Get energized for the holidays with Kathryn McCusker’s 11-minute yoga tip
With party season and holiday prep in full swing, the end of the year can be a hectic and stressful time. Simple ways to slow down are much in need. Friend of Dohur and Kundalini yoga teacher Kathryn McCusker proposes a soothing “kriya” (breathing exercise) to help get through the season. Kathryn was a professional opera singer before turning to yoga and writing her book “Everyday Kundalini: Yoga, Meditation, Mantras and Breathing to Empower and Transform Your Life”. She teaches at London’s Triyoga, organizes retreats and assists in training teachers in Kundalini yoga worldwide.
How do you find daily moments to slow down?
I’m a high energy person and I find that living in London can feel intense at times. Time out in nature is a necessity for me to slow down and reconnect. I also read when I can and listen to lots of different styles of music. Nature, music, yoga and creativity nourish me in so many positive ways, all of them helping me to slow down.
What inspired the switch from opera to yoga?
I never really “switched” from opera to yoga, it seemed more like an effortless timely transition. Many creatives such as singers, actors and musicians asked me to teach them yoga when I was performing and before I knew it, I was teaching a lot! I was also stepping back in my opera career after twenty years on the stage; I was keen to have a child and explore new things.
I went back to live in Sydney for five years with my partner where I started to teach more yoga and meditation. In that short time, I created and ran a Kundalini yoga studio, wrote a book and had my baby girl!
Why does Kundalini yoga appeal to you?
I’ve always practiced different styles of yoga and meditation throughout my opera career to handle the pressures of performing, but it was Kundalini yoga that sparked a deeper curiosity and so I decided to dive into teacher training to learn and experience more. However, not necessarily to teach it!
Do you follow any Christmas and New Year traditions?
Every two years we go to Australia to see our family, where we will be this year. Our Christmas tradition is an early morning swim at the beach, followed by lunch and lots of crazy dancing! For the end of the year, we will gather with our friends on the beach for a barbeque and have a swim as the sun is setting. Then we’ll do a meditation to close the year with a big sense of gratitude for life, family and friends!
What about when you are in the UK?
When we are in the UK, it’s Christmas lunch with friends. We all make food to share, then sing carols and a walk on Hampstead Heath, which is one of my favourite places in London.
Tell us about the kriya you have suggested for Dohur.
I have chosen an eight-stroke breath for energy and stress release. It takes just 11 minutes and can restore the prana (energy) you have consumed throughout the day, moving you beyond stress to a feeling of rejuvenation! I suggest you practice it daily. This is a very beneficial exercise at any time but especially at the end of the year when many of us are feeling stressed out and depleted.
Kathryn’s daily kriya
1. Sit in a comfortable position, either on the floor cross legged or on a chair, with spine tall, chin in and chest lifted.
2. Close your eyes and tune into your breath.
3. Inhale through the nose for eight equal strokes and then exhale through the nose in one deep and powerful stroke;
4. Continue this cycle for up to 11 minutes.
5. Then inhale deeply, hold the breath for five-ten seconds and exhale.
6. Inhale deeply again, hold the breath 15-20 seconds, and this time roll your shoulders as fast as you can.
7. Exhale and relax
You can also join Kathryn McCusker for a free online class to celebrate the winter solstice.
Wednesday 21st December
6.30-7.45 am UK Time
Kathryn McCusker
Kundalini Yoga Teacher