Mantra moves the psyche. There is a teaching that when you recite the words, if you use the tip of your tongue, different meridians, like constellations on the roof of your mouth, get stimulated and change your biochemistry. Personally, this is a little outside my realm of understanding, but I have seen the power of mantra firsthand. It can totally change the trajectory of your thoughts and in turn, the trajectory of your life.

When you get to the gong layout, you know you’ve made it. The end of a kundalini class is most students’ favorite part. It marks the finish line- the opportunity for sweet surrender after a challenging practice, and within the resonance of these primal sounds is the promise of transcendence. Strange and magical things can happen in this space.