Fear or anxiety and the need to control are like the flip sides of the same character trait. Kundalini yoga tips on how to release fear and go with the flow.

“Everything is going to be okay. You don’t need to control everything.”

One of my favourite Kundalini teachers, Gloria Latham, spoke right through our hearts at the end of my last class with her. There we were in child’s pose, completely, blissfully spent after a full-on full-body Kundalini work-out. As we breathed and processed, Gloria’s voice wafted over us.

FEAR AND CONTROL FREAKS
Fear or anxiety and the need to control are like the flip sides of the same character trait. Trust me, I should know. Just when I think I’ve gotten the hang of having faith and letting go, there I go again, diving in and organizing pretty much everything. This is why ‘let’ is one of my words for 2010 (the other two are ‘love’ and ‘truth’).

PEACE AND CONTROL FREAKS
This is (one of the many reasons) why I love yoga classes. We get on the mat, we drop out of our head, we follow the directions of this person standing up at the front of the room, flowing from one movement to the next, we let go of control, and we find peace. Peace.

Off-the-mat translation: We drop out of our head, we follow the directions of the greater, good, and wonder-full that we hear within our heart, flowing from one decision to the next, and we find peace. Peace.

Or, as in the case of me leaving the final details of my summer vacation to the last minute: A great deal on a beautiful bed and breakfast by the ocean, and unexpected workshops with my mentor and friend, Swami Maheshananda Saraswati. It might not sound like a big deal right now, but I can guarantee you that what I get out of those days will be MEGA—because every time I open to the flow and dive into the opportunities that come up I come away with powerful, positive, life-changing shifts.

10-MINUTE KUNDALINI YOGA
Let go of Fear and go with the Flow

1. Body Drops: Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. Make fists and place your hands beside your hips. Lift your lower body–butt and legs–using your arms and your core, and then drop yourself back down onto the floor. Do this 20 times.
2. Sit in rock/thunderbolt pose, kneeling with your sit bones on your heals. Cross your arms in front of your chest, opposite hand to opposite elbow. Make counter-clockwise circles for 1 minute.
3. Do another set of body drops. 15 times.
4. Take the Kundalini version of bridge pose, pressing your hips up in line with your shoulders and knees, hands planted below your shoulders, and feet below your knees. Do breath of fire here for 3 minutes. For a demo of breath of fire, drawing your belly in on your exhale and out on your inhale, click here.
5. Sat Kriya: Sit in rock pose. Stretch your arms up overhead, pressing your palms together. As you say “Sat” make it really powerful, and draw your belly in; as you say “Nam” make it soft and gentle, as you let your belly relax. 3 minutes. For a demo of Sat Kriya click here.
6. Rest in child’s pose as long as you like.

Namaste