Why Kundalini Yoga should be part of your New Year Resolution.
Dec 19, 2022
Merrium Webster defines a New Year Resolution as a promise to do something differently in the coming year.
Eat better, exercise, drink less alcohol, quit smoking, quit sugar, quit bad relationships, be a better person, be nicer, try harder…chances are on the eve of December 31st, you have vowed to be better, in one way or another, for the next 365 days (at least!). For some of us, this is taken lightly, and just part of the holiday festivities—a symptom of feeling that “holiday spirit”. For others of us, this is a time of renewal, a fresh start, a chance to be better- upgrade our lives and the way we live them.
Why do we feel the need for new resolutions?
Making a resolution to be better, hints to the possibility that perhaps, to some degree, there is a belief that there is a potential for a better way of living. A notion that one is not performing at their best, not treating oneself or others according to the golden rule, or perhaps there’s just a habit that is leading to disease and dysfunction which needs eliminating. Regardless of the inspiration, to successfully change behavior is going to take more of a commitment than just declaring your intention. You need a strategy that will include effectively rewiring your brain, strengthening your nervous system, and instill a big dose of self-accountability.
A good jumping off place to truly make change in your life is admitting that there is something in the subconscious that is pulling the puppet strings on these behaviors and keeping you in a loop of repetitive action.
You are living your life based on outdated mental programs.
The term “mental programming” has become a catchphrase, as the emphasis of healing emotional triggers and old emotional wounds sweeps across social media. It is true that many of our behaviors are the result of a program built into the body based on an emotional reaction to an event, usually during childhood. This is a result of an oversensitive nervous system reporting back to the brain that a threat to survival exists. In truth, while most of the time there is no direct threat to our physical body and survival, we are inundated with stress from a fast paced lifestyle based on high speed technology coupled with a harsh geo-political environment. The perceived threat is arguably more emotional pain and suffering, which when left unchecked, eventually does lead to physical disease. Therefore, most of the habits we want to change are ones that we currently use to numb pain, temporarily ease stress, and create a false sense of safety or pleasure.
The mental programming lies in the subconscious, therefore it can be difficult to identify without a lot of process and therapy, and honestly the exact event, experience, or encounter that activated the sympathetic nervous system to map this particular neural pathway does not necessarily need to be remembered. There is research now that we may all be carrying the trauma and wounds of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors, making it truly impossible to talk through the event details. The good news is that if we simply recognize that the behavior is indeed fear-based, or that we are operating from a program of lack and are trying to fill the proverbial hole within us, we can begin to successfully work on rewiring the neural circuitry. MIT researchers who have been studying the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain responsible for integrating past experience with present action) found that it favors developing new habits. Thus, given this information, the task for us is to find something that provides a sustainable thrill and preferably a deeper sense of connection. Yoga, meditation, mindfulness training, and breathwork are great options. Kundalini yoga, with its emphasis on conscious breathing and self-awareness, is a great practice for improving neural circuitry and remapping the brain towards more sustainable and healthy “programs”.
The nervous system is the means by which the brain and the body send signals to one another. How you perceive an encounter with another, an experience, or an event is gathered by the senses and sent to the brain, who then signals the body how to react and respond. The resulting action, reaction or non-action is based upon your mental programs. By actively strengthening the nervous system, you can impact and change the neural circuitry and behavior patterns. This type of strength training is different then going to the gym and bench pressing weights to gain muscle for physical strength. In this case, the nervous system is strengthened by increasing resilience and improving willpower. In a kundalini yoga class, students are challenged mentally and physically by mindfully maintaining repetitive actions with conscious breathing. For example, a posture may call for simple arm movements such as raising and lowering the arms while using a powerful breath called Breath of Fire for three minutes or longer. By committing to the movement, even when the mind is begging to stop, the student resists the temptation to quit and gains significant mental strength. In a safe environment, the student is given an opportunity to see their potential ability. Resilience to stress becomes greater, confidence is gained through the expression of willpower, and pain tolerance increases, all as the perceived threat of danger is eased. In addition to these changes in mental programming, biochemical shifts are happening as the endocrine system begins to secrete chemicals that create feelings of balance and harmony. The culmination of all of these benefits is the empowerment to resist the temptation to fall back into those habits you resolved to change.
Commitment to a daily personal practice will increase the chance of a successful lifestyle shift.
To truly stick to a new habit, a source of accountability is imperative. Kundalini yogis are big on repetition–not just while performing a kriya or posture, but the number of days practiced consistently. A personal sadhana in kundalini yoga is a commitment to practicing a particular meditation, pranayama (breath work), or kriya (series of postures) for a certain number of days in a row. This is to help reinforce the shifts happening biochemically and physically, as well as solidify the behavior change. The sadhana can be as little as 3 days or as many as 1000 days, but typically a student commits to practicing for forty days. If one day is missed, the yogi adheres to an honor system and must restart and repeat day one. For more on the meaning of sadhana and the significance of the number of days, click here
Completing a sadhana not only reinforces the new behavior, but the sense of accomplishment experienced after completing a challenging task can increase self confidence, improve trust and self-reliance in oneself.
Perhaps when making your New Year’s Resolution, consider adding kundalini yoga to the intention. Just adding a three minute kundalini meditation to your daily routine will have profound effects on your brain and nervous system, which will reverberate out through your relationships, experiences, and overall way of being. Set yourself up for success this year and beyond with conscious breath work, simple movements and a personal commitment to raising the standard for your way of living. The side effects are a stronger nervous system and upgraded neural circuitry (meaning you can think more clearly)!
Happy New Year & Sat Nam!
XOXO
Wendy
