Kundalini yoga is a fantastic way to tune into yourself and deepen your spiritual connection. The aspects of a Kundalini yoga class facilitate this process, from asanas and kriya to pranayama, and finally, the chanting and singing of mantras. Every Kundalini yoga class has mantras, and wherever you go for a class, you’ll notice the same mantras.
The three most commonly used mantras in every Kundalini yoga class are “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo,” “Ad Guray Nameh,” and “Long Time Sun.” They take place at different times of the classes from beginning to end.
Repeating mantras in a Kundalini yoga class is essential for many reasons, especially because the intent of a Kundalini yoga class is very different from other lineages. While many mantras can be used in a Kundalini yoga class, there are a few you’ll always hear. If this is your first time with them they may sound strange at first. If you’re pursuing your Kundalini training online Cert or even if only a yogi curious in Kundalini they’ll slowly become less and less strange.
Article Topics
What’s the Purpose of Using a Mantra?
A core part of any yoga or meditation is to use mantras to help achieve the goal of the class or session. Mantras are set phrases that are chanted or sung repeatedly in a yoga or meditation session.
Mantras help guide oneself through a yoga practice to help achieve the practice’s intent. In Kundalini yoga, the mantras are used to help attain spiritual awareness. To get there, you must be able to focus and keep your mind on the intent of the class, which is where the mantras help.
You can use whichever mantras you want during your yoga sessions. Most yoga lineages already have set mantras used, which are found in Kundalini yoga. You can look at Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras or the Yoga Upanishads for more mantras to help you cater to your intent. The mantras from Kundalini yoga come from the Holy Book of the Sikhs.
Mantras are not only used in a Kundalini yoga practice. Read through the evolution of yoga over time to know how mantras benefit your mental clarity and how they are applied in different meditations.
Are all Mantras the Same?
Mantras are used to help achieve the intent of the practice. Not all practices are the same. Therefore not all intents are the same. There are hundreds of mantras used in yoga, many of them coming from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Generally, many yoga classes will use the same mantras in each class. Kundalini yoga is no exception to this. Several mantras are regularly used in Kundalini yoga classes, and some instructors may choose to add in different ones, depending on the intent of the class.
What is the same about mantras is that they are used to keep the mind focused, whether it’s clearing the mind, achieving a goal, or maintaining an idea in your head. Think of it as a jingle from a commercial that you can recite by heart that sticks in your head. Explore the origin of Kundalini explained in this article to know what entails to have a session of Kundalini yoga.
Three Commonly Used Mantras in Every Kundalini Yoga Class
Kundalini yoga classes follow a set pattern similar to many other yoga classes. You start with a mantra, move into a warm-up including pranayama, followed by kriya (asanas, movements, and breath), relaxation, meditation, and ending with prayers and mantras.
The mantras can be chanted or sung. They take place at different times of the class and have different intents to open, work through, and close the class. When performing the mantras, an important part is to keep your mind clear (which some mantras are said to do this!). You may feel like you sound silly or struggle through some of the Sanskrit at first.
Since Kundalini yoga classes use a baseline of mantras, you can practice them before a class or after a class. The three most commonly used mantras in a Kundalini yoga class are:
- Adi Mantra (Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo)
- Mangala Charan Mantra (Ad Guray Nameh)
- Long Time Sun and Sat Nam
Adi Mantra (Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo)
The first mantra that is always recited in a Kundalini yoga class is the Adi Mantra, “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.” It means “I bow to subtle divine wisdom, the inner divine teacher.”
This mantra is said three times at the beginning of every Kundalini yoga class and is a great way to start the spark to release the Kundalini. It helps people taking a Kundalini yoga class get in tune with it.
Since Sanskrit can be difficult to pronounce for many people, you can watch videos to learn how to pronounce the mantras correctly. Many of the videos will sound like songs, which is encouraged in a Kundalini yoga class to awaken the spirit. Here’s a video for “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.”
Mangala Charan Mantra (Ad Guray Nameh)
The second mantra commonly used in a Kundalini yoga class is the Mangala Charan Mantra. It’s said as “Ad Guray Nameh, Jugaad Guray Nameh, Sat Gure Nameh, Siree Guru De-Ve Nameh.”
This mantra is used after the Adi Mantra three times. It is a continuation from the Adi Mantra, meaning “I bow to the primal wisdom, I bow to the true wisdom through the ages, I bow to the unseen true wisdom.” Here’s a great video to help you learn the mantra. This one is a bit longer than the previous mantra, so it will take some practice.
Long Time Sun and Sat Nam
The third mantra frequently used in a Kundalini yoga class is used to close and end every Kundalini yoga class. It’s a song called “Long Time Sun.” It was adapted by Yogi Bhajan when he introduced Kundalini yoga to the western world.
It is an excellent way to close a Kundalini yoga session by saying, “May the long time sun shine upon you.” After the “Long Time Sun” is sung, you’ll end the Kundalini yoga session by chanting “Sat Nam” three times to reaffirm your authentic self.
Online Resources to Learn More About Kundalini Yoga
Before the internet, yoga was shared with the world by word of mouth, and yogis and gurus traveled the world and shared the techniques and knowledge with those who would listen. The internet has made yoga available to anyone who wants to practice and learn the philosophies and traditions. Learn about the evolution of yoga over time to know how has it evolved and its effects on the practice.
Learning Kundalini yoga online is a fantastic way to start your yoga practice, whether you want to receive the benefits from it or become an instructor. There are many resources available to anyone who wants, but heed caution because unless the instructor can see you, you can injure yourself in a yoga session that you found online. Find the meaning behind the kundalini serpent to know more about the significance on this practice.
Brett Larkin
Brett Larkin is a fantastic yoga instructor with many years of experience. She is the most popular online yoga instructor, especially in Kundalini yoga. She has many classes available for students and those looking to receive their YTT.
She currently offers a course, Kundalini University, with Guru Singh. This course will help you get your YTT and RYS.
Yoga Farm Ithaca
Yoga Farm Ithaca is another wonderful online resource to learn yoga. They offer classes for those who want to be students or to receive their YTT. They currently offer two Kundalini yoga courses:
- Kundalini 101: This course has six classes that will guide you with extra lessons to read up on what you’re learning.
- Kundalini 102: In this class, you will learn about your Chakras and how they are essential in Kundalini yoga.
Conclusion
Mantras have been used in yoga for as long as yoga has existed, for thousands of years. The mantras that are used in Kundalini yoga follow a set pattern to maintain the Kundalini tradition and will be the same wherever you take a Kundalini yoga class, whether it’s in India, or the United States, or the comfort of your own home.
