievement, like you landed yourself on the moon. If you can stay aware and open and observe the relationships you have with this process, with the people you live with, with juggling everything else you have going on to make this one commitment happen, the take-aways and evolutions that come from this are priceless.

• It gets you there fast. Kundalini yoga can make you flexible. But if you want to get into some beautifully intimidating poses, kundalini yoga may not be for you. In class, you may not feel that great doing the yoga. In fact, kundalini yoga often feels like it is putting you under pressure-- just the opposite of why most people do yoga. On the mat, you may feel uncomfortable, and the tantrums eventually come. This practice challenges the nervous system, it works the lymphatic, circulatory, glandular systems. It tests you and dares you to connect with your breath, your courage and your power, which it knows you have and only need to learn to access on command. So that once you leave the mat, the world feels like the glorious place that it is. The world is the world. Not good nor bad. 32 degrees is freezing if you are coming from Mexico. Coming from negative 4 degrees, it's downright balmy. It's all relative. When we challenge and strengthen our inner capacities and build our reserves, the outside world becomes a playground instead of varying degrees of hell. 

• You can't take the spirituality out of kundalini yoga. It can give you a good workout for sure. It can work out your thighs, abs and cardio for sure. It will also work out your shit. And that's downright awesome. 
  

Kundalini yoga teachers have often been asked this question of how this yoga is different. I don't have one sentence to explain this. I'd love to hear from anyone that might have a clue how to answer this concisely, other than, you just have to experience it. Here is a description with regards to the experience that kundalini yoga offers by comedian and activist Russell Brand: 

Kundalini Yoga is the crack cocaine of yoga; 
if Hatha is a mild weed high, 
Iyengar is a deep hash glow 
and Ashtanga is amphetamine, 
Kundalini Yoga blows the fucking doors off..