Videos tagged: teachers

Meet Iram, RA MA TV teacher from our home base, RA MA Institute in Venice, California, USA. Iram first encountered Kundalini Yoga in 2016 when she was living in New York City. Her passion for this practice was immediate as she experienced the teachings’ power in healing her anxiety. 

This week, we sat down with her to ask her more about her journey with the practice, what inspires her for her classes, and her recommendations for go-to Kriyas and mantra.

​​How did you discover Kundalini Yoga?

I first discovered kundalini yoga through a book about chakras ~ the book talked about how it could be dangerous, so my rebellious spirit immediately found myself a class to try it out for myself. I fell in love with the experience of deeper connection with myself immediately and soon discovered the only thing that was in danger was my ego as kundalini yoga started working its magic!

What are some of the ways you use the technologies of Kundalini Yoga for success in your life?

For my relationship, I chant Bhand Jameeai daily for at least 11 recitations. It keeps me connected to my own divine feminine essence, easing any friction, enabling me to express myself with dignity and security, and thus creating great harmony in my partnership.

For my professional life within management consulting, I stay calm, alert, and focused through various types of pranayama, but on a daily basis fists of anger and breath of fire in ego eradicator.

And in general, whatever problem I may be having in life, I find a kundalini yoga kriya or meditation that is prescriptive for that problem to help me overcome it. Works like a charm!

What’s your go-to Kriya?

Sodarshan Chakra Kriya -- it cuts through the negativity and brings me into neutrality within 11 minutes usually. If I am being really negative, I have upped it to 31 and even 62 minutes. It is one of the most powerful meditations that I have ever done!

What do you recommend for people to stay grounded during these times on the planet?

We feel ungrounded usually when we are too much in our heads and sometimes if the upper chakras have been activated without balancing the lower chakras, so to go one level deeper, trying to focus on kriyas for the lower chakras can help you stay grounded too.

If your life were a playlist, what are 3 songs that would be on it?

Bhand Jameeai
Guru Ram Das Chant
Adi Shakti

What are 3 things you do to keep a healthy glow?

Kundalini yoga + exercise in general...specifically things like cat-cow daily. For women specifically, according to Yogi Bhajan, if you aren't doing two hours daily of exercise, you can always be doing more. I don't usually hit two hours every day but I try for at least one, even if they are in increments.
Consuming healthy liquids -- I am fiery and of pitta constitution so for me especially aloe juice helps a lot! I also love celery and cucumber.
Steam room and sauna as often as I can -- it's really important to detoxify the body to maintain a healthy glow.

What’s one thing you hope someone experiences in your classes?

When I practice, I always feel like there's a way through everything, and that I am able to navigate the ship of my destiny into a more positive place, even if my mind cannot comprehend that. I have overcome things in life that I didn't think were possible with this technology and so if I can inspire that feeling in others via kundalini yoga, I will be very happy!

Practice with Iram weekly by beginning a 14-Day Complimentary trial of RA MA TV or RA MA TV Live. View her classes and entire Teaching Collection here.

Find Iram on social @withIram

We sat down with RA MA Institute teacher Carla Ashton-Caroll. Here’s what she had to say….

How did you discover Kundalini Yoga? 

While attending a spiritual workshop I noticed a man who radiated beautiful energy. It turned out that he was a Kundalini teacher so I started classes with him.

What are some ways that you use the technology of Kundalini Yoga for success in your everyday life?

I try to integrate it into my daily life. Besides sadhana, I use times when I am  waiting to practice One Minute Breath to stay centered, Conscious walking with Sat Nam to stay grounded. Long deep breathing when I am on the computer to increase focus and clarity.

What’s your go-to kriya or meditation to get out of a negative thought stream? 

Kirtan Kriya, one of the most powerful meditations in the practice of Kundalini. Washes the consciousness clean

What do you recommend for people to stay grounded during these times on the planet? 

Become Earth to Self, 3 breath meditation using VICTORY, Alternate Nostril Breathing

If your life were a playlist, what are 3 songs that are on it?

Nafanta by Ismaêl Lô

Laya Mantra by Sat Kartar
Stone Flower by Antonio Carlos Jobim

What are 3 things you do to keep a healthy glow?

Body scrub with a stiff brush before a shower

Eating as much fresh organic fruits and vegetables as I can
Practicing Sodachan Chakra Kriya to stay balanced

What’s one thing you hope someone experiences in your classes?

I hope students make a connection with the teachings to feel uplifted and radiant. My wish is that there are practices available to address any problem and I encourage them to ask me.

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Catch Carla Ashton-Caroll for her last month of in-person classes at RA MA Institute New York this October!

We sat down with RA MA Institute teacher Harmanjot. Here’s what she had to say….
How did you discover Kundalini Yoga?
I was cast in a movie right out of college. I was having a terrible time. I wasn’t getting along with anyone in the cast. The director was…well that’s another story! I was so freaked out.
We were on location so I was sharing a hotel room with another actress. She thought Kundalini yoga could help me manage the roughness of the shoot. She was right.

40 days after that I moved to Los Angeles and within another 6 weeks I met Guru Jagat. I quit the industry and started studying. I was always both very sensory and very philosophical, so Kundalini yoga fulfilled for me to need understand the world through both intuition and cognition. It took care of all the vanity needs of a former model/actress - but on the positive current: fitness without over working out; beauty from the inside out. The practice was supernatural and cool. But above all, I realized I could use Kundalini yoga to help people.

Dignity for all humans is my deepest prayer. I don’t think there’s a single family line that has gone unscathed in the last 5,000 years. So there’s a lot of work to do to remember that there is nothing more beautiful, more conscious than the human being. The time has come for self-value. That’s what I’m about.

What are some ways that you use the technology of Kundalini Yoga for success in your everyday life?

Kundalini is ultra useful in my family dynamics. I use the mantra Ang Sang Wahe Guru to keep us unified, yet individuated.

I am also very much into the practices that offer a creative-intelligence edge. There’s nothing more fulfilling that feeling oneself as an organic, living consciousness. In the future, when we are living in the throes of technology, a creative human experience will be more magical than ever.

What’s your go-to kriya or meditation to get out of a negative thought stream?
Inhale sat. Exhale Nam.

What do you recommend for people to stay grounded during these times on the planet?
Enjoy it. If you can’t beat it, and you can’t leave it, and you can’t change it (right away), enjoy it.

If your life were a playlist, what are 3 songs that are on it?
Dhan Dhan Ram Das Gur has REAL miracle power
Ik Ardas will give you destiny
Rakhe Rakhan Har will protect your lineage 7 generations front and back

What are 3 things you do to keep a healthy glow?
Oh the basics, drink water, practice sarbang dandes. I love pranayam breathing exercises. They really give you that mega watt radiance.

What’s one thing you hope someone experiences in your classes?
I hope someone who comes to my class gets the energy they need to achieve what they came to the planet to do. And that includes having a great life. At the very very very minimum, we all came down here to have a happy, beautiful experience of what it means to be alive.

Catch Harmanjot for weekly in person classes at RA MA Institute Venice and check out her RA MA TV class collection here.

We sat down with RA MA Institute teacher Gian Randev. Here’s what he had to say...

How did you discover Kundalini Yoga? 

I was watching the Jiu Jitsu documentary “Choke” based on the life of Rickson Gracie. In this documentary I saw Rickson practicing breath of fire as part of his training routine. I had a teaching assistant that was really into yoga and I asked him to show me breath of fire. He did and when I moved to Los Angeles I was looking for a teacher and he directed me to Tej’s class. From that day on I knew I had found something that was not only going to make me a better fighter but also help me live a much better life.

What are some ways that you use the technology of Kundalini Yoga for success in your everyday life?

I integrate it into as much of my life as I can. I am relentlessly consistent with my practice and from there I try to spend the rest of my day finding success on the earthly plane. I think one of the most important things for me is to use the practice to find an emotional equilibrium so that it’s easier to operate from a place of neutrality. When I can do that everything else just seems to fall into place. 

What’s your go-to kriya or meditation to get you out of a negative thought stream? 

Panj Graani Kriya 

You’re a really accomplished Jiu Jitsu practitioner. What are some ways that Kundalini Yoga and Jiu Jitsu intersect?

These practices complement each other so well. It’s very clear to the people who have gone deep in each discipline that they are like long lost siblings. I’ve always said that the yogic sciences teach you how life should be while the martial arts prepare you for how life can be. Kundalini Yoga helps you create a high quality life and Jiu Jitsu helps insure it. Among many lessons, they both teach you how to stay meditative under stress as well the importance of discipline and consistency. If done correctly, the combination of the two disciplines can have a profound positive impact on any individual. The whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. 

You also have landed some huge acting projects recently. Congrats! What are some ways you prepare for a big audition?

There is no substitute for diligently preparing with the material so that you can perform what is expected of you. With that being said so much of it is more about compatibility than even competence. So like Yogi Bhajan said, “do your best and let God do the rest.” On the day of the audition I just go through my morning routine and at the audition just have fun and enjoy the process without an expectation on any kind of result. It makes for a good experience no matter what. 

And on that note, what’s your secret to magnetizing these amazing opportunities?

Bahota Karam 

What’s one thing you hope someone experiences in your classes?

I always hope that they experience learning or further solidifying a fundamental nuanced habit in the practice that they can apply to all future practices whether it be a class or a personal Sadhana. This way the consistent incremental gains from the habit can over time create a huge impact in the individual's life. I also always hope that everyone leaves really high. :-)

Catch Gian Randev for weekly in person classes at RA MA Institute Venice and check out his RA MA TV class collection here.