International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association

By Ravi Kaur Khalsa

Prologue

My mother met Yogi Bhajan when I was 4 years old. Kundalini Yoga transformed her life and she had to meet “the Yogi.” My brother and I tagged along as she met with him. Our lives were never the same. We moved into the 3HO ashram in Eugene, Oregon and we did yoga. I went to boarding school in India from ages 11 - 16, and we did yoga. I moved to Tucson to work at 3HO SuperHealth when I was 17 and started teaching yoga. I got married at 18 and started working for Yogi Bhajan, and we did yoga. 

Sat Nam New Kundalini Yoga Teachers, 

“I’m not a man, I’m not a woman, I’m not myself, I’m a teacher.” The Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan proclaimed this one Solstice. I don’t even remember how long ago it was because I have heard him say it so many times over the years. At first, when I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that he meant that a teacher must first consciously and honestly put aside his/her ego when acting in the capacity of a teacher. I liked it. It’s was a good rule.

If you were not here in Espanola, New Mexico, for the for the Summer Solstice Celebration we definitely missed you.

We had a powerful Teachers Conference under the Tantric Shelter this year. Our main teachers were Guru Singh, Shakta Kaur, Guru Dev Kaur and Guruka Kaur. This

year’s focus was on Humility—one of The Eight Elements of Excellence.

This story began while I was seated next to my wife Jai Gopal during a Kundalini Yoga Teacher Gathering in 2005.

Guru Darshan and Simrit had started the work of Langar Chile (serving our society's least protected people out on the street) and they were looking for volunteers to help them. Personally, I had thought about similar ideas in the past, but they had always remained only that: ideas.

The Chilean Yoga Festival gets bigger and better each year.  Once it was an opportunity for the Chilean communities to come together living the teachings.  It has grown to be the ‘South American’ Yoga Festival, with participants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Columbia, and Peru.  It is full body festival with Sadhana, Gurdwara, beautiful classes every day, and inspired fun.