Kundalini yoga emphasizes spinal flexibility and postural alignment. If you are new to this style of yoga, you might experience muscle soreness in your upper back. Over time, your muscles will strengthen as you continue to practice regularly. Kundalini yoga can be challenging for a beginner because every posture requires the engagement of body locks, breath techniques, precise alignment and extended periods of meditation.
Body Locks
Bandhas, or body locks, are common in most styles of yoga. Three primary locks help you keep your spine in optimal alignment while in a pose. The neck lock is performed by lifting the chest, drawing the skull back and tucking in the chin. The root lock is a contraction of the muscles in the area of the sexual organs, as if you were going to cease the flow of urine. The diaphragm lock is done by pulling the navel back toward the spine and attempting to lift it up toward the heart. The neck lock puts the most strain on the muscles of the upper back because it requires you to draw the shoulders down and away from the chest.
Breath Techniques
Pranayama, or breath techniques, are a necessary aspect of holding a posture in kundalini yoga. The four primary techniques are called long deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing, breath of fire and suspending the breath. The common component of all these techniques is extending the spine upward and the chest open for breath to flow freely in and out of the lungs. This requires you to keep the sternum lifted at all times and the shoulder blades drawn close together. Initially, this engagement is uncomfortable and tiring, but becomes easier with practice.
Alignment
Your alignment will vary with the pose you are performing. The majority of kundalini yoga poses are seated with the spine straight and the crown of the head reaching upward. Guru Rattana suggests daily spinal exercises to regain flexibility to eliminate back pain. These exercises manipulate spinal alignment, which engage the muscles of back. Stronger muscles create stronger support for the torso, which in turn prevents pain. The muscle soreness experienced from exercise is different from actual pain that manifests from injury or lack of physical activity.
Meditation
Popular styles of yoga string many poses together into an intense cardiovascular workout. Kundalini yoga takes a different approach by increasing the amount of time you engage a yoga pose. This meditative approach requires you to engage a particular muscle group for a longer period of time as opposed to other styles of yoga that keep you in a pose for no longer than a breath or two. A kundalini yoga posture can last anywhere from a few breaths to several minutes. If you have been holding an upright seated pose for a long period, you might experience soreness for the next few days.
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