E-uorIoN: E,xERGY rN MortoN AND Yoca An Interuiew with Donna Amrita Dauidge

Amrita Dauidge'sgreat grandfather William Setaall was a taell known nature guide uho had a tifetongfiientlship uith TheodoreRooseueh. The president-to-be was cured of his asthma by his uisitswith William Sewallat SewallHourr. bonro, a student of YogiBhajan, carries on thefamif heritage and history of healing in the Yogaretreat slte createdat Sewall House.

Integral Magazine: Before we talk about your breath.For me, part of my sadhanais practiceand Yoga'sapproach to working with the emotional body, part is deiving into Bhajansteachings. would you tell us what drew you toward Yoga? IYM: \7ould you give some examplesof how you work Donna Amrita Davidge: That question reminds me of a with your studentsin relation to emotional issues? New York TeachersAssociation conference I went ro some yearsago, where Rod Stryker askedthe samequestion. DAD: As a woman, I especiallyappreciated the practices Most of the Yogateachers said it was for physicalreasons. Yogi Bhajan gavethar addressedlow self,esteemissues. He I raisedmy hand and said, I got involved in Yoga for said that women are the graceof God. V4ren I first got emotional reasons.I had done some Hatha Yogain college, involved in Kundalini Yoga,I was struck by how the women but when I was 30, I found Kundalini Yoga.I was ar a carried themselvesso gracefully.I give a meditation that is crossroadsin my emotional life. I had completedmy very affirming to women at my rerreats.You repeatagain Mastert degreein nutrition, I was a trained dietician,but and again,meditating on the words: "I am the graceof I was a bit lost emotionally.So, my journey with Yoga God." Just to say thosewords is very powerful. beganas an emotional search. One summer a woman cameto my retreatfor three and a IYM: Did Yogi Bhajan talk about the emotionsin relation halfweeks. Shehad recentlygorren our ofthe hospital to spirituality? after having pneumonia.I like to look at illnessfrom a holistic perspective,so I went to Louise Har/s book (Heal DAD: I loved that Yogi Bhajan spokevery openly about YourBody) to identify the emotional causeof this illnessof the emotional body, about emotionsas energy, and he gave the lungs and the breath."Emotional wounds that are not us specificsets (a combination of poses,breathing allowedto heal," was her explanation.The affirmation practices,, etc.) to releaseanger and other given was: "I freely take in Divine ideas that are filled with emotions.Eckhart Tolle, in his book ThePotuer of Nou, the BREAIH and intelligenceof LIFE." saysemotion literally meansdisturbance, from the Latin emouere,to disturb. Yogi Bhajan said that Yoga is to take Many changesoccurred for this woman during her stay the commotion of emotion and transform it into with me. Shehad a lot of nervousenergy but at the same devotion, calm and inner peace.So, through our Yoga time wasvery weak upon arrival.She was unableto be in practice,we learn to dealwith our emotionsin a healthy baby poseand had to graduallyrestore herselfwith breath, way. A woman was taking my classfor the first time. good food and healingmassages. Emotional issuesaround During the class,I had everyoneraise their arms and hold her upcoming retirementand challengeswith aging and ill them up for three minutes. Shetold me larer that just in parents surfacedand finally, the tears came up aswell. "My doing that movemenr)she began feeling all this emotional eyesare damp with the nectarof the Lord" is a line from reieaseand shebegan crying. Emotions areenergy in one of the songswe play in Kundalini Yogathat I love and motion held inside us, and Kundalini Yogahelps it to feel exemplifiesthe healing nature of tears.When sheleft, move and that'sa wonderful release. shehad a 20 minute routine of asanaand to take with her. Negativeemotions had lifted, shewas IYM: Did Yogi Bhajan recommendparticular pracrices for relaxed,had a renewedand more joyful outlook on life. emotional issues? Shehad learnedto be still with that nervousenergy and just breathe,to feel the sadness,hurt and the things she DAD: In 1989, I wrote to him when I went to my first must acceptand could not change. summer solsticeprogram at the ashramin New Mexico. I said, "I appearhappy ouwvardly,and alwayshave, but, IYM: \Would you give us an overview of Kundalini Yoga inside I dont feel h"ppy." He gaveme a meditation to sadhanaand tell us about the roots of the tradition? releasehaunting thoughts and told me to do this practice for 90 days.Along the way, I've discoveredthe many tools DAD: Kundalini Yogahas a seriousYoga tradition attached Kundalini Yogahas to offer and I've pracricedthem. This to it. 'il{hen Yogi Bhajan came ro America in 1969, he was includesconnecting deep within ro your emotionsthrough surrounded by people zoned out on drugs who wanted to learn from him. He said they were looking for God in all the wrong places,and so he got them high on breathing.In India, this form of Yogawas not sharedwith the general public but only thosewho wereinitiates. But Yogi Bhajan took the liberty of teaching peoplewho weren't initiated. He gavethem a practice that would have an acceleratedeffect on them becausethey wereso sincereand so in need.

IYM: V/hat is the significanceof the white clothing and turbans that Kundalini Yoga teacherswear?

DAD: Those who wear that havechosen to adopt Yogi Bhajan'sreligion of Sikhism.That is not required if you want to learn Kundalini Yogaor evento teach it. I'm not Sikh and dont wear this garb, though I appreciatewhat it standsfor. I think thosewho do are amazing,wonderful .Yogi Bhajan said that if you arewalking around like that, you better walk your walk. One reasonfor wearingwhite clothes and turban is to neutralizeyour identiry which, as a teacher, is a good thing. It enablesyou to hold the spacefor your studentsto be in a healing space,with a neutral being. It's suggestedthat we cover our headswhen we teach in order to contain the energyat our crown becauseKundalini Yoga Donna Amrita Dauidge in front of Senall House. rvorkswith the chalera(energy center) system. \7e alsowear rvhite becauseit expandsthe aura, the energyfield, and I do I purchasedmy great-grandfatherthome-talk about rvearwhite when teachingKundalini Yoga. emotionallife and healing-it's beenquite a uniquejourney. I feeltheret beena stronghealing component in my family IYM: Do you teachother forms of Yogatoo? home. This retreathas been a wonderful opportunity for me to grow and to seepeople be transformedin this intimate DAD: I was teachingKundalini Yogaexciusively until 1999. environment. We have two to six people at eachretreat and Then, I had a sessionwith one of the healersin our the setting is more like a Bed & Breakfastthan a dormitory. organizationthat changedmy life. He said to me, "Your Peoplefeel very safein this environment. consciousnessis wide open from all the yearsof Kundalini Yogapractice and teaching,but you need to be more IYM: It hasbeen said that 90% of illnessis stressrelated. physicallyintegrated. Because ofthis guidanceand becauseI V/hat can Yogateachers share with studentsto help prevent am essentiallya seeker,I beganto explorevarious or heal theseillnesses-whether physicalor emotional? approaches.I studiedwith Dharma Mittra, Rod Stryker, Anna Forest and extensivelywith Eddie Stern (Ashtanga DAD: In the last five years,Yoga has explodedinto a fitness Yoga).I delvedinto the physicalas a way to integratemy movement with people flocking to classesfor their workout whole Yogaexperience. Gradually, people started asking me to and to sweatand to sometimesinjure themselves.How can teachthem Hatha Yoga,so I do that also. you learn the tools Yogaoffers, in a classthat doesnot presentstillness, meditation and mindfulnessas part of the IYM: Are your retreatsa combination of ? teachings?V{hat aspectsof Yogaare theseworkout classes missingthat could help peopledeal with their emotionsand DAD: I dont mix Yogas,meaning, if I am teachinga stress?As Georg Feuersteinsaid, perhapswe can get back to Kundalini Yogaset, I wont introduce an asanaor breath using Yogato remember the philosophical,spiritual and work that I learnedelsewhere. As a Kundalini Yoga emotionalaspects of our being and in so doing help heal teacher,I feel it is important to practiceit in its pure form. ourselvesand our planet.This wiil enableus to createa If I am teachingHatha Yoga,I may mix srylesof Hatha more peaceful,loving spacefor all in our fast-paced, that I learnedfrom my variousteachers. For the retreats, anxiety-ridden,often emotionally confusing world. we do Hatha Yogaand breathwork in the morning. In the afternoonwe do Kundalini Yogawhich incorporates Donna Amrita Dauidge has beenteaching Kundalini Yoga,in chanting, and live music (my husbandKent Netu York since 1985. Sewall House has beenlisted as a "Top Bonham is the musicianand chef). \7e offer vegetarian Tbn YogaRetreat" by Travel & Leisure. Donna has been mealswhich is new for someand contributesto them featured in numerousntttional magazines,as well as on radio becoming more aware.We are near lakes and hikes in a and teleuision.For moreinformation pleaseuisit: beautifuland unpopulatedpart of northern Maine. www.sewallhouse. com.