As our next addition to the "How I Yoga" series, we had a chat with writer, transformational coach, hand analyst AND Kundalini yoga teacher Amarjit Singh.His writing, counseling, workshops, and yoga classes come from the depth of his life experiences. Not only does he counsel people to live their unique life, he lives his own. He has many experiences to draw from, in a wide variety of fields and places. He has lived in New York City, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Madrid, and Berlin, and has held jobs ranging from stand-up comedian to investment banker on Wall Street. His life has been anything but conventional.
Don't miss his column Living Your Potential here on doyou.com!
Name: Amarjit Singh
Occupation: Writer, Transformational Coach, Hand Analyst, and Kundalini Yoga Teacher.
Location: I divide my time between Europe and the United States. As the winter is here I will be in Los Angeles.
Favorite yoga style: Kundalini Yoga
Favorite yoga pose: Stretch Pose with Breath of Fire (Kundalini Yoga)
Yoga is: Comforting. Like the first rays of summer.
What Do You Love Most About Yoga?
That it connects me with my higher self.
How Has Yoga Changed Your Life, Personality and Physique?
It hasn't changed my life, but it has enhanced it. I have always walked this path, yoga has just paved it, making it more enjoyable to travel down. Yoga gives me the physical, mental, and spiritual awareness to understand and change patterns easier.
What Everyday Thing Did You Get Better At Because Of Yoga?
Being present and more flexible, both physically and mentally. And of course, more compassionate and loving as well.
How Do You Keep Your Yoga Practice Interesting and Challenging?
By not seeing a separation between inside the yoga studio and outside. I take what is happening in my life and apply it in my yoga practice, the same way I take what is happening in the studio and apply it to my life. I view my practice as scientific research applied. I create awareness through yoga and meditation to understand and change the patterns in my life. Once I become aware of a pattern, I find a yoga set, meditation, and mantra to go deeper into it. The same way I see resistance in a yoga posture and then recognize the correlating pattern in my life.
What Book, Website or Person Inspires You?
I don't know where to begin. There have been so many people and books that have inspired me. The one common quality that I see in all of the inspirational people is that they have lived a unique life, manifesting their own form of creative expression. To pick just one seems like a disservice to the others. Being a Kundalini Yogi, I have to say that Yogi Bhajan is one of the many that have been important to my path. Not to mention the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Dev Singh (Sat Nam Rasayan) inspires me the way he can focus his energy. It is really incredible. I have been fortunate to meet some amazing people in my life, but I have never experienced anyone like Guru Dev. The Bhakti Yogi Radhanath Swami and his book the Journey Home inspires me to open my heart.
What Do You Listen To While You Do Yoga?
There are so many artist I like, but definitely anything by Gurunam Singh, Chardi Kala Jatha, or Gurusangat Singh. They are all great examples of the power of Naad Yoga. All their music moves me to chant and deepens my experience.
What's The Best Advice You've Ever Received?
To see the beauty in everyone. At 10 years old my father told me that "there is something beautiful in everyone, you just have to look for it." Without really thinking consciously about this it became an instinct for me. Looking beyond the limiting patterns to see the potential in people. Everyone has a special gift, a unique form of expression and when it shines their true essence radiates. This is beautiful. Now, many years later helping people find and express their special gift, and helping them move toward their potential has become my life.
Is There Anything Else You'd Like To Share With Our Readers?
Self-love is the foundation for everything. Accept and love yourself, then everything is possible. Understand that you are already perfect. You do not change. What changes is your perception of yourself and then you act according to this perception.
Website: www.amarjitsingh.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amarjitsingh8
Twitter: www.twitter.com/amarjitsingh108
Photo credits: David Nassim
