Find Your Authentic Self: Kundalini Yoga

The goal of a Kundalini Yoga practice is to search for one’s deepest, most authentic self. In this workshop we will use yoga movement and meditation to drop into that space which allows for personal insights and knowledge to arise from within the body to the level of consciousness. The only difference for 2024 will…

Workshop Description

The goal of a Kundalini Yoga practice is to search for one’s deepest, most authentic self. In this workshop we will use yoga movement and meditation to drop into that space which allows for personal insights and knowledge to arise from within the body to the level of consciousness.

The only difference for 2024 will be that more time will be devoted to participants’ reflections on their experience of the yoga–maybe some individual narrative journaling after daily practice in addition to group discussion. Slightly less time will be spent in formal lecturing.
Suitable for beginners (those with no yoga experience) as well as more advanced yoga practitioners, this Kundalini Yoga and Meditation workshop is not about how to perfect yoga postures (although it does address proper alignment). Rather it is about showing up and staying present. It is about how to use the body and mind as well as the voice, the brain, the heart—simply our whole selves—to open and gain deeper access to true, embodied worship. Through both movement and stillness, the yoga is your guide to a more authentic and heart-centered way of walking the earth every day.

The yoga sessions will include various mixes of asana (posture), mudra (hand positioning), mantra (chant), and meditation. Emphasis will be on relaxation and restoration of the body to prepare for meditation, and there will be a period of deep rest at the end of the yoga sequence each day. Following each day’s yoga session, we will move into traditional silent meditation, followed by worship sharing. There will be a small amount of lecturing on Monday. This lecturing is more by way of explanation and clarification than about yoga pedagogy. On Wednesday and Friday, we will have shorter sessions of yoga to allow participants to ask practical questions, share their experiences of the yoga practice over the course of the week, and interact with one another.

Experiential portions of the workshop will include a mix of sitting and standing, with the majority of time devoted to sitting, including for traditional silent meditation. Those who cannot sit on the floor on a yoga mat are welcomed and encouraged to use a wheel chair, regular chair, an exercise ball or any other props that will allow them to feel included and enabled, as well as comfortable. Worship sharing also may be done seated in chairs or on the floor, depending on our room assignment and available resources.

Please plan to dress in clothing that is stretchy and allows for freedom of movement. A personal yoga mat is essential, as well as other personal props, and a light covering for meditation, in case our room is kept cold. Disinfecting will be done in the yoga space each day for those attending in person to assure that we follow whatever COVID protocols are in place in summer 2024

Leader Experience

Ann Ritter has led yoga and meditation workshops over multiple years since 2008.