On October 5th we had two sets of conversations facilitated by Just Outcomes.
Participants began a process of enumerating key principles to guide our collective work around the role of hierarchies within the Academy, and how best to hold space for Trainers’ diverse relationships with the legacy of Yogi Bhajan.
Some of us KRI staff are still organizing the notes from these meetings, and we’ll reflect back in the next trainer update email the principles that emerged and an invitation to an activity where all of you can help take the next steps with these principles.
New edition of Vitality and Stress now available
We are pleased to announce that the long-awaited 3rd edition of the Level Two manual Vitality & Stress (English) is now available through Vital Source. The hard copy will be available for purchase through the Trainer Store by early November.
October 18, 2021 – Trainer Update also avaiable in:
Thursday Oct 28th – Proposal to Simplify the ATA paperwork: Track 1: 10am-12pm NYC time (EDT) and Track 2: 7pm-9pm NYC time
Friday Oct 29th – Proposal to Redefine the Roles in the ATA: Track 1: 10am-12pm NYC time (EDT) and Track 2: 7pm-9pm NYC time
Saturday Oct 30th – Proposal to adopt a new Code of Conduct for Kundalini Yoga Teachers: Track 1: 10am-12pm NYC time (EDT) and Track 2: 7pm-9pm NYC time
And a retirement party for Sarb Jit Kaur at the end of each of these sections! If you’d like, please comment on her Kudo board here.
Register NOW for tomorrow’s Circle discussion around Hierarch
Just Outcomes will facilitate circles with trainers interested in deepening the conversation we started at the last Global Summit.
The prompt for these calls will be: “KRI is in a process of deep reflection on two intersecting issues: the role of hierarchies within the Academy, and how best to hold space for Trainers’ diverse relationships with the legacy of Yogi Bhajan. As the ATA moves towards decisions related to these issues, what are the most important principles that need to be upheld in these decisions?”
There are two-time options, both on October 5th (October 6th for Asia and Australia):
Time Option 1: 7:00 – 10:00 AM, PDT (Los Angeles Time)
As you may know, we have recently implemented a new pathway for becoming a mentor. You can watch some short videos explaining this new pathway (on YouTube so with automatic subtitling in many languages), and/or read about it here, in the “Mentor” section. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sarb Jit.
Quarterly Regional ATA Meetings
As part of KRI’s response to the ATA’s expressed need for more localization and distributed authority, beginning in early 2022, KRI will sponsor quarterly Regional Meetings for Trainers and one Global Trainer Summit for all of us to come together.
In place of the single, annual, in-person trainer forums in many places around the world, this new system will give all trainers 4 opportunities per year to come together. Each region will have two online and one in-person (COVID permitting and with an online option where possible) meetings per year. And we’ll continue to have one global trainer summit online each year.
The Regional meetings will be an opportunity to: connect with trainers who serve in the same the region and address regionally specific issues, to discuss proposals for new policies that will be voted on online later, for discussion on topics of common interest, for orientation to the Academy for new trainers, and to connect with KRI staff.
Free, limited counseling available
In light of the conversations that have taken place within the community over the last 18 months, the Siri Singh Sahib Corporation has approved funding for a counseling initiative to help support members of the community in their processes of healing.
The program’s goal is to provide support for community members who wish to seek counseling or therapy related to their experiences in the 3HO community. Eligible participants will be reimbursed up to $2,000(USD) per person for their out-of-pocket counseling or therapy expenses.
Additional details about this program can be found on this information and enrollment form (translated versions of this will be available shortly). We hope this counseling support will be helpful for all who use it. If you have questions about the counseling support program, please email counseling@epsweb.org.
KRI : Bridges with Kundalini Yoga Therapy
caption for image
We are so pleased to announce that KRI supports Kundalini Yoga Therapy as an emerging bridge with public health, bringing certified yoga teachers into healthcare. If you are a Kundalini Yoga Therapist certified with IAYT or have a program that is credentialed or in process, please reach out to us so that we can collaborate and share your courses periodically. (Japa@kriteachings.org)
If you want to try Kundalini Yoga Therapy, please look at Elements & Alchemy, offered by the Guru Ram Das Center for Medicine & Humanology as a pilot for our Bridges to Yoga Therapy program. Don’t delay, course launches Oct. 7th.
Free Webinar for Trainers with Gurumukh Mark Harris
caption for image
All Trainers are invited: Prevent burnout and deepen our self care to move towards truly helping this world in these challenging times. A special free webinar for our community to meet Gurumukh Mark Harris and understand yoga as a movement for social change! Once registered, the replay will be yours for free if you watch it and can be reused as material for level ones to explain outreach to specialty populations, and how to prevent burnout for yoga professionals.
The Experience of Awareness: Joy, Energy & Healing
As trainers we all want to be effective, authentic, and elevating. This global pandemic has raised our levels of anxiety, fatigue, and stress by 40-70%. At the same time, it brought a great disruption that led of us many to look inside to clarify our values, to find the courage for a new level of commitment and integrity, and to find meaningful actions to connect with others and make a difference in our world.
All teachers are invited: Deepen your meditation practice; Expanded Awareness for Joy, Energy and Flow; Peace and equanimity from anxiety and overwhelm.
You can access KRI’s annual report for the period July 2020 to June 2021 here.
Reminder – TTEC meetings coming up
Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 28, 29 and 30 October. There will be (we think) 3 proposals – one discussed each day. There will be two tracks each day to hopefully accommodate all time zones.
How do Adults Learn Best? Become a Better Trainer with Easy Pedagogy Tips..
KRI is offering a free one-hour webinar on 11 November at 17:00 Central European Time, (11:00 in New York, 13:00 in Belo Horizonte).
It’s valuable for us trainers to stop and ponder our own teaching from time to time. Whether we are interns or experienced trainers each of us has questions about pedagogy – the how of teaching. How could this be taught more effectively, how to increase interaction, how to bring in something new, how to gain confidence, how to be more inclusive? If we are lifelong learners ourselves, we also have the opportunity to be empowering trainers. In this discussion session, you will get new ideas for teaching on L1 trainings.
There will be room for pedagogy-related questions and sharing of best practices. The event will be hosted by Jagat Prem Kaur from Finland, who is a professional adult educator and a professional trainer.
As a reminder, you can sign up on the Compassionate Reconciliation website, which is available in multiple languages, to receive regular email updates about this process. The update (posted in the News section) from 3 Sept, includes invitations to several upcoming free workshops (Circle facilitation training, An Introduction to Restorative Justice) and Q&A sessions.
Special Trainer discounts on these upcoming online workshops!
In service we have curated the following E-Learning Courses with Special Discount codes 15-20% off for ALL Academy Members:
Intersectionality is where multiple external systems of discrimination and internalized oppression intersect, interact and force multiply. What we call social justice and civil rights struggle, has a millennia long history and praxis, rooted in cultures of tradition. If we explore the civil rights/social justice movement through our understanding of yoga; the inner warrior for social change emerges.
We are so pleased to announce that we are co producing a Kundalini Yoga Therapy course. If you are a yoga teacher that wants to go deep and understand the medicine of the meridian system and how asana incorporates meridian flow, this course is for you. If you are currently working with students as a healer or coach and are looking for certification, this course is an introductory course to the International Kundalini Yoga Therapy School. SPANISH TRANSLATION AVAILABLE FOR THIS COURSE
Self Paced Learning with pre recorded content and Zoom calls: The path forward can often become unclear and it’s easy to feel lost. By centering and activating the navel point, recognize your inner strength and build clarity to walk your path confidently. In this three week series through yoga sets, meditation and self-massage you’ll learn how to adjust and activate the navel center to harness your own personal power and self-determination.
KRI is recruiting for two part-time ATA regional administrators!
Any of you are welcome to apply, but also please share with your teams or teachers in Latin America and Europe who may be qualified and interested. Thejob description can be found here.
Please email a resume and cover letter to Puranjot Kaur if interested!
Research paper into origins of some of the Humanology teachings
Please see this 2nd research paper that KRI commissioned into the origins of our teachings. This one focuses on some of the lifestyle and humanology teachings.
KRI is proud to announce 3 new board members!
KRI is welcoming Dhyan Bhakti Kaur from the USA, Sohan Kaur from Italy (Germany originally), and Kirtan Mantra Kaur from Mexico (Argentina originally) to our Board of Directors. For the future, KRI is committed to having the next board members be added via an election process. The details of such process aren’t 100% finalized, but you can read the rough outline in English below. As always, comments are welcome. Links to the outline in other languages are:
If you haven’t renewed your license yet, please do it by completing the form and submitting your payment. A US$54late fee will be applied after September 15th.
For those who have already taken care of your renewal, thank you very much!
I am excited for our future! Maintaining the integrity of the teachings as they have been, but innovating the methods for teaching them and reaching today’s students. Innovating models of Teacher Training with mixes of online and in-person, new pedagogy tools, a culture of trainers supporter each other and sharing their tools. More regional rather than global focus, without losing the precious inter-connections across cultures and continents that are so special in our global Kundalini Yoga school.
You can find the notes from all of the break-out group discussions, in many languages, here.
There were many AMAZING workshops delivered during the summit, and most were recorded. Attendees of the summit have free access to all of the workshops (you all will have gotten an email last week with your link), and all members of the ATA can, for one small fee, also have unlimited access to them.
Click on the link below to see the list of 4 English and 2 Spanish language workshops, and to register for access.
Here is a timeline for when the meetings will be and how the proposals will be processed. Email Amrit Singh with any questions!
KRI is recruiting for two part-time ATA regional administrators!
Any of you are welcome to apply, but also please share with your teams or teachers who may be qualified and interested. Thejob description can be found here.
Please email a resume and cover letter to Puranjot Kaur if interested!
More dialogue around the connections between Kundalini Yoga and Sikhis
A group of trainers is interested in further discussions around this topic, and the draft paper that was recently released (you can read it here), and perhaps offered edits or another version. Anyone interested, please read the draft paper and make personal notes/comments. Email or WhatsApp Amrit Singh to express your interest, and some zoom discussions will be organized with intention to come together to meet re:what the first paper fulfilled and what other questions/topics are needed for clarity. From there, the group can decide to propose changes to that paper, or create an outline for a new one, and go from there. You can also read some prior Sutra dialogue about this topic in these links here and here.
SSSC Sangat Forums
The Siri Singh Sahib Corporation is having an open forum to take questions from anyone in the community on Sept 10th. See more about the format of this event, and register for it on this webpage.
Inspiration of the power of Group Consciousness
I often find inspiration in the work of Tom Atlee. A recent blog post of his captured the potential of group consciousness quite well I thought.
“…our mutual inadequacies can become a resource, a way to connect with each other, as we seek to be, see and act with that greater wholeness which is accessible only through each other. This is why I think it unwise for us to seek perfect wisdom as individuals, but rather to seek to be with each other in ways that help us see beyond our diverse blind spots into greater wisdom, simply because our differences are able to paint a reality that’s bigger, fuller and more life-like than any one of us alone could possibly imagine.”
If you haven’t renewed your license yet, please do it by completing the form and submitting your payment. A US$54 late fee will be applied after September 15th.
For those who have already taken care of your renewal, thank you very much!
Discussion not voting, moving it one week later – October 28th, 29th, 30th. Three proposals, one per day, with two very short tracks each day.
Online Level One Trainings
Here is the directional policy that was approved April 2021. Reminder – if you will do your Level One 100% online, you need to discuss this and get it approved by Amrit Singh.
Upcoming eLearning Workshops for you and your students
YOGA OF INTERSECTIONALITY: The African Roots of Kundalini Yoga & Social Justice
This is a self-paced workshop with Gurumukh Mark Harris MA, CADC I, MAC.
You cannot miss this opportunity to understand the Kundalini Yoga from a diversity and inclusion perspective. All Yoga teachers & trainers navigating the Aquarian Age need this class to grasp the complex intersections of class, race, ability and how to be sensitive with knowledge and depth. Special early bird discount for this ground breaking self-paced workshop.
Email japa@kriteachings.org for trainer entrance into this special class, 6 hours of pre-recorded content that you do at your own pace. Public entry price $299, Trainers; $250. This class has scholarships as needed, contact professionaldevelopment@kriteachings.org to request.
As Just Outcomes shared in the summit – we are working towards a shared story – not an identical story, but one big enough to allow all of our differences to co-exist with one another. And “the quality of relationships among us does, and will, matter.” There will be continuing discussions over the coming months and years. It was apparent that trainers are ready to show up and have these conversations in the uplifting manner that is in alignment with our values.
ATA Trainer Summit – Building Bridges to Enhance Our Service
On July 8 – 11 we had the Global ATA Trainer Summit – Building Bridges to Enhance Our Service. The time together truly was a pivot towards the future. It was a chance for authentic and conscious communications between trainers from over 14 countries in multiple languages. Discussions on fundamental and sometimes challenging topics happened during the four sessions.
The Steering committee is completing a full follow-up report to be sent out by July 26th and it will be posted on Sutra along with notes from the break-out groups. Recordings of the workshops that were offered in English and Spanish will be available in the eLearning Center by August 8th. In the next bulletin we will include a full list of the workshops offered and how to access them.
The Relationship between Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma
The trainers involved in the SSSC-KRI commission have drafted this position paper regarding the relationship between Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma. We hope that it is helpful.
New draft Code of Ethics for Kundalini Yoga teachers
This draft is open for discussion and dialogue in Sutra here. The hope is that we will bring a version of this to the Oct TTEC meetings.
The Roots and Context of Kundalini Yoga as Taught by Yogi Bhajan
One of the yoga researchers that KRI has engaged, Rob Zabel, has delivered his report about the history of our practices. You can download it here.
Update regarding the demographic survey
Please see this letter from the KRI Staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team regarding the next steps with the demographic survey we piloted at the Dec 2020 Trainer Summit.
Upcoming eLearning Workshops for you and your students
Celestial Communications Workshop
Study this specialized meditation form so that you can better teach Celestial Communications and share the joy of this artful form of meditation. Adarsh Kaur leads Celestial Communication for the Heart July 19th, replay available, special discount for Trainers, click HERE to register.
YOGA OF INTERSECTIONALITY: The African Roots of Kundalini Yoga & Social Justice
This is a self-paced workshop with Gurumukh Mark Harris MA, CADC I, MAC.
You cannot miss this opportunity to understand the Kundalini Yoga from a diversity and inclusion perspective. All Yoga teachers & trainers navigating the Aquarian Age need this class to grasp the complex intersections of class, race, ability and how to be sensitive with knowledge and depth. Special early bird discount for this ground breaking self-paced workshop.
Email japa@kriteachings.org for trainer entrance into this special class, 6 hours of pre-recorded content that you do at your own pace. Public entry price $299, Trainers; $250. This class has scholarships as needed, contact professionaldevelopment@kriteachings.org to request.
KRI is moving forward with the implementation of the new locally based administrators of the Academy to better support our community of trainers.
Dev Atma Kaur (USA and Canada), Preet Kamal Kaur (Asia and Australia), along with Puranjot Kaur (Brazil) and Sarb Jit Kaur (Europe, Africa, Latin America) will be assisting you all as the Regional Aquarian Trainer Academy Administrators in the respective regions.
All the information and details about the new regional administrations can be found in the ATA regional administration page on the trainer support website.
Please remember that trainer licenses expired on July 1st. If you haven’t renewed your license yet, please complete the form and make the payment before you submit it.
For those who have already taken care of your renewal, thank you very much!
The discussions at the Summit later this week are going to be awesome and important. So make sure you come – even if for only parts of it! And three important new documents, all initiated by you all in prior meetings, to review and begin discussion at the summit.
Many important conversations, workshops, and breakout room discussions will happen, which are often the starting points for upcoming new policy recommendations. Come for all or just parts (check out the agenda for your track with the links below).
TRACK 1 AGENDA: JULY 9h & 11th (Asia & Australia) or night 8 & 10 (U.S and Mexico)
TRACK 2 AGENDA: JULY 9th & 11th (Latin & North America, Europe, Africa, and Middle East)
The Relationship between Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma
The trainers involved in the SSSC-KRI commission have drafted a position paper regarding the relationship between Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma. This will be emailed to all Summit registrants before the event, and there will also be a breakout discussion group at the Summit later this week.
The Roots and Context of Kundalini Yoga as Taught by Yogi Bhajan
One of the yoga researchers that KRI has engaged, Rob Zabel, has delivered his report about the history of our practices. This will be emailed to Summit registrants soon, and then sent to all ATA members. He will be leading a workshop discussing his research findings on Saturday at Track 1 of the Trainer Summit.
KRI’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Goals and Mission
A committee of KRI staff members have come up with this draftof goals and a mission for our diversity, equity and inclusion work. KRI is open to feedback from all trainers on this, and it will also be a breakout discussion group at the Summit later this week. Please also see this report on the demographic survey we piloted at the trainer Summit last December. This is another piece to this Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, and can also be discussed in the Summit breakout room.
New draft Code of Ethics for Kundalini Yoga teachers
A group of volunteer trainers from the last summit have worked with the Office of EPS and KRI staff to draft a new version of the Code of Ethics for Kundalini Yoga teachers. KRI’s plan is to gather feedback and iterate on this set of documents in order to bring something to TTEC in October. Discussion and feedback on this document will begin at the summit later this week. We will also be working to get this translated into other languages.
KRI is moving forward with the implementation of the new locally based administrators of the Academy to better support our community of trainers.
Dev Atma Kaur (USA and Canada), Preet Kamal Kaur (Asia and Australia), along with Puranjot Kaur (Brazil) and Sarb Jit Kaur (Europe, Africa, Latin America) will be assisting you all as the Regional Aquarian Trainer Academy Administrators in the respective regions.
All the information and details about the new regional administrations can be found in the ATA regional administration page on the trainer support website.
Apply to become a Level 2 trainer
If you are a Level One Professional or Lead trainer, you are eligible to qualify as a Level Two Professional or Lead by applying for each module individually. The application process is simple – Level 2 pathway flowchart – and there is no application fee.
If you are going to co-teach a L2 module don’t forget to follow this process in order to qualify prior to the submission of the contract by your L2 Lead mentor.
Level two Lead trainers can also qualify as Level 2 Leads Mentors.
Have you taught the Death & Dying Segment of Teacher training L1 & L2 a million times? Would you like to jazz up this part of your curriculum and just wow your trainees? Jivan Joti has spent the last 10 years researching death & dying. This workshop is FREE as a thank you to all Teachers/Trainers/Kundalini Yoga enthusiasts everywhere. Share with your communities, click HERE for more info!
Celestial Communications Workshop
Study this specialized meditation form so that you can better teach Celestial Communications and share the joy of this artful form of meditation. Adarsh Kaur leads Celestial Communication for the Heart July 19th, replay available, special discount for Trainers, click HERE to register.
SSSC is looking to hire a program manager
The SSSC is looking to add q member to its administrative team, The Legacy Program Manager (“Legacy PM”).
This role is a pivotal one, setting the stage for community and program alignment in the organizational wellness programs that will propel this vision to fruition. The Legacy PM will work collaboratively with the Legacy Non-Profit Organizations to develop systems and processes to support the over-arching strategic vision. Long-term success will be defined by prosperity and mission expansion across all the Legacy non-profit organizations and the greater global community.
If you would like to read more about the position or apply please click HERE.
Please remember that trainer licenses expired on July 1st. If you haven’t renewed your license yet, please complete the form and make the payment before you submit it.
For those who have already taken care of your renewal, thank you very much!
This ATA Global Summit will be the only Summit this year. This event is multi- lingual with workshops taught in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and possibly more. The video below presents information on the interactive workshop with Just Outcomes, working with hierarchies and power dynamics in the ATA and how we represent Yogi Bhajan in our trainings and publications. There will multiple opportunities to check in with fellow trainers as well as breakout sessions on fundamental issues for Teacher Training As always there is the option to pay through Conscious Contribution instead of recommended fee. See you soon!
Please remember that trainer licenses will expire on July 1st. Until you renew your license, your name cannot be added to a Trainer Team for a Level One, Level Two or 21 Stages of Meditation program. The License renewal fee is US$108 and free for Interns. If you haven’t renewed your license yet, please complete the form and make the payment before you submit it.
For those who have already taken care of your renewal, thank you very much!
Invitation to participate in a 40-day global meditation for Inner & Outer World Peace
We are starting a 40-day Global meditation on July 10, 2021! You and all of your students and communities are invited to join this 40-day meditation.
We will be meditating to the meditation “To Feel God in Your Heart“. This meditation is to increase your connection to the heart center, and to increase your ability to really listen to an “opposite” viewpoint, which will allow you to find the true oneness between you and another.
This Global Meditation is open to anyone who would like to join and it is completely free.
To sign up click on the following link and you will be automatically added.
There are three significant components for Mentors in Training – a Mentoring Coach, a mentoring peer group, and online trainings/videos. If you are interested in becoming a Mentor, please click here and click on the “Mentor” Tab. As approved by TTEC, both Professional and Lead Trainers are eligible to apply.
This program will also need Mentoring Coaches. If you are an experienced Mentor, and are interested in being a Mentoring Coach, please let Hari Charn (hck@kriteachings.org) know.
Have you taught the Death & Dying Segment of Teacher training L1 & L2 a million times? Would you like to jazz up this part of your curriculum and just wow your trainees? Jivan Joti has spent the last 10 years researching death & dying.This workshop is FREE as a thank you to all Teachers/Trainers/Kundalini Yoga enthusiasts everywhere. Share with your communities, click HERE for more info!
The future of TTEC and Summits and Quarterly Forums, we will set a fixed schedule for regional and global meetings.
Building Bridges to Enhance Our Service
ATA Trainer Summit- July 8, 9,10,11 – Register Today! An opportunity to build bridges with fellow trainers around the globe, to have timely critical conversations, training and guided processes with Just Outcomes in the Compassionate Reconciliation Process, skill building through best practices in Level One and Level Two, and time to deeply meditate together.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Regional Trainer Meetings in Latin America, Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Canada/US. Here are the notes from the discussion groups, all available in 8 languages, of those meetings and these will be used to build groups on foundational topics for discussion and potential changes.
New research in Kundalini Yoga
Dr. Sat Bir Singh has recently published a new study showing that Kundalini Yoga is an effective treatment for chronic insomnia. Check it out here.
We thank you for all the efforts you are making to continue teaching and uplifting humankind through Kundalini Yoga. Please click now to take care of your re-licensing before 1 July.
