KY and kids

topic posted Tue, December 13, 2005 - 2:33 AM by  madame7
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Does anyone know if doing Kundalini Yoga is dangerous for children?
posted by:
madame7
Seattle
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    Re: KY and kids

    Tue, December 13, 2005 - 5:40 AM
    i can't imagine so..........there is a book called "fly like a butterfly" i believe it's a kundalini kids yoga book...........
    • Re: KY and kids

      Tue, December 27, 2005 - 9:56 AM
      Yogi Bhajan used to reccomend not teaching Breath of Fire until the child was about 12 or hit puberty. So many children copied their parents though, and did it at a younger age, I don't think anything too bad happened.
  • Re: KY and kids

    Tue, December 13, 2005 - 8:26 AM
    I was talking to someone recently who was involved in setting up a Kundalini Yoga program for high-school kids as part of a sex education curriculum. It has a lot of promise, since kids can realize that they can experience intimacy and exchange energy without actually having intercourse.

    I also would say that I find any idea that Kundalini is dangerous, to be off the mark. It's just your body's energy. And, I believe there are angles that watch over beings who are learning to awaken this energy... but that's just my crazy thing.
    • Re: KY and kids

      Tue, December 13, 2005 - 8:37 AM
      i guess my concern would be of stirring up something too early for a young child to be able to process. I was doing yoga with my son the other night and showed him the breath of fire exercise where you're on your knees with your fingers laced together and pointing up. I was instructed to do the Mulabandha with this one. My son is 6 years old and for some reason he really liked doing it. Then i was concerned about awakening his Kundalini too fast if he started doing it. Any thoughts on this?

      m7
      • Re: KY and kids

        Tue, December 13, 2005 - 8:55 AM
        Hi Madame7

        As long as you practice the exercises within the Kriyas and Meditations listed in official Kundalini Yoga manuals its safe. Remember to Tune in with "Ong Namoe, Guru Dev Namoe" and end with the "Sat Nams" or the "Sunshine Song." The key is to start gently and gradually. If you teach your child Kundalini Yoga this way, there is no danger. Many children in 3HO start Yoga as early as 3-4.

        Sat Nam,

        Mark
      • Re: KY and kids

        Tue, December 13, 2005 - 8:55 AM
        You are dealing with the rebirth of a very high being here. Treat him with care. My intuition is that he will be important in what is to come. I have no idea what I'm saying.

        Kids have less baggage and emotional/physical blockages. I'd say that it would actually be easier for a child to process the energy than an adult... and my god, it would save them so much grief growing up!
        But, I'm not an expert. You strike me as a wise and intuitive being, so trust your instincts... but be willing to accept the magical and out of the ordinary. We are moving into quicker times.
        • Re: KY and kids

          Tue, December 13, 2005 - 12:05 PM
          I've had a little training in teaching children, and I do some yoga with my discussion group.
          Yoga prepares you for the energy to open you. The only really negative experiences I've heard of involve people using drugs with yoga.
          There are some kriyas that would not be appropriate for kids. Like kriyas to reverse the effects of aging, for example.
          I would recommend checking out "Fly like a butterfly" because she gives stories to accompany the yoga and specific meditations for kids. She also explains about shortening times, how to teach breathwork, etc.
          One really great meditation for kids:

          Easy pose with index fingers pointed out (like you're disciplining someone) arms at sides. They shake their fingers in rhythm.

          Chant "I am happy, I am good 2x sat nam sat nam sat nam gee wahe guru wahe guru wahe guru gee."

          This is recommended specifically for kids to handle household stress.
          • Ln
            Ln
            offline 96

            Re: KY and kids

            Wed, December 14, 2005 - 7:44 AM
            I teach yoga to children, have gone through the Kundalini teacher training and am a credentialed Elementary School teacher.
            My teachers, the Gurudass´s advised me NOT to do regular Kundalini classes with children under 13 years old. Kids don´t need to do exercises that move their kundalini in a very powerful way.
            I use Kundalini mantras and many poses (Fly Like a Butterfly is an excellent resource, as are the materials from Gurudass Kaur´s Child´s Play workshops)from Kundalini but kids need more variety. We also do lots of dancing. I come up with ¨celestial communications¨", movements to our favorite mantras. The kids love them. And it´s amazing to hear them singing Ek Ong Kar or Adi Shakti or any of the mantras we use in class.
            My classes especially love Girish´s Shiva Machine cd, though they aren´t Kundalini mantras, my yoginis love it.
            I organize my kiddie yoga classes similar to Kundalini classes, we tune in with Ong Namo and warm up, then exercises and dancing, a relaxation and then a meditation to finish. I have a class that asks to do up to 5 minutes of Sa Ta Na Ma regularly.
            But back to the main question, kids under 13 years old, from what I understand, don´t need to do breath of fire or any of the bandhas (locks) that work towards powerfully moving the kundalini energy up.
            Hope that helps.
  • Re: KY and kids

    Wed, December 21, 2005 - 5:23 PM
    KY is tremendously benificial for kids. I teach a few kids classes and it is amazing to watch them flourish, become more relaxed, meditate, focus on their breathe, but also really blossom creatively, expressing themselves as timeless, infinate creatures. Fly like a butterfly is a great book. Kids aren't supposed to do breath of fire or pull root lock, too much stimulation in the lower chakras if you know what I am saying. What a gift to give children. Keep up Madame 7!
  • Re: KY and kids

    Fri, March 16, 2007 - 6:23 PM
    Well, I started Kundalini as a child in kindergarden. My school was run by 3HO folks and the yoga practice was carefully geared for age and individual needs. We did less structured classes, focusing mainly on imitating animals, drumming/chanting together, dancing, and doing short meditations that built up in speed. There are certain excersizes that are not appropriate for children and of course children do not have the same body control or patience as adults. (Do check out the book suggested above.) But a child intuitively understands her body better than an adult can and children can learn meta-theory (high concepts) better than adults.

    One of my parents' greatest gifts to me was to introduce me to Kundalini at a very early age. I dropped the practice for twenty years, but was able to return to it from memory, not even knowing the concept of Kundalini until someone explained it to me later.

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