Any fans of Maya Fiennes here?

[dianestjohn]

Originally Posted by eam531

Wow.

I wouldn't expect to find anything under a turban except for clean hair, as every KY teacher I have ever had was scrupulously clean. 3HO has all kinds of "yogic lifestyle" recommendations and cleanliness is definitely part of it--clean body, hair, yoga clothing, clean place to practice, meditate, etc.

Those white turbans are worn by 3HO members who are Western Sikhs--Gurmukh, Snatam Kaur, etc. The vast majority of KY teachers are not Western Sikhs and a lot of them just use a white headband or scarf as a head covering. I used a sort of white beret thingie when I taught. I've also taken KY classes with teachers who do not use hair coverings; if their hair is long, they just pull it back out of the way.

Maya Fiennes has lovely practices, her music is wonderful, and she's always been respectful to Yogi Bhajan.

I also like Kia Miller's practices. She appears to also have a background in hatha yoga. I think KY and hatha complement each other very well.

Thanks Betsy, I always value your expertise in this area. I think I am projecting what would happen to me if I wore a turban, because my head can get hot and sweaty pretty easily when I work out. I’m just curious about the purpose of covering the head, even with a headband. Is it meant to contain the energy of the chakra at the top of the head, or maybe to contain the heat of the body so it doesn’t dissipate?

[Pat58]

Originally Posted by sherry7899

Pat, I posted above about practices on Amazon Prime if you have it. They are about 40 minutes each.

Thank you, Sherry.

Betsy, thank you for the turban clarification. I think moving yoga into the realm of religion is also what makes me a little uncomfortable with the Sikh teachers. I feel that they're teaching from a place of piety, which makes me a little guilty because I'm just using their practice for a good workout and to achieve my happy place.

[Jo FitFan]

From "The Aquarian Teacher, KRI's International Teacher Training in Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan (registered trademark) Level One Instructor Textbook", this is Yogi Bhajan's response to "Is it important to wear a head covering during sadhana?":

"During sadhana, be sure to cover your head with a non-static, natural cloth like cotton, and keep the hair up. The hair regulates the inflow of sun energy into the body system. To let the solar energy flow without obstruction, let the hair grow it is full natural length, and take good care of it. If this is done, the amount of energy that goes downward from the Seventh Chakra increases tremendously. The kundalini energy is activated by the radiant force of the solar plexus, and moves upward in response to the solar energy coming down. This balances the body energy and maintains the total equilibrium. If the hair is down, unkept, or uncovered so that it is electrically imbalanced, this natural process of raising the kundalini energy will be impeded."

Personally, I don't consciously notice a difference when I wear a head covering. When I did my teacher training, about half the group felt clearly that wearing the head covering supported them, they felt energetically stronger and empowered.

[Pat58]

Interesting, Jo FitFan. Thanks!