Kundalini Yoga with Rebecca Youngdahl Lombardi at Dragonfly Yoga Studio

Location: Dragonfly Yoga Studio, 127 Canyon Road, Beverly Hills Subd., Lahug, Cebu City, Cebu (province), Philippines

Getting Acquainted
I was referred to Rebecca Youngdahl Lombardi by Dumaguete scuba diver friend, Laura Pearce, when we hooked up in Cebu. Finally meeting Rebecca over lunch at Firozian Indian Tea House, she casually said she teaches Kundalini Yoga. It got me excited. I don't know of anyone in Cebu who teaches Kundalini Yoga. My immediate question was, "Would you like to teach Kundilini Yoga to my yoga friends?". Her immmediate reply was, "Yes".

Kundalini with Guru Kaur...in video
I've done Kundalini Yoga before at Dragonfly Yoga Studio with Jeanne Torrefranca and some friends as we watched a video by Kundalini guru, Guru Kaur. Now, we would have our chance to practice it with a live teacher. Jeanne invited some friends over. Parkour guys, Carlo and Anton, showed up too.

What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini Yoga is a distinct school of yoga (like Ashtanga and Hatha) that was formalized in 1935 by a treatise developed by Sivananda Saraswati. Unlike the more athletic Ashtanga Yoga where you generate a lot of heat and perspiration through a continuous flow as you weave the poses into the movement, kundalini yoga is usually stationary (mostly in a seated pose) with focus on meditation, pranayama (breathing exercise), chanting and kriyas (completed movement). Its main objective is to awaken the kundalini shakti - a serpent like energy coiled at the base of the spine. When awakened, the kundalini rises up, passes through all the 7 chakras (major energy centers) until it reaches the top-most head chakra, the Sahasrara (Thousand Petaled Lotus), bringing one to a state of oneness with the Absolute. Honestly, I don't know what that means. When the spectre of divinity is invoked, I can only speculate.

Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening
From a physical standpoint, the following is experienced* - the whole body shakes, hair stands on roots, spontaneous laughter or weeping, posture becomes fixed (hands and legs stretch out forcibly), cessation of breath comes with no effort for inhaling or exhaling, the mind experiences waves after waves of supreme blessedness, feeling intoxicated without drugs, etc. How long or how much practice before the Kundalini awakens? All I know is that it won't happen overnight.

What Transformation Happens when Kundalini is Awakened?
I've asked a few people that and I can't seem to get a consistent answer. Surprisingly, even the Kundalini Schools do not address that issue in a way that relates to day to day life. Does it mean you attain enlightenment? Nobody said yes. Does it mean you can now walk on water? Sorry if I sound irreverent, but I'm just echoeing what most people are thinking, but dare not ask. Others said it is a fleeting moment of enlightenment that soon fades away - it's not a constant state of being. That I can relate to, as I have had such experience - actually, just one back in my college day. And it never happened again. I digress. I could speculate again that the experience cannot be described in words - it has to be experienced.

Rebecca's Kundalini
Rebecca had a calming voice that took us through the practice. It wasn't physically challenging until we started repeatedly doing certain kriyas. It got to the point it felt like a burning sensation. Stopping was not an option! At the end of the session, we found ourselves relaxed with a placid and pleasant demeanor. Did something awaken in me? No. I wasn't expecting anything like that. The destination is the journey itself.

Ending Thoughts
As a yoga practitioner, I open myself to all forms of yoga - in fact I welcome it. I do it as a modality for improvement or refinement of my current practice, and because I'm simply curious. The yogic landscape is broad with lots if divergent paths. In my mountain biking parlance, a fork on the trail can lead you to the proverbial waterfall. Yoga is no different.

many many thanks to Rebecca for her selfless sharing of Kundalini Yoga, to Jeanne for allowing the use of Dragonfly Yoga Studio

Cebu City, Philippines

tourist attractions

Tops - hilltop offering panoramic view of the city
Taoist Temple - temple on a hillslope in Lahug with panoramic view of the city

hotel

Hostel Seven Cebu - newly opened, resto/bar, central location, solo/group travellers
Juana Osmeña Street, Cebu City
S Hotel & Residences - new hotel, luxury rooms, central location
827 M. Velez corner Andres Abellana St.

resto / cafe / bar

Fujinoya - new and refreshing twists to Western style desserts using Japanese techniques
Wilson St., Lahug, Cebu City - tel. 888.6075
Bad Boys Wingz - Buffalo Wings, unique versions of sauces! Great service, accommodating staff, bad boys vibe
Kasambagan, Cebu City | (032) 415 4811

yoga

Love Yoga World - yoga studio
11/fl, Skyrise 2 Tower, IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City
Yoga Now - first Yoga and Wellness studio in Mactan offering daily Yoga Classes
at The Yacht Club Mactan

mountain biking

Cebu Mountain Bike Adventure - MTB tours, bike sales and repairs. Bed and Breakfast + Resto Cafe + wifi
1298-b V.Rama Ave, Guadalupe, Cebu City | 0942.959.7451