Yoga Practice Track: Class 3

The practice that I participated in at class today was Kundalini Yoga. Kundalini or "coiled one" is the serpent power which lies dormant in the lowest psycho energetic center of the body. The awakening of this serpent power is the central goal of Tantrism and Hatha Yoga.
Harmony and energy flow were emphasized in this practice. We began the class by chanting a mantra using the abhaya mudra and sitting in easy pose, arms over head hugging our ears, and hands in prayer with thumbs crossed. The mudra was Sat Naam. On "Sat" we inhales and drew in our stomachs so our navel would touch our spines (or as close as they could get). On Naam we exhaled and relaxed the stomach.
We then proceded with Kundalini yoga and then ended the class with another Kriya.
The kriya started with sitting in easy pose and the Gyan mudra. We chanted "Saa, Taa, Naa, Maa" and fost each word touched the next finger to the thumb. We started out out loud, then went to a whisper, then silently,back to a whisper, and back to out loud.
The philosophical elements were stated to be the repatterning of energy and frequency as well as pranayama. This supported the practice by giving meaning to the mantras, kriyas, and mudras- thus, enhancing the experience.