Kundalini Yoga: What a Class Involves, Evidence and Cautions

What Kundalini yoga is

Kundalini yoga is a style that combines movement, breathing, meditation and chanting. A 2026 systematic review describes the practices in its studies as pranayama (breath practices), asana/kriya (movement sets), meditation and chanting. [1] It is one of several styles described on the yoga styles overview.

The word kundalini comes from older Indian traditions. An encyclopedia summary describes kundalini in those traditions as an energy, often pictured as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine. [2] That is a traditional framework, not a measured part of anatomy. See chakras, nadis and the subtle body for how these ideas are used and what research does and does not say about them.

Where it comes from

The same encyclopedia page notes that many of the oldest sources on kundalini come through manuals of the tantric and hatha traditions. [2] The style most people meet in Western classes is a later form, "Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan." He was born in the Punjab region in 1929 and moved to the United States in late 1968, according to Yoga Journal. [3]

Historian Philip Deslippe, writing in 2012, concluded that in the early years of the organization Yogi Bhajan used the physical yoga of another teacher, Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari. [4] Deslippe's article is one scholarly account of where the style came from, and other accounts exist. See the history of yoga and cultural respect in yoga for wider context.

Controversy about the founder

In 2020 the organization that oversees Yogi Bhajan's estate commissioned an outside investigation by a group called An Olive Branch. Its report said that "much of the alleged conduct, more likely than not occurred." [3] The investigators interviewed or received statements from 299 people, and the scope covered sexual and spiritual abuse. [3] Of those, 140 refuted any allegations of wrongdoing, according to the same account. [3] We have not read the full report itself, only this magazine's account of it.

This page does not tell you what to decide; it is information so you can.

What a class can involve

Classes vary a lot by teacher. Based on the review we read, programs combined breath practices, movement sets, meditation and chanting, and ran from 6 weeks to 12 months, most for 8 to 12 weeks. [1] In the anxiety trial below, classes were 120 minutes long, held for groups of four to six with two instructors, plus 20 minutes of daily homework. [5]

The review lists chanting among the practices; for background see mantra, Om and chanting in yoga. You can choose to listen or sit out any part that does not feel right.

What research shows

The anxiety trial is the largest. Only 68.6% of participants completed the final assessment, and the comparison group received stress education rather than a different movement practice. [5] NCCIH summarizes it this way: Kundalini yoga improved symptoms but was less helpful than cognitive behavioral therapy, an established first-line treatment. [8] The sleep study's authors say objective measures such as actigraphy and sleep studies are still needed. [7]

Yoga cannot be blinded, and most of these outcomes were self-reported. Treat the 2026 review's wide-ranging conclusions with care: we read only its abstract, and it says larger standardized trials with active comparators and longer follow-up are needed. [1] For wider context see yoga for anxiety, yoga for sleep and yoga for cognitive health.

Choosing a teacher

Yoga teaching is generally not regulated, so ask about training, modifications, and whether chanting and breath practices are optional. We do not list or rate teachers or studios. See how to choose a yoga style.